HP put a mini PC inside a keyboard, and I love it — a Windows-based approach to the Raspberry Pi 500 with self-repairable parts

Much of what you'll see at CES 2026 will be iterative upgrades to the same technology you're used to. Laptops receive generational performance gains, and monitor resolution continues to increase, which generally only interests the kinds of people who are growing tired of whatever's on their desk. Thankfully, HP brought something genuinely interesting to Las Vegas this year — the EliteBoard G1a.

I know it looks like a keyboard, but it's actually a mini PC with a choice of AMD's Ryzen AI 300 PRO mobile processors inside. That includes an NPU rated for up to 50 TOPS, which classifies the EliteBoard G1a as a Copilot+ PC. Of course, it still is a functional keyboard on the outside, but its primary intention is to replace AIO PCs and help prevent limitations of screen sizes. If you ever saw the Raspberry Pi 500, it's like that.

HP calls it "the first and only AI keyboard PC," and part of its inspiration was noticing how many hybrid workers were constantly working from laptops with their lids closed, switching instead to an external monitor. If those high-end displays are permanent fixtures, then why not put the "PC" part into something more convenient than a full-size laptop and keep the video-out? It's a great idea, but it gets even better when you see how much thought went into this.

An upgradeable and serviceable AI PC

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It's essentially the same keyboard experience as HP's EliteBook laptop range, though we're told the key travel has been "tuned for the desktop space," which I think is fair to assume means a deeper typing experience. You get a number pad, too, if you're into that kind of thing — and our advice on the best laptops with numpads strongly hints that many of you are.

But we all know what a keyboard is, so let's talk about the components inside this curious PC-in-disguise. By far, the best news about the EliteBoard G1a is the fact that it's using standard parts that you'd find in most upgradeable laptops. That includes DDR5 SODIMM RAM for memory and M.2 NVMe solid-state drives for storage.

The rest of the board is serviceable with a top-down design for the spill-resistant keyboard portion that users can replace "in ten minutes" and a removable bottom panel that gives easy access to the cooling fan and its various PC components. Other valued extras, like an optional fingerprint reader, depend on the HP EliteBoard G1a "Next Gen AI PC" you choose — of which, there are two.

Both EliteBoard G1a models are similar and almost identical at a glance. However, one has a permanently fixed USB-C cable while the other is detachable.

The former gives you an extra USB4 port to compensate, but both variants support up to four 4K monitors running at 60Hz — an ambitious spec sheet for what looks like a regular keyboard.

Its remaining multi-option component categories, such as wireless networking standards and storage capacity, will be configurable in HP's online store.

Of particular note is the configurable battery, which gives the EliteBoard more flexibility if you just need to hook it up to a monitor for a few hours, as HP claims around 3.5 hours of use on a full charge.

A battery-powered mini PC built into a rugged but slick keyboard that replaces your laptop during daily commutes to the office? I'm into it. The EliteBoard G1a reminds me of my beloved HP Envy Move — an AIO PC with a battery — in that it dares to do something different without resorting to gimmicks. It's a well-deserved winner of the CES Innovation Award, and I can't wait to try it.

What do you think of the HP EliteBoard? Is it innovative or gimmicky? Would you ever use it at work or even as a permanent home PC? Let me know!

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