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

Professionals

• Lovely, all-metal chassis
• Sturdy AV output with OLED show, quad audio system
• Tremendous-sharp 9-megapixel webcam
• Huge haptic touchpad
• Lengthy battery life

Cons

• Restricted efficiency from low-wattage RTX 4050
• Too huge as a pill
• At all times-on LED on energy button will get annoying

On the heels of the 14-inch HP Spectre x360 16 I reviewed earlier this yr is its bigger linemate, the Spectre x360 16. The 2-in-one is simply as premium in design and options because the 14-inch however has a roomier, 16-inch show. Inside is identical Core Extremely 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 is spectacular. The audio system and webcam are additionally glorious, making the Spectre x360 16 a flexible machine for residence and work use.

The Spectre x360 16 begins at $1,600 (and is commonly discounted to $1,200) for a configuration with the Core Extremely 7 155H chip, 16GB of RAM, Intel Arc graphics, a 512GB SSD and a 2,560×1,600-pixel IPS contact show. Our take a look at system options greater than $500 value of upgrades and rings in at $2,130 — and the identical $400 low cost applies to drop the worth to $1,730. The 2 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 Home windows 11 House for Professional.

A mannequin almost equivalent to our take a look at system prices £2,099 within the UK. The Spectre x360 16 isn’t out there with a Core Extremely half in Australia, however you’ll find Thirteenth-gen Intel fashions beginning AU$2,499. 

Spectre x360 16 efficiency 

The Spectre x360 16 obtained off to a gradual begin in lab testing with a middling end result 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 take a look at that stresses the CPU. It completed behind the equally configured Spectre x360 14 on all three of those assessments, 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 evaluation to see the outcomes of our testing.)

The 16-inch mannequin’s RTX 4050 GPU did give it a transparent edge over the Spectre x360 14 when it comes to 3D efficiency. The Spectre x360 16 considerably outperformed the smaller mannequin on our 3DMark assessments, and it produced higher body charges on our gaming assessments that have 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. Equally, the 16-inch mannequin’s rating of 161fps on The Riftbreaker GPU take a look at was greater than double the 70fps of the 14-inch mannequin. In the meantime, the 14-inch mannequin was unable to finish our Guardians of the Galaxy benchmark at 1080p with high quality settings at Excessive, and the Spectre x360 16 averaged a playable 85fps.

The Spectre x360 16 might have the sting over the 14-inch mannequin with Intel Arc graphics in 3D efficiency, but it surely lags behind funds gaming laptops with RTX 4050 graphics largely as a result of HP set the TGP of the GPU at 55 watts. That is a fraction of the 120-watt RTX 4050 within the HP Victus 16, for instance. Higher nonetheless for players are the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Acer Nitro 16, every of which is ready at a most of 140 watts.

Though it should energy a big, high-resolution OLED show, the Spectre x360 16 lasted greater than 10.5 hours on our on-line streaming battery drain take a look at. That is a wonderful end result, however the Apple MacBook Professional 16 and Lenovo  Yoga 7i 16 each lasted longer, with the MacBook Professional 16 in a category 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 indisputable fact that it has a much bigger 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 considerations and the Spectre x360 16’s skinny chassis. It is solely 0.8 inches thick, which makes it solely a hair thicker than the 0.7-inch-thick MacBook Professional 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 strong, and it has a matte end with a barely gritty texture that is a welcomed departure from the same old brushed aluminum look and easy end. The matte end does appeal to greater than its justifiable share of fingerprints and smudges, however the tradeoff is getting a laptop computer that appears and feels elegant and stands out. It is an undeniably cool design.

The x360 within the identify means the show hinges can rotate all the way in which round so you need to use 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 is a huge show to handle with one hand (and arm) whereas the opposite hand faucets and swipes on the display. The bezels have a pointy lip the place they meet the show, making it considerably uncomfortable to carry as a pill. It isn’t the seamless and easy expertise you get with an iPad. When you envision giving pill mode equal time with laptop computer mode, then I might 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 contains an energetic pen to assist with pill use, however there is no storage to stow it within the system, which will increase the chance of shedding or misplacing the pen. The chassis is simply too skinny to storage the pen, however you’ll be able to connect it magnetically to the laptop computer’s proper aspect and keyboard deck, which is okay for preserving observe of the pen when you find yourself at your desk.

The similarities between the 14- and 16-inch Spectre x360 fashions lengthen to the show. Every mannequin we examined featured a 2.8K OLED contact show. The two.8K decision gives 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 brilliant whites and deep blacks, and the colour efficiency was robust. I examined the show with a Spyder X Elite colorimeter, and it lined 100% of the sRGB and P3 areas and 94% of AdobeRGB. I measured a peak brightness of 394 nits, which suffices for many eventualities except 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 gives ample workspace, and it additionally makes the Spectre x360 16 a formidable leisure laptop computer. Motion pictures and reveals look superior on the massive OLED panel, and the sound from the quad audio system is superb. This is without doubt one of the few laptops I’ve examined that has sufficient bass response that music playback was pleasurable and did not have me instantly reaching for headphones.

The 9-megapixel webcam above the show produces crisp pictures. It could possibly seize 1440p video which makes 1080p webcams appear to be 720p cameras. With Home windows Studio Results, you need to use results like a blurred background or automated 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 decreasing background noise. It is a helpful function for anybody who works remotely and has children 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. Sadly, the facility button additionally encompasses a small LED strip that glows white and can’t be turned off. 

The always-on LED is much less noticeable when you may have the keyboard backlighting on however will get annoying when watching a film in a darkish room. A minimum of 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. When you plan 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 take pleasure in having the keyboard and touchpad centered on the system. 

In regards to the touchpad: it is huge. HP calls it the “world’s largest haptic touchpad for a Home windows-based 16-inch PC” and I consider it. It is gigantic however does job of palm rejection in order that I wasn’t transferring the cursor round by chance. The touchpad options haptic suggestions from Elan and feels correct and vigorous. The haptic suggestions feels a lot better than a mechanical click on would on such a big touchpad as a result of you aren’t getting 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 possibly can alter the depth of the clicking response to your desire. 

The touchpad additionally options gesture controls for quantity and brightness. Within the myHP app, you’ll be able to set the left fringe of the touchpad as a slider to regulate show brightness and the suitable 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 might find yourself utilizing both since tapping the Operate 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 preferred to see an SD card slot, but it surely did not make the lower.

Sure, its dimension is a bit awkward as a handheld pill and the RTX 4050 improve might not convey you the graphics efficiency you want, however the HP Spectre x360 16 stays a flexible and well-designed two-in-one. Its audio-visual output is superb and makes the system a terrific decide for basic residence use once you aren’t utilizing the large OLED show for artistic endeavors. Plus, it is one of many few Home windows machines with a design and construct high quality that may rival a MacBook. And with HP constantly providing a $400 low cost for it, the Spectre x360 16 is rather more inexpensive than Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Professional.