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HP Spectre x360 13 (i5-6200U) Convertible Review

Bullseye. HP has equipped its Spectre x360 series with the latest Skylake processors and continues the success of the recently reviewed model. Unfortunately, known problems remained.

For the original German review, see here.

The HP Spectre x360 already delighted us in June of this year, since it is a balanced bundle made from high-end materials. In the meanwhile, the manufacturer has upgraded the hardware. The new buzzword is: Skylake. An Intel Core i5-6200U and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 520 work in our test model, while the rest of the hardware has been carried over from the previously reviewed model. In this review, we will work out the essential differences and refer the reader to the recently reviewed HP Spectre x360 for unchanged aspects. Depending on the configuration, the new Spectre x360 costs between €1200-1300 (~$1286-$1393). The two models only differ by the CPU used. We will scrutinize the cheaper model here. Convertibles are very popular, since they can be used as notebook and as tablet. Thus, there are several competitors in this category: Among others, we will compare our test model to the recently launched Microsoft Surface Book.

HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng (Spectre x360 13 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-6200U 2 x 2.3 - 2.8 GHz, Skylake, two cores, TDP 15 W
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 520, Core: 1000 MHz, Memory: 800 MHz, 10.18.15.4279
Memory
8 GB 
, LPDDR3L
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 2560 x 1440 pixel, 10-Finger, LG Philips LGD0000, IPS, capazitive multi-touch screen, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Skylake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP, 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Skylake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: audio combo, Card Reader: SD, Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, compass
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16 x 325 x 218 ( = 0.63 x 12.8 x 8.58 in)
Battery
56 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 1080p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, cleaning cloth, protection bag, HP System Event Utility, McAfee LiveSafe, CyberLink YouCam, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.456 kg ( = 51.36 oz / 3.21 pounds), Power Supply: 340 g ( = 11.99 oz / 0.75 pounds)
Price
1200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Display

Outdoor use
Outdoor use

HP still uses a QDH display, which remained unchanged, at least at first glance. 2560x1440 pixels and a size of 13.3 inches give an impressive pixel density of 221 ppi. Furthermore, it remained a high-end IPS panel with wide viewing angles. Those who want even more pixels per inch can consider Microsoft's Surface Book. However, you should think carefully whether stepping-up to 267 ppi is actually worthwhile for everyday use. The glossy display in our test model achieves an average brightness of 324 cd/m². As already mentioned in our previous review of the Spectre x360, this is not outstanding for convertibles. For example, the Dell Inspiron 13 is slightly brighter with 375 cd/m². The first difference of our current model compared to the previous one is a better black value of 0.34 cd/m² and a higher contrast of 953:1. As a result, black appears quite natural and deep. But, the Surface Book performs better in this aspect again. Our test model (as well as many competitors) falls behind Microsoft's convertible. Our test model cannot keep up with a contrast of almost 1700:1 and a black value of 0.254 cd/m². However, HP still delivers a very well-made display overall.

332
cd/m²
342
cd/m²
327
cd/m²
308
cd/m²
324
cd/m²
318
cd/m²
323
cd/m²
315
cd/m²
324
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LGD0000 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 342 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 323.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 324 cd/m²
Contrast: 953:1 (Black: 0.34 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.36 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.62 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
93% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
92.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.18
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
Microsoft Surface Book Core i5
Maxwell GPU (940M, GDDR5), 6300U, Samsung MZFLV256 NVMe
Dell Inspiron 13-7348
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
Display
-1%
2%
-0%
Display P3 Coverage
66.8
67.1
0%
67
0%
65.2
-2%
sRGB Coverage
92.8
91.4
-2%
95.8
3%
93.5
1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
67.3
66.8
-1%
68.9
2%
67.1
0%
Response Times
-88%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
24 ?(11, 36)
48.4 ?(19.6, 28.8)
-102%
Response Time Black / White *
19 ?(10, 28)
32.8 ?(7.6, 25.2)
-73%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-27%
31%
-24%
Brightness middle
324
324
0%
430.9
33%
375
16%
Brightness
324
315
-3%
410
27%
351
8%
Brightness Distribution
90
80
-11%
93
3%
89
-1%
Black Level *
0.34
0.59
-74%
0.254
25%
0.44
-29%
Contrast
953
549
-42%
1696
78%
852
-11%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.36
5.69
-31%
2.06
53%
7.37
-69%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.62
8.02
-74%
2.22
52%
9.54
-106%
Gamma
2.18 101%
2.3 96%
2.13 103%
2.69 82%
CCT
6857 95%
6398 102%
6520 100%
6685 97%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60
59
-2%
64
7%
61
2%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
93
91
-2%
96
3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-14% / -20%
-18% / 8%
-12% / -17%

