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HP 350 G2 L8B05ES Notebook Review

Low-cost all-rounder. Although HP's 350 G2 does not excel in any category, it is not disappointing, either. All in all, it is a basic 15.6-inch all-rounder at a good price-performance ratio that should satisfy the needs of most users.

For the original German review, see here.

Hewlett Packard offers 15.6-inch sized office laptops within its 350 G2 line that are aimed at both private and professional users. The laptop will be familiar to regular readers of our website since we have tested three sister models. The devices can boast with their slim appearance, matte screens, two maintenance hatches, and removable batteries. The diverse models of the line range from 250 Euros (~$283) to approximately 700 Euros (~$794). The present model is in their middle at 470 Euros (~$533). Our report reveals whether or not the laptop is compelling.

HP's computer faces plenty of rivals. Many laptops that fight for a buyer's favor are found in the low-cost division. However, the 350 G2 meets its direct contender in Lenovo's B50-80. The latter is also aimed at private and professional users and is also available in a multitude of configurations.

HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Processor
Intel Core i5-5200U 2 x 2.2 - 2.7 GHz, Broadwell
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon R5 M240 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1030 MHz, Memory: 1000 MHz, DDR3, 64 bit interface, Catalyst 15.9 (15.201.1151.1004), Enduro
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR3-1600, single-channel, two memory banks (one filled)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, Chi Mei, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Broadwell-U PCH-LP (Premium)
Storage
Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB, 750 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 650 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC282 @ Intel Broadwell PCH-LP - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combo audio, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
hp DVDRW SU208GB
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 26.1 x 384 x 230 ( = 1.03 x 15.12 x 9.06 in)
Battery
41 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64 Bit) + Windows 8 Pro (64 Bit)
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, recovery DVD, Cyberlink LabelPrint, Cyberlink Power2Go 8, Cyberlink YouCam, McAfee LiveSafe-Internet Security (trial), MS Office (trial), 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.3 kg ( = 81.13 oz / 5.07 pounds), Power Supply: 369 g ( = 13.02 oz / 0.81 pounds)
Price
469 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The casing of HP's 350 G2 is completely made of plastic with exception of the wrist rest. Here, a metal insert is found. Since the 350 G2 line is aimed at private and professional users alike, a conservative color scheme is used: Black and silver are the colors of choice. The user will also only find matte surfaces. The laptop looks slim and handy with a height of approximately 23 mm. Two maintenance hatches are on the laptop's underside, and the battery is also removable.

There are no major points of complaint in terms of build. A slight plastic ridge is felt in some places, such as over the vent. The laptop's stiffness is basically satisfactory. The only major shortcoming: The base unit should be much stiffer. It can be warped too strongly. Thus, the laptop should primarily be used stationary and not be carried around permanently. The lid can also be warped without much effort, which leads to a quiet cracking noise as well as slight image distortions. The hinges have a firm grip on the lid but rock for a moment. It is possible to open the lid with one hand.

Connectivity

HP's 350 G2 features the common interfaces. Three USB ports are installed, two of which support the USB 3.0 standard. Furthermore, two video-outs (VGA + HDMI) are present. The interface positioning is not ideal; they are on a level with the wrist rest.

Left: power socket, VGA-out, HDMI, Ethernet port, 2x USB 3.0
Left: power socket, VGA-out, HDMI, Ethernet port, 2x USB 3.0
Right: combo audio, USB 2.0, DVD burner, Kensington lock slot
Right: combo audio, USB 2.0, DVD burner, Kensington lock slot
Card reader on the front
Card reader on the front

Communication

The 350G is furnished with a RTL8723BE Wi-Fi module from Realtek. It supports the 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi standards and also provides Bluetooth 4.0 functionality. We did not have connection issues. The connection remained stable both in the router's vicinity as well as two stories below it. Like in many laptops we have tested, a Gigabit Ethernet chip from Realtek's RTL8168/8111 family is responsible for cabled network connections.

Memory Card Reader

We always use our reference SD card (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) for comparing the memory-card readers in the different laptops. The reader in the 350 G2 achieves a maximum transfer rate of 88.5 MB/s when copying large blocks of data. Transferring 250 JPG image files (around 5 MB each) was performed at a speed of approximately 50 MB/s.

Security

Since the 350 G2 is also aimed at professional users and/or companies, some security features have been installed. A fingerprint reader is on board for biometric access authentication. Intel's Small Business Advantage Tools is also preloaded. That is a collection of tools for small businesses that, for example, enables locking the laptop's USB ports.

