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HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 (Core i5-8350U, eMMC, FHD) Convertible Review

For those with cash to burn. HP has equipped its new 14-inch Chromebook convertible with a powerful Intel Core i5-8350U processor, an IPS touchscreen display and a sizable battery that delivers great battery life. However, HP demands a hefty price for the device at nearly €1,000 (~$1,120) despite it having jarring shortcomings. Read on to find out how the Chromebook x360 14 G1 performs in our tests and how it fares against its competitors.

HP has launched the Chromebook x360 14 G1, a 14-inch convertible Chromebook that it has designed primarily for businesses and educational institutions. The x360 14 G1 is powered by a quad-core Intel Kaby Lake R processor and 8 GB of DDR4 RAM. Direct competitors include the Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1 and the Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX. We will also compare the x360 14 G1 against Windows convertibles such as the Acer Spin 3 SP314-51, ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA, HP Pavilion x360 14 and the Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB.

HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Processor
Intel Core i5-8350U 4 x 1.7 - 3.6 GHz, Kaby Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Core: 1100 MHz
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2133
Display
14.00 inch 16:10, 1920 x 1200 pixel 162 PPI, Capacitive, 10-point multitouch, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combined headphone jack, Card Reader: MicroSD, Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16 x 325.5 x 227 ( = 0.63 x 12.81 x 8.94 in)
Battery
60.9 Wh, 5011 mAh Lithium-Ion, 11.55 V
Operating System
Google Chrome OS
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.61 kg ( = 56.79 oz / 3.55 pounds), Power Supply: 282 g ( = 9.95 oz / 0.62 pounds)
Price
1099 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

The x360 14 G1’s mostly silver finish hides the various materials from which it is constructed. The display lid and the top case are made of metal, while HP has opted for a plastic bottom case. Our review unit is well made, with gaps being even and tight between all materials. Unfortunately, the device lacks rigidity and is comparatively easy to twist and bend. The display lid is stronger than the rest of our review unit, but we expect better from a device at this price, nonetheless.

Accessing the internal components requires removing the bottom case, which is common with many modern convertibles and laptops. A maintenance cover is always preferable in our opinion to allow for easy access to components such as the battery or RAM.

Removing the bottom case requires undoing the two visible screws securing it to the rest of the device and those that HP hides underneath the rubber strips that act as feet. Please take care when removing these as they are easy to break or deform. Once you have removed the bottom case, you have access to the battery, the Wi-Fi card, the fan and the heatsink. Both the storage and RAM are soldered to the motherboard, so are not upgradable.

The Chromebook comes with three USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, of which two are Type-C and the other Type-A. The two Type-C ports support DisplayPort out and charging. HP includes a 45-W USB Type-C charger in the box that you can use with either port, but you must buy a Type-C to DisplayPort adapter should you wish to use this functionality as the company does not include one. There is a microSD card slot, a headphone jack and a Kensington lock slot too. HP has not included a dedicated HDMI port, but again, you could buy a corresponding Type-C adapter should you need to connect to an external monitor using HDMI.

HP has equipped our review unit with an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 module that supports all modern Wi-Fi standards up to IEEE 802.11 ac. While this card is a few generations old now, the x360 14 G1 has 2x2 MIMO antennas, which should help it achieve decent Wi-Fi transmission speeds.

Size Comparison

361.5 mm / 14.2 inch 248.5 mm / 9.78 inch 17.85 mm / 0.703 inch 2 kg4.47 lbs334.95 mm / 13.2 inch 229.95 mm / 9.05 inch 20.8 mm / 0.819 inch 1.7 kg3.75 lbs328.9 mm / 12.9 inch 230.1 mm / 9.06 inch 17.7 mm / 0.697 inch 1.8 kg3.99 lbs328 mm / 12.9 inch 229 mm / 9.02 inch 17.6 mm / 0.693 inch 1.6 kg3.53 lbs327.4 mm / 12.9 inch 224.8 mm / 8.85 inch 17.6 mm / 0.693 inch 1.5 kg3.31 lbs324 mm / 12.8 inch 224 mm / 8.82 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.6 kg3.61 lbs325.5 mm / 12.8 inch 227 mm / 8.94 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 1.6 kg3.55 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Left-hand side: USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, headphone jack, microSD card reader, power button
Left-hand side: USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, headphone jack, microSD card reader, power button
Right-hand side: Volume rocker, cable lock slot, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
Right-hand side: Volume rocker, cable lock slot, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A

