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HP Spectre X360 15 Late 2019 Convertible Review: Comet Lake Core i7 with GeForce MX Graphics

Great looks, shaky GPU performance. It's one of the heftier and better-looking convertibles for sure, but performance becomes a bit unsteady when under higher loads. Power users may want to consider the faster Core H and GTX SKUs instead.

At CES 2020, HP unveiled a refreshed Spectre x360 15 with narrower bezels, new CPU options, and an unspecified GeForce GPU that will more than likely be a yet-to-be-announced next generation GeForce offering. The 2019 model we are reviewing today directly precedes the 2020 Spectre x360 15 with a Comet Lake-U quad-core Core i7-10510U CPU, GeForce MX250 GPU, and 4K UHD IPS display for about $1300 USD on CUKUSA.com.

When compared to the 2018 Spectre x360 15, the 2019 model includes plenty of changes both internal and external. Nonetheless, we recommend checking out our existing review on the 2018 model since they still share several characteristics. The HP Spectre x360 15 competes directly with other ~$1000 15.6-inch laptops including the Dell XPS 15 and XPS 15 2-in-1, Lenovo IdeaPad S740, Lenovo Yoga C940 15, and the Asus ZenBook 15.

More HP reviews:

HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV (Spectre X360 15 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-10510U 4 x 1.8 - 4.9 GHz, Comet Lake-U
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX250 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1519 MHz, Memory: 1502 MHz, GDDR5, 441.87
Memory
32 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 11-10-10-28, Dual-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 282 PPI, 10-point capacitive, native pen support, AU Optronics AUO30EB, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Comet Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8, 2048 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20Gbps, 2 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, Card Reader: MicroSD reader, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19.3 x 361.2 x 250 ( = 0.76 x 14.22 x 9.84 in)
Battery
84 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 6-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: FHD IR
Primary Camera: 2.1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Bang & Olufsen quad speakers, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, HP Privacy Settings, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.108 kg ( = 74.36 oz / 4.65 pounds), Power Supply: 378 g ( = 13.33 oz / 0.83 pounds)
Price
1350 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
85 %
01/2020
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250
2.1 kg19.3 mm15.60"3840x2160
86 %
12/2019
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
2 kg19.7 mm15.60"1920x1080
83.1 %
09/2019
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
i7-8565U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
1.7 kg18.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
86.5 %
07/2018
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150
2.1 kg19.3 mm15.60"3840x2160
85.2 %
11/2019
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
i7-10710U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
1.7 kg16 mm15.60"3840x2160

Case

For the 2019 model, HP trimmed the two rear corners for a sharper and more unique visual style. The oddly positioned fingerprint reader on the 2018 model has also been moved back to the right palm rest for easier access. Everything else remains nearly the same meaning that these gen-to-gen changes are mostly superficial. The chassis is still one of the stronger and more rigid designs when compared to the Asus ZenBook 15, Lenovo Yoga C940, or the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1.

Our main complaint relates mostly to the weight of the system rather than the overall look and feel. Tablet mode is unwieldy for even short periods as the system is just over 2 kg.

Chassis dimensions and weight are essentially identical to the older 2018 design despite the external and internal differences between them. Users will have to consider the 2020 Spectre x360 15 for a more noticeable reduction in size since the newer model will have much narrower top and bottom bezels.

The lustrous edges and corners have become a staple of the Spectre series
The lustrous edges and corners have become a staple of the Spectre series
Bang & Olufsen quad speakers. Note the thick bottom bezel
Bang & Olufsen quad speakers. Note the thick bottom bezel
360-degree hinges are satisfactory but could have been firmer. There is slight teetering when adjusting angles
360-degree hinges are satisfactory but could have been firmer. There is slight teetering when adjusting angles
Same smooth magnesium alloy surfaces as previous generation models
Same smooth magnesium alloy surfaces as previous generation models
The "diamond cut" rear corners are new on this year's 2019 redesign
The "diamond cut" rear corners are new on this year's 2019 redesign
Webcam kill switch is easily accessible from the edge for disabling the webcam electronically
Webcam kill switch is easily accessible from the edge for disabling the webcam electronically
360 mm / 14.2 inch 257 mm / 10.1 inch 23.5 mm / 0.925 inch 2.3 kg4.96 lbs361.2 mm / 14.2 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 19.3 mm / 0.76 inch 2.1 kg4.65 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 19.3 mm / 0.76 inch 2.1 kg4.59 lbs355.2 mm / 14 inch 238.4 mm / 9.39 inch 19.7 mm / 0.776 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs354 mm / 13.9 inch 220 mm / 8.66 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 1.7 kg3.64 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port options and positioning have changed from the 2018 model. Whereas the older model included a full-size SD reader, the newer model accepts MicroSD only. All other ports are back including the dual Thunderbolt 3 ports. Still, it's disappointing to see just one USB Type-A port for such a large form factor.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: Webcam kill switch, USB 3.1 Gen. 1 Type-A, 2x USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3
Right: Webcam kill switch, USB 3.1 Gen. 1 Type-A, 2x USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: Power button, AC adapter, HDMI 2.0, 3.5 mm combo audio
Left: Power button, AC adapter, HDMI 2.0, 3.5 mm combo audio

SD Card Reader

Thankfully, the spring-loaded MicroSD reader offers the same performance as the full-size SD reader on the 2018 model. Transferring 1 GB of photos from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 7 seconds not unlike on the Dell XPS 15.

