The HP EliteBook 845 G9 offers a lower midrange price point, a larger storage capacity at 512GB, and a more robust port selection with USB-C and Thunderbolt support, making it a strong contender for business users who need versatility and connectivity. Its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and Radeon 660M GPU provide solid performance for everyday tasks and some light engineering work, with a high-resolution 14-inch display that's great for productivity. The laptop is built with a focus on durability and security features, including a fingerprint reader and facial recognition.
On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" comes at a midrange price, with a touchscreen display that boasts higher resolution and pixel density, delivering vibrant colors and sharp images, which is excellent for visual tasks. The Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and Arc GPU offer competitive performance, and the laptop's design is sleek and portable, making it ideal for professionals who value aesthetics and mobility. It also features a touchscreen and a high-quality keyboard, contributing to a superior user experience.
Consider the HP EliteBook for its better value, especially if you need more storage and extensive connectivity options for peripherals. Opt for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 if you prioritize a premium build, a superior display, and a more compact and stylish design for frequent travel. Both laptops are suitable for general use and some engineering tasks, but the Surface Laptop 6 will provide a better experience for tasks that benefit from a high-resolution touchscreen display. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the HP EliteBook 845 G9
Very good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
Very good speakers
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
7.7/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both good for engineering and design, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
7.1/10
7.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has a better screen than the HP EliteBook 845 G9 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
12.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has 12 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has 9 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
8.0/10
7.4/10
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$740
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has a price of $740 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" costs $1,200.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.7/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.7/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and HP EliteBook 845 G9 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the HP EliteBook 845 G9 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" compare to other laptops
"The high-end version of the HP EliteBook 845 G9 with a Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS, 32GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD packs a lot of power, but is still quiet and cool enough to operate in noise-sensitive environments. Quiet, cool and drawing on a massive 40 watts from the APU at the same time, however, is not possible. The 14-incher only has a single-fan solution and it only just manages to keep an near unthrottled Ryzen 9 in check."
Get a great deal on the HP EliteBook 845 G9 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
100,095
Recommendations made
21,688
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.