HP 250 G7 in review: Scrap recycling done the HP way
With the 250 G7, Hewlett Packard delivers a simple 15.6-inch office laptop aimed at both professional and noncorporate users. The laptop is powered by a Core i5-1035G1 processor and a GeForce MX110 graphics core. By now, we know the 250 G7 since we've already reviewed its sibling model, the 250 G7 6HM85ES. Competitors include devices like the Lenovo V155-15API, the Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51, the Asus M509DA, and the Acer Aspire 5 A515-43.
Since the two 250 G7 models are identical in construction, we won't go any further into the case, connectivity, input devices, and speakers. The corresponding information can be found in the review of the HP 250 G7 6HM85ES.
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75.4 % v7 (old) | 09 / 2020 | HP 250 G7-15S40ES i5-1035G1, GeForce MX110 | 1.8 kg | 22.5 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 74.7 % v7 (old) | 09 / 2019 | Lenovo V155-15API R5 3500U, Vega 8 | 2.2 kg | 23 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 76.6 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2020 | Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.9 kg | 19.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 76.6 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2020 | Asus M509DA-EJ153T R3 3200U, Vega 3 | 1.8 kg | 22.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 78.4 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2019 | Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW R5 3500U, Vega 8 | 1.8 kg | 18 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Average of class Office (22.7 - 198.5, n=33, last 2 years) | |
| Asus M509DA-EJ153T (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| HP 250 G7 6HM85ES (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Average of class Office (25 - 249, n=30, last 2 years) | |
| Asus M509DA-EJ153T (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| HP 250 G7 6HM85ES (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Display - Dim, poor contrast, and unstable viewing angles
The matte 15.6-inch display has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The brightness (173.7 cd/m²) and contrast (434:1) are very poor. In addition, the maximum brightness is even lower on battery power. Generally, we also expect better results from a 500-Euro (~$596) laptop. We consider values beyond 300 cd/m² and 1,000:1, respectively, to be good.
Unfortunately, the display flickers at a frequency of 5,000 Hz at brightness levels of 90% and below. Due to the high frequency, however, even sensitive users shouldn't be troubled by headaches and/or eye problems.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 150 cd/m²
Contrast: 434:1 (Black: 0.41 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 12.66 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91, calibrated: 4.36
ΔE Greyscale 15.05 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
58% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.93% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
38.64% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.63
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES BOE BOE0687, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.6" | HP 250 G7 6HM85ES BOE0687, TN, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Lenovo V155-15API AUO61ED, TN, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX BOE CQ NT156FHM-N61, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Asus M509DA-EJ153T Chi Mei N156HGA-EA3, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW CEC PANDA LM156LF-CL07, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 3% | -1% | -1% | 8% | 2% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 38.64 | 39.61 3% | 38.14 -1% | 38.17 -1% | 41.58 8% | 39.53 2% |
| sRGB Coverage | 58.2 | 59.5 2% | 57.4 -1% | 57.5 -1% | 62.4 7% | 59.5 2% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 39.93 | 40.93 3% | 39.4 -1% | 39.44 -1% | 43 8% | 40.84 2% |
| Response Times | 124% | -28% | -29% | -51% | -80% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 38 ? | 41 ? -8% | 44 ? -16% | 41 ? -8% | 45 ? -18% | 36 ? 5% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 10 ? | 12 ? -20% | 14 ? -40% | 15 ? -50% | 14 ? -40% | 25 ? -150% |
| PWM Frequency | 5000 ? | 25000 ? 400% | 250 ? -95% | 178 ? -96% | ||
| Screen | 8% | 14% | -4% | 16% | 46% | |
| Brightness middle | 178 | 205 15% | 220 24% | 203 14% | 226 27% | 250 40% |
| Brightness | 174 | 205 18% | 200 15% | 188 8% | 212 22% | 228 31% |
| Brightness Distribution | 82 | 88 7% | 80 -2% | 87 6% | 84 2% | 83 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.41 | 0.52 -27% | 0.355 13% | 0.635 -55% | 0.485 -18% | 0.205 50% |
| Contrast | 434 | 394 -9% | 620 43% | 320 -26% | 466 7% | 1220 181% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 12.66 | 11.15 12% | 10.36 18% | 10.84 14% | 7.76 39% | 5.65 55% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 22.77 | 19.08 16% | 18.91 17% | 22.18 3% | 12.44 45% | 13.7 40% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 4.36 | 2.98 32% | 5.09 -17% | 4.45 -2% | ||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 15.05 | 12.62 16% | 12.49 17% | 12.87 14% | 9.11 39% | 6.32 58% |
