HP Spectre vs Surface Pro: Which Laptop is a Better Choice?

Wondering about the optimal choice between the HP Spectre and Surface Pro? This comparison could provide some insights.

HP Spectre vs Surface Pro: At First Glance

To start with, both the HP Spectre x360 13 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 are termed ‘2-in-1’ laptops. This means that they have both the features of a conventional laptop and a tablet to offer flexibility and versatility.

In fact, Microsoft was the first to introduce 2-in-1 laptops into the market and doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon. However, other brands like HP have joined the trend and are even threatening to push Microsoft aside.

By that, one can definitely expect that the HP Spectre x360 13 and Surface Pro 7 share many similarities. However, despite their similarities, both laptops are different in certain aspects, most especially in price.

Specifically, at the time of publishing this article in April 2022, the Surface Pro 7 comes at a reasonable starting price of $816.99. The Spectre x360 13, on the other hand, aims to dig deeper into your wallet at $1,069.99.

With that knowledge, you are most likely asking yourself if the difference in price really means a difference in quality. Well, to get an answer to that, you have to read this article all the way through.

HP Spectre vs Surface Pro: Design, Dimension, and Weight

Starting with the HP laptop, it’s difficult not to rate the Spectre an absolute 100% right off the bat in this category! In fact, HP went ahead to nickname it “the gem-cut,” which shows they knew exactly what they were creating.

It is almost as if the company handed an aluminum slab to a master gem cutter and told them to “go to town.” Where most laptops have rounded corners, the HP Spectre has diamond-cut edges and angles.

These bold design elements give the Spectre a luxurious and attention-grabbing form. To further get your attention, there’s HP’s stylized four-slash logo decorating the laptop’s lid.

Impressively, despite its appealing design elements and stylish diamond-cut edges, the HP Spectre is available in different colors. To be precise, you can get this convertible laptop in natural silver, nightfall black, or Poseidon blue.

Moving over to the Surface Pro, it is not quite different from its predecessors. This laptop has a slim and sleek look, but ultimately nothing users haven’t seen before.

Apparently, that also means the Surface Pro 7 has the same high-quality build as other Surface Pro devices. Another unchanging design element is the familiar Microsoft logo on the lid of the Surface Pro 7.

The only improvement is the addition of more color options to the Alcantara fabric and aluminum chassis of the laptop. Specifically, you can get the Surface Pro in either black, cobalt blue, burgundy, or platinum color.

Besides, for a laptop that weighs a maximum of 790 g, the Surface Pro feels rigid and sturdy. Interestingly, the weight of the laptop varies depending on the type of processor you intend to purchase with it.

Nevertheless, the laptop cannot have a weight of more than 790 g. In addition to its weight, the Surface Pro 7 also has a dimension of 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm (W x D x H).

If you think this laptop is heavy or too thick, then what will you say about the HP Spectre that weighs 1270 g? Its dimension is also not the same as the Surface Pro 7, measuring 306 x 218 x 13.6 mm (W x D x H).

Anyone familiar with the Microsoft Surface series probably already knows that they look more like tablets than laptops. Hence, just by placing the Surface Pro beside the Spectre x360, the latter looks every bit a laptop than the former.

As a matter of fact, you will definitely describe the Surface Pro as a 2-in-1 laptop before ever guessing that the Spectre is also a 2-in-1.

This is particularly evident when you attempt to open the lid of these laptops. Starting with the Surface Pro, you’ll need both hands to open its lid.

The reason for that is not exactly because of the solid hinges but because the laptop’s touchscreen display is heavier than the keyboard. Besides, the Surface Pro comes with a built-in rear kickstand which holds the display when the laptop is used in the conventional laptop mode.

Comparatively, you will also need both hands to open the Spectre’s lid. Nonetheless, in this case, the hinges are the reason and not a feeble keyboard at the base.

Regardless, the hinges of both laptops allow you to flip and fold the display from laptop to tent, stand, or tablet modes. However, unlike the Surface Pro, the Spectre does not get wobbly in whatever mode you place it.

