HP EliteBook Gen 8 through 12: full refurb comparison

The HP EliteBook 800 series (830, 840, 850 and the newer 860) is the workhorse of the UK refurbished business laptop market. Between Gen 8 (2020) and Gen 12 (2024), the internals, display quality and port layout have shifted enough that picking the right generation makes a real difference to what you get for your money.

Gen 8 (2020): the value floor

Generation 8 EliteBooks (830 G8, 840 G8, 850 G8) run 11th generation Intel Core, typically i5-1135G7 or i5-1145G7 for the volume SKUs and i7-1165G7 or i7-1185G7 at the top. RAM is DDR4, usually 8GB or 16GB soldered plus a single SO-DIMM slot. Storage is a single NVMe M.2 2280 slot.

The 840 G8 has a 14 inch FHD (1920 by 1080) IPS panel at around 250 to 400 nits, with an optional SureView privacy build. The keyboard is the classic EliteBook layout with a dedicated column of navigation keys on the right. Ports are generous: two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, two USB-A 3.2, HDMI 2.0, a 3.5mm combo jack and an optional smartcard reader. Some 850 G8 builds retain a physical RJ45.

Refurbished pricing for a clean 840 G8 i5 16GB 256GB sits between £229 and £319 depending on grade and battery health.

Gen 9 (2022): the underrated sweet spot

The G9 refresh moved to 12th gen Intel Core (i5-1235U, i5-1245U, i7-1255U, i7-1265U). This is a bigger jump than the version number suggests because 12th gen introduced the P and E core hybrid architecture. Multi threaded performance on the 840 G9 is roughly 30 to 45 percent ahead of the 840 G8 in Cinebench R23, and single core is up around 15 percent.

The display got a real upgrade too. The 840 G9 shifted to a 16:10 aspect ratio at 1920 by 1200, giving noticeably more vertical space for documents, spreadsheets and code. Panel options went up to 400 nits IPS and a 1000 nit SureView 4 privacy panel on higher SKUs.

Ports stayed strong: two Thunderbolt 4, one USB-A 3.2, HDMI 2.0b and the 3.5mm jack. For most buyers, the Gen 9 is the pick. Expect £319 to £449 refurbished depending on spec.

See the current HP EliteBook Gen 8 to Gen 12 refurb range on our eBay store

Gen 10 (2023): quiet refinement

Generation 10 is a smaller step. It kept the 16:10 chassis and moved to 13th gen Intel Core (i5-1335U, i5-1345U, i7-1355U, i7-1365U). Real world performance is around 8 to 12 percent up on Gen 9, with better sustained clocks under load.

Screen options broadened: alongside 1920 by 1200 IPS panels, HP offered a 2240 by 1400 WUXGA+ option on the 840 G10, plus an OLED variant on select 1040 G10 configurations. RAM stepped up to DDR5-4800 with two SO-DIMM slots on the 840 G10, which makes upgrades easier than the G8 or G9.

Refurbished stock is thinner and pricier at £429 to £579. Worth paying up if DDR5 headroom and a higher resolution panel matter.

Gen 11 (2024): the 860 arrives

HP retired the 850 and introduced the EliteBook 860 G11 with a 16 inch 16:10 display, plus a refreshed 840 G11 at 14 inches and 1040 G11 as the premium thin and light. Silicon jumped to Intel Core Ultra Series 1 (Meteor Lake) with a dedicated NPU for on device AI.

The 860 G11 offers a 2560 by 1600 IPS panel at 300 nits on the mainstream SKU and a 2880 by 1800 OLED at 400 nits on the premium build. Ports are two Thunderbolt 4, one USB-A 3.2, HDMI 2.1 and the 3.5mm jack, with an optional nano SIM tray for 5G models. Refurb pricing runs £629 to £849 and stock is still limited.

Gen 12 (2024 to 2025): the current top end

Gen 12 (860 G12, 840 G12, 1040 G12) moved to Intel Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake on the 1040, Arrow Lake H on the 840 and 860). Battery life on the 1040 G12 is genuinely long at 14 to 18 hours of light office use, and NPU performance roughly doubled versus Gen 11.

Ports and layout are broadly unchanged from Gen 11. Refurbished stock is very limited and prices are £899 upwards. For most business buyers this generation only makes sense if the NPU workloads or the battery life are specifically needed.

Which one to buy refurbished

Under £300, a Gen 8 840 with 16GB and a 256GB or 512GB NVMe is still a competent daily driver for 2026 and runs Windows 11 comfortably. At £350 to £450, Gen 9 is the correct answer: 16:10 display, hybrid CPU, Thunderbolt 4 and mature refurb supply. Gen 10 suits buyers who want DDR5 headroom or a higher resolution panel. Gen 11 and Gen 12 are for buyers who specifically need Copilot Plus PC class NPU performance or the 16 inch 860 chassis.

FAQ

Is the Gen 8 EliteBook still worth buying in 2026?

Yes, for a specific buyer. A Gen 8 840 with 16GB RAM and a 512GB NVMe handles Microsoft 365, Teams, Chrome with heavy tab counts and light photo editing without complaint. It just will not accelerate on device AI features and the display is 16:9 rather than 16:10.

What is the biggest single upgrade between Gen 8 and Gen 9?

The 16:10 display on the Gen 9 is the change most users notice within an hour. Extra vertical pixels remove a lot of scrolling in Outlook, Excel and modern web apps. The Alder Lake CPU jump is the second biggest change.

Do refurbished EliteBooks come with a warranty from Birmingham AV?

Yes, every unit ships with a twelve month warranty covering hardware faults. Battery health is graded before dispatch and stated in the listing, and any unit with less than 80 percent design capacity is either rejected or fitted with a replacement cell.

Can I upgrade the RAM and SSD on these later?

On the 840 G8 and G9 there is one SO-DIMM slot alongside a soldered block, so RAM upgrades are partial. From the 840 G10 onwards both SO-DIMM slots are user accessible. The M.2 2280 NVMe slot is user replaceable across all five generations.

About Birmingham AV

We have sold over 87,000 items on eBay UK since 2017, with 24,756 buyer feedbacks at 98.9 percent positive. Every refurbished laptop ships with a twelve month warranty. Birmingham AV Ltd, Companies House 12383651, VAT GB 348755066, based in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. We are one of the highest volume refurbished PC operations on eBay UK.

By Micky Irons, CMO of Birmingham AV.