Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 gaming graphics card is a speedy compromise for $499

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 gaming graphics card is a speedy compromise for $499

Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3070 may end up suffering from middle-child syndrome, squeezed between the two ends of Nvidia's GPU spectrum: basic 1440p for a little less or basic 4K/high-frame rate 1440p for a little more. The GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition of the $499 (£469, AU$809) graphics card I tested is geared toward high-frame rate/quality 1440p gaming, and delivers similar performance to the RTX 2080 Ti for most uses (but not all), which debuted at $999. The boost over its predecessor, the more expensive RTX 2070 Super, depends upon what you need it to do. 

The release of the 3070 follows the bumpy launch of the $699 RTX 3080 and its $1,500 sibling, the RTX 3090, both experiencing price gouging due to shortages. But rumors have also surfaced about a slightly cheaper RTX 3060 Ti coming soon as well as a new card slotted between the 3070 and 3080. Plus, it's likely we'll get an entry-level 30 series card early next year to feed the mid-$300 buyers. And that doesn't take into account AMD's launch of its ambitious Radeon RX 6000-series "Big Navi" gaming cards that use the same architecture as the upcoming Xbox Series X and S and PS5consoles.

Like the RTX 3080-based graphics cards, the Ampere-generation of the company's GPU architecture achieves playable frame rates in games that use RTX-specific features like ray-tracing and global illumination. Its AI-based upscaling feature, DLSS, lets you finally game at better-than-bare-minimum frame rates without visible degradation in quality. The GPU also lifts performance over predecessors in games that don't take advantage of the whizzy features by about 10% to 20% on average, which is really most games.   

Unlike its higher-end siblings, the 3070 uses older GDDR6 memory and has the same memory bandwidth as the 2070 Super. It still gets some performance boosts thanks to the second-gen ray tracing and third-gen Tensor cores, such as new algorithms and instruction sets that make them a lot more efficient and a switch to an 8nm process size from 12nm. And as is typical, it has increased core counts -- it has a lower ray-tracing core count but the Ampere RT cores are doubled-up over the Turing cores, so technically the 3070 has more. But you won't see the same uplift that the 3080 and 3090 received over earlier models. 

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition specs

	GeForce RTX 3070
Memory	8GB GDDR6
Memory bandwidth	448GB/sec
Memory clock (GHz)	1.75
GPU clock (GHz, base/boost)	1.5/1.73
Memory data rate/Interface	14Gbps/256 bit
Texture fill rate (gigatexels per second)	317.4
RT cores	46
CUDA Cores	5,888
Texture mapping units	184
Streaming multiprocessors	68
Tensor Cores	184
Process	8nm
TGP/min PSU	220w/550w
Max thermal (degrees C)	199F/93C
GPU name	GA104
Bus	PCIe 4.0 x 16
Size	2 slots; 9.5 x 4.4 in (242 x 112 mm)
Price	Around $499

It's also significantly less power-hungry than the higher-end cards, roughly the same as before, plus it's the same size as the 2080 Ti. While the 3070 has a similar 12-pin power connector design to the 3080 -- including an adapter in the box -- it still only connects to a single 8-pin block from the power supply. All of that means it's a much simpler upgrade, especially in tight systems. The Founders Edition, at least, ran cool and quiet during my testing, in a system where I swapped it for the 2070 Super.  

Lori Grunin/CNET

I have no complaints about the RTX 3070's performance, and it's definitely worth its $499 price tag. But it may not be your best choice for the money. The Ti models generally have more memory and slightly wider data paths than the non-Ti models, which is why you'll find the 11GB 2080 Ti occasionally outperforming the 8GB 3070. It makes sense to wait and see if an RTX 3060 Ti or intermediate option between the 3070 and 3080 become reality and what AMD rolls out later this week.

