Past years ago, laptop or mobile computers left something to be desired when compared to desktop-style workstations. Maybe not for 3D modeling or Photoshop work, but doing serious HD editing projects and highly complex renders pushed most laptops to their limits. However, the Elitebook 8760w Laptop Workstation does much to close the gap and bring some of the serious performance levels of a dedicated minitower to the mobile platform. The Elitebook is a Laptop workstation, an appropriate term since this machine has much more power than your average Laptop computer.
Laptop Workstation HP EliteBook 8760w Specifications
Processor Intel Core i7-2820QM
Chipset Intel QM67
Memory 4x4GB Samsung DDR3-1333 (Max 4x8GB)
Graphics NVIDIA Quadro 5010M 4GB GDDR5 384 CUDA cores
Display 17.3″ LED Matte IPS 16:9 1920×1080
(LGD02FC Panel)
Hard Drive(s) Micron C300 256GB SATA 3Gbps SSD
Optical Drive HP BD-ROM/DVD+-RW Combo Drive
Networking Intel 82579LM Gigabit Ethernet
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth v3.0
Audio IDT 92HD81B1X HD Audio
Stereo speakers
Mic and headphone jacks
Battery 8-Cell, 14.3V, 83Wh battery
Front Side SD/MMC Reader
Left Side Kensington lock
Exhaust vent
Ethernet
DisplayPort
eSATA/USB Combo port
2x USB 3.0
4-pin FireWire
ExpressCard/54
Right Side Headphone and mic jacks
USB 2.0 (charging)
USB 2.0
Smart Card Reader
Optical drive
VGA
Back Side Modem
Exhaust vent
AC adaptor
Operating System Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
Dimensions 16.4″ x 10.7″ x 1.47″ (WxDxH)
Weight 7.8 lbs
Extras Webcam
DreamColor IPS display
Flash reader (MMC, SD/Mini SD, MS/Duo/Pro/Pro Duo)
USB charging
Blu-ray
HP Performance Advisor
Backlit keyboard with 10-key
Warranty 3-year limited warranty
- Inside HP Laptop Workstation
In the HP EliteBook Laptop Workstation, ‘Good Looks, Yet Tough’. The surface of the machine has a brushed gunmetal finish on the cover which radiates concentrically from a back-lit jewel logo. Its chassis, otherwise known as the HP DuraCase, is made out of mix of magnesium and aluminum and built to withstand punishment (meet military standard MIL-STD 810G which clears the unit for drop worthiness, vibration, dust, temperature, shock, altitude and high temperature). For all that ruggedness, I expected it to be much heavier. Not so. The Laptop Workstation only weighs 7.8 pounds, which is relatively light for a machine of this class.
The EliteBook’s Laptop Workstation touchpad is made out of chemically strengthened glass; the slick surface allows your fingers to glide effortlessly around. The touchpad is also sensitive for gesture recognition (iPad or iPhone style), so software that supports it, like Photoshop, will allow you to zoom, rotate and pinch with ease.
On the top and bottom of the touchpad are three buttons corresponding to a mouse’s left, middle and right buttons. While not all programs employ the middle button, it is used quite a bit in several 3D programs such as Maya, so it’s a welcome addition.
HP keeps its emphasis on easy access and serviceability with the EliteBook Laptop Workstation line.
The EliteBook Laptop Workstation supports up to four SODIMMS for a total of 32GB of DDR3 SDRAM. However, you will need to get a quad-core processor to use that much memory. You see, dual core processors support only two memory slots while quad cores support four and memory SODIMMS come in 2, 4 and 8 GBs sizes. Thus if you get a dual-core CPU, the maximum amount you can have is 16 GB.
HP Laptop Workstation by comparison
The maximum amount of memory you can get on a 17 inch MacBook Pro laptop workstation is only 8 GB (even with a quad-core i7).
The best graphics option you can get on the MacBook Pro laptop workstation is a 1 GB AMD Radeon 6750M graphics processor. If you are planning to edit with Premiere Pro, you should know that only NVIDIA graphics processors accelerate the Mercury Playback Engine. AMD’s don’t. This fact, plus the greater memory on the Quadros will be an important factor when deciding upon which machine to buy if you are planning to edit with Premiere and use Adobe Dynamic Linking.
Get the Picture HP Laptop Workstation
There is an option to get an HP DreamColor display on the EliteBook. DreamColor is an advanced display technology that was developed to address the critical need for consistent color accuracy in the worlds of animation, film/video post and the graphic arts. For applications where critical color really matters, like color grading or compositing.
To help protect the display, HP has implemented a design called the DisplaySafe frame, a full double-shot rubber frame which acts as a shock-absorbing barrier that helps protect the display panel from damage caused by shock and vibrations.
If one display isn’t enough for you, (and when is one ever enough?) there is a feature available on the 8760w called AMD Eyefinity Technology. When used in conjunction with the HP 230W Advanced Docking Station, you can connect up to five (that’s right, I said five) independent displays for an ultimate computing experience. The docking station only costs $219. With five displays, you can edit on one screen, composite on the second, animate on the third, surf the web on the fourth and yeaaah, you get the idea. Although five monitors may seem flamboyant, the cost is really quite reasonable.
HP Laptop Workstation Sounds
The HP EliteBook Laptop Workstation features High Definition Audio (SRS Premier Sound). This high-end audio system can be controlled through an advanced user interface that allows you to control surround sound and has a multi-band graphic equalizer built right in. If you work with sound or music a lot, you will appreciate the audio capabilities of this machine. There is also an integrated pair of stereo speakers.
HP Laptop Workstation on the Software Side
Along with the machine, HP includes some bundled software tools. There’s the HP Performance Advisor, a useful tool that helps you monitor the performance of your machine and tune your system accordingly.
The HP Connection Manager gives you full control over your wireless connections including mobile broadband, WiFi, Ethernet and Bluetooth. There’s also HP QuickWeb which contains several easy to access built-in applets for social media, news and other utilities. On the EliteBook 8760w Laptop Workstation, you’ve got a choice between the standard 8-cell Lithium-ion battery or a Long Life 8-cell battery. On average, batteries last up to 6 hours and 30 minutes and, according to HP, if you get the standard battery you should purchase a new one every 12 to 18 months in order to maintain an acceptable battery life. The HP Long Life battery, on the other hand, has a three year life span — up to twice as long as most Li-ion notebook batteries.
The HP Power Assistant allows you to control how your computer uses energy. Through it, you can set different energy profiles based upon how you use your machine. This can help you extend your battery life and conserve power.
Benchmarks Laptop Workstation HP EliteBook 8760w
To measure the performance of the EliteBook 8760w Laptop Workstation, we used Maxon’s Cinebench. Here’s what we found.
To measure the performance of the EliteBook 8760w, we used Maxon’s Cinebench. Here’s what we found.
If you have another results 8760w with a quad-core i7, please post the results below.
I think the HP EliteBook 8760w Laptop Workstation is a superb machine. The EliteBook 8760w Laptop Workstation is an excellent platform for video editors, 3D animators, audio production and graphic designers. Although it won’t hurt to look at what else is out there before purchasing, we think you will be hard-pressed to find anything better.
