Latest HP Spectre 15 x360 redesign drops Kaby Lake-G in favor of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q

Alongside the fifth generation Spectre 13 x360, HP will also be launching a refreshed Spectre 15 x360 to close out the year. The redesigned system shares many of the same physical features as the aforementioned Spectre 13 x360 including the physical camera switch, 45-degree Power button and USB-C port, and re-positioned fingerprint reader. We recommend checking out our page on the new Spectre 13 x360 for more information.

The more interesting aspects of the upcoming Spectre 15 x360 are all under the hood. Whereas the current Spectre 15 x360 model is limited to the 15 W Kaby Lake-R Core i7-8550U or 65 W Kaby Lake-G Core i7-8705G, the upcoming refresh will have 15 W Whiskey Lake i7-8565U or hexa-core 45 W Coffee Lake-H i7-8750H options. In other words, it appears that HP will be dropping Kaby Lake-G altogether for more traditional Intel options.

As for the graphics side, the GeForce MX150 will remain with a new option for the faster GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q. This latter GPU will quietly replace the Radeon RX Vega M GL on the bygone Kaby Lake-G SKU while offering a very similar level of performance. Truth be told, the Nvidia GPU will likely have more consistent performance when gaming with fewer compatibility issues than the very rare Radeon RX Vega M GL.

To cope with the new processors, the new design will incorporate larger twin fans and a third heat pipe. It is unknown for now if the improved cooling will only be for the Coffee Lake-H SKUs or if it will also be in the less demanding Whiskey Lake SKUs.

The HP Spectre 15 x360 Whiskey Lake SKUs will begin shipping this December for a starting price of $1390 USD. Users who want the more powerful Coffee Lake-H and GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q option will likely have to wait until early next year because of its staggered launch.

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