Before talking about the keyboard, I’ll first highlight the display features of both laptops. Starting with size, the HP Spectre features a 13.3-inch display, while the Surface Pro has a 12.3-inch display.

Looking at their displays, you’ll notice the obvious thick bezels of the Surface Pro. Compared to this, the HP Spectre’s razor-thin bezels have a more modern look than that of the Surface Pro.

In terms of display features, a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution is what the HP Spectre has to offer. This is not as impressive as the 2K (2736 x 1824) resolution of the Surface Pro.

To make more sense, the FHD of the Spectre allows the display offers vivid colors and good contrast. Viewing angles are also not disappointing, making pictures on the Spectre’s display be visible and accurate from every angle.

As good as this sounds, it is not as impressive as the Surface Pro. The 2K resolution of the Surface Pro’s display makes all the difference with its lifelike picture quality.

Apart from the resolution, the brightness level of a laptop’s display is another factor that lets you enjoy the viewing experience. On that note, both the Surface Pro’s display and HP Spectre’s display are bright enough, with a maximum brightness of 400 nits.

If you didn’t know, nits would refer to the measurement of brightness. Hence, having 400 nits of maximum brightness means that the Surface Pro and HP Spectre are useable outdoors.

Also, colors will be punchy when you’re streaming Netflix or watching YouTube videos on the laptops.

One additional feature that is probably the selling point of these laptops is the touchscreen feature. You were probably expecting this; after all, both laptops are 2-in-1 laptops that can be used as a tablet – what’s a tablet without a touchscreen?

Another likely expectation you have about these laptops is the use of a stylus pen. Fortunately, a stylus pen is actually usable on both the HP Spectre and Surface Pro.

There is a twist, though; instead of having a stylus pen in the box like the Spectre, the Surface Pro does not. Therefore, you will have to separately purchase a stylus pen for the Surface Pro at an extra cost.

However, having a stylus pen is advantageous for those who are big on sketching or note-taking.

On a different note, right above the display of these laptops is an obvious webcam. Asides from being functional for video calls and taking pictures, the webcams also support the Windows Hello feature.

This means you can skip using passwords to unlock the laptops and use your face instead. Basically, by activating the facial recognition setting via Windows Hello, the HP Spectre and Surface Pro 7 can be unlocked by just detecting your face.

Having said all there is about the top area of these two laptops, let’s talk about the base. The base of both laptops includes the speakers, keyboard, and touchpad.

Starting with the speakers, luxury audio brand Bang & Olufsen commandeered the Spectre’s speakers as usual. To give more details, the laptop features dual bottom-firing speakers that produce fine sound quality with a decent punch.

In contrast, the Surface Pro’s dual front-firing speakers can fill a medium-sized room with detailed, undistorted audio. However, if you’re craving that deep bass sound, consider buying a good pair of noise-canceling headphones.

Next up is the keyboard. Both laptops boast pretty impressive keyboards that are precise, snappy, and with excellent key travel.

Speaking of key travel, the Spectre’s keyboard has key travel of 1.5 mm, while that of the Surface Pro is 1.3 mm. Hence, they both should offer a comfortable typing experience.

For the record, key travel is the total distance between a key’s resting point to full depression. In addition to their impressive key travel, both laptops’ keyboards are backlit, making typing less stressful in the dark.

Away from key travel and backlit features, there is an interesting thing about the Surface Pro 7’s. Precisely, while the HP Spectre’s keyboard looks every bit like a typical keyboard, the Surface Pro’s keyboard is detachable.

In fact, it looks like a flip cover, which is perhaps why it is referred to as the Surface Type Cover. Moreover, this Surface Type Cover magnetically attaches to the base of the laptop.

In my opinion, this keyboard or Surface Type Cover is what actually makes the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 a 2-in-1 laptop. This is because, without it, the laptop would just be an overly-priced tablet.

Do note though, that the Surface’s keyboard is a little flimsy if you press down too much, especially if you’re not using it on a desk. Irrespective of that, it is still more than serviceable and one of the best among all detachable 2-in-1s.