Accessories

In addition to the usual documents (quick-start poster, warranty information), the laptop is also shipped with a recovery DVD for Windows 8.1 (Professional).

Operating System

Our review sample was delivered with Windows 7 Professional (64-bit). It is possible to change to Windows 8.1 Professional (64-bit) via the included recovery DVD. Windows 10 can also be installed for free. Our experiences with it are found in a chapter below.

Maintenance

The two maintenance hatches allow the user to easily access the most important components in HP's laptop. Two memory banks are under the small hatch. One is furnished with a 4 GB module. The bigger hatch enables accessing the hard drive and Wi-Fi module. The casing would have to be opened to access the other components.

Warranty

HP includes a one-year warranty for its 350 G2. The extent of warranty can be upgraded; HP has many extensions (Care Packs). For example, a two-year warranty including pick-up service costs around 55 Euros (~$62), and roughly 130 Euros (~$147) is charged for a three-year on-site warranty.

Windows 10 on the HP 350 G2

Installation

We tried the free Windows 10 upgrade on HP's 350 G2. The complete installation, including system setup, took approximately 90 minutes. We installed the upgrade while our hard drive was stuffed full of games and test software. It may be presumed that upgrading will be faster on systems that are not as filled. Since Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) was preloaded, it was upgraded to Windows 10 Professional. The entire procedure was mostly automatic; the user will only have to make a few decisions.

Hardware

Windows 10 does not seem absolutely compatible with the 350 G2. After upgrading and installing all available Windows 10 updates, a glance in the Device Manager showed that a driver was still missing for one device - the Wi-Fi key. HP's website does not (yet) offer any Windows 10 drivers for the 350 G2. However, the corresponding Windows 8.1 drivers can be installed, which also eliminates the problem. Beyond that, the touchpad's power button cannot be used under Windows 10, and thus the pad cannot be disabled. We did not find a solution for this problem.

General

We could not ascertain a speed boost with Windows 10 purely subjectively. The system behaved as always. Only the operating system booted faster than under Windows 7, but that was already the case under Windows 8.1. Here, every user has to decide personally whether upgrading to Windows 10 is worthwhile.

Downgrading from Windows 10

The upgrade can be reversed via a mouse click within the first month. "Go back to Windows 7" is found under Start -> Settings -> Update & security. This process does not take as long as upgrading to Windows 10.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Hewlett Packard ships the 350 G2 with an unlit chiclet keyboard. The flat, lightly roughened keys have a short drop and clear pressure point. The keys' resistance is appealing. The keyboard at most yields marginally while typing on it. That did not have a negative impact. All in all, HP delivers a keyboard that offers a good typing feel. It goes beyond the requirements placed on home use and also allows regular typing.

Touchpad

HP opted for a multi-touchpad for its 350 G2. The pad's sleek surface facilitates gliding with the fingers. It has a surface area of approximately 10.2 x 5.2 cm and thus offers plenty of room for gesture control. The single gestures can be toggled in the pad's configuration menu. Not all gestures are enabled by default. The pad itself can be turned on and off by double tapping in its upper left corner (currently does not function under Windows 10). An incorporated LED shows the status. Both mouse keys feature a short drop and clear pressure point.

HP 350 G2: Input Devices
HP 350 G2: Input Devices

Display

The 350 G2 sports a matte 15.6-inch screen with a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. Its brightness (231.3 cd/m²), contrast (474:1) and black level cannot be called good. However, they are still acceptable considering the price level. HP does not offer any other screen models. Users who value Full HD panels should take a look at Lenovo's B50-80. Lenovo offers configurations with a corresponding screen.

235
cd/m²
237
cd/m²
236
cd/m²
223
cd/m²
251
cd/m²
227
cd/m²
216
cd/m²
240
cd/m²
217
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 251 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 231.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 251 cd/m²
Contrast: 474:1 (Black: 0.53 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.92 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 8.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
65% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
45.06% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
43.59% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.18
350 G2 vs. sRGB
350 G2 vs. sRGB
350 G2 vs. AdobeRGB
350 G2 vs. AdobeRGB

The screen in HP's computer cannot reproduce either the sRGB or AdobeRGB color spaces. The coverage rates here are 65% (sRGB) and 41% (AdobeRGB). These rates will be uninteresting for most users. They are important, for example, in the image editing and pre-press reproduction fields. The screen displays a color shift (DeltaE 2000) of 7.92 in delivery state. That is a good outcome for a laptop from the low-cost sector where rates from 10 to 12 are normal. However, a value less than 3 would be desirable. The screen also exhibits a bluish tint that can be eliminated via the linked color profile.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

The laptop has been furnished with a TN panel which prevents legibility from every position. The image quickly distorts when changing the vertical viewing angle. The viewing angle is more generous horizontally. Even several people can look at the screen simultaneously. Outdoor use is quite possible with some restrictions. However, direct sunlight on the screen should be avoided.

