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HP x360 310 G1 Convertible Review

Folding Box? Is it more of a subnotebook than a 360-degree convertible? This small 11.6-inch device offers great performance, workmanship and storage space. However, it lacks a good display and keyboard.

For the original German review, see here.

A tablet with limited performance and storage space should be priced fairly. If you think like this, then maybe the HP x360 310 G1 is the device for you. The 11.6-inch model is a 360-degree convertible, which can turn from a clamshell subnotebook into a sturdy tablet. The keyboard does not feel great and is off in tablet mode. The device uses a Pentium N3540, 4 GB of RAM, a 500 GB HDD and an Ethernet port.

The HP x360 310 G1 is aimed at users who want a cheap subnotebook for work or to use in their free time. Tablet mode is heavier than a standalone tablet, but the HP convertible is a more flexible solution.

There are not many small convertibles with an HDD - the Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 is no longer widely available, which makes the Yoga 300-11IBR the only viable option. The eMMC version of the Yoga costs 280 Euros (~$310).

Is the tablet able to offer mobility ease-of-use? How good are the input devices and webcam/microphone? Answers to these questions and more can be found in this review.

HP x360 310 G1 (x360 Series)
Processor
Intel Pentium N3540 4 x 2.2 - 2.7 GHz, Bay Trail-M
Memory
4 GB 
, Dual Channel
Display
11.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 135 PPI, 10-Finger, Samsung SEC3953, TN, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Bay Trail Host Bridge
Storage
Toshiba MQ01ABF050, 500 GB 
, 423 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Valleyview SoC - HD Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Line out mic combo, Card Reader: SD/​SDHC/​SDXC, Sensors: Gyroscope
Networking
Realtek RTL8101 (10/100MBit/s), Atheros Communications AR9565 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0 + HS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 21 x 308 x 215 ( = 0.83 x 12.13 x 8.46 in)
Battery
30 Wh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.9
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, 12 Months Warranty,
Weight
1.469 kg ( = 51.82 oz / 3.24 pounds), Power Supply: 291 g ( = 10.26 oz / 0.64 pounds)
Price
279 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

308 mm / 12.1 inch 215 mm / 8.46 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 1.5 kg3.24 lbs299 mm / 11.8 inch 209 mm / 8.23 inch 21.8 mm / 0.858 inch 1.4 kg3.06 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 201 mm / 7.91 inch 18.45 mm / 0.726 inch 1.2 kg2.59 lbs289 mm / 11.4 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 21.9 mm / 0.862 inch 1.3 kg2.9 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Display

201
cd/m²
198
cd/m²
153
cd/m²
200
cd/m²
199
cd/m²
165
cd/m²
202
cd/m²
184
cd/m²
173
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Samsung SEC3953 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 202 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 186.1 cd/m² Minimum: 9.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 76 %
Center on Battery: 161 cd/m²
Contrast: 249:1 (Black: 0.8 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 11.92 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 12.92 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
56% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38.71% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
56.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37.47% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.04
HP x360 310 G1
Samsung SEC3953, TN, 1366x768, 11.60
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
AU Optronics B116XTN02.3, TN LED, 1366x768, 11.60
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
InfoVision M116NWR4 R1, IPS, 1366x768, 11.60
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
CMN 1130, TN LED, 1366x768, 11.60
Screen
22%
67%
40%
Brightness middle
199
256
29%
264
33%
221
11%
Brightness
186
242
30%
247
33%
220
18%
Brightness Distribution
76
89
17%
90
18%
90
18%
Black Level *
0.8
0.68
15%
0.27
66%
0.29
64%
Contrast
249
376
51%
978
293%
762
206%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
11.92
8.87
26%
3.75
69%
10.31
14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
20.52
14.35
30%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
12.92
9.6
26%
3.28
75%
11.17
14%
Gamma
2.04 108%
2.2 100%
2.59 85%
2.39 92%
CCT
13589 48%
9857 66%
12620 52%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
36
35
-3%
39
8%
39
8%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
56
55
-2%
62
11%
60
7%

* ... 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
25 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 18 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. » 53 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
43 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 23 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. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 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 detected 396 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 396 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 396 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17903 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

CalMAN Grey
CalMAN Grey
CalMAN Colors
CalMAN Colors
CalMAN Saturation
CalMAN Saturation
Color Spectrum - AdobeRGB
Color Spectrum - AdobeRGB
Color Spectrum - sRGB
Color Spectrum - sRGB
 

Performance

Processor

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
HP x360 310 G1
Intel Pentium N3540
42 Points
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
Intel Pentium N3700
36 Points -14%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
Intel Celeron N3050
34 Points -19%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
Intel Celeron N3050
29 Points -31%
CPU Multi 64Bit
HP x360 310 G1
Intel Pentium N3540
156 Points
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
Intel Pentium N3700
134 Points -14%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
Intel Celeron N3050
62 Points -60%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
Intel Celeron N3050
60 Points -62%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
42 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
156 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1633 Points +13%
HP x360 310 G1
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1445 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1445 points
Help

Storage Device

HP x360 310 G1
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
1221%
30340%
1107%
Read Seq
99.5
118.9
19%
164.5
65%
84.2
-15%
Write Seq
102.9
117.2
14%
67.8
-34%
84.5
-18%
Read 512
34.45
38.89
13%
165.1
379%
24.65
-28%
Write 512
42.7
76
78%
89.7
110%
24.34
-43%
Read 4k
0.439
0.474
8%
18.05
4012%
0.361
-18%
Write 4k
0.013
0.99
7515%
20.49
157515%
0.863
6538%
Read 4k QD32
0.851
1.081
27%
32.15
3678%
0.733
-14%
Write 4k QD32
0.033
0.724
2094%
25.44
76991%
0.842
2452%
Toshiba MQ01ABF050
Sequential Read: 99.5 MB/s
Sequential Write: 102.9 MB/s
512K Read: 34.45 MB/s
512K Write: 42.7 MB/s
4K Read: 0.439 MB/s
4K Write: 0.013 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 0.851 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 0.033 MB/s

