The HP EliteBook 845 G9 offers a lower midrange price point and better value for money, with a larger storage capacity of 512GB compared to the Surface Laptop's 256GB. It's also equipped with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 5 6650U processor and a dedicated AMD Radeon 660M GPU, making it a stronger performer for engineering tasks and general use. The EliteBook's screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 with a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is excellent for productivity. However, its battery life is shorter at 12 hours of typical usage, and it's slightly heavier at 3.09 pounds.
On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" features a midrange price and a stunning 15-inch touchscreen display with a higher resolution of 2496 x 1664 and a 3:2 aspect ratio, which is ideal for creative work and offers a more immersive visual experience. It has a more modern Intel Core Ultra 7 165H processor and an Intel Arc 8-Cores GPU, which are suitable for general use and light gaming, but may not match the EliteBook's performance for intensive engineering tasks. The Surface Laptop is also more portable, with a longer battery life of 9 hours and a lighter weight of 3.7 pounds.
In summary, if you prioritize performance, especially for engineering tasks, and value storage capacity and a lower price, the HP EliteBook 845 G9 is the better choice. However, if you're looking for a more portable device with a superior display for creative work and general use, and you're willing to pay a bit more, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" would be more suitable for you. 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 portability
Very good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
Very good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
7.8/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both good for engineering and design, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
8.1/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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 15" 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 15" 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 15" costs $1,200.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
2496 x 1664
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 15" 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
7.8/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
7.8/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP EliteBook 845 G9 to have very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 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 15" 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 15"
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.
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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.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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.
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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.