Skip to main content

HP's ZBook Studio is a small laptop with shocking specs

Good laptops are coming in increasingly small packages, and HP’s upcoming ZBook Studio is a great example of that. Starting at $1,699, this 4.4 pound optionally packs an Intel i7 or Xeon processor, up to 32 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage.

Those numbers would have sounded like science fiction for a desktop computer not so long ago, but HP is packing all of that into a device that’s only 0.7 inches thick. If you want power without sacrificing portability, it’s something to look forward to.

The 15.6 inch Studio, which ships in December, is HP’s attempt to improve on the previous incarnation of their ZBook – which was deemed by reviewers to be bulky and underpowered for the price. The small form factor helps combat this, but the price is even higher this time around.

And customers might end up spending quite a bit more than that $1,699 starting price, considering all the upgrade options listed. There are a wide range of available processors, for example, starting with a Intel Xeon E3-1545M v5 with Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 and ranging all the way up to the Intel Core i7-6700HQ with Intel HD graphics 530. There’s even optional Nvidia Quadro M1000M discrete graphics. It’s not clear right now how much all these options could add up to.

Still, there’s a lot to like packed into this little laptop. It’s got an aluminum body, a 1,920 x 1,080 display (with an optional upgrade to 3,840 x 2160,), and even an optional touchscreen.

There are 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, an SD card slot and 2 USB 3.0 ports.

As of this writing the device isn’t available for preorder, and it’s not clear what kind of specs the base model will offer — or what the fully outfitted version of this laptop will cost. Stay tuned.

Justin Pot
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Justin's always had a passion for trying out new software, asking questions, and explaining things – tech journalism is the…
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio 2 might get a massive performance boost
The new Bing preview screen appears on a Surface Laptop Studio.

A mysterious laptop was spotted in an impressive Geekbench 5 benchmark, and many signs point to it being the next-gen Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.

The test gives us the first bits of insight into the laptop's specifications. If everything checks out, we're going to see a huge performance jump in this upcoming generation.

Read more
The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is Samsung’s most powerful laptop ever
Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra laptop.

Samsung has announced updates to its flagship Galaxy Book laptops for 2023, including a new addition called the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. This one is Samsung's answer to the 16-inch MacBook Pro -- a maxed-out beast of a laptop with up to an Nvidia RTX 4070 and an Intel 13th-gen Core i9 processor.

Samsung has shied away from tackling a larger, more powerful laptop, making the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra particularly noteworthy. It's not small though. The 16-inch laptop is 0.65 inches thick and weighs 3.9 pounds. That's large for a Samsung laptop, but it's actually over a pound lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro -- to put things in perspective.

Read more
HP Envy x360 13 vs. Dell XPS 13: the best tiny laptop?
The front of the HP Envy x360 13 on a table.

The laptop market is starting to lean toward 14-inch laptops and away from 13-inch laptops, but that doesn't mean there are no great examples of the latter. The Dell XPS 13 9315 and HP Envy x360 13 are both worthy models .

Both of these laptops are relatively affordable and they offer great performance, builds, and creature comforts. But only one can be crowned as the best. Which wins this shootout?

Read more