HP just blurred the line between boring business laptop and performance powerhouse. The company's new ZBook Ultra G1a workstation packs AMD's high-end Strix Halo APU - the same Ryzen AI Max chip that powers gaming rigs - into a subdued gray chassis aimed at enterprise buyers. But with Thunderbolt 4 ports (a rarity on AMD machines), generous RAM, and an OLED display, this 'sleeper laptop' might attract enthusiasts willing to overlook its corporate camouflage.
HP doesn't usually make headlines with its enterprise laptops, but the ZBook Ultra G1a is different. This isn't another cookie-cutter ThinkPad competitor destined for IT department bulk orders. Under that plain gray lid sits AMD's Strix Halo APU - the Ryzen AI Max series that's been turning heads in gaming laptops and experimental desktop builds.
The specs tell the real story. The Verge's Antonio G. Di Benedetto got his hands on a review unit and immediately noticed what sets it apart from typical corporate workstations. The AMD Ryzen AI Max chip delivers serious compute power, while the OLED display brings visual quality that rivals consumer flagships. Then there's the Thunderbolt 4 ports - a feature AMD laptops rarely get due to Intel's long-standing grip on the standard.
That last detail matters more than it might seem. Thunderbolt 4 on an AMD machine signals HP's commitment to making this workstation genuinely versatile. Enterprise users get fast external storage and docking station compatibility, while power users get the bandwidth needed for external GPUs or high-resolution displays. It's the kind of flexibility that makes a business laptop appealing beyond the conference room.
Di Benedetto draws comparisons to two other Strix Halo machines he's tested - the Asus ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablet and Framework's Desktop system. Both confirmed that AMD's high-end Ryzen AI Max chips deliver performance that competes with discrete GPU setups in certain workloads. The ZBook Ultra G1a channels that same silicon into a form factor that won't raise eyebrows in a corporate environment.
