HP EliteBook 840 G10 vs 640 G10: A high-end or a more affordable business laptop?

Looking for a new business laptop? The HP EliteBook 840 G10 is a flagship from HP but the EliteBook 640 G10 works just as well too. We compare them.

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    HP EliteBook 840 G10

    The HP EliteBook 840 G10 is the newest 14-inch enterprise laptop from HP. It features the 13th-generation Intel CPUs and features you need for hybrid work like a 5MP webcam.

    Pros

    • Has 16:10 aspect ratio screen
    • Has better 5MP webcam
    • Great design

    Cons

    • Expensive
    • Harder to find in stock
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    HP EliteBook 640 G10

    The EliteBook 640 G10 is an excellent business laptop, featuring many different configurations and CPU configurations to power you through your workday.

    Pros

    • Cheaper
    • Durable design
    • Has multiple configurations

    Cons

    • Has 16:9 aspect ratio display

You might think that Lenovo ThinkPads are the only business laptops worth buying, but don’t be mistaken. The HP EliteBook series is just as good and are some of the best laptops on the market. The most recent options come from the HP EliteBook 800 G10 series, which offers a pretty high-end experience with a similarly high price. Lower down, though, is the 600 series, which brings slightly more affordable starting prices. Both of these laptops are great for hybrid work and anything beyond, but which one is right for you?

HP EliteBook 840 G10 vs 640 G10: Price, specs, and availability

Both of these devices are available for purchase right now at HP.com. The HP EliteBook 840 G10 starts at $1,919 for the Wolf Pro Security Edition, but there’s also a customizable version that starts at $2,240. The HP EliteBook 640 G10, meanwhile, is much cheaper. It starts at $1,269 for the Wolf Pro Security Edition or $1,753 for the customizable version.

  • HP EliteBook 840 G10 HP EliteBook 640 G10
    Brand HP HP
    Storage Up to 1TB M.2 PCIE NVMe Gen 4 x4 standard SSD 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB SSD with self encrypting options on 256GB/512GB/1TB models. Optional 2nd internal storage
    CPU Up to 13th-generation Intel Core i7 U-series or P-series vPro 13th-generation Intel Core i3-1315U, Intel Core i5-1335U (vPro optional), Intel Core i5-1345U (v Pro optional), Intel Core i5-1350P vPro, Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Core i7-1365U vPro, Intel Core i7-1370P vPro
    Memory Up to 64GB DDR5-5200 RAM (Upgradable) 8GB (single DIM), 8GB Dual Channel, 16GB (single dim), 32GB (single DIM), 32GB dual channel, 64GB dual channel
    Operating System Windows 11 Windows 10 Pro, Windows 11 Home
    Battery 51.3Wh 3-cell 51 WHr
    Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Nano SIM, 1x Combo Headphone /Mic, Smart Card reader (optional) 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x RJ45, optional smart card rader
    Camera 5MP IR camera 720p or 5MP webcam
    Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio, FHD, 1920×1080 resolution, anti-glare, optional HP Sureview 250, 400, or 1,000 nits brightness or 14-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio, WQXGA 2560×1600 resolution, 500 nits with 120Hz refresh rate 14-inch 1920×1080 resolution in either touch, non touch, 250 nits, 400 nits, or 1,000 nits
    Weight 3 pounds Starting at 3.13 pounds
    GPU Intel Iris Xe graphics Intel UHD, Iris X, RTX 2050 graphics
    Dimension 12.42 x 8.83 x 0.75 inches 12.67 x 8.42 x 0.78 inches
    Network Wi-Fi 6E, R2+ Bluetooth 5.3 wireless card, Optional M.2 WWAN (4G CAT16 LTE or 5G) Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, optional LTE
    Speakers Dual speakers with discrete amps tuned by Bang & Olufsen Dual stereo speakers

Design: Compact clamshell laptops

HP EliteBook 840 G9 4

Both the HP EliteBook 840 G10 and the EliteBook 640 G10 are 14-inch clamshell laptops. There’s not much difference between the way they look, especially since they’re both silver. These are also both laptops that meet military-grade durability tests and are made of aluminum.

The only difference you’ll notice is the dimensions and the weight. The HP EliteBook 840 G10 measures about 12.42 inches in length and is 0.76 inches thick, while the EliteBook 640 G10 is similarly sized at 12.67 inches long and about 0.78 inches thick. Even weight is similar: the 840 G10 weighs 3.01 pounds and the 640 G10 weighs 3.13 pounds.

