HP EliteBook 8540p Laptop Computer Reviews

The HP EliteBook 8540p is a makeweight between the HP EliteBook 6540p and the HP EliteBook 8540w with respect to performance and build quality. We put it through its paces, and were pleasantly surprised by what HP managed to achieve.

With the HP EliteBook 8540p, you can enjoy advanced graphics and performance with a 15.6" diagonal HD display, integrated numeric keypad in a portable notebook that combines premier design with rugged construction for maximum durability.


Specifications:

• Intel Core i5-520M (2.4GHz, 6MB L2 cache)
• Microsoft Genuine Windows 7 Professional (32-bit)
• 15.6-inch LED-backlit HD+ anti-glare (1600 x 900)
• NVIDIA NVS 5100m graphics with 1GB GDDR3
• 2GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM (16GB Max)
• 320GB 7200RPM HDD
• Intel Ultimate-N 6300 AGN WiFi, 1Gb Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
• 8-Cell 73WHr Battery (14.4V)
• Dimensions: 14.7” x 9.90” x 1.28”
• Weight: 6lbs 7.9oz
• Price as configured: $1,299 with 3-year onsite warranty

Both models feature a 15.6-inch display screen and can either run an Intel Core i7 or i5 processor.

The main differences remain on the graphic card and memory RAM – while the 8540p has a NVIDIA 5100 with 512m of GDDR3 and 16GB of RAM, the EliteBook 8540w has a NVIDIA Quadro FX with 512MB of VDDR3 and 8GB of DDR3 RAM memory.

The 8540p is better equipped for travel, starting at 4.7 pounds and rated to last up to 24 hours on a charge (when eqipped with HP’s Ultra Capacity Battery. This machine will be powered by Intel’s Core i5 processor or Core i7 CPU and can be outfitted with Intel integrated graphics or Nvidia’s discrete NVS 3100 GPU (512MB video RAM). The HP EliteBook 8540p battery has similar processor options, but you get beefier Nvidia NVS 5100m graphics with 1GB of dedicated video memory.

To keep you connected with co-workers, both Elitebooks come with a 90-day free trail of HP SkyRoom videoconferncing software. During a quick demo we were impressed with the video and audio quality, and can envision this being an important tool for collaboration. HP also includes its Quick Look 3 software, which offers read and write capability of contacts, calendar, e-mail, and tasks–without having to boot Windows. Businesses looking to keep a close eye on energy costs will appreciate HP’s Power Assistant utility, which measures and logs energy usage.

HP offers the Elitebook 8540p battery with two different 15.6“ non-glare LED dispays. One display has a WXGA resolution (1366x768, 100dpi) and the other has a HD display, a full resolution of 1600x900 pixels and 117 dpi (this version is available in the test model). The balance between the resolution and the screen size will deliver the optimal performance by showing the icons and on-screen letters properly.

PCmark Vantage:
Overall: 5862
Memories Suite: 3739
TV and Movies: 3770
Gaming: 4630
Music: 5967
Communications: 4331
Productivity: 4954
HDD: 4109

3DMark Vantage
Overall: 2611
GPU: 2141
CPU: 7601

Windows Experience Index:
Overall: 5.5
Processor: 6.7
Memory: 5.5
Graphics: 6.4
Gaming: 6.4
Hard drive: 5.9

While the HP 6540b panels were made by CMO and LG, the version installed in the Elitebook is from AU Optronics. The contrast, illumination and brightness lie one level higher than the display of CMO and LG, giving an overall impression of high quality.

The Nvidia NVS 5100M graphics is a relatively weak solution aimed at business computers. It’s enough to handle demanding desktop work and even HD video (thanks to Nvidia’s PureVideoHD processor), but it’s not for gamers. It’s a good fit for the 8540p, but it doesn’t offer the workstation-class power that you would find on the 8540w. Lenovo uses this option on their ThinkPad W510 as well, so it’s industry vetted. It’s CUDA compatible and seems to be EnergyStar compliant. Nvidia has a bit on information on it here.

Performance was, on the whole, very good. The 8540p, even at this modest build, can function as a desktop replacement and mobile workhouse, though some upgrades could certainly help–obviously more than 2GB of RAM would make sense. For people that need maximum performance the 8540w would be the way to go (or the 8700 series for a 17-inch laptop) as the “w” models mean more power and higher-end graphics, but the “p” will be more than enough for most people. The Core i5 processor is a great addition to the computer and it tends to fly without killing the 8540p battery.

The HP laptop battery offers a wide range of ports, including a few we have not seen on any other notebooks in for review. The 8540p offers two USB 3.0 ports which are perfect for connecting high-speed storage devices without needing a second cable to connect to an eSATA or FireWire port. In addition to the USB 3.0 ports the notebook also offers three traditional USB ports, FireWire 400, eSATA, DisplayPort, VGA-out, and audio connections. This machine easily packs more ports into the design than we have seen on any other notebook in its category. Expansion and security features include a smart-card reader, an ExpressCard/54 slot, and a SDHC-card slot.

System performance was excellent with its dual-core Intel Core i5 mobile processor and NVIDIA NVS 5100m dedicated graphics with 1GB of DDR3 memory. Users looking for even more power can upgrade to the 1.66GHz Core i7-720QM processor depending on how much mobile processing power they need. In our tests we found the dual-core2.4GHz i5-520M processor to be more than enough for the average daily tasks of browsing the web, decoding multiple 1080P videos at the same time, or just playing some of the latest video games. Our configuration included a 7200RPM hard drive to keep program access times and load times to a minimum. For even greater performance and durability two SSD options are offered with capacities including 160GB and 256GB.