Input Devices & Operation

The x360 14 G1 has flat and smooth keyboard keys that have short strokes and clear pressure points. While they are easy to type on, they feel a bit mushy for our liking. The keyboard does not help with this impression either because it gives way slightly when typing. We did not find this overly disturbing during our tests but noticeable, nonetheless. HP has included backlighting too, which has five levels. All in all, HP has equipped the x360 14 G1 with a decent keyboard that could be even better with some minor tweaks.

The company has also included a multi-touch trackpad, which measures about 12 x 6.3 cm (~4.7 x 2.5 in). The trackpad has a smooth finish that makes it easy to perform single or multi-finger gestures such as moving the mouse or pinching to zoom. The integrated mouse buttons have short strokes and clear pressure points just like the keyboard.

The last input device is the touchscreen, which supports up to ten inputs simultaneously. We experienced no issues with the one in our review unit during our tests, which also responded quickly and accurately whenever we used it.

A look at the keyboard deck and trackpad
A look at the keyboard deck and trackpad

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The x360 14 G1 has a 14-inch touchscreen display that operates natively at 1,920x1,080 in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Our review unit achieved an average maximum luminosity of 246.6 cd/m², according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which is around 30% darker than the display in the Dell Inspiron 7486 but is brighter or as bright as our other comparison devices. However, we measured the display as having an unacceptably high 0.45 cd/m² black value, which results in an underwhelming 593:1 contrast ratio. In short, we would expect a convertible or laptop that costs around €1,000 (~$1,120) to have a display that achieves at least 300 cd/m² average maximum brightness and has a 1000:1 contrast ratio. While most of our comparison devices fail on the former, all but the ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 manage the latter.

238
cd/m²
249
cd/m²
245
cd/m²
236
cd/m²
267
cd/m²
236
cd/m²
247
cd/m²
248
cd/m²
253
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 267 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 246.6 cd/m² Minimum: 12 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 267 cd/m²
Contrast: 593:1 (Black: 0.45 cd/m²)
ΔE Greyscale 4.06 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.65
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00
Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX
IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Display
Display P3 Coverage
41.52
41.32
39.42
39.68
sRGB Coverage
62.1
61.8
59.2
58.9
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
42.92
42.74
40.73
41
Response Times
-6%
-7%
-6%
0%
-14%
-9%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
42 ?(20, 22)
40.8 ?(22, 18.8)
3%
45 ?(20, 25)
-7%
44 ?(24, 20)
-5%
38 ?(19.6, 18.4)
10%
43 ?(21, 22)
-2%
38.4 ?(22, 16.4)
9%
Response Time Black / White *
28 ?(16, 12)
32 ?(17.2, 14.8)
-14%
30 ?(14, 16)
-7%
30 ?(17, 13)
-7%
30.8 ?(17.2, 13.6)
-10%
35 ?(21, 14)
-25%
35.2 ?(19.6, 15.6)
-26%
PWM Frequency
520 ?(90)
2439 ?(30)
1000
962 ?(99)
Screen
40%
58%
31%
21%
31%
27%
Brightness middle
267
348.1
30%
240
-10%
225
-16%
255.5
-4%
220
-18%
281.2
5%
Brightness
247
321
30%
234
-5%
195
-21%
242
-2%
221
-11%
262
6%
Brightness Distribution
88
85
-3%
93
6%
72
-18%
87
-1%
78
-11%
76
-14%
Black Level *
0.45
0.28
38%
0.11
76%
0.14
69%
0.29
36%
0.18
60%
0.24
47%
Contrast
593
1243
110%
2182
268%
1607
171%
881
49%
1222
106%
1172
98%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.06
2.6
36%
3.51
14%
3.98
2%
2.2
46%
1.68
59%
3.3
19%
Gamma
2.65 83%
2.206 100%
2.2 100%
2.32 95%
2.05 107%
2.37 93%
2.349 94%
CCT
6058 107%
6441 101%
6606 98%
6163 105%
6599 98%
6382 102%
6299 103%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.75
4.98
5.44
4.18
3.98
3.63
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.74
10.75
20.38
19.15
7.69
4.5
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.33
3.8
4
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
40
39
37.5
38
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
62
62
59.1
58
Total Average (Program / Settings)
17% / 29%
26% / 42%
13% / 22%
11% / 16%
9% / 20%
9% / 18%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 12 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 63 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Our review unit is comparatively colour accurate out of the box though. DeltaE deviations are low, and grey tones look quite balanced. The display does not suffer from a blue tint either, which is good.

