HP Laptops Price List August 2021 - HP Philippines

Your guide to choosing the best HP laptop in the Philippines

HP has had a long history with technology and innovation. Across the years, the brand has developed multiple laptop series to suits all niches. If you’re considering a new HP laptop this is the place to be. We have organized our buyers guide around three topics:

• Overview of HP laptop series
• Key specs to look for in an HP laptop
• Best HP laptop models in the Philippines today

Overview of HP laptop series

When Bill Hewlett and David Packard first established Hewlett-Packard in 1939, it was set up as a test and measurement company to provide instruments in the production of Fantasia. Nobody would have thought that 80 years later, HP (as it became) would be one of the one world’s largest and best-known laptop manufacturers.

To start your search on which HP laptop model, here’s a quick overview of the brand’s most popular series:

Key specs to look for in an HP laptop

HP has a lot of great choices when it comes to laptops. When choosing a model, however, it’s important to understand the specs. Specs are not as intimidating as they seem. Once you have a basic understanding of the key components of a laptop, you should be able to understand what to look for.

There are four basic specs we need to understand when considering a laptop: Performance, Screen, Battery, and Form Factor. Here is everything you need to know about these specs:

Performance

Easily the most important spec to consider when choosing a laptop is its performance. This determines which applications it can run, and how quickly it can run them.

The performance of a laptop depends on a number of factors the most important of which are its Central Processing Unit (or CPU), its Graphics Processing Unit (or GPU), the amount RAM and the amount and type of internal storage it has. Check below for a quick overview of each:

• CPU or Central Processing Unit – The CPU is the hardware that executes all the tasks. It is considered the “brain” of the computer. It works by dividing the data and tasks it needs to work on into several “cores” which it then works on simultaneously. As such, CPUs are often referred to in terms of the number of Cores. When you hear terms like “quad-core” or “octa-core this means the processor has 4 or 8 cores respectively. As a general rule, the more cores a CPU has, the faster it can run.

The CPUs have different tiers depending on what you need. Here’s a quick overview:

• GPU or Graphic Processing Unit – The GPU is a separate processor which has been designed to manage the laptops image processing and display. It serves as an extra CPU dedicated to rendering images and visuals on your laptop screen.

Some laptops have an integrated GPU. While this is fine if you want to use your laptop for casual applications, if you want to use the laptop for applications which require rich or fast-moving images (eg for gaming and graphic workstations) or if the machine be rendering 3D models or digital illustrations, it’s better to select a model with a separate GPU.

There are two major graphic card providers: Nvidia and AMD. Here is a quick comparison between them:

Here’s a summary of the performance tier of the different GPU models:

What about other graphic card brands? The good news is that both Nvidia and AMD also provide GPUs to OEMs. This means brands like EVGA, Gigabyte, and PNY often provide similar hardware.

• RAM or Random Access Memory – The RAM is the amount of data in gigabyte (GB) your hardware can store before it is processed in the CPU. RAM acts as a bridge between the internal storage and the CPU. If there’s not enough temporary storage, the laptop will move data back to the hard drive causing it to lag. It will repeat this cycle until the task is executed.

For laptops to be used for light tasks -- such as web browsing or checking emails -- 4GB RAM is sufficient. If you have spare cash, it’s always a better investment to go 6GB or higher. For gaming and workstations, the minimum should be 16GB.

• Internal storage - Internal storage refers to amount information or data your laptop can store even when the laptop switched off (note: data stored in the RAM disappears when you power off your laptop). Internal storage, like RAM, is measured in terms GigaBytes (10⁹ bytes of data) or Terabytes (which equals 1,000 Gigabytes). Information stored here would include the laptop’s operating system, games, and all media such as photos and videos.

To give you an idea of how much storage space you need, here are a couple of examples on average file size for typical media found on your computer:

Video editing files depend on how long the video is and what resolution the file was captured in. Typical 1-hour long videos at 720p would be around 1GB in size.

For power users, we recommend having at least 500GB to 1TB. Casual to light users can do away with 128GB. Finally, it is better to choose an SSD instead of hard-disk drives. This is because SSDs run three times faster and are less bulky than hard disk drives.

Remember also that many companies now provide online storage options. With online storage, your data is stored in a centralized server and accessed over the internet when you need it (as opposed as to being stored on your laptop). This would be a good solution if you are always connected to the internet.