Viewing angles: HP 350 G2
Viewing angles: HP 350 G2
HP 350 G2 outdoors
HP 350 G2 outdoors
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
TN LED, 1366x768
Lenovo B50-80
WLED-TN, 1920x1080
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
TN LED, 1366x768
Asus X555LD-XX283H
TN LED, 1366x768
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
TN LED, 1366x768
HP 350 G1
TN LED, 1366x768
HP 355 G2
1366x768
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
TN LED, 1366x768
Display
-9%
-9%
5%
-11%
-22%
-19%
-3%
Display P3 Coverage
43.59
39.83
-9%
39.72
-9%
45.54
4%
38.83
-11%
34.02
-22%
35.1
-19%
42.27
-3%
sRGB Coverage
64.8
59.6
-8%
59.4
-8%
67.8
5%
58.2
-10%
51.3
-21%
52.9
-18%
63.1
-3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
45.06
41.17
-9%
41.08
-9%
47.22
5%
40.16
-11%
35.15
-22%
36.26
-20%
43.7
-3%
Screen
-9%
-18%
10%
3%
-61%
-45%
-19%
Brightness middle
251
217
-14%
224
-11%
188
-25%
228
-9%
245
-2%
211
-16%
185
-26%
Brightness
231
208
-10%
219
-5%
167
-28%
211
-9%
243
5%
213
-8%
174
-25%
Brightness Distribution
86
88
2%
89
3%
74
-14%
86
0%
89
3%
78
-9%
85
-1%
Black Level *
0.53
0.39
26%
0.63
-19%
0.34
36%
0.33
38%
1.9
-258%
1.21
-128%
0.64
-21%
Contrast
474
556
17%
356
-25%
553
17%
691
46%
129
-73%
174
-63%
289
-39%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
7.92
11.61
-47%
11.81
-49%
5.4
32%
9.6
-21%
14.38
-82%
13.28
-68%
8.84
-12%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
8.9
12.47
-40%
12.93
-45%
4.39
51%
10.17
-14%
14.43
-62%
13.28
-49%
11.04
-24%
Gamma
2.18 101%
2.41 91%
2.17 101%
2.16 102%
2.55 86%
2.55 86%
2.52 87%
2.49 88%
CCT
9917 66%
15458 42%
14625 44%
7246 90%
12431 52%
20651 31%
17759 37%
10890 60%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
41
38
-7%
38
-7%
43.7
7%
37
-10%
33
-20%
34
-17%
40
-2%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
65
60
-8%
60
-8%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-9% / -9%
-14% / -16%
8% / 8%
-4% / -1%
-42% / -50%
-32% / -38%
-11% / -14%

* ... smaller is better

Performance

HP has 15.6-inch office laptops for private and professional use within its 350 G2 line. Models that additionally feature a dedicated Radeon graphics card like our review sample even conditionally allow playing computer games and can be described as affordable all-rounders. Our review sample has a price tag of around 470 Euros (~$533). HP offers many other configurations. The presently lowest-priced member of the line, the HP 350 G2 K9J13EA (Pentium 3805U, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, no dedicated GPU, no Windows operating system), costs approximately 250 Euros (~$283). The identically built HP 355 G2 line even increases the number of configurations. AMD APUs are used rather than Intel processors in this line.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
LatencyMon
 

Processor

HP installs a Core i5-5200U (Broadwell) processor in our present 350 model. This mid-range CPU has more than enough computing power and even allows using applications that go beyond office and Internet. Users who do not want to study the details about a laptop's specifications will not do anything wrong with a Core i5 model. Savvy buyers can choose from a multitude of Intel processors. HP offers something in every performance category starting from a Celeron processor up to a Core i7-5500U CPU model. In any case, a frugal ULV processor is inside HP's 350 G2.

