HP EliteBook 8440p CORE I5-520M Review

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HP EliteBook 8440p CORE I5-520M
1,250 $ at amazon.com
  • Intel Core i5 520M (2.4 GHz)

  • Intel HD Graphics

  • 2 GB RAM Size

  • 250 GB HDD Capacity

2

Our summary of all reviews

  • Performance

    /100

    This low level of performance allows some multitasking. Word processing and similar applications work at an acceptable speed, as well as online games like “FarmVille”. At this level, gaming or HD videos are impossible, office work is suitable though.

    • 3DMark 06 1024 x 768

      1419 #

    • 3DMark Vantage

      229 #

    • PCMark 05

      6356 #

    • PCMark Vantage

      5776.5 #

    • Cinebench xCPU 64Bit

      6815 #

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  • Design

    3.0/5

    The reviewers’ opinions tended predominantly towards moderate satisfaction concerning the laptop design. The notebook’s appearance was decently received and should prove to be at the taste of many users.

  • Build Quality

    5.0/5

    The extremely solid build quality provides for absolute protection of the inner components of this laptop. All the outer components -hinge, display panel, and chassis- are highly stable, with no gaps or cracking sounds ever experienced. This computer is ideal for people with very active lifestyles, requiring absolute endurance and solidity of their laptops.

    • Base Unit Flex

       : 

      5.0/5

      Active people with lifestyles requiring traveling, and who place a high value on perfection will be very satisfied with this laptop.

    • Hinge Stability

       : 

      5.0/5

      The hinge, connecting the screen and the laptop frame, has a great balance between tightness and flexibility. It allows for a smooth use without experiencing any cracking sounds or stiffness when moving around. The display does not suffer from any shakiness and yet you can open it easily with one hand.

    • Display Panel

       : 

      5.0/5

      The display panel is a prime example of excellence. When moving the display back and forth it does not bend the slightest bit. There are no color distortions on the screen, even when applying significant pressure to the back of the monitor.

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  • Display

    3.0/5

    Generally the reviewers deemed this laptop to be above average. Users could expect this display to provide for average satisfaction with office work as well as multimedia use. Gamers and professional designers might however not find this display to their taste. To get a more comprehensive review of this display, users should check the ratings of the different attributes of this screen.

    • Display Resolution

      1366 x 768

      This resolution is also called HD-ready. Viewing more than one website on the monitor is almost impossible, as one window takes up almost the whole space. Graphic designers might not be completely satisfied with this resolution, as this latter might be too small. High resolution picture and video editing is plainly impossible. This resolution is a good option for gamers as many graphic cards will be powerful enough to support the native resolution of this display. Watching most movies will be possible without any black bars at the top and bottom of the display.

    • Color Reproduction

       : 

      2.0/5

      Though it would be manageable to watch movies with this color reproduction, the experience might not be enjoyable for visually acute users. The coverage of color spectrum is below average, making colors look far from authentic and incomparable to real life experience. High resolution gaming and HD movies viewing will not be pleasant.

    • Contrast

       : 

      1.0/5

      This contrast can be simply described as bad. Black areas resemble a shade of dark gray, and whites look dirty. Office workers will not enjoy this notebook as reading text will tire the eyes after some time. Shadows are either too dark or too bright, which really can destroy a good movie, or a beautiful picture.

    • Contrast Value

      140 :1

    • Brightness

       : 

      3.0/5

      The maximum brightness of this computer is adequate for viewing the screen comfortably, even under bright ambient light. However, the users must be cautious to only push the brightness to its maximum in bright conditions, eg. outdoors. Setting the brightness to a high level will drastically decrease the battery life. In addition, using the notebook at maximum brightness in a dark room will be tiring for the eyes.

    • Average Brightness

      212 cd/m²

    • Reflections

       : 

      4.0/5

      The minimal reflections on this display allow for comfortable viewing under most conditions both in-and outdoors. Under indoor medium to bright lighting conditions, the display provide for an enjoyable experience. Using this laptop in a park will be no problem, though direct sunlight will cause some reflections.

