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HP Pavilion 15 (AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, Vega 8) Laptop Review

Pavilion goes Ryzen. In comparison to Intel models, AMD Ryzen processors are still rare in the mobile laptop market. This makes it even more interesting for us to have an AMD-powered HP in our office.

The 15-inch HP Pavilion has a matte FHD IPS display and is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 2500U and the onboard graphics chip Vega 8. It comes with 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. In this review, we compare the Ryzen 5 CPU directly to its rivals equipped with an Intel i5-8250U. We are interested primarily in the pure benchmark values and the cooling performance as well as the throttling behavior. The case has also been changed slightly in comparison to the predecessor model, appearing more modern and stylish now.

HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng (Pavilion 15-cw Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 4 x 2 - 3.6 GHz, Zen
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2400
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics AUO23ED, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
AMD CZ FCH
Storage
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7, 512 GB 
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Card Reader: SD card reader
Networking
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 17.9 x 361.6 x 245.6 ( = 0.7 x 14.24 x 9.67 in)
Battery
41 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HP Wide Vision HD camera
Additional features
Speakers: 2, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.85 kg ( = 65.26 oz / 4.08 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - The Pavilion Benefits from the Update

Sleek design at the edges
Sleek design at the edges

The 15-inch device has a new and modern design without the outdated edges, resulting in a fresh and trendy overall look. The micro-edge display design gives the lateral display frames a narrower appearance. The keyboard as a whole is placed inside a recess in the base with a depth of about two millimeters, and the speaker grill is embossed with a checkered design. The sides of the case are chamfered inwards, giving the Pavilion a modern feel.

The materials used, such as sandblasted, eloxed metal on the back and the base, strengthen the Pavilion's form stability, but not quite as much as they do for the 14-inch Pavilion. Our 15-inch device's base can be pushed inwards and is not as torsion-resistant as the smaller model's base. Creaking noises can only be heard on the bottom part of the case because it is made of plastic. Fingerprints barely stand a chance.

Peculiarly, the display hinge is designed to raise the whole base unit when opened, while the base shifts back slightly. This might seem like a constructional flaw at first glance, but it actually has an ergonomical reason because the keyboard is placed at an angle then. However, the opening angle of about 130 ° is a side effect of this constructional design that may not have been thought through entirely.

The maintenance options could have been more user-friendly as well. To be able to reach the inner components, the entire back has to be removed. Separate maintenance hatches would have been a more elegant solution.

At 15 inches and with a footprint of 36.16 x 24.56 x 1.79 centimeters, the Pavilion does quite well in comparison to its direct rivals. HP also manages to cut the weight by 200 to 300 grams, making the Pavilion the lightest of the 15-inch devices in the comparison field. HP's included 45-watt power supply is pleasantly small and light.

Size Comparison

378 mm / 14.9 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 22.9 mm / 0.902 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs370.5 mm / 14.6 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs361.6 mm / 14.2 inch 245.6 mm / 9.67 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.9 kg4.08 lbs359.7 mm / 14.2 inch 248.8 mm / 9.8 inch 19.6 mm / 0.772 inch 2.1 kg4.54 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - The HP Pavilion Has the Basics

The HP Pavilion's port placement is well thought-out, so there should be no space issues even during full occupancy. The HDMI 1.4 port can be found at the left rear, followed by the RJ 45 network socket, the sole USB type-C port (3.1 Gen. 1), and the 3.5 mm audio jack (headphone and microphone combo). The right side harbors the power supply connector, two USB type-A ports (3.1 Gen. 1), a Kensington lock, and an SD card reader. In contrast to the 14-inch Pavilion, this device does not have a fingerprint sensor.

The ports on the left...
The ports on the left...
...and on the right.
...and on the right.

SD Card Reader

The SD card barely protrudes from the HP Pavilion 15's card reader, as it is spring-loaded. However, this is the only good news because at values below 40 MB/s, the speeds with our reference card Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II in our JPG copy test and in the sequential reading test are far below the multimedia laptop average saved in our database.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Multimedia
  (17.6 - 205, n=61, last 2 years)
93 MB/s +138%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
69.4 MB/s +78%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
39.6 MB/s +2%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
39 MB/s
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.31 MB/s -7%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.2 MB/s -7%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35.2 MB/s -10%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32.6 MB/s -16%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Multimedia
  (16.8 - 266, n=57, last 2 years)
122.4 MB/s +240%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
82 MB/s +128%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
38.56 MB/s +7%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.56 MB/s +4%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.2 MB/s +3%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.7 MB/s +2%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36 MB/s
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.2 MB/s -33%