The port selection is also slightly different. You’ll see two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the HP EliteBook 840, along with two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack with an optional Smart Card reader. The HP EliteBook 640, meanwhile, has a single Thunderbolt 4 port, a standard USB-C port, two USB-A ports, HDMI, and a headphone jack and RJ45 jack. If you need that RJ45 jack, the EliteBook 640 is better for you. Both these laptops also support 5G and LTE connectivity, should you need that.

Display: Tall vs traditional aspect ratios

Front view of HP laptop

Where we really start to see differences are with the displays. The HP EliteBook 840 G10 features a more modern 16:10 aspect ratio display, while the EliteBook 640 G10 has a classic 16:9 aspect ratio. Generally, the HP EliteBook 840 G10 will be better for productivity because of that taller display.

Both also come with multiple display options, although the HP EliteBook 840 G10 comes with both touch and non-touch. All the 14-inch display options here come with 1920×1200 resolution. The displays come with either 250 nits, 400 nits, or 1,000 nits of brightness, with features like anti-glare, eye care, Sure View, or even a privacy screen. The HP EliteBook 640 G10 only has a lower-resolution 1920×1080 14-inch display in either 250 nits, 400 nits, or 1,000 nits, and with the same extra features as the EliteBook 840 G10.

There are even a few different webcam options. We really like the HP EliteBook 840 G10’s 5MP webcam across all models, along with an IR Webcam option. The HP EliteBook 640 G10 also has a 5MP webcam, but it’s an optional add-on. Otherwise, you can choose either a 720p webcam or a 1080p webcam, with optional IR. For sure, the HP EliteBook 840 G10 is better for video conferencing because of the bigger 5MP sensor.

Performance: Both of these devices are offering the same CPUs

HP EliteBook 840 G9 6

If you’re hoping for a performance difference between these laptops, you’re mostly out of luck other than the fact that the HP EliteBook 640 G10 has optional Nvidia RTX 2050 graphics. Otherwise, both of these devices offer up the same 13th-generation Intel CPUs from either the U-series or the P-series lineup. These are hybrid CPUs, with performance and efficiency cores for a more speedy system overall. And since these are enterprise machines, you’ll find vPro options across all of them, though the vPro chips cost a bit more.

While we haven’t tested any laptops with these new vPro CPUs yet, we have tested laptops with these CPUs and found they’re great for everyday productivity. Keep in mind here that U-series chips run at 15W. If you want more performance (at the expense of some battery), you’ll want to jump to a P-series chip, since those run at 28W for slightly better performance for things like running virtual machines. You also might want to consider the HP EliteBook 640 G10, if you need that dedicated GPU for tasks like engineering or video editing.

Benchmark Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 11) Core i7-1355U LG Gram SuperSlim (Intel Core i7-1360P)
PCMark 10 5,768 5,661
Geekbench 5 (Single/Multi) N/A 1,822/9,226
Geekbench 6 (Single/Multi) 2,370 / 8,687 2,350/10,197
Cinebench R23 (Single/Multi) 1,634 / 6,779 1,714/8,585

In the table above, you can see that the lower-wattage U-series suffers when compared to laptops with the P-series chip in Cinebench and Geekbench tests. The added power helps in multi-core performance, but for that general productivity, which PCMark10 simulates, things are pretty much even.

The HP EliteBook 840 G10 is worth it

Unless your budget is limited, we suggest buying the HP EliteBook 840 G10 due to its better screen. You get a system with the new 16:10 aspect ratio, which is now more common across newer laptops. You also get a laptop with slightly better connectivity thanks to an additional Thunderbolt port, which can prove useful for connecting to additional monitors.

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HP EliteBook 840 G10

A solid business laptop

The HP EliteBook 840 G10 is the newest 14-inch enterprise laptop from HP. It features the 13th-generation Intel CPUs and features you need for hybrid work like a 5MP webcam.

However, if your budget is limited, the HP EliteBook 640 G10 is for you. This laptop comes with the same great design and CPUs as the HP EliteBook 840 G10, but it’s slightly more affordable. It also has an optional graphics card should you need extra power for engineering tasks or video editing.

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HP EliteBook 640 G10

A more affordable business laptop

The EliteBook 640 G10 is an excellent business laptop, featuring many different configurations and CPU configurations to power you through your workday.