* ... 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
19 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 28 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 35 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
24 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 11 ms rise
↘ 36 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 28 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (34 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 18161 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Next, we want to analyze the incorporated LG Philips display with CalMAN. The deviation of colors (4.36) and gray levels (4.62) from sRGB is quite small. Our recently reviewed model had higher DeltaE values of 5.69 in the Colorchecker and 8.02 in the gray scale. In addition, we have run a PWM measurement. It revealed flickering is not to be expected, since the panel does not use PWM for brightness control. The color coverage is a surprising 93% of sRGB and 60% of AdobeRGB.

The glossy panel has a negative impact as soon as a light source shines directly on the screen. This problem can be particularly limiting in outdoor use. Even the quite decent brightness is unable to compensate this. It is usually possible to use the convertible in the shade without problems.

CalMAN Gray scale
CalMAN Gray scale
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN SaturationSweeps
CalMAN SaturationSweeps
Reflections...
Reflections...
... make outdoor use ...
... make outdoor use ...
... more difficult.
... more difficult.

Performance

LatencyMon
LatencyMon

The data sheet of our test model suggests a balanced system performance. The Intel Core i5 processor supported by 8 GB DDR3L RAM is optimally suitable for office and multimedia applications and even has reserves for demanding applications. The more powerful Intel Core i7-6500U processor is available for €100 (~$107) more. If the 256 GB drive is not sufficient for you, you have to fall back to the Broadwell model, which is offered with an Intel Core i7-5500U and 512 GB SSD for €1500 (~$1608).

Processor

Now, we will turn to the highlight of this upgrade: In the current Spectre x360 series, you can choose between two processors of the Skylake architecture: the Intel Core i5-6200U and the Intel Core i7-6500U. Our convertible houses an Intel Core i5-6200U. The CPU features two cores clocked at 2.3 GHz-2.7 GHz. Cinebench R15 proves that the performance of the processors does not significantly differ from the previous model, although the Intel Core i7-5500U is technically slightly enhanced. What remains is the advantage that our test model can constantly work at 2.7 GHz. The CPU still clocks at 2.7 GHz after several runs. In our previous review, the average clock rate was only 2.5 GHz. The test model is also able to run at full speed during mobile use. According to Cinebench, a performance loss is not to be expected.

Please refer to our benchmark list of mobile processors for further comparisons and benchmarks.

Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
284 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
276 Points -3%
Microsoft Surface Book Core i5
Maxwell GPU (940M, GDDR5), 6300U, Samsung MZFLV256 NVMe
305 Points +7%
Dell Inspiron 13-7348
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
287 Points +1%
Dell XPS 13-9350
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZ-VLV256D
287 Points +1%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
113 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
114 Points +1%
Microsoft Surface Book Core i5
Maxwell GPU (940M, GDDR5), 6300U, Samsung MZFLV256 NVMe
122 Points +8%
Dell Inspiron 13-7348
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
118 Points +4%
Dell XPS 13-9350
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZ-VLV256D
116 Points +3%
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
7366
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
9770
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4356
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
18.39 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.7 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.3 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.9 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
32.96 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
284 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
113 Points
Help

System Performance

Briefly speaking: It is fun to work with the test model. The response time is always short, which allows a very comfortable flow of work. PCMark 7 confirms our subjective impression with a score of 4939. Since the previously reviewed model features a more powerful i7 CPU, its performs slightly better with about 5100 points.

PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
4939 Points
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
4939 Points 0%
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
5103 Points +3%
Microsoft Surface Book Core i5
Maxwell GPU (940M, GDDR5), 6300U, Samsung MZFLV256 NVMe
5135 Points +4%
Dell Inspiron 13-7348
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
4678 Points -5%
Dell XPS 13-9350
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZ-VLV256D
4989 Points +1%
PCMark 7 Score
4939 points
Help

Storage Device

An SSD from Samsung is used once again. The 256 GB in M.2 format continues to achieve good results in sequential reading and writing. The Spectre delivers competitive reading values of 364 MB/s, while or previous test model could not keep up with its competitors in 4K-64 Read. The total score increased from 783 to 980 points in the AS SSD benchmark.