Communication

The values of the 1x1 Wi-Fi module by RealTek (RTL8821) in our test with the reference router Linksys EA8500 are far below the average of all multimedia laptops tested by us. We received data at a speed of 280 Mb/s and sent it at 269 Mb/s, which is in line with other Pavilions. At least we also have the option to connect to the network directly via Ethernet port and network cable.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (285 - 1094, n=5, last 2 years)
789 MBit/s +193%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
676 MBit/s +151%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
620 MBit/s +130%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
287 MBit/s +7%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
280 MBit/s +4%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
269 MBit/s
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
234 MBit/s -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
219 MBit/s -19%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +303%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
632 MBit/s +126%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
513 MBit/s +83%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
424 MBit/s +51%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
338 MBit/s +21%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
281 MBit/s 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
280 MBit/s
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
245 MBit/s -12%

Input Devices - Pavilion with Stylish Chiclet Keyboard

Backlit keyboard
Backlit keyboard

Keyboard

The keys of the chiclet keyboard have a crisp feedback and the surface feel while typing is rather smooth and flat. Fast and frequent writers will not have any problems with this keyboard, as the square keys have a short travel and a sufficient size with an edge length of 15 millimeters. The Pavilion's white backlight can be turned on and off via the F5 key, but no in-between levels are available. The silvery keys with letters backlit in white have a suboptimal readability under certain lighting conditions, but HP gave the design a higher priority in this case.

Touchpad

At 11.5 x 6 centimeters, the touchpad is wider than usual. It reacts well to inputs and movements, even in the corners and at the edges. The touchpad does not have any buttons on its own, instead functioning as a ClickPad in the lower area. The clicks performed this way are clean, but slightly less crisp than with the smaller 14-inch Pavilion.

Display - Not the Brightest Pavilion

Subpixels
Subpixels

The HP Pavilion features an IPS panel by the manufacturer AU Optronics (AUO23ED). This 15.6-inch Full HD panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels has a weakness, namely its extremely low brightness. Using our testing station, we measured a maximum brightness of 186 cd/m² in the center of the screen and an average brightness of 180 cd/m², with a brightness distribution of 88%. A direct comparison to the HP Pavilion 14 shows that the smaller model has a significantly higher brightness while achieving at least equal scores in almost all other areas.

187
cd/m²
180
cd/m²
185
cd/m²
184
cd/m²
186
cd/m²
182
cd/m²
178
cd/m²
177
cd/m²
165
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics AUO23ED tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 187 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 180.4 cd/m² Minimum: 14.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 217 cd/m²
Contrast: 1240:1 (Black: 0.15 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.94 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 6.07
ΔE Greyscale 4.44 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
55% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
35% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37.91% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
55% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
36.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.81
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AU Optronics AUO23ED, , 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
BOE072C, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AUO B156HTN03.8, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
BOE CQ NV156FHM-N48, , 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Chi Mei CM15E9, , 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
AU Optronics B156XW02 V0, , 1366x768, 15.60
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Chi Mei CMN15D3, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
8%
-1%
8%
13%
5%
15%
Display P3 Coverage
36.7
39.64
8%
36.36
-1%
40.1
9%
41.36
13%
38.37
5%
42.27
15%
sRGB Coverage
55
59.3
8%
54.7
-1%
59
7%
62.2
13%
57.7
5%
63.5
15%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
37.91
40.96
8%
37.57
-1%
41.43
9%
42.74
13%
39.65
5%
43.69
15%
Response Times
-10%
14%
-12%
0%
17%
-12%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
40 ?(18, 22)
40 ?(21, 19)
-0%
38.8 ?(20, 18.8)
3%
43 ?(23, 20)
-8%
40 ?(22, 18)
-0%
43.6 ?(20, 23.6)
-9%
40 ?(23, 17)
-0%
Response Time Black / White *
26 ?(16, 10)
31 ?(18, 13)
-19%
19.6 ?(15.6, 4)
25%
30 ?(16, 14)
-15%
26 ?(14, 12)
-0%
15.2 ?(10, 5.2)
42%
32 ?(13, 10)
-23%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(90)
1471 ?(90)
25000 ?(30)
25000 ?(10)
Screen
-1%
-58%
10%
24%
-41%
24%
Brightness middle
186
239
28%
252.2
36%
284
53%
221
19%
220.1
18%
259
39%
Brightness
180
223
24%
251
39%
254
41%
207
15%
210
17%
230
28%
Brightness Distribution
88
88
0%
84
-5%
80
-9%
87
-1%
93
6%
82
-7%
Black Level *
0.15
0.27
-80%
0.54
-260%
0.29
-93%
0.15
-0%
0.29
-93%
0.19
-27%
Contrast
1240
885
-29%
467
-62%
979
-21%
1473
19%
759
-39%
1363
10%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.94
5.3
11%
12.36
-108%
4.22
29%
4.35
27%
11.4
-92%
3.13
47%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.81
10.03
7%
24.75
-129%
9.29
14%
8.98
17%
25.96
-140%
7.81
28%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
6.07
3.64
40%
4.43
27%
4.09
33%
3.09
49%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.44
5.85
-32%
12.2
-175%
1.17
74%
3.09
30%
12
-170%
1.42
68%
Gamma
2.81 78%
2.45 90%
1.83 120%
2.39 92%
2.23 99%
2.09 105%
2.36 93%
CCT
6272 104%
7169 91%
13028 50%
6360 102%
6068 107%
12625 51%
6391 102%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
35
38
9%
34.6
-1%
38
9%
56
60%
36.5
4%
40
14%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
55
59
7%
54.5
-1%
59
7%
86
56%
57.5
5%
63
15%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-1% / -1%
-15% / -38%
2% / 7%
12% / 19%
-6% / -25%
9% / 18%