The Core i5-5200U processor operates at a base speed of 2.2 GHz, which can be boosted to 2.5 GHz (both cores) or 2.7 GHz (one core) via Turbo. The CPU's full performance can be retrieved in both AC and battery modes. The Broadwell processor provides up to 10% more power than a Haswell precursor, such as the Core i5-4210U processor. The latter is found in the precursor of HP's 350 G2, namely HP's 350 G1 that we tested.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
5707
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
8723
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4158
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
24.17 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.83 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.25 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
29.61 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
260 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
97 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
260 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
129 Points -50%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
237 Points -9%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
164 Points -37%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
250 Points -4%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
146 Points -44%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
157 Points -40%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
157 Points -40%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
163 Points -37%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
239 Points -8%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
97 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
67 Points -31%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
88 Points -9%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
49 Points -49%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
108 Points +11%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
46 Points -53%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
47 Points -52%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
42 Points -57%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
65 Points -33%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
105 Points +8%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2.83 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1.45 Points -49%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2.57 Points -9%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2.04 Points -28%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2.79 Points -1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1.62 Points -43%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1.94 Points -31%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1.92 Points -32%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1.76 Points -38%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2.58 Points -9%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
1.25 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.74 Points -41%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
1.14 Points -9%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.6 Points -52%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1.23 Points -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.55 Points -56%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
0.57 Points -54%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.5 Points -60%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
0.69 Points -45%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1.18 Points -6%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
8723 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4852 Points -44%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
7799 Points -11%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
5785 Points -34%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5309 Points -39%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
5575 Points -36%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
4750 Points -46%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
5194 Points -40%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
8044 Points -8%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
4158 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2510 Points -40%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
3809 Points -8%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1850 Points -56%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
3248 Points -22%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1709 Points -59%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1858 Points -55%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1379 Points -67%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2345 Points -44%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
3871 Points -7%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2465 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1468 Points -40%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2362 Points -4%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1287 Points -48%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1209 Points -51%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1244 Points -50%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
988 Points -60%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1693 Points -31%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2391 Points -3%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
4948 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2592 Points -48%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
4641 Points -6%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
3792 Points -23%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
3230 Points -35%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
3534 Points -29%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
3267 Points -34%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
3421 Points -31%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
4668 Points -6%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
110.8 ms *
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
181.5 ms * -64%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
116 ms * -5%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
253 ms * -128%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
113 ms * -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
309.2 ms * -179%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
254.3 ms * -130%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
303.3 ms * -174%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
203.6 ms * -84%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
113.8 ms * -3%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2556 ms *
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4080 ms * -60%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
6200 ms * -143%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2635 ms * -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
6880 ms * -169%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
6279 ms * -146%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
6205 ms * -143%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
4164 ms * -63%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2644 ms * -3%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
13228 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
7963 Points -40%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
6074 Points -54%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
12021 Points -9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5334 Points -60%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
5574 Points -58%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
5052 Points -62%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
7213 Points -45%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
12317 Points -7%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2400 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1793 Points -25%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1136 Points -53%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
957 Points -60%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1108 Points -54%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
842 Points -65%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1531 Points -36%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The system did not cause problems and ran smoothly. All PCMark benchmark scores are good. Striking: The 350 G2 can clearly surpass a comparable contender, such as Dell's Inspiron 15 3542-2293, in the PCMark 8 benchmark. That is largely owed to AMD's graphics core. The PCMark 8 benchmark especially benefits from AMD GPUs. The total performance of HP's computer can be increased by, for example, installing a second working memory module. Replacing the hard drive with a solid state drive would be noticed much more in routine; the system would run considerably swifter and Windows would boot faster.

PCMark 7 Score
2492 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3136 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3255 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4453 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
3136 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2151 Points -31%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
3088 Points -2%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2451 Points -22%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2964 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1880 Points -40%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1946 Points -38%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2101 Points -33%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2261 Points -28%
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2492 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2113 Points -15%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2643 Points +6%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1750 Points -30%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2148 Points -14%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2495 Points 0%

Storage Device

The system drive is a conventional hard drive from Seagate. It spins at 5400 revolutions per minute and has a capacity of 750 GB. Thus, owners of HP's 350 G2 will not want for storage capacity very soon. CrystalDiskMark records a read speed of 100.2 MB/s. HD Tune delivers an average transfer rate of 82.2 MB/s. Both are normal rates for a 5400 rpm hard drive.

It would be easy to replace the hard drive.
It would be easy to replace the hard drive.
Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
Transfer Rate Minimum: 48.8 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 111.7 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 82.2 MB/s
Access Time: 16.9 ms
Burst Rate: 278.5 MB/s

Graphics Card

HP furnishes our review sample with a dedicated graphics core from the lower mid-range with the Radeon R5 M240. It supports DirectX 12 and clocks at up to 1030 MHz. The name "M240" strongly suggests that it is AMD's answer to Nvidia's GeForce 840M and 940M graphics cores. That is not the case, though. Nvidia's counterparts for AMD's core are the GeForce 820M and 920M GPUs. The 3DMark benchmark outcomes place the R5-M240 core between these two Nvidia chips.

