The best HP laptops: Expert tested

A new laptop is an investment, and making it last is essential to maximizing its value. To care for your new laptop, you’ll want to minimize the amount of bumps and vibrations it’s exposed to and keep it closed when not in use to protect the keys and screen, which can be fragile. 

Maximizing your laptop’s battery life is also part of its longevity, as it’s best to keep it between 30% and 80% to optimize battery life. Besides these obvious factors, you’ll want to keep the software and drivers up to date, and get a backpack and sleeve for safe, efficient transport. 

How long does the battery typically last? 

Battery life depends on various factors, such as what tasks you’re doing and whether your computer is in a battery-saving mode or high-performance mode. HP laptops, particularly the OmniBook and EliteBook lines of devices are known for having better-than-average batteries.

Also: HP shows off three next-gen laptops and revamps its desktops at CES 2025

When looking at a laptop’s battery, consider its watt-hour number (written as Wh), which measures how much power a battery uses over one hour. The higher the number, the longer the battery should theoretically last; however, how fast the computer burns through that power is another story.

For example, the HP Envy x360 features a 68Wh battery, but the 16-inch OLED display will demand lots of power from the battery. Conversely, the same size battery in the OmniBook X 14 will drain at a trickle in comparison thanks to the AI on board the Snapdragon X Elite processor. 

Which HP laptop is most durable?

HP’s lineup of laptops may not be known as the most heavy-duty on the market, but the company has been making computers for decades and certainly knows a thing or two about durability. As such, consumers can be confident that any HP laptop is going to come with industry-standard components and be able to handle the wear and tear of everyday use. 

Of the laptops on this list, the EliteBook x360 1040 and the OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 are among the most durable thanks to their slightly more premium builds. 

Can you game on a HP laptop?

You can game on any HP laptop, but you’ll get the best performance from a computer designed for gaming, like the HP Omen 16. The reason for this has a lot to do with graphics processing and whether or not the device is designed to mitigate heat well. 

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Most HP laptops are fine for casual or entry-level gaming, but once you start running graphically-intense games, you’re going to run into performance issues, and the laptop will not be able to compensate for the heat generated by the hardware. 

HP’s Omen line of gaming options are renown for their accessibility and high performance, and they come with dedicated graphics cards, high refresh rate displays, and a robust cooling system. However, if you truly want the best gaming laptop, there are a host of other options out there, especially for demanding games.

How do you access the BIOS on a HP laptop?

Restart your computer, and when the HP startup screen appears, you’ll want to press either F1, F2, or Enter, depending on your model. It will often specify on the screen but note that this screen may only appear for a second or two before Windows starts up.