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HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT (Celeron N3060, HD) Notebook Review

Cheap and slow. The 6 W Celeron CPU makes for a subpar Windows 10 experience even when equipped with a primary SSD. Quiet operation and long battery life are the main benefits for such a low-power configuration.

Take one step back from the EliteBook, Envy, Spectre, and Pavilion series and you're left with some of HP's more affordable notebooks. The HP 250 G5 is the Skylake/Braswell update to the Broadwell 250 G4 launched just earlier this year.

Differences between the G4 and G5 are largely skin deep outside of the processor update. Our unit today carries the lowest-end configurable CPU available: The Celeron N3060 with integrated HD Graphics 400 and a 768p display. We also have the i5-6200U SKU with the 1080p panel under review and both of these review pages should give a better idea of what the 250 G5 series has to offer.

Other 250 G5 SKUs include the Pentium N3710, Core i3-5005U, and i7-6500U with SSD and HDD options. Since the 250 G5 is so similar to the 250 G4, however, we recommend checking out our existing 250 G4 page as they share the same hardware features and a nearly identical chassis. Can this $300 250 G5 configuration pass as a full-fledged Windows 10 notebook? Or are the $500+ SKUs with faster Core ix options worth the investment?

HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT (250 G6 Series)
Processor
Intel Celeron N3060 2 x 1.6 - 2.5 GHz, Braswell
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell) - 1024 MB VRAM, Core: 360 MHz, Memory: 800 MHz, DDR3, 20.19.15.4474
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR3, PC3-12800, 11-11-11-28, Single-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 100 PPI, LG Philips LGD0504, TN LED, glossy: no
Storage
Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP, 128 GB 
Soundcard
Realtek ALC235 @ Intel Cherry Trail / Braswell SoC - HD Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo audio, Card Reader: SD reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2 w/ WiDi
Optical drive
hp DVDRW DU8A6SH
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 24.3 x 384.3 x 254.5 ( = 0.96 x 15.13 x 10.02 in)
Battery
41 Wh Lithium-Ion, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, DTS Audio Control, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.96 kg ( = 69.14 oz / 4.32 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
300 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Visually, the HP 250 G5 does little to hide the fact that its chassis is entirely matte plastic. Textures are slightly different than the 250 G4 including the new ridges running across the outer lid (similar to the HP 15z) and the glossy accents on the palm rests. Otherwise, the G5 is identical to the G4 with that same plastic "budget" feel.

Case quality is average around the base with some minor creaking when applying pressure on the keyboard and palm rests. The hinges are rigid up to their ~130-degree maximum angle with no teetering and we can observe no unintended gaps between materials. The lid is weaker and more susceptible to twisting as anticipated, but the outer lid in particular feels weak. Pushing down on the center of the outer lid with even minimal force will result in visible flexing. Additionally, the optical drive is very flimsy when ejected for loading and unloading. For the price, however, there are no major complaints in terms of workmanship.

Size and weight when compared to competing affordable 15.6-inch notebooks are very similar. Most notebooks in this price range don't deviate far from a weight of 2 kg or a thickness of 25 mm including the Lenovo B50 and Asus F540SA.

384.3 mm / 15.1 inch 254.5 mm / 10 inch 24.3 mm / 0.957 inch 2 kg4.32 lbs384.3 mm / 15.1 inch 254.6 mm / 10 inch 24.3 mm / 0.957 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs381.4 mm / 15 inch 251.5 mm / 9.9 inch 25.4 mm / 1 inch 1.9 kg4.19 lbs381.6 mm / 15 inch 256 mm / 10.1 inch 24.9 mm / 0.98 inch 2.4 kg5.29 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 262 mm / 10.3 inch 24.7 mm / 0.972 inch 2.3 kg5.11 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Perhaps the most appealing connectivity feature of the 250 G5 is its legacy VGA port for supporting older external monitors and projectors. Available ports are otherwise identical to the outgoing 250 G4. Note that only one of the USB ports are version 3.0 and it is unfortunately not color-coded to help distinguish it from the two other USB 2.0 ports.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: SD reader, USB 2.0, Optical drive, Kensington Lock
Right: SD reader, USB 2.0, Optical drive, Kensington Lock
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, VGA-out, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, 3.5 mm combo audio
Left: AC adapter, VGA-out, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, 3.5 mm combo audio

