Pros
- Full HD 14-inch touchscreen display
- 512 GB of SSD storage / 8 GB of RAM
- Core i5 CPU
- Ample connectivity options
Cons
- Limited battery life
- RAM is not upgradable
We're not ashamed to admit we were not fans of the convertible laptop when it arrived on the market back in 2014. Sure enough, the concept was good but the internals left a lot to be desired with most convertibles essentially being paperweights suitable for browsing the web and watching cat videos.
Fortunately for us, the tide has very much turned over the last few months and we're seeing more and more convertibles that are actually respectable laptops with respectable specs at realistic prices. Such is the case of the HP 14-dh2011nr in review today.
HP has managed to dominate the convertible space with its X360 lineup and this model is quite possibly the crown jewel of said lineup, at least when it comes down to a price/spec relationship. With a massive 512 GB of SSD storage, a powerful 10th generation i5 processor, and a generous battery life, this convertible has managed to conquer the top 100 positions more times than we can count. But, is this convertible right for you? That's what we're here to figure out today.
Technical specifications
- Make / Model Hewlett Packard 14-dh2011nr
- Dimensions 32.4 x 22.3 x 2.05 centimeters
- Weight 1.38 kg
- IPS Touch Backlit WLED Panel | 14 inch
- Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels)
- Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor | 4 cores | Up to 3.6 GHz
- 8GB RAM (DDR4)
- Intel UHD 620 Graphics Controller (Integrated)
- 512GB storage (SSD)
- 3-cell battery (Lithium)
- Windows 10 Home Operating System
- Wi-Fi connectivity Bluetooth 5.0 USB 2.0 Type C USB Type A (x2) HDMI Audio combo connector Multi-format card reader HD Webcam
Who's it for?
With its high-end specs, affordable price point, and generous battery life, this laptop is perfectly suited for students and professionals who are looking for a powerhouse convertible and don't want to pay through the nose to get one.
It's got enough RAM for your typical multitasking, enough storage to store the most extensive multimedia collection and a good enough processor to tackle on tasks as complex as editing pictures and programming through the use of virtual machines.
Design and Panel
You can't talk about a convertible and not talk about the design, it's just not possible. In this particular case, we're quite pleased with the simple yet elegant design HP has decided to provide this particular model. In truth, it's far from revolutionary but it features a minimalistic design that's quite pleasing.
The display, one of the reasons many clients end up buying this laptop, offers up a Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080) and also offers the now all too common "micro-bezels" or whatever they're calling them on this model just to say that the bezels are thinner than traditional laptops and the screen offers up a more immersive experience.
As far as the tactile experience this particular model delivers, most clients seem content with the touchscreen experience offered up on this model, with a screen that's capable of responding to 10 different touches (pretty standard).
Perhaps the main reason people opt for a convertible instead of a tablet is to have the benefit of a decent keyboard. HP seems rather aware of this fact and delivers the 14-dh2011nr with a backlit keyboard that offers ample space between keys for a comfortable typing experience and your standard trackpad located on the lower end of the keyboard. It's nothing to write home about but it's definitely alright.
Let's talk about performance
As noted at the beginning of this review, a common mistake many convertibles used to make a few years back was having rather basic internals. This is not the case on the HP 14-dh2011nr which features some top of the line components such as a powerful Intel Core i5 1035G1 processor. That's a 10th generation processor that clocks in at a base 1.0 GHz and can reach a very respectable 3.6 GHz when we need more horsepower for CPU-intensive tasks.
Add to that 8 GB of DDR4 RAM and we're talking about a laptop that's well suited to take on not just your basic web browsing but also more complex tasks such as editing images, programming, minor video editing (nothing in 4K), as well as your standard use of the office suite (editing spreadsheets, preparing presentations etc.) and streaming music/videos.
Unfortunately, RAM is not upgradable, an all-too-common limit to convertibles in general which don't allow for manipulation of the basic internal components.
Besides RAM and CPU, another factor that determines performance but is often overlooked is storage type. On that regard, HP has really kicked it out of the park by delivering the 14-dh2011nr with 512 GB of SSD storage capacity. For reference, most laptops within its price range will hardly go above 256 GB so that's a significant bump.
Also, if your previous laptop made use of a traditional mechanical hard drive - probably the case if you bought it 4 years ago - then you're in for a real treat since the transition from hard drive (HDD) to Solid State Drives (SSD's) is probably one of the most important transitions we've seen in years in terms of tangible real-world speed differences on everything from turning the laptop on/off to downloading files and rendering images, truly a gamechanger.
Battery Life and Connectivity
While most of this review has been about how the 14-dh2011nr delivers a game-changing performance, we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't tackle the negatives as well. On that front, it's our duty to point out that the battery life on this convertible has been extensively pointed out by its consumers, many of whom seem to arrive at a consensus of roughly 4 hours of battery life.
That's far from the claimed 9 hours by the company and it's perhaps the only significant con we can appreciate, more so when you see Apple's new MacBook Air launch with an 18-hour battery life. If battery life is a big deal for you we would advise you to look at one of this laptop's "siblings", the HP Envy x360 15-dr1072ms, a model that offers similar specs but improves upon the battery life aspect.
That said, it should also be mentioned that while battery life is far from ideal, this convertible also features fast charging, offering us 50% of the battery capacity after only 45 minutes of charging.
Connectivity-wise we're all covered. Specifically, we've got the latest WiFi 6 standard, Bluetooth 5, a couple of USB Type-A ports, a single USB Type-C port, HDMI port, SD card reader and audio jack, quite generous all in all when you consider this is a convertible and not a regular laptop.
Verdict: Is it worth it?
We're just gonna go out and say it; we love the HP 14-dh2011nr reviewed. It features an excellent screen, generous storage, a good processor, and enough RAM to satisfy demanding users. It also delivers big on connectivity options with the latest WiFi standard and a slew of ports that aren't all that common in convertibles. The price point is also a major pro as it definitely offers quite a lot more than what it's worth. That said, you do need to be able to look past the battery life.
Ultimately, if you don't care that much about battery life then this convertible is an excellent deal, on the flip side, if you do care about battery life then you should look at alternatives such as the recently reviewed HP Envy x360 15-dr1072ms, which at a similar price point -at the time of writing this review - and similar specs, delivers a much more respectable 7-hour battery life.