Geekbench 5 (Vulkan)

Origin PC Big O (PS4 Edition)

MSI Aegis RS (MS-7C75)

Corsair One Pro i200

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Geekbench 5 (CUDA)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Shadow of the Tomb Raider gaming test (1080p, highest quality)

Origin PC Big O (PS4 Edition)

MSI Aegis RS (MS-7C75)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance (FPS)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider gaming test (4K, highest quality)

MSI Aegis RS (MS-7C75) with DLSS

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance (FPS)

3DMark Port Royal (RTX)

Origin PC Big O (PS4 Edition)

MSI Aegis RS (MS-7C75)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Configurations

Corsair One Pro	Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (1909); 3.3GHz Intel Core i9-10940X; 64GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,667MHz; 11GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti; 2TB SSD
Maingear Turbo	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (2004); 3.8GHz Ryzen 9 3900XT; 32GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,600; 11GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti; 1TB SSD + 4TB HDD
MSI Aegis RS	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (1909); 3.8GHz Intel Core i7-10700K; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,000; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition; 1TB SSD
MSI Trident X	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (1909); (oc) 3.8GHz Intel Core i7-10700K; 32GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,932; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super; 1TB SSD
Origin PC Big O (PS4 Edition)	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (1909); 3.8GHz AMD Ryzen 9 3900X; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super; 1.5TB SSD (2TB SSD for console)
Origin PC Chronos	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (2004); Intel Core i9-10900K; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200; 10GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (EVGA); 1TB SSD + 500GB SSD

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AMD Radeon RX 6800 series graphics cards have serious 4K cred

AMD Radeon RX 6800 series graphics cards have serious 4K cred

AMD is finally going after 4K gaming with its impressive top-end PC graphics cards, the Radeon RX 6800 and 6800 XT (and 6900 XT) after spending its time concentrating on value buyers. Its still-current RX 5700 XT was formerly the top of the line and designed for 1440p play, though I expect AMD will bring the rest of the Radeon cards up to date with the latest technologies. All the new cards incorporate the RDNA 2.0 architecture that's in the graphics processing units for the upcoming Xbox Series X and S and PS5 consoles and directly tackle the new Ampere-architecture GeForce RTX 3080 and 3070 recently launched by Nvidia. 

The RX 6800 and its higher-end sibling, the RX 6800 XT, fall between the Nvidia cards in performance and price -- at least by manufacturer price. The $579 (directly converted: £435, AU$790) RX 6800 falls between the $499 (£375, AU$680) RTX 3070 and the $699 (£525, AU$960) RTX 3080, while the $649 (£490, AU$890) RX 6800 XT competes almost directly with the RTX 3080. Actual prices can vary a lot, however, depending on stock and the "something extra" that third-party card makers throw into the mix, so they're frequently higher than AMD and Nvidia's explicit target. The new cards are available as of today.

So far I'm impressed with the performance of both of the 6800 cards, but exactly how impressed will depend upon where the prices land when the market has settled. They both hit eminently playable 4K frame rates and that's before you start futzing with driver settings like overclocking and upscaling with FidelityFX, AMD's open-source image quality toolkit. When the cards are maxing out the graphics processing unit, the fans can get loud, but they never get too hot or unstable. (I never pushed them to the point where I'd expect them to, though.)  

The Radeon RX 6800 (top) and RX 6800 XT (bottom).

Lori Grunin/CNET

Physically, the 6800 is narrower than the 6800 XT, and both are longer than Nvidia's RTX 3070 (but shorter than the RTX 3080). The three fans suck air in from the side and blow it out through the top and bottom; there's no venting out of the back as there is on the RTX cards. They use standard eight-pin power connectors and provide an HDMI, two DisplayPorts and a USB-C port.

The Radeon RX 6800 cards are on the long side, and I don't think I'd try to cram one into a small system.

Lori Grunin/CNET

Hardware performance improvements over previous generations stem partly from the higher-density on-die Infinity Cache design (all have 128MB) and enhanced design of the compute units, which includes a new Ray Accelerator core for each compute unit. These combine to improve the memory subsystem by reducing the latency of moving data around, increase bandwidth by up to 2.2x with a narrower path (256 bits) and deliver better energy efficiency. That also allows the processors to hit higher clock frequencies without a substantial increase in power requirements.    

