I’m against soldered memory in principle but you’re entirely right. It’s a much stronger design overall for use in a laptop.

I used to do desktop and laptop repair, HPs were by far the most common failure. It’s usually hinges and keyboards. Memory failure in any laptop or desktop isn’t common at all.

Last one I bought was an ASUS G14 with soldered memory and that shit’s still going strong. Just make sure you get the maximum amount and you’ll be fine.

Your bigger issue is buying an HP. Don’t. You’ll get what you pay for.