HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: Which is best for you?

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

HP's updated Spectre 13t is one of the finest looking laptops to recently hit the market, and its size and function put it in competition with Microsoft's own premier Ultrabook, the Surface Laptop. If you're shopping for a device in the 13-inch range, both of these options accept probable striking your shortlist. Let's take a shut look at the differences between the two to see which one is best for you.

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: Specifications

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

Category	Spectre 13t	Surface Laptop
Bone	Windows 10 Home	Windows 10 S (upgradeable to Pro)
Processor	8th-gen Intel Core i5-8250U Intel Core i7-8550U	7th-gen Intel Core m3-7Y30 Intel Core i5-7200U Intel Core i7-7660U
Brandish size	thirteen.3 inches	13.five inches
Brandish resolution	FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS touch 4K (3840 10 2160) IPS affect	2256 x 1504 touch
Aspect ratio	16:9	3:2
RAM	8GB/16GB DDR3	4GB/8GB/16GB DDR3
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 620	Intel Hard disk drive Graphics 615 (m3) Intel HD Graphics 620 (i5) Intel Iris Plus 640 (i7)
Storage	256GB/512GB/1TB PCIe SSD	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB SSD
Camera	Front-facing 1080p IR for Windows Hello	Front-facing 720p IR for Windows Hi
Ports	Ii Thunderbolt 3 USB-C three.ane three.5mm audio	USB-A 3.0 Surface Connect Mini DisplayPort three.5mm audio
Battery	43.7WHr	45.2WHr
Dimensions	12.03 in x 8.83 in ten 0.41 in (xxx.56cm ten 22.43cm x one.04cm)	12.3 in x 8.78 in x 0.57 in (30.81cm x 22.3cm x 1.45cm)
Weight	2.45 pounds (1.11kg)	2.76 pounds (1.25kg)
Colors	Dark ash silverish Ceramic white	Platinum Burgundy Cobalt bluish Graphite gold

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: Performance

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

The new Spectre 13t is stocked with eighth-gen Intel Cadre processors (CPU), with four cores and a 15W thermal design signal (TDP). These U-series CPUs, whether Core i5 or Core i7, offering great performance while not sucking up a lot of battery.

The Surface Laptop is sticking with seventh-gen Intel CPUs that have a like 15W TDP but only two cores. You'll notice this difference well-nigh when multitasking, and so I'd recommend sticking with the Spectre 13t if you oftentimes have 30 browser tabs open while simultaneously editing a handful of Function documents.

The Surface Laptop does have an option for Iris Plus graphics with the Core i7 CPU, which will offer slightly better functioning when it comes to gaming or multimedia editing. Notwithstanding, if you need something for heavy video editing, go with a laptop that has a defended graphics card (GPU).

For seriously light workloads, the Surface Laptop is bachelor in a cheaper configuration (most $800) with a Core m3 CPU, 128GB solid-land bulldoze (SSD), and 4GB of RAM.

Winner: HP Spectre 13t. Eighth-gen Intel Cadre CPUs with iv cores will beat out out 7th-gen dual-core CPUs any day, though Iris Plus graphics in the Surface Laptop might exist attractive to some.

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: Display

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

Both laptops take touch displays that are in the thirteen-inch realm, though resolution and aspect ratio differ. The Surface Laptop's 3:ii aspect ratio means a taller display with a 2,256 x 1,504 resolution, and it's uniform with the Surface Pen for easy drawing and note-taking.

The Spectre 13t sticks with the more traditional 16:9 aspect ratio, offering up more than standard 1,920 x 1,080 or 3,840 ten two,160 resolutions. Yes, if y'all want 4K, you lot have to get with the Spectre. However, it doesn't take pen support, and though it has slimmer bezels along the side of the display, it has a larger chin than the Surface Laptop.

Winner: Draw. HP Spectre 13t is available in 4K, but the Surface Laptop is compatible with the Surface Pen.

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: Keyboard and touchpad

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

In that location'southward no doubt virtually it — the backlit keyboard on the Spectre is fantastic. Key travel is spot on, keys are spaced evenly, and y'all won't mind typing with information technology for a full day's work. The aforementioned tin can exist said virtually the Surface Laptop, though instead of a metal end around the keyboard, you're getting soft Alcantara cloth.