CalMAN: Greyscale
CalMAN: Greyscale
CalMAN: Colour Saturation
CalMAN: Colour Saturation

The x360 14 G1 has stable viewing angles, thanks to its IPS panel. The screen remained readable from any position during our tests, and we noticed no brightness, colour or image distortions even at acute viewing angles.

However, the display is simply too dim to use the x360 14 G1 outdoors on a sunny day. You may be able to read the display when sitting in the shade, but its glossy finish is borderline unusable in direct sunlight, as demonstrated by the photos below.

Using the HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 outdoors in direct sunlight
Using the HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 outdoors in direct sunlight
Using the HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 outdoors in direct sunlight
Using the HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 outdoors in direct sunlight

Performance

The x360 14 G1 is powerful enough for all Chrome OS tasks. Our review unit costs between €940 (~$1,053) and €1,030 (~$1,154) at the time of writing, but HP sells cheaper models that start from €619 (~$694) should you wish to save some money.

Processor

The Core i5-8350U processor is based on Intel’s Kaby Lake Refresh generation and has a 1.7 GHz base clock speed that can boost up to 3.6 GHz when required. The quad-core processor is ultra-low voltage (ULV) and has a 15-W thermal design power (TDP), which means that it can run more efficiently than processors such as the Core i7-8750H while still delivering decent performance. In short, the CPU is powerful enough for all office and Internet applications and should handle Chrome OS with ease.

Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng
Intel Core i3-8130U (42.17134.10 EDGE HTML 17.17134)
1937 ms * -90%
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41)
1244 ms * -22%
Average Intel Core i5-8350U
  (1017 - 1289, n=5)
1193 ms * -17%
Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1
Intel Core i3-8130U (Chrome 71.0.3578.127)
1084 ms * -7%
Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX
Intel Core i5-8250U (Version 72.0.3626.119)
1060 ms * -4%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel Core i5-8350U (Chrome 72.0.3626.122)
1017 ms *
Average of class Convertible
  (472 - 3989, n=65, last 2 years)
721 ms * +29%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Convertible
  (23395 - 92146, n=16, last 2 years)
75639 Points +95%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel Core i5-8350U
38722 Points
Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX
Intel Core i5-8250U (Version 72.0.3626.119)
35674 Points -8%
Average Intel Core i5-8350U
  (28223 - 38722, n=5)
32497 Points -16%
Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1
Intel Core i3-8130U (Chrome 71.0.3578.127)
31980 Points -17%
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41)
29884 Points -23%
HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng
Intel Core i3-8130U (42.17134.10 EDGE HTML 17.17134)
25180 Points -35%
Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Average of class Convertible
  (75.3 - 435, n=39, last 2 years)
239 Points +160%
Average Intel Core i5-8350U
  (91.9 - 97.5, n=2)
94.7 Points +3%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel Core i5-8350U (Chrome 72.0.3626.122)
91.9 Points
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score
Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1
Intel Core i3-8130U (Chrome 71.0.3578.127)
282.7 ms * -26%
Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX
Intel Core i5-8250U (Version 72.0.3626.119)
265.6 ms * -18%
Average of class Convertible
  (112.9 - 344, n=2, last 2 years)
229 ms * -2%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel Core i5-8350U (Chrome 72.0.3626.122)
224.9 ms *
Average Intel Core i5-8350U
  (78.9 - 253, n=4)
161.1 ms * +28%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Convertible
  (84.2 - 366, n=63, last 2 years)
264 Points +30%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel Core i5-8350U (Chrome 72.0.3626.122)
203 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8350U
  (164 - 203, n=2)
183.5 Points -10%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Average of class Convertible
  (67.7 - 279, n=14, last 2 years)
232 runs/min +130%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel Core i5-8350U (Chrome 72.0.3626.122)
100.9 runs/min
Average Intel Core i5-8350U
  (96.4 - 100.9, n=2)
98.7 runs/min -2%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Convertible
  (3462 - 30452, n=9, last 2 years)
23641 Points +53%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel Core i5-8350U
15464 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8350U
  (11004 - 15464, n=3)
13358 Points -14%
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
Intel Core i5-8250U
12516 Points -19%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Convertible
  (1989 - 6801, n=9, last 2 years)
4777 Points +2%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel Core i5-8350U
4685 Points
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
Intel Core i5-8250U
4312 Points -8%
Average Intel Core i5-8350U
  (3646 - 4685, n=3)
4185 Points -11%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

