HP ZBook Ultra G1a review: a business-class workstation that’s got game

Business laptops are usually the dullest computers staffed with. But high-end enterprise workstation notebooks sometimes have an interesting mix of power and features to appeal to enthusiasts. HP’s ZBook Ultra G1a is a great example. It’s easy to see this as just another gray boring book for spendthrift business types, until you discover some key specs: an AMD Strix Halo APU, lots of RAM, an OLED display, and plenty of high-speed ports (Thunderbolt 4, a rarity on even-AMD laptops).

I know from my time with the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and the Framework desktop that anything using AMD’s high-end Ryzen AI Max chips should make for a compelling computer. But they are both a gaming tablet and a small form factor PC respectively. Here, you get Strix Halo and its excellent integrated graphics in a straightforward, portable 14-inch laptop—the only one of its kind, so far. That should mean great performance with solid battery life, and the graphics chops to hang with a mid-level gaming laptop — all in a computer that won’t draw a second glance in a crowded office. It’s a decent Windows (or Linux) MacBook Pro alternative, though a lot High price

The HP ZBook Ultra G1A starts at around $2,100 for a modest six-core AMD RYZEN AI MAX Pro 380 processor, 16GB of shared memory, and a basic IPS display. Our review unit is a much higher-spec configuration with a 16-core Ryzen AI Max Plus Pro 395, 2880 x 1800 resolution 120Hz OLED touchscreen, 2TB of storage, and 128GB of shared memory. I often see it discounted by $1,000 or more — still expensive, but more realistic for someone looking for a MacBook Pro replacement. Having this shared memory is useful for most local AI inference workloads and serious dataset crunching. Most people don’t need it. But with the ongoing scarcity of memory I also understand the desire to preserve the future.

Unlike cheap HP laptops I’ve tested that make big sacrifices on everyday features like speaker quality, the ZBook Ultra G1A is great across the board. OLED is vibrant, with perfect contrast. The keyboard has good pinch and deep key travel. The mechanical trackpad is smooth, with a nice click. The 5-megapixel webcam looks solid in most lighting. And the speakers are so loud that I’m happy listening to music all day. I have my gripes, but they’re minor: a 400 NIT screen might be one small The bright, four-speaker audio system doesn’t sound as rich as the current MacBook Pro, and my accidental presses of the page and the up and down arrow keys really got on my nerves. These quibbles aren’t deal-breakers, though for the ZBook’s price I wish HP had addressed some of them.

The big thing you’re paying for with the ZBook Ultra is the top-end Strix HiAPU, which so far is only found in $2,000+ computers and a sub-level gaming handheld, though cut-down versions will arrive in cheaper gaming laptops this year.

The flagship 395 chip in the ZBook offers fast performance for mixed-use work and Chrome tabs and web apps (with power-saving measures) to round out an eight-hour workday. I ran through the battery in Adobe Lightroom Classic, but even though Strix Halo is less powerful when disconnected from wall power, the ZBook didn’t overpower. I breezed through heavy batch editing of 47-megapixel raw images without anything particularly fancy like AI denoise or automatic masking adjustments.

The ZBook stays cool and quiet during normal use. Pushing it under heavy loads produces only a little warmth in its core and a slightly tolerable fan noise that’s easily drowned out by music, video, or a game at normal volume.

It’s not a gaming-oriented laptop any more than the MacBook Pro, as its combined memory and graphics core pool are more for workstation duties. However, this thing can play. I spent an entire evening playing Battlefield 6 With Friends, Discord and Chrome open in the background, it averaged 70 to 80fps throughout with medium preset settings and FSR set to Balanced mode – with peaks above 100fps. It got a solid 50-ish Fps running in native 2880 x 1800 which is fine for single player.

Intel’s new Panther Lake chips also have great integrated graphics for gaming, while being more power efficient. But Strix Halo edged out Panther Lake in multi-core tasks and graphics, with the flagship 395 version proving as capable as a laptop RTX 4060 discrete GPU. If you’re looking to move away from Windows, AMD’s Bee mobile chips have also proven to be great for Linux.

In addition to Windows 11 upsells and nagging notifications, the ZBook also has HP’s Wolf Security, designed for deployment on the company’s IT-powered fleet of laptops. For someone not using it as a work-managed device, its extra layer of security might be tolerable, but they’re annoying. They warn you about files from “untrusted locations” (OK) to pop-ups when you plug in a non-HP USB-C charger (informing). You can turn them all off and uninstall them, just like you can for Bloatware AI’s companion and supporting assistant apps, but that’s a fraction of what HP charges for its Z workstation line.

You don’t need to spend that kind of money on a cut-out ZBook Ultra G1A unless you do that kind of specialized computing (local AI models, mathematical simulations, 3D rendering, etc.). It has a more attainable configuration, often selling for $2500, but its 12-core CPU, minimal GPU, and 64GB of shared memory lack performance.

If you’re mostly interested in gaming, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or even a Razer Blade 16 makes a lot more sense. As for the price of our ZBook Ultra review unit, Roger gets you an RTX 5090 GPU, with more powerful gaming performance, while the more modest Rogue Zephyrus G14 with an RTX 5060 gives you comparable gaming performance to the ZBook Ultra in a similar form factor for about $3,000 less. The biggest knock against these gaming laptops compared to the ZBook is that their fans get louder under load.

And while it’s easy to think of the MacBook Pro as the lazy answer to all your computing needs, it still has to be said: If you don’t mind macOS, you can get one. Too much (Non-Gaming) M4 Pro / M4 Max MacBook Pro Performance Even sticking with Windows and integrated graphics, the ASUS ZenBook Duo competes with the Panther Lake 3 for $2,300 once it’s launched.

at 4,700, it’s a dedicated machine for specialized workloads. It’s a travel-friendly 14-incher that can do a little bit of everything, but it’s a high price for a jack of all trades if you’re spending the money yourself. The ZBook piqued my interest because it’s one of the earliest examples of Strix Halo in a traditional laptop. After using it, I’m even more excited to see the upcoming models at down-to-earth prices.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedito / The Verge