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Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs HP Spectre x360-15t

Apple MacBook Air (2020)

Apple MacBook Air (2020)

137 reviews

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HP Spectre x360-15t

HP Spectre x360-15t

11 reviews

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Great portability

Strong performance with M1 processor

Up to 12.5 hours of battery life on a single charge

High quality case and good panel

Good optimization for macOS

Great performance and features

Trimmer and lighter than its predecessor

Comes with the latest Comet Lake-U Core i7 processor and GeForce MX250 graphics card

Long battery life

High quality keyboard and display

Not suitable for those who need more multitasking power or storage space

Windows laptops offer more performance at a lower price point

No significant design updates since 2018

Not worth upgrading if you already own a Spectre

Performance increase over the previous model is marginal

Pricey

Verdict

The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is a great choice for those looking for a highly portable laptop with strong performance. It features an M1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of solid state storage. The battery life is also impressive, lasting up to 12.5 hours on a single charge. However, the base model may not be suitable for those who need more multitasking power or storage space. Additionally, some Windows laptops offer more performance at a lower price point.

Verdict

The HP Spectre x360-15t is a top-of-the-line convertible 2-in-1 laptop that offers great performance and features. It is trimmer and lighter than its predecessor, and comes with the latest Comet Lake-U Core i7 processor and GeForce MX250 graphics card. However, the performance increase over the previous model is marginal, so it may not be worth upgrading if you already own a Spectre.

Reviews by Topic

Our analysis shows how reviewers feel about different topics. Please note these are not full reviews.

Performance

Verdict – The Core i3 is the better choice for everyday tasks

There are also noticeable advantages in terms of the emissions, and especially the fan is much quieter with a slower maximum speed. This means the i3 MacBook Air is quieter for longer periods of time, even when you stress it.The MacBook Air with the dual-core i3 processor is the better device for basic workloads. The subjective performance impression is very good in these scenarios, the fan is quieter, and you can still enjoy the good display as well as the improved keyboard

Neutral

notebookcheck.net

In our review of the Ice Lake Spectre x360 13 and Kaby Lake-G Spectre x360 15 models, we discovered fluctuating clock rates, frame rates, and fan noise when under high loads for a bumpy gaming experience. This Comet Lake-U Spectre x360 15 exhibits similar characteristics as its clock rates, frame rates, and fan noise would fluctuate as well when gaming. Power users looking for more consistent performance out of their laptops may want to avoid this particular Spectre configuration as a result.

Negative

notebookcheck.net

Graphics Card

MAKE SURE YOU GET AS MUCH MEMORY & STORAGE AS YOU CAN AFFORD - SPECIAL ORDER IF NEED BE

The M1 model has blown me away with its speed and smooth running with a large number of apps open, including Final Cut & Logic Pro. Admittedly the 2017 MB was the bottom of the line and I suffered under frequent overheating issues with too many things open and the single C-port fiasco. I likely would have gone with the 7 core GPU model if one had been in stock at the time of purchase, but I wanted 512 GB of SSD space, so I paid more by going with eh 8 core. From everything that I've seen, the lack of more RAM upgrades is not nearly as important as it was with the Intel x86 processors and is really only useful when you have many GPU intensive "Pro Apps" running at the same time

HP Spectre x360 15 (2017) review: A hybrid that spins me right round

5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,133MHz; 2GB Nvidia GeForce 940MX; 128GB SSD + 1TB HDDRazer Blade 14 Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ; 8GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,133MHz; 6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 970; 256GB SSDSurface Book (2016) Microsoft Windosws 10 Pro (64-bit); 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6600U; 16GB DDR4 1,866MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GPU; 512GB SSDHP Spectre x360 15 (2016) Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-6200U; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 128MB (dedicated) Intel HD Graphics 520; 256GB SSDHP Spectre x360 13 (late 2016) Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2

Positive

Touchpad

RELEASED TOO SOON

I didn't know enough to immerse myself in the (hard-to-find) Essentials Manual before touching the FORCE touchpad. Took a long time that to realize that "force" really meant FORCE (as in "smash it down" ) There is a System Preferences bypass, but I got embroiled in a DARK MODE display (black screen), missing cursor, and of course loss of Intel-chip based favorite apps which all took precedence over trying to find and read a possible Manual. Help menu did not help.

Great laptop....except for the touchpad and charging cable and battery

.except two rather important things. Docked one star because: 1) the touch pad has an unacceptable delay (about 2 seconds) that updated drivers have not resolved

Cooling System

The new Arm-based system has exceeded almost every expectation

The other differences are all on the inside. There’s no fan anymore, for one thing, just an aluminum heat spreader. But even when pushing this machine to its absolute limit, I never felt it get more than a little warm. Apple knows what the thermal ceiling for this system is, and it keeps the MacBook well within it

Neutral

HP Spectre x360 15 (2020) Review

They ran frequently in my usage, even for general web surfing, though the fan noise is nonintrusive against the usual household background noise. The area just above the keyboard gets hot under the extended stress of benchmark testing, while the rest of the chassis (including the underside) gets warm, but not uncomfortably so.

Positive

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