Before moving to the next component on the base of these laptops, it is worth noting that you can get a fingerprint reader for these laptops. There is a clause, however.

While HP included a fingerprint reader on the Spectre at no additional cost, the opposite is the case for the Surface Pro. Remember I said the keyboard (Surface Type Cover) of the Surface Pro is detachable?

Well, you will only be getting a fingerprint reader on the Surface Pro, depending on how much you’re willing to spend. Specifically, the Surface Type Cover can be sold differently, and the model with a fingerprint reader is more expensive than the one without a fingerprint reader.

Hence, be ready to spend more than the starting price if you want a stylus pen and fingerprint reader with the Surface Pro 7. This makes me wonder if Microsoft actually wants to give their customer more options or are just interested in making us spend more!

Moving on, the next component that accompanies the keyboard is the touchpad. As good as both laptops’ touchpads are, the Surface Pro’s smoother Precision touchpad outshines the Spectre x360’s Synaptic touchpad.

This is to say that the Surface Pro has a more enjoyable touchpad than the Spectre. However, this does not make the Spectre’s touchpad unusable.

Connectivity is another area of significant difference between these laptops. To start with, the Surface Pro comes with a USB Type-A port and the magnetic Surface Connect port for charging – all located on the right side.

To add to that, there’s also a USB Type-C port on the right side of the laptop. Meanwhile, on the left side is a headphone jack, while a microSD card slot hides behind the Surface Pro kickstand.

The Spectre x360, however, has an audio jack and a USB Type-A port on its left side. Following that, there’s a microSD card slot, a webcam kill switch, and a Thunderbolt port on the right.

It does not end there for the Spectre, though. The diamond-cut left and right rear corners of the laptop hold the power button and a second Thunderbolt 3 port.

At this point, it is realistic to say that we’ve touched all the design features of the Spectre and Surface Pro. As it stands, the Surface Pro is more lightweight and has better display features than the Spectre.

Furthermore, the Surface Pro makes some features like the stylus and fingerprint reader optional, while the Spectre does not. Also, the HP Spectre has more appealing build and connectivity options than the Surface Pro.

Hence, considering all these, the HP Spectre deserves a rating of nine out of ten. Meanwhile, for the Surface Pro, a rating of eight out of ten is ideal in this HP Spectre vs Surface Pro design comparison section.

HP Spectre vs Surface Pro: Processor (CPU) Performance

It is almost a trend these days to have laptop manufacturers offer buyers various processor options. Well, in the case of these two 2-in-1 convertible laptops, things aren’t so different.

To start with, the HP Spectre has just one processor option, which is an Intel Core i5-8250U. This is a quad-core processor with a 6 MB cache memory.

As for its speed, this Core i5 processor has a base and boost frequency of 1.60 GHz and 3.40 GHz. respectively.

Rather than being like its counterpart, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 has as many as three processor options. Starting with the least powerful, this laptop offers an Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor.

This Core i3 CPU is a dual-core processor with a 4 MB cache memory. Additionally, its base and maximum frequency are 1.20 GHz and 3.40 GHz, respectively.

The second and more powerful processor option you can opt for on the Surface Pro 7 is an Intel Core i5-1035G4. This Core i5 processor is a quad-core processor with a 6 MB cache memory.

Moreover, in terms of speed, it has a base and maximum frequency of 1.10 GHz and 3.70 GHz, respectively. Finally, the third and most powerful processor option of them all is the Intel Core i7-1065G7.

This processor is also a quad-core processor, just like the second processor option but comes with an 8 MB cache memory. Furthermore, it has a base frequency of 1.30 GHz and a maximum frequency of 3.90 GHz.

As mentioned in the previous section, the Surface Pro’s weight varies depending on the kind of processor it uses. Well, the Surface Pro model with the Intel Core i3 or Intel Core i5 processor weighs 775 g.

Meanwhile, the model with the Intel Core i7 processor weighs 790 g. Nevertheless, our review unit of the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 comes with the Intel Core i5-1035G4 processor.

