Notebookcheck Logo

Review Update HP Pavilion 15-n213eg Notebook

Inexpensive all-around laptop. With the Pavilion 15-n213eg, HP offers a gaming capable 15.6-inch notebook. The buyer will not only get powerful hardware, but also a big storage capacity and 8 GB of RAM for 600 Euros (~$832). Our review will reveal whether the notebook can deliver in practice what it promises in theory.

For the original German review, see here.

Those looking for a 15.6-inch all-around notebook are spoiled for choice nowadays. Many manufacturers vie for customers. With the Pavilion 15-n213eg, HP added a well equipped device for a moderate price (600 Euros; ~$832) to the offers. Our review will show whether the computer is appealing.

We compare the notebook to the following competitors: Acer's Aspire V5-573G (Core i5-4200U, GeForce GT 750M) and Lenovo's IdeaPad Z510 (Core i5-4200MGeForce GT 740M).

We already know the Pavilion 15 and reviewed two identical members of the series with the Pavilion 15-n005sg (Core i5-4200UHD Graphics 4400) and the Pavilion 15-n050sg (AMD A4-5000Radeon HD 8330). Therefore, we will not cover case, connectivity, input devices, and speakers (in detail) in this review.

Display

The Pavilion 15-n213eg features the same display as the Pavilion 15-n005sg and the Pavilion 15-n050sg, but the readings are slightly different. This is normal - identical screens never yield absolutely the same results. In addition, manufacturers are able to manipulate brightness and contrast.

183
cd/m²
184
cd/m²
172
cd/m²
207
cd/m²
195
cd/m²
185
cd/m²
207
cd/m²
197
cd/m²
187
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philipps LGD039F tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 207 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 190.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 195 cd/m²
Contrast: 696:1 (Black: 0.28 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.77 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 8.82 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
36.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
56.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37.74% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.08

With about 200 cd/m², the Pavilion is not especially bright. The maximum contrast is slightly better. The notebook does not deserve an award for its color representation. Our color measurements prove that the display is significantly bluish, which conforms to our subjective impression.

CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Gray levels
CalMAN - Gray levels
CalMAN - Color saturation
CalMAN - Color saturation

Performance

With the Pavilion, HP offers a 15.6-inch all-around notebook. The computer's performance is sufficient for everyday tasks. In addition, the device can run 3D games. Our test model costs about 600 Euros (~$832). HP also offers many other models in the Pavilion 15 series.

Processor

The Pavilion houses a Core i5-4200U dual-core CPU. It is based on Intel's current Haswell architecture and features a base clock of 1.6 GHz. Turbo can increase the clock rate to 2.3 GHz (both cores) or 2.6 GHz (only one core). It is a ULV processor with a TDP of 15 Watts. The results of the CPU tests of the Cinebench benchmarks show that the processor runs at full speed. The results of the Aspire are on par with the HP since both laptops feature the same CPU. The IdeaPad achieves better results, since its processor features a higher clock rate.

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.12 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.49 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
40.36 fps
Help
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 15-n213eg
GeForce GT 740M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1.12 Points
Lenovo G505s-20255
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
0.81 Points -28%
Dell Latitude 13 3540
Radeon HD 8850M, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD7500BPVX-75JC3T0
1.11 Points -1%
Acer Aspire V5-573G-54208G50aii
GeForce GT 750M, 4200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
1.13 Points +1%
HP Pavilion 15-n005sg
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVT
1.16 Points +4%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1.37 Points +22%
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 15-n213eg
GeForce GT 740M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2.49 Points
Lenovo G505s-20255
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2.31 Points -7%
Acer Aspire V5-573G-54208G50aii
GeForce GT 750M, 4200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
2.45 Points -2%
Dell Latitude 13 3540
Radeon HD 8850M, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD7500BPVX-75JC3T0
2.47 Points -1%
HP Pavilion 15-n005sg
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVT
2.51 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3.25 Points +31%

System Performance

We did not have problems with this system: It runs smoothly. This is also reflected by a good PCMark 7 result. The Aspire performs slightly better thanks to its faster GPU. The IdeaPad is far ahead of its competitors. It profits from a more powerful CPU, and an incorporated hybrid hard drive (hard drive with integrated SSD cache).

PCMark 7 Score
2724 points
Help
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 15-n213eg
GeForce GT 740M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2724 Points
Dell Latitude 13 3540
Radeon HD 8850M, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD7500BPVX-75JC3T0
2627 Points -4%
HP Pavilion 15-n005sg
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVT
2680 Points -2%
Acer Aspire V5-573G-54208G50aii
GeForce GT 750M, 4200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
2878 Points +6%
Lenovo G505s-20255
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3062 Points +12%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
4214 Points +55%

Storage Devices

HP equipped the Pavilion with a hard drive from Toshiba with a revolution speed of 5400 rpm and a capacity of 1 TB. Altogether, CrystalDiskMark reported good transfer rates. In particular, the 4k-read/write results are above average.

Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Sequential Read: 110.5 MB/s
Sequential Write: 111.3 MB/s
512K Read: 37.06 MB/s
512K Write: 34.94 MB/s
4K Read: 0.509 MB/s
4K Write: 1.136 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 1.007 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 1.014 MB/s

Graphics Card

The Pavilion features an Optimus solution consisting of Intel's HD Graphics 4400 GPU and the GeForce GT 740M graphics core. Intel's graphics run everyday tasks and on battery. The GeForce chip is responsible for graphically demanding applications including computer games. Both cores support at least DirectX 11. The GeForce core is a mid-range GPU with a base clock of 980 MHz. Turbo can increase the clock rate to 1058 MHz. 

Despite the same GPU, the IdeaPad achieved slightly better results than the Pavilion in the 3D Mark benchmarks since the Lenovo features the faster CPU. Both competitors cannot keep up with the Aspire, which features a significantly more powerful graphics core.

3DMark 11 Performance
1868 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
51645 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
5073 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1052 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 15-n213eg
GeForce GT 740M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1868 Points
HP Pavilion 15-n005sg
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVT
831 Points -56%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2061 Points +10%
Acer Aspire V5-573G-54208G50aii
GeForce GT 750M, 4200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
2462 Points +32%

Gaming Performance

The CPU, GPU combination of the Pavilion can run most games smoothly in native resolution and with medium quality settings. It is possible to select higher settings in several games. Thanks to a faster processor, the IdeaPad achieved slightly more frames with the same GPU. The Aspire can clearly take the lead because of its more powerful GPU.

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 86.2 42.6 23.9
HP Pavilion 15-n213eg
GeForce GT 740M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Acer Aspire V5-573G-54208G50aii
GeForce GT 750M, 4200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
HP Pavilion 15-n005sg
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVT
Acer Aspire E1-572G-54204G75Mnkk
Radeon HD 8750M, 4200U, TOSHIBA MQ01ABD075
Dell Latitude 13 3540
Radeon HD 8850M, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD7500BPVX-75JC3T0
Tomb Raider
10%
54%
-53%
14%
79%
1024x768 Low Preset
86.2
97
13%
120.4
40%
39.3
-54%
92.6
7%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x
42.6
47
10%
65.4
54%
20.3
-52%
45.5
7%
67.2
58%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x
23.9
25.9
8%
39.8
67%
11.4
-52%
30.8
29%
47.9
100%

Emissions

System Noise

While idle, the Pavilion is hardly audible apart from the quiet rustling of the fan. The fan gets significantly louder when the hardware is loaded. The competitors are quite similar here.

Noise Level

Idle
31.7 / 31.7 / 31.7 dB(A)
HDD
31.9 dB(A)
DVD
35.4 / dB(A)
Load
43.2 / 45.6 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

The Pavilion 15 during the stress test
The Pavilion 15 during the stress test

While idle, none of the three computers gets especially warm. This is also true for the Pavilion under load. We measure a maximum temperature of 43.8 degrees Celsius (110.84 degrees Fahrenheit) at a single measurement point. The IdeaPad performs similarly. The Aspire gets significantly warmer: It exceeds 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) at several measurement points.

The Pavilion runs the same way in the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) in mains operation and on battery. The CPU clocks constantly at 2.3 GHz. The GPU starts with maximum clock rate (1058 MHz), but slows down to 1006 MHz gradually over time. The CPU temperature hovers around 75 degrees Celsius (167 Fahrenheit) during the stress test (in mains operation).

Even though the GPU's clock rate falls slightly during the stress test, this does not have an impact on everyday use. Our benchmarks prove that the full GPU performance is available in everyday life.

Max. Load
 34.9 °C
95 F
37 °C
99 F
26 °C
79 F
 
 34.6 °C
94 F
33.2 °C
92 F
25.5 °C
78 F
 
 33.7 °C
93 F
35 °C
95 F
28.5 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 37 °C = 99 F
Average: 32 °C = 90 F
26.3 °C
79 F
34.2 °C
94 F
43.8 °C
111 F
26.5 °C
80 F
38 °C
100 F
41.6 °C
107 F
29 °C
84 F
40.7 °C
105 F
38.5 °C
101 F
Maximum: 43.8 °C = 111 F
Average: 35.4 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  53.3 °C = 128 F | Room Temperature 22.6 °C = 73 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.8 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.9 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (35 °C / 95 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-6.2 °C / -11.2 F).

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The Pavilion is very frugal. It needs less energy than the IdeaPad and the Aspire in load scenarios. This was to be expected, since the Aspire features a significantly more powerful GPU and the IdeaPad comes with a standard Volt mobile processor (not ULV).

