HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 vs HP ZBook Power G9 Comparison

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HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8

14 inches | December 2020

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HP ZBook Power G9

15.6 inches | May 2022

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HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 vs HP ZBook Power G9 Comparison Overview

HP ZBook Firefly 14...

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HP ZBook Power G9

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HP ZBook Firefly 14...

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HP ZBook Power G9

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In this review, we will be comparing ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9, two laptops by HP. HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 was introduced to market in December 2020 and HP ZBook Power G9 was launched in May 2022. There is 17 months difference between ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9 so it would still give an advantage to younger ZBook Power G9.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9 are members of HP's ZBook series of laptops. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

HP ZBook Series History

	Release Date	Screen Size	Dimensions	Weight
HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a	January 2025	14.0"	312.2 x 215.5 x 18.5 mm	1.5 kg (3.31 lbs)
HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11	March 2024	14.0"	315.47 x 223.52 x 19.3 mm	1.42 kg (3.13 lbs)
HP ZBook Fury 16 G11	March 2024	16.0"	363 x 250 x 27.7-28.6 mm	2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)
HP ZBook Firefly 16 G11	March 2024	16.0"	358.7 x 251 x 19.2 mm	1.79 kg (3.95 lbs)
HP ZBook Power 16 G11	March 2024	16.0"	359.4 x 251 x 22.9 mm	2.04 kg (4.5 lbs)
HP ZBook Firefly 16 G10	May 2023	16.0"	368.7 x 250.9 x 19.9 mm	1.72 kg (3.79 lbs)
HP ZBook Firefly 14 G10	May 2023	14.0"	315.6 x 224.3 x 19.9 mm	1.45 kg (3.2 lbs)
HP ZBook Power G10	March 2023	15.6"	359.4 x 233.9 x 22.8 mm	1.96 kg (4.32 lbs)

Here is a brief look at the main features of HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and HP ZBook Power G9 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 Key Specs

Launched in December 2020
14.0" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 1135G7
GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)
8GB Ram
323 x 214.6 x 17.9 mm (12.72 x 8.45 x 0.7 inches)
Weight: 1.35 kg (2.98 lbs)

HP ZBook Power G9 Key Specs

Launched in May 2022
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 12600H
GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)
16GB Ram
359.4 x 233.9 x 22.8 mm (14.15 x 9.21 x 0.9 inches)
Weight: 1.93 kg (4.26 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 over HP ZBook Power G9

Weight	1.35 kg vs 1.93 kg	0.58 kg lighter
Side Bezel Thickness	6.6 mm vs 11.7 mm	5.1 mm thinner bezels
Screen PPI	157 ppi vs 141 ppi	More pixels per inch
Max Brightness	1000 nits vs 400 nits	Brighter Screen
Number of USB-C Ports	2x USB 3.2 vs 1x USB 4.0	Connect more device at the same time

Reasons to choose HP ZBook Power G9 over HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~83.9% vs ~77.9%	Larger screen area ratio
Display Size	15.6 inches vs 14 inches	Larger Screen Estate
RAM Type	DDR5 vs DDR4	Faster RAM Type
RAM BUS	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Faster RAM
Bluetooth	v5.2 vs v5	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Number of USB-A Ports	3x USB 3.2 vs 2x USB 3.2	Connect more device at the same time
USB-C Port Type	v4.0 vs v3.2	Faster USB-C connection
HDMI Version	2.0 vs 1.4	Better HDMI connectivity
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs No	Connects to the local network via Ethernet RJ45
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
Numeric Pad	Yes vs No	Fast way to input numbers

Common Strengths of HP ZBook Power G9 and HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8

Screen Coating	Matte vs Matte	Less reflections on the screen
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6 vs v6E	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
Thunderbolt Port	v4 vs v4	Fast data and power transfer via Thunderbolt Port
HDMI Output	1x HDMI 1.4 vs 1x HDMI 1.4	Connect to External Displays via HDMI cable
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of HP ZBook Power G9 and HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8

Touchscreen Capability	No vs No	No Touchscreen Capability

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 vs HP ZBook Power G9: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and the HP ZBook Power G9.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.35 kg (2.98 lbs)	1.93 kg (4.26 lbs)
Surface Area	693 cm2 (107.5 inches2)	841 cm2 (130.3 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~77.9%	~83.9%
Side Bezel Thickness	~6.6 mm	~11.7 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.10 kg/inch	0.12 kg/inch
	0.22 lbs/inch	0.264 lbs/inch
Colors	Gray	Gray

