HP Spectre x360 14 overview: Protecting the Dwelling windows 2-in-1 dream alive
At a take into accounts
Expert’s Ranking
Professionals
- Elegant, versatile 2-in-1 attach
- Stunning, responsive touchpad
- Unbiased OLED touchscreen
- Improbable webcam with biometric attach
Cons
- Keyboard is expansive, but key in actuality feel will be improved
- Restricted physical connectivity
- Efficiency most efficient excels in explicit “Efficiency” profile
Our Verdict
The HP Spectre x360 14 is a gentle-weight, versatile, and satisfying Dwelling windows 2-in-1 that’s colossal for touchscreen superfans.
Tag When Reviewed
$1,819.99
Easiest Costs Nowadays: HP Spectre x360
$1819.99
Let’s face it: the shine rubbed off Dwelling windows 2-in-1s a truly very long time within the past. As soon as, it used to be notion that stunning, sleek, and light-weight touchscreen PCs might well maybe maybe additionally fuse laptops and capsules to carry out both mature within the job, but on the fresh time many purchasers—and laptop producers—enjoy refocused on larger, more extremely efficient machines.
However the dream of a single, attain-it-all tool isn’t entirely abandoned. The HP Spectre x360 14-traipse is a dazzling and slim 2-in-1 that’s portable ample to spend in any challenge. It’s a colossal need for frequent fliers and industry vacationers, although Dwelling windows’ weak touchscreen woes dwell a downside.
Purchasing for more suggestions? Own a examine PCWorld’s roundup of the most efficient laptops accessible lawful now.
HP Spectre x360 14: Specs and suggestions
The HP Spectre x360 14’s specifications are impressive for a 14-traipse 2-in-1 tool. It has Intel’s Core Ultra 155H 16-core processor, 32GB of reminiscence, a 2TB valid tell pressure, and a 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen. All of those specifications are upgrades from the snide mannequin, but HP’s upgrade pricing is inexpensive.
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
- Memory: 32GB LPDDR5
- Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc integrated
- Present: 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen up to 120Hz
- Storage: 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4 valid tell pressure
- Webcam: 4K webcam
- Connectivity: 2x USB Model-C, 1x USB Model-A, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack
- Networking: Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.4
- Biometrics: Dwelling windows Howdy facial recognition, fingerprint reader
- Battery capability: 68 watt-hour
- Dimensions: 12.35 x 8.68 x 0.67 inches
- Weight: 3.19 pounds
- MSRP: $1,449.99 to originate, $1,819.99 as examined
That’s no longer all. The Spectre x360 14 also has a 4K webcam with an IR reader for facial recognition login, a fingerprint reader, optionally accessible Wi-Fi 7 make stronger, and an incorporated rechargeable crammed with life stylus. These suggestions add up to an costly yet reasonable $1,819.99 MSRP which, on the time of this overview, used to be discounted to $1,519.99.
HP Spectre x360 14: Plan and attach quality
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
I was today passionate about the HP Spectre x360 14. Now no longer on legend of it’s different, or progressive, but on legend of HP bothers to earn the uninteresting things lawful.
That begins with the quality of the materials extinct. The Spectre x360 14 uses metal for the greater and decrease physique, as well to the hinges. That’s no longer weird and wonderful for a 2-in-1 above $1,000, however the explicit texture and luster HP picked stands out. It appears to be like to be sleek and up to date but, when handled, has simply ample grip and texture to in actuality feel satisfying and bright. The chassis isn’t unibody, that diagram it has a detachable bottom panel, but it feels nearly as inflexible as 2-in-1s that trot that route.
The attach also advantages from consideration to detail. The Spectre x360 has a stern, authentic peer, however the edges of the tool are smoothed to defend them from pressing into your palms and fingers. That’s predominant for a tool supposed to be extinct like a tablet. The 360-hinge attach also works flawlessly. It presents ample stress to defend the show at a desired angle, yet stays aloof when folding the tool from laptop to tablet mode, or vice-versa.
That’s no longer to deliver it’s supreme, and the usual compromises are required. As its title implies, the Spectre x360 14 has a 14-traipse show, so it’s noteworthy larger than even the greatest iPad Pro. It also weighs 3.19 pounds, which is quite a bit of heft to maneuver alongside with your fingertips. The Spectre x360 is usable as a tablet for short periods of time, or when resting on your lap or knees, but it’s no longer colossal should always you desire a tablet for bid-taking, to be taught books or paperwork, or to spend while reclining.
HP faces stiff competition from choices like the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14, which also delivers skinny, light, and stunning attach. I judge HP stays a step on the lend a hand of Lenovo but, pointless to bid, that’s arena to taste. The Lenovo Yoga 9i strikes a more luxurious and orderly profile, while the Spectre x360 14 is more authentic and stressful. And while the HP doesn’t beat the Lenovo, it’s an obvious upgrade over more inexpensive 2-in-1s just like the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED.
HP Spectre x360 14: Keyboard, trackpad
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
I ask, alternatively, that the Spectre x360 14 will be extinct as a laptop far more usually than a tablet. Fortunately, HP’s brilliant attach extends to the keyboard and touchpad.
