Wait a minute, we know this one. Or do we? The HP EliteBook 865 G9 is like the EliteBook 845 G9 that I recently tested. With two to three small differences and – to say it in advance – the same strengths and weaknesses. I will therefore refer to my other review several times during the test. The HP EliteBook 865 G9 review clarifies where the differences are and what you can expect.
Technical data
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS (8 cores, 16 threads, 3.3 – 4.9 GHz) |
| Graphics performance | AMD Radeon 680M |
| Display | 16.0″; IPS; 1920 x 1200 pixels; 60 Hz; SureView |
| Storage | 1 GB SSD (M.2-2280 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4) installed |
| Memory | 32 GB LPDDR5 RAM (expandable) |
| Keyboard | Backlit Chiclet Keyboard; |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro |
| Connectivity | Intel Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Battery | Li-polymer; 51 watt hours |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 360 mm x 251 mm x 19.1 mm |
| Weight | 1.875 kg (without power supply) |
| Price | € 3,557.94 * |
HP EliteBook 865 G9 review: design and build
- High-quality, minimalist design
- Pleasantly grippy feel
From a visual perspective, there’s only one really noteworthy difference between the HP EliteBook 865 G9 and the 945 G9: the screen diagonal. Because while the 945 relies on a 14-inch display, the HP EliteBook 865 G9 comes with a screen diagonal of 16 inches in the test.
The dimensions and weight also increase accordingly. With 360 mm x 251 mm x 19.1 mm (width x height x depth), the 16 incher is correspondingly much bigger and brings along a good bit more weight with 1.875 kg without the power supply. The power adapter, here now with 110 watts of charging speed and an additional USB-A port, should also not be ignored despite its compact size with 454 grams.
Otherwise, I can only repeat myself when it comes to the design aspects: The 865 G9 also looks very high-quality and classy and is very well manufactured. The pleasantly grippy surface is just as pleasing as the display that can be flipped almost 180 degrees.
Features and ports
- Modern CPU; 32 GB RAM
- Fast Wi-Fi 6E module + SIM card slot
- Strong speakers; very good webcam
The ultrabook’s equipment also shows no changes compared to the more compact 14-inch model. Means: AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS processor, with eight processing cores, 16 threads and clock rates between 3.30 GHz and 4.90 GHz, integrated AMD Radeon 680M graphics and 32 GB DDR5-4800 RAM (expandable to 64 GB) are at your disposal.
The installed PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD from Samsung also has a storage capacity of 1 terabyte. Interestingly, the 14-incher relies on a model from Western Digital. More about the speeds later.
The rest of the equipment is again very modern. The ultrabook communicates wirelessly via the fast Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 Wi-Fi 6E and connects wirelessly to other devices via Bluetooth 5.2. The SIM card slot on the right side is also available. This is also only designed for LTE and does not support 5G. This is apparently only available in the Intel version.
High-quality speakers with a very good sound, a dual-array microphone and an integrated 5-megapixel webcam including hardware shutter and IR camera for Windows Hello login are also offered. The webcam’s image quality is also quite convincing here.
The selection of ports is also identical. On the left, you have HDMI 2.0, USB Type-A and two USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 (including PowerDelivery and DisplayPort legacy mode). On the right side you will find the SIM card slot, a Kensington lock port, one USB Type-A, also with 5 Gbit/s and a combined 3.5 mm audio port.
The fact that they didn’t use the extra space here to install more ports and an SD card reader is, in my opinion, a missed opportunity. This is very annoying in my eyes.
Keyboard and trackpad: Top!
- Excellent keyboard with a pleasant feel
- Comparably large and very good trackpad
The HP EliteBook 865 G9 has also inherited the excellent keyboard with pleasant haptics, excellent feedback and very good white backlight that can be adjusted in two levels.
I’ve said it before and I’m happy to say it again: This is definitely one of the best keyboards I’ve ever been able to use in a notebook. In combination with the pleasant key drop and very good trigger point, the keyboard is also suitable for long texts.
However, HP uses the larger chassis here and, in contrast to the 845 G9, installs a full-sized keyboard – including the number pad. Quite practical for some, although I personally never use it.
At the same time, the trackpad, which is also excellent and highly precise, has grown. It now measures 8.6 cm x 12.8 cm (height x width), compared to 8 cm x 12 cm on the 14-inch model. There is also a fingerprint sensor to the right of the trackpad.
The display becomes a problem(s)
- High peak brightness; strong color space coverage
- Only 60 Hz
- Weak viewing angle stability
- SureView without real added value
If the display was already our biggest point of criticism in the HP EliteBook 845 G9, it weighs immensely heavier in the HP EliteBook 865 G9. The display is exactly the same, but the diagonal has increased to 16 inches.
The pixel density of the display with WUXGA resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels in 16:10 format, which also only achieves a refresh rate of 60 hertz, decreases with the increase in size.
