Best Overall
The HP Spectre x360 15 is the clear winner in this matchup in every category outside of battery life and weight. Between its more powerful processor, its crisp 4K display, the slim bezels, and the laptop's convertible functionality, the HP Spectre x360 15 gets the win without any doubt. The Surface Laptop 3 15 is more affordable at the lowest spec, but the Spectre is still arguably better overall value.
For
- Better performance across the board
- Better display
- Slimmer bezels
- Convertible
Against
- Worse battery life
- Higher minimum price
- Heavier
Best Budget
The Surface Laptop 3 15 is underwhelming compared to the HP Spectre x360 15 when it comes to performance and the display. It may have better battery life and be lighter and slightly more affordable at the lowest spec, but ultimately, it's outclassed by the HP competition. In our minds, there's no reason to go with Microsoft's offering unless you need the better battery or don't have the budget to spend a little extra.
For
- Better battery life
- Lower minimum price
- Lighter
Against
- Worse performance across the board
- Worse display
- Thicker bezels
- Not convertible
Ultimately, the HP Spectre x360 15 is the better choice here for the vast majority of people. A select few may find the Surface Laptop 3 15 worth choosing if they need a better battery life or can't afford to spend a little extra. Still, most should opt for the Spectre due to its better performance, display, its convertible functionality.
Spectre x360 15 vs. Surface Laptop 3 15: Comparison and specs
The HP Spectre x360 15 outperforms the Surface Laptop 3 15 in almost every metric across the board. Its Intel i7-10750H CPU is measurably more capable than either of the AMD Ryzens available for the Surface Laptop 3 15. Its NVIDIA 1650 Ti completely blows the AMD Radeon Vega 9 and 11 GPUs in the Surface out of the water. The Spectre matches the Surface on RAM and storage, and again surpasses it when it comes to displays — both the IPS and AMOLED 4K screens are more impressive than the Surface's Pixelsense. The Spectre also comes with Thunderbolt 3 and support for Wi-Fi 6, while the Surface does not. Both laptops are fantastic in terms of physical design, although the bezels on the Spectre are noticeably thinner. It's also important to note that you can use the Spectre as a convertible.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | HP Spectre x360 15 | Surface Laptop 3 15 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | i7-10750H | AMD Ryzen 5 3580U AMD Ryzen 7 3780U |
| GPU | NVIDIA 1650 Ti | AMD Radeon Vega 9 Graphics AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 |
| Memory | 16GB | 8GB 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB SSD 512GB SSD 1TB SSD | 128GB SSD 256GB SSD 512GB SSD 1TB SSD |
| Display | 15-inch UHD IPS touch (340 or 400 nits) 15-inch UHD AMOLED touch (400 nits) | 15-inch Pixelsense 2496 x 1664 touch (400 nits) |
| Speakers | Quad-speaker design | Omnisonic speakers |
| Ports | 1x Thunderbolt 3 1x USB-C 1x USB-A | 1x USB-C 1x USB-A 1x Surface Connect |
| Biometrics | Windows Hello-enabled 720p camera Fingerprint reader | Windows Hello-enabled 720p camera Fingerprint reader |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Battery | 5-6 hours | 9-10 hours |
| Weight | 4.24 lbs | 3.40 lbs |
The Surface Laptop 3 15 only scores points in three areas: battery life, weight, and starting price. The Surface's battery life comes in at around 9-10 hours, a big step up compared to the Spectre's 5-6. Additionally, the Surface Laptop 3 15 weighs in at 3.40 pounds, which is over a pound lighter than the Spectre. Finally, the Surface Laptop 3 15's starting price is $300 less than the Spectre x360 15, making it more attractive to people who are on tight budgets. Outside of these advantages, though, the Spectre is simply better.
Spectre x360 15 vs. Surface Laptop 3 15: Which should you buy?
At the end of the day, we think that this duel's clear winner is the HP Spectre x360 15. Offering stronger performance, a better display, better ports, thinner bezels, Wi-Fi 6, and convertible functionality, it trumps the Surface Laptop 3 15 across the board. The only reason you should get a Surface Laptop 3 15 is if you need something as affordable as possible or if you need strong battery life.
If neither of these devices are the right fit for what you're looking for, check out our best Windows laptop picks for more options.
Undeniable value
The HP Spectre x360 15 is the clear winner in this matchup in every category outside of battery life and weight. Between its more powerful processor, its crisp 4K display, the slim bezels, and the laptop's convertible functionality, the HP Spectre x360 15 gets the win without any doubt. The Surface Laptop 3 15 is more affordable at the lowest spec, but the Spectre is still arguably better overall value.
Save some money
The Surface Laptop 3 15 is underwhelming compared to the HP Spectre x360 15 when it comes to performance and the display. It may have better battery life and be lighter and slightly more affordable at the lowest spec, but ultimately, it's outclassed by the HP competition. In our minds, there's no reason to go with Microsoft's offering unless you need the better battery or don't have the budget to spend a little extra.