Specifications

	AMD Radeon RX 6800	AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
Memory	16GB DDR6	16GB DDR6
Memory bandwidth (GB/sec)	512	512
Memory clock (GHz)	2.0	2.0
GPU clock (GHz, base/boost)	1.815/2.105	2.015/2.250
Memory data rate/Interface	16Gbps/256 bit	16Gbps/256 bit
Texture fill rate (gigatexels per second)	505.2	648
Ray Accelerators	60	72
Stream cores	3,840	4,608
Texture mapping units	240	288
Compute Units	60	72
TGP/min PSU (watts)	250/650	300/750
Bus	PCIe 4.0 x 16	PCIe 4.0 x 16
Size	2 slots; 10.5 in/267mm long	2.5 slots; 10.5 in/267mm long
Price	$579	$649

Relative performance between the AMD and Nvidia cards seems to be mixed across the board as well. (It'll require a lot more testing to confirm the patterns I'm seeing.) There's a significantly smaller gap between the 6800 XT and 6800 and Nvidia's cards at 4K than at 1080p, for example, which is more than likely due to their 16GB of memory (the 3080 has 10GB) and the Infinity Cache. 

You generally don't take much of a hit going from 1080p to 1440p with AMD's cards. For instance, on Shadow of the Tomb Raider the 6800 XT dropped from 140fps to 132fps on average. The details look different, though. I noticed more reliance on the central processing unit and less consistency in the amount of time it takes to render a frame in 1440p. On the Deus Ex: Mankind Divided benchmark, the AMD cards dropped less than 3% from 1080p to 1440p. The RTX 3070 and 3080 lost about 20%.

The Radeon RX 6800.

Lori Grunin/CNET

The AMD cards also hit higher graphic processing unit clock rates for DirectX 12 calls than for DirectX 11. The GPU clock frequencies -- memory and instruction -- also vary a lot more relative to each other. By comparison, the 3070's frequencies are in lockstep. Much of this may be driver-related since AMD's driver makes more automatic on-the-fly adjustments. The behavior isn't necessarily a bad thing, just different.

There's an optimized all-AMD configuration, which takes advantage of the cards' new Smart Access Memory. SAM basically gives the card direct access to the main system memory across the system bus, rather than having to use the central processing unit as a middle man. But that's only in systems using one of the company's new Ryzen 5000 series of desktop CPUs, and AMD says it only boosts frame rates by up to 13%. I haven't had a chance to try it for want of a motherboard and CPU, though.

Between the new consoles and the barrage of graphics cards, this is an exhausting -- or exhilarating, take your pick -- time to shop for new gaming gear, especially gear that likely won't see a Black Friday discount this holiday shopping season. Toss in the supply problems we've been seeing for consoles and graphics cards, and you've got plenty of time to make a decision. As long as the prices don't get too high, or Nvidia's don't get too low, AMD's enthusiast gaming GPUs are more competitive than they've ever been.

Far Cry 5 (1080p)

MSI Aegis RS (6800 XT)

Note:

NOTE: Longer bars indicate better performance (FPS)

Far Cry 5 (4K)

Note:

NOTE: Longer bars indicate better performance (fps)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider gaming test (4K)

MSI Aegis RS (RTX 3070)

Origin PC Chronos (RTX 3080)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance (FPS)

3DMark Time Spy

MSI Aegis RS (RTX 3070)

MSI Aegis RS (6800 XT)

Origin PC Chronos (RTX 3080)

Note:

NOTE: Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Fire Strike Ultra

MSI Aegis RS (RTX 3070)

Origin PC Chronos (RTX 3080)

MSI Aegis RS (6800 XT)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

SpecViewPerf 13 3DS Max (1080p)

MSI Aegis RS (RTX 3070)

MSI Aegis RS (6800)

Origin PC Chronos (RTX 3080)

