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The 7 best HP laptops for remote work, school, gaming and more

Finding the right HP laptop is important for a smooth computing experience, but your options can seem overwhelming. Check out our top picks here.

Published Jul 25, 2023
6 min. reading time
a black and silver HP laptop

Eventually, there comes a time when you need to upgrade your old laptop. Over time, batteries wear out, new Windows versions don’t run as smoothly and wear and tear can take its toll on your computer. Whatever the reason you’re upgrading, there are tons of great HP laptops to choose from, and we’ll be taking a look at them in this guide.

There’s something for everyone in this best HP laptops list that we’ve curated. Whether you’re a remote worker and need a lightweight but powerful laptop, a student in need of a mobile HP laptop for school or you want a work laptop that doubles as a PC gaming rig, we’ve got you covered with our list of HP laptop recommendations.

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Our picks for the best HP laptops

the HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop in black with blue screensaver
Top-rated HP laptop
HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop 14t-ef000, 13.5
$1,434.99 at Best Buy
the HP 14t-dq300 14-Inch Laptop in black with blue screensaver
Best HP computer for college
HP 14t-dq300 14-Inch Laptop
$269.99 at HP
the HP ENVY 2-in-1 14-Inch Full HD Touch-Screen Laptop in black and silver
Best touchscreen HP option
HP ENVY 2-in-1 14-Inch Full HD Touch-Screen Laptop
$849.99 at Best Buy
the HP Pavilion 15t-eg200 15.6-Inch Laptop in black and silver
Best HP Pavilion laptop
HP Pavilion 15t-eg200 15.6-Inch Laptop
$899.99 at HP

Top-rated HP laptop

the HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop in black with blue screensaver
Photo: Best Buy

Specifications:

  • CPU: 4.4 GHz Intel Core i5-1235U processor

  • RAM: 16 GB DDR4 RAM

  • Graphics: Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics

  • Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD

  • Screen: 13.5-inch 3000 x 2000 FHD resolution IPS touchscreen

Pros & Cons
  • HD screen

  • Dual function as a tablet

  • Touchscreen design comes with a stylus

  • Touchscreen can be scratched easily

  • Lacks HDMI, only includes DisplayPort for external monitors

The Spectre x360 is one of the best-selling HP laptops and it’s not hard to see why. It has a powerful processor, q6 GB of ram and a speedy 512 GB SSD (Solid-State Drive) to deliver plenty of performance. Whether you’re browsing the web, working on a spreadsheet or even playing a game, this HP laptop has plenty of power to keep up.

It looks great, too, with a full HD 3000 x 2000 touchscreen. The IPS panel provides great contrast and color, and since it’s a touchscreen, you have the option of flipping the screen and using this laptop as a tablet. The included stylus makes it easy to draw, take notes and interact with the touchscreen.

Best HP computer for college

the HP 14t-dq300 14-Inch Laptop in black with blue screensaver
Photo: HP

HP 14t-dq300 14-Inch Laptop

You save $180 (40%)
$269.99$449.99

Specifications:

  • CPU: 2.8 GHz Intel Celeron N4500 processor

  • RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM

  • Graphics: Intel UHD integrated graphics

  • Storage: 128 GB NVMe SSD

  • Screen: 14-inch 1366 x 768 HD resolution screen

Pros & Cons
  • Lightweight and easy to transport

  • Long battery life and fast charging

  • Plenty of ports and connectivity

  • Base 128 GB SSD may be too small for some

  • Can get quite hot with intense computing

If you’re a college student and you want a powerhouse of a PC that won’t break the bank, the HP 14t-dq300 is just what you need. This 14-inch laptop is thin, durable and has a generously-sized screen while still remaining portable at just 3.24 pounds. The battery provides all-day power, so you can work away from power outlets.

When it’s time to charge, the HP Battery Fast Recharge feature lets you go from 0% to 50% power in just 45 minutes, so you can continue your studies uninterrupted. The powerful Intel processor, 8 GB RAM and 128 GB solid-state drive combine to provide snappy computing, too, though some students may find that 128 GB of storage is a bit low for their needs.

Best touchscreen HP option

Specifications:

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-1335U processor

  • RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM

  • Graphics: Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics

  • Storage: 512 GB PCIe SSD

  • Screen: 14-inch 1920x1080 FHD resolution IPS touchscreen

Pros & Cons
  • Touchscreen

  • Clear and loud integrated speakers

  • 2-in-1 design switches from laptop to tablet seamlessly

  • Laptop housing is not all metal

  • Doesn’t come with a stylus

The HP ENVY line of laptops is another one HP’s best-selling models, and this 2-in-1 laptop is a fantastic addition to an already-stellar lineup. It has a powerful Intel processor, 512 GB of storage and 8 GB of fast RAM, which makes it speedy enough for just about any computing task. Whether you’re working on spreadsheets or meeting on Zoom, this HP ENVY 2-in-1 can keep up.

The 14-inch 1920 x 1080 full HD screen uses an IPS panel for great color quality, and is touch-enabled. You can use this laptop traditionally or fold it over to use it as a 14-inch tablet. This laptop also comes with Windows 11, which improves on the tablet experience previously offered by Windows 10.