* ... smaller is better

The only commendable feature of this display is its really good black level of 0.15 and the contrast of 1240:1. The Delta-E deviation (ColorChecker) is rather high at 5.94 and 4.44 for grayscales. Not even calibration was able to improve these values. Color-space coverage of only 35% for AdobeRGB and 55% for sRGB places the Pavilion at the rear end of our comparison field.

CalMAN ColorChecker uncalibrated
CalMAN ColorChecker uncalibrated
CalMAN grayscale uncalibrated
CalMAN grayscale uncalibrated
CalMAN saturation uncalibrated
CalMAN saturation uncalibrated
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated
CalMAN grayscale calibrated
CalMAN grayscale calibrated
CalMAN saturation calibrated
CalMAN saturation calibrated
vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

The readability in direct sunlight is better than we assumed, despite the low maximum brightness of 186 cd/m². This AU Optronics display is far better suited to outdoors usage than the BOE panel installed in the HP Pavilion 14, which has a case that is identical in construction to the Pavilion 15.

In direct sunlight...
In direct sunlight...
...and in the shade.
...and in the shade.

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
26 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 10 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. » 57 % 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
40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 22 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. » 55 % 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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Viewing-angle stability
Viewing-angle stability

Performance - Thorough Examination of the Ryzen in the Pavilion

HWInfo
HWInfo

Our test device, the HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng, is powered by an AMD quad-core Ryzen 5 2500U CPU. The graphics are processed by the integrated onboard graphics unit Radeon Vega 8. This HP laptop does not have a dedicated graphics card. Two 4 GB DDR4-2400 RAM modules by Samsung are installed in the laptop, which can be upgraded to 32 GB in theory. The installed storage solution is a 512 GB SSD by Intel. In our benchmarks, we are looking to compare the AMD Ryzen 5 processor directly to the Intel i5-8250U, which should be the matching counterpart for this AMD CPU.

Processor

The number of laptops with AMD processors on the market is incredibly low. The announcement of the mobile AMD processors Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 about a year ago raised two big questions: How do the AMD CPU and the onboard graphics unit fare in comparison to Intel, and how high is the power consumption, which is linked to the temperature emissions under load? These are the same questions that we are going to investigate in the following tests.

The performance data puts the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U on a level with the Intel Core i5-8250U. It also has four cores and a clock rate between 2 and 3.6 GHz. The laptop manufacturer can configure the TDP in a range from 12 to 25 watts, which makes it suitable for Ultrabooks as well. Just like Intel, the Ryzen 5 is equipped with an integrated graphics unit, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 8. Since our HP Pavilion 15 does not have a dedicated graphics card, we will test the Vega 8's performance directly in the games section.