| Gamma | 2.63 84% | 2.38 92% | 2.3 96% | 2.58 85% | 2.11 104% | 2.45 90% |
| CCT | 20050 32% | 14189 46% | 12808 51% | 15854 41% | 9905 66% | 7287 89% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 37 | 38 3% | 36 -3% | 36.4 -2% | 40 8% | 38 3% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 58 | 59 2% | 57 -2% | 57.4 -1% | 63 9% | 59 2% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 45% /
27% | -5% /
5% | -11% /
-6% | -9% /
3% | -11% /
14% |
* ... smaller is better
Out of the box, the color reproduction is no cause for enthusiasm. With a Delta E 2000 color deviation of just under 13, the target (Delta E less than 3) is clearly missed. In addition, the display suffers from an evident blue tint. Calibration leads to a visible improvement. This reduces the color deviation to 4.4, the blue tint disappears, and the grayscales are displayed in a much more balanced way. Furthermore, the display isn't able to map the AdobeRGB (37%) and sRGB (58%) color spaces.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 7 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 23 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 20 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 18 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 51 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 5000 Hz | ≤ 90 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 5000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 5000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
HP has equipped the 250 G7 with a TN panel that shows unstable viewing angles. As a result, the screen is not readable from every position. Moreover, reading the screen content outdoors is only possible when the sun isn't shining.
Performance - Sufficient for office and Internet
With the 250 G7, HP has a simple 15.6-inch office laptop in its range that offers sufficient computing power for office and Internet applications. Our test device is available for about 500 Euros (~$596). Other configuration variants are available.
Processor
The 250 is powered by a Core i5-1035G1 quad-core processor (Ice Lake). The CPU operates at a base speed of 1 GHz. Furthermore, an increase to 3.2 GHz (four cores) or 3.6 GHz (one core) is possible via Turbo. Hyper-Threading (two threads per core) is supported.
The multithread tests of the Cinebench benchmarks are run at 3 to 3.1 GHz for a short time. The speed then drops to 1.9 to 2.2 GHz. Moreover, the single-thread tests are processed at 600 MHz to 3.6 GHz. On battery power, the clock rates are 2.1 to 2.2 GHz (multithread) and 600 MHz to 3.6 GHz (single-thread), respectively.
We verify if the CPU Turbo is also consistently used when plugged in by running the Cinebench R15 benchmark's multithread test in a continuous loop for at least 30 minutes. The results slightly drop from the first to the second run and then remain at a constant level. Turbo is used to a small extent.
| Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1035G1 (607 - 1002, n=9) | |
| Average of class Office (208 - 1956, n=97, last 2 years) | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset | |
| Average of class Office (1.72 - 18.7, n=95, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1035G1 (3.32 - 6.44, n=8) | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| Asus M509DA-EJ153T | |
| LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1035G1 (55.3 - 70.9, n=6) | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| Average of class Office (31.3 - 129.6, n=95, last 2 years) | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1035G1 (0.705 - 0.769, n=7) | |
| Average of class Office (0.4244 - 1.135, n=94, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
System performance
The system is fast and smooth, and we didn't encounter any problems. The laptop has enough computing power for office and Internet applications. This is accompanied by good results in the PCMark benchmarks. In addition, a slight increase in overall performance could be achieved by installing a second memory module (= dual-channel mode active).
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3323 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 3981 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 5171 points | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 3412 points | |
Help | ||
DPC latencies
In our standardized latency monitor test (web surfing, 4K video playback, high-load Prime95), we could observe issues with the DPC latencies. The system doesn't seem to be suitable for real-time video and audio-editing.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage
The system drive is an NVMe SSD (M.2 2280) from Samsung. It provides 256 GB of storage space and delivers good transfer rates. Moreover, the laptop offers additional space for a 2.5-inch storage drive. However, the SATA slot required for the connection is missing.
