We ran the following performance-based benchmarks:

• PassMark PerformanceTest 11
• Cinebench R23 (Multi-core and Single-core)
• 3DMark^® Fire Strike
• 3DMark Time Spy
• Procyon^® Office Productivity Benchmark
• Procyon Video-Editing Benchmark

For our surface temperature tests, we ran a sustained CPU-intensive Cinebench R23 workload for 50 minutes, taking keyboard and bottom hot spot temperature readings every 10 minutes. We then ran the CPU-intensive Cinebench R23 workload again for 20 minutes to record how much noise each device’s fan produced under load. The benchmark, thermal, acoustic, and battery life results we report reflect the specific configurations we tested. Any difference in configurations, as well as screen brightness, network traffic, and software additions, can affect these results. For a deeper dive into our testing parameters and procedures, see the science behind the report.

Productivity benchmarks: Get better performance plugged in or unplugged

Laptops are tools meant to help productivity, not hamper it—and this should apply whether your employees typically use their systems plugged in at a desk or if they’re on the go and running on battery power. Selecting a system that has top performance on multiple kinds of workloads—and doesn’t sacrifice that performance when you unplug it—can make the workday go more smoothly for your hybrid workforce.

On a variety of industry-standard performance benchmarks we tested, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 with AMD Ryzen^™ 7 PRO 7840U processor achieved higher scores than the previous-generation HP EliteBook 845 G9. It also maintained strong performance when we unplugged it, making it a versatile system that can help employees get the performance they’re used to even when they’re away from their desk.

Boost general performance

We tested using PassMark PerformanceTest 11.0, which combines CPU, disk, memory, and 2D/3D graphics performance metrics into an Overall PassMark rating. Higher PassMark rating numbers indicate a faster system.⁴ Figure 1 compares the PassMark PerformanceTest 11.0 ratings that each of the systems achieved in our tests, using both an overall rating and several subscores. The HP EliteBook 845 G10 with AMD Ryzen^™ 7 PRO 7840U processor had an 18 percent higher overall PassMark Rating than the HP EliteBook 845 G9. As the subscores show, newer technology including faster disk speeds with PCIe Gen4, faster memory, and the new processor all contributed to this overall performance boost.

Another CPU-taxing benchmark is Cinebench R23, which measures general hardware performance by completing common Cinema 4D tasks that tax multiple CPU cores and modern processor features.⁵ On both single-core and multi-core tests, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 with AMD Ryzen^™ 7 PRO 7840U processor improved upon the HP EliteBook 845 G9. As Figures 2 and 3 show, the largest performance increase was 17 percent, and there was no meaningful change in performance from plugged in to unplugged.

Improve performance for more demanding graphics workloads, too

Not everyone focuses on routine office tasks. Some people may work with graphics, video, or other workflows that tax their laptops more than your average worker. To test the performance of the systems on more demanding workloads, we completed 3Dmark and Cinebench R23 testing, both plugged in and unplugged.

3Dmark focuses on 3D graphic rendering and heavy CPU performance. It includes the following tests that we ran on our systems:

• 3DMark Fire Strike: A DirectX 11 benchmark that “includes two graphics tests, a physics test and a combined test that stresses the CPU and GPU.”⁶
• 3DMark Time Spy: A DirectX 12 test that “supports new API features like asynchronous compute, explicit multi-adapter, and multi-threading.”⁷

As Figures 4 and 5 show, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 Notebook PC with AMD Ryzen^™ 7 PRO 7840U processor outperformed the older HP EliteBook 845 G9 on these tests by as much as 13 percent, and had little to no decrease in performance when it ran the benchmark unplugged.

Stronger plugged in performance for a variety of tasks

We also compared the HP EliteBook 845 G10 with AMD Ryzen^™ 7 PRO 7840U processor and the previous-gen HP EliteBook 845 G9 on several benchmarks only while they were plugged in.

Not all office user tasks are the same. Looking at scores for many targeted real-world applications can give users confidence that these results might apply to their specific workload(s) of interest. The Procyon Office Productivity Benchmark “uses Microsoft Office applications to measure Windows PC and Apple Mac performance in office productivity tasks. The benchmark workloads are built on relevant, real-world tasks using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.”⁸ As Figure 6 shows, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 with AMD Ryzen^™ 7 PRO 7840U processor delivered a 9 percent higher overall rating than the HP EliteBook 845 G9 did.

Video editors and other creators can also see stronger performance with the new HP EliteBook 845 G10. We ran the Procyon Video Editing Benchmark, which “uses Adobe Premiere Pro in a typical video editing workflow. Using relevant apps ensures that the benchmark score reflects the real-world performance of the whole system.”⁹ As Figure 7 shows, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 with AMD Ryzen^™ 7 PRO 7840U processor achieved a 12 percent higher Procyon Video Editing Benchmark score than the older HP EliteBook 845 G9 did.

Battery life: Extend your time on the go by over 2.5 hours

Giving employees laptops with better battery life gives them the freedom to work where they want (or need to): the park on a nice day, the local ice rink during their kid’s hockey practice, or the train as they commute to or from the office. Extending the time they can be away from their desks without worrying about a shutdown can give employees peace of mind and boost productivity.

For battery life testing, we used two different benchmarks. First, we used MobileMark 2018, which measures battery life and performance at the same time. It uses real applications, workloads, and data sets to quantify how overall system performance affects the user experience.¹⁰ Then, we ran MobileMark 25, which uses scenarios based on the real-world applications and activities business users encounter every day.¹¹ We ran both benchmarks across two scenarios: best battery life and best performance.

As Figures 8 and 9 show, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 with AMD Ryzen^™ 7 PRO 7840U processor offered generally better battery life than did the older HP EliteBook 845 G9. On MobileMark 25 best performance tests, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 extended battery life over the previous-generation system by over 2.5 hours, which means that users could go about their day with less worry over finding a place to plug in. On MobileMark 2018 prioritizing best battery life, the older system had slightly longer battery life than the newer system, but did not perform as well. On MobileMark 25 prioritizing battery life, the newer system achieved slightly lower performance qualification scores while achieving slightly longer battery life.

Thermal testing: Cooler temps provide a better user experience

When systems perform at a high level, all that processing power creates heat that has to go somewhere. But excess heat can create uncomfortable surfaces for users who keep their hands in typing position or like to rest their laptop on their laps. Laptops that dissipate heat better can keep those areas cool and provide a better overall user experience.

For thermal testing, we ran the demanding Cinebench R23 Sustained performance workload and recorded the temperatures while each system was under load and plugged in. As Figure 10 shows, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 achieved a higher performance score while staying significantly cooler than the older EliteBook 845 G9 in key areas. At the keyboard deck, which users touch with their fingertips, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 was over 5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler (123.3°F/50.7°C vs. 129.2°F/54.0°C) than the EliteBook 845 G9. At the undersides of the laptops, which often rest on users’ laps, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 was 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler (108.5°F/42.5°C vs. 118.8°F/48.2°C) than the EliteBook 845 G9.

Acoustic testing: Shh! You’re working here

When a user’s laptop is processing demanding workloads and the system heats up, the fan charged with cooling it down may make excess noise that can become a distraction. We measured the noise levels that the two laptops emitted 1) while idle and 2) while running a demanding Cinebench R23 multi-core workload. As Figure 11 shows, we found that while idle, the two laptops tied in average decibel levels. Under load, the HP EliteBook 845 G10 Notebook PC with AMD Ryzen^™ 7 PRO 7840U processor was on average .5 decibels quieter than the HP EliteBook 845 G9 over the course of the test.