HP Chromebook x360 14a Review

Over the last decade, the Chromebook has solidified its place in the laptop space, tailored for people who want an inexpensive machine to browse the internet, handle email and Google Docs, and not much else. Convertible 2-in-1 Chromebooks that can be used as tablets are newer to the scene. We've seen a handful of models launch this year, including excellent premium options like the $500-to-$600 Acer Chromebook Spin 514. But if you think that's too much to pay for a Chrome OS convertible, enter the HP Chromebook x360 14a, a $330 hybrid that delivers zippy performance at a good price. A coarse display for its size, subpar speakers, and an imprecise touchpad limit its appeal compared with that Acer and other upscale Chromebooks, but it's still worth checking out in its price range.

Pretty in Chrome

Wrapped in a clean metallic silver, the Chromebook x360 14a comes equipped with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. That's close to the bottom of the barrel in terms of memory and storage, but sufficient for the cloud-based tasks that are the bread and butter of Chrome OS. Our review unit, model 14a-ca0022nr, functions as both a tablet and a laptop and makes use of an Intel Pentium Silver N5000, a quad-core budget CPU found in many low-cost laptops.

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This Pentium isn't what you'd call a proficient processor, though it does outclass its even cheaper Celeron cousins, which staff the very cheapest Chromebooks alongside low-end chips from the likes of MediaTek. The 1.1GHz chip delivers surprisingly snappy performance for the HP x360 14a, but you can opt for some extra horsepower by grabbing a model with a Pentium Silver N5030 for only $30 more. (See our guide to choosing the best laptop CPU.)

(Photo: Molly Flores)

No matter the chip configuration, you'll be making use of Google's Chrome OS and spending time with Gmail, Google Workspace, Google Play, and YouTube. It's all sufficient for casual internet users, especially those already indoctrinated into Google's software infrastructure. Android equivalents of many popular programs are available in the Google Play Store as apps or extensions, so you should be able to match the functionality of a budget Windows laptop with just a few downloads.

(Photo: Molly Flores)

The Chromebook x360 14a weighs in at 3.3 pounds, fairly standard for a 14-inch laptop though somewhat hefty if you're considering folding the keyboard back and holding the device as a tablet in one hand. For comparison, the Asus Detachable Chromebook CM3 only weighs about 1.12 pounds, though the key word there is “detachable”: A tablet without its keyboard is always going to weigh less than a larger laptop. When in use, the HP's 0.7-by-12.8-by-8.7-inch (HWD) frame is what you’d expect from a 14-inch notebook, though the rounded corners give it a more compact look.

(Photo: Molly Flores)

The lid is marked with the usual Chrome insignia as well as the HP logo in the center. Two silver hinges hold the keyboard and screen together, easily flipping back and forth with just enough resistance so the fold feels good and not like you're going to snap the machine in half. Overall, the build quality is more than adequate. 

(Photo: Molly Flores)

The screen, on the other hand, is less so. The 14-inch IPS touch panel is limited to 1,366-by-768-pixel resolution, which results in a dull picture when playing videos and viewing images. Its low 220-nit rated brightness doesn't do it any favors, either. The display is a disappointment, especially considering this a convertible laptop. A 14-inch screen at such a low resolution just isn't much fun to use, and the glossy, reflective surface makes finding the right viewing angle difficult. You might get away with 1,366 by 768 in an 11-inch Chromebook, but the coarseness of the resolution is obvious at this screen size.

Aside from the screen, you'll find a 720p webcam sitting at the top of the display with two dual-array microphones for video chatting.

Room for an Improved Touchpad

While the HP Chromebook x360 14a's chassis is solid, the same can't be said for its touchpad, which is dodgy and slow to respond. It made navigation a stumbling area at times during testing, ruining the system's otherwise smooth performance. The touch screen, on the other hand, is responsive and easy to use, both in landscape and portrait orientations.