Fully inserted MicroSD card
Fully inserted MicroSD card
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
172.4 MB/s +11%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
154.7 MB/s
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
149 MB/s -4%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
69.2 MB/s -55%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35.3 MB/s -77%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
192.5 MB/s +5%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
192.1 MB/s +5%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
183.5 MB/s
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
82.2 MB/s -55%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.2 MB/s -80%

Communication

The Intel AX201 comes standard for Wi-Fi 6 speeds and integrated Bluetooth 5 in contrast to older Ultrabooks with the slower Intel 9560. We experienced no connectivity issues during our time with the test unit.

Intel 1216 module is integrated and not removable
Intel 1216 module is integrated and not removable
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1374 (720min - 1484max) MBit/s
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
660 (536min - 759max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1291 (1212min - 1379max) MBit/s
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0017ng
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
526 (464min - 639max) MBit/s

Maintenance

HP discourages end-user tinkering through several means. Firstly, there are two types of screws - Philips and Torx - instead of just one. Secondly, most of the screws are hidden beneath the fragile rubber footing. Thirdly, the edges and corners are sharp meaning gloves and/or sharp tools are recommended. And lastly, once you finally remove the bottom panel, the 2x SODIMM slots are protected by an aluminum housing. It'll take some patience to open up the bottom for any sort of servicing.

There is not much to upgrade outside of the dual SODIMM slots and single M.2 2280 storage bay.
There is not much to upgrade outside of the dual SODIMM slots and single M.2 2280 storage bay.

Accessories and Warranty

Extras include a faux leather carrying case and an active pen with two extra pen tips and a AAAA battery. A velvet cleaning cloth would have been a nice addition to the already generous set.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies with plenty of externsion options if purchased directly from HP. CUKUSA can cover specific components for three years including RAM and storage.

Input Devices

Keyboard and Trackpad

HP hasn't changed the keyboard or clickpad from the 2018 model and so our existing comments apply here on the 2019 model. The keyboards on Spectre and EliteBook laptops are some of our favorites on an Ultrabook because they tend to feel firmer with stronger feedback than most other Ultrabooks including the ZenBook 15 or XPS 15. On the flip side, key clatter is slightly louder than on a ThinkPad T series.

The 2:1 clickpad is the same size yet again (12 x 6 cm) with smooth cursor control no matter the gliding speed. The integrated mouse keys are moderate in clatter and satisfactory in feedback but could have been firmer overall.

Same keyboard layout and function keys as the 2018 model
Same keyboard layout and function keys as the 2018 model
2:1 aspect ratio of the clickpad feels cramped vertically
2:1 aspect ratio of the clickpad feels cramped vertically
Excellent key feedback with two levels of white illumination
Excellent key feedback with two levels of white illumination
NumPad keys are the same size as the QWERTY keys unlike on most other laptops, but the Arrow keys are too small
NumPad keys are the same size as the QWERTY keys unlike on most other laptops, but the Arrow keys are too small

Display

Our late 2019 Spectre x360 15 uses the same AU Optronics AUO30EB controller as found on the Whiskey Lake-U 2019 Spectre x360 15. HWiNFO was unable to pull the panel name from our test unit, but it's safe to say that this is the same 4K panel as found on our earlier 2019 unit since characteristics like color coverage, contrast ratio, and response times are not all that different between them. This unfortunately means that display brightness has not improved and that ghosting remains very noticeable due to the slow black-white and gray-gray response times. The pricier OLED SKU should address both of these drawbacks.

Interestingly, the older 2018 Spectre x360 15 uses a 4K UHD panel from BOE with faster response times for slightly less ghosting than the AU Optronics panel on this 2019 unit.