The HP Pavilion was not particularly convincing in the CPU Single 64Bit test by Cinebench, still bringing up the rear of this group. The HP Envy x360 and the Acer Swift 3, both also powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, show the possibilities. The Pavilion is able to improve slightly in the Multi 64Bit test, leaving behind several Intel Core i5-8250s.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=96, last 2 years)
249 Points +101%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
166 Points +34%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points +16%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
142 Points +15%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Intel Core i5-8250U
142 Points +15%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
138 Points +11%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (124 - 142, n=15)
136.2 Points +10%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
126 Points +2%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
124 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=103, last 2 years)
2280 Points +276%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
618 Points +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
613 Points +1%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
606 (417.88min - 605.96max) Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (510 - 642, n=16)
598 Points -1%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel Core i5-8250U
579 Points -4%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Intel Core i5-8250U
533 (432.57min - 532.94max) Points -12%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
527 (505.84min - 527.4max) Points -13%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
510 Points -16%
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
606 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
124 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
46.33 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help
Behavior during the Cinebench loop
Behavior during the Cinebench loop

We ran the Cinebench Multi test 40 times in a loop to determine how strongly the HP throttles. The Ryzen 5 CPUs from our comparison model list had a rather strong throttling behavior in the first two loops, which the HP Pavilion 15 exhibits as well. It scored 606 points in the first iteration, 577 in the second, and then it dropped quite a bit to 437 points afterwards. This equates to a throttling of 39%!

The HWInfo graph shows clearly that we got about 12 watts TDP performance in the first two iterations. Afterwards, the TDP dropped to about 7 watts and the clock rate fell to 1.86 GHz. Meanwhile, the temperature remained relatively constant at 67 °C.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595Tooltip
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø431 (417.88-605.96)
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø561 (552.26-618.11)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1 AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø511 (498.58-589)
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø306 (298.9-506.11)
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø512 (505.84-527.4)

System Performance

The AMD Ryzen 5 2500U installed in the HP Pavilion, in combination with 8 GB of DDR4 RAM and the Intel SSD, works really fast according to the synthetic benchmark tests, reaching above average performance values for both Work Score and Home Score in PCMark 8. We had a result of 4467 points for the Work Score, which is 15% above the average of all five comparison models documented in our database at the time of testing, which are also powered by a Ryzen 5 2500U processor and a Vega 8.

The performance difference is not quite as remarkable in the Home Score, equating to 3% above average. By the way, the Acer Swift 3 (Ryzen 5 2500U) had really good results here, with a 6 to 10% higher performance than our Pavilion, but it also has the advantage of a dedicated Radeon RX540 and costs around 100 Euros (~$115) more.

PCMark Work result
PCMark Work result
PCMark Home result
PCMark Home result
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +49%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3741 Points +10%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
3675 Points +8%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3462 Points +2%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
3461 Points +2%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3404 Points
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
3379 Points -1%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3049 - 3550, n=14)
3340 Points -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF
3049 Points -10%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points +18%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4769 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
4749 Points +6%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
4654 Points +4%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
4467 Points
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
4456 Points 0%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3437 - 4870, n=11)
4211 Points -6%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3800 Points -15%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF
3437 Points -23%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3404 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4467 points
Help

Storage Devices

Our test laptop's main storage device is an Intel SSD 600p (SSDPEKKW512G7) with a capacity of 512 GB. It is not the fastest in our comparison list, but at least it is still clearly ahead of the SanDisk SSD in the smaller Pavilion 14. The Pavilion 15's values for the 4K areas, which are important for everyday use, are only slightly behind the Acer Swift 3 and the HP Envy x360. Still, they are significantly below the possible average for the Intel SSD 600p from our database.

HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Average Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
 
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-15%
51%
130%
6%
102%
Read Seq
1040
508
-51%
1123
8%
1487
43%
477.3
-54%
1228 ?(880 - 2596, n=12)
18%
Write Seq
179.9
202.4
13%
601
234%
1241
590%
267.8
49%
628 ?(179.9 - 1614, n=12)
249%
Read 512
641
309.6
-52%
822
28%
923
44%
331.4
-48%
856 ?(580 - 2154, n=12)
34%
Write 512
300.3
158.2
-47%
534
78%
797
165%
268.4
-11%
587 ?(300 - 1660, n=12)
95%
Read 4k
19.99
33.15
66%
25.03
25%
49.38
147%
25.41
27%
61.5 ?(10.5 - 436, n=12)
208%
Write 4k
72
68.7
-5%
94.7
32%
97.3
35%
78.2
9%
151.4 ?(72 - 495, n=12)
110%
Read 4k QD32
264.5
262.1
-1%
262.2
-1%
295
12%
394.5
49%
353 ?(57.8 - 463, n=12)
33%
Write 4k QD32
206.1
116.4
-44%
208.9
1%
212.5
3%
264.8
28%
341 ?(122.4 - 497, n=12)
65%
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Sequential Read: 1040 MB/s
Sequential Write: 179.9 MB/s
512K Read: 641 MB/s
512K Write: 300.3 MB/s
4K Read: 19.99 MB/s
4K Write: 72 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 264.5 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 206.1 MB/s

Graphics

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 8, which processes the graphics in our HP Pavilion, is an onboard graphics chip integrated into the Ryzen 5. It does not have its own graphics memory, which makes it not ideal for gaming. In theory, the performance can be best compared to a GeForce 940MX. More information about the Vega 8 can be found in our graphics comparison.

