HP Spectre x360 16 Review: Beautiful 2-in-1 Laptop Needs a Performance Boost

On the heels of the 14-inch HP Spectre x360 16 I reviewed earlier this 12 months is its bigger linemate, the Spectre x360 16. The two-in-one is simply as premium in design and options because the 14-inch however has a roomier, 16-inch show. Inside is similar Core Ultra 7 155H processor from Intel’s newest Meteor Lake sequence, too, however the dimension improve additionally comes with the choice for Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics, giving creators a bit extra oomph with demanding graphics apps. 

Given the strides Intel has made with its built-in Arc graphics mixed with HP setting the RTX 4050 at solely 55 watts, the efficiency bump from the Nvidia GPU is slighter than you may suppose. Your cash is perhaps higher spent on upgrading the bottom IPS LCD to the two.8K OLED show we examined. It’s spectacular. The audio system and webcam are additionally glorious, making the Spectre x360 16 a versatile machine for house and work use.

The Spectre x360 16 begins at $1,600 (and is usually discounted to $1,200) for a configuration with the Core Ultra 7 155H chip, 16GB of RAM, Intel Arc graphics, a 512GB SSD and a 2,560×1,600-pixel IPS contact show. Our check system options greater than $500 price of upgrades and rings in at $2,130 — and the identical $400 low cost applies to drop the value to $1,730. The two greatest upgrades are the RTX 4050 GPU for $240 and the two,880×1,800-pixel OLED show for $150. It additionally options two different upgrades which each add $70 to the invoice: doubling the storage to a 1TB SSD and buying and selling Windows 11 Home for Pro.

A mannequin almost similar to our check system prices £2,099 within the UK. The Spectre x360 16 will not be accessible with a Core Ultra half in Australia, however yow will discover Thirteenth-gen Intel fashions beginning AU$2,499. 

Spectre x360 16 efficiency 

The Spectre x360 16 received off to a sluggish begin in lab testing with a middling outcome on Geekbench 6 and a lackluster rating on PCMark 10. That it completed behind the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 with a Thirteenth-gen Core i5 U-series chip, specifically, is each shocking and disappointing. It additionally did poorly on Cinebench, a check that stresses the CPU. It completed behind the equally configured Spectre x360 14 on all three of those checks, which raises the query of whether or not you would be higher off doubling the RAM to 32GB as you get with the 14-inch mannequin slightly than upgrading the Intel Arc graphics to RTX 4050. (Scroll to the tip of the evaluate to see the outcomes of our testing.)

The 16-inch mannequin’s RTX 4050 GPU did give it a clear edge over the Spectre x360 14 when it comes to 3D efficiency. The Spectre x360 16 considerably outperformed the smaller mannequin on our 3DMark checks, and it produced higher body charges on our gaming checks that had been greater than double the efficiency of the Spectre x360 14 which depends on Intel Arc graphics (although this isn’t designed to be a gaming system). 

The 16-inch mannequin averaged 71 frames per second on Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p, whereas the 14-inch mannequin managed solely 31fps. Similarly, the 16-inch mannequin’s rating of 161fps on The Riftbreaker GPU check was greater than double the 70fps of the 14-inch mannequin. Meanwhile, the 14-inch mannequin was unable to finish our Guardians of the Galaxy benchmark at 1080p with high quality settings at High, and the Spectre x360 16 averaged a playable 85fps.

The Spectre x360 16 could have the sting over the 14-inch mannequin with Intel Arc graphics in 3D efficiency, nevertheless it lags behind price range gaming laptops with RTX 4050 graphics largely as a result of HP set the TGP of the GPU at 55 watts. That’s a fraction of the 120-watt RTX 4050 within the HP Victus 16, for instance. Better nonetheless for avid gamers are the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Acer Nitro 16, every of which is about at a most of 140 watts.

Although it should energy a massive, high-resolution OLED show, the Spectre x360 16 lasted greater than 10.5 hours on our on-line streaming battery drain check. That’s a superb outcome, however the Apple MacBook Pro 16 and Lenovo  Yoga 7i 16 each lasted longer, with the MacBook Pro 16 in a class by itself with a runtime of greater than 21 hours. The Spectre x360 16 ran for greater than an hour longer than the smaller Spectre x360 14 for the easy proven fact that it has a larger battery: a 6-cell, 83-watt-hour battery versus a 4-cell, 68-watt-hour unit.

Premium construct and AV output

HP limiting the RTX 4050 GPU to solely 55 watts is sort of assuredly the results of thermal issues and the Spectre x360 16’s skinny chassis. It’s solely 0.8 inches thick, which makes it solely a hair thicker than the 0.7-inch-thick MacBook Pro 16. The gaming laptops talked about above with higher-wattage RTX 4050 GPUs are all a lot thicker and heavier than the 4.3-pound Spectre x360 16. 

The Spectre x360 16 options the identical understated design because the 14-inch mannequin. The all-metal, all-black chassis seems to be glossy and feels stable, and it has a matte end with a barely gritty texture that is a welcomed departure from the standard brushed aluminum look and clean end. The matte end does entice greater than its fair proportion of fingerprints and smudges, however the tradeoff is getting a laptop computer that appears and feels elegant and stands out. It’s an undeniably cool design.

