HP Essential 17t Laptop, 17.3 HD+ Touchscreen, Intel Core i

The Verdict

The Big-Screen Bargain That Makes You Squint

Most laptops under $600 are 15.6 inches with 8GB of RAM and a promise. The HP Essential 17t is different — it gives you a 17.3-inch touchscreen, a 13th-gen Intel Core i5-1335U, and 16GB of RAM for roughly the same money. That’s a compelling value proposition. But there’s a catch buried in the spec sheet, and it’s the display resolution.

Let me be direct: this is a productivity machine for people who value screen space over pixel density. Here’s the full picture.

What You Actually Get

The box contains the laptop, a 65W AC adapter, and the standard HP documentation. No stylus, no sleeve, no surprises. The unit itself is substantial — 4.4 pounds and about 0.8 inches thick. It’s not ultraportable, and it doesn’t pretend to be.

The hardware highlights:

• CPU: Intel Core i5-1335U (10 cores, up to 4.6GHz boost)
• RAM: 16GB DDR4 (not upgradeable after purchase — choose wisely)
• Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
• Display: 17.3-inch HD+ (1600x900) touchscreen, 250 nits
• Ports: 2x USB-A, 1x USB-C, HDMI, headphone jack, SD card reader
• Battery: 41Wh (real-world: 5-6 hours)

Performance: Where It Exceeds Expectations

The i5-1335U is the star here. In my testing with 25+ Chrome tabs, a 50,000-row Excel sheet, and Zoom running simultaneously, the system never dropped below acceptable responsiveness. The 16GB of RAM means you’re not constantly hitting swap, and the NVMe SSD boots Windows 11 in under 10 seconds.

One Amazon buyer put it this way: “I was skeptical about the price, but this thing handles my accounting software, QuickBooks, and 15 browser tabs without breaking a sweat. My old Dell would have melted.”

For office work, this is genuinely good performance. Video editing or gaming? Look elsewhere — the integrated Iris Xe graphics will handle light 1080p video playback, but that’s the ceiling.

The Display: The Elephant in the Room

Here’s where I have to be honest with you. The 17.3-inch touchscreen at 1600x900 resolution is a mixed bag.

The good: The size is genuinely useful. Working with two documents side-by-side feels natural. The touch response is accurate, and the panel gets reasonably bright for indoor use.

The bad: At this size, 1600x900 means about 106 pixels per inch. Compare that to a 15.6-inch 1080p display at 141 PPI. Text has a visible softness — you’ll notice it on email, Word docs, and especially on small UI elements. One reviewer on Amazon nailed it: “The screen is huge, but everything looks slightly blurry compared to my old 1080p laptop. It took me a week to stop noticing.”

If you’re coming from a phone or a modern ultrabook, this will be a noticeable downgrade in sharpness. If you’re coming from an older 1366x768 laptop, you’ll barely notice.

Build Quality and Keyboard

The chassis is plastic, and it flexes. Press firmly on the keyboard deck and you’ll feel give. The lid twists slightly if you grab a corner. This is not a rugged machine — treat it with care.

The keyboard, however, is a genuine highlight. Full-size keys with 1.5mm travel, a proper numeric keypad, and a responsive touchpad. I typed this entire review on it, and it’s a comfortable experience. The keypad alone is worth the purchase for anyone doing data entry.

The touchscreen adds 0.5 pounds and requires periodic cleaning — fingerprint magnet, plain and simple.

Battery Life: The Reality Check

With the 41Wh battery and that power-hungry 17.3-inch panel, expect 5-6 hours of mixed productivity use. Video streaming drops that to about 4.5 hours. This is a laptop that lives on a desk with a charger nearby. If you need all-day battery in a big screen, this isn’t it.

Who Should Buy This

Buy it if:

• You work with spreadsheets, databases, or side-by-side documents daily
• You need a numeric keypad and won’t compromise
• You’re on a budget and prioritize screen size and CPU performance over resolution
• Your laptop stays mostly on a desk

Skip it if:

• You’re sensitive to display sharpness (you’ll notice the 900p resolution every day)
• You need more than 5 hours of battery life
• You travel frequently and need something under 3.5 pounds
• You plan to do any serious photo/video editing

FAQ: Three Questions Shoppers Actually Ask

Q: Can I upgrade the RAM or storage later? A: The RAM is soldered — you’re stuck with 16GB, which is honestly enough for most office work. The NVMe SSD is replaceable if you’re comfortable opening the case, but the 512GB included should be plenty for documents and typical software.

Q: Is the touchscreen useful or a gimmick? A: It’s surprisingly practical. Scrolling through long documents, zooming in maps, and tapping buttons in Windows 11 all feel natural. It’s not a reason to buy, but it’s a nice bonus that costs nothing extra.

Q: How loud does the fan get under load? A: Audible but not annoying. During extended video calls or heavy Excel work, you’ll hear a low hum. It’s not the jet-engine whine you get from gaming laptops. At idle, it’s silent.

The Verdict

Buy it if you want maximum screen real estate and genuine multitasking power for under $600, and you’re willing to accept a soft display and mediocre battery life.

Skip it if display sharpness matters to you, or you need a laptop that survives a day away from a wall outlet.

The HP Essential 17t earns a 4.2/5. It’s not perfect — the HD+ resolution is a real compromise, and the build quality is firmly budget-class. But for the price, you’re getting a genuine i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a huge touchscreen that will make your spreadsheets feel like a luxury. It’s a smart buy for the right person, and a frustrating one for the wrong one. Know which one you are before you click.

Rating: 4.2/5 — Great value for desk-bound productivity, compromised on display sharpness and portability.

Where to Buy

👉 Check Price on Amazon →

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Last updated: 2026-08-06. Ratings and prices current as of review date. Verify on Amazon before purchasing.