HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 Convertible 14" Review

The HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 is a bit of a puzzle. On paper, it's got the right parts for a solid business convertible: a 14-inch touchscreen, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD. But that Intel Core i7-10610U CPU is the real story, and it's not a great one. It lands in the 13th percentile for CPU performance, which means it's slower than nearly 90% of the laptops we track. For $400, you're getting a premium-feeling 2-in-1 chassis wrapped around some seriously dated internals.

Let's be direct: this is not a fast machine. That 1.8GHz quad-core i7 is from the 10th Gen, and it shows. In our benchmarks, it's consistently outpaced by modern ultra-low-power chips, let alone anything with more cores. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics sits in the 42nd percentile, so it's fine for video calls and basic tasks, but that's it. Don't even think about gaming; it scores a dismal 12.6 out of 100 in that category. The bright spots are its portability and connectivity. It hits the 67th percentile for compactness, and having Thunderbolt over USB-C is a nice perk for a laptop in this price bracket.

At $400, the value proposition is all about the form factor. You're paying for the 360-degree hinge, touchscreen, and business-class build. The performance hardware inside, however, is worth significantly less. If you need a basic, portable 2-in-1 for web browsing, documents, and video calls, and the $400 price is firm, it's an option. But you have to accept that you're buying a chassis, not a powerhouse.

This is where things get tough for the EliteBook. For similar money, a used or refurbished M1 MacBook Air will run circles around it in CPU performance, battery life, and screen quality. If you're stuck on Windows and want a 2-in-1, look at newer models with 11th Gen Intel or Ryzen 5000 series chips; they'll cost more but perform vastly better. Compared to a modern budget king like the ASUS Zenbook Duo (which also has a killer dual-screen design), the HP's aging quad-core CPU and weaker screen just can't compete. Even a gaming laptop like the MSI Vector HX, while heavier, offers performance that makes this EliteBook look like a relic.

I can only recommend the HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 with major caveats. Its terrible 13th percentile CPU score is a deal-breaker for anyone who needs consistent speed. It's a decent pick if you find one for $400 and your needs are ultra-light: email, web, and streaming on a convertible. For anyone else, especially students (it only scores 45.1/100 for that) or people who value performance, your money is better spent elsewhere. You're buying an old premium shell, not a capable modern laptop.