HP ENVY x360 2021, Ryzen 5 5500U, 8GB, 512GB SSD, Nightfall black aluminum

The HP ENVY x360 15-ee1010nr has a nice convertible design but weak internals. The 8GB of RAM and dim display are the biggest letdowns. At $899 it's overpriced, but a steep discount could make it a decent light-use 2-in-1.

The Ryzen 5 5500U is a six-core chip that handles basic multitasking without much drama. But it sits in the 36th percentile for CPUs in this category, so don't expect fast renders or smooth 4K edits. The integrated Radeon Graphics are even less impressive, landing in the 43rd percentile. The real bottleneck is the 8GB of RAM, which is a 13th percentile showing. Open a dozen Chrome tabs plus a couple of apps and you'll feel the system wheeze. The 512GB NVMe SSD is about average, so at least boot times and app launches are snappy.

Stacked against the competition, the ENVY x360 gets lapped. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro and ASUS ROG Zephyrus are in a completely different performance universe, though they cost far more. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition offers a much better display and build quality for a similar premium 2-in-1 vibe. Even the Lenovo Legion 5i and MSI Prestige outclass this HP on CPU and GPU performance while often landing in the same price range. The ENVY's only real edge is the convertible hinge, and that's not enough to close the gap.

At $899, this is a tough sell. You're paying a premium for the convertible form factor and the HP ENVY branding, but the internals feel like a budget laptop from three years ago. The 8GB of RAM alone is a dealbreaker for most people who want to keep this machine for more than a couple of years. If you can find it on sale for $650 or less, it starts to make more sense as a secondary machine or a student laptop for light work.

The HP ENVY x360 15-ee1010nr is a convertible 2-in-1 that looks the part but stumbles where it counts. You get a Ryzen 5 5500U, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 15.6-inch touchscreen for $899. On paper that sounds fine for light creative work and everyday browsing. In practice, the RAM ceiling and a dim, washed-out display hold it back hard.

HP pitches this as a creator machine. Our database says otherwise. It lands in the bottom third for CPU performance and near the bottom for RAM. The hinge is nice, the keyboard is backlit, and the camera shutter is a thoughtful touch. But those perks don't make up for the weak internals.

Skip this if you need more than 8GB of RAM, a bright or color-accurate screen, or any real GPU muscle. Gamers, video editors, and anyone who keeps dozens of tabs open will hit the ceiling fast. Also skip it if you want a laptop with a proven track record, since there are zero customer reviews to lean on.

This laptop is for someone who wants a big touchscreen 2-in-1 for light browsing, streaming, and note-taking, and doesn't plan to push it hard. If that's you, and you can get it at a discount, it's fine. But if you need to edit video, run demanding apps, or keep more than a handful of tabs open without slowdowns, look elsewhere. The 8GB of RAM and mediocre display make this a frustrating daily driver for anyone with real work to do.