MSI Aegis RS (6800 XT)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance (FPS)

Configurations

MSI Aegis RS (RTX 3070 FE)	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (1909); 3.8GHz Intel Core i7-10700K; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,000; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition; 1TB SSD
Origin PC Chronos (RTX 3080)	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (2004); Intel Core i9-10900K; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200; 10GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (EVGA); 1TB SSD + 500GB SSD
MSI Aegis RS (RX 6800 XT)	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (1909); 3.8GHz Intel Core i7-10700K; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,000; 16GB AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT; 1TB SSD
MSI Aegis RS (RX 6800)	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (1909); 3.8GHz Intel Core i7-10700K; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,000; 16GB AMD Radeon RX 6800; 1TB SSD

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Source

Tags:

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Origin PC Evo17-S (2022) Review: Big Gaming Performance in a Thin 17-Inch Laptop

Origin PC Evo17-S (2022) Review: Big Gaming Performance in a Thin 17-Inch Laptop

Origin PC's Evo-17-S gaming laptop puts the blazing performance of top-end components in a slim, stealthy body, assembled with the personal touch of a custom PC builder. The 17.3-inch laptop is remarkably compact and light at 4.9 pounds (2.2 kilograms) and yet churns out impressive frame rates. 

The Evo17-S is compact for a 17.3-inch laptop.

Josh Goldman/CNET

Like the company's gaming desktop builds, you get more control over what goes into the Evo17-S than you would with any of the bigger-name brands. You can even choose what goes on the outside, too. And you get more personal service and support. There are a few opportunities for improvement, but overall the Evo17-S is a big-screen gaming laptop to shortlist, especially if you're after something that's more tailored to your wants.

Like

• Impressive performance
• Many configuration options
• Stellar service, support

Don't Like

• Noticeable display backlight bleed
• No per-key RGB keyboard lighting

Choice is yours

For the Evo17-S, Origin offers just a few combos of a display, Intel processor and Nvidia graphics processor. The starting configuration, currently priced at $2,416 (£2,203, AU$3,823) pairs a 144Hz 17.3-inch 1080p display, an Intel Core i7-12700H and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. For $500 more, you can bump the graphics up to an RTX 3080 Ti or, for $800 more, you get the 3080 Ti with a Core i9-12900H CPU and a 240Hz 1440p display with 100% sRGB color space. 

From there you choose the RAM -- 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 -- and up to two, 2TB PCIe NVMe solid-state drives. This is where Origin stands out from the competition. While gaming laptops from others might let you pick the amount of storage you get, they don't offer a selection of brands, sizes and speeds to meet your needs and budget. Plus, with more laptops being made with the RAM soldered onboard, it's nice to have the option to add more down the road. 

This laptop is expensive, going over $4,000 fully loaded. But other gaming laptops similarly configured from Alienware and Razer are equally pricey. 

Origin PC Evo17-S (2022)

Price as reviewed	$3,545
Display size/resolution	17.3-inch 2,560x1,440 240Hz display
CPU	2.9GHz Intel Core i9-12900H
Memory	32GB 4,800MHz DDR5
Graphics	16GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics
Storage	1TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Networking	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, 2.5Gb Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0
Operating system	Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Ports	USB-C Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (x3), HDMI 2.1, DC-in, audio in, mic out

Origin also provides free labor on RAM and storage upgrades if you send in the laptop. In addition to its stellar reputation for hands-on support, Origin also offers a wider array of configuration options in its system-building tool, so you should be able to hit your dream specs pretty closely from the start. This includes parts from its parent company, Corsair. Parts are covered with a one-year replacement warranty and buyers get 24/7 US-based tech support.

The Evo17-S might be thin but its performance is big.

Josh Goldman/CNET

Performance that doesn't disappoint

With a top-notch processor and high-end graphics chip, it's not a surprise the Evo17-S can hit some high frame rates even on newer demanding games. Whether you want to have a more immersive gaming experience with the 1440p-resolution display and details set to high or drop the resolution and detail settings to really use the display's 240Hz refresh rate, the component combination in my review system can handle it. (Our benchmark test results are at the end of this review.)