AMD's GPU in conjunction with the equally present Intel HD Graphics 5500 graphics core create a graphics-switching solution (Enduro). Intel's GPU is enabled in routine use and battery mode. The dedicated graphics core takes care of performance-driven applications, such as computer games. Switching between the cores is normally automatic, but the user will have to sometimes intervene. AMD's graphics-switching solution does not function quite as smoothly as Nvidia's counterpart.

3DMark 06 Standard Score
5840 points
3DMark 11 Performance
1698 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
44842 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
4645 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
900 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
1698 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
574 Points -66%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
1536 Points -10%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1640 Points -3%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1723 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
782 Points -54%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
788 Points -54%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
268 Points -84%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1349 Points -21%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1383 Points -19%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1793 Points +6%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1766 Points +4%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
44842 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
27941 Points -38%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
42536 Points -5%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
39458 Points -12%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
28314 Points -37%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
30714 Points -32%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
31626 Points -29%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
17701 Points -61%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
42918 Points -4%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
52303 Points +17%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
44189 Points -1%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
53548 Points +19%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
4645 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2426 Points -48%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
4322 Points -7%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4032 Points -13%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
4010 Points -14%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2763 Points -41%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2853 Points -39%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1444 Points -69%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
3954 Points -15%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
4594 Points -1%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
5193 Points +12%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
5142 Points +11%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
3638 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1493 Points -59%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2359 Points -35%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1780 Points -51%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1773 Points -51%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1846 Points -49%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2872 Points -21%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2987 Points -18%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
3984 Points +10%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
3907 Points +7%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
900 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
316 Points -65%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
785 Points -13%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
843 Points -6%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
791 Points -12%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
472 Points -48%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
473 Points -47%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
829 Points -8%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
843 Points -6%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1050 Points +17%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1045 Points +16%
3DMark 06 - 1280x1024 Standard Score AA:0x AF:0x (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
5840 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
3463 Points -41%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
5556 Points -5%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
5662 Points -3%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
8626 Points +48%

Gaming Performance

Although HP installs a dedicated graphics core in its 350 G2, the laptop is only conditionally suitable for gaming. Users who place value on image quality will not be happy. The laptop can render many games in low resolutions and low to sometimes medium quality settings smoothly. That is, however, primarily true for games that do not have very high hardware requirements. Some up-to-date games, such as Metal Gear Solid V, FIFA 16 and World of Warcraft achieve playable frame rates. Games like The Witcher 3 and Batman: Arkham Knight will never be playable. The Radeon GPU is too weak for these performance-driven blockbusters.

While the Radeon R5 M240 graphics core still places itself before the GeForce 820M GPU in the 3DMark benchmarks, it usually lags behind in real-world gaming. Thus, GeForce 820M laptops would be an alternative for HP's 350 G2 when slightly higher gaming power is wanted. Corresponding laptops are largely in the same price range as HP's model.

An affordable alternative for the 350 G2 would be a comparably configured sister model from HP's 355 G2 line. For example, HP's 355 G2 K7J06ES is currently sold for approximately 350 Euros (~$397). However, the buyer should be aware that the 355 G2's gaming performance is weaker than that of the 350 G2. The reason is its weaker A8-6410 APU from AMD. It is clearly inferior to the Core i5 processor in the 350 G2. A look at our comparison chart shows that there is hardly a difference between the 350 and 355 in the Tomb Raider benchmark. However, the 350 G2 has a clear lead in the Grid: Autosport benchmark. The more CPU-driven a game is the clearer the advantage of the 350 G2 will normally be.