Having said all that, you are probably asking yourself how the performance of the Surface Pro’s processor and HP Spectre’s processor varies.

To answer that, we were able to discover the processor performance of these two laptops using a benchmark test tool. In specific terms, the benchmark tool I am referring to is the Cinebench R15.

Since we cannot determine a processor’s performance simply by looking at its specifications, Cinebench R15 does the job of carrying out a series of tests. In these tests, the Cinebench R15 puts the processor under a lot of pressure and workload to determine how much it can handle.

Moreover, the higher the score on the Cinebench R15 test, the better the performance of the processor. So, according to the test result, the Core i5 processor of the Surface Pro got a score of 650 points.

For the HP Spectre, its Intel Core i5-8250U performed slightly lesser, with a score of 630 points. Even though the Surface Pro performed better than the HP Spectre, both laptops should be able to comfortably handle most computing tasks.

Specifically, they should be able to stream videos, run demanding apps, and handle productivity workloads without glitches. In fact, they should be able to multitask with ease.

By and large, both laptops appear to be in good shape in terms of processor performance. However, the Surface Pro definitely has the edge over the Spectre, with more processor options and a higher performance score on a benchmark test.

Thus, I will rate the Surface Pro and Spectre a score of nine and eight, respectively, in this section of the HP Spectre vs Surface Pro comparison.

HP Spectre vs Surface Pro: Memory (RAM) Performance

For short-term or temporary data storage, a computer’s random access memory (RAM) is necessary to keep things moving smoothly. Thankfully, these laptops have what it takes.

Starting off, the HP Spectre comes with 8 GB LPDDR3-2133 SDRAM. Unfortunately, this laptop has only one RAM slot that is solidly soldered directly on the motherboard.

Consequently, you cannot upgrade the RAM of the lapotp. Hence, if you need more memory, you’ll have to get the HP Spectre model that comes with 16 GB of RAM.

On the part of the Surface Pro, though, the case is not so different. Specifically, you can get this 2-in-1 laptop with either 4 GB, 8 GB, or 16 GB of LPDDR4x RAM.

Moreover, like the Spectre, the RAM of the Surface Pro is also soldered to the motherboard and cannot be replaced. Hence, if you buy the laptop with a particular RAM, you cannot upgrade it to a higher one unless you purchase another model with a higher RAM.

From the various RAM options, you will definitely need some clarity as to the performance of the Surface Pro and HP Spectre. To give you some perspective, 8 GB RAM on both laptops has enough muscle to run demanding workloads.

In fact, you should be able to stream four 1080p YouTube videos on the laptops without experiencing issues. Impressively, while that is going on, you can also have an album playing on YouTube Music and streaming on ESPN simultaneously without a hitch.

To back these claims up, there is a benchmark test tool that analyzes memory performance. This tool is PCMark 10, which simultaneously runs productivity workloads on a computer with the aim of measuring its memory ability.

Just before I provide the test results, you should know that a high score means better performance. Hence, we discovered that the HP Spectre outperforms the Surface Pro with a score of 4100 points.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro scored 3600 points. Thus, a rating of nine and eight is best suited for these laptops, respectively, in this HP Spectre vs Surface Pro comparison section.

HP Spectre vs Surface Pro: Storage Options and Performance

So far, we’ve seen the HP Spectre and Surface Pro sharing some similarities as well as differences. Well, in the aspect of storage, things are not so different either.

To begin with, the HP Spectre comes with a 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. Unfortunately, 256 GB is also the maximum storage capacity that this laptop supports.

Hence, you cannot upgrade the laptop’s storage to more than 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. Honestly speaking, 256 GB of storage space will find it hard to suffice for most users’ storage needs.

Nevertheless, you can expand the laptop’s overall storage by utilizing its microSD card slot.

When it comes to the Surface Pro, you can purchase it with either a 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, or the maximum supported storage capacity of 1 TB SSD.

