The concept of Windows 11 AI+ PCs has been introduced for a while. Currently, the latest version of Windows 11 updates have started to support corresponding features. However, due to high hardware performance requirements—specifically, the NPU's AI computing power must exceed 40 TOPs—current AI+ PCs remain confined to mid-to-high-end product lines from various manufacturers and have not yet seen widespread adoption.
The newly launched HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition notebook, equipped with the brand-new AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, brings AI+ PCs beyond flagship series, making the new AI+ PC technology accessible to a broader range of business users.
The HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition notebook has now arrived at our Fast Technology evaluation lab. Let's explore how the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor contributes to the popularization of business AI+ PCs.
As mentioned earlier, Microsoft has strict performance requirements for AI+ PCs; not every computer can be labeled as such. Beyond requiring over 16GB of RAM and over 256GB of SSD capacity, the most critical requirement is an NPU with computing power exceeding 40 TOPS. Importantly, this 40 TOPS cannot include the GPU's computing power. Therefore, current AI+ PCs all utilize new processors featuring high-performance NPUs.
The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, like the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor we previously reviewed, belongs to AMD's latest Ryzen AI 300 series. It comes equipped with an NPU boasting up to 50 TOPS of computing power, fully meeting Microsoft's AI+ PC standards.
The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor consists of 4 Zen 5 cores and 4 Zen 5c cores, forming an 8-core, 16-thread configuration. It features 8MB of L2 cache and 16MB of L3 cache, integrates a new generation Radeon 860M GPU, and has a default TDP of 28W.
It's worth noting that unlike the hybrid architecture designs of P-cores and E-cores from other manufacturers, AMD's two core architectures are identical. They support the same ISA instruction set, both support multithreading, and are both performance cores. There is no scheduling conflict between heterogeneous cores, leading to higher performance and execution efficiency. The difference is that the Zen 5c cores have a more compact design, slightly lower frequencies, and smaller cache sizes.
The HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition notebook also comes paired with 32GB of DDR5 memory and a 512GB SSD. Combined with a 14-inch screen and the sleek metal body of the HP EliteBook series, it creates a new AI+ PC for business users.
The front of the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop is very simple, with a narrow bezel design on all four sides that makes the screen-to-body ratio higher. There is only a small HP logo with four diagonal lines below the screen.
The camera area at the top of the screen is physically shielded, allowing you to manually turn off the camera and ensure privacy.
The HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop features a large keyboard and touchpad.
Close-up of dark gray keyboard keycaps.
In the upper right corner of the keyboard, the power button also integrates fingerprint recognition, enabling one-click start and unlock.
A close-up of the touchpad on the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop.
The HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop features a full-size USB port and a USB Type-C port on the right side, as well as a Kensington lock slot near the hinge.
The HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop features an HDMI port, two full-featured Thunderbolt 4 ports with charging capabilities and a maximum transfer speed of 40Gbps, and a 3.5mm composite audio jack on the right side of the chassis.
The HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop does not have any ports on the back.
The bottom of the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop is also very simple, with a large area of ventilation holes at the top and corresponding holes for the speakers on the left and right sides at the bottom.
The 100W charger that comes with the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop uses a rather unique fabric cable.
The four screws on the bottom of the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop are anti-loss screws. After removing the back cover, you can see the full internal structure of the laptop.
The HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop's dual-fan, dual-heatpipe cooling system benefits from the high energy efficiency of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, resulting in minimal strain on the cooling system.
The HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop comes pre-installed with a BC901 SSD from SK Hynix, which supports PCIe 4.0 x4, standard 2280 form factor, and has a capacity of 512GB.
In addition to the pre-installed SSD, the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop also provides an extra SSD installation slot.。
A close-up of the metal hinge of the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop.
Close-up of the speakers on the left and right sides of the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop.
The HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop has a built-in lithium battery with a capacity of 62Wh.
HP EliteBook 8 G1a battery 62Wh .
In the CINEBENCH R20 test, the single-threaded score was 728 and the multi-threaded score was 6136.
In the CINEBENCH R23 test, the single-threaded score was 1967, and the multi-threaded score was 15642.
In the CINEBENCH 2024 test, the single-threaded score was 117 and the multi-threaded score was 842.
In the POV-Ray test, the single-core score was 621.24 PPS and the multi-core score was 5330.84 PPS.