Our review unit worked smoothly and felt snappy throughout our tests. Chrome OS boots quickly, as do applications. We also experienced no issues such as crashes or stutters while multitasking.

PCMark for Android
Computer Vision score
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, 64 GB eMMC Flash
9887 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8350U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
9887 Points 0%
Storage score
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, 64 GB eMMC Flash
15717 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8350U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
15717 Points 0%
Work 2.0 performance score
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, 64 GB eMMC Flash
11958 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8350U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
11958 Points 0%
Work performance score
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, 64 GB eMMC Flash
19602 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8350U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
19602 Points 0%

Storage Devices

HP has equipped our review unit with 64 GB of eMMC flash storage, which is not only paltry for a €1,000 (~$1,120) device but also noticeably slower than its SATA III and NVMe SSD counterparts. While you could expand the storage with a microSD card, it does not remove the fact that HP has chosen the cheap option here with the x360 14 G1.

Graphics Card

Intel UHD Graphics 620 handles graphics, which is integrated within the Core i5-8350U. The GPU supports DirectX 12 and operates at up to 1,100 MHz. The UHD Graphics 620 also has a hardware decoder that can take over from the CPU when playing or streaming videos encoding in H.264 or HEVC/H.265.

3DMark - 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score
Average of class Convertible
  (41927 - 642928, n=4, last 2 years)
266664 Points +258%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (60554 - 115515, n=100)
88650 Points +19%
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
87599 Points +18%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
74389 Points
GFXBench
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen
Average of class Convertible
  (last 2 years)
60 fps +253%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
17 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (11 - 17, n=3)
14 fps -18%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
Average of class Convertible
  (last 2 years)
35 fps +254%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (9.9 - 16, n=3)
12 fps +21%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
9.9 fps
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen
Average of class Convertible
  (12 - 60, n=2, last 2 years)
36 fps +44%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
25 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (20 - 25, n=3)
23 fps -8%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
Average of class Convertible
  (11 - 84, n=2, last 2 years)
47.5 fps +83%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (26 - 27, n=3)
26.7 fps +3%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
26 fps
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen
Average of class Convertible
  (10 - 90, n=2, last 2 years)
50 fps +108%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (24 - 34.4, n=7)
28.3 fps +18%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
24 fps
on screen Car Chase Onscreen
Average of class Convertible
  (11 - 60, n=2, last 2 years)
35.5 fps +42%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (17 - 56.6, n=6)
30.1 fps +20%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
25 fps
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (73.3 - 135, n=5)
114.4 fps 0%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
114 fps
Average of class Convertible
  (last 2 years)
40 fps -65%
T-Rex Onscreen
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (58.7 - 116.5, n=5)
71 fps +18%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
60 fps
Average of class Convertible
  (last 2 years)
39 fps -35%
GFXBench 3.0
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Average of class Convertible
  (20 - 139, n=2, last 2 years)
79.5 fps +42%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
56 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (0 - 70.7, n=6)
48.8 fps -13%
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
51 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (0 - 64.1, n=6)
43.1 fps -15%
Average of class Convertible
  (19 - 59, n=2, last 2 years)
39 fps -24%
GFXBench 3.1
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
Average of class Convertible
  (13 - 118, n=2, last 2 years)
65.5 fps +72%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
38 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (22 - 45.7, n=6)
36.6 fps -4%
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (35 - 43.8, n=6)
39.2 fps +9%
Average of class Convertible
  (14 - 59, n=2, last 2 years)
36.5 fps +1%
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8350U
36 fps

Emissions

Fan Noise

The Chromebook has a single fan that is generally silent at idle. However, it occasionally reached 30.7 dB(A) during our tests without pushing the system hard and a maximum of 33.4 dB(A) under sustained load. In short, the x360 14 G1 should remain silent when you are streaming videos or writing emails, but its fan may spin up if you have several apps open simultaneously.