Just by looking at the laptop’s respective storage capacities, it is quite obvious that the Surface Pro has a lot more to offer. However, the storage offerings of the Surface Pro largely depend on how much you’re willing to spend.

By that, I mean to say the Surface Pro will vary in price depending on the storage size you opt for. Basically, the higher the amount you spend, the larger the storage capacity you get.

Nonetheless, like the HP Spectre, the Surface Pro features a microSD card slot for storage expansion.

With the storage features of both laptops out of the way, you may be asking if there’s anything more to know. To be factual, there is the read and write speed, which lets you know how fast or slow your laptop’s storage drive is.

If you are curious, read speed estimates of how long it takes a storage drive to open a file. The write speed, on the other hand, measures how long it takes the storage drive to save a file.

As expected, we cannot get the read and write speed just by knowing the storage type. As a result, I consulted a benchmark test tool called the CrystalDiskMark.

This benchmark test evaluates a computer’s storage drive’s performance by measuring its read and write speed. Furthermore, based on the setting of the benchmark tool, a higher “MB/s” value means faster read and write speed.

So, from the test result, the HP Spectre has a sequential read speed of 1890 MB/s and a sequential write speed of 530 MB/s. Comparatively, the Surface Pro has a sequential read speed of 1700 MB/s while its sequential write speed is 1235 MB/s.

Looking at that, the results suggest that the HP Spectre’s SSD will open files faster than the Surface Pro’s SSD. However, the Surface Pro’s SSD will save files faster than the HP Spectre’s SSD.

To further give you an idea of the laptops’ storage performance, let us talk about their transfer speeds. The SSD of the HP Spectre takes about 13 seconds to duplicate 4.97 GB of multimedia files, equating to a transfer rate of 452.6 MB/s.

On the other hand, the Surface Pro’s SSD takes about 19 seconds to duplicate 4.97 GB of multimedia files. Thereby equating to a transfer rate of 267.9 MB/s.

Despite the faster write speed of the Surface Pro’s SSD, the HP Spectre’s SSD appears to be faster in file transfer. However, judging by the storage features of these laptops, the Surface Pro still has the edge over the Spectre.

This is because of the various storage capacity options available for the Surface Pro as compared to the HP Spectre. As for storage performance and speed, I guess it is a tie between both laptops.

Nonetheless, I will rate the HP Spectre an eight and the Surface Pro a nine in this section of the HP Spectre vs Surface Pro comparison.

HP Spectre vs Surface Pro: Graphics Card Performance

Wondering how these laptops survive graphics-related tasks? Thankfully, that is what this section is all about.

Before I begin to talk about graphics performance, let me start with specifications. First off, the HP Spectre comes with an integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 GPU.

This GPU has a base and boost frequency of 300 MHz and 1100 MHz, respectively.

Moving over to the Surface Pro, you’ve probably noticed how Microsoft equipped this laptop with numerous options and configurations. Yeah, the GPU is not different, either.

To be exact, you can get the Surface Pro with an Intel UHD Graphics 615 or Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650. However, do have it in mind that both GPUs are actually integrated.

As a quick digression, I will take the time to explain what an integrated GPU means. In simple terms, an integrated GPU is one that is embedded into the CPU of a computer.

Hence, it lacks a dedicated VRAM and shares the system memory with the computer to carry out graphics-related tasks. In contrast to that, there’s a dedicated GPU that features dedicated Video RAM (or VRAM).

This VRAM is responsible for and helps the GPU in handling graphics-related tasks. Hence, dedicated GPUs do not have to share the system memory with the computer as opposed to Integrated GPUs.

By that explanation, it’s only expected that a dedicated GPU will outperform an integrated GPU. Also, it is apparent that neither the Spectre nor Surface Pro offers a dedicated GPU.

Back to the GPU specifications of the Surface Pro, its Intel UHD Graphics 615 GPU option has a base and boost frequency of 300 MHz and 900 MHz, respectively. Also, the Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 GPU option has a base and boost frequency of 300 MHz and 1100 MHz, respectively.

