HP just recently announced the 2022 refresh of the HP Spectre x360, including a new 13.5-inch and 16-inch model. Both of them are worthy of ranking among the best laptops of the year, but they do it for different reasons. Sure, they have the same premium design, but the display and internal specs are very different. If you’re wondering what exactly those specs are, let’s take a look at the configurations that are available for each model of the HP Spectre x360.
Choosing the right configuration is important to get the best possible experience for your needs while also avoiding spending too much on things you don’t need. We’ll go through all the major configuration options available for either size, but we should note that there are some configuration options that were announced and aren’t available yet. In addition to the configurations themselves, we’ll list the official cost of each one according to HP, but keep in mind that sales can change that price over time.
CPU, GPU, and RAM
The core components that will determine the performance of your laptop are all tied together when configuring the HP Spectre x360, whether that’s the 13.5 or 16-inch model. Here are the options available for each one:
| Laptop | CPU | GPU | RAM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP Spectre x360 13.5 | Intel Core i5-1235U | Intel Iris Xe (integrated) | 8GB | |
| Intel Core i5-1235U | Intel Iris Xe (integrated) | 16GB | ||
| Intel Core i7-1255U | Intel Iris Xe (integrated) | 16GB | Compatible with OLED display | |
| Intel Core i7-1255U | Intel Iris Xe (integrated) | 32GB | ||
| HP Spectre x360 16 | Intel Core i7-12700H | Intel Iris Xe (integrated) | 16GB | |
| Intel Core i7-12700H | Intel Arc A370M | 16GB | Compatible with OLED display | |
| Intel Core i7-12700H | Intel Arc A370M | 32GB |
CPU speed and RAM will affect the overall performance of your laptop for just about any task. The Spectre x360 13.5 uses U15 processors with a 15W TDP, but the processors inside the Spectre x360 16 have a higher 45W TDP. They also have more cores, which means they’ll be significantly faster. HP has also announced 28W processors for the Spectre x360 16, but those aren’t available yet.
RAM is particularly important if you plan on having multiple apps open at the same time, or if you’re working with large projects like an image editing app. Both of the laptops go up to 32GB, though the smaller model starts at a lower 8GB.
GPU configurations are really only available in the HP Spectre x360 16, and this can help with creative workloads like video editing, but it’s also important if you plan to play games on your laptop. A discrete GPU can deliver more performance than an integrated one, so that’s what you should be looking for.
Unfortunately, as you can see above, only one configuration option for each laptop can be paired with the respective OLED display (which we’ll get to in a bit).
HP Spectre x360: Display
The display is one of the best things about the Spectre x360, and that goes for both models. However, they do have very different configurations. Here are the available options for each model:
| Laptop | Resolution | Aspect ratio | Panel type | Brightness | Extra features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP Spectre x360 13.5 | 1920 x 1280 | 3:2 | IPS | 400 nits | n/a |
| 1920 x 1280 | 3:2 | IPS | 1000 nits | HP Sure View Reflect privacy screen | |
| 3000 x 2000 | 3:2 | OLED | 400 nits (500 nits in HDR) | n/a | |
| HP Spectre x360 16 | 3072 x 1920 | 16:10 | IPS | 400 nits | n/a |
| 3072 x 1920 | 16:10 | IPS | 400 nits | Anti-reflection | |
| 3840 x 2400 | 16:10 | OLED | 400 nits (500 nits in HDR) | Anti-reflection |
It’s worth reiterating that the OLED panels in each model require a specific CPU, RAM, and GPU configuration (see above). The OLED panels come in a higher resolution and include benefits like true blacks, vivid colors, and a higher contrast ratio, which also helps them support HDR.
HP Spectre x360: Storage
The storage configurations are thankfully much simpler to explain. More storage simply means more space for your files, and while all the available configurations are pretty good, having more is better if you plan on storing lots of large files.
| Storage (SSD) |
|---|
| 512GB |
| 1TB |
| 2TB |
One thing to note about the HP Spectre x360 16 is that HP gives you the option between a PCIe 4 SSD (which is labeled as 4×4) or a PCIe 3 SSD. PCIe 4 offers faster speeds, but for some reason, they cost the same. Make sure you’re choosing the 4×4 variant when configuring your laptop. There’s no reason not to.
Wi-Fi (Spectre x360 16 only)
This one only applies to the Spectre x360 16, but HP actually gives you the option to choose between two different Wi-Fi modems from Intel. Here are the options:
| Wi-Fi card | Price |
|---|---|
| Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 | n/a (base price) |
| Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX411 | + $10 |
Aside from being newer, the Intel Wi-FI AX411 supports Intel Double Connect technology, which allows your computer to simultaneously to a 5GHz/6GHz network plus a 2.4GHz network. This makes it so you can use the faster bands for one task, like online gaming, and the slower band for something like a download in the background. Both of them support Bluetooth 5.2.
Colors
Finally, because looks matter too, there are the color options you can choose from with these laptops. These don’t make a big difference in price, but a couple of options do cost extra on the 13.5-inch model.
| Color |
|---|
| Natural Silver (x360 13.5) |
| Nightfall Black |
| Nocturne Blue |
The 13.5-inch model is the only one that comes in a Natural Silver colorway, and that’s the only option that only has a single color. Nightfall Black and Nocturne Blue both have dual-tone designs, so they cost extra. In the 16-inch model, only dual-tone designs are available.
And those are the configurations you can choose from with the HP Spectre x360. Regardless of what you go with, these are two of HP’s best laptops, so you’re bound to have a good experience. But choosing the right configuration means you’ll get exactly the experience you want.
If you haven’t yet, you can buy the HP Spectre x360 2022 models below.