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES Samsung PM991 MZVLQ256HAJD | Lenovo V155-15API Union Memory RTOTJ128VGD3EYX | Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G | Asus M509DA-EJ153T Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 | Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8 | HP 250 G7 6HM85ES WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G | Average Samsung PM991 MZVLQ256HAJD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -60% | 30% | 0% | 13% | 31% | 7% | |
| Write 4K | 152.5 | 72.4 -53% | 176.1 15% | 128.7 -16% | 114.9 -25% | 179.3 18% | 143 ? -6% |
| Read 4K | 40.59 | 27.84 -31% | 50.4 24% | 52.3 29% | 52.7 30% | 47.7 18% | 43.2 ? 6% |
| Write Seq | 720 | 145.1 -80% | 1457 102% | 984 37% | 1361 89% | 1265 76% | 855 ? 19% |
| Read Seq | 1131 | 496 -56% | 1424 26% | 1291 14% | 1385 22% | 1184 5% | 1328 ? 17% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 423.2 | 129.6 -69% | 381 -10% | 235.7 -44% | 181.1 -57% | 450.6 6% | 419 ? -1% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 276.1 | 200.9 -27% | 436.5 58% | 324.6 18% | 340.5 23% | 556 101% | 330 ? 20% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 968 | 146.4 -85% | 1455 50% | 984 2% | 1519 57% | 1455 50% | 972 ? 0% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 2223 | 522 -77% | 1725 -22% | 1390 -37% | 1515 -32% | 1717 -23% | 2174 ? -2% |
| AS SSD | -78% | 27% | -22% | 2% | 39% | 6% | |
| Seq Read | 1784 | 480.8 -73% | 1542 -14% | 1384 -22% | 1358 -24% | 1477 -17% | 1892 ? 6% |
| Seq Write | 860 | 135.8 -84% | 1249 45% | 559 -35% | 1300 51% | 1339 56% | 805 ? -6% |
| 4K Read | 35.84 | 23.55 -34% | 38.79 8% | 44.64 25% | 44.88 25% | 46.26 29% | 47.2 ? 32% |
| 4K Write | 105.1 | 47.43 -55% | 89.3 -15% | 97.8 -7% | 77.5 -26% | 143.9 37% | 135.4 ? 29% |
| 4K-64 Read | 464.1 | 186.5 -60% | 966 108% | 324.3 -30% | 586 26% | 937 102% | 520 ? 12% |
| 4K-64 Write | 773 | 86.8 -89% | 885 14% | 388.4 -50% | 738 -5% | 1190 54% | 736 ? -5% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.107 | 0.118 -10% | 0.106 1% | 0.046 57% | 0.1368 ? -28% | ||
| Access Time Write * | 0.04 | 0.132 -230% | 0.044 -10% | 0.047 -18% | 0.057 -43% | 0.024 40% | 0.0396 ? 1% |
| Score Read | 678 | 258 -62% | 1159 71% | 507 -25% | 767 13% | 1131 67% | 756 ? 12% |
| Score Write | 964 | 148 -85% | 1099 14% | 542 -44% | 945 -2% | 1468 52% | 952 ? -1% |
| Score Total | 1953 | 529 -73% | 2842 46% | 1284 -34% | 2115 8% | 3181 63% | 2055 ? 5% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 771 | 894 16% | 589 -24% | 765 -1% | 712 ? -8% | ||
| Copy Program MB/s | 240.2 | 304.9 27% | 163.4 -32% | 239.9 0% | 300 ? 25% | ||
| Copy Game MB/s | 469.2 | 642 37% | 425 -9% | 528 13% | 525 ? 12% | ||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -69% /
-70% | 29% /
28% | -11% /
-14% | 8% /
7% | 35% /
37% | 7% /
6% |
* ... smaller is better
Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
With the dedicated GeForce MX110 graphics core, the HP laptop has Nvidia's current least-powerful model on board. The GPU is based on 2014's Maxwell architecture, and Nvidia specifies a speed level between 978 MHz (base) and 1,006 MHz (boost). In addition, the GPU can access fast GDDR5 graphics memory (2,048 MB).
The results in the 3DMark benchmarks are at a normal level for this GPU. The UHD Graphics G1 GPU that's integrated into the processor is active, and the laptop works with Nvidia's Optimus graphics-switching solution.
A comparison of the benchmark results and gaming tests shows that the MX110 offers more processing power than the Intel iGPU. The advantage is largely due to the MX110's GDDR5 memory. The gap decreases slightly if the iGPU can access memory running in dual-channel mode (a second memory module would have to be installed for this).
