Benchmarks: Vitals and Battery Life
The average power consumption and temperature readings make the EliteBook appear frugal and cool, but the numbers alone don't tell the full story. Power consumption starts off at around 35 watts, but CPU core temperature hit 80ºC within 30 seconds of maximum load on our review sample. The system responds by cutting peak clock speed in order to lower the temperature to 70ºC or less.
Looking at the bigger picture, performance of modern-day Ultrabooks has increased over previous generations, but the most significant gains are reflected in battery life. HP's relatively dim screen helps eke out that extra bit of run time - it offers a brightness of only 50 nits at 50 per cent - yet it was satisfying to see the laptop keep go beyond the 14-hour mark.