SD Card Reader

Read rates from the card reader are slow at just under 30 MB/s with our Toshiba UHS-II test card. Transferring 1 GB worth of photos from the card reader to desktop will take about 45 seconds.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 15-9550 i7
 
121 MB/s +433%
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
 
22.7 MB/s 0%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
 
22.7 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 15-9550 i7
 
211 MB/s +693%
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
 
27.5 MB/s +3%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
 
26.6 MB/s

Communication

WLAN and Bluetooth are provided by a 1x1 Intel 3165 module capable of 802.11c connectivity - an upgrade from the RealTek 802.11n WLAN module in the outgoing 250 g4. A real-world test with Jperf settings as shown below reveal average transfer rates of about 248 Mbps against a theoretical maximum of 433 Mbps.

Jperf (client)
Jperf (client)
Jperf (server)
Jperf (server)
Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m 512KB
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
531 MBit/s +219%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
166.7 MBit/s
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m 512KB
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
550 MBit/s +121%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
248.4 MBit/s

Accessories

Included extras are a Quick Start guide and a Call Support card with no cleaning cloth or Drivers discs. There are no accessories specific to the 250 G5 as the system lacks the necessary proprietary docking ports.

Maintenance

The bottom panel can be removed with a Philips screwdriver and includes some hidden screws underneath the rubber feet. Unfortunately, the panel is not easy to remove and will require a sharp edge to pry open the edges and corners from around the top of the base.

Check the official maintenance guide for the 250 G5 here for more details and instructions. There have been no major revisions to the motherboard when compared to the 250 G4.

Warranty

The manufacturer offers the standard one-year limited warranty in the U.S. with extensive options including HP Care Pack for on-site service and protection extensions.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Keyboard keys are unchanged from the outgoing 250 G4. Travel is shallow with a firm pressure point for an adequate typing experience. Some downsides include the lack of any backlight lighting and that the Space bar can feel a little softer in feedback compared to the main QWERTY keys. Additionally, the keys clatter more loudly compared to most Ultrabooks available.

Touchpad

The touchpad surface shares the exact same texture as the rough palm rests surrounding it and is separated only by the slight elevation change around the edges. This is in contrast to most notebooks where completely smooth touchpads are more common. Responsiveness is otherwise good with no cursor jumps or jitters and the Synaptics software is able to recognize up to three-finger gestures.

The dedicated mouse keys are very shallow in travel with average feedback and a light auditory click. A firmer pressure point would have made these keys more comfortable to use as some users may find them to be on the soft side.

Display

The 250 G5 uses a matte 768p LG Philips LGD0504 panel compared to the Chi Mei panel on the older 250 G4. A quick search on this particular LG panel reveals no other notebook in our database equipped with the exact same display thus far. Maximum backlight brightness is similar to most budget notebooks at about 200 nits while contrast levels are poorer than expected at less than 300:1. Subjectively, a slight screen-door effect is noticeable because of the low pixel density and some slight brightness and color changes will occur due to the TN panel. This is, after all, a budget screen.

Uneven backlight bleeding is minimal around the edges and corners outside of the usual TN limitations.

