HP ZBook 8 G1i 16” review

HP ZBook 8 G1i 16 (2025) Review: Top-Band Compute, Bigger Panel, Same Gap

The ZBook 8 G1i 16 is the 16-inch expression of HP's 2025 Intel ZBook 8 line: the same Core Ultra 5 225U with an RTX 500 Laptop (Ada) GPU and 64 GB of memory at $1,760. The capability sheet carries over from the 14-inch model intact — the panel grows, the mobility reading eases, and the creative-axis gap stays exactly where it was.

Where it holds up

Reliability reads 88 — 102.3 percent above the workstation-class median of 43.5 — and processor performance lands at 94.51 in the enthusiast band, the joint-best in this batch. Overall performance posts 94.41, joint-highest here, and mobility still holds 67 against a class median of 36. Office work reads 91.91 in the top band and engineering CAD sits mid at 46, with the 64 GB of memory matching the workstation norm exactly. No capability entry is flagged as a weakness for this configuration.

Where it falls short

The gaming index reads zero because no matched scoring entry exists for the professional RTX 500 yet — a coverage gap, not a hardware verdict. The measured creative axes are the soft spot: modeling at 22 in the low band, the lowest reading on the sheet, photo design at 21 also low — unusual numbers for a dedicated-GPU workstation. Portability drops to 45.1, mid-band, the price of the 16-inch frame, and value at 48.9 is mid.

Price and depreciation

At $1,760 this prices identically to its 14-inch twin — the panel upgrade costs nothing but carry. The modeled depreciation curve runs at 20 percent per year, the steepest in this batch; no listing anchor is available for dollar projections.

Alternatives to consider

The ZBook 8 G1i 14 (2025) is the same sheet at the same $1,760 with portability of 70.4 against 45.1 — the better carry unless the 16-inch workspace matters. The ZBook 8 G1ak 14, also $1,760, trades a little processor score for engineering CAD at 75 and photo design at 72 — the stronger balanced sheet in this generation. The ZBook Fury G1i 16 at the same money posts gaming 88, photo 89 and 192 GB of memory in a heavier 2.43 kg frame.

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class. The ZBook 8 G1i 16 wraps joint-best-in-batch compute in a 16-inch workstation frame — with the unscored gaming axis and modeling at 22 as the honest reminder that this generation spends its budget on the processor.