The one minor performance ding would be the Corsair MP600 Pro SSD that was in my system that was slightly slower than WD and Samsung drives in other gaming laptops we've tested recently. It's unlikely to be a performance difference you'd notice in use, but it might be worth paying a little extra for the Samsung 970 Evo Plus or 980 Pro SSDs if you want the best speeds. 

The flat keycaps might look nice but they're not the best for gaming.

Josh Goldman/CNET

Predictably, a laptop this thin and powerful does get hot when you're gaming or doing anything else demanding. The fans do get loud but keep both the left and right sides of the laptop cool for your hands. The only place it gets hot on top is in the middle from above the keyboard down to the top of the touchpad.

Remarkably, battery life is pretty good. Gaming should still be done when it's plugged in. But if you want to kick back and stream some video or get some office work done away from an outlet, you can. On our streaming video test, it lasted 5 hours, 38 minutes. Some power management and reducing the screen brightness below 50% will stretch the battery time further. 

The display is nice, too

The base model of the Evo17-S has a 144Hz 1080p display. I can't speak to the quality of that display, unfortunately, but the higher-end 1440p 240Hz screen in my review laptop was quite good. Bright with good color and contrast, the display covered 96% sRGB, 68% NTSC and 73% AdobeRGB and P3 color spaces and its brightness at 100% measured 420 nits. 

At its highest brightness, though, I did notice backlight bleed at the corners in dark game scenes, especially at the bottom of the panel. This is not uncommon and not a deal-breaker for me, however, it might be for some potential buyers. 

The laptop's Control Center app gives you quick access to important settings. 

Josh Goldman/CNET

I have a few more minor criticisms. For instance, the lack of per-key RGB backlighting on the keyboard -- a feature you'd find on other gaming laptops at this price. The keyboard does have RGB lights, but you can only set them to solid colors or a handful of different patterns. (There's a light bar at the front edge of the laptop as well.) I'm not a fan of the flat keycaps, but that's personal preference and in general, the keyboard's feel and layout are just fine. 

Also, the speakers are loud but they sound thin. There are separate audio-out and mic-in jacks on the right side, though, so get yourself some speakers or a headset to plug in instead. Similarly, the built-in webcam is 1080p, which does give you more detail than the 720p webcams that were once standard. Even in good lighting, though, there's visible image noise so you may still want to use a discrete webcam. With plenty of ports on the left, right and rear of the laptop, you can connect multiple displays and accessories. 

The Evo17-S is black but you can pay for a lid treatment to add a custom look. 

Josh Goldman/CNET

It's worth mentioning, too, that although the sturdy laptop comes in a stealthy black with a metal lid, soft-touch keyboard deck and a plastic bottom, you can opt to have Origin apply one of 11 prints to the lid for an additional $65. I like the all-black look, though, and makes it more office-friendly. 

Regardless of what you choose, you're still getting a nice-looking thin-and-light design packed with as much performance as you want to pay for and the personal service and support of a custom PC builder.

How we test computers

The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both those objective and subjective judgments. 

The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we're currently running on every compatible computer include: Primate Labs Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra. 

A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found in our How We Test Computers page. 

Geekbench 5 (multicore)

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE (2022)

Lenovo Legion 5i Pro

Razer Blade 15 (2022)

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Cinebench R23 CPU (multicore)

Lenovo Legion 5i Pro

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE (2022)

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58

Razer Blade 15 (2022)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

PCMark 10 Pro Edition

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE (2022)

Razer Blade 15 (2022)

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Online Streaming Battery Drain Test (in minutes)

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE (2022)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Wild Life Extreme

Lenovo Legion 5i Pro

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE (2022)

Razer Blade 15 (2022)

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Guardians of the Galaxy (High @1920 x 1080)

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE (2022)

Razer Blade 15 (2022)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest @ 1920 x 1080)

