HP Specter x360 15 Preview – High end 2-in-1 with Core i7-8705G
Intel announced its Kaby Lake processors paired with a Radeon RX Vega GPU at the start of CES. We had hoped that a load of devices with the chips would be ready immediately, but the offer is limited to three products for the time being. Intel puts a 100W version in its new Skullcanyon NUC, and Dell uses the 65W version in its XPS 15 2-in-1 , which we reviewed earlier.
The third device that the love baby of Intel and AMD has on board is the HP Specter x360 15. That is also a 2-in-1 and it also contains the 65W version. The model HP has at the show is equipped with the Core i7-8705G and the manufacturer probably tells us not to make versions with the i5, because the i7 fits better with a high-end product like this Spectre. That is also the reason that HP only supplies versions with a 4k screen.
Compared to the Specter x360 15 that HP released last year, there are significant changes. The previous model contained economical processors from the U-series, with a TDP of 15 watts. The Core i7-8705G has a tdp of 65 watts and therefore generates much more heat as soon as it is put to work. That’s why the new Specter is slightly thicker at 19.5mm than its predecessor, which was 17.9mm thick. HP will probably use the extra space for better cooling and for a larger battery. According to the manufacturer, the weight is 2.1 kg, slightly more than the 2 kg of the previous model.
Another major change can be seen with the keyboard. That has become a lot wider and expanded with numeric keys. The keys have a decent amount of travel and give a nice feedback, which makes tapping on the new Specter pleasant. The touchpad seems to be slightly smaller than that of the previous model and is no longer placed in the center, but shifted slightly to the left.
The speakers have also been moved. To make room for the numeric keys, they are no longer on the sides of the keyboard, but in a strip above it. According to HP, the entire housing is slightly narrower than the previous model, because the screen edges are slightly thinner again. At the top, HP has left a fairly thick screen bezel to accommodate another webcam.
New is the fingerprint scanner on the side of the laptop. HP says it has placed it there because you can also use it if you use the Specter with the screen folded in tablet mode. You will also find two USB-C connections on the sides. That is at least one Thunderbolt 3 port and with the most expensive version that applies to both. In addition, there is a full-size HDMI 2.0 connection and on the other side are a USB-A port, a 3.5mm jack and an SD card slot.
Hardware and Benchmark
HP puts the Intel Core i7-8705G with RX Vega M GL GPU in the top model of the Specter x360 15, but there will also be a version with an economical 15W quadcore of the Kaby Lake-R generation, in combination with an Nvidia MX 150 GPU. That GPU is comparable to the GT 1030 for desktops and therefore a lot slower than the RX Vega M GL.
In HP’s demo room, we were able to run Cinebench R15 on the Specter x360 15. This gives a particularly good insight into the CPU performance. With two runs, we saw multicore scores of 791 and 738 points. We also see such scores in laptops with the Core i7-7700HQ , a 45W processor. The processor part of the Core i7-8705G is therefore quite comparable to that CPU; it’s a quadcore with hyperthreading and a speed of 3.1GHz, with a boost to 4.1GHz. The i7-7700HQ has the same number of cores and threads, a clock speed of 2.8GHz and a boost to 3.8GHz.
Unfortunately, Cinebench’s OpenGL benchmark isn’t really suitable for judging GPU power, as it is heavily influenced by a CPU’s single-core performance. The score of over 118fps nevertheless shows that the GPU performs well. For example, the Asus ZenBook Pro UX550 with Core i7-7700HQ and GTX 1050 Ti achieved 103fps in this test. It seems to indicate that the Vega GPU is faster than the 1050 Ti, but that does not have to be the case in all benchmarks and games. More benchmarks should show that. It is in line with what HP tells us; the performance of the Radeon RX Vega M GL in the Specter should be comparable to that of an Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti for laptops.
4k screen
Like the first version of the Specter x360 15, the new model also has a 4k touchscreen. On the 15.6″ format, the resolution of 3840×2160 pixels produces a razor-sharp image. With the previous version we were impressed by the good calibration and the new model is probably just as good. The screen is finished with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which should make the screen scratch resistant.
You can also work with a pen on the Specter x360 15. The stylus has a built-in battery and can be extended to reveal the USB-C connection, which is used for charging. The stylus recognizes 4096 pressure levels and has tilt support.
Preliminary conclusion
In our review of the previous version of the HP Specter x360 15, we were positive about the build quality, the screen and the fast hardware, among other things. At the time it was the ‘ultimate’ convertible you could buy. The hardware in the new model is a lot more impressive; instead of a U-series processor and a 940MX GPU, you now get a Core i7-8705G with the Radeon RX Vega M GL GPU. Both the CPU and the GPU are a lot faster.
All the good features of the previous model have been retained, with a number of refinements, such as a keyboard with numpad and a fingerprint scanner. That, in combination with the new hardware, promises a lot of good. A difference with last year is that there is now more competition. Not only HP makes a high-end convertible with a 15.6″ screen, Dell also has such a device with its XPS 15 2-in-1 and that promises to be an interesting battle.
HP will be selling the new Specter x360 15 from March 18 in the US, with prices starting at $1,370. This will be the cheapest version, without AMD GPU and with an economical U processor. It is not yet known which versions will appear in the Benelux and when. One variant of the previous model was sold; that was a model of about two thousand euros with a U processor and a 940MX GPU.