Our benchmark test results do not make the Vega 8 in the HP Pavilion look particularly good. The average of all laptops in our database equipped with a Vega 8 reached a reference score of 3126 in 3DMark11. Our Pavilion falls behind by 24%, and it falls by 12% in the 3DMark benchmark tests. So we do not have much hope that the Vega 8 is suitable for gaming at all, not even on lowest details.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=87, last 2 years)
18296 Points +668%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
4646 Points +95%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3549 Points +49%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1668 - 4317, n=44)
3447 Points +45%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
2945 Points +24%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2786 Points +17%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2381 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2294 Points -4%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1666 Points -30%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 150699, n=61, last 2 years)
57744 Points +414%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
23263 Points +107%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
19698 Points +75%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (7309 - 19399, n=37)
15327 Points +37%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
15186 Points +35%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
13246 Points +18%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
11226 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
10177 Points -9%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
8567 Points -24%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=87, last 2 years)
13540 Points +690%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
3561 Points +108%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3519 Points +105%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2311 Points +35%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2310 Points +35%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1095 - 2901, n=41)
2224 Points +30%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1715 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1192 Points -30%
3DMark 11 Performance
2549 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
6493 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1617 points
Help

Gaming Performance

As expected, gamers will not be happy with the Vega 8. Even on lowest details at a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, the frame rate was abysmal. Only F1 2018 on lowest settings was at least mostly playable at 29 fps. Users looking to play anything more demanding than a browser game would do better to avoid the Vega 8.

Far Cry 5
1280x720 Low Preset AA:T
Average of class Multimedia
  (40 - 187, n=43, last 2 years)
110.3 fps +635%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
32 fps +113%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
31 fps +107%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (15 - 43, n=9)
27.6 fps +84%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
15 fps
1920x1080 Medium Preset AA:T
Average of class Multimedia
  (20 - 162, n=51, last 2 years)
77.3 fps +1004%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (7 - 20, n=9)
12.8 fps +83%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
12 fps +71%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
12 fps +71%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
7 fps
1920x1080 High Preset AA:T
Average of class Multimedia
  (18 - 154, n=55, last 2 years)
73.7 fps +953%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (7 - 18, n=7)
11.4 fps +63%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
10 fps +43%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
7 fps
F1 2018
1280x720 Ultra Low Preset
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (29 - 64, n=3)
42.3 fps +46%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
29 fps
1920x1080 Medium Preset AF:4x
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (16 - 33, n=3)
22.7 fps +42%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
16 fps
1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:8x
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (12 - 25, n=3)
17 fps +42%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
12 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
1280x720 Lowest Preset
Average of class Multimedia
  (67 - 182, n=6, last 2 years)
129.3 fps +661%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
33 fps +94%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (17 - 46, n=4)
30.3 fps +78%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
17 fps
1920x1080 Medium Preset
Average of class Multimedia
  (43 - 150, n=10, last 2 years)
85.2 fps +1320%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
13 fps +117%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (6 - 17, n=3)
11.7 fps +95%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
6 fps
1920x1080 High Preset AA:SM
Average of class Multimedia
  (38 - 146, n=12, last 2 years)
87.3 fps +1355%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
11 fps +83%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (6 - 15, n=3)
10.3 fps +72%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
6 fps
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark
1280x720 Lite Quality
Average of class Multimedia
  (19 - 211, n=70, last 2 years)
96.6 fps +616%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
25.4 fps +88%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
24.5 fps +81%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
23 fps +70%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (13.4 - 27.8, n=11)
22.2 fps +64%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
20.1 fps +49%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
13.5 fps
1920x1080 Standard Quality
Average of class Multimedia
  (9.75 - 162.4, n=81, last 2 years)
63 fps +855%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
12.1 fps +83%
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G
12 fps +82%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (6.22 - 14, n=10)
11.4 fps +73%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
10.3 fps +56%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
9.2 fps +39%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
6.6 fps
1920x1080 High Quality
Average of class Multimedia
  (6.53 - 141.8, n=86, last 2 years)
49 fps +1224%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3.7 - 9.68, n=8)
7.04 fps +90%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
6.7 fps +81%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5.1 fps +38%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
4.1 fps +11%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3.7 fps
low med. high ultra
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 13.5 6.6 3.7
Far Cry 5 (2018) 15 7 7 6
F1 2018 (2018) 29 16 12 8
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 17 6 6

Emissions - HP Does a Good Job

Noise Emissions

The fan runs permanently, so the Pavilion has a constant noise level of 31.4 dB(A) even in idle mode. Subjectively, this fan noise is even more unpleasant than usual, because not only the outrushing air is audible but also the fan itself spins at a slightly higher frequency. It is only a minimal noise, but it is still clearly audible.