Minimal uneven backlight bleeding from TN panel
Minimal uneven backlight bleeding from TN panel
Matte subpixel array (100 PPI)
Matte subpixel array (100 PPI)
214.2
cd/m²
198.1
cd/m²
182.2
cd/m²
206.4
cd/m²
199.8
cd/m²
181.5
cd/m²
213.2
cd/m²
205.6
cd/m²
187.9
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LGD0504 tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 214.2 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 198.8 cd/m² Minimum: 11.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 199.8 cd/m²
Contrast: 281:1 (Black: 0.712 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 13.24 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 13.33 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
53.4% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
33.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
53.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
35.43% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 1.69
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
LG Philips LGD0504, TN LED, 15.60, 1366x768
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
ChiMei N156BGE-E32, TN LED, 15.60, 1366x768
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Chi Mei N156BGE-EA2, TN LED, 15.60, 1366x768
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Chi Mei N156BGE-E42, TN LED, 15.60, 1366x768
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
ChiMei, TN LED, 15.60, 1366x768
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
AU Optronics AUO38ED, TN, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
15%
13%
13%
23%
3%
Display P3 Coverage
35.43
40.71
15%
40.21
13%
40.17
13%
43.63
23%
36.51
3%
sRGB Coverage
53.3
61.1
15%
60.1
13%
60
13%
65.1
22%
55
3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
36.6
42.07
15%
41.56
14%
41.54
13%
45.1
23%
37.72
3%
Response Times
-16%
33%
42%
9%
15%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
42.4 ?(14.8, 27.6)
52 ?(28, 24)
-23%
28 ?(13, 15)
34%
20 ?(10, 10)
53%
42 ?(22, 20)
1%
40 ?(20, 20)
6%
Response Time Black / White *
28.8 ?(10.8, 18)
31 ?(14, 17)
-8%
20 ?(10, 10)
31%
20 ?(12, 8)
31%
24 ?(8, 16)
17%
22 ?(6, 16)
24%
PWM Frequency
1000
200 ?(90)
200 ?(90)
806 ?(90)
Screen
20%
29%
39%
22%
18%
Brightness middle
199.8
211
6%
245
23%
215
8%
220
10%
219
10%
Brightness
199
200
1%
230
16%
200
1%
203
2%
222
12%
Brightness Distribution
85
83
-2%
84
-1%
87
2%
83
-2%
85
0%
Black Level *
0.712
0.43
40%
0.46
35%
0.26
63%
0.49
31%
0.39
45%
Contrast
281
491
75%
533
90%
827
194%
449
60%
562
100%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
13.24
10.53
20%
8.34
37%
13.07
1%
8.95
32%
12.67
4%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
21.52
17.79
17%
12.31
43%
16.06
25%
15.89
26%
20.99
2%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
13.33
11.85
11%
9.48
29%
4.34
67%
10.59
21%
13.82
-4%
Gamma
1.69 130%
2.25 98%
2.38 92%
2.48 89%
2.51 88%
2.63 84%
CCT
15879 41%
13758 47%
10624 61%
7212 90%
12049 54%
15633 42%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
33.8
39
15%
38
12%
38
12%
41
21%
35
4%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
53.4
61
14%
57
7%
60
12%
65
22%
55
3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
6% / 14%
25% / 26%
31% / 34%
18% / 21%
12% / 14%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is narrow at approximately 34 percent and 53 percent of the AdobeRGB and sRGB standards, respectively. This is smaller than competing 768p TN panels including the Acer Extensa 2520 and even the older HP 250 G4. While this has little impact on day-to-day web surfing and word processing, colors are subjectively more muted and not as deep as on pricier IPS panels or higher-quality TN panels.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. Lenovo B50-10
vs. Lenovo B50-10
vs. Acer Extensa 2520
vs. Acer Extensa 2520

Grayscale and colors are extremely inaccurate out of the box with an overly cool color temperature as is common on budget notebooks. Images have a slight blue tint that is very noticeable on lower saturation levels. A quick calibration improves grayscale and colors dramatically and we recommend it to get the most out of the screen. Colors become increasingly inaccurate at higher saturation levels due to the imperfect sRGB coverage of the panel.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
28.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10.8 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 72 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14.8 ms rise
↘ 27.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 65 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18099 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is below average largely because of the limited viewing angles and low backlight brightness. Furthermore, the low contrast level makes content and texts more difficult to see in a bright ambient setting even when there is minimal glare. Sharing the display with others nearby for movies and pictures will be less than ideal for the peripheral viewers because of the apparent brightness and color changes.

