First look: HP’s new all-in-one wonder PC — I wish I had this when I was in college

HP sent me a first-look engineering sample of its new EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i PC, which was just announced at the HP Amplify Conference.

All-in-one (AIO) Windows PCs are becoming increasingly popular thanks to people’s desire for a simple setup and because today’s hardware means less sacrifice in features and performance.

The EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i PC is available in 24—and 27-inch versions. It is a nearly do-it-all desktop PC with few tradeoffs if you are looking for a non-gaming computer.

Indeed, for the first time, an AIO PC features a built KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch, letting you connect your laptop via the Thunderbolt 4 port with 100W power delivery so others can utilize all its features.

That KVM differs from a simple “display input” ability, where you’d still need to use the laptop’s touchpad and keyboard. With KVM, your laptop becomes the brains of all EliteStudio’s hardware, including webcam, keyboard, and mouse. This lets you push the laptop to the side, which is great for those wanting cleaner setups or have a shared space.

HP EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i PC – What’s great about it?

HP threw a lot at the EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i PC, making it comparable to many full-desktop systems but with one single cord to do it all.

For the CPU, you can get a 15th-gen Intel Core Ultra 5/7/9 with a 13 TOPS NPU, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5000 Ti series GPU, standard 64GB of DDR5-5600 SDRAM (2 SODDIM slots, both user-upgradable), a solid 5MP RGB or 5MP HDR + IR with Windows Hello and presence detection, and two 5W down-firing speakers with Next Gen AI Noise Reduction.

At the center of the EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i is its display in a 23.8-inch (1920x1080) resolution or the superior 27-inch QHD (2560x1440), both with 250 nits of brightness, anti-glare, optional touch, and an odd, but welcomed 75Hz refresh rate.

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HP doesn’t skimp on ports, either, as the AIO features one Type-A 3.2 Gen 2, two Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, Thunderbolt 4 (100W PD and KVM NV docking support), DisplayPort 2.0, HDMI-Out 2.0, and RJ-45 networking all in the rear. On the bottom (downward facing), you get an additional Type-A 3.2 Gen 2, one Type-C USB 3.2 Gen, and a universal audio jack. That audio jack, which is smack in the middle, makes using wired headphones/microphones a breeze, as you don’t need to reach around the display to access it.

This AIO also has 2x M.2 SSD slots for up to 4TB of storage.

The 27-inch model I’m testing weighs a modest 17.2 lbs (7.8 kg), which makes it relatively easy to move around if necessary.

However, HP’s new “shared clutch” articulating stand is a feature reminiscent of Microsoft’s Surface Studio 2. It lets you adjust the display from normal (straight on) to a lowered-angle look, which is great for kiosk use or if you’re at a standing desk. The kickstand is very sturdy and works like a charm. It just glides and seemingly locks into place.

Poly Camera Pro and HP Lock and Awake with AI human presence detection

Another much-appreciated feature set comes with HP’s 5MP Poly Camera Pro software, camera, Windows Hello login, and HP Lock and Awake with AI human presence detection.

The camera is on the higher end of the built-in cams I’ve tried. Poly Camera Pro software lets you add additional cameras for easy integration. It also offers AI features like blurring your background, custom chyrons for web meetings, and all sorts of tweaks to get your camera how you like it.

HP Lock and Awake with AI human presence detection uses sensors in the camera housing to detect when you are in front of the computer and when you leave. When you leave, it auto locks, and when you come back in front of the computer, it’ll turn on and log you in with Windows Hello without touching a thing.

This PC can even sense if someone looks over your shoulder and at your screen. It’ll alert you and, optionally, auto-blur everything to prevent that. It worked like a charm.

The beauty of this technology is that you can push the camera into the chassis when not in use for ultimate privacy protection.

One cord, one wireless keyboard, and mouse

To make this AIO cleaner than most, HP built in the power supply into the chassis itself; there is just one AC cord with no external bricks to get in the way, making this a very clean and simple setup and installation.

HP’s included wireless mouse and keyboard aren’t too shabby, either. I like how the keyboard is more like a laptop’s, with dedicated keys to control screen brightness, lock the PC, launch settings, media controls, and mute your microphone.

I wish I had this PC in college

HP has been making some killer all-in-one PCs for the last few years (see our OmniStudio X 31.5 review, HP Envy Move review, HP ENVY 32 review, and my favorite, HP’s 5K ENVY 34 first look), and this new EliteStudio shows again just how innovative the company can be in this space.

While the EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i is primarily aimed at businesses and offices, anyone who works from home with a home office setup would also benefit from it, especially if the space is shared or you’re in video meetings all day (the EliteStudio excels at this).

You can also easily connect any laptop with Thunderbolt 4, leveraging all the built-in hardware of the EliteStudio 8.

And yeah, when I was in college, I would have killed to have something this compact, svelte, and minimalist in my dorm room. Luckily, there’s a whole new generation who can enjoy this convenience.

Pricing and exact availability for the EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i has not yet been announced, but I’ll update this article when we learn more. We’ll also do a full review when we get a non-engineering sample in our labs for testing (which is why HP didn’t want me to do any benchmarks for this first look).