low med. high ultra
Crysis 3 (2013) 22.5 13.9 9.8
Tomb Raider (2013) 62.8 31.6 24
Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014) 32.3 28.5
Watch Dogs (2014) 20 15.9
GRID: Autosport (2014) 104.8 46.7
Risen 3: Titan Lords (2014) 27.9 18
Sims 4 (2014) 160.7 45.3
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) 25.5 16.9
Alien: Isolation (2014) 33.9 23.3
F1 2014 (2014) 58 40
Assassin's Creed Unity (2014) 18.2 12
Far Cry 4 (2014) 29 19.6
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) 30.5 19.7
The Crew (2014) 26.1 19.4
Evolve (2015) 23 17.5
Battlefield Hardline (2015) 45.1 32.8
Dirt Rally (2015) 122.7 31.1
The Witcher 3 (2015) 18.2 12
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 17 9
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 52.6 30
Mad Max (2015) 21.1
World of Warships (2015) 51.6 36.1
FIFA 16 (2015) 50 38.5
Tomb Raider
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
62.8 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
31.8 fps -49%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
60.7 fps -3%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
59.6 fps -5%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
49.1 fps -22%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
33.1 fps -47%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
31.2 fps -50%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
16.5 fps -74%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
76.6 fps +22%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
74.8 fps +19%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
83.8 fps +33%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
84.6 fps +35%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
31.6 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
14.6 fps -54%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
29.8 fps -6%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
30.4 fps -4%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
26.2 fps -17%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
17.8 fps -44%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
22.5 fps -29%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
8.3 fps -74%
Asus X555LD-XX283H
GeForce 820M, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
39.6 fps +25%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
40 fps +27%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
43.3 fps +37%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
42.9 fps +36%
Dirt Rally
1024x768 Ultra Low Preset (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
122.7 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
52.4 fps -57%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
70 fps -43%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
52.3 fps -57%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
136.1 fps +11%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
136.6 fps +11%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
31.1 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
12.8 fps -59%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
18.4 fps -41%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
15.6 fps -50%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
33.1 fps +6%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
33.2 fps +7%
Battlefield Hardline
1024x768 Low Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
45.1 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
15.9 fps -65%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
37.5 fps -17%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
21.6 fps -52%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
51.2 fps +14%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
40.9 fps -9%
1366x768 Medium Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
32.8 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
11.2 fps -66%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
26.4 fps -20%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
14.6 fps -55%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
36.5 fps +11%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
28.7 fps -12%
Sims 4
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
160.7 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
123.6 fps -23%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
150.1 fps -7%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
141.9 fps -12%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
179.2 fps +12%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
45.3 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
26.2 fps -42%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
42.9 fps -5%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
32.7 fps -28%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
48.3 fps +7%
Dell Inspiron 15-5558
GeForce 920M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
74 fps +63%
F1 2014
1024x768 Ultra Low Preset (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
58 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
31 fps -47%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
56 fps -3%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
38 fps -34%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
72 fps +24%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
33 fps -43%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
90 fps +55%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
76 fps +31%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
40 fps
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
20 fps -50%
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
37 fps -7%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
28 fps -30%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
40 fps 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
24 fps -40%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
65 fps +63%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
67 fps +68%
GRID: Autosport
1024x768 Ultra Low Preset (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
104.8 fps
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
106.1 fps +1%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
66.1 fps -37%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
56.9 fps -46%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
111.8 fps +7%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
128.5 fps +23%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
46.7 fps
HP 350 G1
Radeon HD 8670M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
43.4 fps -7%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
30 fps -36%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
21.5 fps -54%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
43.4 fps -7%
Asus F555LJ-XX110H
GeForce 920M, 5010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
51.9 fps +11%
Metal Gear Solid V
1024x768 Low / Off (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
52.6 fps
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
40.5 fps -23%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
26.2 fps -50%
1366x768 Medium / Off (sort by value)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
30 fps
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
26.5 fps -12%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
17.3 fps -42%

Emissions

System Noise

The fan permanently spins at a low speed in idle. Like in many other HP laptops, HP's proprietary BIOS option "Fan Always On" is responsible for that. The fan is sometimes inactive when that is unchecked. The hard drive's noise is also responsible for the noise level to some extent. Replacing the hard drive with a solid state drive could result in less noise. The fan speeds up noticeably under load. We measured a noise level of 44.7 dB during the stress test. This noise level is not surprising considering that both the CPU and GPU run at full speed. However, a glance at the temperature development shows that a more conservative fan management would be possible.

The fan can be disabled
The fan can be disabled

Noise Level

Idle
32.6 / 32.8 / 32.8 dB(A)
DVD
36.1 / dB(A)
Load
41.6 / 44.7 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)
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
5200U, Radeon R5 M240
Lenovo B50-80
5200U, Radeon R5 M330
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
N3540, HD Graphics (Bay Trail)
Asus X555LD-XX283H
4010U, GeForce 820M
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
4210U, GeForce 820M
HP 350 G1
4210U, Radeon HD 8670M
HP 355 G2
A8-6410, Radeon R5 M240
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
A6-6310, Radeon R4 (Beema)
Noise
0%
6%
3%
1%
-8%
-2%
8%
Idle Minimum *
32.6
33.5
-3%
32.7
-0%
31.4
4%
31.9
2%
34.3
-5%
33.2
-2%
32.9
-1%
Idle Average *
32.8
33.5
-2%
32.7
-0%
32
2%
31.9
3%
35.3
-8%
33.2
-1%
32.9
-0%
Idle Maximum *
32.8
33.6
-2%
33.2
-1%
32.3
2%
32.7
-0%
35.4
-8%
33.8
-3%
32.9
-0%
Load Average *
41.6
40.4
3%
36.5
12%
41.9
-1%
40.6
2%
47.3
-14%
42
-1%
33.6
19%
Load Maximum *
44.7
42.9
4%
36.5
18%
42
6%
46.4
-4%
47.7
-7%
46.5
-4%
34.4
23%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