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 2367 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 9867 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 1600 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 500 points | |
Help | ||
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
| Average of class Office (1468 - 13132, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Lenovo V155-15API | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW | |
| Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D) | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES (Dual-Channel) | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce MX110 (2115 - 2140, n=3) | |
| HP 15-da0405ng | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES (Single-Channel) | |
| Asus M509DA-EJ153T | |
| Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX | |
| HP 250 G7 6HM85ES | |
Gaming performance
The built-in hardware brings many computer games at HD resolution (1280x720 pixels) and low to medium quality settings smoothly onto the screen. This applies to games that only have low hardware requirements. In addition, most modern video game hits don't achieve smooth frame rates even at significantly reduced settings.
| BioShock Infinite - 1366x768 High Preset | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce MX110 (48 - 49.7, n=2) | |
| HP 15-da0405ng | |
| Asus M509DA-EJ153T | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES (Dual-Channel) | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES (Single-Channel) | |
| Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX | |
| HP 250 G7 6HM85ES | |
| Dota 2 Reborn - 1366x768 med (1/3) | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| Average of class Office (27.6 - 146.2, n=98, last 2 years) | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce MX110 (74.9 - 82.7, n=2) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| HP 15-da0405ng | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Lenovo V155-15API | |
| HP Pavilion 15-cw1212ng | |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms - 1280x720 Low (incl textures) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce MX110 () | |
| HP Pavilion 15-cw1212ng | |
| Tomb Raider - 1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce MX110 (47.1 - 48.1, n=2) | |
| HP 15-da0405ng | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES (Dual-Channel) | |
| Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES (Single-Channel) | |
| Farming Simulator 19 - 1280x720 Low Preset | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce MX110 () | |
| HP Pavilion 15-cw1212ng | |
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) | 81.2 | 66.4 | 45.7 | 24.4 |
| Counter-Strike: GO (2012) | 161.4 | 124.3 | 84.2 | 44.9 |
| Tomb Raider (2013) | 137.4 | 71.1 | 48.1 | 20.8 |
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 108.1 | 56.6 | 49.7 | 18.5 |
| Sims 4 (2014) | 151.1 | 66.4 | 37 | 32.1 |
| GTA V (2015) | 86 | 73.4 | 19.6 | 6.7 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 95.1 | 82.7 | 36.2 | 32.4 |
| Civilization VI (2016) | 50.1 | 25 | 9.4 | |
| Fortnite (2018) | 62.7 | 41.8 | 14.9 | 9.3 |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 42.2 | 25.2 | 23.6 | |
| World of Tanks enCore (2018) | 171 | 36.3 | 14.8 | |
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 22 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) | 25 | 8 | ||
| Forza Horizon 4 (2018) | 33 | 16 | 12 | |
| Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) | 19 | 9 | ||
| Battlefield V (2018) | 30.9 | 14.2 | 11.8 | |
| Farming Simulator 19 (2018) | 80.9 | 30.7 | 17.5 | 12.3 |
| Apex Legends (2019) | 31.1 | 12.8 | 10.5 | |
| Far Cry New Dawn (2019) | 22 | 10 | ||
| Metro Exodus (2019) | 16.4 | 6.7 | ||
| Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) | 40.7 | 15.6 | ||
| The Division 2 (2019) | 25 | 9 | ||
| Anno 1800 (2019) | 28.5 | 11.2 | ||
| Rage 2 (2019) | 19 | 7.2 | ||
| Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) | 37.6 | 10.8 | 6 | |
| Control (2019) | 22.6 | 6.6 | ||
| Borderlands 3 (2019) | 24.5 | 9.4 | ||
| FIFA 20 (2019) | 88.6 | 48.8 | 43.2 | 32.3 |
| Ghost Recon Breakpoint (2019) | 17 | 8 | ||
| GRID 2019 (2019) | 33 | 10.8 | ||
| Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 (2019) | 15.1 | 9.5 | ||
| Need for Speed Heat (2019) | 20.8 | 10.2 | ||
| Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (2019) | 13.2 | |||
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019) | 15.8 | 7.1 | ||
