An HP EliteBook with 16GB RAM outperformed 32GB predecessors in new PT testing

In tests, an Intel processor-powered HP EliteBook 8 G2i with 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM beat two EliteBook models with 32 GB DDR5 SODIMM RAM across several workloads.

SAN JOSE, CA, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Rising memory prices and worsening supply shortages are forcing IT decision-makers to reconsider long-standing assumptions about how much RAM their fleets really need. New hands-on testing from Principled Technologies (PT) highlights a way around the squeeze: An Intel processor-powered HP EliteBook 8 G2i laptop configured with 16 GB of RAM outperformed two prior-generation HP EliteBook laptops with 32GB of RAM across a range of productivity and content-creation workloads.

About the testing
PT tested three 14-inch HP EliteBook laptops spanning three generations of Intel Core processors: an EliteBook 8 G2i with an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 processor and 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, an EliteBook 8 G1i with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255U processor and 32 GB of DDR5 SODIMM RAM, and an EliteBook 840 G10 with an Intel Core i7-1355U processor and 32 GB of DDR5 SODIMM RAM. On paper, the two older laptops held some specification advantages: the EliteBook 8 G1i had more cores and a higher peak clock speed, and both legacy models carried double the RAM of the EliteBook 8 G2i. However, PT test results show the newer laptop outperforming the older ones on a range of workloads.

Key findings
Compared to the two older laptops, the new HP EliteBook 8 G2i delivered on the following benchmarks:
• Procyon Essentials Benchmark: up to 59.1% snappier performance booting up and switching apps
• Procyon Video Editing Benchmark: up to 111.6% better video editing performance
• Blender Benchmark: up to 59.9% more GPU samples per minute for smoother 3D iteration; the EliteBook 840 G10's older integrated graphics could not run the GPU rendering test at all
• HandBrake Benchmark: up to 10 minutes and 1 second faster on the heaviest 4K encoding workload
• Cinebench 2026: up to 55.6% more responsive performance for compute-heavy workloads, despite having fewer total cores than either comparison laptop

Additional results
PT also recorded gains on additional benchmarks: up to 12.5% more responsive performance on the Procyon Office Productivity Benchmark, up to 24.2% quicker performance on everyday web workloads with WebXPRT 5, up to 11.0% better photo-editing performance on the Procyon Photo Editing Benchmark, and up to 70.8% more frames per second on the heaviest HandBrake encoding workload.

Analysis
The report noted that the results challenge “the assumption that more RAM, or a higher core count is a requirement for solid performance on common business workloads,” adding that “what mattered more in our tests was generational advantages.”

The findings arrive as memory prices climb. For organizations planning a fleet refresh amid tightening memory supply and rising costs, the findings point to an alternative to defaulting to more RAM: right-sizing memory by user role and letting newer processor technology make up the difference.

Learn more
For additional details, read the full report.

About Principled Technologies, Inc.
Principled Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of fact-based marketing and competitive analysis backed by transparent methodologies.

Principled Technologies, Inc. is located in Durham, North Carolina, USA. For more information, please visit www.principledtechnologies.com.

Sharon Horton
Principled Technologies, Inc.
press@principledtechnologies.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Facebook
YouTube
X