    • Viewing Angle

       : 

      3.0/5

      Two individuals can sit next to one another comfortably, and still view the screen with hardly any image deviation. Colours might start to change if you move far to the sides of the display, so viewing the screen with a group of people will not guarantee a clear picture for everyone.

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  • Sound

    2.5/5

    The internal speakers of this laptop provided for a below average sound quality. Low sounds are still recognizable. Music can still listened to although the users should account for the necessity of external speakers when planning to watch a movie with a group. Musicians should not even stop to consider this laptop for their work, and gamers will be disappointed as the sound will be convincing. Even maximum volume will not make the sound experience enjoyable.

    • Maximum Volume

       : 

      3.5/5

      The peak volume of this laptop is acceptably loud. If relying only on the maximum sound output of the internal speakers of this laptop, watching movies with a group of friends should be manageable. It will be as well quite challenging to clearly distinguish sounds at peak volume if you are at the other end of the room.

    • Sound Clarity

       : 

      4.0/5

      The sound is quite clear. Background noises should be no issue. This computer provides for an enjoyable sound experience when watching movies and playing games.

    • Lows

       : 

      1.0/5

      With the internal speakers of this laptop, there is practically no bass, making music or movies feel flat. The sound is thus either scratchy, too low or flat.

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  • Keyboard

    5.0/5

    This keyboard has been rated to be among the best in the market. The reviewers were impressed by the comfort and the speed provided for when typing. It is ideal for users whose profession demands long typing hours such as for journalists or academicians, without suffering from the slightest pain or frustration in the process. It is as well impressively comfortable and enduring for gaming, as one of the many activities requiring frequent and long usage, all of which this keyboard is perfectly fitted for.

    • Layout

       : 

      5.0/5

      This keyboard is presented to the user with a layout easy on the eye requiring practically no time to get used to it. Typing feels accurate and the standard layout of the keyboard greatly contributes to increasing speed and comfort. The users will not at all be bothered with inconveniences such as a smaller than usual “Enter” key or swapped key positions. All in all, an agreeable layout for very smooth use.

    • Keyboard Size

       : 

      4.0/5

      The size of this keyboard allows for a good typing experience, as the keys are large enough to reduce typos. The palm rest is as well a quality of this keyboard, deep enough for easy and comfortable usage. The gaps between the keys make the keyboard quite proportionate, and to the linking of most users.

    • Key Responsiveness

       : 

      5.0/5

      This keyboard is made for enjoying long typing hours. The keys do not need that much applied pressure for accurate feedback, and you might even be quite amazed by the improvement in your typing accuracy -no typos- and your speed. The keyboard feels very smooth and comfortable, as the keys go just deep enough when typing. All in all: Guaranteed satisfaction no matter you expectations and your demands.

    • Keyboard Flex

       : 

      5.0/5

      The users will be happy to find that this keyboard is sturdy and very reliable. The keyboard does not bend at all even under heavy typing or when forcefully pressed. The flex thus is practically non-existent, making the typing experience not only enjoyable, but as well fast and comfortable.

    • Keys Clicking Sound

       : 

      5.0/5

      Using this keyboard will not cause any disturbance noise wise. Clicking an individual key provides for an unobtrusive feedback fitting the quietest surroundings. In short: A nice recurring easy-to-get-used-to sound.

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  • Touchpad

    3.5/5

    Most reviewers agreed that this touchpad should be to the liking of many users. The levels of accuracy, the size and the smoothness vs. resistance rates make this trackpad fairly above average. It is well suited for office work, browsing online and most other usage, although demanding users, designers and alike, might require a higher level of accuracy and would thus prefer an external mouse. The trackpad button quality was generally described as good and fitting the needs of most users.