Narrow TN viewing angles
Narrow TN viewing angles
Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors on overcast day

Performance

The budget 14 nm Celeron N3060 is not very common in notebooks and our 250 G5 SKU is the first entry in our database with this particular dual-core processor. Its low base clock rate of 1.6 GHz is capable of Turbo Boost of up to 2.48 or 2.5 GHz, which is impressive considering the extremely low TDP of just 6 W. Higher-end configurations of the 250 G5 are equipped with 15 W Core ix processors for faster performance at the obvious cost of heat, battery life, and fan noise.

Graphics power is provided by the integrated HD Graphics 400. The GPU utilizes just 12 unified shaders, which is low even for an integrated Intel solution. The older and much more common HD Graphics 4200 integrates 20 unified shaders for better performance in games.

 

Processor

Raw CPU performance is about 10 to 15 percent faster than the outgoing N3050 according to CineBench R15 benchmarks. Nonetheless, the Celeron still falls behind the Cherry Trail Atom x5-Z8300 SoC while the older Haswell i5-4200U is at least 2x to 3x faster. Its lack of Hyper-Threading puts the Celeron behind even further in multi-core operations.

See our dedicated page on the Celeron N3060 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
Intel Core i5-6200U
116 Points +214%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
108 Points +192%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
Intel Core i5-4200U
96 Points +159%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
88 Points +138%
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
Intel Core i5-6200U
87 Points +135%
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Intel Pentium N3540
40 Points +8%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Celeron N3060
37 Points
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Intel Celeron N3050
33 Points -11%
VOYO VBook V3
Intel Atom x5-Z8300
28 Points -24%
CPU Multi 64Bit
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
Intel Core i5-6200U
288 Points +324%
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
Intel Core i5-6200U
261 Points +284%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
257 Points +278%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
Intel Core i5-4200U
228 Points +235%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
206 Points +203%
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Intel Pentium N3540
151 Points +122%
VOYO VBook V3
Intel Atom x5-Z8300
94 Points +38%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Celeron N3060
68 Points
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Intel Celeron N3050
61 Points -10%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
1.28 Points +212%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
Intel Core i5-4200U
1.13 Points +176%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
0.98 Points +139%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Celeron N3060
0.41 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
2.81 Points +227%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
Intel Core i5-4200U
2.48 Points +188%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
2.27 Points +164%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Celeron N3060
0.86 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
Intel Core i5-6200U
9080 Points +302%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
8672 Points +284%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
Intel Core i5-4200U
7614 Points +238%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
6994 Points +210%
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Intel Pentium N3540
4454 Points +97%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Celeron N3060
2256 Points
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Intel Celeron N3050
1978 Points -12%
Acer One 10 S1002-17HU
Intel Atom Z3735F
822 Points -64%
Rendering Single 32Bit
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
4134 Points +240%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
Intel Core i5-4200U
3712 Points +205%
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
Intel Core i5-6200U
3505 Points +188%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
3286 Points +170%
Acer One 10 S1002-17HU
Intel Atom Z3735F
1829 Points +50%
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Intel Pentium N3540
1340 Points +10%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Celeron N3060
1216 Points
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Intel Celeron N3050
1019 Points -16%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Celeron N3060
1361 s *
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
788 s * +42%
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel Celeron N3060
1566 s *
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
898 s * +43%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2510
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
2256
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1216
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
0.86 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
10.12 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.41 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
37 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
13.08 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
68 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks rank our 250 G5 Celeron SKU in the same ballpark as the Asus F540 (Celeron N3050) and the Lenovo B50 (Celeron N3540). Both the Acer Extensa and the HP 250 G4 with their more powerful ULV Core i5 CPUs are able to score significantly higher than our 250 G5.

