Which HP Spectre x360 to Buy

The HP Spectre x360 is one of the best HP laptops that you can buy, but it can be tough to figure out which HP Spectre x360 to buy. HP sells 10 different models of the laptop with different specs and with two screen sizes.

We’re here to break down the models into easy to understand groups so you know which Spectre x360 you should buy. All the models come with Windows 10, Intel 8th Gen processors and with the stylus.

Prices start at $1,049 for the base 13-inch HP Spectre x360 and go up to $1,699 for the 15-inch version with a touch screen. We’ll help narrow down your selection by focusing in on the major differences and by pointing out customization options you may want to choose before you check out. We’ll also help you find the best Spectre x360 deals and HP coupon codes.

Which HP Spectre x360 to Buy

You can buy any of the HP Spectre x360 models and play Fortnite, stream videos, surf the web and do light photo and video editing. There are four main Spectre x360 models worth buying

Many home users will want to go with the Spectre x360 Laptop – 13t sku 4FJ31AV for $1,149 or for the Spectre x360 Laptop – 15t touch sku 2KD76AV for $1,219. These are the good entry level options.

If you want more power the Spectre x360 Laptop – 15t touch plus is a nice option at $1,599 with Radeon RX Vega M graphics. The high end is the Spectre x360 15t touch Performance, which comes with almost every box checked and starts at $1,899 and will make sure you have the power and storage that you need for demanding creative work.

If I was configuring an HP Spectre x360 for myself, I’d pick the HP Spectre x360 Laptop – 15t touch Performance so that I could edit video on the go and always have plenty of storage. For my wife or my parents, I’d pick the base 13-inch HP Spectre x360 13t touch. While it is possible to add more storage, my wife and my parents both keep photos in iCloud, so there’s no need for a lot of local storage.

Here’s a deeper look at the options and the different models that will help you decide which one you should buy. Across the 10 HP Spectre x360 models, the biggest differences to consider are;

• Screen Size: 13-inch vs 15-inch
• Storage: How much storage do you need?
• Processor: Core i5 or Core i7 Processor
• RAM: 8GB or 16GB
• Graphics: Integrated or Dedicated

This looks daunting, but it is pretty easy to walk through and your screen size dictates a lot of the other features. Since that is the biggest difference in terms of portability and power, lets start there.

Do You Want a 13-inch or 15-inch Spectre x360?

The 13-inch HP Spectre x360 is the most portable option, and it comes in some powerful configurations and models, but the 15-inch Spectre x360 is available with dedicated graphics options that can help creative professionals do much more and that can handle games better. The Spectre x360 is rated for 22 hours and 30 minutes hours of battery life while the 15-inch model is rated for 17 hours and 30 minutes.

If you just want the basic 13-inch HP Spectre x360 with the essential specs, the Spectre x360 Laptop – 13t sku 4FJ31AV is going to be your best bet. This is the cheapest option and it will meet the basic needs of most home users and students.

If you want the cheapest 15-inch model the Spectre x360 Laptop – 15t touch sku 2KD76AV is the option that you want. However if you are looking at the 15-inch Spectre x360 for power to run power hungry apps or games, the 15t touch Plus or Performance model is what you need.

Once you pick the model you need, you can further customize the display with options including a 4K micro-edge display, which is a fancy way of saying you get a super high resolution display with tiny bezels. You can also opt for a privacy shield option that allows you to hide your screen from others by pressing the F1 key.

As a power user the 4K display option that adds $200 to many of the 13-inch models is very tempting upgrade.

How Much RAM and Storage Do You Need?

The HP Spectre x360 models come with 8GB or 16GB of RAM and start at 256GB of SSD storage. You cannot customize the RAM in the configuration options, but you can add up to 2TB of SSD storage to almost all models. If you need more RAM, you need to pick a model with 16GB or plan to upgrade yourself. Users report that the slots are user upgradeable after purchase and some users are even able to install 32GB of RAM, though it isn’t officially supported.

HP Spectre x360 8GB RAM Models

• HP Spectre x360 13t (1ZX32AV)
• HP Spectre x360 13t touch (4FJ31AV)
• HP Spectre x360 15t touch (2KD76AV)
• HP Spectre x360 15t touch (4HG39AV)

HP Spectre x360 16GB RAM Models

• HP Spectre x360 – 13-ap0038nr
• HP Spectre x360 – 15-df0068nr
• HP Spectre x360 Laptop – 13-ae052nr
• HP Spectre x360 – 15-ch011nr
• HP Spectre x360 Laptop – 15t touch Plus
• HP Spectre x360 Laptop – 15t touch Performance

Home users and students will be good with 8GB of RAM, but if you plan to do video editing, use complex spreadsheets, write code that you need a lot of power to compile or want to play games you should consider a 16GB RAM Model.

You can configure up to 2TB of SSD storage on both the 13-inch and 15-inch models. 256GB of SSD storage is an OK amount if you keep your photos stored in the cloud through Apple, Google or Dropbox. If you plan to do video editing or need a lot of files kept locally, it’s a good idea to upgrade to 512GB or 1Tb of SSD storage. From experience 512GB is the sweet spot where you won’t need an external hard drive all the time or constantly be fighting to find room.

Which GPU Do You Need on the Spectre x360?

If you choose the 13-inch Spectre x360 you get integrated graphics. If you pick the 15-inch model you get GPU options that offer more power to edit 4K video and use demanding apps.

• GOOD: Basic home users and students will be fine with the 13-inch Spectre x360 that includes integrated graphics. This will handle all of your normal needs and it is powerful enough to play Fortnite, but not at max settings.
• BETTER: If you want to play more games or play Fortnite at a higher resolution with better graphics you will want to step up to at least the NVIDIA GeForce MX150 GPU that is on the 15-inch model. This gives you more power for gaming and video editing.
• Best: For power users that will be editing a lot of video or planning to play a lot of games, the Radeon RX Vega M Graphics option on the Spectre x360 Plus and Performance are the GPU that you need.

It’s essentially a good, better, best option and it comes down to your priorities and how much money you can spend. While you can upgrade RAM and add more storage with an external drive later, you can’t switch out the GPU, so you’ll need to make this choice before you buy.