Screen

Having a good screen on your laptop is crucial if you are a gamer or content creator. When looking at the screen, you need to consider four specs: screen size, resolution, refresh rate, and brightness.

• Screen Size – Screen size is measured diagonally in centimeters or inches from one corner to the opposite side. This measurement does not include the bezels (ie the surrounding casing). Laptop screens can range from as small as 11 inches to as large as 15 to 18 inches. The size to choose depends on a number of factors including what you plan to use the laptop for, how portable you need it, and whether you will use it at home / office connected to a second screen. If you want a good balance between size and portability 12-13 in screen is a good choice.

• Resolution – Resolution refers to the quality of the image on the screen. It is measured in terms of the number of pixels both horizontally and vertically (length x width). The more pixels a screen has, the more detailed an image is displayed.

Many laptops today follow the standard HD (1366 x 768) and Full HD (1920 x 1080). Although, a 1366 x 768 resolution is also acceptable for budget laptops. For content creators and gamers, we recommend going higher than Full HD such as 2K, 3K, 4K, and even 8K QHD, UHD screens.

• Refresh rate – Refresh rate this refers to how many times your screen updates each second. It is measured in Hertz or Hz. If a screen has 60Hz refresh rate, then the image is refreshed 60 times a second.

High refresh rate display moving images more smoothly. Refresh rates of 60Hz to 90Hz, standard for low to mid-tier laptops, are good for casual applications. For high-end gaming or graphic workstations, you should look for refresh rates of 100 to 144Hz.

• Brightness – Brightness is measured in nits (unit of luminescence). It describes how bright your screen can be. This is important to maximize viewing angles and help with glare (reflection of natural light on your laptop screen). Typical laptop brightness is around 300 nits, anything below is considered dim.

Battery life

Battery life describes how long your laptop will continue to operate when not connected a mains power supply.

This is dependent on battery capacity and consumption:

• Battery capacity is described in terms of watt-hour (Whr) or milliampere-hour (mAh)
• Battery consumption depends on the laptop hardware and usage pattens. Higher-tier CPU, GPU, and screen would eat more battery life than a regular consumer-grade laptop. This is the reason that gaming laptops or workstations are often designed to be less mobile, likely remaining on a desk close to a power outlet.

Manufacturers often provide spec sheets that convert this into operating time (hour: minutes). This can be subjective considering laptop battery life depends heavily on what the laptop is used for.

When doing research on HP models, it is important you investigate the average battery life. Many expert laptop reviewers do battery stress tests. This will give you an idea of how long the battery would last in real-world scenarios.

Form Factor

Although laptops come in different shapes and sizes, they tend to fall between two types:

• Clamshells – the more established laptop form where the keyboard case is connected by a 0 - 180 degree hinge to the case (so the machine can flip open) . This build allows the laptop to incorporate heavier specs and cooling systems which makes it perfect for gaming and workstations.

• 2-in-1 –allows you to transform your laptop into a tablet. These laptops have a touchscreen display, can be used with or without a stylus, and have detachable or 360-degree hinges. The downside of these laptops is manufacturers can only fit so much into a small chassis. These laptops tend to have medium-spec and can be very expensive.

Choosing between a clamshell and a 2-in-1 laptop boils down to preference. If you need to be more mobile and require a tablet, you can always go for a 2-in-1. If you need a more stable gaming or workstation, clamshells are the go-to.

Best HP laptop models in the Philippines today

Now we have an understanding on what specs to look for in a laptop, we’ll now take a look at which are the best HP Models. Our recommendations have been put together based on our “Review of Expert Reviews”.

Here are the best HP laptop models today:

The All-Rounder - HP Spectre x360 13

Hewlett-Packard

The HP Spectre x360 13 is one of the best all-around office and multi-purpose laptops available in the market. It has stable performance, excellent battery life, and a comfortable and easy to use keyboard.

The model is considered a “2-in-1 laptop” with a 360-degree hinge allowing you to turn it into a tablet. Whilst a great feature, given it’s a full-sized laptop you might find it too larger to use comfortably as a tablet.