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE (2022)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

System Configurations

Origin PC Evo17-S	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.9GHz Intel Core i9-12900H; 32GB DDR5 4,800MHz; 16GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti; 1TB SSD
Acer Predator Triton 500 SE (2022)	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.9GHz Intel Core i9-12900H; 16GB DDR5 4,800MHz; 16GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti; 1TB SSD
Razer Blade 15 (2022)	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-12800H; 16GB DDR5 4,800MH; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070Ti; 1TB SSD
Alienware x15 R2	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-12700H; 32GB DDR5 6,400MHz; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti; 512GB SSD
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-12700H; 16GB DDR5 6,400MHz; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti; 512GB SSD
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-12500H; 16GB DDR4 3,200MHz; 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060; 512GB SSD

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Tags:

• Origin Pc Review 2020
• Origin Pc Eon17 X
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Hp x360 spectre 16 hp spectre review x360 hp spectre x360 reviews hp spectre review x360 hp spectre x360 16 laptop hp spectre x360 17 review hp spectre x360 16 oled hp spectre x360 2022 hp spectre

HP Spectre x360 16 Review: Big, Luxurious 2-in-1 for Creatives

HP Spectre x360 16 Review: Big, Luxurious 2-in-1 for Creatives

The HP Spectre x360 16 doesn't have "pro" in its name, but it deserves to. It's not a business laptop, so you won't find an Intel vPro processor or IT management features. However, its premium features, beautiful OLED display, good looks and speedy performance are just about perfect for anyone looking for a versatile laptop with an awesome work-play-and-create design -- as long as you don't mind the size and weight.

Configurations for the HP Spectre x360 16 start at $1,640 while my review model is $2,030. A similar configuration to what I tested is £1,900 in the UK and AU$3,799 in Australia. All models include an 11th-gen Intel Core i7-11390H processor, at least 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD; memory can be bumped up to 32GB (it's onboard so you have to add before you buy) and up to a 2TB SSD. The base model has integrated Intel graphics but an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 discrete GPU is also an option and is required if you want it configured with a stunning 16-inch 3,840x 2,400-pixel OLED touch display. 

Like

• Beautiful design
• Lots of features for home and office work
• Great webcam
• Active pen and laptop sleeve included

Don't Like

• Top-end configuration performance underwhelms

HP, like most other PC makers, has moved toward taller 3:2- or 16:10-ratio displays and away from 16:9 widescreens; the 16-inch display on the Spectre x360 16 is 16:10. Combined with thinner bezels framing the display, it gives you more vertical space to work with little impact on the laptop's overall footprint. 

With a trimmed-down chassis, too, this means you can have a 16-inch laptop that's roughly the same size of an older 15.6-inch widescreen laptop. While the OLED is the top choice, it does add to the cost, especially since it has to be paired with the RTX 3050 graphics, and can shorten battery life. HP said with integrated graphics and the base 3,072x1,920-pixel IPS display, the laptop can get up to 17 hours. I reached 9 hours, 45 minutes on our video-streaming battery test with the OLED display. 

Like past models, the Spectre x360 16 has ports on the corners: Thunderbolt 4 USB-C on the right (pictured) and a 3.5mm headset jack on the left.

Josh Goldman/CNET

The 16-inch size is rare for a two-in-one and makes the Spectre x360 16 more of a desktop replacement than an ultraportable (it has the ports to accommodate a desk setup without a hub, too). It's not too heavy at 4.5 pounds (2 kilograms), although it's definitely not a toss-in-your-bag-and-forget-it's-there weight, either. The laptop requires a big power supply for full performance, too, but it can be charged with a smaller USB-C charger as well.

The smooth, sturdy body -- made from recycled aluminum -- and additional screen space compared to a 13- or 14-inch is worth the extra heft, though, especially if you're splitting time between working from home and hot-desking or hoteling at an office mixed with occasional pit-stops for coffee-shop conferences. The Spectre x360 16 can of course be used as a laptop, but the larger two-in-one design makes it good for giving presentations, using it as a whiteboard, sketching or notetaking with the included pen or kicking back and watching videos or gaming. 