The matte panel and the peak brightness of 1,000 nits are still good. However, as in the 14-inch model, the viewing angle stability is simply poor. The sweet spot where the display reaches ideal legibility is vanishingly small. Even a minimal movement away from the center or a change in the display angle causes the readability to drop noticeably.
The SureView function, which is supposed to protect against unwanted glances from the side at the push of a button, makes it even worse. It fulfills its purpose, but also reduces the screen’s brightness considerably when looking at it from the front. To below 200 nits, mind you. Unfortunately, the readability is noticeably lower.
This is all very annoying. Because HP actually installs a good display. If you sit in the sweet spot directly in front of the notebook, the brightness, color reproduction and contrast values can absolutely convince.
Practicality and safety
- Very good working speed
- Strong security features
- Quickly very noisy under load
In the practical test of the HP EliteBook 865 G9, everything is then back to normal. No wonder, since the installed technology is the same as in the case of the 845. Work speed: Top, even in demanding, computationally intensive work like image or video editing.
The Wi-Fi 6E module delivers excellent transfer speeds and typing with the keyboard is simply fun. The notebook has also inherited the noiseless fans in idle mode, but very unpleasantly loud under load, which get even louder here than in the 14-inch EliteBook with up to 48 dB(A). In return, the heat development is well solved and even on the lap the notebook gets hot, but not unpleasantly annoying.
HP’s Wolf Security Suite is also in the mix. To quote myself, “With HP Wolf Security, the manufacturer includes its own security suite, which is supposed to protect against malware or hacker attacks, for example, and constantly evolve thanks to AI Deep Learning. In a tidy interface, many settings can be made and individual aspects of the monitoring can be adjusted in detail.”
Benchmark: Productivity, System, SSD and Gaming
So, the identical equipment of both HP EliteBooks should also result in identical benchmark test scores. Or not? In fact, the results in all benchmarks are almost identical. Deviations are minimal.
Above all, the installed Samsung SSD works faster than the WD model of the 14-inch notebook. Unsurprisingly, the CPU benchmarks and system tests like Cinebench R23 and PCMark 10 deliver almost identical results.
The SSD’s increased performance is of course also noticeable in the various PCMark tests, sometimes more, sometimes less so. In practice, this results in a faster work speed, although we are only talking about nuances here as well. However, the HP EliteBook 865 G9 is just as little suitable for gaming as the 845 G9.
| Benchmark | EliteBook 865 G9 | EliteBook 845 G9 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi Core | 11,740 pts | 11,960 pts |
| Cinebench R23 Single Core | 1,549 pts | 1,546 pts. |
| PCMark 10 total | 6,468 pts | 6,070 pts. |
| PCMark 10 Essentials | 10,283 pts | 9,603 pts. |
| PCMark 10 Productivity | 9.266 pts | 8.375 pts. |
| PCMark 10 Digital CC. | 7,708 pts. | 7,550 pts. |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Total | 4,028 pts | 3,759 pts. |
| 3DMark Time Spy Total | 1,874 pts | 1,689 pts. |
| 3DMark Night Raid Total | 17,932 pts | 17.190 pts. |
Battery life: More capacity and significantly longer runtime.
- Excellent battery life of up to about 20 hours
- Right quickly fully charged again
On the other hand, the larger battery capacity makes itself positively felt. This is because the HP EliteBook 865 G9 relies on a 76 watt-hour battery (compared to 51 Wh), which delivers a significantly better efficiency performance despite the larger screen.
In the same idle battery test, the 16-incher comes in at an impressive 19 hours and 47 minutes of battery life – more than double that of its smaller sibling. The notebook also scores with a noticeably better runtime in 4K video playback with maximum brightness: 2 hours and 37 minutes are possible here – at least one hour more than the 845 G9. The drained battery is then fully charged again after about two hours with the included power adapter.
HP EliteBook 865 G9 review: Conclusion
The HP EliteBook 865 G9 also turns out to be a thoroughly convincing, high-quality manufactured and powerful ultrabook in the test, which is able to cope with even demanding tasks with its strong components.
It is basically an almost identical version of HP’s EliteBook 845 G9, but with a 16-inch display, a larger keyboard and a slightly faster SSD. If 14 inches are too small for you, the 865 G9 is a very good choice – even though the display is the biggest weakness and HP should have added more ports to the device.
If I had to choose one of the two HP EliteBooks, I would go for the 14-inch EliteBook 845 G9. But only because I prefer the compact form factor and the lower weight. In any case, you will be served excellently with both notebooks.
HP EliteBook 865 G9
Design & workmanship
Display
Features
Performance
Battery
Value for money
88/100
HP's EliteBook 865 G9 is an outstanding and high-performance premium ultrabook that scores with a strong configuration, excellent keyboard and successful battery life. However, the display and volume cannot fully convince.