The Spectre x360 13 has a few variants with (i) Intel Core i5-8250U or i7-1165G7 processors and (ii) 8GB or 16GB RAM. On Windows 10, this laptop is fast and responsive. It can run all the MS Office apps, plus a lot of the more casual games. Given the model has an integrated graphics card it is not suitable for high end gaming.

Finally, the Spectre x360 13 comes with a great battery which for a casual user (eg someone using the laptop for internet browsing and video calls) can last an impressive 13 hours on a single charge.

HP Spectre x360 13 Spec Summary

The Content Creator – HP Zbook Studio G7

Hewlett-Packard

The HP Zbook Studio G is a beast of laptop boasting an i7 processor with a high-end Nvidia Quardro RTX 4000 Max-Q GPU. The 32GB RAM means it can juggle heavy editing software. The specification, which is great for content creation / editing can also support high end gaming.

On the downside, the machine’s battery life is not great with a battery capacity of 83Whr providing on average 7 hours run time. Because of how much power the laptop needs, it also has the tendency to heat up. To compensate, the fans need to work at full speed. This can be noisy.

HP Zbook Studio G7 Spec Summary

The Gamer’s Companion – HP Omen 15

Hewlett-Packard

For dedicated gamers, the HP Omen 15 is the choice laptop. It is a gaming laptop with powerful mid-tier specs, solid battery life, and immersive screen.

In terms of hardware, the HP Omen 15 combines the AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, Nvidia Geforce GTX 1660Ti GPU and 16GB RAM. Whilst the CPU and GPU in this laptop is not the highest spec, it is still able to run majority of the games smoothly.

The HP Omen 15 features a 15.6” FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz. It also has a relatively bright screen at 311 nits, a bit brighter than the average. Battery life is also a plus, being able to run for 15 hours when used for web browsing with a dimmed screen. Of course, gaming with full brightness and max specs would cut reduce the run time.

Whilst some experts feel the HP Omen 15 keyboard is a bit on the small side, the laptop is a great option.

HP Omen 15 Specs Summary

The Business Workhorse– HP Elitebook 840 G7

Hewlett-Packard

If you need a machine to help you with data crunching on excel, creating slides, or juggling multiple chrome tabs, the HP Elitebook 840 G7 is what you need. This laptop has a fast processor, comfortable keyboard, and most importantly, multiple ports.

The HP Elitebook 840 G7 has multiple variants to choose from, both in terms of CPU (ranging from i5 to i7 processors) as well as RAM. Depending on your needs, you can choose between different hardware variants. Since this laptop is targeted for office work, it come with an integrated CPU / GPU.

The HP Elitebook 840 G7 has a sleek and modern design. It has a comfortable keyboard with deep, slightly clicky keys. This model also has multiple ports with a USB 3.1, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a card reader, an HDMI port, and 2 thunderbolt 3 ports. It even has a Kensington lock which is a small hole on the laptop used to insert a cable to secure the laptop to the desk.

HP Elitebook 840 G7 Spec Summary

The Best HP Chromebook – HP Chromebook 14

Hewlett-Packard

For those of you who are looking for a Chromebook, the HP Chromebook 14 is our choice. It has a long battery life, 1080p display, and a solid build. Since it is a Chromebook, performance is so-so and may suffer from occasional lag.

The model comes with an Intel Celeron 2955U, integrated GPU, with options for 2GB or 4GB RAM. The Intel Celeron processor is enough to run light tasks such as web browsing. The laptop can, however, suffer when juggling multiple applications concurrently. Whilst ChromeOS is lighter than Windows we would still recommend getting a 4GB variant of this laptop to provide that extra level of performance.

Where this laptop excels on is its battery. The hardware does not require a lot of power. When combined with the 65Whr capacity it can perform for a good 9hrs (which is average for a Chromebook). The laptop itself is built to be simple and easy to use. It has a solid build quality with a vivid 1080p screen.

HP Chromebook 14 Spec Summary

In conclusion…

HP has gone from being a test and measurement instrument company to one of the world’s largest laptop providers producing some really good machines. When choosing the right HP laptop for your needs, don’t forget to consider the key specs -- The performance, screen, battery, and form factor --- and make sure they match your needs.

One sure-fire way of making every purchase of a laptop worth it is to do research. If you do need to compare the price, make sure to check our price list on all the models listed.

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