Top and bottom bezels are very thick relative to the narrow side bezels
Top and bottom bezels are very thick relative to the narrow side bezels
Side bezels are just 7 mm thick
Side bezels are just 7 mm thick
There are no 1080p options as all SKUs come with 4K UHD IPS or OLED only
There are no 1080p options as all SKUs come with 4K UHD IPS or OLED only
Edge-to-edge glass reinforcement on all configurations
Edge-to-edge glass reinforcement on all configurations
Minimal uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom corners
Minimal uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom corners
Crisp RGB subpixel array
Crisp RGB subpixel array
261.2
cd/m²
300.8
cd/m²
266.8
cd/m²
275.2
cd/m²
284.6
cd/m²
278.3
cd/m²
296.5
cd/m²
295.3
cd/m²
309.1
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics AUO30EB tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 309.1 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 285.3 cd/m² Minimum: 13.88 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 284.6 cd/m²
Contrast: 1138:1 (Black: 0.25 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.52 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3
ΔE Greyscale 3.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
93.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
68.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
94.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
68.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.28
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
AU Optronics AUO30EB, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
BOE0730, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Samsung 156WR04, SDCA029, OLED, 15.60, 3840x2160
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
LG Philips LP156WFC-SPU1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Sharp LQ156D1JW42, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
HP Spectre x360 15-df0126ng
AU Optronics AUO30EB, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
Display
-2%
23%
-6%
22%
0%
Display P3 Coverage
68.3
68.5
0%
88.1
29%
61.5
-10%
82
20%
68.1
0%
sRGB Coverage
94.3
90.7
-4%
99.6
6%
92.7
-2%
98.3
4%
94.2
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
68.4
66.3
-3%
91.8
34%
63.6
-7%
96.2
41%
68.4
0%
Response Times
33%
95%
13%
-4%
12%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
56.8 ?(26, 30.8)
38 ?(20.4, 17.6)
33%
2.3 ?(1.1, 1.2)
96%
48.4 ?(24.4, 24)
15%
60 ?(29.2, 30.8)
-6%
57 ?(26, 31)
-0%
Response Time Black / White *
40.8 ?(20.4, 20.4)
27.6 ?(15.6, 12)
32%
2.4 ?(1.1, 1.3)
94%
36.4 ?(21.2, 15.2)
11%
41.2 ?(22.8, 18.4)
-1%
31 ?(16, 15)
24%
PWM Frequency
943 ?(99)
59.5 ?(100)
26040 ?(24)
Screen
-29%
-4%
9%
7%
-8%
Brightness middle
284.6
329.3
16%
421.2
48%
484.8
70%
464.5
63%
330
16%
Brightness
285
316
11%
417
46%
463
62%
451
58%
310
9%
Brightness Distribution
85
84
-1%
94
11%
82
-4%
92
8%
87
2%
Black Level *
0.25
0.31
-24%
0.26
-4%
0.5
-100%
0.37
-48%
Contrast
1138
1062
-7%
1865
64%
929
-18%
892
-22%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.52
4.78
-36%
6.06
-72%
4.5
-28%
3.36
5%
4.03
-14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.56
11.75
-111%
11.89
-114%
7.55
-36%
7.06
-27%
6.74
-21%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3
3.51
-17%
1.19
60%
3.42
-14%
1.96
35%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.2
7.9
-147%
2.8
12%
5.7
-78%
1.3
59%
4.49
-40%
Gamma
2.28 96%
2.24 98%
2.15 102%
2.45 90%
2.14 103%
2.57 86%
CCT
7070 92%
8323 78%
6235 104%
6101 107%
6596 99%
6744 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
61.1
58.8
-4%
81
33%
58.7
-4%
84.8
39%
61
0%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
93.8
90.4
-4%
99.6
6%
92.8
-1%
98.3
5%
94
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
1% / -17%
38% / 18%
5% / 7%
8% / 9%
1% / -4%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is nearly identical to what we recorded on the 2018 Spectre x360 15 at approximately 61 percent and 94 percent of AdobeRGB and sRGB, respectively. Other 4K panels offer wider gamuts such as the Sharp and Samsung on the MSI Prestige 15 and Dell XPS 15 7390, respectively. 

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter show the display to be well-calibrated out of the box. Color temperature, however, is a bit on the cool side at 7070. Calibrating the display ourselves improves both RGB balance and the average grayscale deltaE from 3.2 to 2.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

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
40.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20.4 ms rise
↘ 20.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 97 % 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
56.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26 ms rise
↘ 30.8 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. » 93 % 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.

Outdoor visibility has not improved from the 2018 model. Glare from the glossy screen is inevitable and more noticeable than on the competing Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH since the display is dimmer. Viewing angles are wide for excellent readability in both portrait and landscape modes so long as glare can be kept to a minimum.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles with contrast degradation at extreme angles
Wide IPS viewing angles with contrast degradation at extreme angles

Performance

The Spectre x360 15 family is one of the few to offer both 15 W Core-U and 45 W Core-H Intel CPUs and both GeForce MX and GTX GPU SKUs for a very wide range of performance options. The performance difference between a SKU with the Core i7-10510U and GeForce MX250 and one with the Core i7-9750H and GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, for example, can be well over 2x. HP offers no Core i5 options here unlike on the competing Dell XPS 15.

