Interested in Spectre x360 - have some questions

[gstepic]

I am interested in getting the Spectre X360. I have a very important question - with an external high resolution monitor or 4k tv can the Spectre display higher resolution than the 1900x1080 resolution on the notebook?

Also, if I got the ac076nr model (i7, 16gb ram, 512 gb hd) would the laptop be capable of basic 4k video editing? I do not care to do anything fancy, just vacation clip trimming and splice together clips for one longer clip, maybe some basic exposure or color correction editing.

One more question that probably is not for this catagory but maybe a HP rep can answer - If I purchased Spectre 360 now could I add warranty or upgrade option around 60 days from now? I am selling my home so hesitant to add cost now but if I get even close to what I would like my budget could handle extra cost.

[Huffer]

Yes to all your questions on that model. You can buy an HP Carepack any time during the original warranty and even for a short time after it ends to add additional time on the warranty protection. 

You can use an adapter connected to the USB-C (Thunderbolt) port. The best would be a Thunderbolt to Displayport adapter which will easily drive an external 4K display or TV or you can drive a 4k TV using the wireless external display as long as the TV has Miracast built in (most current 4K Smart TVs do). 

These are the only ports. Notice no HDMI or VGA:

Ports

2 USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-C™, HP USB Boost, Thunderbolt); 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 (HP Sleep and Charge); 1 headphone/microphone combo 

If this is "the Answer" please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find it. 

[gstepic]

Thanks, this is encourging. When I called HP sales support the tech did not seem to think the Spectre could output anything more than 1900x1080. I have a long hdmi to hdmi cable attached to my new Samsung 4k tv (ks8000 series). So is there a female hdmi to usb (I am guessing I need a specific type usb) adaptor and if so hopefully it will work.

For photo editing I am thinking of getting a high resolution monitor and I probably could use the same hdmi adaptor.

Gary

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

You probably are not familiar with USB-C...it's the newest interface and is not like the USB you have seen before. A USB-C to HDMI adapter would likely give 4k output to the TV....for a monitor I would use USB-C to DisplayPort. Displayport is universal now on 4k monitors sold in stores and in my experience is much more compatible with super high res displays than HDMI. 

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Thunderbolt-Compatible-Adapter/dp/B00X4S5C7G/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8...

If this is "the Answer" please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find it. 

[gstepic]

That is so strange! I found a link for something that I thought would work and was about to post it but it is the exact product you linked so no need now. It is an hdmi to usb c adaptor. Thank you so much for your help. For me the Spectre x360 ac076nr seemed like a great solution, but if I could not get 4k output then it would be ruled out.

So is the USB C connection the same as a regular USB connection? If I am not mistaken I think it is. I am pretty sure they are downward compatable.

Gary

[RVB1]

I have a 4k monitor (Asus PB287Q) attached to my Spectre x360 with HD display with a USB-C to display port adapter.  I can get full 4k on the monitor, but only at a 30 hertz refresh rate.

[Huffer]

Is it slow or wonky? On digital panels the refresh rate is somewhat artificial as they do not really refresh quite like old tube monitors. 

[RVB1]

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@Huffer wrote:

Is it slow or wonky? On digital panels the refresh rate is somewhat artificial as they do not really refresh quite like old tube monitors. 

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No, not that I notice.  Pretty smooth and crisp.  However, i am not a gamer or photography pro.  Just use mine for general use.

[gstepic]

I bought the Spectre from Best Buy Saturday and so far really like the laptop. I also purchased an LG 4k monitor and a hub where I plug in the monitor to the hdmi port and it connects to the Spectre using a USB c port. At first I could not get any external display but figured out I had to plug the power cord into the hub. No 4k though.

I am guessing it could be the hub so I ordered an hdmi to usb-c cable and hopefully this will work. If not then I might try a display port to usb c cable. From what I have been reading when checking product reviews there are compatability issues with the various cables, one may work while another may not.  If neither works I may try a different monitor. I have 30 days to make it all work.

It seems like running an external monitor off of a laptop puts a strain on the laptop. While using the monitor the Spectre seemed to get pretty warm. I have had other issues with other laptops - I had a Thinkpad that would give me the dreaded blue screen after a few minutes of plugging in an external monitor. My Dell XPS 15 has been giving me problems but only when connected to an external monitor.

I will report back any success or lack of - Gary

[gstepic]

From the information that came with the monitor it states the minimum graphic card requirement is Intel HD4600 or higher but when looking at the Spectre specs the graphics card is an Intel HD620. I guess I can try and find something on Intels site as far as what the difference is between their graphic cards.