| Hunt Showdown (2020) | 25.6 | 9.8 | ||
| Doom Eternal (2020) | 17.1 | |||
| Gears Tactics (2020) | 51 | 16.6 | 11.1 | |
| F1 2020 (2020) | 33 | 17 | 13 | |
| Horizon Zero Dawn (2020) | 14 | 7 |
Emissions - The HP laptop barely warms up
Noise emissions
The fan is often quiet and silence prevails. But this is all over under load. In this way, we register a maximum sound pressure level of 40.4 dB(A). Unfortunately, the fan emits an annoying whistling sound at higher rotation speeds.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 26.6 / 28.6 / 28.6 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 35.6 / 40.3 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 26.6 dB(A) | ||
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES i5-1035G1, GeForce MX110 | Lenovo V155-15API R5 3500U, Vega 8 | Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620 | Asus M509DA-EJ153T R3 3200U, Vega 3 | Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW R5 3500U, Vega 8 | HP 250 G7 6HM85ES i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620 | Average NVIDIA GeForce MX110 | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -1% | -2% | -10% | -6% | -5% | -7% | 7% | |
| off / environment * | 26.6 | 29.8 -12% | 30.3 -14% | 30.3 -14% | 30.2 -14% | 30.7 -15% | 29 ? -9% | 24.3 ? 9% |
| Idle Minimum * | 26.6 | 29.8 -12% | 30.3 -14% | 30.3 -14% | 30.2 -14% | 30.9 -16% | 29.1 ? -9% | 24.7 ? 7% |
| Idle Average * | 28.6 | 29.8 -4% | 30.3 -6% | 30.3 -6% | 30.2 -6% | 31.6 -10% | 30 ? -5% | 24.9 ? 13% |
| Idle Maximum * | 28.6 | 29.8 -4% | 30.3 -6% | 31.1 -9% | 30.2 -6% | 31.6 -10% | 31.5 ? -10% | 26 ? 9% |
| Load Average * | 35.6 | 32.1 10% | 32.7 8% | 40.7 -14% | 34.8 2% | 34.3 4% | 37.1 ? -4% | 34.8 ? 2% |
| Load Maximum * | 40.3 | 34.5 14% | 32.8 19% | 40.8 -1% | 39.5 2% | 33.8 16% | 41.5 ? -3% | 40.4 ? -0% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least an hour) is ran by the CPU briefly at 1.8 to 2.2 GHz. The clock speed then drops to 1 GHz (plugged in) and 500 to 600 MHz (battery power), respectively, and remains at this level. The graphics core operates at 1,006 MHz. The stress test represents an extreme scenario that doesn't occur in everyday life. We use this test to check if the system remains stable even under full load.
We really can't speak of heat development here. During the stress test, we register temperatures well below 40 °C (~104 °F) at all measuring points. In everyday use, the values are in the green range.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.4 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 34.3 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36.5 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.8 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.4 °C / 81.3 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.6 °C / 81.7 F (+0.2 °C / 0.4 F).
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES i5-1035G1, GeForce MX110 | Lenovo V155-15API R5 3500U, Vega 8 | Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620 | Asus M509DA-EJ153T R3 3200U, Vega 3 | Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW R5 3500U, Vega 8 | HP 250 G7 6HM85ES i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620 | Average NVIDIA GeForce MX110 | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -10% | -2% | 6% | -1% | 2% | -6% | -9% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 36.4 | 42 -15% | 40.7 -12% | 33.7 7% | 35 4% | 35.1 4% | 40.6 ? -12% | 41.2 ? -13% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 36.5 | 45.4 -24% | 40.7 -12% | 36.1 1% | 36.1 1% | 42.4 -16% | 45.4 ? -24% | 44.1 ? -21% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 28.1 | 28.2 -0% | 25.4 10% | 24.9 11% | 28.1 -0% | 25.4 10% | 25.6 ? 9% | 27.4 ? 2% |
| Idle Bottom * | 28.3 | 28.6 -1% | 25.9 8% | 27.4 3% | 30.3 -7% | 25.8 9% | 26.8 ? 5% | 28.8 ? -2% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
HP 250 G7-15S40ES audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.8% 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
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 36% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 46% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy management - HP laptop offers decent battery life
Energy consumption
The power consumption remains at a normal level over the entire load range for the hardware platform installed here. In idle usage, we measure a maximum power consumption of 7.5 watts. During the stress test, the value increases up to 61 watts. In addition, the power adapter's output is 65 watts.