When the HP works under load, the fan volume rises only slightly by 2 dB(A). This makes the HP Pavilion one of the quieter laptops under load in our tests. Our HP Pavilion also did not exhibit any coil whine.

Noise Level

Idle
31.4 / 31.4 / 31.6 dB(A)
Load
33.5 / 35.9 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)   environment noise: 30.5 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203133.836.135.7312531.7353335.831.73134.63636.837.534.64028.532.232.831.528.55033.631.93636.633.66330.528.830.727.630.58029.228.327.327.229.210026.526.827.225.126.512526.625.525.725.826.616024.823.724.824.324.820023.822.924.123.123.825023.123.122.822.723.131522.422.121.821.722.44002121.520.720.72150020.520.520.22020.56302020.319.619.82080020.321.119.318.620.3100020.822.819.918.220.8125022.223.919.717.922.2160022.725.222.517.822.7200023.126.719.117.523.1250023.428.919.117.623.431502123.318.617.921400023.221.818.31823.2500019.321.818.218.119.3630018.819.718.318.118.8800018.318.718.318.218.31000018.318.418.218.118.31250018.218.218.11818.21600018.318.218.118.118.3SPL33.535.931.730.633.5N1.82.11.51.31.8median 21median 22.1median 19.6median 18.2median 21Delta2.21.91.81.22.233.633.635.135.733.633.431.536.335.833.441.539.135.537.541.532.834.131.131.532.835.135.330.736.635.128.829.829.327.628.832.632.431.127.232.634.333.533.925.134.326.626.625.225.826.625.924.823.724.325.923.523.923.523.123.523.223.222.222.723.223.223.122.121.723.224.424.721.220.724.424.825.320.42024.826.426.62119.826.428.528.720.218.628.530.630.822.818.230.630.530.322.717.930.532.332.421.517.832.332.832.921.517.532.835.135.319.917.635.134.134.120.217.934.128.928.919.41828.929.329.518.818.129.328.428.618.518.128.42323.118.518.22320.620.518.418.120.619.11918.31819.118.718.418.318.118.742.94332.730.642.93.83.81.61.33.8median 26.6median 26.6median 21median 18.2median 26.63.83.81.81.23.842.637.133.742.635.834.534.135.833.829.735.733.833.533.330.533.534.734.437.634.736.73828.736.731.532.326.231.533.430.42633.425.926.326.725.927.126.424.827.127.72923.627.725.624.923.225.625.826.222.625.824.32422.724.32423.8202425.825.419.325.822.923.418.722.92424.618.12422.823.21822.823.323.617.923.323.523.61823.524.124.317.924.123.223.518.223.219.919.918.519.919.619.718.619.618.818.818.718.818.418.318.918.418.218.21918.218.318.219.118.318.818.719.418.834.8353134.82.12.11.42.1median 23.5median 23.6median 19median 23.52.93.222.9hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHP Pavilion 15-cw0003ngHP Pavilion 14-ce0002ngAcer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR

Temperature

The 15-inch case does a far better job with the cooling than the smaller 14-inch model of identical construction. At a room temperature of 21 °C, we first measured the temperature in idle mode, which amounted to values between 22 and 24 °C. No matter how much load we put on the Pavilion in our stress test, the temperature never exceeded 37.3 °C. These results are outstanding, especially considering that the fan noise under full load never exceeds 36 dB(A) either.