Subjectively, the system runs slowly even with its primary SSD as windows and apps take time to open and install. While this is expected from a processor of this class, we also experienced wake/sleep freezing issues that should not be occurring no matter the processor or price range.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
3317 Points +100%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
3237 Points +95%
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2834 Points +71%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
GeForce 840M, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2674 Points +61%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060, Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
1661 Points
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1598 Points -4%
Lenovo IdeaPad MIIX 310-10ICR
HD Graphics (Cherry Trail), Z8350, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1419 Points -15%
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1413 Points -15%
Medion Akoya S2218
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1027 Points -38%
Work Score Accelerated v2
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
4343 Points +197%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
4249 Points +190%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
GeForce 840M, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
3468 Points +137%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060, Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
1464 Points
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1426 Points -3%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1269 Points -13%
Lenovo IdeaPad MIIX 310-10ICR
HD Graphics (Cherry Trail), Z8350, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1224 Points -16%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
3735 Points +110%
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
3605 Points +103%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
GeForce 840M, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2804 Points +58%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060, Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
1779 Points
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1624 Points -9%
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1265 Points -29%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1661 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
1779 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
1464 points
Help

Storage Devices

Our test unit shipped with a 2.5-inch 128 GB Samsung SSD whereas most low-end affordable notebooks sport mechanical drives instead. Transfer rates are thus significantly faster than some close competitors as shown by our table below. Write rates, however, are slower than expected from a SATA III SSD at just 139 MB/s. Internal storage space is limited to just the single 2.5-inch SATA III bay.

The 250 G5 also ships with a 7200 RPM 500 GB HDD option. See our growing list of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM
CDM
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
Toshiba MQ01ABF050
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-83%
-84%
-85%
-82%
141%
Read Seq
484.4
104.7
-78%
103.5
-79%
98.3
-80%
101
-79%
509
5%
Write Seq
139.2
95.7
-31%
91.1
-35%
89.8
-35%
99.6
-28%
322.1
131%
Read 512
338.1
33
-90%
33.74
-90%
20.79
-94%
38.12
-89%
321.2
-5%
Write 512
134.7
38.3
-72%
38.77
-71%
34.84
-74%
42.22
-69%
289.4
115%
Read 4k
17.21
0.375
-98%
0.374
-98%
0.335
-98%
0.522
-97%
20.99
22%
Write 4k
31.52
0.782
-98%
0.649
-98%
0.619
-98%
1.29
-96%
88
179%
Read 4k QD32
94.6
0.675
-99%
0.818
-99%
0.789
-99%
1.116
-99%
141.3
49%
Write 4k QD32
31.08
0.769
-98%
0.648
-98%
0.641
-98%
1.287
-96%
228.5
635%
Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
Sequential Read: 484.4 MB/s
Sequential Write: 139.2 MB/s
512K Read: 338.1 MB/s
512K Write: 134.7 MB/s
4K Read: 17.21 MB/s
4K Write: 31.52 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 94.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 31.08 MB/s

GPU Performance

According to 3DMark 11, the integrated HD Graphics Braswell GPU in our HP is almost twice as powerful as the integrated HD Graphics Bay Trail whereas Cloud Gate only claims it be about 50 percent faster. The common HD Graphics 520 GPU in most ULV Skylake U-class processors and Ultrabooks is significantly faster than our integrated Braswell.

