HP Elitebook 8440p Laptop Review | 6 Years Later and Why I Love It

HP Elitebook 8440p

Hello there, this is Chard writing. Writing on my HP Elitebook 8440p, which I have owned since the last 6 years.

I got this laptop from neighbors for around 140 US Dollars. I'll list the specs when I first got it:

• Intel i5 520m @ 2.4GHz Hyperthreading 2 Cores (4 Threads)
• Can step up to 2.9GHz. Will overheat fast.
  
• Active Cooled by Fan
• Will immediately power off when it reaches 105 degrees Celsius. Unsafe power off, can break progress.
  
• Intel HD Graphics
  
• OpenGL2
• DirectX11
• Pixel Shader 2.0
• No OpenCL, Vulkan
  
• 4GB RAM
  
• 320GB HDD 5400RPM
• 1366 x 768 Built-in LCD Monitor
• 640x480@15-30fps Webcam
• 12Wh Battery
  

That's all I can list that has probably the greatest impact on my usage.

The laptop has a built-in lamp beside the webcam that shines on the keyboard when you press on it. It's pretty handy, especially if you're working in the dark and you didn't plug any RGB or backlit keyboard.

Practical Usage

These experiences are from configuring the laptop to the best I can optimize it - Windows or Linux. Experiences might not be the same for you, or may exceed my optimizations.

So far, I have used it to present many presentations. I've brought it anywhere whenever school gives me a hint that it's going to require a lot of schoolwork. It did mostly everything. Currently dual-booting with Windows 10 and Artix Linux. They're a treat and they worked well with the laptop.

Right now, it's pretty much a wreck. Metal all scratched, no dents. Keyboard broken and in need of replacement. Fingerprint scanner not working anymore. Screen frame damaged, but LCD monitor still flawless. Battery dead, so I had to plug it in to use it.

Production Programs

Video editing?

Ran Adobe AE CS6 pretty sluggishly but did the job after making it less resource-intensive. I've worked mostly with AviUtl, Shotcut, and KDenLive though. The three works very well with the laptop's hardware despite some significant slowdowns here and there. Storage speed can be fixed by an SSD or a faster HDD, but the slow framerate (don't expect to edit 4K videos fast) don't fare well. I spent most of my time more on adding effects and rendering than doing much progress. People with better workflow can probably do well with an old laptop, but people like that would most likely be owning a Macbook or a better computer I can't afford.

Photo editing? Art?

Can run Photoshop. but I stick to my familiar tools. Krita and GIMP works very well. RAM is pretty much the only thing holding this laptop back. It doesn't have a GPU so the problem stems with that. Bought an art tablet (Huion 420) and works pretty well.

Digital Audio Workstations?

FL Studio works well. Reaper works well. LMMS works well. Audacity works well.

Games

In this section I'll just compile the games I've played as a list, along with the FPS. Mostly Windows. Linux can't

• Skyrim: 5-30FPS with a lot of performance mods. I mean A LOT. Playable.
  
• Minecraft: 15-60+FPS with Optifine and mods, Java 8. Tested 1.7.10, 1.12.2, 1.15.2. Playable.
  
• Devil May Cry 3: Just remove the unoptimized files that destroys the framerate down to 5 to 10. Otherwise it's pretty much smooth as butter. Very playable, very fun
• Devil May Cry 4: 20-60+FPS on lowest settings. Very playable, very fun.
  
• DmC:Devil May Cry: 15-30FPS on lowest settings. Playable.
  
• Need For Speed Most Wanted, Carbon: 20-40FPS on lowest settings. Playable.
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, 3: 15-40FPS on lowest settings. Playable.
• Team Fortress 2: Look up Low-Spec Gamer for this.
  
• N64, PS1 Emulators. Can run max speed. You can presume that emulators for older systems will work. Very playable.
• osu!: it's perfect, just don't enable video backgrounds or stream, because it will make you miss all those difficult jumps. Very playable, very fun.
  

Confirmed Unplayable

Pretty much safe to assume these can't be run on Linux with OpenGL, but Windows has DirectX to fall back on.

• PS2 Emulators. If you like playing with a slow AF emulator, PS2 emulators would be okay.
  
• Dolphin Emulator. Same as above.
• Bayonetta. Runs, but doesn't work.
• Dark Souls Prepare To Die. Too low framerate, but runs. Good for a masochist I guess.
• Devil May Cry HD Collection. Won't run. Requires pixel shader 3.0.
  

Upgrades

• The laptop can also be upgraded to use storage devices that can use the Extension Port or the laptop's PCIe port.
• SATA hard drive can be upgraded
• RAM can be upgraded for up to 2x4GB=8GB RAM cards. Check the spec sheets whether what you're buying is compatible though.
• Network card can be upgraded. You can also add a module that can use a SIM card but I don't own one.
• Extension Port can support a lot of things. I don't have much knowledge and experience about this.

Problems

Heat Issues

    It gets very hot. VERY HOT. I mentioned that it kills itself whenever it reaches 105 degrees Celsius. Expect a lot of those, and don't expect to put it on your lap without a cooling solution or underclocking it to extreme conditions. I've created a temperature chart down below using Throttlestop benchmarking.

 

    Note that the benchmark does not accurately depict real life experiences, but then I don't think you'd want a 93 degree Celsius laptop on your lap. I recommend using a laptop cooling stand or paper wedges to let air flow through its heatsink.

    The high temperatures killed all of the replaceable batteries I bought for it. The laptop is simply too hot to be able to keep its battery healthy and happy.

Conclusion

It's the greatest bang for my buck. Six whole years and still counting, it's able to keep up with all the work I've done to it. I still am enjoying it right now, and I've done a lot of things to keep it alive and working. Next time I have the money to buy a select laptop, it'll be a business laptop. It's just so durable and tough, I can't wish for anything more.

Notes:

I will add more after a while. You can email me (leafychards@gmail.com) for any specific inquiries about the laptop.