Max. Load
 34.8 °C
95 F
37.3 °C
99 F
35 °C
95 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
36.6 °C
98 F
27.7 °C
82 F
 
 28.5 °C
83 F
26.6 °C
80 F
26.7 °C
80 F
 
Maximum: 37.3 °C = 99 F
Average: 31.8 °C = 89 F
36 °C
97 F
37.3 °C
99 F
33.5 °C
92 F
27.2 °C
81 F
31.5 °C
89 F
35.4 °C
96 F
25 °C
77 F
26.4 °C
80 F
27.2 °C
81 F
Maximum: 37.3 °C = 99 F
Average: 31.1 °C = 88 F
Power Supply (max.)  41 °C = 106 F | Room Temperature 23.4 °C = 74 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.8 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.3 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.3 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.6 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28.5 °C / 83.3 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (+0.3 °C / 0.5 F).
Top in idle mode
Top in idle mode
Bottom in idle mode
Bottom in idle mode
Top under load
Top under load
Bottom under load
Bottom under load

Speakers

Speaker grill
Speaker grill

The grill with B&O speakers above the keyboard delivers a medium sound quality. The speakers reach a maximum volume of 68 dB, which is not particularly loud. This can be imagined as watching a music video at full volume while sitting right in front of the laptop without feeling the urge to turn down the volume a bit. At this volume, the highs seem rather shrill and too dominant, while the bass is barely noticeable.

In addition to the speakers, the Pavilion has a 3.5 mm combo audio jack for headphones and a microphone.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.235.732.22534.835.834.8313637.5364033.331.533.35033.236.633.26329.327.629.38027.527.227.51002525.12512529.225.829.216028.724.328.720033.723.133.725047.222.747.231557.521.757.540067.220.767.250066.82066.863067.219.867.280061.518.661.5100065.118.265.1125068.317.968.3160067.117.867.1200067.217.567.2250067.417.667.4315066.317.966.3400065.31865.3500065.118.165.1630063.818.163.8800063.618.263.6100006518.1651250064.31864.31600055.618.155.6SPL7830.678N40.61.340.6median 65median 18.2median 65Delta9.11.29.134.635.734.634.835.834.835.837.535.831.231.531.236.236.636.23027.63031.927.231.934.325.134.330.725.830.728.624.328.631.123.131.148.922.748.956.321.756.364.720.764.765.72065.766.519.866.561.818.661.865.518.265.568.217.968.269.917.869.969.617.569.668.917.668.967.217.967.267.81867.864.518.164.565.618.165.666.118.266.165.118.165.161.91861.95318.15379.230.679.242.91.342.9median 65.1median 18.2median 65.18.21.28.23838.534.83733.734.33335.132.832.236.332.131.131.430.631.528.931.728.632.428.439.127.649.626.957.526.856.226.653.725.762.125.665.72561.425.767.225.66625.263.424.165.323.762.323.765.223.270.323.266.523.2632370.322.970.122.961.536.8782.841.3median 25.6median 62.31.8841.233.741.241.434.141.44235.74241.130.541.143.237.643.24628.74642.926.242.944.92644.946.826.746.84724.8475023.65052.823.252.856.722.656.759.722.759.763.22063.268.219.368.266.818.766.865.918.165.970.51870.569.717.969.771.31871.372.317.972.374.218.274.273.818.573.872.818.672.870.818.770.864.818.964.858.91958.958.219.158.260.919.460.982.83182.851.51.451.5median 64.8median 19median 64.87.827.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Pavilion 15-cw0003ngHP Pavilion 14-ce0002ngLenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUSAcer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (68.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 65% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 49% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 43% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 65% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 49% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 75% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 74% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.1% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 47% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 33% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 59% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - Energy-Efficient HP, but Low Battery Runtime

Power Consumption

The Pavilion is a very efficient device in terms of power consumption. No matter if in idle mode or under load, its power consumption is always lower than the average of other laptops belonging to the same class. The minimum consumption in idle mode is 4.5 watts, while the absolute maximum power consumption we measured was 41.9 watts. HP includes a 45-watt power supply, which should be sufficient.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.5 / 7.3 / 9.4 Watt
Load midlight 34 / 41.9 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 Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
R5 2500U, Vega 8, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, SanDisk X600 SD9SN8W-128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
R5 2500U, Vega 8, SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
R5 2500U, Radeon RX 540, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
R5 2500U, Vega 8, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba MQ04ABF100, TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
 