LatencyMon shows no DPC latency issues only when the wireless is disabled.

 

Processor

Raw CPU performance is just a hair faster than the Core i7-8565U that the Core i7-10510U replaces. In fact, it's only about 4 to 5 percent faster than the two-generation old Core i7-8550U in the 2018 Spectre x360 15. Users looking for a more significant performance boost should opt for the Core i7-8750H or i7-9750H SKUs or alternatives with the hexa-core Core i7-10710U instead.

Performance sustainability is average. When running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, the initial score of 591 points would drop by about 8 percent over time. Scores would then fluctuate between 535 and 555 points as shown by our graph below due to fluctuating clock rates.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-10510U for more technical information and benchmarks.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680720760Tooltip
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø546 (537.14-592.71)
HP ZBook 15u G6 6TP54EA Radeon Pro WX 3200, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø489 (485.76-508.49)
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø519 (509.07-542.3)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7 Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø717 (684.67-772.41)
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel Core i7-10710U
460 Points +27%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
460 Points +27%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (362 - 497, n=37)
437 Points +21%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
422 Points +17%
Dynabook Portege A30-E-174
Intel Core i7-8550U
383 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad P43s-20RH001FGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
374 Points +3%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel Core i7-10510U
362 Points
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
356 Points -2%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
352 Points -3%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
351 Points -3%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
334 Points -8%
CPU (Multi Core)
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel Core i7-10710U
2410 Points +89%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
2357 Points +84%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1799 Points +41%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
1549 Points +21%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
1499 Points +17%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (1015 - 1897, n=38)
1412 Points +10%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1398 Points +9%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel Core i7-10510U
1278 Points
Dynabook Portege A30-E-174
Intel Core i7-8550U
1138 Points -11%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
1117 Points -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad P43s-20RH001FGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
988 Points -23%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
184 Points +8%
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel Core i7-10710U
180 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (113 - 202, n=42)
178.4 Points +5%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
173 Points +2%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel Core i7-10510U
170 Points
Dynabook Portege A30-E-174
Intel Core i7-8550U
156 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad P43s-20RH001FGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
155 Points -9%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
147 Points -14%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
143 Points -16%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
139 Points -18%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
135 Points -21%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
1097 Points +101%
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel Core i7-10710U
1051 Points +92%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
733 Points +34%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
693 Points +27%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
672 Points +23%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (482 - 856, n=45)
666 Points +22%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
640 Points +17%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
564 Points +3%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel Core i7-10510U
546 Points
Dynabook Portege A30-E-174
Intel Core i7-8550U
494 Points -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad P43s-20RH001FGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
452 Points -17%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
170 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
546 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
107.8 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

The HP Envy 17 is one of the very few laptops to offer the same Core i7-10510U CPU and GeForce MX250 GPU as our Spectre. PCMark results are very nearly the same between them and they are almost consistently ahead of the 2018 Spectre x360 15 as well. Only the GPU-bound PCMark Digital Content Creation score is lower than expected.

While Nvidia Optimus is included, we had issues getting it to work manually since the Nvidia Control Panel would not install or launch on our test unit for reasons unknown. Meanwhile, GeForce Experience would work without issues.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Score
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
5469 Points +33%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
4887 Points +19%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4828 Points +18%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3861 - 5409, n=11)
4243 Points +3%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
4101 Points
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
3938 Points -4%
Essentials
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
10539 Points +11%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
9701 Points +2%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
9477 Points
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
9067 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (8021 - 9764, n=11)
8892 Points -6%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
7659 Points -19%
Productivity
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
7494 Points +13%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (6625 - 7972, n=11)
7331 Points +11%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
7201 Points +9%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
7193 Points +9%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
6625 Points
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
6152 Points -7%
Digital Content Creation
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
6110 Points +105%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4680 Points +57%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
4178 Points +40%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
3518 Points +18%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (2621 - 5547, n=11)
3225 Points +8%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
2981 Points
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
4069 Points +21%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
3799 Points +13%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3764 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3214 - 3958, n=8)
3594 Points +7%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
3482 Points +3%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
3365 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
5359 Points +16%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5132 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (4599 - 5443, n=8)
5026 Points +8%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
4762 Points +3%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
4633 Points
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
4323 Points -7%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3365 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4633 points
PCMark 10 Score
4101 points
Help