In our SD tests, we want to test the read and write rates of connected storage devices. We use a Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II as reference. AS SSD reports a read rate of 80.8 MB/s and a write rate of 59.7 MB/s. A typical scenario for SD cards is copying of photos. Therefore, we have copied 250 jpg files (5 MB each) and calculated the average time needed after three runs. It is 17 s for our convertible, which gives 64.4 MB/s.

HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
Microsoft Surface Book Core i5
Maxwell GPU (940M, GDDR5), 6300U, Samsung MZFLV256 NVMe
Dell Inspiron 13-7348
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
AS SSD
-3%
108%
1%
Seq Read
491.7

491.7

473.4
-4%
1223
149%
505
3%
Seq Write
255.5

255.5

267.8
5%
275.2
8%
259
1%
4K Read
23.7

23.7

29.19
23%
34.31
45%
24.18
2%
4K-64 Read
364.4

364.4

250.7
-31%
1409
287%
370.7
2%
4K-64 Write
185.4

185.4

173.1
-7%
281.4
52%
179.4
-3%
Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
Sequential Read: 491.8 MB/s
Sequential Write: 264.5 MB/s
512K Read: 396.2 MB/s
512K Write: 264.5 MB/s
4K Read: 30.88 MB/s
4K Write: 75.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 31.85 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 73.9 MB/s

Graphics Card

The second change is the integrated processor graphics chip. The Intel HD Graphics 520 is the direct successor of the HD Graphics 5500 (Broadwell). According to our tools, its clocks between 300 to 1000 MHz in our test model. Depending on the manufacturer, the maximum clock rate can be up to 1050 MHz. We will use 3DMark 11 for comparing the performance. It turns out, that the new Spectre x360 performs about one third better than the Broadwell model. Unfortunately, 3DMark 11 dampens the euphoria. It does not show a performance gain. Our test model even achieves fewer points than its predecessor in 3DMark Ice Storm.

Our test model can be used on battery without performance loss. 3DMarks 11 comes up with an equivalent score as in mains operation with 1500 points. Please refer to our benchmark list of mobile graphics cards for further benchmarks and comparisons.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
1448 Points
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
1448 Points 0%
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
1220 Points -16%
Microsoft Surface Book Core i5
Maxwell GPU (940M, GDDR5), 6300U, Samsung MZFLV256 NVMe
2711 Points +87%
Dell Inspiron 13-7348
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
1179 Points -19%
Dell XPS 13-9350
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZ-VLV256D
1558 Points +8%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
51751 Points
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
51751 Points 0%
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
53957 Points +4%
Microsoft Surface Book Core i5
Maxwell GPU (940M, GDDR5), 6300U, Samsung MZFLV256 NVMe
49514 Points -4%
Dell Inspiron 13-7348
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
42513 Points -18%
Dell XPS 13-9350
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZ-VLV256D
52625 Points +2%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
5674 Points
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
5674 Points 0%
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
5405 Points -5%
Microsoft Surface Book Core i5
Maxwell GPU (940M, GDDR5), 6300U, Samsung MZFLV256 NVMe
7424 Points +31%
Dell Inspiron 13-7348
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
4770 Points -16%
Dell XPS 13-9350
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZ-VLV256D
5931 Points +5%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
8916 points
3DMark 11 Performance
1448 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
51751 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
5674 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
793 points
Help

Gaming Performance

With the game Bioshock:Infinite we want to check to what extent the gaming performance has changed. The Broadwell model could run the game with low graphics settings. The current model is able to achieve a significantly higher frame rate with minimum settings. With medium quality, our test model achieves about 5 fps more and reaches a smooth frame rate of 27 fps. Our gaming benchmarks article shows further games that run smoothly on the installed graphics card.

BioShock Infinite
1280x720 Very Low Preset (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
51.4 fps
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
39.52 fps -23%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
27.3 fps
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
22.72 fps -17%
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
22.8 fps
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 51.4 27.3 22.8 6.9

Emissions & Energy

System Noise

While idling, the noise diagram of our HP Spectre x360 is very similar to its predecessors. Most of the time, passive cooling is sufficient and we record a maximum noise of about 34 dB(A). Under load, the noise increases to up to 38 dB(A). While the convertible is audible, the noise is not annoying. The fan does not emit any high-frequency sound.