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4 / 6.9 / 7.3 Watt
Load midlight 42.6 / 42.9 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
HP Pavilion 15-n213eg
GeForce GT 740M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Acer Aspire V5-573G-54208G50aii
GeForce GT 750M, 4200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
Power Consumption
-46%
-66%
Idle Minimum *
4
7
-75%
Idle Average *
6.9
10.2
-48%
11
-59%
Idle Maximum *
7.3
10.4
-42%
11.2
-53%
Load Average *
42.6
57.9
-36%
73.3
-72%
Load Maximum *
42.9
55.4
-29%
77.5
-81%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Our realistic WLAN test automatically loads web sites in 40-second intervals. The energy-saving profile is selected and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The Pavilion achieves a battery life of 4:48 h in this scenario. This is a good value for a gaming capable notebook. The IdeaPad (3:27 h) performs worse, while the Aspire (7:09 h) comes in far ahead.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Surfing
4h 48min

Verdict

The HP Pavilion 15-n213eg delivers a good system and gaming performance. In addition, a big storage capacity is available and the computer has a good battery runtime. However, there are also cons. The customers have to do without VGA-out and have to be satisfied with Fast-Ethernet. HP also only grants a 12-month warranty, while the competitors grant 24 months. In addition, the display has a glossy surface and is only moderately bright.

The Acer Aspire V5-573G is recommendable if significantly more gaming performance is required. In addition, it can boast with a great, matte full HD IPS display. The Lenovo IdeaPad Z510 also features a matte full HD display. Furthermore, it scores points with the faster processor among the three competitors and a case with good build quality.

The HP Pavilion 15 is now available on Adorama for $539
Test model courtesy of ...
Read all 1 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
In Review: HP Pavilion 15-n213eg, courtesy of:
In Review: HP Pavilion 15-n213eg, courtesy of:
The HP Pavilion 15 is now available on Adorama for $539

Specifications

HP Pavilion 15-n213eg (Pavilion 15-cx Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-4200U 2 x 1.6 - 2.6 GHz, Haswell
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1058 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, ForceWare 334.89, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3, dual channel, two RAM slots (both occupied)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, LG Philipps LGD039F, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Lynx Point-LP
Storage
Toshiba MQ01ABD100, 1000 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 880 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Lynx Point-LP - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Audiokombo, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Realtek RTL8102E Family PCI-E Fast Ethernet (10/100MBit/s), Realtek RTL8188E Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/)
Optical drive
HP CDDVDW SU-208CB
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22.6 x 385.6 x 258 ( = 0.89 x 15.18 x 10.16 in)
Battery
41 Wh Lithium-Ion, 14.8 V, 2620 mAh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD-Webcam
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Cyberlink Media Suite 10, Cyberlink PowerDVD 12, McAfee LiveSafe - Internet Security (trial version), Microsoft Office 365 (trial version), Windows Essentials 2012, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.3 kg ( = 81.13 oz / 5.07 pounds), Power Supply: 232 g ( = 8.18 oz / 0.51 pounds)
Price
599 Euro

 

Similar Laptops

Similar devices from a different Manufacturer

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

Review HP Envy 15-j011sg Notebook
GeForce GT 740M, Core i5 4200M
Review Sony Vaio Fit SV-F1521V6EB Notebook
GeForce GT 740M, Core i7 3537U
Review MSI GP60-i740M245FD Notebook
GeForce GT 740M, Core i7 4700MQ

Links

Compare Prices

Pros

+good system performance
+gaming capable
+big storage capacity
+contrast-rich display
+good battery runtimes
+relatively low power consumption
 

Cons

-only Fast Ethernet
-only 12 month warranty
-no VGA out
-averagely bright, bluish display

Shortcut

What we like

the good system and gaming performance and the low energy consumption

What we would like to see

a brighter display with matte surface

What surprises us

A 12-month warranty is no longer appropriate. We expect 24 months.

The competition

Lenovo Ideapad Z510Acer Aspire V5-573GLenovo Ideapad S500 Touch, Lenovo Ideapad Z510MSI CX61-i572Acer Aspire E1-572GLenovo Ideapad Y510pLenovo B5400HP Envy 15-j011sgSony Vaio Fit SV-F1521V6EBHP Pavilion TouchSmart 15-n010sgDell Latitude 3540Toshiba Satellite C55-A-1D5

Rating

HP Pavilion 15-n213eg - 04/15/2014 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
62 / 98 → 63%
Keyboard
56%
Pointing Device
67%
Connectivity
56 / 81 → 69%
Weight
61 / 20-67 → 87%
Battery
87%
Display
69%
Games Performance
78 / 85 → 92%
Application Performance
62 / 92 → 67%
Temperature
85%
Noise
81 / 95 → 85%
Audio
50%
Camera
38 / 85 → 45%
Average
66%
71%
Multimedia - Weighted Average
Sascha Mölck, 2014-03-12 (Update: 2014-03-13)