HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2021, Core i5-1135G7, 32GB, 1TB SSD, Dark Gray

The HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 is a lightweight business laptop with a standout 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD at a reasonable USD 719. The CPU and display are weak spots, landing in the 24th and 21st percentiles respectively. It's a great value for office work and multitasking, but a poor choice for gaming or creative tasks. Buy it for the memory, storage, and portability, not the processing power.

The Core i5-1135G7 is a 4-core, 8-thread chip from Intel's Tiger Lake generation, running at a 2.4GHz base clock. In our database, this CPU sits at the 24th percentile compared to all laptops we track. That's not a typo. It's a weak spot, plain and simple. For everyday office work, web browsing, and light multitasking, you'll be fine. But throw heavy video editing or serious data crunching at it and you'll feel the ceiling pretty quickly.

The 32GB of RAM is the real story here. That's a lot of memory for a laptop in this class, and it lands in the 73rd percentile overall. Combined with the 1TB NVMe SSD at the 80th percentile for storage, you've got a machine that can keep a ton of apps and files open without breaking a sweat. The integrated Iris Xe graphics are about average, sitting at the 49th percentile. Fine for driving a second monitor or light photo work, but not built for 3D rendering or modern games. The 1080p display is where things get rough, landing at the 21st percentile for screen quality. It's a basic panel, and the scores reflect that.

The obvious comparison is the Apple MacBook Pro M5. Apple's silicon runs circles around the i5-1135G7 in both CPU and GPU performance, and the display quality isn't even in the same conversation. But you'll pay significantly more for that privilege, and you lose the Ethernet port and the easy RAM upgrade path. The MacBook is the better machine for creative work. The Firefly is the better value for office work.

The Lenovo Legion 5i and ASUS ROG Zephyrus are gaming laptops that happen to have business-friendly specs. They'll crush the Firefly in graphics performance, but they're heavier, louder, and often more expensive. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is a closer competitor in spirit, with better build quality and a nicer screen, but you'll typically get less RAM and storage for the same money. The Acer Predator Helios Neo is another gaming-focused option that makes the Firefly look underpowered, but again, portability and price tell a different story.

At USD 719 from the single US listing we track, this machine is priced like a mid-range consumer laptop but specced like a budget workstation. The 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD alone would cost you a decent chunk of change as upgrades on many competing models. When you factor in the Thunderbolt port and the full-size Ethernet jack, the value proposition gets even stronger for business users who need to dock at a desk.

That said, the weak CPU and mediocre display mean you're not getting a premium experience across the board. You're paying for memory, storage, and portability, not raw processing power or screen quality. If your workload is mostly browser tabs, spreadsheets, and remote desktop sessions, this is a lot of machine for the money. If you need to render video or run local AI models, you'll outgrow it fast.

The HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 is one of those machines that makes more sense the longer you look at it. On paper, it's a business laptop with a mid-range Intel Core i5-1135G7, integrated Iris Xe graphics, and a 14-inch 1080p display. Nothing flashy. But then you notice the 32GB of RAM and the 1TB NVMe SSD, and suddenly this thing starts looking like a sleeper pick for anyone who needs a portable workhorse without paying workstation prices.

HP positions the Firefly line as a mobile workstation for people who don't need the full-throttle ZBook Fury experience. This G8 model sits at the compact end of that spectrum, weighing in at 1.36kg. That's light enough to toss in a bag and forget about until you need it. The port selection backs up the workstation claim too: Thunderbolt, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.0, and even Ethernet. You won't need a dongle for your desk setup.

Who's this for? Based on our scoring, it's clearly aimed at the compact and business crowd. It scores 66.9 out of 100 for compact use, which puts it in the 84th percentile for that category. Students and general business users land around 56, which is fine but not exciting. And if you're thinking about gaming, don't. This thing scores 15.5 out of 100 for gaming, which is about as useful as a chocolate teapot for that purpose.

Gamers should skip this without a second thought. The gaming score of 15.5 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know. The integrated Iris Xe graphics and weak CPU simply can't handle modern titles at acceptable frame rates. If you want to game on a laptop, the Lenovo Legion 5i or Acer Predator Helios Neo are far better choices in a similar price bracket.

Creative professionals should also look elsewhere. The display at the 21st percentile means color accuracy and brightness are likely mediocre, which is a dealbreaker for photo or video work. The CPU will bottleneck rendering and export times. If you're in this camp, the Apple MacBook Pro M5 is the obvious upgrade path, though you'll pay more. Students who need a machine for general coursework might find better all-around options too, since the student score of 56.3 is nothing special.

If you're a business user who lives in Excel, Outlook, and a dozen browser tabs, the Firefly 14 G8 is a genuinely smart buy at this price. The 32GB of RAM means you can keep everything open without slowdowns, and the 1TB SSD means you won't be juggling files to free up space. The port selection is better than most ultrabooks, and the 1.36kg weight makes it easy to carry between meetings or on flights.

But if you're a student or a creative professional, look elsewhere. The display is too mediocre for photo or video work, and the CPU will frustrate you if you're compiling code or running demanding applications. The reliability score at the 33rd percentile is also worth considering if this is going to be your only machine. For the right buyer, this is a bargain. For everyone else, it's a compromise.