HP EliteBook 840 G7 14" Vs Lenovo ThinkPad L390 13"

The HP EliteBook 840 G7, released in 2020, and the Lenovo ThinkPad L390, introduced in late 2018, are both business-oriented laptops designed for productivity and reliability. While sharing the common foundation of the Windows operating system, these devices differentiate themselves primarily through their screen sizes, generational hardware, and specific feature sets tailored for professional use. The EliteBook offers a slightly larger display and more recent internal components, whereas the ThinkPad emphasizes its renowned keyboard and robust build in a more compact form factor.

When considering the longevity of these business laptops, both models offer solid foundations, though their release timelines create some differences in expected software support and practical lifespan.

• Release Timeline: The HP EliteBook 840 G7 was released in 2020, making it a newer device compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad L390, which debuted in late 2018. This difference in release year means the EliteBook generally benefits from a longer period of manufacturer software and security updates.
• Software Longevity: Both laptops typically run Windows 10 Pro and are capable of upgrading to Windows 11 Pro, ensuring access to current software features and security patches. The HP EliteBook 840 G7, being a 2020 model, is expected to receive software support for a slightly extended duration compared to the 2018 ThinkPad L390.
• Durability and Repairability: The HP EliteBook 840 G7 features an aluminum chassis, contributing to its solid build, and is noted for user-upgradeable RAM, SSD, and Wi-Fi components. The Lenovo ThinkPad L390 boasts MIL-STD 810G military testing for ruggedness, with an aluminum lid and a glass fiber reinforced polymer bottom, and also allows for user upgrades to RAM and SSD. Users report the EliteBook 840 G7 can realistically last 4-5 years with intensive use.

The performance capabilities of these laptops are geared towards business and productivity tasks, with differences stemming from their respective hardware generations.

• Processing Power: The HP EliteBook 840 G7 is equipped with 10th Generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, providing responsive performance for daily productivity, multitasking, and light content creation. Users find it well-suited for office work, school projects, and moderate multitasking, though it is not designed for demanding creative applications. The Lenovo ThinkPad L390 utilizes 8th Generation Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 processors, offering solid performance for typical office applications and smooth 1080p video streaming. It is generally designed for lighter workloads.
• Memory and Storage: Both devices support ample RAM for multitasking, with the EliteBook 840 G7 configurable up to 64GB and the ThinkPad L390 up to 32GB, both featuring user-upgradeable slots. Both also come with fast SSD storage options, utilizing NVMe PCIe for quick application loading and system responsiveness.
• Battery Life: The HP EliteBook 840 G7, with its 53Wh battery, demonstrates excellent battery longevity, with some tests showing over 19 hours of use, and users reporting around 6 hours for light usage even several years after release. The Lenovo ThinkPad L390, featuring a 45Wh battery, typically provides around 8 to 9 hours of use on a single charge, sufficient for a workday.

The visual experience on these laptops is tailored for productivity, with both offering Full HD resolution, but they differ in screen size and brightness capabilities.

• Display Technology and Size: The HP EliteBook 840 G7 features a 14-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS display, providing a slightly larger workspace. The Lenovo ThinkPad L390 comes with a 13.3-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS display, offering a more compact viewing area.
• Brightness and Clarity: The EliteBook 840 G7 offers various display options, including panels with up to 400 nits of brightness, and some configurations feature up to 1000 nits with HP Sure View for privacy, along with good color accuracy. The ThinkPad L390's display is generally described as being on the dimmer side, typically around 261 nits, which can impact visibility in brightly lit environments.
• Design and Viewing Experience: The HP EliteBook 840 G7 features slimmer bezels, contributing to a more modern aesthetic and immersive viewing experience. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad L390 has thicker bezels, which some users find gives it a more dated appearance, though these can provide a resting place for fingers in tablet mode for the Yoga variant.

For communication and media consumption, both laptops include essential audio and visual components, with some distinctions in their features.

• Webcam and Security: Both the HP EliteBook 840 G7 and the Lenovo ThinkPad L390 are equipped with 720p webcams suitable for video conferencing. The EliteBook 840 G7 includes a physical privacy shutter for the webcam and offers an optional IR camera for facial recognition. The ThinkPad L390 also offers an optional IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition. The EliteBook's webcam also features a wider 86-degree field of view.
• Microphone Quality: The HP EliteBook 840 G7 incorporates dual front-facing microphones and a world-facing microphone with noise cancellation, aiming for clearer audio input during calls. The Lenovo ThinkPad L390 features dual array microphones.
• Speaker Output: The EliteBook 840 G7 includes dual stereo speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen, providing good audio quality for calls and media, though not exceptionally powerful for filling large rooms. The ThinkPad L390's 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium are considered decent for a 13-inch device, suitable for personal media consumption.