HP Pavilion x360 14 review: A quality convertible PC available at an exceptional price

HP's Specter x360 range offers some of the best convertibles on the market, although its price makes it inaccessible to many people looking for a reliable daily computer for less than $ 1,000. With the 14-inch Pavilion x360, you do not get the same design or functionality, but for hundreds of people, it's a solid argument in itself. I've used it for about a week to see if it would make the right choice for your next device.

HP provided Windows Central with a 14-inch convertible Pavilion x360 evaluation unit. This model has an 8th generation Intel Core i5-8265U "Whiskey Lake" processor (processor), 8GB of DDR4-2400MHz RAM and a 128GB M.2 SATA SSD (Solid-State Drive). The 14-inch touch screen has a resolution of 1920×1080 (FHD) and works with an active stylus (not included).

This exact model, with a warm golden finish, is available at Best Buy for around $ 600, which is not a bad price for everything you get.

If you visit HP, you'll also find many more configuration options, including models with 10th-generation Intel Core processor options and discrete NVIDIA graphics cards starting at around $ 400. Unless you prefer the 8th generation Intel processors, HP will provide a better shopping experience with many more configurations available.

Compared to the 2018 Pavilion x360 models, the updated 2019 models feature many new color options with assorted shell and interior, a thinner bezel on the top and sides of the screen and, finally, Precision drivers for the paver Touch instead of Synaptics.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the exact specifications in our examination template.

Part of the Pavilion x360's update consists of a set of new color options, with an inside palm rest that matches the outer shell. In this case, the hot gold goes with the luxurious gold and, with the black bezel surrounding the screen, it gives a rather pretty look that suggests a much more expensive laptop. The edges of the lid and main frame form an inward angled angle for an hourglass figure, and there is a wedge-shaped bevel towards the front of the device to make it thinner than He is not really there.

The two glossy silver hinges allow the lid to rotate for tent, stand and tablet modes. They are smooth and robust. A Pavilion logo on the back edge adds a little flair in tablet or tent mode. The Pavilion x360 is neither as thin nor as lightweight as the other top-of-the-line convertible options, but at around 1.5 kg (3.5 pounds), it can be easily transported with you.

The Pavilion x360 has a sleek design that suggests a much higher price, backed by high performance and robust sound.

The left side of the notebook includes USB-A 3.1, a 3.5mm audio jack and a Kensington Nano lock slot for added security. There is also an exhaust vent and a power button that pops out a bit. Its action is relatively heavy and therefore does not immediately turn off the laptop if you touch it in tablet mode.

The right edge has another USB-A 3.1 port, USB-C 3.1, HDMI, an SD card slot and a barrel charging port. This is a generous port selection, especially for a budget device, and you should not have any connection problem between your accessories. The USB-C port can be used to connect to a more powerful docking station than the options working with USB-A.

On the top of the keyboard is a textured grid that hides two Bang & Olufsen speakers. The audio is impressive, especially for a low budget laptop, and you should not have a problem using media – music, TV, movies, podcasts – with this laptop. The sound is not smothered by the orientation of the top, it becomes powerful without distortion, it is clear and full. In tablet mode, the speaker does not point to you, but I could still hear clearly.

To the right of the touchpad, just below the keyboard, is a fingerprint reader for secure connections via Windows Hello. It worked quickly and accurately every time I used it, and it did not bother the palm of your right hand when typing. No infrared camera is included for facial recognition, but a 720p front camera is on top of the screen. It offers a better image than many other laptops we have tested and which is more expensive.

HP Pavilion x360 14 display

The Pavilion x360 exceeds the 1920×1080 (FHD) resolution of its 14-inch touch screen, which means you'll have to switch to something like HP's Specter x360 series for higher resolution. There is also a 768p (HD) option for the Pavilion if your budget is tight, but we recommend that you do not use a lower resolution than 1080p, which we tested here. This laptop is compatible with an active N-Trig pen, although this one is not included and you have to take one separately.

The glossy finish of the touch screen sometimes makes it difficult to combat glare in a well-lit room, and it would be nice if the brightness increases to 50 nits. However, the IPS panel provides wide viewing angles for times when you want to share your screen. I've tested color reproduction and got 65% sRGB and 49% AdobeRGB, results that could be much better, but not quite unexpected at this price.

The bezel is considerably thinner than the older models of the Pavilion x360, but there is still a thick chin at the bottom and a thicker bezel at the top compared to the sides. It's a little unbalanced, but there is room to hold without activating the touch function in tablet mode.

HP Pavilion x360 14 keyboard and touchpad

HP pushed the keyboard into the main chassis to keep the keys aligned with the rest of the body, thus preventing the keys from rubbing against the flat screen when closing. It looks good, and the keyboard is exceptional. The chiclet keys are sufficiently spaced apart, the movement is long, easy to operate, and the three – level backlight makes working in the dark easier. I love the HP font used here and I am happy that they chose to keep the color uniformity with the rest of the body. If you type a lot, you should not have a problem.

One of the biggest problems we have had over the years with HP notebooks is the use of Synaptics touchpad drivers instead of Microsoft Precision drivers. It changed with the Pavilion x360 and I could not be happier. The touchpad is not as big as it could be (it's certainly pretty wide), but it accurately tracks and provides access to all the Windows 10 moves to improve productivity . A brilliant bevel around the touchpad gives it an extra touch.

HP Pavilion x360 14 performance and battery

The Intel Core i5-8565U 8th generation of the examination unit is enough for daily computer management. You can now choose 10th generation Intel chips for additional performance and battery life. With up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM, you'll be able to reduce productivity from a day with ease, and an optional NVIDIA MX250 dedicated GPU with 2GB of VR memory adds some gaming potential or d & # 39; edit.

The storage options are a bit odd but not out of the ordinary for a budget laptop. A hard disk (HDD) of up to 1TB, combined with a 256GB SATA SSD, is available. You can also use a single 256GB PCIe SSD for additional performance. Our control unit uses a rather small 128GB SATA SSD drive, which does not store a lot of numbers, though it is faster than a SATA hard drive.

As for battery life, running regular productivity applications, interspersed with some streaming videos, was detected between six and seven hours before requiring a charge. It's not enough to spend a day working without having to carry your charger with you, although a model with a 10th generation Intel processor would probably have an extra life.

I've reviewed some summary tests to see how the Pavilion x360 compared to other laptops we tested.

Given the exceptional price and the transition to the Intel Core 10th generation processor in models directly available from HP, the Pavilion x360 14 is easy to recommend to those who need an affordable daily driver. The battery does not last all day, at least with older 8th generation Intel processors, and the display could be more colorful and brighter to help combat glare from the glossy finish, but these are easy compromises.

4
out of 5

The convertible chassis, available in five different color combinations, gives the notebook a high-end look and offers a decent selection of ports for your accessories. The backlit keyboard is extremely comfortable, the touchpad uses Precision drivers and the convertible action is fluid thanks to a dual hinge configuration.

The maximum size of 256 GB for an M.2 PCIe SSD disk may not be enough for some, but you can upgrade to a much faster version after purchase. And if you plan to use your laptop to watch movies and watch TV, the speakers are well above what you usually find in a laptop at this price. If the Pavilion x360 is not exactly what you're looking for, do not forget to check out our collection of the best laptops under $ 600.

We can earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.