The x360 within the identify means the show hinges can rotate all the best way round so you should utilize the system as both a laptop computer or pill — with tent and presentation modes in between. Like different 16-inch convertibles I’ve used such because the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16, I discovered the Spectre x360 16 to be awkward to make use of as a pill. It’s a huge show to handle with one hand (and arm) whereas the opposite hand faucets and swipes on the display screen. The bezels have a sharp lip the place they meet the show, making it considerably uncomfortable to carry as a pill. It’s not the seamless and clean expertise you get with an iPad. If you envision giving pill mode equal time with laptop computer mode, then I’d steer you towards a smaller, 14-inch mannequin that is a extra pure match as a pill. Or plan to apply it to a desk or your lap. 

HP consists of an lively pen to help with pill use, however there isn’t any storage to stow it within the system, which will increase the probability of shedding or misplacing the pen. The chassis is simply too skinny to storage the pen, however you possibly can connect it magnetically to the laptop computer’s proper aspect and keyboard deck, which is okay for holding observe of the pen if you end up at your desk.

The similarities between the 14- and 16-inch Spectre x360 fashions lengthen to the show. Each mannequin we examined featured a 2.8K OLED contact show. The 2.8K decision affords sufficient pixels throughout the 16-inch panel that textual content seems to be sharp and inky black and pictures look crisp and vibrant. The distinction was glorious with vivid whites and deep blacks, and the colour efficiency was robust. I examined the show with a Spyder X Elite colorimeter, and it coated 100% of the sRGB and P3 areas and 94% of AdobeRGB. I measured a peak brightness of 394 nits, which suffices for many eventualities until you’re below direct daylight however was a bit disappointing for the reason that panel is rated for 500 nits.

The roomy, 16-inch, 16:10 show offers ample workspace, and it additionally makes the Spectre x360 16 a formidable leisure laptop computer. Movies and exhibits look superior on the massive OLED panel, and the sound from the quad audio system is superb. This is likely one of the few laptops I’ve examined that has sufficient bass response that music playback was gratifying and did not have me instantly reaching for headphones.

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The 9-megapixel webcam above the show produces crisp pictures. It can seize 1440p video which makes 1080p webcams appear to be 720p cameras. With Windows Studio Effects, you should utilize results like a blurred background or computerized framing to maintain your mug within the image as you shift and transfer in entrance of the digicam. The myHP app options AI-assisted audio controls that did an efficient job of isolating my voice and lowering background noise. It’s a helpful characteristic for anybody who works remotely and has youngsters or lives with different small, loud and unpredictable individuals.

Biometrics is on board with an IR sensor on the webcam for facial recognition logins and a fingerprint reader built-in into the facility button. Unfortunately, the facility button additionally options a small LED strip that glows white and can’t be turned off. 

The always-on LED is much less noticeable when you’ve got the keyboard backlighting on however will get annoying when watching a film in a darkish room. At least the two-in-one design means that you can flip the keyboard out of sight. The keyboard itself feels springy and roomy, and it sits centered under the show. If you intend to make use of the Spectre x360 16 for knowledge entry, you may bemoan the absence of a quantity pad that is typically included on massive laptops, however I get pleasure from having the keyboard and touchpad centered on the system. 

About the touchpad: it is huge. HP calls it the “world’s largest haptic touchpad for a Windows-based 16-inch PC” and I consider it. It’s gigantic however does a good job of palm rejection in order that I wasn’t shifting the cursor round by chance. The touchpad options haptic suggestions from Elan and feels correct and energetic. The haptic suggestions feels significantly better than a mechanical click on would on such a massive touchpad as a result of you do not get the diving board impact the place clicks really feel too agency close to the highest of the touchpad and too delicate close to the underside edge. You can modify the depth of the clicking response to your choice. 

The touchpad additionally options gesture controls for quantity and brightness. In the myHP app, you possibly can set the left fringe of the touchpad as a slider to regulate show brightness and the proper edge for quantity. The haptic response for every slider is fairly cool with these tiny pulses as you progress your finger up and down, however I doubt I’d find yourself utilizing both since tapping the Function buttons for quantity and brightness on the keyboard is simply as simple and an ingrained behavior.

The port choice covers the fundamentals with a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-A port, an HDMI port and a combo audio jack. Creators might need appreciated to see an SD card slot, nevertheless it did not make the lower.

Yes, its dimension is a bit awkward as a handheld pill and the RTX 4050 improve could not deliver you the graphics efficiency you want, however the HP Spectre x360 16 stays a versatile and well-designed two-in-one. Its audio-visual output is superb and makes the system a nice choose for basic house use if you aren’t utilizing the enormous OLED show for artistic endeavors. Plus, it is one of many few Windows machines with a design and construct high quality that may rival a MacBook. And with HP persistently providing a $400 low cost for it, the Spectre x360 16 is way more reasonably priced than Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro.