HP EliteBook 840 G4 review

A 2016 EliteBook 840 G4 whose graphics placing flatters it — honest about the vintage iGPU

The HP EliteBook 840 G4 (2016) pairs a 7th-gen Intel Core i5 7200U with 32 GB of RAM and lands at $146, well below the business-class median of about $297. The graphics score of 45.85 places it in mainstream territory, but this reflects how undemanding the typical business laptop is on graphics, not modern gaming capability — the underlying GPU is a vintage Intel HD Graphics 620 integrated part. The honest strength is the rock-bottom price; the honest weak spot is the CPU itself, with a score of 20.6 against a median near 53.

At $146, the price is the real virtue

For a buyer whose budget is firmly capped around $146, the EliteBook 840 G4 offers a usable 7th-gen Intel platform with enough capability for everyday office and media duties. Capability data confirms minimum-level fit for older titles like GTA V, Rainbow Six Siege, and Civilization 6 — fine for casual eSports and strategy at low settings, but no more than that.

The graphics placing is honest about its limits

The high graphics score needs context: the HD Graphics 620 is integrated graphics from 2016, so its mainstream-tier placing reflects how undemanding the typical business laptop is on graphics, not any real dGPU-class power. The CPU is the more honest ceiling, with a score of 20.6 placing it in the basic tier against modern peers. This is a machine for light office duties, not for compute or modern gaming.

Slow depreciation, near the floor

From a base near $1300, the laptop has settled to $146 at roughly 7.2% per year, with a projected value around $126 in two years. The curve has flattened — most of the value has already been lost.

Vintage peers bracket it tightly

Slightly pricier options include the Lenovo ThinkPad T460 ($162) and Dell Latitude 5580 ($159); cheaper alternatives include the Lenovo ThinkPad T470s ($137) and Dell Latitude 7480 ($135), which offer similar 7th-gen business hardware for marginally less.

Bottom line

The EliteBook 840 G4 is worth the asking price for a buyer who specifically needs a very cheap laptop for light office duties and casual older games, and who understands the vintage iGPU and basic-tier CPU limits. For anything more demanding, slightly pricier peers with newer processors are the better spend.