These entry-level low-power GPUs are far from being powerful enough for mainstream 3D gaming. The slightly faster HD Graphics 405 will give a frame rate boost of about 20 percent, but this is simply not enough to make a difference in most games. Bioshock Infinite, for example, runs at just 18 FPS on the lowest graphical settings. Gamers will be limited to undemanding titles on the lowest settings such as League of Legends or Starcraft II.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
NVIDIA GeForce 840M, 4200U
2335 Points +511%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
AMD Radeon R5 M330, 5200U
1834 Points +380%
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
1257 Points +229%
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
1162 Points +204%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050
384 Points +1%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060
382 Points
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
200 Points -48%
Acer One 10 S1002-17HU
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F
181 Points -53%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
NVIDIA GeForce 840M, 4200U
1774 Points +329%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
AMD Radeon R5 M330, 5200U
1525 Points +268%
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
1196 Points +189%
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
915 Points +121%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050
424 Points +2%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060
414 Points
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
239 Points -42%
Acer One 10 S1002-17HU
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F
207 Points -50%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
NVIDIA GeForce 840M, 4200U
8813 Points +362%
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
6314 Points +231%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
AMD Radeon R5 M330, 5200U
5592 Points +193%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050
2117 Points +11%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060
1907 Points
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
1290 Points -32%
Acer One 10 S1002-17HU
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F
1190 Points -38%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060
14334 Points
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Score
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060
12233 Points
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
NVIDIA GeForce 840M, 4200U
5530 Points +310%
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
5123 Points +279%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
AMD Radeon R5 M330, 5200U
4643 Points +244%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050
1497 Points +11%
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
1378 Points +2%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060
1350 Points
Acer One 10 S1002-17HU
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F
1140 Points -16%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Physics
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
3086 Points +362%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
AMD Radeon R5 M330, 5200U
2913 Points +336%
Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M
NVIDIA GeForce 840M, 4200U
2401 Points +259%
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540
1815 Points +172%
Acer One 10 S1002-17HU
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F
994 Points +49%
Asus F540SA-XX087T
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050
740 Points +11%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060
668 Points
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Physics
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060
8087 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
422 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
18104 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
1350 points
Help
BioShock Infinite
1280x720 Very Low Preset
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
HD Graphics 515, 6Y75, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH
35.6 fps +97%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 900X3G-K01
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
33.1 fps +83%
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix
HD Graphics 4000, 3317U, Intel SSD 525 Series SSDMCEAC180A3L
27.7 fps +53%
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
HD Graphics 4200, 4210Y, Micron RealSSD C400 MTFDDAT064MAM-1J2 64 GB
24 fps +33%
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
HD Graphics 405 (Braswell), N3710, Liteonit CV3-8D256
22.2 fps +23%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060, Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
18.1 fps
Acer Aspire Switch 10V SW5-014-1742
HD Graphics (Cherry Trail), Z8300, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
16 fps -12%
Dell Latitude 11 3150
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
14.24 fps -21%
1366x768 Medium Preset
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
HD Graphics 515, 6Y75, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH
18.8 fps +96%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 900X3G-K01
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
17.6 fps +83%
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
HD Graphics 4200, 4210Y, Micron RealSSD C400 MTFDDAT064MAM-1J2 64 GB
12.9 fps +34%
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix
HD Graphics 4000, 3317U, Intel SSD 525 Series SSDMCEAC180A3L
12.7 fps +32%
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
HD Graphics 405 (Braswell), N3710, Liteonit CV3-8D256
11.4 fps +19%
Acer Aspire Switch 10V SW5-014-1742
HD Graphics (Cherry Trail), Z8300, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
10.01 fps +4%
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060, Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
9.6 fps
Dell Latitude 11 3150
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
7.08 fps -26%
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 18.1 9.6
Overwatch (2016) 15.1 9.7

Stress Test

We stress the notebook to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. The N3060 is able to maintain its maximum Turbo Boost of about 2.48 GHz when under Prime95 stress with a stable core temperature of 54 C. The processor does not throttle even when subjected to both Prime95 and FurMark and will instead run steady at its base 1.6 to 1.7 GHz clock rate. It will occasionally dip slightly below 1.6 GHz, but this is short-lived. Meanwhile, the integrated GPU holds steady at 500 MHz and 520 MHz when under FurMark and Unigine Valley stress, respectively.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Unigine Valley stress
Unigine Valley stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 2.5 -- 54
FurMark Stress -- 500 62
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.7 500 65
Unigine Valley Stress 1.8+ 520 61

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise is nonexistent on this particular configuration of the 250 G5. The system is silent when subjected to extreme loads with no coil whine as well. This is compared to the same notebook with the Core i5-6200U instead, which we found to be quite audible even when idling and even more so when gaming or under extreme loads.

