HP ProBook 4 G1i 14" Review

So you're looking for a compact, no-fuss business laptop around the $1,100 mark, and the HP ProBook 14 G1i AI Notebook has popped up. It's a 14-inch Windows 11 Pro machine built around Intel's new 12-core 225U processor, with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD. It's light at 1.4kg, has a backlit keyboard, and includes modern ports like HDMI 2.1 and WiFi 6E. People searching for a 'light business laptop' or a 'student laptop under $1200' will find this on their radar, and its scores suggest it's a solid pick for portability, landing in the 81st percentile for compactness.

Performance is a mixed bag, which the benchmark scores make clear. The Intel 225U CPU lands right in the middle of the pack at the 52nd percentile. That means it's perfectly fine for office work, web browsing, and video calls, but don't expect blazing speeds for heavy multitasking or video encoding. The integrated Intel Graphics are also average (50th percentile), so you can forget about gaming or serious creative work. It scored a dismal 16.8 out of 100 for gaming, so yeah, this is not a machine for that. The 16GB of RAM and NVMe SSD are decent, but again, they're middle-of-the-road specs that won't wow you.

At $1,106, this ProBook is priced in a very competitive spot. You're paying for the portability, the professional Windows license, and the HP business-grade build. But you're also accepting very middling performance and a mediocre screen for that price. If raw specs are your main concern, you can find more powerful consumer laptops at this price. But if you need a certified, manageable business machine that's easy to carry, the value proposition shifts.

Let's name some names. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 with M4 is in a different league performance-wise, but it's also much more expensive. A more direct competitor is the ASUS Zenbook Duo 14, which offers a dual-screen setup and often better performance for similar money, though it's less business-focused. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a gaming beast and crushes this HP in performance, but it's heavier and has worse battery life. For a business user, the key trade-off is between this HP's portability and manageability versus the better screens and often faster CPUs you can get in a consumer ultrabook like a Dell XPS or a higher-end Zenbook at this price.

Should you buy this? It's a very specific tool. If you're an IT department buying in bulk, or a business user whose top priorities are a light weight, Windows 11 Pro, and corporate support, this ProBook is a sensible choice. But if you're an individual buyer, a student, or anyone who cares about screen quality or wants a bit more pep for your dollar, look elsewhere. The average performance and poor screen really hold it back from being a general recommendation. Only buy this if its specific business-friendly features are exactly what you need.