With all that being said, you are most likely more interested in the graphics performance of the HP Spectre and Surface Pro 7. On that note, there is a need for yet another benchmark test.

The 3DMark is one of the most reliable test tools for measuring the graphics performance of a computer. Basically, by rendering 3D graphics, 3DMark lets you know how well your computer can perform in terms of graphics.

Having established that, it is worth noting that, like every other test in this article, a high score means better performance on the 3DMark test. Hence, we discovered that the Surface Pro scored about 4500 points on the 3DMark test.

It is important to note that our review unit of the Surface Pro has Intel Iris Plus Graphics. Thus, this 4500 points gotten on the 3DMark test is mainly meant for that laptop model.

Comparatively, the HP Spectre scored a whopping 6400 points on the 3DMark test. Since a higher figure is obviously better, it is realistic to say that the Surface Pro is ideal for graphics-related tasks.

To provide a more realistic definition of this, we were able to discover how these laptops perform in real-world gaming tests. If you love playing Bioshock Infinite, then keep it in mind that the HP Spectre will play the game at about 40 fps on medium graphics settings.

The Surface Pro, on the other hand, will serve you a lot better when playing this game. To be exact, the Surface Pro will play this game at about 75 fps also on medium graphics settings.

Surprisingly, the Surface Pro offers a better gaming performance despite having a lower score than the Spectre on the 3DMark test. Well, this simply suggests that a test score may not be all you need in making a decision in some aspects of performance.

The downside to this, however, is the difficulty in rating these laptops. Nevertheless, both laptops perform decently in terms of graphics despite being non-gaming laptops.

While one does better on the GPU benchmark test, the other does better in gaming. Judging by that, I will rate both laptops an even score of eight in this HP Spectre vs Surface Pro comparison section.

HP Spectre vs Surface Pro: Battery Life and Performance

In the battery department, the Spectre and Surface Pro are obviously different. To be more specific, the HP Spectre comes with a 3-cell 60 Wh Li-ion polymer battery.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro comes with a 43.2 Wh Lithium-ion battery. Most times, manufacturers provide an estimated battery life of their product.

While Microsoft did that, we could not find one from HP. All the same, Microsoft estimated the battery life of the Surface Pro to be about 10.5 hours.

Well, whether or not the manufacturer provides the battery life estimate, we were able to figure out the actual battery life from a battery rundown test. This battery rundown test involves continuous web browsing on the laptop while its brightness level is set to 50%.

With that said, it is worth knowing that the HP Spectre can last a day’s use. Specifically, this laptop lasted about 12 hours at the end of the battery rundown test.

Sadly, the Surface Pro does not have what it takes to meet up with the HP Spectre’s battery life. To be more specific, the Surface Pro lasted about 8 hours on the same battery rundown test.

That aside, we were also able to discover how long these laptops can last when you decide to stream videos continuously. Precisely, with the Wi-Fi turned off and the battery saver turned on, the Surface Pro will last about 12 hours, streaming videos continuously.

With the same Wi-Fi and battery settings, the HP Spectre may go as far as 20 hours of continuous video streaming.

From the look of things, battery “anxiety” will definitely not be a problem if you opt for either laptop. Regardless, the HP Spectre is a clear winner in this aspect.

Hence, the HP Spectre and Surface Pro are best rated a nine and eight, respectively, in this HP Spectre vs Surface Pro comparison section.

Our Rating Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

HP and Microsoft sure gave their best in creating devices that check almost all the boxes. While the HP Spectre and Surface Pro 7 share some similarities, they are also different in some aspects.

Hence, our recommendation is that if you want a laptop that is versatile and lets you configure it as you please, the Surface Pro is best. Also, if you have extra cash, we recommend spending $899.99 on a Surface Pro model with an Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 128 GB SSD.

Alternatively, the HP Spectre is yet another great option, especially if you are not interested in tweaking the device. If you like the features of the Spectre just as they are, then do go for it.

After all, you will still spend approximately the same amount as the Spectre when configuring the Surface Pro.

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