In AIDA64 memory tests, the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop achieved memory read, write, and copy bandwidths of 62230MB/s, 86369MB/s, and 73134MB/s, respectively, with a latency of 102.6ns.
In the PCMark 10 Modern Office benchmark test, the overall score was 7598, with a digital content creation score of 9292.
In the Procyon office benchmark, the overall score was 7500.
The AI Text Generation Benchmark project in Procyon is a simplified local LLM AI performance test that provides easy and quick testing with four industry-standard AI models of different parameter sizes: PHI 3.5, MISREAL 7B, LLAMA 3.1 8B, and LLAMA 2 13B. In the final test, the four models scored 266, 228, 206, and 219 respectively.
Procyon's AI Computer Vision Benchmark is specifically designed for AMD XDNA NPUs, evaluating their AI performance by running PyTorch, Tensorflow, or ONNX AI models on the NPU instead of the CPU or GPU. In this test, the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop scored 1873.
In the latest version of the Windows 11 operating system, Microsoft has made some free native AI applications available to all users, fully unleashing the performance of the next generation of AI+ PCs. Because these native AI applications rely entirely on local computing power, they have certain configuration requirements.
Currently, Microsoft's configuration requirements for Windows 11 AI+ PCs include at least 16GB of RAM and at least 256GB of SSD storage, which are relatively easy to meet. However, the most critical requirement is an NPU with a computing power of at least 40 TOPS. Therefore, even the most powerful dedicated graphics card is insufficient for this requirement.
All AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processors can meet the requirements of Windows 11 AI+ PC.
The Recall feature, which we tested previously, is now available with the latest version of Windows 11, and users can enable it as needed.
It's important to note that the review feature captures a snapshot of the screen every few seconds, which places extremely high demands on privacy and security. It can only be used after enabling data encryption and Windows Hello enhanced login security. It will also consume additional hard drive storage space. Users can find the relevant settings in the privacy and security settings.
The Studio Effects feature, which enhances camera functionality with AI technology, has been rolled out across the board with the latest version of Windows 11. All Windows 11 AI+ PC users can use it directly and experience AI features such as background replacement, automatic centering, and eye contact during video conferences.
The most useful real-time captioning feature in Windows 11 AI+ PC is now fully rolled out with the latest version of Windows 11. Users can simply press Win+Ctrl+L to access it, and after a simple configuration, it's ready to use, automatically translating video dialogue into subtitles—very convenient.
In addition to this, Windows 11 AI+ PC also has features like click-to-execute, enhanced search, and a new AI screenshot feature that are being rolled out or tested. With the help of these free local AI applications, Windows 11 AI+ PC can better leverage the AI performance advantages of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, better assisting users in improving efficiency.
Finally, we used PCMark 10's Modern Office mode for battery life testing. With the battery fully charged to 100% and brightness adjusted to 50%, the HP EliteBook 8 Ryzen Edition laptop achieved a final test result of 18 hours and 19 minutes.
After Microsoft introduced the concept of AI+PC, it placed high demands on laptop hardware configurations, especially the 40 TOPS AI computing power NPU threshold. This excluded many products that didn't meet the requirements, resulting in the first batch of AI+PCs being flagship-level configurations, still some distance from widespread adoption by ordinary consumers.
After launching the flagship Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, AMD later released the more affordable Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, which also integrates a 50 TOPS NPU, meeting the requirements of Microsoft Windows 11 AI+PC and allowing for smooth operation of free native AI applications provided by Microsoft.
This means that AI+ PCs are no longer limited to flagship configurations and prices, making them more accessible and affordable. More users, especially enterprise users, can own brand-new AI+ PCs, use AI tools to improve efficiency and quality, and embrace the AI era.
Microsoft Windows 11 has also started pushing out free local AI applications in its latest version, which can better leverage the local computing power of AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processors, allowing ordinary people to more easily experience the convenience brought by the development of AI technology.
The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor not only boasts powerful performance, but its energy efficiency is also enhanced by being based on TSMC's 4nm FinFET process. It can stably deliver 33W of power during stress testing, and its dual heat pipe and dual fan cooling configuration keeps the temperature around 69 degrees Celsius. Moreover, in battery life tests, it achieved over 18 hours of use with a 62Wh battery, which is truly remarkable.
The HP EliteBook 8 G1a 14 laptop, equipped with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, is not only a more user-friendly AI+ PC, but also an excellent business laptop. Its balanced performance, long battery life, and sleek silver-white design make it a perfect choice for business professionals who need to work on the go.
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