Storage Devices

Only one internal storage bay is available. The 2 TB Intel 660p PCIe drive in our test unit offers sequential read and write rates of about 1200 MB/s each to be a mid-range NVMe drive. The pricier Samsung PM981 is able to offer nearly two times the read rate while cheaper NVMe dirves like the SK Hynix BC501 have about half the write rate. Expect SSDs from different manufacturers depending on where you purchase the Spectre x360 15.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
Removable M.2 2280 SSD
Removable M.2 2280 SSD
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
AS SSD
42%
-20%
27%
-4%
Seq Read
1220
1723
41%
769
-37%
1887
55%
1739
43%
Seq Write
1152
1386
20%
351.1
-70%
1432
24%
1189
3%
4K Read
52.3
43.25
-17%
69.1
32%
52.3
0%
38.76
-26%
4K Write
146.6
98.3
-33%
100.9
-31%
146
0%
93.2
-36%
4K-64 Read
652
1078
65%
472
-28%
969
49%
646
-1%
4K-64 Write
847
1456
72%
948
12%
1375
62%
545
-36%
Access Time Read *
0.077
0.05
35%
0.071
8%
0.034
56%
0.054
30%
Access Time Write *
0.106
0.039
63%
0.137
-29%
0.075
29%
0.051
52%
Score Read
826
1294
57%
618
-25%
1210
46%
859
4%
Score Write
1109
1693
53%
1084
-2%
1664
50%
757
-32%
Score Total
2371
3638
53%
2024
-15%
3483
47%
2037
-14%
Copy ISO MB/s
2070
3182
54%
839
-59%
1375
-34%
1668
-19%
Copy Program MB/s
571
984
72%
455.8
-20%
468
-18%
486.8
-15%
Copy Game MB/s
1219
1824
50%
969
-21%
1287
6%
1042
-15%

* ... smaller is better

Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1934 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1946 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 369.4 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 393.6 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1609 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1424 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 59.3 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 151.5 MB/s

GPU Performance

The GeForce MX250 is essentially a rebadged MX150 and so performance upgrades are minimal. In fact, 3DMark Fire Strike scores between the MX250 and MX150 in the 2018 Spectre x360 15 are only within 3 percent of each other. Users looking for a more significant graphics upgrade should consider the SKU with the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q or GTX 1650 Max-Q instead.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Desktop PC Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 KFA2 GTX 1060 6GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), E5-2680 v4
72074 Points +277%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
53981 Points +182%
HP Spectre x360 15-df0126ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
41871 Points +119%
Lenovo Yoga 730-15IKB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
26144 Points +37%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (13805 - 23863, n=25)
21491 Points +12%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
20784 Points +9%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
19900 Points +4%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
19117 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
17892 Points -6%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
17325 Points -9%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7
13376 Points -30%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Desktop PC Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 KFA2 GTX 1060 6GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), E5-2680 v4
12648 Points +258%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
8618 Points +144%
HP Spectre x360 15-df0126ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
7397 Points +110%
Lenovo Yoga 730-15IKB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
5965 Points +69%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3622 Points +3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (2939 - 3885, n=29)
3531 Points 0%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
3530 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
3062 Points -13%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
2999 Points -15%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
2874 Points -19%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7
2168 Points -39%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Desktop PC Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 KFA2 GTX 1060 6GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), E5-2680 v4
4158 Points +279%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
3238 Points +195%
HP Spectre x360 15-df0126ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
2261 Points +106%
Lenovo Yoga 730-15IKB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
1416 Points +29%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
1098 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (881 - 1169, n=22)
1070 Points -3%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
852 Points -22%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
847 Points -23%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
843 Points -23%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7
698 Points -36%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Desktop PC Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 KFA2 GTX 1060 6GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), E5-2680 v4
17174 Points +269%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
12259 Points +163%
HP Spectre x360 15-df0126ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
8930 Points +92%
Lenovo Yoga 730-15IKB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
6935 Points +49%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4708 Points +1%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
4659 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4612 Points -1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3585 - 4942, n=29)
4404 Points -5%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
4165 Points -11%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3512 Points -25%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7
3180 Points -32%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Desktop PC Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 KFA2 GTX 1060 6GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), E5-2680 v4
12503 Points +194%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
10588 Points +149%
HP Spectre x360 15-df0126ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
8544 Points +101%
Lenovo Yoga 730-15IKB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
4446 Points +5%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4296 Points +1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3532 - 4638, n=29)
4250 Points 0%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
4247 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4045 Points -5%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
3247 Points -24%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
2820 Points -34%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7
2346 Points -45%
3DMark 11 Performance
4929 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
12540 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3206 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1218 points
Help

Gaming Performance

When gaming, expect the Spectre to be just slightly better than an older laptop with GeForce MX150 graphics. Performance over the Xiaomi Mi laptop, for example, can range anywhere between 3 percent to 15 percent on our tested games.