Noise Level

Idle
30.7 / 30.7 / 30.7 dB(A)
Load
32.1 / 33.4 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.7 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.63233.433.432.62535.132.536.832.135.13134.432.739.432.934.440323435.432.1325031.332.433.131.731.36329.829.827.128.929.88029.930.52832.529.910026.325.426.429.626.312524.825.125.226.124.816025.224.524.225.425.220024.523.52323.124.525023.622.92322.223.631522.922.42121.622.940021.92120.32121.950020.620.519.82020.663019.819.619.218.619.880019.719.618.71819.7100023.421.118.317.823.4125022.620.818.117.622.6160020.419.118.117.520.4200022.220.117.817.322.2250023.621.217.817.923.6315021.819.618.31821.8400020.518.718.418.120.5500019.318.718.618.319.3630019.219.118.718.519.2800019.519.118.918.719.51000019.519.219.218.819.51250019.519.319.218.919.51600019.719.519.31919.7SPL33.432.130.830.633.4N1.71.51.31.31.7median 21.8median 20.1median 19.2median 18.7median 21.8Delta1.61.81.721.6hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHP Chromebook x360 14 G1

Temperature

The x360 14 G1 is a surprisingly cool device. Surface temperatures on our review unit reached a maximum of 25.7 °C (~78 °F) at idle and averaged just 23.1 °C (~74 °F), which will feel cool to the touch. Most of the device remains at around these temperatures under load too, although a few areas exceed 30 °C (~86 °F) with one area reaching a maximum of 33 °C (~91 °F). We achieved these surface temperatures by running the Google Octane V2 and Jetstream benchmarks on a loop, which put the system under far more stress that it would normally experience in daily use.

Max. Load
 31.3 °C
88 F
30.1 °C
86 F
26.3 °C
79 F
 
 28.9 °C
84 F
27.7 °C
82 F
23.7 °C
75 F
 
 24.4 °C
76 F
22.7 °C
73 F
23.1 °C
74 F
 
Maximum: 31.3 °C = 88 F
Average: 26.5 °C = 80 F
25.6 °C
78 F
30.1 °C
86 F
33 °C
91 F
22.9 °C
73 F
26.2 °C
79 F
27.3 °C
81 F
21.6 °C
71 F
23 °C
73 F
23.7 °C
75 F
Maximum: 33 °C = 91 F
Average: 25.9 °C = 79 F
Power Supply (max.)  35.4 °C = 96 F | Room Temperature 22.1 °C = 72 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 26.5 °C / 80 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 31.3 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.8 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 24.4 °C / 75.9 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (+3.7 °C / 6.7 F).

Speakers

HP has equipped the x360 14 G1 with stereo speakers that sit behind a long grille spanning almost the entire width of the keyboard deck. The speakers reached a maximum of 75 dB(A) during our tests, which is loud, but the sound produced is dominated by medium and high frequencies. Bass tones are all but absent as demonstrated by our graph below so we would recommend using headphones or external speakers where possible for a better listening experience.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.733.436.72537.632.137.63135.632.935.64034.232.134.2503231.7326330.128.930.18028.532.528.510028.129.628.112531.426.131.416035.625.435.620038.223.138.225034.422.234.431546.721.646.740060.32160.350063.62063.663068.818.668.880062.81862.8100061.717.861.7125061.617.661.6160064.317.564.3200062.317.362.325006317.963315063.21863.2400062.118.162.1500063.518.363.5630063.318.563.3800060.718.760.71000060.618.860.61250061.418.961.41600058.91958.9SPL7530.675N33.81.333.8median 61.6median 18.7median 61.6Delta8.328.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Chromebook x360 14 G1
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (68.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 49% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 51% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 41% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

