HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook evaluate: The costliest Chromebook ever

Value When Reviewed

$2,385

Greatest Costs At this time: HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook

$2385

What springs to thoughts whenever you consider the phrase “elite”? Possibly it’s a flowery Bahamas-bound cruise or a smooth smartwatch that’s chock-full of options. No matter photographs your thoughts conjures up, the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is about as luxurious as you will get. From the slick design and low weight to the highly effective {hardware} and nice typing expertise, this Chromebook has all of it and is an actual step up when it comes to high quality. That mentioned, you’ll pay out the nostril for all of that opulence. Learn on to study extra.

On the lookout for extra choices? Try PCWorld’s roundup of one of the best Chromebooks out there proper now.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Specs

Our check configuration has an Intel Core i5-1245U CPU, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. It additionally has a 13.5-inch touchscreen show with a decision of 2256×1504. This particular configuration will set you again $2,385, which is wildly costly for a Chromebook. The bottom configuration, which has an Intel Core i3-1215U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage, prices $2,097. Yup, nonetheless costly for a Chromebook.

• CPU: Intel Core i5-1245U
• GPU: Intel Iris Xe graphics
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 256GB
• Show: 13.5-inch 2256×1504 contact
• Battery: 45 watt-hour
• Weight: 2.8 kilos
• Wi-fi: Wi-Fi 6E AX211, Bluetooth 5.2
• Value: $2,385 (as examined)

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

So far as Chromebooks go, you may’t actually get extra luxurious than this. The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook positively seems the half with its matte blue chassis, rounded corners, and stylized HP emblem. The darkish blue shade scheme is good, nevertheless it’s not my cup of tea. It positively has a extra subtle look than laptops which might be extra utilitarian in design. Principally, it’s extra fascinating to take a look at than your normal plain grey sq..

I might inform the second I took the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook out of the field that it was an costly machine. You possibly can really feel the aluminum bits whenever you slide your fingers over the chassis, and the hinge that connects the show to the remainder of the laptop computer is each robust and agency. I didn’t discover any flex within the display or keyboard deck, and the physique is compact sufficient to suit into most backpacks or messenger luggage. The show can also be lined in fancy Corning Gorilla Glass. On the finish of the day, it’s only a actually well-made machine.

By the best way, the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is a 2-in-1. Which means you may swing the display round 360 levels and use the gadget like a pill. You possibly can even prop it up like a tent for video calls, watching films, and so forth. This added versatility is ideal for younger professionals.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Show, webcam, audio

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The 1504p contact show is extra square-looking due to the three:2 facet ratio. That’s not a foul factor, because it gives extra display actual property for issues like spreadsheet work, writing essays, and extra. It’s the form of show that actually boosts productiveness. The picture high quality is sort of good, too. My solely problem with the show is that it’s very reflective, which is simply an issue in case you’re ever going to make use of the laptop computer in outside lighting.

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The 1080p webcam is sort of good even in pure lighting circumstances. As you may see within the nonetheless picture above, you may see the person folds in my gray hoodie. The one supply of pure gentle is coming in via the window behind me. The picture would possibly look a bit mushy due to the daylight streaming in, however general it’s nonetheless fairly crisp. You possibly can even see the tree branches within the window behind me. There’s additionally a bodily privateness shutter that can be utilized to cowl the webcam when not in use.

The audio is surprisingly punchy for a laptop computer. I’m at all times stunned when laptop computer audio can fill a medium-sized room, which the Elite Dragonfly Chromebook can actually do. After I listened to Amy Winehouse’s Again to Black, her sultry voice sounded fairly sharp. That is seemingly due to the place of the audio system, that are top-firing. That mentioned, after I turned up the quantity, it sounded a bit grating. Should you’re simply casually listening to music or taking calls, the audio shouldn’t be an issue, although.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Connectivity

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The Elite Dragonfly Chromebook comes geared up with a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port on all sides, which lets you cost up the laptop computer utilizing both port. There’s additionally one USB-A, one HDMI 2.0 out, one microSD card slot, and one 3.5mm combo audio jack. So far as connectivity choices go, that’s a fairly large choice — you in all probability received’t have to preserve an adapter with you.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The keyboard is superb to make use of. The butterfly keys are flat and provide some quantity of bounciness in addition to respectable journey. Additionally they have a lightweight snap to them, which I actually appreciated. Occasional typos apart, I used to be in a position to get accustomed to it in a comparatively quick period of time. The keyboard has backlighting too, which implies you’ll be capable of see no matter it’s you’re typing in dimly lit environments.

I’m unhappy to say that the buttonless haptic trackpad left a much less favorable impression on me. However first, the professionals. It’s positively an excellent dimension and it sits within the heart of the keyboard deck versus being offset, which is a big sticking level for me. Though it registered my clicks simply effective in every single place on the floor, the suggestions it produces is form of faint. The haptic actuator is the factor that creates bodily sensations in a haptic trackpad, by the best way. You’ll additionally discover a fingerprint sensor to the best of the trackpad.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Efficiency

Efficiency is fairly darn good on this Chromebook. It simply blitzed via 20+ open tabs with no noticeable lag, which is spectacular. Even the act of leaping from tab to tab didn’t hinder efficiency. Booting up the machine is lightning quick, too. It’s the form of efficiency I anticipate from a high-end machine, particularly one which prices effectively over $1,000. That mentioned, whereas efficiency is completely effective, it’s not all that completely different from inexpensive machines.

Right here’s how the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook fared in our web-based benchmarks:

• CrXPRT 2: 167
• Speedometer: 249
• Basemark Net 3.0: 1432.86
• Kraken: 478.7ms
• Jetstream 2: 238.548

The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, which prices $499, had a CrXPRT 2 rating of 177, successfully outpacing the HP Elite Dragonfy Chromebook. The CrXPRT benchmark measures how briskly the laptop computer handles on a regular basis duties. That mentioned, the HP Dragonfly Chromebook’s processor is a technology behind, which can clarify the decrease CrXPRT 2 rating. In use, you in all probability received’t discover a lot of a distinction in efficiency between the 2 Chromebooks. They’re each snappy, however the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is much more inexpensive than the Elite Dragonfly.

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Battery life

Battery life might positively be higher, nevertheless it’s not the worst end result I’ve ever seen. The Elite Dragonfly Chromebook managed about seven hours in our battery check, which loops via movies and varied duties till the laptop computer dies. Chromebooks are identified for having lengthy battery life, so this can be a considerably disappointing end result. Should you decrease the brightness on this machine, you would possibly be capable of get one other hour or two. Nevertheless, it additionally is dependent upon what you’re doing. Extra intensive masses are going to eat up the battery quicker, for instance.

Is the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook price it?

The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook has loads going for it regardless of the excessive price ticket. The keyboard is great to make use of, the {hardware} chews via 20+ open browser tabs like a champ, and the spacious touch-enabled show produces sharp photographs. The one actual sticking level is the value, because it’s prohibitively costly for a Chromebook. The trackpad might present stronger suggestions, too. This machine is designed with particular of us in thoughts, particularly younger professionals. That mentioned, if cash isn’t any object, then this is without doubt one of the most luxurious Chromebooks cash should purchase.