Graphics Card

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
HP x360 310 G1
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
259 Points
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Intel Pentium N3700
447 Points +73%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Intel Celeron N3050
434 Points +68%
HP x360 310 G1
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Intel Pentium N3540
259 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
259 points
Help

Emissions & Energy

System Noise

Noise Level

Idle
34.5 / 34.5 / 35 dB(A)
Load
36 / 36.2 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: 32.2 dB(A)
Sound characteristics of the HP x360 310 G1
Sound characteristics of the HP x360 310 G1

Temperature

Max. Load
 33.5 °C
92 F
32 °C
90 F
28 °C
82 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
32.6 °C
91 F
28.1 °C
83 F
 
 28 °C
82 F
28.7 °C
84 F
27.3 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 33.5 °C = 92 F
Average: 30.2 °C = 86 F
26.8 °C
80 F
38.7 °C
102 F
38.1 °C
101 F
29 °C
84 F
35.4 °C
96 F
37.8 °C
100 F
30.3 °C
87 F
31 °C
88 F
30.2 °C
86 F
Maximum: 38.7 °C = 102 F
Average: 33 °C = 91 F
Power Supply (max.)  44.8 °C = 113 F | Room Temperature 22.5 °C = 73 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.2 °C / 86 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 33.5 °C / 92 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 38.7 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.9 °C / 84 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 28.7 °C / 83.7 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 (-0.6 °C / -1.1 F).
Heat emissions with high load - Above
Heat emissions with high load - Above
Heat emissions with high load - Below
Heat emissions with high load - Below
Heat emissions when idle - Above
Heat emissions when idle - Above
Heat emissions when idle - Below
Heat emissions when idle - Below

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.940.640.92538.635.538.63139.333.439.34038.932.438.95040.931.840.96341.733.641.78043.530.843.510043.23143.21254528.34516046.827.846.820050.327.550.325056.125.356.131562.924.662.940062.82462.850060.523.460.563058.222.358.280060.721.660.710006420.964125064.120.564.1160063.619.963.6200063.119.763.1250063.519.763.531506619.766400066.719.566.7500069.819.669.8630074.219.474.2800072.419.572.41000074.519.374.5125007319.3731600068.719.268.7SPL80.532.880.5N46.91.946.9median 63.5median 20.5median 63.5Delta5.92.65.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP x360 310 G1Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz

Frequency diagram in comparison (Checkboxes above can be selected!)
Value 1: Pink Noise 100 % Vol.; 
Value 2: Audio off

Power Consumption

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.19 / 0.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 9.3 / 11.8 / 12.8 Watt
Load midlight 16 / 17 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 Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
11h 24min

Pros

+ Acceptable performance
+ Good storage space thanks to HDD
+ Ethernet port
+ Sturdy case with aluminium finish
+ Decent mic

Cons

- Limited viewing angles
- Low contrast and blue tinge
- Poor keyboard
- Bad webcam
- Fan is always on

Verdict

In review: HP x360 310 G1. Test model provided by cyberport.de
In review: HP x360 310 G1. Test model provided by cyberport.de

It may not be easy to handle but it does have an HDD. The HP x360 310 G1 offers this pro, but it does have its cons: the brightness drops fast when using the battery (161 cd/m²). In combination with the reflective touch screen, the display can be hard to read at times. The contrast and viewing angles are quite poor (blue tinge). The Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA performs better in this area with its IPS panel. 

The keyboard has a short stroke distance, which means it is not ideal for typists. The panel has limited viewing angles and is bound to get some complaints. The poor webcam and decent microphone are a bad combination for Skype calls.

The big bonus of the HP x360 310 G1 is its performance: the Pentium processor performs 19 - 60% faster than the Celeron N3050 of the Transformer Book Flip TP200SA, which means it can provide sufficient performance for Windows applications. Sadly, this means that the device needs a fan. The system performance still lags behind that of the Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR, which is due to the slower HDD. The Ethernet port is a gift for professional users, but they will surely be disappointed by the awkward keyboard and the blue tinge of the TN panel. 

The HP x360 310 G1 is a relatively cheap option. The competition offers HDD convertibles for a higher price. The Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR with a Celeron N3050 is worth mentioning, as it is available starting at 280 Euros (~$310) with an eMMC storage device (21 GB). Sadly, there are not that many other viable models currently in this section (convertibles with an HDD). The Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 (with HDD) is currently disappearing from stores and we could only find the Radius 11 L10W-C-108 with 32 GB eMMC for our tests. The Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA is a much more attractive model, thanks to its 11.6-inch IPS panel and 32 GB of flash storage. The Transformer Book Flip is a lot slimmer than our test model.

HP x360 310 G1 - 07/07/2016 v5.1(old)
Sebastian Jentsch

Chassis
70 / 98 → 71%
Keyboard
59%
Pointing Device
73%
Connectivity
42 / 80 → 53%
Weight
69 / 35-78 → 79%
Battery
94%
Display
65%
Games Performance
24 / 68 → 35%
Application Performance
41 / 87 → 47%
Temperature
93%
Noise
81%
Audio
64 / 91 → 70%
Camera
29 / 85 → 34%
Average
62%
73%
Convertible - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Sebastian Jentsch, 2016-07-14 (Update: 2016-07-16)