Comparison of the HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and the HP ZBook Power G9 External Dimensions

Weight

ZBook Firefly 14 G8 weighs 1.35 kg (2.98 lbs), whereas the ZBook Power G9 weighs 1.93 kg (4.26 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 1.35 kg

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 1.42 kg

HP ZBook Power G9 1.93 kg

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 1.95 kg

Thickness Comparison

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 17.90 mm

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 17.12 mm

HP ZBook Power G9 22.80 mm

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 20.17 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 is 0.10 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the HP ZBook Power G9 is 0.12 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 vs HP ZBook Power G9: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i5 1135G7 Intel Core i5 1145G7 Intel Core i7 1165G7 Intel Core i7 1185G7	Intel Core i5 12600H Intel Core i9 12900HK
Base Frequency	0.9-2.4 GHz	2.7 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.2 GHz	4.5 GHz
Number of Cores	4	12
Number of Threads	8	16
L3 Cache	8 MB	18 MB
Integrated GPU	Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EU	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (80EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1324	1637
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	4633	8382
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1355	1775
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	5087	13832

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and HP ZBook Power G9.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 1135G7

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 12600H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)
Base Clock Frequency	300 MHz	300 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1100 MHz	1100 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	15 W	15 W
Type	Integrated	Integrated
FLOPS	1,408 GFLOPS	1,408 GFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Type	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Bus	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Speed	System Shared	System Shared
Shading Units Cores	640	640
TMUs	40	40
ROPs	20	20

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 has a FLOPS value of 1.41 TFLOPS whereas the HP ZBook Power G9 ' has a FLOPS value of 1.41 TFLOPS.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB	16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	1x8 GB	2x8 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	4800 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	DDR5
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Max RAM Size	64 GB	64 GB
Total Slots	2	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

The ZBook Power G9 provides a larger RAM capacity of 16 GB, which allows for smoother multitasking and improved performance in memory-demanding tasks compared to the ZBook Firefly 14 G8's RAM capacity of 8 GB.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8	HP ZBook Power G9
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✔ Good performance.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	53 Wh	83 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Right	Right
Charge Power	45 / 65 W	120 / 150 W
Voltage	11.55 V
Cable Length	1 meters
AC Adapter Weight	300 gramm

On the other hand, the ZBook Power G9 features a higher battery capacity of 83 Wh, delivering longer usage time compared to the ZBook Firefly 14 G8's 53 Wh.

Battery Comparison

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 53 Wh

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 55.79 Wh

HP ZBook Power G9 83 Wh

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 62.1 Wh

STORAGE
The ZBook Power G9 offers a larger max storage capacity of 8 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the ZBook Firefly 14 G8's storage capacity of 2 TB.

Storage Options	128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, 8 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Total Slots	1	2
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 vs HP ZBook Power G9: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and HP ZBook Power G9 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. ZBook Firefly 14 G8 has a display size of 14.0".On the other hand, ZBook Power G9 has a larger15.6" display.The total usable screen area of the ZBook Firefly 14 G8 is 540cm² / 84inch² whereas the ZBook Power G9's total usable screen area is 706cm² / 109inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the ZBook Firefly 14 G8 features a higher pixel density with 157 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 157 PPI

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 173 PPI

HP ZBook Power G9 141 PPI

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 144 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9 offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Brightness
The ZBook Firefly 14 G8 offers a higher maximum brightness of 1000 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 1000 nits

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 383 nits

HP ZBook Power G9 400 nits

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 319 nits

HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 vs HP ZBook Power G9 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
ZBook Power G9 features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v6E, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to ZBook Firefly 14 G8 (v6).

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9 have USB-A ports. ZBook Firefly 14 G8 has 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports, while ZBook Power G9 has 3x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9 have USB Type-C ports. ZBook Firefly 14 G8 has 2x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports, while ZBook Power G9 has 1x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Both ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9 are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports.

HDMI
Both ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9 feature an HDMI port. ZBook Firefly 14 G8 offers 1x HDMI 1.4, while ZBook Power G9 offers 1x HDMI 2.0.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
ZBook Power G9 is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. ZBook Firefly 14 G8 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both ZBook Firefly 14 G8 and ZBook Power G9 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6	v6E
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5	v5.2
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	3x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	2x USB 3.2	1x USB 4.0
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 1.4	1x HDMI 2.0
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Optional	Optional
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	Yes
SD CardReader	No	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes