HP 14" Glacier Silver Review

The HP OmniBook 5 Flip is a port-rich 2-in-1 with average performance and weak RAM. Its best feature is the abundant connectivity (95th percentile), but it's not for power users. Worth considering only if you specifically need its flip design and lots of ports.

The HP OmniBook 5 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop that tries to be your all-purpose companion. It's got a 360-degree hinge for tablet mode, a decent 14-inch touchscreen, and a surprising number of ports for its size. But it's built on a foundation of compromises, especially in its core specs, which makes it a bit of a mixed bag.

The Intel Core 5 120U CPU lands squarely in the middle of the pack for processing power. It's fine for everyday tasks like web browsing and office work, but it's not going to wow you. The integrated Intel Graphics are, predictably, not for gaming, scoring near the bottom of our charts. The 8GB of RAM is also a weak spot, sitting in the bottom quarter of laptops we track. It's enough for basic multitasking, but you'll feel the pinch if you push it.

At around $700, the value proposition hinges entirely on what you need. If you absolutely require a 2-in-1 with tons of ports and don't mind average performance, it's a fair deal. But if you're just looking for a standard laptop, you can find better pure performance or screen quality for the same money elsewhere. It's a specialist tool, not a generalist champion.

Compared to slick ultrabooks like the Microsoft Surface Laptop, the OmniBook feels more utilitarian but offers more ports. Against powerhouses like the ASUS ProArt or Lenovo Legion, it's not even in the same performance conversation. Even Apple's base MacBook offers a much better screen and build. Its real competition is other budget 2-in-1s, where its port advantage might win the day for some users.

Skip this if you need a primary workhorse. The 8GB RAM and average CPU will choke on serious multitasking or creative apps. Also, if you don't care about a touchscreen or flipping it into a tablet, you'll find better laptops for the price that focus on performance or display quality instead.

Buy this if you need a flexible 2-in-1 laptop as a secondary machine, and your top priority is having a ton of old-school USB ports without carrying a dock. It's for the student or casual user who values the tablet mode and connectivity over raw speed or a gorgeous display.