The keyboard occupies a big fragment of the 2-in-1’s width, even though it does sacrifice about a millimeters to upwards-firing audio system on each and every aspect. Despite that, the keyboard has a expansive format and most keys are huge. The left-aspect Shift, Caps, and Tab keys are shaved down a piece, but no longer so noteworthy I found it noticeable. There’s also quite a bit of save below the keyboard, so my palms weren’t left dangling in mid-air.
Key hump is legitimate despite the slim profile and each and every key ends its movement with a definitive tactile movement. Nonetheless, I judge HP skipped over the designate on the plastic extinct for essentially the most predominant caps. It feels skinny and takes away from the in another case luxurious attach. That’s a disgrace, on legend of the keyboard is the section of the tool most usually touched.
The touchpad is one other highlight. It’s huge for a 14-traipse laptop at five and a half of inches broad by three and a quarter inches deep. There’s barely any save leftover to broaden its depth and making it any wider would’ve left my palms sitting wholly for the length of the touchpad floor, which is able to outcome in undesirable mouse clicks. The touchpad is responsive and its size supplies colossal room for activating Dwelling windows’ most complex multi-contact gestures.
HP Spectre x360 14: Present, audio
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
Each and every 2024 HP Spectre x360 14-traipse has a 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen with a maximum refresh price of 120Hz. It’s searching show with smartly to attach colours, great difference, lawful movement readability, and crisp sharpness.
The draw back is brightness, which isn’t as excessive as some IPS shows and, alongside with the gleaming show develop, can on occasion carry out the show exhausting to spend in a gleaming room (or exterior). But that’s soon forgiven when staring at a show on Netflix, taking half in a PC game, or editing a photo. Media repeatedly appears to be like inconceivable.
It’s also a touchscreen, and the particulars of HP’s attach carry out it clear-cut to spend. The 2-in-1 is sufficiently small that the conceal stays interior clear-cut reach while typing, and the 360 hinge permits for “tent mode,” which rotates the keyboard on the lend a hand of the show and effectively makes it a kickstand. The incorporated crammed with life stylus is a great bonus, too, and makes for quick, clear-cut bid-taking. The stylus is thick—more like a marker than a pen, in actuality. I net this chuffed, but folk with smaller fingers might well maybe maybe disagree.
Whereas the OLED touchscreen is inconceivable, it’s also shared with many opponents. Many laptops now offer this right show panel, which is produced by Samsung, with and with out a touchscreen. And some opponents, just like the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED, are noteworthy less costly.
The Spectre x360 14’s impressive visuals are matched with robust audio from the upwards-facing audio system. They’re positive, crisp, and loud at maximum quantity, but most efficient change into muddy in essentially the most bass-heavy song and movement sequences. Lenovo’s Yoga 9i has HP beat here, but that competitor ranks among the supreme audio accessible on Dwelling windows 2-in-1. The Spectre’s audio system are smartly above common.
HP Spectre x360 14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics
The HP Spectre x360 14’s webcam goes above and beyond with full 4K resolution at up to 30 frames per 2d. That’s a in actuality excessive resolution for a laptop or 2-in-1 webcam and it predictably outcomes in a difficult, stunning portray. Exposure is handled smartly, too, and colours peer saturated. In short, it’s an ultimate webcam.
The dual microphone array is speed-of-the-mill but does the job. My explain came through clearly even when I spoke softly and essentially the obvious, repetitive background noise used to be rejected. The microphone can sound tinny, hollow, or distant, so I wouldn’t point out it for podcasting or different more stressful audio recording wants, but it’s colossal for Zoom.
Dwelling windows Howdy biometric login is supported through a fingerprint reader on the vitality button, which is located on the keyboard, and facial recognition through the incorporated IR digicam. I repeatedly prefer facial recognition when it’s accessible, because it’s sooner and more decent than any fingerprint reader I’ve encountered. Unruffled, it’s good to enjoy suggestions. Many aggressive laptops enjoy both an IR digicam or a fingerprint reader, but few enjoy both.
HP Spectre x360 14: Connectivity
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
Thin attach usually leads to a skinny series of ports, and the HP Spectre x360 14 suffers this fate. It has lawful two USB-C ports, both with DisplayPort and Energy Provide, and one USB-A port. There’s also a 3.5mm combo audio jack. It’s lawful to peer that USB-A is on the least accessible, however the combined lack of Ethernet, HDMI, and an SD card reader in actuality narrows the suggestions. I judge most dwelling owners will should always put money into a USB-C hub or dock.
Whereas the port option is mediocre, HP does enjoy a trick up its sleeve. The 3.5mm combo audio jack and one USB-C port are placed on the far left and lawful rear corner of the 2-in-1, respectively, and the corner sits at an angle. That makes the ports clear-cut to entry from both the rear and aspect of the 2-in-1 and makes it less seemingly that the ports will earn within the draw of your fingers when using the Spectre x360 14 as a tablet. It’s an weird and wonderful need, but a trim one.