Best HP Pavilion laptop

Specifications:

  • CPU: 4.4 GHz Intel Core i5-1235U processor

  • RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM

  • Graphics: Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics

  • Storage: 256 GB NVMe SSD

  • Screen: 15.6-inch 1920x1080 FHD resolution IPS screen

Pros & Cons
  • Plenty of connectivity

  • Slim and lightweight design

  • Clear 15.6-inch FHD screen

  • Battery life is lower than some comparable models

  • Webcam quality leaves something to be desired

If you’re looking for the best HP business laptop for remote work or running your business, you’ve found it. This laptop from the Pavilion line is also our top pick for the best HP 15” laptop overall. The 15.6-inch full HD screen packs into a very slim body thanks to the nearly bezel-less design.

A powerful processor, 8 GB of RAM and a speedy 256 GB SSD means that this pint-sized powerhouse can keep up with just about any task you can throw at it. It also offers two full-sized USB-A ports, one USB-C port, an SD card reader and an HDMI port for an external monitor. This makes it ideal for connecting to an external monitor and other accessories in your home office setup.

Best for home use

the HP 15z-ef3000 15.6-Inch Laptop in black
Photo: HP

HP 15z-ef3000 15.6-Inch Laptop

You save $320 (45.71%)
$379.99$699.99

Specifications:

  • CPU: 4.3 GHZ AMD Ryzen 5 5625U processor

  • RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM

  • Graphics: AMD Radeon integrated graphics

  • Storage: 128 GB NVMe SSD

  • Screen: 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 HD resolution screen

Pros & Cons
  • Affordable

  • Plenty of power for daily computing tasks

  • Customizable

  • Base model screen is not impressive

  • Not a lot of storage

If you’re looking for the best basic HP laptop under $500 for your home, look no further. This budget-priced laptop packs a surprising punch with its powerful AMD processor and integrated graphics, along with 8 GB of speedy DDR4 RAM. The 128 GB SSD is lightning-fast, but the small size means that you may need an external SSD or hard drive if you want to store lots of photos, documents or other files.

Two integrated speakers provide surprisingly clear and loud sound. The 15.6-inch screen is plenty bright, too, and the 1366 x 768 screen resolution qualifies this laptop as HD. A 1920 x 1080 screen is also available as an upgrade, and this may be a good investment if you want to watch Netflix or play video games on this laptop.

Specifications

  • CPU: 4.9 GHz Intel i7-13620H processor

  • RAM: 16 GB DDR5 RAM

  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card

  • Storage: 1 TB PCIe SSD

  • Screen: 16.1-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD resolution, 144 Hz refresh rate screen

Pros & Cons
  • Excellent 1080p gaming performance

  • High refresh rate

  • Weighs just 5.29 pounds

  • Some games take tuning to reach 144 FPS

  • Battery life is short due to powerful CPU and GPU

If you’re a gamer, you need a top-of-the-line HP laptop like this HP OMEN. This gaming laptop boasts a 16.1-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD screen that allows you to fully immerse into your virtual world. It also has a 144 Hz refresh rate, which means you can boost the framerate of your favorite games. A seriously powerful Intel i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card power the performance of this laptop, accompanied by 16 GB of DDR5 RAM and a speedy 1TB SSD.

This all adds up to a fantastic gaming experience. The large screen is bright and beautiful, especially at high refresh rates. The RTX 4050 provides plenty of beef so that you can turn up the graphics settings without affecting your frame rate, and you can even turn on ray tracing for even more fireworks.

Best affordable option

Specifications

  • CPU: 1.1 GHz Intel Celeron N4120 processor

  • RAM: 4 GB DDR4 RAM

  • Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 600 integrated graphics

  • Storage: 64 GB eMMC flash storage

  • Screen: 14-inch 1366 x 768 HD resolution screen

Pros & Cons
  • Very affordable

  • Lightweight and easy to transport

  • Long batter life

  • 64 GB of storage is quite small

  • Screen quality isn’t impressive

If you’re on a really tight budget, this HP Intel Celeron 14-inch model is the best HP laptop for you. It’s about the same cost as a Chromebook, while offering a full-featured Windows 11 installation. This makes this budget-friendly laptop a lot more versatile. The Intel Celeron processor sips power, providing strong battery life.

Its 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB flash storage drive allow for relatively fast performance. However, this computer is definitely best for light use, such as online shopping, watching videos or using Microsoft Office. If you need a computer for remote work, gaming or other more intensive tasks that requires you to run more than one program at a time, you’ll be better off with one of the other picks on our list.

Which HP laptop gets our vote?

There are lots of good HP computers out there at various price points and with different capabilities. All of the options above are a solid choice. But if we had to narrow things down even further, we’d recommend the following two products as the best HP laptops to buy.

  • HP Pavilion 15t-eg200 15.6" Laptop: This is the best HP laptop to buy if you want powerful, versatile performance in a sleek package. Whether you’re working from home, taking it to school, or you just want to kick back and play some games or watch Netflix, it’s a great choice for all-around computing.

  • HP 14t-dq300 14" Laptop: If you’re on a tighter budget but still want decent specs, this 14-inch model is the best HP laptop for you. While it lacks some bells and whistles like an FHD screen and is not quite as speedy, it has great battery life, slim design and plenty of power. It can handle tasks like web browsing, word processing and scrolling social media with ease.


Prices updated on 07/25/2023. We are not responsible for any changes to the prices mentioned above.

Eric-Liston-Headshot
Written by
Eric Liston

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Eric Liston is a freelance writer focusing on consumer product reviews, digital technology — and helping readers find the right items at the right price. When he’s not writing, you’ll find him gaming, cooking or disc golfing.

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