Convertible laptops usually stick to the same profile: portable machines with capable specs but mostly designed for personal activities and ease of use. It’s rare to see a hybrid laptop that also happens to be a powerhouse.
Well that’s probably what we have in this case. This is the review of the Toshiba P55W-C5316-4K, a 15.6 inch machine that promises us all of the power from a top-tier computer coupled with the features of the popularly rising convertibles.
Pros: incredible 4K IPS display, powerful i7 processor, 12 GB of RAM, affordable price.
Cons: no dedicated graphics, slower mechanical hard drive
Toshiba Satellite Radius P55W-C5316-4K Detailed review
4K in several positions
We have to begin with what’s probably the most bombastic feature about this laptop: the fact that it comes with a 4K display (that’s 3840x2160 pixels, by the way). That incredibly high resolution isn’t the only great thing about it, though, as it’s also an IPS panel, which means better color reproduction and zero worries about viewing angles.
That amazing panel (which we cannot stress enough, shouldn't be this good at this price point) comes in a 15.6 inch gray convertible package. That means you can fold the screen so as to achieve different positions: be it a standing screen on your kitchen (in either portrait or landscape orientation) or a fun over-sized tablet.
Convertible performance
Why did we talk about a “powerhouse” before? You’ll see soon enough. The Toshiba P55W-C5316-4K is rocking an Intel Core i7-6500U, one of the fastest chips from the ultra-low voltage line the company sells. This means that, aside from great performance you’ll also be winning on things like battery life and heat, both crucial aspects for this kind of machine.
This i7 is a dual-core processor clocked at 2.5 GHz that goes up to 3.1 GHz with Intel’s Turbo Boost technology. Even the most demanding tasks like editing, or running creation tools will do perfectly OK, and we don’t even need to mention things like web browsing and office work.
To close the deal on the performance corner, the Toshiba P55W-C5316-4K comes with 12 GB of DDR3L SDRAM available (1600 MHz), a spec that’s well above the average, especially for portable machines. Multitasking won’t be a problem whatsoever, so go crazy on those Chrome tabs.
Light gaming is in order, but go easy on the resolution
In the absence of a dedicated graphics card, the P55W-C5316-4K relies on its integrated Intel HD Graphics 520 to do all things graphics-intensive. For most consumers, that means gaming. Modern 3D blockbusters can run on lower settings, while simpler titles like The Sims 4 will run much more smoothly.
In short, we can say that some gaming is possible with this machine, just remember to put those setting on low. Most important of all is the resolution: gaming on a full 4K configuration is a big no; not even the more advanced cards can do it perfectly, so remember to set your games at lower options like 1080p or even 720p.
The best balance for battery life
Toshiba claims up to 6 hours of battery life with the 3-Cell battery present on the P55W-C5316-4K. For us, that hits the nice balance between performance and battery life we talked about earlier. The time itself will always wildly vary depending on what you are doing, but it’s still a great starting point.
Connectivity and storage
The short version is that the Toshiba P55W-C5316-4K in review has adequate connectivity options. The long version is that it includes one USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports for a total of three, as well as an HDMI port for external displays. The rest includes the obligatory SD card reader and audio combo jack. There is no optical drive, though that’s hardly missed by anyone by now.
On the storage front, we find a 1 TB hard drive (5400 RPM). While its speed is on the lower side, you still can’t beat the 1 TB of space available, so it’s definitely a major win for anyone who’s looking to store lots of things.
What’s the verdict?
In this review of the Toshiba P55W-C5316-4K we were left with two major points. The first was the raw specs: the high components and that big, incredible screen. The second one was the fact that all of this comes in a “flexible” package that will offer more experiences than the regular laptop does.
If you’re going into this for the power, you're safe. And you’ll also get a hybrid out of it. If you are going into this because of its convertible features, you’ll get much, much more than that. Cheaper option will always exist, but you probably won’t get a 4K laptop that bends anywhere else.