Noise Level

Idle
/ / dB(A)
Load
/ dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), N3060, Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Asus F540SA-XX087T
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
Noise
off / environment *
31.2
31.2
31.2
31.2
31.6
Idle Minimum *
31.5
33.5
31.7
33.2
34.5
Idle Average *
31.9
33.5
31.7
33.2
34.5
Idle Maximum *
31.9
33.5
31.7
34.6
34.5
Load Average *
34.2
33.5
37.2
45
39
Load Maximum *
36.8
33.5
35.3
45.2
38.3

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Surface temperatures are flat on both sides when idling. When under extreme loads, however, it's clear that the left half of the notebook will become much warmer than the right half due to the design of the motherboard and cooling solution. As a result, the NumPad and right palm rest will be significantly cooler than the QWERTY keys and left palm rest. The temperature difference is tangible but thankfully not severe enough to be distracting during heavy use.

Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Max. Load
 34.6 °C
94 F
35 °C
95 F
25.2 °C
77 F
 
 32.8 °C
91 F
38 °C
100 F
25.2 °C
77 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
31.4 °C
89 F
26.2 °C
79 F
 
Maximum: 38 °C = 100 F
Average: 31.3 °C = 88 F
25.4 °C
78 F
31.4 °C
89 F
37.2 °C
99 F
25.4 °C
78 F
42.8 °C
109 F
38.7 °C
102 F
25.8 °C
78 F
29.8 °C
86 F
32.6 °C
91 F
Maximum: 42.8 °C = 109 F
Average: 32.1 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  30.4 °C = 87 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.3 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.8 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.2 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33.4 °C / 92.1 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-5.7 °C / -10.2 F).

Speakers

Sound quality is acceptable for day-to-day loads and the occasional music and videos. Microphone measurements show a relatively balanced reproduction of a wide frequency range with a sufficiently loud maximum volume, but its lack of bass reproduction is clear when not using external speakers or headphones. We can notice no static or reverberations at the loudest volume setting.

HP 250 G5 (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
HP 250 G5 (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
HP 15z (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
HP 15z (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
MSI GT72VR (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
MSI GT72VR (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.938.82536.835.13134.134.44033.836.65033.533.56334.133.98038.837.510035.835.312531.733.11603335.720030.143.225030.355.131530.162.340028.963.250027.462.363025.868.88002569100024.161.312502459.8160024.163.3200023.663.3250023.259.331502359.6400022.969.150002368.5630022.970.6800022.968.41000022.968.1125002368.21600023.965.5SPL36.678.4N2.943.9median 24.1median 63.2Delta38.235.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP 250 G5 Y1V08UTApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 48% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 55% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox selectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The weak performance from the Celeron N3060 is made up for by its very low power consumption. Our 250 G5 Celeron SKU demands about the same power as the older 250 G4 and the more powerful 250 G5 i5-6200U SKU when idling, but draws less than half when under load. The system won't even draw more than 14 W at most when under Prime95 and FurMark stress.