(Photo: Molly Flores)

The speakers located at the sides of the keyboard get pretty loud, but they vibrate through the chassis at the higher volume levels. The keyboard is the HP's saving grace, comfortably spaced in the familiar Chrome OS layout with oversize Control and Alt buttons at lower left and a row of browser and system command keys along the top.

As for I/O ports, the Chromebook x360 14a doesn't have many, though what you'll find is slightly surprising. USB Type-A and Type-C ports decorate the right flank of the machine, just beside two volume control buttons. On the left, you'll discover a headphone jack, a microSD card reader, the power button, and another USB-C port. It's a pleasant surprise to find more than one USB-C port on a budget Chromebook, and they'll likely come in handy for charging your other devices. Wi-Fi 5 (not 6) and Bluetooth 5 round out the Chromebook's connectivity features.

(Photo: Molly Flores)

(Photo: Molly Flores)

Testing the Chromebook x360 14a: A Bounty of Highs (and Lows)

To benchmark the HP Chromebook x360 14a properly, we put it up against a few rivals with comparable prices and components. I picked the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2, the Dell Chromebook 11, the latest HP Chromebook x2 detachable, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 311. With the exception of the ARM-powered HP Chromebook x2, each one makes use of an Intel Celeron processor and just 4GB of RAM.

Our Chromebook benchmarking starts with Principled Technologies' CrXPRT 2, a Chrome OS test suite that measures how quickly a system performs everyday tasks such as applying effects to photos and encrypting files. It also measures a few more specialized tasks, like analyzing DNA sequences. The HP Chromebook x360 14a came out on top, but the rest of the pack wasn't far behind. Any of these laptops is more than capable of handling a student's word processing and web browsing needs.

The next benchmark test we deploy is the browser-based Basemark Web 3.0, which assesses how well a PC can run web applications. In this test, the Chromebook x360 came out on top again by a much larger margin.

We can't run the Windows version of UL's PCMark on Chromebooks, so we use the Android version downloaded from the Google Play Store. Both simulate everyday workflows like word processing, web browsing, and data analysis and give an overall performance score.  The Chromebook x360 14a performed capably but fell to fourth place overall, beating only the Galaxy Chromebook 2.

Another familiar benchmark we run is the Android version of Geekbench 5, a multi-core CPU test designed to simulate real-world applications ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning. The Chromebook x360 struck back with a vengeance here, one of only two in the test group to post a four-digit score. Unfortunately, it still trailed its HP stablemate the Chromebook x2.

Next is GFXBench 5.0, a cross-platform GPU benchmark that stress-tests both low-level and high-level game routines. It's important to remember that Chromebooks aren't really meant for gaming, especially those in the budget tier. Indeed, every Chromebook in our test group performed abysmally here. Not a single system reached 8 frames per second in the demanding 1440p Aztec Ruins test, and just three managed double-digit frame rates in the 1080p Car Chase run. If you're interested in gaming on a budget, you're better off with a Windows gaming laptop.

To test a laptop's battery, we run a 720p video of the open-source Blender movie Tears of Steel with display brightness at 50%, audio volume at 100%, and Wi-Fi turned off until the system taps out. If the computer doesn't have enough storage to hold the video file, we play it from an external solid-state drive.

Finishing in fourth place, the Chromebook x360 14a called it quits just before the seven-hour mark, a disappointing result especially given the low-res screen. The Dell Chromebook 11 earned top marks, fitting for a kid-friendly Chromebook that will likely spend a long time away from an outlet.

A Reasonable Two-for-One Bargain

The HP Chromebook x360 14a is a tempting choice for a 2-in-1 laptop on the cheap, betrayed mainly by its dim display and poor touchpad. Still, it doesn't quite excel as either a tablet or a laptop. If you're looking for a more capable but still reasonably priced convertible, you might be better off with our top pick in this category, Acer's Chromebook Spin 514. Still, the HP is good enough to handle the needs of students and the demands of casual internet users on tight budgets.