The 2-in-1’s wired connectivity is joined by long-established Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. An optionally accessible Wi-Fi 7 upgrade, which also entails Bluetooth 5.4, is accessible (although the mannequin I examined didn’t embody it). I judge Wi-Fi 7 wants to be long-established, but its absence is a minor point, as few folk yet cling a Wi-Fi 7 router.
HP Spectre x360 14: Efficiency
The entry-level HP Spectre x360 14 ships with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor, however the mannequin I examined had the upgrade to Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H. It also had 32GB of soldered LPDDR5 reminiscence and a 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 valid tell pressure. It delivered valid performance, although the 2-in-1’s thermal and vitality limits can restrict its capability.
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
We originate off with PCMark 10, the save the HP Spectre x360 delivers a resounding earn of 5,721. That’s greater than many older, the same units, and it defeats last year’s Intel Core i7-1360P, which found its draw into many Dwelling windows 2-in-1s.
Nonetheless, the Spectre x360 14 lands lawful a smidge on the lend a hand of the Asus Zenbook UM3402 with AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, and very much on the lend a hand of the Acer Swift Hump 14 with Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. The Swift Hump 14 is a thicker, less costly laptop.
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
Next up is Cinebench R20, a closely multi-threaded, short-length processor benchmark. Here the HP Spectre x360 14 over again performs critically greater than older 2-in-1 units, but it might well maybe maybe’t defend up with thicker mid-differ laptops just like the Asus Zenbook UM3402 and Acer Swift Hump 14.
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
Handbrake, an extended-length processor benchmark, (largely) tells a the same legend. Here the HP Spectre x360 14 does beat the AMD-powered Asus Zenbook UM3402, but it’s draw on the lend a hand of the Acer Swift Hump 14, despite the truth they both enjoy an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor.
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
The Intel Core Ultra 7155H entails Intel Arc graphics with eight Xe Cores. It delivers a big upgrade over the Intel Xe integrated graphics point out in prior Intel Core processors. The Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED most efficient scored 1,617 in this take a look at, while the HP Spectre x360 14 ratings 2,776.
Intel Arc integrated graphics gathered has limits, pointless to bid, and might well maybe maybe additionally usually hump far on the lend a hand of entry-level consumer graphics, corresponding to Nvidia’s RTX 4050. Unruffled, here is a meaningful boost that ought to carry out it imaginable to play many older 3D video games ported to the PC from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Your total performance outcomes reported above were obtained within the Spectre x360 14’s default “Neat Sense” vitality profile, which is supposed to balance performance and thermals. But HP also supplies a “Efficiency” profile for enhanced performance, and it delivers the merchandise. The 2-in-1’s Cinebench R20 earn elevated from 3,690 to 5,412; 3DMark Time Gape elevated from 2,776 to three,735. That’s a big carry out that more than makes up the opening between the HP Spectre x360 14 and the Acer Swift Hump 14. Despite this carry out larger, the Efficiency mode is no longer any longer irritating. Fan noise is elevated, and the 2-in-1 turns into sizzling, but I’ve reviewed quite a bit of laptops that were louder and hotter of their default performance mode.
Given this outcome, I judge HP should always tweak the “Neat Sense” to more aggressively push performance in apps that require it. I feel about many dwelling owners will by no diagram alternate this setting, or might well maybe maybe additionally alternate it lend a hand and forth most efficient each and every so continuously. Unfortunately, forgetting to spend the lawful performance mode for the job leaves quite a bit of performance off the desk.
Unruffled, the performance is there should always you know the save to peer, and it’s impressive for a 2-in-1 of this size. The HP Spectre x360 14 has its limits, but it’s in a position to labor smartly beyond web-browsing and doc editing. 1080p video editing, digital art work, and older 3D video games are all smartly interior sight.
HP Spectre x360 14: Battery existence
The HP Spectre x360 14 ships with a 68 watt-hour battery. That’s a healthy capability for a 14-traipse 2-in-1, but up to date processors can bid rather vitality-hungry. These conflicting forces balance each and every different out.
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
IDG / Matthew Smith
I recorded over 11 hours of battery existence in our long-established battery take a look at, which loops a 4K trailer of the short movie Tears of Metal. That’s an unexceptional but sold outcome for a up to date 2-in-1 and, importantly, it wants to be ample to present most users a full workday away from a charger—so long as essentially the most stressful capabilities are accomplished without, on the least.
The Spectre also advantages from USB Energy Provide and rather low vitality draw. The incorporated charger is small, and most third-birthday celebration USB-C chargers intended for laptops might well maybe enjoy quite a bit of juice to price this 2-in-1. That improves portability, as there’s no should always pack a charger explicit to the 2-in-1.
HP Spectre x360 14: Conclusion
HP’s Spectre x360 14 is a colossal option should always you desire a 14-traipse Dwelling windows 2-in-1 and notion to carry out full spend of its 2-in-1 versatility. It’s skinny, light, portable, smartly-constructed, and ships with a ancient touchscreen and crammed with life stylus. The Spectre x360 also advantages from searching OLED show, robust performance, and a huge touchpad, and a top-tier webcam. It’s no longer cheap and has about a downsides, like restricted connectivity and a merely lawful keyboard, but it’s on-target for purchasers who gathered are searching to are residing the Dwelling windows 2-in-1 dream.