The configuration I tested is almost fully loaded and includes a high-quality OLED touch display that's factory calibrated and covers 100% sRGB, 100% P3, 97% Adobe RGB and 95% NTSC color gamuts with a max brightness of 383 nits according to our tests. If you're doing color-critical work, this display is what you want (though it's not bright enough to fight reflections outdoors). 

HP Spectre x360 16

Price as reviewed	$2,030
Display size/resolution	16-inch 3840 x 2400 OLED touch display
CPU	3.4GHz Intel Core i7-11390H
Memory	16GB 3,200MHz DDR4
Graphics	4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
Connections	USB-C Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 (x2), USB-A (10Gbps), HDMI 2.0, AC in, 3.5mm combo
Storage	1TB NVMe PCIe TLC M.2 SSD
Networking	802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E), Bluetooth 5.2
Operating system	Windows 11 Home

For the $2,030 price, the performance is somewhat underwhelming when looked at away from the rest of the package. In fact, price is really my only hang-up with recommending this laptop. That's simply because you can find better performance for less money with something like the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus. 

The Dell is a clamshell, not a two-in-one, and while its features, body and display are excellent for the money, they don't compare to the HP. But if you're looking for a 16-inch laptop that's closer to $1,000 than $2,000, consider the Inspiron 16 Plus. The HP might not be a bargain, but it does deliver a more premium experience. Also, in my anecdotal testing, which included editing raw image files with DxO PureRaw 2.0, performance was speedy and smooth. And it can even do some gaming if you dial back on the quality settings. 

All the little extras 

The increase in people video-chatting on their laptops during the pandemic really shone a spotlight on how poor most built-in webcams are. For the Spectre x360 16, HP put in a 5-megapixel camera and some software to help you look your best. HP GlamCam touches up your skin, teeth and eyes, for example, while Lighting Correction adjusts your video for poor lighting conditions. There's also Auto Frame, which uses the extra resolution to track your face if you move off-center on camera. It's a little slow to respond compared to Apple's Center Stage. However, HP said its slight delay is intentional so it doesn't constantly adjust, which makes sense -- you wouldn't want it jumping around for every little movement. 

The keyboard and touchpad on the Spectre x360 16 are excellent, too. 

Josh Goldman/CNET

Also, along with a privacy shutter to block the webcam and mic mute button, you can also have your computer lock automatically if you walk away from the laptop. It will dim the display, too, when you stop looking directly at it. HP also added a setting to have the display blur if it sees someone shoulder surfing behind you as you work. 

There are also things like Wi-Fi 6E for the fastest wireless performance; an IR camera for face recognition, as well as a fingerprint reader to simplify sign-ins; and helpful software for managing system performance and content creation. Even if you're not a creative, all of the Spectre x360 16's features add up to a great two-in-one experience. It's something you likely won't mind working on every day. And with the additional graphics boost, you can do a little gaming in your downtime, too. 

Geekbench 5 (multicore)

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus

Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5

Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance.

Cinebench R23 (multicore)

Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro

Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance.

PCMark 10 Pro Edition (complete)

Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus

Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance.

Far Cry V (High @ 1,920 x 1,080)

Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5

Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance.

Online Streaming Battery Drain test (in minutes)

Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6

Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance.

System Configurations

HP Spectre x360 16	Microsoft Windows 11 Home (64-bit); 3.4GHz Intel Core i7-11390H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200MHz; 4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics; 1TB SSD
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-11800H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200MHz; 4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050; 512GB SSD
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 3.2GHz AMD Ryzen 7 5800H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200MHz; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070; 512GB SSD
Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 1.9GHz AMD Ryzen 7 5800U; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM; 4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050Ti; 512GB SSD
Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 3.2GHz AMD Ryzen 7 5800H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200MHz; 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060; 512GB SSD

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