The main divergence here is that the Spectre 13t is nevertheless using Synaptics drivers for its touchpad, rather than the Precision setup that near modern Ultrabooks are at present using, including the Surface Laptop. You can install Precision drivers once the Spectre is in your hands, merely information technology would be dainty to see them installed direct from the manufactory.

Winner: Surface Laptop. Both laptops offering up a smashing typing experience, simply the Surface Laptop's Precision drivers push button it over the border.

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: Design and features

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

For anyone who wants a laptop that looks and feels like a premium device, either one of these will practise. The Spectre 13t is just 0.41 inches thick and weighs in at 2.45 pounds (ane.11kg), and you can get information technology in dark ash silver or ceramic white colors. The Surface Laptop is but a scrap thicker (0.57 inches) and merely a bit heavier (2.76 pounds), but it's nevertheless highly mobile. Information technology'due south also bachelor in four colors, including burgundy, platinum, cobalt blue, and graphite gold.

Both laptops have IR cameras uniform with Windows Hello, though the Spectre 13t has a 1080p standard camera for spider web conferencing, while the Surface Laptop's webcam is ready at 720p.

As for ports, the Spectre is the clear winner. Hither you're getting two Thunderbolt three ports with 4x PCIe lane support in each, too equally USB-C three.1 and a 3.5mm audio jack. You lot'll likely need an adapter or two to connect your older peripherals, only it's certainly looking to the future. The Surface Laptop has a USB-A three.0 port, a Mini DisplayPort, a 3.5mm audio jack, and the proprietary Surface Connect port, altogether offering up a option that won't concord up also as that of the Spectre.

Finally, the Surface Laptop has Windows x S installed, which is essentially the same as Home or Pro except it's meant to be used only with apps straight from the Microsoft Store. This is basically Microsoft'southward answer to Chrome OS, and if you don't like it, yous can always upgrade.

Winner: HP Spectre 13t. This is a beautiful laptop with the ports needed to see it well into the future.

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: Battery

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

Due to size, the batteries in both laptops aren't going to hit any incredible uptimes, but the Surface Laptop and Spectre 13t with FHD display should get you through a workday. Going with the Core i7 CPU in either laptop or the 4K display in the Spectre 13t will no doubt bring the life down a bit, only this one is as well close to call one fashion or the other.

Winner: Describe. Both laptops should set you up for an viii-hour work day, but bring along a charger if you're tackling any big jobs.

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: Pricing

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

While the Surface Laptop is available at a cheaper introductory price — nearly $800 for a Core m3, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD — compared to the Spectre 13t, prices soon grow apart.

See at Microsoft Shop

A Surface Laptop with a seventh-gen Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD costs about $2,700. A Spectre 13t with similar specs — eighth-gen Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD — costs well-nigh $1,800. That's nearly $1,000 y'all're saving by going with the Spectre 13t. Even adding a 4K display to the configuration keeps the toll below $ii,000.

Run across at HP

Winner: HP Spectre 13t. Yous can get mode more hardware for way less if you go with HP'due south Ultrabook, though the Surface Laptop does take a cheaper introductory model.

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: Conclusion

HP Spectre 13t vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

Looking at all things together, HP's Spectre 13t comes out on top of the Surface Laptop. It's using eighth-gen Intel Core CPUs for meliorate performance, it has a cute, mobile blueprint with Thunderbolt 3 ports, and it's considerably cheaper if you're looking for a device with decent operation.

Still, the Surface Laptop is no slouch, bringing Surface Pen support, a beautiful design, a better pointing feel, and a cheaper introductory model. My suggestion? If yous just need a laptop for everyday tasks, go with the Surface Laptop. Need high performance? Stick with the Spectre 13t.

More resources

For more information about both of these laptops, be certain to have a look at our in-depth reviews.

HP Spectre 13t review: A gorgeous xiii-inch Ultrabook worth your attention
Surface Laptop review: Microsoft's best Surface ever — just you pay a premium for information technology

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