HP Fortis G1i 11.6" 2025, Intel N150, 8GB, 128GB SSD, Black

The Fortis G1i is one of the most compact laptops we've tested, landing in the 99th percentile for portability. But that's where the good news ends. The 1280x720 display ranks dead last in our screen database, and the N150 CPU sits in the bottom fifth. At USD 492 it's a reasonable budget Chromebook. At USD 845 it's a bad joke.

Let's be real about the N150. Four cores at 0.8GHz base with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz sounds okay until you realize this chip ranks in the bottom fifth of our CPU database. ChromeOS is lightweight, so basic browsing and Google Docs will chug along fine, but open more than a handful of tabs and you'll feel it. The 8GB of RAM doesn't help, sitting in the 13th percentile. That's enough for a Chromebook's core tasks, but it's not a multitasking machine.

The integrated graphics land at the 28th percentile, which is fine for video playback and casual Android games, but the 1.3/100 gaming score tells you everything. This is not a gaming laptop. Not even close. The 128GB SSD is the real squeeze though, at the 8th percentile. ChromeOS leans on cloud storage, so it's workable, but you'll be managing local files more than you'd like.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Air M4, this is a different universe. The Air's M4 chip is best-in-class, while the N150 sits in the bottom fifth of our CPU rankings. The Lenovo ThinkPad X9-14 Gen 1 and ASUS ProArt PX13 both offer dramatically better screens and performance, though they cost significantly more and weigh more too. The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 brings a gorgeous display and stronger internals, but again, you're paying for it. The Fortis G1i's only real win is portability and price. If you need a cheap, light Chromebook for school or basic field work, this does the job. If you need anything resembling performance, every competitor here beats it handily.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US, listings range from USD 492 to USD 845 across 4 vendors. That's a USD 353 spread for the same machine, which is wild. The low end feels reasonable for a rugged-ish education Chromebook, but at USD 845 you're getting fleeced. Canadian buyers see a tighter but still notable CAD 204 gap, from CAD 668 to CAD 872. If you're shopping this, hunt for the USD 492 listing and don't pay a cent more. At that price, the portability and touchscreen make a decent case. At the high end, you're in used MacBook Air territory and this thing can't compete.

The HP Fortis G1i lands in our database as one of the most compact laptops we've tested, sitting at the 99th percentile for portability. That's the headline here. An 11.6-inch chassis at 1.33kg means this thing disappears into a backpack, and the touchscreen adds some flexibility for students or field workers. But that compact score comes at a cost, and the cost is basically everything else.

The Intel N150 is a 4-core chip with a 0.8GHz base clock, and it ranks in the 17th percentile for CPU performance. That's not a typo. Paired with 8GB of RAM (13th percentile) and a 128GB SSD (8th percentile), this is a machine built for one job: running ChromeOS and not much else. The 1280x720 display sits at the 1st percentile for screen quality, which is about as rough as it sounds on paper.

Skip this if you care about screen quality at all. A 1280x720 panel at the 1st percentile is genuinely rough, and you'll notice it every single time you open the lid. Also skip it if you plan to run anything beyond Chrome tabs and light Android apps. The N150's 17th percentile CPU ranking means photo editing, video work, or even heavy multitasking will frustrate you. And if you're tempted by the USD 845 listing, just stop. At that price you can get a used MacBook Air M1 that runs circles around this thing in every category except portability.

The HP Fortis G1i is a one-trick pony, but it's a decent trick. At the 99th percentile for compactness and with a touchscreen, it's a genuinely portable little Chromebook for students or anyone who lives in Google's ecosystem. The 73rd percentile affordability score helps too, assuming you find it at the low end of that USD 492 to USD 845 range. But the 1st percentile screen, 17th percentile CPU, and 8th percentile storage mean you're making real sacrifices. If your budget is tight and your needs are basic, it's fine. If you want to do more than browse and type, look elsewhere.