HP Folio 14" 1040 G3, Core i5-6200U, 8GB, 256GB SSD, Gray

The HP Folio 1040 G3 scores 6.6 out of 100 for gaming, which is one of the worst results we've seen. It's compact at the 66th percentile and customers rate it 4.8 stars, but the 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD are entry-level specs. Buy it only if you need a cheap, portable Windows machine for basic tasks and can find it at a steep discount.

The Core i5-6200U is a dual-core, four-thread chip from Intel's Skylake generation running at 2.3GHz. At the 40th percentile for CPU performance, it's about average for laptops in our database, but that's average across all laptops including much older machines. For everyday tasks like web browsing, email, and document editing, it'll get the job done without too much complaining. The integrated GPU sits at the 14th percentile, which is disappointing. You're not playing anything beyond solitaire or maybe some light 2D indie games on this thing. The gaming score of 6.6 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know there.

The 8GB of RAM at the 13th percentile is the bare minimum for Windows 10 in 2025. You'll be fine with a handful of browser tabs open, but push it past that and you'll feel the system start to swap. The 256GB SSD at the 16th percentile is small but at least it's an SSD, so boot times and app launches will feel snappy compared to a spinning drive. Just don't plan on keeping a big media library on here.

Stacked against the top competitors in our database, the Folio 1040 G3 is outclassed in nearly every category. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition are in a completely different league for CPU, GPU, and screen quality. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 are gaming-focused machines that would absolutely embarrass this HP in any performance test. Even the MSI Raider, which is also a chunky gaming laptop, makes the Folio look like a netbook by comparison. The one area where the Folio holds its own is compactness at the 66th percentile, but that's a hollow victory when the Surface Laptop 7th Edition is also thin and light while delivering dramatically better performance. You're not cross-shopping these machines, but it's worth knowing how far behind this refurbished unit really is.

We don't have a US price for this unit, but the Canadian listing shows CAD 1,103. For a refurbished laptop with a 6th-gen Intel chip, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, that's a tough sell when you look at what else is out there. The compact score of 43.7 out of 100 and business score of 33.5 out of 100 suggest this machine is best suited for light, portable use rather than any kind of serious work. If you can find it at a steep discount, it might make sense as a secondary machine or a kid's first laptop. At full asking price, you're paying a premium for the HP brand name and the slim form factor, not the internals.

The HP Folio 1040 G3 is a refurbished business ultrabook that lands in the middle of the pack for compactness at the 66th percentile, but that's about where the good news ends. The Intel Core i5-6200U sits at the 40th percentile for CPU performance, which means it's solidly average for a laptop of this era. The 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD put it at the 13th and 16th percentiles respectively, so you're getting entry-level specs by today's standards. The 14-inch 1920x1080 display is non-touch and ranks at the 21st percentile for screen quality, which is a weak spot we'll dig into.

Customer feedback is surprisingly positive at 4.8 out of 5 stars across 4 reviews, and social proof sits at the 67th percentile. But with only 4 reviews, we're working with a small sample size. The reliability score at the 33rd percentile is a concern for a refurbished machine. If you're looking for a cheap, compact Windows laptop for basic tasks, this might scratch the itch. Just don't expect it to do much heavy lifting.

Skip this if you need any kind of graphics performance. The 6.6 gaming score and 14th percentile GPU ranking mean this machine is not built for anything beyond basic productivity. Also skip it if you're a heavy multitasker. The 8GB of RAM at the 13th percentile will frustrate you the moment you open more than a handful of tabs. And if you care about screen quality, the 21st percentile display is a real letdown. The 33rd percentile reliability score is another reason to think twice, especially for a refurbished unit. If you need a laptop for creative work, gaming, or serious multitasking, look elsewhere. This is a basic web and email machine, nothing more.

The HP Folio 1040 G3 is a compact, lightweight business laptop that's fine for basic tasks and nothing more. The 4.8-star customer rating suggests people who bought it are happy with what they got, and the 66th percentile compact score means it's genuinely portable. But the 6.6 gaming score, 13th percentile RAM, and 21st percentile screen quality are hard to ignore. If you need a cheap Windows machine for email, web browsing, and light document work, and you can find this at a significant discount from the CAD 1,103 listing, it's worth a look. Otherwise, save your money for something with more modern internals.