HP 350 G2 in the stress test
HP 350 G2 in the stress test

The 350 G2 processed our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour) slightly differently in AC and battery modes. The processor permanently clocked at 2.5 GHz, and the graphics core operated at 400 MHz (battery mode) and 1030 MHz (AC mode). HP's 350 G2 did not heat up excessively - quite the opposite is true. 40 °C was only surpassed on one measuring point during the stress test. The device does not even get lukewarm in routine use.

Max. Load
 36.4 °C
98 F
34.4 °C
94 F
28.4 °C
83 F
 
 37.6 °C
100 F
37.6 °C
100 F
27.7 °C
82 F
 
 32.8 °C
91 F
35.7 °C
96 F
28.8 °C
84 F
 
Maximum: 37.6 °C = 100 F
Average: 33.3 °C = 92 F
31.9 °C
89 F
33.7 °C
93 F
40.7 °C
105 F
29 °C
84 F
37.6 °C
100 F
35.5 °C
96 F
26.3 °C
79 F
33.9 °C
93 F
30.8 °C
87 F
Maximum: 40.7 °C = 105 F
Average: 33.3 °C = 92 F
Power Supply (max.)  51.6 °C = 125 F | Room Temperature 23.9 °C = 75 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.3 °C / 92 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 37.6 °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 40.7 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.5 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (35.7 °C / 96.3 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-8 °C / -14.4 F).
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
5200U, Radeon R5 M240
Lenovo B50-80
5200U, Radeon R5 M330
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
N3540, HD Graphics (Bay Trail)
Asus X555LD-XX283H
4010U, GeForce 820M
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
4210U, GeForce 820M
HP 350 G1
4210U, Radeon HD 8670M
HP 355 G2
A8-6410, Radeon R5 M240
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
A6-6310, Radeon R4 (Beema)
Heat
-5%
2%
8%
1%
-1%
4%
1%
Maximum Upper Side *
37.6
41.2
-10%
31.5
16%
32.1
15%
39.7
-6%
33
12%
37.2
1%
33
12%
Maximum Bottom *
40.7
42.5
-4%
35.8
12%
37.9
7%
39.5
3%
33.5
18%
36
12%
43
-6%
Idle Upper Side *
27.1
28.4
-5%
27.6
-2%
26.8
1%
26.4
3%
30.6
-13%
26.5
2%
27.5
-1%
Idle Bottom *
28.3
28.8
-2%
33
-17%
26.3
7%
26.9
5%
33.7
-19%
28
1%
28.7
-1%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

The stereo speakers are situated above the 350 G2's keyboard behind a perforated cover. They produce a clear sound that lacks bass. Speech is well-intelligible. DTS Audio Control is preloaded for sound enhancement.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The 350 G2 is satisfied with relatively little power when idle. We measured rates of up to 5.9 watts - praiseworthy. The requirement climbed to 47.5 watts in the stress test. That shows that the CPU and GPU both clock at full speed. Comparable GeForce 820M laptops, such as Dell's Inspiron 15 3542-2293, are on a similar level. HP's computer roughly consumes 38.2 watts (+/- 5 watts) in gaming routine. The power supply has a nominal output of 65 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.6 / 5.9 / 5.9 Watt
Load midlight 38.2 / 47.5 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 350 G2 L8B05ES
5200U, Radeon R5 M240
Lenovo B50-80
5200U, Radeon R5 M330
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
N3540, HD Graphics (Bay Trail)
Asus X555LD-XX283H
4010U, GeForce 820M
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
4210U, GeForce 820M
HP 350 G1
4210U, Radeon HD 8670M
HP 355 G2
A8-6410, Radeon R5 M240
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
A6-6310, Radeon R4 (Beema)
Power Consumption
-30%
-3%
-3%
14%
-26%
-8%
10%
Idle Minimum *
3.6
6.9
-92%
5.6
-56%
4.4
-22%
2.7
25%
5.8
-61%
3.9
-8%
4
-11%
Idle Average *
5.9
8.1
-37%
8
-36%
5.8
2%
4.2
29%
8.1
-37%
6.6
-12%
6.5
-10%
Idle Maximum *
5.9
9.2
-56%
8.2
-39%
6.3
-7%
4.7
20%
9
-53%
7.6
-29%
7.5
-27%
Load Average *
38.2
29.7
22%
16.6
57%
38.6
-1%
40
-5%
31.8
17%
35.7
7%
19.9
48%
Load Maximum *
47.5
41.4
13%
20
58%
41.5
13%
47.7
-0%
46.1
3%
46.2
3%
23.7
50%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