Average of class Multimedia
 
Power Consumption
-39%
-21%
-40%
-6%
5%
-8%
-15%
-98%
Idle Minimum *
4.5
6.3
-40%
7.6
-69%
6.9
-53%
4.8
-7%
5.6
-24%
3.3
27%
5.68 ?(3.7 - 11.5, n=42)
-26%
7.28 ?(2.2 - 34.6, n=93, last 2 years)
-62%
Idle Average *
7.3
8.4
-15%
10.6
-45%
9.6
-32%
7
4%
7.1
3%
5.6
23%
8.75 ?(5.86 - 21.8, n=42)
-20%
11.8 ?(4.6 - 43, n=93, last 2 years)
-62%
Idle Maximum *
9.4
10.2
-9%
11.8
-26%
11.8
-26%
9.5
-1%
7.9
16%
7.8
17%
10.1 ?(6.36 - 22.2, n=42)
-7%
14.6 ?(5.6 - 44.9, n=93, last 2 years)
-55%
Load Average *
34
59
-74%
24.1
29%
50
-47%
40.8
-20%
32.8
4%
54
-59%
37.8 ?(24.1 - 55.3, n=42)
-11%
77.3 ?(14.3 - 147, n=92, last 2 years)
-127%
Load Maximum *
41.9
66.3
-58%
39.4
6%
60
-43%
44.3
-6%
30.5
27%
63
-50%
46.2 ?(26.5 - 65.6, n=42)
-10%
119.3 ?(44 - 247, n=92, last 2 years)
-185%
Witcher 3 ultra *
30.3

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

We would call the battery runtime adequate. With its 41 Wh battery, the HP Pavilion lasts just about two hours under load. During everyday web-browsing behavior, the 3-cell lithium-ion battery lasts about five hours. A short glance at the list shows that the slightly smaller 14-inch HP Pavilion with a battery of the same capacity lasts significantly longer in all scenarios. One reason for this is certainly the smaller display and possibly also the Intel CPU.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
8h 24min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 02min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
3h 50min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 06min
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 41 Wh
HP Pavilion 14-ce0002ng
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 41 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 35 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
R5 2500U, Radeon RX 540, 48 Wh
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 55.8 Wh
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 41 Wh
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, 48 Wh
Average of class Multimedia
 
Battery Runtime
41%
-22%
31%
41%
29%
62%
86%
Reader / Idle
504
797
58%
724
44%
722
43%
933 ?(506 - 1571, n=25, last 2 years)
85%
H.264
230
350
52%
366
59%
516
124%
680 ?(319 - 1481, n=49, last 2 years)
196%
WiFi v1.3
302
414
37%
237
-22%
401
33%
426
41%
419
39%
505
67%
560 ?(262 - 1204, n=92, last 2 years)
85%
Load
126
145
15%
109
-13%
134
6%
118
-6%
96.9 ?(39 - 215, n=73, last 2 years)
-23%

Verdict

Pros

+ updated case (modern, good haptic)
+ good cooling performance
+ still rather quiet at the same time
+ low price

Cons

- difficult maintenance
- strong throttling
- weak display especially in bright surroundings
- high DeltaE deviations even after calibration
- weak graphics performance
- two 4 GB RAM modules occupy the memory slots
- battery runtime a bit too short
HP Pavilion 15, courtesy of HP Germany.
HP Pavilion 15, courtesy of HP Germany.

Honestly, our expectations before the test were a bit higher. The HP Pavilion 15 is a low-priced device with a stylish design and a good build quality. However, the system not only feels slower, it really is slower. We had the pleasure of testing this Pavilion 15 (AMD Ryzen 5 2500U) at the same time as the Pavilion 14 (Intel i7-8550U). Sometimes we started the benchmarks simultaneously and while the Pavilion with the Intel CPU was long done with the benchmark, the AMD Pavilion was still in the middle of it. Of course the Ryzen 5 2500U CPU is not on the same level as an i7-8550U and is closer to an i5-8250U, but the difference was considerable. This is why we cannot agree with the PCMark 8 results that depict the Pavilion 15 as faster than the 14-inch HP Pavilion.

However, the cooling performance and the quiet fans are definite pros. Even under full load, there is no overheating and the temperatures remain pleasant.

HP could have pushed the Pavilion a bit more, factory-configuring it for a higher TDP or a longer turbo duration.

On the other hand, this would have been detrimental to the battery runtime, which is already one of the 15-inch device's weak points. The benchmarks showed very clearly that this laptop is absolutely not suitable for gaming. The onboard graphics solution is far too weak to display games free of stutters even on lowest details. Overall, the HP Pavilion 15 is an average working device in a stylish design that does its job, but it does not stand out from the crowd while doing so.

HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng - 09/30/2018 v6(old)
Daniel Puschina

Chassis
76 / 98 → 78%
Keyboard
70%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
46 / 81 → 57%
Weight
65 / 20-67 → 95%
Battery
77%
Display
80%
Games Performance
65 / 85 → 76%
Application Performance
76 / 92 → 82%
Temperature
95%
Noise
91 / 95 → 96%
Camera
50 / 85 → 59%
Average
73%
80%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Pavilion 15 (AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, Vega 8) Laptop Review
Daniel Puschina, 2018-10- 5 (Update: 2018-10- 5)