GPU clock rates will cycle when gaming for uneven frame rates as our Stress Test section below will detail. When idling on Witcher 3 for an hour, for example, frame rates will periodically dip just slightly when it should be steady throughout. Most other laptops have steadier GPU clock rates in comparison.

See our dedicated page on the GeForce MX250 for more technical details and benchmark comparisons.

The Witcher 3
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
119.8 fps +210%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
115.8 fps +199%
HP Spectre x360 15-df0126ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
76.6 fps +98%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
38.7 fps
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro i7
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
37.6 (30min - 43max) fps -3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (30 - 40, n=27)
35.3 fps -9%
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Asus TUF FX705GM
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
66.2 fps +202%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
65.9 fps +201%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
65.1 fps +197%
HP Spectre x360 15-df0126ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
44.2 fps +102%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
21.9 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (16.3 - 23.1, n=27)
20.1 fps -8%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro i7
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
19.9 (15min - 24max) fps -9%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
18.8 fps -14%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Asus TUF FX705GM
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
36.5 fps +199%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
36.5 fps +199%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
36.2 fps +197%
HP Spectre x360 15-df0126ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
25.4 fps +108%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
12.2 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (9 - 16, n=24)
11.6 fps -5%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro i7
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
11.5 (9min - 14max) fps -6%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
11.5 fps -6%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
1280x720 Lowest Preset
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
105 fps +98%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
102 fps +92%
MSI PS63 Modern 8RC
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
57 fps +8%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
53 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (24 - 56, n=8)
46.6 fps -12%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro i7
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
46 (29min - 74max) fps -13%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
38 fps -28%
1920x1080 Medium Preset
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
61 fps +239%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
58 fps +222%
MSI PS63 Modern 8RC
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
33 fps +83%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
18 fps
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro i7
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
17 (13min - 28max) fps -6%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (7 - 19, n=8)
16.3 fps -9%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
15 fps -17%
05101520253035Tooltip
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8: Ø34.9 (30-37)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 203 112.2 94.2 35.3
The Witcher 3 (2015) 38.7 21.9 12.2
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 53 18 13 9

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise is a mixed bag. On one hand, the system is nearly silent during low to low-medium loads like word processing, video streaming, or browsing. On the other hand, the fans tend to pulse and fluctuate during higher loads like gaming or video encoding. The fans on our test unit would cycle between 33 and 39.7 dB(A) when running Witcher 3 or 35 to 42 dB(A) when under maximum CPU and GPU stress. This behavior matches our cycling core temperatures and GPU clock rates detailed in our Stress Test section below. In contrast, the fans in most other laptops would stabilize at a fixed RPM when gaming to be less noticeable.

We can notice no electronic noise or coil whine on our unit.

Cooling solution consists of twin ~45 mm fans and two heat pipes
Cooling solution consists of twin ~45 mm fans and two heat pipes
Exhaust exits from the sides of the laptop instead of the rear
Exhaust exits from the sides of the laptop instead of the rear
RAM modules sit close to the processors
RAM modules sit close to the processors
The CPU and GPU do not share the same heat pipes unlike on most other laptops
The CPU and GPU do not share the same heat pipes unlike on most other laptops
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
Noise
-9%
-7%
2%
-1%
2%
off / environment *
30.1
28.2
6%
28.7
5%
28.4
6%
29.3
3%
28.6
5%
Idle Minimum *
30.1
28.2
6%
28.7
5%
28.4
6%
30.1
-0%
29.2
3%
Idle Average *
30.1
28.2
6%
28.8
4%
28.4
6%
30.2
-0%
29.2
3%
Idle Maximum *
30.1
30.4
-1%
28.8
4%
28.4
6%
30.2
-0%
29.2
3%
Load Average *
30.1
43.8
-46%
45
-50%
33.9
-13%
31.5
-5%
29.2
3%
Witcher 3 ultra *
39.7
47.2
-19%
44.7
-13%
39.8
-0%
37
7%
38.4
3%
Load Maximum *
42
47.2
-12%
44.7
-6%
40.2
4%
47
-12%
45.7
-9%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
30.1 / 30.1 / 30.1 dB(A)
Load
30.1 / 42 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: 30.1 dB(A)

Temperature

Surface temperature development is interesting on the Spectre because its processors are closer to the center when compared to most other laptops. The processors in the MSI GS65, for example, are located more towards the rear edge. This ultimately means that hot spots on the Spectre are closer to the center of the keyboard where temperatures can reach as high as 47 C since the processors are directly underneath. The surrounding palm rests, clickpad, WASD keys, and NumPad keys all remain cooler. Though certainly warm, temperatures are never irritating.