    • Touchpad Size

       : 

      2.0/5

      This touchpad is relatively small for effective and efficient usage. You can increase your touchpad sensitivity settings so that the mouse pointer will move faster. This comes with a downside: High sensitivity settings will cause your cursor to fly through your display sacrificing accuracy. To keep the mouse at an acceptable precision level, you would be required to make multiple strokes to reach the other site of the screen, which can be tiring especially on bigger displays.

    • Buttons

       : 

      4.0/5

      The feedback of the trackpad’s buttons will fulfil the needs of most users. The well defined pressure point gives adequate feedback, making it clear when and where the buttons have been pushed. Therefore they are efficient for most activities, even those requiring high levels of precision such as picture editing. Nearby individuals will rarely be disturbed by the unobtrusive and soft button’s clicking sound.

    • Buttons Noise

       : 

      4.0/5

      The buttons of the touchpad offer a nice clicking feedback while pressing.

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  • Webcam Quality

    4.0/5

    The picture quality of the webcam is quite nice.

  • Battery Surfing

    4:38 h

    The battery life at this level should be decent for most users. You can rely on this battery to spend up to five hours typing in the park, or taking notes during a relatively long lecture. To get more battery life, make sure the energy saving mode is on, close all programs running in the background and set your display brightness as low as possible. If with all those settings you still find the laptop running out of power frequently, you might consider acquiring an additional battery.

    • Battery DVD/Video

      2:53 h

      This battery will only provide for 2 to 3 hours of work with energy demanding applications. You will probably be able to watch one movie or stream a couple of videos. Gaming will consume much more energy compared to watching videos, thus the battery will not last as long. For mobile use, an external battery is a good idea as it will double the time you are independent from power sockets.

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  • Weight

    5.07 lbs

    This computer is for most users still comfortable to carry around, although for those used to lighter computers, it might seem a bit heavy at the beginning. Mobile users will most probably need a somehow large bag to carry this laptop around, a backpack in this case would be ideal. Even when factoring the extra weight of the charger, walking with this computer will still be fine for most users.

  • Noise

    4.0/5

    This laptop stays pleasantly silent most of the time. It is well fitted for use in public places when one does not want to annoy others. Most users will hardly ever notice any noise coming from the laptop fan, hard-drive, or any other parts.

    • Noise Idle

       : 

      4.0/5

      Normally you do not notice the noise of the laptop ventilation while idle.

    • Noise Normal Use

       : 

      5.0/5

      This laptop is silent while doing low performance tasks such as surfing the web, or editing a text. Even in a very quiet environment like a library, any noise from your laptop is unnoticeable, perfect for helping you focus on the task at hand.

    • Noise Full Load

       : 

      4.0/5

      Noise emitted by the laptop is no problem, even when running high-performance tasks such as watching or editing movies and gaming. In a quiet room, the noise will be noticeable, yet not annoying for most users.

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  • Temperature

    5.0/5

    The laptops stays always cool. All reviewers found, the heat from the notebook will not be a problem for your fingers or legs. You can watch movies, even play games on a hot summer day without the laptop emitting any heat.

    • Heat Top: Full Use

       : 

      5.0/5

      The laptop keeps quite cool at normal use. That’s very convenient.

    • Heat Top: Normal Use

       : 

      5.0/5

      The temperature on top of the notebook is excellent. It never gets too warm.

    • Heat Bottom: Normal Use

       : 

      5.0/5

      The temperature at the bottom is excellent. It never gets too warm.

    • Heat Bottom: Full Load

       : 

      5.0/5

      There is no spot on the laptop that is overheated at anytime.

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4

Where to buy

You can get the HP EliteBook 8440p CORE I5-520M for 1,250$
A

All external reviews  HP  EliteBook 8440p CORE I5-520M

Language Source URL Review Date Author

English

www.digitaltrends.com 4/13/10 Nick Mokey

Deutsch

www.notebookcheck.com 4/24/10 Sebastian Jentsch
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Total number of reviews: 2