HP 8R2T6UT#ABA Review

The HP Desktop with an Intel Core i5-1345U is a $426 Chrome OS machine. It's cheap but hobbled by only 8GB of RAM, a slow CPU, and the inability to run standard Windows programs. It's only for users who need a bare-bones web terminal and nothing more.

So you're looking at this HP desktop with an Intel Core i5-1345U processor for $426. It's a Chrome OS desktop, which is a bit of an oddball in the world of Windows towers. It's packing a 10-core CPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and surprisingly, an integrated AMD GPU that our database says has a whopping 48GB of VRAM. That last spec is a head-scratcher and likely a listing error, but it's what we have to work with. If you're searching for a basic, cheap desktop for web browsing and light tasks, this might pop up. But if you're expecting a traditional Windows PC for gaming or heavy work, you're looking at the wrong machine.

Let's talk numbers. The CPU performance lands in the 27th percentile, which means it's slower than most desktops we track. That 1.6GHz base clock on the i5-1345U isn't doing it any favors for demanding tasks. The GPU score, however, is in the 97th percentile. Before you get excited, remember this is an integrated GPU on a Chrome OS machine. That score is likely skewed by the bizarre 48GB VRAM claim and doesn't translate to real gaming power. In fact, our data shows this is a terrible pick for gaming, scoring a dismal 14.2 out of 100. For basic web apps and streaming, it'll be fine. For anything else, expect to hit limits fast, especially with only 8GB of RAM (10th percentile).

At $426, it's cheap. But value is about what you get for your money, and here you're getting a very niche product. This isn't a value Windows PC; it's a Chrome OS terminal. For the same money, you could find a used business desktop with a proper Windows license, more RAM, and a better CPU. Or, you could spend a bit more on a new entry-level Mini PC that runs Windows. This HP's value only makes sense if you specifically want a Chrome OS desktop and nothing else.

This HP is in a weird category all its own. The competitors listed, like the HP Omen 45L or Dell Alienware Aurora, are full-blown Windows gaming desktops costing many times more. They're not real alternatives. A fairer comparison would be against other Chrome OS devices like a Chromebox, or budget Windows Mini PCs from brands like Beelink or Minisforum. Those Mini PCs often offer more powerful modern processors, more RAM, and the full flexibility of Windows 11 for a similar or slightly higher price. If you absolutely need Chrome OS on a desktop, a dedicated Chromebox might be a more coherent choice.

Skip this if you need to run any standard desktop software (Office, Adobe apps, games, accounting software), if you need more than 8GB of RAM for multitasking, or if you want a future-proof machine. Students, professionals, and gamers should look elsewhere. Consider a budget Windows Mini PC or a refurbished business desktop from Dell or Lenovo instead.

Should you buy this? Probably not. This feels like a product that exists because a retailer had spare parts, not because there's a strong demand for it. The Chrome OS limitation is a massive deal-breaker for most desktop users. It's only suitable for a very specific scenario: a kiosk, a digital sign, or a family member who literally only uses a web browser and needs the absolute cheapest new desktop possible. For almost everyone else, the lack of Windows software support and the underwhelming hardware make this a hard pass.