Introduction
The HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 is primarily designed for business and professional use rather than for gaming. However, understanding its capabilities in the context of gaming, its price, and its features can provide a comprehensive overview of what to expect from this laptop in 2024. Here’s an in-depth analysis of the HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G3, focusing on its suitability for gaming, price, and features.
HP EliteBook folio 1040 g3 good for gaming laptop , Top Features, price 2024
Overview
The HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 is a business-oriented Ultrabook known for its sleek design, robust build quality, and excellent security features. It was originally released around 2016, and while it has aged, it remains relevant in some use cases due to its solid construction and professional-grade features.
Design and Build Quality
The Folio 1040 G3 boasts a magnesium and aluminum chassis, which provides a premium feel and durability. It’s slim and lightweight, weighing around 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs.), making it highly portable. This makes it ideal for business professionals who are always on the move, but less so for gaming, where portability is often less of a priority compared to performance and cooling capabilities.
Display and Graphics
Display: The laptop comes with a 14-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display. While this resolution is sufficient for many games, the panel itself is not designed for high-refresh-rate gaming, which can limit the smoothness of gameplay in fast-paced titles.
Graphics: The Folio 1040 G3 typically features integrated Intel HD Graphics 520. Integrated graphics are generally not suitable for modern gaming, especially for graphically intensive games. They can handle older or less demanding titles at lower settings but struggle with newer games.
Performance
Processor: The laptop is powered by Intel’s 6th generation Core processors, such as the i5-6200U or i7-6600U. These CPUs are dual-core and, while they can handle basic tasks and some multitasking, they are not designed for gaming, which often benefits from higher clock speeds and more cores.
Memory: It usually comes with 8GB or 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which is sufficient for most gaming needs. However, the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, meaning it cannot be upgraded.
Storage: It offers SSD options ranging from 128GB to 512GB. SSDs improve loading times in games, but the storage space may be limited for large game libraries.
Cooling and Battery Life Cooling: The laptop’s slim design limits its cooling capabilities. Prolonged gaming sessions can lead to thermal throttling, where the CPU and GPU reduce their speeds to prevent overheating. This significantly impacts gaming performance.
Battery Life: The battery life is decent for business use, often lasting between 6-8 hours under typical workloads. However, gaming significantly reduces battery life, typically to around 2-3 hours
Price
As of 2024, the HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 is considered outdated for gaming purposes. On the used or refurbished market, you might find it for around $200 to $400, depending on the condition and specific configuration. For gaming, this price is not justified as you can find more capable devices in the same price range, especially among gaming laptops and mid-range desktops.
Connectivity
The Folio 1040 G3 offers a variety of ports, including:
USB 3.0 ports
USB-C port
HDMI port
MicroSD card reader
Audio jack
While these ports are sufficient for connecting peripherals, they don’t offer the latest standards required for modern gaming accessories, such as high-speed external GPUs or high-refresh-rate external monitors.
Gaming Performance Analysis
Given the specifications, the HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 is not well-suited for gaming. Its integrated graphics and older dual-core processors cannot handle the demands of modern AAA titles at playable frame rates. For casual gaming or playing older, less demanding games, it might suffice if you’re willing to lower the settings and resolution.
Modern Games and Expected Performance
Here are a few examples of how the Folio 1040 G3 might perform with some games in 2024:
Older Games (e.g., “Skyrim,” “Portal 2”):
Playable at lower settings and resolutions.
Frame rates likely around 30-40 FPS.
Modern Indie Games (e.g., “Hades,” “Star dew Valley”):
Playable at medium to high settings.
Frame rates likely around 40-50 FPS.
Modern AAA Games (e.g., “Cyberpunk 2077,” “Elden Ring”):
Unplayable at reasonable settings.
Frame rates below 20 FPS, even at the lowest settings.
Price and Value in 2024
As of 2024, the HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 is considered outdated for gaming purposes. On the used or refurbished market, you might find it for around $200 to $400, depending on the condition and specific configuration. For gaming, this price is not justified as you can find more capable devices in the same price range, especially among gaming laptops and mid-range desktops.
Gaming Laptops
For a budget of around $400 to $600, you can find newer laptops with dedicated graphics cards and more powerful processors. Here are a few alternatives that offer better gaming performance:
Acer Nitro 5:
Features a dedicated NVIDIA GTX 1650 GPU.
Quad-core or higher CPU options.
Suitable for modern gaming at medium settings
Dell G5 15:
Comes with a dedicated GPU like the GTX 1660 Ti.
More robust cooling solutions.
Better overall performance for gaming.
HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop:
Offers Ryzen 5 or 7 CPUs with dedicated GPUs.
Good balance of performance and price for gaming.
Conclusion
The HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 is a competent business laptop with a sleek design, robust build quality, and professional features, but it falls short as a gaming machine. Its integrated graphics, aging processor, and limited cooling capabilities make it unsuitable for modern gaming. While it can handle older and less demanding games at lower settings, there are far better options available for gaming at a similar price point. For those seeking a budget-friendly gaming laptop, exploring models specifically designed for gaming with dedicated GPUs and more modern CPUs is advisable.