No rear exhaust - side exhaust only
No rear exhaust - side exhaust only
AC adapter after running Prime95 and FurMark for an hour
AC adapter after running Prime95 and FurMark for an hour
Max. Load
 38.6 °C
101 F
35 °C
95 F
32.4 °C
90 F
 
 35.6 °C
96 F
47 °C
117 F
29.2 °C
85 F
 
 29.8 °C
86 F
24 °C
75 F
28 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 47 °C = 117 F
Average: 33.3 °C = 92 F
35 °C
95 F
42.6 °C
109 F
45.2 °C
113 F
32.2 °C
90 F
47.4 °C
117 F
39 °C
102 F
29.4 °C
85 F
31.4 °C
89 F
32.4 °C
90 F
Maximum: 47.4 °C = 117 F
Average: 37.2 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  44 °C = 111 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.3 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 47 °C / 117 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 47.4 °C / 117 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 21.4 °C / 71 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.6 °C / 92 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.8 °C / 85.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-1 °C / -1.8 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the laptop with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, clock rates would spike to as high as 3.7 GHz for the first 5 seconds until reaching a core temperature of 83 C. Thereafter, clock rates would drop to just 2.1 and 2.2 GHz with a cycling core temperature between 66 C and 84 C due to the cycling RPM of the fans. This same behavior also occurs if running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously; CPU and GPU temperatures would cycle between 66 C to 84 C and 74 C to 91 C, respectively.

Running Witcher 3 to represent real-world gaming load shows a cycling GPU clock rate between 1316 MHz to 1683 MHz and a cycling temperature of 52 C to 75 C. Frame rates are therefore unsteady even when idling onscreen; when on Medium 768p settings, for example, frame rates would periodically and consistently fluctuate between 33 FPS and 36 FPS.

Running on battery power will not limit performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 8221 and 4653 points, respectively, compared to 8177 and 4659 points when on mains. 

System idle
System idle
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 60 38
Prime95 Stress 2.2 - 2.3 -- 66 - 84 --
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 2.1 - 2.2 923 - 1455 63 - 84 74 - 91
Witcher 3 Stress 2.4 - 4.1 1316 - 1683 52 - 75 74 - 91

Speakers

Audio quality is better than most other Ultrabooks and convertibles. The four speakers offer balanced audio and only a shallow frequency dip beginning at around 300 Hz whereas most laptop speakers show sharper declines for poorer bass reproduction.

Two speakers nearest the front corners with two more above the keyboard deck
Two speakers nearest the front corners with two more above the keyboard deck
Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2037.741.837.72540.137.540.13138.436.238.44036.335.136.35036.734.336.76336.233.936.28036.23636.210040.233.340.212547.432.947.416054.431.654.42005830.75825061.330.761.331564.432.164.440067.330.367.350067.729.667.763067.929.167.980075.228.475.2100071.82871.8125068.427.968.4160071.727.871.7200071.427.471.4250072.627.672.6315070.627.770.640006827.468500068.527.368.5630072.827.272.8800067.927.367.91000063.727.263.71250062.227.162.21600063.727.163.7SPL82.740.182.7N57.73.857.7median 67.9median 27.9median 67.9Delta5.60.95.635.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AVApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 13.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 31% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 67% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 18% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop consumes between 5 W and 9 W depending on the brightness level and power setting. Gaming consumes about 57 W to 66 W to be more efficient than the 2018 model with the older Kaby Lake-R and MX150 GPU as shown by the table below. Note that the Asus ZenBook 15 with GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics offers 150 to 200 percent faster GPU performance over our Spectre for a mere 11 percent increase in power consumption.

We're able to measure a maximum consumption of 92.4 W from the relatively small (~14 x 6.5 x 2.3 cm) 90 W AC adapter when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously. This high of a consumption is only temporary as shown by our graphs below due to thermal throttling. Interestingly, small but consistent spikes in power consumption occur much like the cycling CineBench loop test results and GPU clock rates mentioned above.

The more powerful and demanding SKU with Core-H and GTX graphics will ship with a more capable 135 W AC adapter.

