Analyst(s): Olivier Blanchard
Publication Date: April 1, 2025
HP has announced the EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i at its Amplify event. It features a unique built-in KVM switch that allows users to operate external laptops using the system’s display and peripherals. Available in 24—and 27-inch models, the system includes Intel Core Ultra processors, optional discrete NVIDIA GPUs, a QHD touch panel, presence-aware security, and a simplified single-cord setup.
What is Covered in this Article:
- Launch of the HP EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i with integrated KVM switch
- Hardware specifications include Intel Core Ultra CPUs, optional discrete GPU, and dual SSD slots
- AI-driven privacy and productivity features, including presence detection and screen blur
- Positioning for hybrid work, desk sharing, and business deployment scenarios
- Physical design elements for simplified deployment and user convenience
The News: At its 2025 Amplify event, HP unveiled the EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i, an all-in-one desktop PC available in both 24-inch and 27-inch screen sizes. One standout feature is the built-in KVM switch, allowing users to connect a laptop via Thunderbolt 4 and control it directly through the AiO’s display, keyboard, mouse, webcam, and audio – streamlining use in offices where employees bring their own laptops but rely on shared workstations.
The EliteStudio 8 is powered by Intel’s Core Ultra 5, 7, or 9 processor, which delivers up to 13 TOPS on the NPU. Buyers can also opt for discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5000 Ti graphics, supporting up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM. Storage options include dual M.2 SSD slots, allowing a maximum of 4TB. Other key features include a 5MP pop-up webcam with IR support for Windows Hello and presence detection, Poly Camera Pro software, and down-firing stereo speakers.
HP Introduces EliteStudio 8 AiO With Built-in KVM for Business Flexibility
Analyst Take: The EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i reinforces HP’s focus on functional innovation across its business desktop range of products. Most notably, while many recent PC announcements have focused on AI and portability (think Copilot+ notebook PCs), HP’s addition of a native KVM switch to an all-in-one device takes a different tack: It addresses different use cases and focuses on different layers of utility, targeting office setups where shared workspaces, clean desk policies, or bring-your-own-device (BYOD) practices are prevalent. While hybrid work very much remains a focus for device OEMs, especially those who operate in commercial and enterprise environments, this type of desktop PC also serves the needs of organizations working to bring at least a portion of their workforce back to the office, while also being flexible enough to serve the needs of hybrid environments.
KVM Integration Simplifies Device Switching
One of the most obvious features right out of the box is the built-in KVM switch, which allows users to plug in a laptop via Thunderbolt 4 and use the AiO’s integrated display, webcam, keyboard, mouse, and speakers to operate it directly. This, of course, eliminates the need to connect separate input devices or manage multi-port dongles.
This design provides a clear functional advantage for shared office spaces and hybrid work setups where laptops are common, but fixed hardware offers better ergonomics and/or screen real estate. The Thunderbolt 4 port also delivers 100W of power, ensuring charging during use. This makes the EliteStudio 8 particularly well-suited for hotdesking or hybrid teams where ergonomic consistency and minimal setup time are priorities.
Performance Configuration and Expandability Options
The EliteStudio 8 is available with Intel’s latest 15th-gen Core Ultra 5, 7, and 9 processors, each featuring a 13 TOPS-capable NPU. Graphics configurations can include optional NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ti discrete GPUs. Memory support includes up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 SDRAM via two user-accessible SODIMM slots. Storage is provided via two M.2 SSD slots supporting up to 4TB total capacity. These specs provide scalability for business users that require high performance, whether for data-heavy applications or multitasking workflows.
The 13 TOPS NPU falls short of the 40 TOPS minimum required for Microsoft Copilot+ PCs, meaning the system won’t support on-device Copilot+ features. This potentially limits its long-term AI readiness, but the IT bet here is likely that, because many organizations still consider Copilot features unnecessary for the vast majority of general use cases, EliteStudio 8 PCs will find enough sockets to meet IT needs without thinking of them as some kind of compromise. To this point, Copilot features and other on-device agentic AI features have, at least thus far, failed to materialize at a scale worthy of making Copilot+ PCs indispensable to the entire organization.
Furthermore, as many advanced agentic AI features remain primarily cloud-based, most users will not feel hindered by the system’s “limited” 13 TOPS on the NPU (at least not yet). Additionally, because this is a desktop configuration and therefore doesn’t need to worry about optimizing battery life for AI, much of the on-device AI processing power users might need can be addressed with a simple GPU upgrade. In summary, this type of desktop PC configuration should address the needs of their users without falling short of AI performance, despite having seemingly weaker specs on paper than Copilot+ PCs.
Integrated AI Features Enhance Security and User Awareness
Case in point about the selective application of AI capabilities: HP embedded multiple AI-driven tools into the system’s hardware and software, like the 5MP pop-up webcam, which supports Windows Hello with IR and integrates sensors for human presence detection. Features like HP Lock and Awake automatically lock the system when the user steps away and re-authenticates upon returning. Additional security is provided through screen-blur functionality when shoulder surfers are detected (a clever AI feature designed to reduce visual data breaches that also eliminates the need for unsightly clip-on screen filters). The camera can also be manually recessed into the chassis when not in use for added privacy, and the bundled Poly Camera Pro software supports further configuration, including virtual backgrounds and multi-camera setups.
With additional customization through Poly Camera Pro, including virtual backgrounds and multi-camera support, the EliteStudio 8’s AI stack positions it as a no-nonsense, productivity-focused device with handy built-in security features. While limited Copilot+ compatibility may restrict broader AI ecosystem integration, it seems like a solid system for its intended use and a good transitional desktop PC for most organizations working on AI PC integration across complex cross-sections of user tiers.
What to Watch:
- The success of the KVM feature depends on customer understanding and use-case clarity
- Competing vendors may respond with similar integrations or Copilot+-enabled models
- Market traction may depend on demand from enterprise environments with BYOD policies, but pricing will be especially critical to the product’s positioning in the broader context of an AI PC refresh cycle that doesn’t have to focus exclusively on Copilot+ notebook PCs
- HP may face challenges positioning the EliteStudio 8 against Copilot+-branded devices due to its 13 TOPS NPU, which falls below Microsoft’s AI PC threshold, but Cloud-based agentic and generative AI solutions and GPU upgrades could make up for the NPU’s relatively low TOPS performance
See the complete press release on the launch of HP’s EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i on the HP website.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
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Author Information
Research Director Olivier Blanchard covers edge semiconductors and intelligent AI-capable devices for Futurum. In addition to having co-authored several books about digital transformation and AI with Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman, Blanchard brings considerable experience demystifying new and emerging technologies, advising clients on how best to future-proof their organizations, and helping maximize the positive impacts of technology disruption while mitigating their potentially negative effects. Follow his extended analysis on X and LinkedIn.