HP's 350 G2 achieves an idle runtime of 11:27 hours. The Lenovo B50-80 rival (4:48 h) is depleted much sooner. Idle mode is determined using the Battery Eater Reader's test. The screen is set to minimum brightness, the energy-saving profile is enabled, and the wireless modules are disabled. The 350 G2 shuts down after 1:41 hours under load. The B50-80 (1:23 h) again lags behind. Load runtime is ascertained using the Battery Eater Classic test. Here, the screen runs at maximum brightness, and the high-performance profile and radio modules are enabled.

HP's laptop stopped our real world Wi-Fi test after 4:51 hours. Once again, Lenovo's B50-80 (3:33 h) cannot compete with the 350 G2. This test simulates the load required for opening websites. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². We test video playback time by running the short movie Big Buck Bunny (H.264 encoding, 1920x1080 pixels) in a loop. The radio modules are disabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The 350 G2 achieves a runtime of 6:01 hours. We did not perform this test on the B50-80.

All in all, the battery life of the 350 G2 is satisfactory. Although it is not a runtime marvel, its rates should satisfy most users. HP's 350 G2 is the fourth model from HP's 350/355 line that we tested. The runtimes of the four devices are very similar, and they are on par in our Wi-Fi test.

The battery has a capacity of 41 Wh
The battery has a capacity of 41 Wh
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
11h 27min
WiFi Websurfing (IE 11)
4h 51min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
6h 01min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 41min
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
41 Wh
Lenovo B50-80
32 Wh
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
37 Wh
Asus X555LD-XX283H
37 Wh
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
40 Wh
HP 350 G1
40 Wh
HP 355 G2
40 Wh
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
56 Wh
Battery Runtime
-34%
24%
-25%
7%
Reader / Idle
687
288
-58%
521
-24%
468
-32%
833
21%
H.264
361
248
-31%
365
1%
WiFi v1.3
291
213
-27%
349
20%
Load
101
83
-18%
178
76%
88
-13%
101
0%
WiFi
262
371
301
283
427

Pros

+ matte screen
+ quiet operation
+ low temperature development
+ decent keyboard
+ maintenance hatches
+ good battery life
+ limited gaming suitability

Cons

- 12-month warranty only

Verdict

In review: HP 350 G2 L8B05ES. Test model courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de
In review: HP 350 G2 L8B05ES. Test model courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de

The review sample we were provided with features a strong Core i5 processor that should have more than enough computing power for most potential users. The laptop is even gaming suitable - although only to a limited degree. The computer runs quietly in routine operation and generally does not heat up excessively. It does not lack storage, either: The installed hard drive has a gross capacity of 750 GB. Users who want more storage or prefer a swift solid state drive can replace the existing hard drive quickly and easily thanks to the maintenance hatch. The matte HD screen will not win any awards, but it can offer both an acceptable brightness and contrast. Unfortunately, HP only includes a one-year warranty. That is no longer contemporary - after all, other manufacturers offer their low-cost laptops with a two-year warranty.

The 350 G2 line belongs to HP's basic business. The line is designed for the masses and is accordingly situated in the low-cost sector. Therefore, some restrictions have to be accepted. HP has, however, found a good compromise of price, configuration and performance that will make the line attractive for many users. Lenovo proves that this can backfire with the direct rival, the B50-80.

At a price of 470 Euros (~$533), our review sample does not appear to be a bargain at first glance. However, the price is put into perspective when considering that a Core i5 processor is installed and the 64-bit professional versions of both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are included. The prices start at approximately 250 Euros (~$283), and the options are extended by the models from the identically built HP 355 G2 line. The latter are configured with AMD APUs, and they start at 260 Euros (~$295).

HP 350 G2 L8B05ES - 02/25/2016 v5(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
77 / 98 → 79%
Keyboard
75%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
40 / 80 → 50%
Weight
61 / 20-67 → 87%
Battery
83%
Display
78%
Games Performance
58 / 68 → 85%
Application Performance
63 / 92 → 68%
Temperature
91%
Noise
80%
Audio
40%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
67%
76%
Office - Weighted Average

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Sascha Mölck, 2015-10-17 (Update: 2018-05-15)