Relatively constant consumption when running Witcher 3
Relatively constant consumption when running Witcher 3
Slightly higher power consumption during the first 20 seconds of 3DMark 06
Slightly higher power consumption during the first 20 seconds of 3DMark 06
Prime95 stress initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 71 W for just a few short seconds before falling and stabilizing at 33 W. Note the two small bumps to about 38 W
Prime95 stress initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 71 W for just a few short seconds before falling and stabilizing at 33 W. Note the two small bumps to about 38 W
Prime95+FurMark stress initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 92 W before falling to 70 W for the next 2 minutes. Consumption falls further to as low as 56 W thereafter
Prime95+FurMark stress initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 92 W before falling to 70 W for the next 2 minutes. Consumption falls further to as low as 56 W thereafter
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.47 / 1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.2 / 8.5 / 8.7 Watt
Load midlight 65.6 / 92.4 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.
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
i9-9980HK, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02, OLED, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
i7-8565U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
i7-10710U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Power Consumption
-13%
-57%
-56%
-45%
-39%
Idle Minimum *
5.2
5.3
-2%
6.2
-19%
5.2
-0%
5
4%
6.1
-17%
Idle Average *
8.5
9.8
-15%
9.6
-13%
10.7
-26%
13.2
-55%
13.2
-55%
Idle Maximum *
8.7
12.6
-45%
21.2
-144%
24.3
-179%
24
-176%
19.2
-121%
Load Average *
65.6
73
-11%
104.3
-59%
84.4
-29%
70
-7%
75
-14%
Witcher 3 ultra *
56.5
67.6
-20%
91.7
-62%
83.9
-48%
63.3
-12%
74
-31%
Load Maximum *
92.4
80
13%
135.3
-46%
142.8
-55%
114
-23%
89.7
3%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Battery capacity remains the same as on the last generation model. Runtimes are therefore nearly the same gen-to-gen at roughly 10.5 hours of real-world Wi-Fi use. Charging takes approximately 2 hours with the included proprietary AC adapter. The system supports recharging via third-party USB Type-C adapters as well.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
22h 35min
WiFi Websurfing
10h 46min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 53min
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, 84 Wh
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
i9-9980HK, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 97 Wh
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, 69 Wh
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
i7-8565U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, 71 Wh
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
i7-10710U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, 82 Wh
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 84 Wh
Battery Runtime
-15%
-32%
-9%
-24%
-19%
Reader / Idle
1355
910
-33%
1092
-19%
1289
-5%
1147
-15%
927
-32%
WiFi v1.3
646
467
-28%
583
-10%
503
-22%
456
-29%
625
-3%
Load
173
199
15%
59
-66%
174
1%
125
-28%
135
-22%

Pros

+ more power efficient than last generation model
+ no performance deficit when on battery power
+ fast MicroSD reader performance
+ firm key feedback and travel
+ dual Thunderbolt 3 ports
+ powerful quad speakers
+ strong chassis design
+ generally quiet fans
+ integrated NumPad
+ long battery life

Cons

- only minimal performance advantages over Whiskey Lake-U and GeForce MX150
- fluctuating clock rates and frame rates when gaming
- fans tend to pulse when under high loads
- no secondary internal storage options
- thick top and bottom display bezels
- no more full-size SD reader
- only one USB Type-A port
- difficult serviceability
- narrow clickpad

Verdict

In review: HP Spectre x360 15 5ZV31AV. Test unit provided by Computer Upgrade King
In review: HP Spectre x360 15 5ZV31AV. Test unit provided by Computer Upgrade King

In our review of the Ice Lake Spectre x360 13 and Kaby Lake-G Spectre x360 15 models, we discovered fluctuating clock rates, frame rates, and fan noise when under high loads for a bumpy gaming experience. This Comet Lake-U Spectre x360 15 exhibits similar characteristics as its clock rates, frame rates, and fan noise would fluctuate as well when gaming. Power users looking for more consistent performance out of their laptops may want to avoid this particular Spectre configuration as a result.

Furthermore, the Comet Lake-U Core i7-10510U and GeForce MX250 are just marginally better than the last generation Whiskey Lake-U Core i7-8565U and GeForce MX150 by the slimmest of margins in terms of raw performance. Combine this with the fact that the Comet Lake-U 2019 model shares the same keyboard, display, battery life, and chassis as the cheaper Whiskey Lake-U model and you have a system that is not worth the upgrade if you already own a Spectre. Outsiders considering the HP convertible would be better off with the Whiskey Lake-U model for its superior performance-per-dollar.

Other than the performance disadvantages noted above, the Spectre x360 15 chassis is otherwise excellent and it remains one of the sturdier 15.6-inch consumer convertibles in the market. Both battery life and fan noise are relatively long and quiet, respectively, for undemanding office tasks.

Users willing to wait a few months ought to consider the 2020 Spectre x360 15 which will bring more significant updates to the series including much narrower bezels and more powerful hexa-core CPUs and GTX 1650 Max-Q Turing GPUs. 

HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV - 01/16/2020 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
70 / 80 → 87%
Weight
62 / 20-72 → 81%
Battery
89 / 95 → 93%
Display
84%
Games Performance
64 / 90 → 72%
Application Performance
85 / 90 → 94%
Temperature
87%
Noise
90 / 95 → 95%
Audio
85%
Camera
38 / 85 → 45%
Average
78%
85%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Spectre X360 15 Late 2019 Convertible Review: Comet Lake Core i7 with GeForce MX Graphics
Allen Ngo, 2020-01-16 (Update: 2020-01-24)