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HP EliteBook 745 G6 vs. EliteBook 840 G6
Specs comparison
On the outside, the HP EliteBook 745 G6 and the HP EliteBook 840 G6 look like identical twins separated at birth. They share the exact same DNA, but completely different personalities under the chassis. One powered by AMD and the other by Intel.
Let’s dive past the tech specs and look at how these two premium business machines actually feel, behave, and compare in the real world.
Design and Build Quality
Both laptops come with a gorgeous, aerospace-grade, all-aluminum chassis that feels premium to the touch. There is absolutely zero visible flex in the base of either machine. They also share the front-firing speaker grilles right above the keyboard tuned by Bang & Olufsen, offering superior sound quality for crisp audio for video calls and music.
However, they handle daily workloads a bit differently. While the silver finish on both hides smudges beautifully, the Intel-powered 840 G6 tends to run a bit hotter in closed environments under stress, whereas the AMD-powered 745 G6 manages to stay remarkably cool under pressure. Another minor quirk on the 840 G6 is that its hinges don’t quite lay a full 180° flat.Â
- HP EliteBook 745 G6 Rating: 9.0 / 10Â
- HP EliteBook 840 G6 Rating: 8.8 / 10Â
Display
- On paper, both laptops feature a 14-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display with excellent viewing angles and Windows Hello facial recognition sensors tucked into the top bezel. But look closer, and the visual experience diverges completely.Â
- The 745 G6 sports a matte finish that is an absolute lifesaver if you love working by a sunny window, as it completely eliminates annoying glare. However, its colors are slightly dull and lack vibrancy. The 840 G6, on the other hand, is a creative budget dream. It boasts a beautiful panel with 100% sRGB color gamut coverage, rendering colors that are vibrant, accurate, and deep without ever looking washed out.Â
- HP EliteBook 745 G6 Rating: 7.5 / 10Â Â
- HP EliteBook 840 G6 Rating: 8.5 / 10Â
Performance and Upgradability
This is where the two truly split paths. The EliteBook 840 G6 is powered by an Intel Core i7-8665U, while the 745 G6 runs on an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U.Â
Geekbench CPU Scores:
EliteBook 840 G6 (Intel i7): | Single Core: 1450i | Multi Core: 3555 |
EliteBook 745 G6 (AMD R5):Â Â Â | Single Core: 971 | Multi Core: 2892 |
- For a CPU, Tasks like rendering pictures, handling massive Excel sheets, or crushing heavy parallel processing the Intel i7 inside the 840 G6 is noticeably snappier and faster. Its storage performance is also slightly quicker, pushing random 4K read/write speeds that keep the UI feeling instantly responsive.Â
- However, if your daily tasks benefit from graphics power, the tables turn. The 745 G6 features AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 Graphics, which smoothly handles basic UI Tasks and scores a comfortable 600 in 3DMark Steel Nomad Light. With the Intel UHD 620 integrated Graphics inside the 840 G6 gets behind with a Steel Nomad score of 61, proving it is strictly meant for basic video editing.Â
- HP EliteBook 745 G6 Rating: 8.1 / 10Â
- HP EliteBook 840 G6 Rating: 8.4 / 10
Keyboard & Touchpad
- HP’s laptop keyboard is already liked by many business professionals. The HP EliteBook 745 G6 delivers a good typing experience with snappy, tactile, perfectly spaced keys that keep finger fatigue at bay during long writing sessions. Plus, it’s spill-resistant.Â
- The 840 G6 keyboard is also decent with nice key travel, but when the chassis heats up under heavy processing, typing can be a bit uncomfortable. Furthermore, if you are looking for the rubber tracking pointer in the middle of the keyboard, the 840 G6’s pointer feels a bit messy and imprecise. Thankfully, its smooth glass touchpad is fast, accurate, and clicky, easily matching the high-end feel of the 745 G6’s precise trackpad.
- HP EliteBook 745 G6 Rating: 8.8 / 10Â
- HP EliteBook 840 G6 Rating: 8.0 / 10
Connectivity
- You won’t need to carry a messy bag of dongles with either machine. Both laptops are packed with I/O, featuring multiple USB Type-A ports, full-sized HDMI, RJ-45 Ethernet ports, SIM Card slots, and smart card readers.
- The true differentiator lies in the Type-C port. The EliteBook 840 G6 brings a full Thunderbolt port, giving you massive data transfer speeds and versatile docking capabilities. The EliteBook 745 G6 features a standard USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port alongside its traditional HP docking port.Â
- HP EliteBook 745 G6 Rating: 8.3 / 10Â
- HP EliteBook 840 G6 Rating: 9.0 / 10Â Â
Battery Life
Because both of these premium machines are popular choices in the refurbished market, battery performance comes down to historical wear. However, the power-efficient 15W TDP of the Ryzen chip allows the EliteBook 745 G6 to squeeze out a modest 3 plus hours of real-world use. The Intel-powered 840 G6 hovers slightly lower at around 2 to 3 hours on a charge, though it combats this by supporting 65W fast charging, which gets you back up to 50% battery in just 30 minutes.
- HP EliteBook 745 G6 Rating: 7.8 / 10Â Â
- HP EliteBook 840 G6 Rating: 7.6 / 10Â Â
Final Verdict
When we tally up the scores, it becomes clear just how closely matched these two corporate heavyweights are:
- HP EliteBook 745 G6 Final Score: 8.25 / 10
- HP EliteBook 840 G6 Final Score: 8.35 / 10
Choosing between these two comes down to what your specific requirements/work looks like. If you are typing for hours, hate screen glare, need a laptop that runs perfectly cool, and want a bit of extra graphical power, The EliteBook 745 G6 is your perfect desk companion. If you are a student or professional who is looking for a looptop to do programming, media consumption with absolute color accuracy and the futuristic felicity of a thunderbolt port, the EliteBook 840 G6 edges out a razor-thin victory. Both are incredibly reliable machines that prove you don’t need to break your bank to enjoy true premium quality.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The HP EliteBook 745 G6 runs on an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO processor with better Radeon Vega 8 graphics. The HP EliteBook 840 G6 is powered by an Intel Core i7 8th gen processor and features a Thunderbolt port for faster data transfer.Â
The EliteBook 840 G6 is the stronger choice. Its Intel I7 8th gen processor delivers noticeably faster single-core and multi-core performance, making it highly capable for programming and managing heavy data workflows.
Since they are refurbished, battery health varies. The HP EliteBook 745 G6 generally offers 3 plus hours of backup. The HP EliteBook 840 G6 averages 2 to 3 hours but makes up for it with 65W fast charging (50% in 30 minutes).
For vibrant, accurate colors (100% sRGB), go with the HP EliteBook 840 G6. If you work in bright environments and prefer a matte finish to block glare, the HP EliteBook 745 G6 is ideal, though its colors are slightly more muted.Â
Yes. Both laptops feature a premium, all-aluminum chassis with zero visible flex. Weighing around 1.5 kg, they are lightweight and exceptionally sturdy for daily commuting.
