HP EliteBook Folio 9480m review

EliteBook Folio 9480m — an ultrabook-era business classic at ultra-budget price

The 2014 EliteBook Folio 9480m is HP's Haswell-era business ultrabook: an i5-4310U with 16 GB of RAM in a slim chassis. At $135 it sits far below the business-class median of $297. The scores need honest reading: a mainstream-tier graphics placing (45.85) that flatters the hardware, memory at 16 GB (60% below the class median of 40), and reliability at 18 against a 42.5 median.

What was good in 2014 still shows

The Folio line was HP's answer to the ThinkPad X1: a thin magnesium chassis, a good keyboard and business manageability in a sub-1.6 kg package. The i5-4310U handles office-class work without complaint, and 16 GB — modest against today's class median — was generous for its generation and remains workable for browsing and documents.

Reading the scores honestly

The graphics placing of 45.85 (top quarter of class) overstates reality: the part is an integrated HD 4400/5000-class GPU from 2014, and the placing reflects how undemanding business-class machines are on graphics, not any gaming capability — casual eSports-era titles at low settings are the honest ceiling. Reliability at 18 (−58%) flags a decade of service life; batteries and hinges on survivors are typically well-worn.

Price trajectory

From roughly $1,300 new to $135 today at 6.5% per year, projecting to $118 in two years (12.7% lower). The curve has flattened to near-scrap value; the remaining price is essentially the working screen and keyboard.

Where it sits against peers

Pricier neighbors are the Dell Latitude E7440 ($147) and E5440 ($147) — the direct ThinkPad-adjacent rivals of the era; cheaper options are the HP EliteBook 840 G1 ($120) and ProBook 4540s ($117). This band is all decade-old business machines; the 9480m's edge is the slimmer chassis versus the thicker 840 G1 at nearby prices.

Bottom line

A budget-friendly pick as a light-duty typing machine: the chassis quality survives the years better than the silicon. The graphics placing is cosmetic, the reliability reading is the real caveat, and the honest use case is documents and browsing for a user who values the keyboard. Anything heavier wants a newer platform.