There are no surprises when it comes to power consumption. Our review unit consumes a minimum of 1 W at idle and averaged around 5.7 W. Power consumption rose to 36 W during our stress test but averaged 23 W under sustained load. HP includes a 45-W power supply in the box, which will keep the x360 14 G1 charging even when you are pushing it hard.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 / 0.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1 / 5.7 / 6.1 Watt
Load midlight 23 / 36 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

HP has equipped the x360 14 G1 with a 60.9 Wh battery that is larger than all our comparison devices. Correspondingly, our review unit finished top of our practical Wi-Fi battery life test comparison table with a runtime of 12:18 hours. We conduct this test by running a script that simulates the load required to render websites, for reference. We also set the display to approximately 150 cd/m². In short, the x360 14 G1 should easily last you a full working day, and you should not need to bring your charger with you when attending school or university.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Chrome 72.0.3626.122)
12h 18min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
HP Chromebook x360 14 G1
i5-8350U, UHD Graphics 620, 60.9 Wh
738 min
Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1
i3-8130U, UHD Graphics 620, 56 Wh
637 min -14%
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
578 min -22%
Average of class Convertible
  (329 - 876, n=63, last 2 years)
557 min -25%
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 52.5 Wh
496 min -33%
HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng
i3-8130U, UHD Graphics 620, 41 Wh
446 min -40%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
417 min -43%
Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 56 Wh
383 min -48%

Pros

+ IPS display
+ Full HD resolution
+ excellent battery life
+ backlit keyboard
+ DisplayPort via USB Type-C
+ USB Power Delivery (PD) via Type-C

Cons

- dark display
- low contrast ratio
- little storage space
- no SSD
- only one year’s warranty
- expensive

Verdict

The HP Chromebook x360 14 (6BP67EA) convertible review. Test device courtesy of HP Germany.
The HP Chromebook x360 14 (6BP67EA) convertible review. Test device courtesy of HP Germany.

The HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 is an excellent convertible Chromebook. Its quad-core processor does not break a sweat in Chrome OS, and its 60 Wh battery will give you a full day’s use between charges if you are browsing the web, writing documents or replying to emails. 

Likewise, HP has equipped the device with a decent and modern selection of ports, although you will need a dongle or two if you want to connect it to an external monitor. The keyboard is good too, even though it feels mushier and gives way more easily than we would have liked. We also like the stylish and mostly metal design, but we would have expected a full metal case for €1,000 (~$1,120) rather than the mix between metal and plastic that HP has used.

The display is also mostly good. We like HP has used an IPS panel, which provides stable viewing angles, while its 1080p resolution ensures that the content looks crisp. However, the screen is too dark to use the device outside unless you do so on a cloudy day or in the shade. Additionally, the content looks comparatively washed out because of its low contrast ratio.

Moreover, it would be unacceptable even for a €1,000 (~$1,120) smartphone to come with 64 GB of eMMC flash storage, let alone a convertible. HP has also included just one year’s manufacturer’s warranty with the x360 14 G1, which is cheap.

The HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 is an excellent Chromebook if price is not a factor. However, there are better value Chromebook and convertibles out there for those businesses and educational institutions that are more price conscious.

Overall, our review unit is poor value for money. The base model offers better value at around €619 (~$694), but it is underpowered with its Intel Pentium Gold 4415U processor and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage. In short, the x360 14 G1 is better than most of its competitors, but we would wait for the price to drop before considering it. 

HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 - 04/04/2019 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
75 / 98 → 77%
Keyboard
80%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
47 / 80 → 59%
Weight
68 / 35-78 → 76%
Battery
95%
Display
81%
Games Performance
60 / 68 → 88%
Application Performance
91 / 87 → 100%
Temperature
96%
Noise
93%
Audio
50 / 91 → 55%
Camera
42 / 85 → 49%
Average
74%
83%
Convertible - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 (Core i5-8350U, eMMC, FHD) Convertible Review
Sascha Mölck, 2019-04- 2 (Update: 2019-04- 4)