Noise Level

Idle
29.6 / 29.6 / 34.6 dB(A)
Load
34.7 / 37.9 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

A glance at our test model's field of application reveals that is will only rarely have to cope with high load. Nevertheless, we simulate an extreme scenario in our stress test in order to get maximum values. Overall, the moderate temperature increase is an advantage. The hot spot is just under 40 °C (104 °F). The Microsoft Surface Book gets about 4 °C (7 °F) hotter in the same scenario. During normal use, the convertible only gets slightly warmer. In tablet mode, the device can be used on the lap without problems. In a stress test, we want to analyze the temperature of the CPU under load. We use FurMark and Prime95 for this purpose. After almost two hours, the average clock rate is 2.1 GHz and the minimum clock rate was 1.4 GHz. Thus, we could also detect throttling in our test model. However, the CPU is able to repeatedly increase the clock rate and does not work constantly at 1.3 GHz this time. The core temperatures reach a maximum of 75 °C (167 °F). The 3DMark 11 score after the stress test is just as high as after a cold start. Thus, you should not face limitations in realistic load scenarios.

 24.4 °C
76 F
25 °C
77 F
23.6 °C
74 F
 
 24.1 °C
75 F
24.1 °C
75 F
23 °C
73 F
 
 23.5 °C
74 F
22.9 °C
73 F
23 °C
73 F
 
Maximum: 25 °C = 77 F
Average: 23.7 °C = 75 F
23.7 °C
75 F
25.8 °C
78 F
29.8 °C
86 F
23.5 °C
74 F
24.8 °C
77 F
24.6 °C
76 F
23.8 °C
75 F
24.2 °C
76 F
24.4 °C
76 F
Maximum: 29.8 °C = 86 F
Average: 25 °C = 77 F
Power Supply (max.)  26.3 °C = 79 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32 °C / 90 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 39.6 °C / 103 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 39.7 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.7 °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 29 °C / 84.2 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 (-0.9 °C / -1.6 F).

Power Consumption

While idling, the small 13-inch convertible requires 3.9 to 9.2 watts. The maximum power consumption is interesting, since it hovers between 28.7–29.9 W at first and finally levels off at 27.6 W. This is indicative for the previously detected throttling. Overall, the maximum power consumption is lower than the Broadwell model's.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.9 / 7.4 / 9.2 Watt
Load midlight 28.1 / 27.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
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

The HP Spectre x360 shined with a good battery life in the previous test. The battery capacity of 56 Wh remained unchanged. We will focus on our realistic Wi-Fi test here. A script simulates web surfing at a brightness of about 150 cd/m². As expected, the convertible achieves a decent battery life of 8 h and 20 min, although it cannot completely live up to the previous model, which achieved 9 h. At least, the current test model can also last a whole workday and is thus predestined for mobile use.

Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing (sort by value)
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
500 min
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
542 min
Dell XPS 13-9350
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZ-VLV256D
451 min
Microsoft Surface Book Core i5
Maxwell GPU (940M, GDDR5), 6300U, Samsung MZFLV256 NVMe
402 min
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
8h 20min

Pros

+ robust and elegant case
+ system performance
+ battery life
+ heat development
+ system noise
+ good input devices
+ build quality

Cons

- speakers
- lid teeters evidently
- no maintenance flap

Verdict

In review: HP Spectre x360. Test model provided by Notebooksbilliger.de
In review: HP Spectre x360. Test model provided by Notebooksbilliger.de

In the Spectre x360, HP once again provided us with a well-made upper class convertible. We can easily praise the choice of materials and the design. Unfortunately, the hinges are still weak. The display teeters too much when touch inputs are made. Regarding input devices, the huge touchpad, which is an ideal mouse replacement, is outstanding. Even big hands are able to perform wipe gestures without strain. The QHD touch display also left a good impression. The new Skylake processor delivers almost perfect system performance and better graphics performance than the predecessor. We could only detect throttling in an unrealistic load scenario. Since convertibles are especially useful in mobile use, the battery life is often decisive. While the runtime of about 8.5 h is about 40 minutes lower than the predecessor's, it performs better than Microsoft's Surface Book, for example, by far.

HP upgraded to the Skylake architecture with flying colors. Especially in view of the battery life, the Spectre x360 is an interesting offer. 

Among others, the new Microsoft Surface Book is a competitor of the HP Spectre x360. For about $1500 (not yet available in Europe), it might be significantly more expensive than the Spectre. 

HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng - 03/15/2016 v5(old)
Nino Ricchizzi

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
88%
Pointing Device
83 / 35-78 → 100%
Connectivity
49%
Weight
70%
Battery
91 / 87 → 100%
Display
85%
Games Performance
57%
Application Performance
84 / 91 → 92%
Temperature
93%
Noise
89%
Audio
53%
Camera
66%
Average
76%
84%
Convertible - Weighted Average

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Nino Ricchizzi, 2015-11-18 (Update: 2018-05-15)