HP's keyboard PC is back with AMD's Ryzen AI 400 chip, a 32Wh battery option, and a $3,000-plus price

[DragonSlayer101]

What just happened? HP has launched the EliteBoard G2a, its second-generation keyboard PC, which packs a fully functional computer into a standard 14-inch keyboard chassis. It succeeds the EliteBoard G1a, the original keyboard PC that the company unveiled at CES 2026 in January. The new model features a more powerful processor but costs nearly twice as much as its predecessor, which started at just over $1,500.

The EliteBoard G2a is powered by AMD's Ryzen AI Pro 400-series "Gorgon Point" processors, an upgrade over the Ryzen AI 300-series chips in the G1a. It supports up to two 32GB DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM modules, for a total of 64GB of system memory, and can be configured with up to 2TB of M.2 NVMe SSD storage, with support for PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds.

The base model features the Ryzen AI 5 Pro 435, with six cores (2x Zen 5 and 4x Zen 5c), 12 threads, and Radeon 840M graphics. A more premium configuration uses the Ryzen AI 7 Pro 450, with eight cores (4x Zen 5 and 4x Zen 5c), 16 threads, and a Radeon 860M integrated GPU. Both processors feature the same dedicated NPU, capable of delivering 50 TOPS of AI performance.

Wired connectivity is limited to a 40Gbps USB4 port and a 10Gbps USB-C port, while wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. The device comes with a 65W USB-C power adapter, but buyers can also opt for a 32Wh internal battery, allowing them to use the keyboard PC on the go without needing to keep it plugged into a wall outlet.

Despite its powerful hardware, the G2a has a relatively small footprint, measuring 358.1 × 118.7 × 17.9 mm. It weighs just 670 grams, which is impressive for a full-fledged PC. The keyboard features backlit keys, built-in microphones, and stereo speakers. It is available with either an attached or detachable USB-C cable and can connect to compatible monitors via USB4.

The G2a looks promising on paper, but its ambitious price tag will likely make it a niche product rather than a mainstream alternative to traditional laptops and desktops. In the US, the base model, featuring the Ryzen AI 5 Pro 435, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, starts at $3,028. Meanwhile, the top-end model, equipped with the Ryzen AI 7 Pro 450, 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, starts at a whopping $4,167.

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HP's keyboard PC is back with AMD's Ryzen AI 400 chip, a 32Wh battery option, and a $3,000-plus price

 

[Dreadcthulhu]

That whole form factor does not make sense, even if it was cheaper. People beat the crud out of keyboards, and are especially used to treating separate keyboards as almost disposable. Mini-PC strapped to the back of a monitor makes far more sense for any corporate machine than this. And before anyone mentions laptops - people are used to treating those somewhat better, and in a corporate environment it is still a good idea to give laptop users a dock and external keyboard/mouse for working with, to keep the expensive stuff away from coffee spills.

 

[SysOp84]

Whoever thought of this has never seen the keyboards of the folks I work with. Nasty, abused, biohazard, etc. I wonder who is actually buying these?

 

[Anton Longshot]

I've had MANY computers.
If I had one of these it would be the shttiest PC I ever had.
Makes me wonder who the 'target customers' are.
Morons perhaps?

Maybe the thing was designed by an AI hahaha.

 

[seeprime]

I'll sit back and wait for someone to spill a drink on it. I can't imagine HP engineering a product like that is capable of surviving a drenching or heavy use. Not HP. It's possibly a Chinese design that they, at HP, hope to make serious cash selling, while sitting back laughing.

 

[Axeia]

In the US, the base model, featuring the Ryzen AI 5 Pro 435, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, starts at $3,028.

HP EliteBook 6 G2a on NewEgg costs $1499.99.
Same CPU
Same amount of RAM
Half the storage, but also half the price...

Oh and you don't have to opt for a battery as that comes by default in laptops.

There really was someone at HP who was like "Let's make a laptop, but without a screen and touchpad and charge two times the price".
Going by a review of its predecessor it's not exactly a premium product either as the fan in that one got really loud.

 

[mbk34]

I got all the way to the end of the title of the article and then laughed at the price - it didn't seem worth reading further. It just seemed a ridiculous amount to pay for half a laptop.

 

[axiomatic13]

That whole form factor does not make sense, even if it was cheaper. People beat the crud out of keyboards, and are especially used to treating separate keyboards as almost disposable. Mini-PC strapped to the back of a monitor makes far more sense for any corporate machine than this. And before anyone mentions laptops - people are used to treating those somewhat better, and in a corporate environment it is still a good idea to give laptop users a dock and external keyboard/mouse for working with, to keep the expensive stuff away from coffee spills.

I don't like the form factor either. I don't have this device, but I bought a Raspberry Pi 4 with a keyboard case thinking that it would be handy in my server rack. It wasn't. It was always in the way. I have since extracted the Raspberry Pi and discarded the keyboard case.