HP Elite X360 1040 G11 2 in 1 Laptop Review

As someone who enjoys being on the go and visiting new places, finding the ideal laptop that can keep up with my tasks and withstand a life on the road is not always easy. While many laptops now offer improved battery life compared to previous years, finding a build quality that won’t crack or break after a few bumps is more difficult than one might think. Plastics often feel cheap, and metal builds come at a premium. The new HP Elite X360 1040 G11 series laptop starts at a hefty $2,299. HP markets this class of laptops to road warriors and modern leaders. Whether that price tag is worth it, we’ll explore in this review.

What’s New?

In this year’s generation of HP Elite X360 1040, HP has made extra efforts to enhance the overall aesthetics while improving the ease of work sessions. The new Glacier Silver colour not only looks striking, changing to a shade of white in certain lighting, but also resists fingerprint smudges better, keeping the laptop looking nicer in daily use. HP has also enlarged both the trackpad and keyboard key caps, making navigation and typing a more pleasant experience.

Internally, HP has equipped the HP Elite X360 1040 laptop with the latest Intel Core Ultra 5 and 7 processors; mine has an Intel Core Ultra 7 165H. Despite its slim form factor, HP has redesigned the thermal system and cooling fans to keep things running cool and performing at their best, while staying whisper-quiet in most cases.

Design

Unlike previous generations of HP EliteBooks, HP has designed the HP Elite X360 1040’s cover lid with aluminum instead of the traditional magnesium, adding durability and rigidity to the chassis. The lower deck remains magnesium, showing no noticeable flex even under pressure in typical weak points.

“Unlike previous generations of HP EliteBooks, HP has designed the HP Elite X360 1040’s cover lid with aluminum instead of the traditional magnesium, adding durability and rigidity to the chassis.”

One of my favourite aspects of the HP Elite X360 1040’s build is the rounded edges around the lower deck and keyboard. While subtle, they make typing for long periods more comfortable compared to most manufacturers’ laptops, which often have sharp edges. This design also provides added comfort when using the laptop in tablet mode, as it doesn’t feel like the sides are digging into my hands.

A minor addition to this year’s HP Elite X360 1040 model that I regularly used is the webcam shutter to hide the camera when not in use. While I’m not particularly paranoid, the ability to disable and hide the camera offers some extra peace of mind.

Ports/Connectivity

A common issue with more slim laptops and ultrabooks is the lack of ports, often requiring dongles to connect devices. This adds to costs and takes up valuable space in your bag. Thankfully, HP has addressed this by including a plethora of ports in the Elite X360 1040 G11. On the left side, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a combo 3.5mm headphone/mic jack. On the right, you’ll find a nano lock slot, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, a USB 3.2 Type-C port capable of 10Gbps speeds, and a nano SIM card reader.

While I would have appreciated a full-size or microSD card slot for added flexibility, the overall offering is generous and should allow users to connect most, if not all, of their devices easily. It’s also worth noting that all USB-C ports support data transfer, display output, and charging, allowing you to charge or connect your monitor from either side of the laptop.

Keyboard/Touchpad

New to this year’s HP Elite X360 1040 G11, HP has enlarged the keycaps by 16%. While not the largest keys seen on a laptop, I found this made a significant difference during longer typing sessions. The addition of more stabilized keys greatly reduced accidental keystrokes and enhanced the overall feel. Of all the laptops I’ve used over the years, this is by far the nicest one to type on. Even my non-tech enthusiast friends and family found the keyboard enjoyable to use.

HP has also increased the size of the touchpad by 6%, making it one of the largest in its class. Unlike some companies that offer haptic touchpads, the HP Elite X360 1040 G11 retains a traditional “diving board” style, which I prefer.

Both the touchpad and keyboard are made with recycled materials, including recycled glass on the touchpad surface. HP has also started using fishing nets pulled from the ocean to make the scissor mechanisms in the keyboard.

As my HP Elite X360 1040 G11 is a 2-in-1 design, HP includes a stylus in the box. While some styluses recharge via the laptop, this one charges via USB-C. It offers decent battery life, so you won’t need to charge it constantly. I found it more comfortable to hold compared to competitors, with a design that feels more like a normal pen.

Writing and drawing on the display felt natural, as if I were using a pen on paper. You can store the stylus in your pocket or bag or attach it to the laptop’s left side via strong magnets when not in use. Even after aggressive shaking, it remained securely in place.

Display

HP offers an array of options when configuring your laptop. My unit has a 1920×1200 WUXGA panel with a maximum brightness of 400 nits. Users can opt for a 2.8K display with similar brightness or one of HP’s Sure View privacy screens for more sensitive environments. I appreciated that my review unit came with a matte screen, which made viewing content easier in bright lighting and gave the stylus a paper-like feel.

The hinges on the HP Elite X360 1040 G11 are rigid enough to hold the screen in any position but easy enough to open with a single finger. When closed or in tablet mode, HP’s incorporated magnets keep the display secure, preventing the screen from flopping around when in use or in a bag.

Performance/Usage

While I wouldn’t call myself a power user, I appreciate having the power when needed. The HP Elite X360 1040 G11 I tested features an Intel Core 7 165H paired with 16GB of LPDDR5x memory, providing ample power for my workload.

Running Cinebench R23, the HP produced an impressive score of 13,768, outperforming my 2022 Asus Zephyrus G14 by 1,000–2,000 points in both high performance and turbo mode. This was the first time I’ve seen a thin and light laptop outperform a gaming laptop. In 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, it scored 3,924, placing it fourth among machines with the same CPU and GPU.

While this laptop isn’t intended for gaming, the HP Elite X360 1040 G11 can handle games like Fortnite at medium settings at 60 FPS at 1080p. Older AAA titles like GTA 5 can also run at a solid 60 FPS at 1080p with the right settings.

“The speakers on the HP Elite X360 1040 G11 impressed me, with four speakers each having its own discrete amplifier to enhance audio quality.”

The speakers on the HP Elite X360 1040 G11 also impressed me. When comparing audio to my other laptops and a friend’s MacBook, I preferred the sound from the HP. This is thanks to HP building four speakers into the chassis, with each speaker having its own discrete amplifier to enhance audio quality.

Battery & Extras

As a laptop marketed toward road warriors, battery life is a crucial aspect. HP delivers an impressive result. On days when I watched more videos than I should have, I still managed 10 hours of use before needing to charge. On lighter days, I could easily reach several more hours, which, while short of HP’s rated 20 hours, is still impressive for an Intel-based laptop. The HP Elite X360 1040 G11 features a 68Wh battery, respectable given the chassis’s overall thinness.

An often-overlooked aspect of business-class laptops is repairability. HP has done a commendable job in this area with the Elite X360 1040 G11. The lower cover is removed with four captive Philips head screws, preventing loss and speeding up access. Once inside, technicians can replace most common parts, such as the SSD, Wi-Fi or 5G card, and even the battery, in minutes, reducing downtime for large fleets of laptops.

Overall, the HP Elite X360 1040 G11 is a very competent business laptop. It not only has one of the nicest build qualities I’ve seen on a Windows laptop, but it also delivers impressive performance without skimping on ports and features that users typically seek. I found myself reaching for it whenever a typing-intensive task arose, as the keyboard was so much nicer to use than on my other laptops. While the price tag may put it out of reach for average users, for businesses and those who can afford it, the HP Elite X360 1040 G11 is an excellent choice.