HP EliteBook 860 G9 review

A 2022 EliteBook 860 G9 with 64 GB of RAM and solid reliability, fairly priced

The HP EliteBook 860 G9 (2022) pairs a 12th-gen Intel Core i5 1235U with 64 GB of RAM and lands at $607, well above the business-class median of about $297. Its genuine strengths are memory (64 GB, 60% above the median, "pro" level) and reliability (56, above the category median of 42.5); the verdict flags no serious weak spot by level. There is no discrete GPU, which is the one implicit trade-off at this price.

Pro-tier memory and solid reliability on a recent platform

The i5 1235U is a recent 12th-gen processor with 10 cores (2P+8E), and 64 GB of RAM at a "pro" level is genuine headroom for memory-bound office and developer workflows. Reliability at 56 places above the category median, which matters for a work machine expected to last, and the recent platform should age well.

Graphics are the implicit trade-off

The verdict flags no serious weak spot by level, but the honest implicit trade-off is graphics: there is no discrete GPU, so this is a machine for everyday office and media work, not for gaming or GPU-accelerated creative tasks. Buyers who need GPU power should look at a dGPU-equipped sibling.

Steeper depreciation, typical of a recent model

From a base near $1300, the laptop has depreciated to $607 at roughly 10% per year, with a projected value around $491 in two years. The curve is steeper than older models, reflecting how recent it is.

Cheaper siblings nearby

Cheaper alternatives include the HP EliteBook 1040 G9 ($536) and Dell Latitude 5450 ($569), which offer similar recent business-class hardware for somewhat less. No pricier analogs appear in the close bracket.

Bottom line

The EliteBook 860 G9 is a fair pick for a memory-bound office user or developer who wants a recent, reliable platform with serious memory headroom. Graphics are the implicit trade-off — buyers who need GPU power should look at a dGPU-equipped sibling, since the iGPU-only config is the one real ceiling.