HP ENVY 13.3" x360 2021, Core i7-1165G7, 8GB, 128GB SSD, Gold

A pretty 2-in-1 with a frustratingly tiny SSD and not enough RAM. Buy it only if portability matters more than everything else, and even then, wait for a sale.

The Core i7-1165G7 handles everyday tasks without breaking a sweat, and the Iris Xe graphics are fine for streaming and light photo work. But the 128GB SSD is the real bottleneck. Windows 10 Pro alone eats a chunk of that, and you'll be juggling files before you know it. The 8GB of RAM doesn't help either. Our database puts the storage in the bottom 10 percent and RAM in the bottom 7 percent, which is rough for a laptop at this price. The compact size is the standout, ranking near the top of the charts, but that's about the only spec that punches above its weight.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Pro M5, the ENVY x360 gets smoked on performance, storage, and screen quality. The MacBook costs more, but you're getting a dramatically better machine. The Lenovo Legion 5i is a different beast entirely, built for gaming and heavy workloads, so if you need any kind of GPU muscle, skip the HP. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is also a 2-in-1, but it actually has a discrete GPU and more RAM, making it the better pick if you want flexibility without sacrificing power. The ENVY's only real edge is being lighter and more compact than most of these.

At $1,000 USD, this is a tough sell. You're paying for the compact design and the 2-in-1 flexibility, but the storage and RAM are budget-tier. For the same money, you can find laptops with 512GB SSDs and 16GB of RAM. Unless you absolutely need the small footprint and touchscreen, the value just isn't there.

The HP ENVY x360 is a compact 2-in-1 that looks great on paper until you hit the storage and RAM. That 128GB NVMe SSD is a head-scratcher in a laptop with a Core i7, and 8GB of RAM in this price range feels like HP cut the wrong corners. The one thing to know: this is a sleek, portable touchscreen machine that's fine for light work, but the specs are weirdly unbalanced.

If you need to store more than a handful of files or run anything beyond basic apps, this isn't it. Go get a laptop with at least 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM instead. Gamers and creative pros should look at the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 or Lenovo Legion 5i.

The HP ENVY x360 is a well-built, portable 2-in-1 with a decent CPU and a nice touchscreen. But the 128GB SSD and 8GB RAM are dealbreakers at this price. If you can find it heavily discounted, it's a reasonable light-use machine. At full price, you're better off spending your money elsewhere.