| Off / Standby | 0.25 / 0.45 Watt |
| Idle | 3.8 / 7.3 / 7.5 Watt |
| Load |
42 / 61 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES i5-1035G1, GeForce MX110 | Lenovo V155-15API R5 3500U, Vega 8 | Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620 | Asus M509DA-EJ153T R3 3200U, Vega 3 | Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW R5 3500U, Vega 8 | HP 250 G7 6HM85ES i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620 | Average NVIDIA GeForce MX110 | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 0% | 38% | 22% | 12% | 22% | -4% | -9% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.8 | 4.7 -24% | 2.3 39% | 3.5 8% | 3.7 3% | 3.2 16% | 4.4 ? -16% | 4.47 ? -18% |
| Idle Average * | 7.3 | 7.4 -1% | 4.8 34% | 6.2 15% | 6.2 15% | 5.7 22% | 7.37 ? -1% | 7.41 ? -2% |
| Idle Maximum * | 7.5 | 8 -7% | 5.7 24% | 6.6 12% | 8.4 -12% | 6.1 19% | 7.63 ? -2% | 9.04 ? -21% |
| Load Average * | 42 | 40.7 3% | 26.2 38% | 32 24% | 31.1 26% | 36.5 13% | 40.9 ? 3% | 42.6 ? -1% |
| Load Maximum * | 61 | 42 31% | 27 56% | 29 52% | 43.1 29% | 37.5 39% | 62 ? -2% | 61.8 ? -1% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
Battery life won't knock anyone's socks off. Our WLAN test (accessing websites using a script) and video test (the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.264 encoding, Full HD) running in a loop) are completed by the 15.6-incher after 5:50 hours and 6:29 hours, respectively.
| HP 250 G7-15S40ES i5-1035G1, GeForce MX110, 41 Wh | Lenovo V155-15API R5 3500U, Vega 8, 36 Wh | Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, 37 Wh | Asus M509DA-EJ153T R3 3200U, Vega 3, 32 Wh | Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW R5 3500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh | HP 250 G7 6HM85ES i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 41 Wh | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -20% | 20% | -5% | 35% | 3% | 63% | |
| Reader / Idle | 723 | 1041 44% | 1061 47% | 833 15% | 1304 ? 80% | ||
| H.264 | 389 | 505 30% | 426 10% | 716 ? 84% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 350 | 279 -20% | 402 15% | 334 -5% | 466 33% | 339 -3% | 612 ? 75% |
| Load | 103 | 94 -9% | 130 26% | 91 -12% | 117.4 ? 14% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
HP's office laptop has a current Core i5-1035G1 processor of the Ice Lake generation on board that provides enough performance for office and Internet applications. The dedicated GeForce MX110 graphics core is more powerful than the Intel iGPU, but it doesn't offer any serious advantages over it. It doesn't make a gaming laptop out of the 250 G7 either.
Clearance at HP. The 250 G7 15S40ES combines old and new hardware. The result is not convincing.
A 256 GB NVMe SSD ensures a fast and smooth system. An exchange for a larger-capacity and/or faster model is possible. A memory expansion would also be possible thanks to the second, unused memory slot. The process of opening the case that is required to carry out both procedures hasn't been designed in a very user-friendly way by HP.
The display is a bitter disappointment. HP uses a very dim, low-contrast TN model that has unstable viewing angles. In addition, it also offers poor color reproduction and unsatisfactory color-space coverage. As a result, reading the dim panel strains the eyes. Only the matte surface speaks for the display.
The HP 250 G7 variant that we have with us can't be recommended for purchase due to the display. In the 500-Euro (~$596) laptop segment, brighter, viewing-angle-stable IPS displays are now the standard. However, the MX110 graphics core isn't a desirable feature either. Current Ryzen laptops offer more GPU performance for the same price.
If the integrated optical drive is a potential reason to buy the device, a lower-priced Ryzen 2000/3000 laptop of the identically constructed HP 255 G7 series would be a better alternative. Otherwise, devices with a Ryzen 4000 APU are currently recommended in the 500-Euro (~$596) segment. The Acer Aspire 5 A515-44 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ARE05, for example, can be mentioned here.
Note: The rating of the 250 G7 is worse than that of the 250 G7 model that we reviewed last year. The latter was evaluated according to an older rating method. The two ratings are not comparable.
HP 250 G7-15S40ES
- 09/01/2020 v7 (old)
Sascha Mölck
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