The small power adapter (9 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm) is rated for up to 45 W, so there is significant headroom even for the higher-end SKU with ULV Core i5 options.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.25 / 0.51 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.9 / 6.4 / 6.5 Watt
Load midlight 11.1 / 13.8 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
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 250 G5 Y1V08UT
N3060, HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP, TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
6200U, HD Graphics 520, Toshiba MQ01ABF050, TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
N3540, HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142, TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
Asus F540SA-XX087T
N3050, HD Graphics (Braswell), Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142, TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
5200U, Radeon R5 M330, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680, TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
6200U, HD Graphics 520, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G, TN, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
-102%
-28%
-29%
-91%
-44%
Idle Minimum *
3.9
5.8
-49%
4.8
-23%
3.8
3%
4
-3%
3.6
8%
Idle Average *
6.4
12.6
-97%
7.5
-17%
6.9
-8%
6.5
-2%
6
6%
Idle Maximum *
6.5
12.8
-97%
9.2
-42%
7.14
-10%
7
-8%
6.4
2%
Load Average *
11.1
27.6
-149%
16
-44%
20
-80%
36
-224%
26
-134%
Load Maximum *
13.8
30
-117%
15.4
-12%
20.7
-50%
43.6
-216%
28.1
-104%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes are excellent from the small 41 Wh removable battery. Users can expect over six hours of real-world WLAN use or just under four hours of heavy use. The HP can run for noticeably longer than many of its affordable competitors that often carry smaller capacity batteries. Idling on the lowest power and brightness settings can net almost 12 hours of battery life, so users with more conservative power settings than what we use for our WLAN test can last for even longer.

Charging from near empty to full capacity will take roughly 1.5 hours.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
11h 56min
WiFi Websurfing
6h 16min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 45min
HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
N3060, HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), 41 Wh
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 37 Wh
Lenovo B50-10 80QR0013GE
N3540, HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 24 Wh
Asus F540SA-XX087T
N3050, HD Graphics (Braswell), 33 Wh
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
5200U, Radeon R5 M330, 41 Wh
HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 41 Wh
Battery Runtime
-16%
-45%
-12%
-22%
-24%
Reader / Idle
716
667
-7%
634
-11%
WiFi v1.3
376
315
-16%
207
-45%
329
-12%
342
-9%
347
-8%
Load
225
115
-49%
109
-52%

Pros

+ no CPU throttling; low running temperatures
+ long runtimes; low power consumption
+ removable Li-Ion battery pack
+ upgradeable HDD and RAM
+ HDMI and VGA
+ inexpensive
+ silent

Cons

- keyboard keys clatter; no keyboard backlight
- narrow gamut and viewing angles
- slow system performance
- lid susceptible to flexing
- cheap plastic texture
- dim display backlight
- difficult serviceability
- no USB Type-C

Verdict

In review: HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT
In review: HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT

Older mainstream notebooks commonly pair able processors with slow HDDs that would often bottleneck system performance. Our configured Celeron N3060 HP SKU is the same and opposite story as it pairs a very weak processor with a fast SSD. The end result is the same: Slow performance meant only for word processing, browsing, video playback, and other low-power activities not unlike an Atom-based netbook.

Advantages include silent operation, cheap starting price, and long runtimes. The chassis itself is run-of-the-mill and we highly suggest investing in a stronger SKU with a Core ix processor and FHD screen for those considering the 250 G5. A quick calibration is also recommended to get the most out of the display and, if price is a concern, the older 250 G4 is not significantly different and will even perform faster if properly configured.

Avoid the lowest-end SKU with the Celeron N3060 and the HP 250 G5 becomes an easier recommendation for basic tasks.

HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT - 10/30/2016 v5.1(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
73 / 98 → 75%
Keyboard
71%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
46 / 80 → 57%
Weight
63 / 20-67 → 91%
Battery
88%
Display
70%
Games Performance
33 / 68 → 49%
Application Performance
47 / 92 → 51%
Temperature
93%
Noise
100%
Audio
53%
Camera
50 / 85 → 59%
Add Points
-1%
Average
62%
76%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP 250 G5 Y1V08UT (Celeron N3060, HD) Notebook Review
Allen Ngo, 2016-10-30 (Update: 2020-06- 8)