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HP Pavilion 15 (Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA MX130) Laptop Review

Core i5 Pavilion. After reviewing the AMD variant of the HP Pavilion 15, we now have the Intel Core i5 version with an NVIDIA GeForce MX130 GPU in for testing. The design remains the same and is finished to a high quality. Read on to find out what to expect from the Intel variant of the Pavilion 15 and how it compares against its AMD sibling.
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng

The HP Pavilion is a familiar device in our offices. We first reviewed the Pavilion 15-cs0053cl, with its Intel Core i5-8250U processor and integrated graphics, which was followed up a few months later with the 15-cw0003ng and its AMD Ryzen 5 2500U APU.

Now we have the 15-cs0003ng, which HP has equipped with a Core i5-8250U processor and an NVIDIA GeForce MX130 GPU. The device also has 8 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD.

We have chosen to compare our test device against not only its siblings but also other comparably equipped laptops. Our comparison devices will include the Acer TravelMate P2510-G2, the ASUS VivoBook 15 X542UF, the Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB and the Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6.

HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng (Pavilion 15-cs Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-8250U 4 x 1.6 - 3.4 GHz, Kaby Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX130 - 2048 MB VRAM
Memory
8 GB 
, Dual Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U + iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF, 256 GB 
, + 1 TB Seagate ST1000LM035-1RK172, 980 GB free
Soundcard
Conexant CX8400 @ Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combined headphone and microphone jack, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18 x 361 x 245 ( = 0.71 x 14.21 x 9.65 in)
Battery
41 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.9 MP, 720p, 1,280 x 720
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, HP Audio Switch; HP CoolSense; HP JumpStart; McAfee LiveSafe; Netflix, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.93 kg ( = 68.08 oz / 4.25 pounds), Power Supply: 340 g ( = 11.99 oz / 0.75 pounds)
Price
800 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

HP has designed the 15-cs0003ng with the same case as it used on the 15-cw0003ng. Please see our review of the 15-cw0003ng here for our full thoughts on the Pavilion 15’s case.

HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng

Size Comparison

382 mm / 15 inch 253 mm / 9.96 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 2.2 kg4.83 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 251 mm / 9.88 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs379.5 mm / 14.9 inch 254 mm / 10 inch 22.1 mm / 0.87 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs361 mm / 14.2 inch 245 mm / 9.65 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.9 kg4.25 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 244 mm / 9.61 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 1.9 kg4.12 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

HP has equipped the Pavilion 15 with a basic selection of ports that should be enough for most users. The inclusion of a USB Type-C port somewhat future proofs the Pavilion though. The device lacks a fingerprint sensor, which HP has been reserving for its Envy and Spectre ranges.

Left-hand side: HDMI, LAN, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Left-hand side: HDMI, LAN, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Right-hand side: SD card reader, cable lock, 2 x USB 3.1 Type-A port, power connector
Right-hand side: SD card reader, cable lock, 2 x USB 3.1 Type-A port, power connector

SD Card Reader

HP has equipped our test device with a below average SD card reader, but one which is on par with our comparison devices. The Pavilion 15 averaged around 35 MB/s with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC reference card, which is well below its potential maximum speeds. SD cards do not protrude from the edge of the case though, which is a bonus.

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 +178%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
39 MB/s +16%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.31 MB/s +8%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
34.3 MB/s +2%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
33.5 MB/s
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32.6 MB/s -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.7 MB/s -11%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
25.7 MB/s -23%
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 Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
38.56 MB/s +7%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36 MB/s 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36 MB/s
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
31.1 MB/s -14%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.1 MB/s -25%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.2 MB/s -33%

Communication

The cs0003ng supports Bluetooth 4.2 and all Wi-Fi standards up to IEEE 802.11 ac, which means that it can connect to 2.4 or 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks. Our test device averaged 277 Mbps in both iperf3 Client tests, which only puts it above its siblings in our comparison tables. In short, the Pavilion 15 has considerably slower Wi-Fi performance than our comparison devices, especially the TravelMate P2510.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (285 - 1094, n=5, last 2 years)
789 MBit/s +173%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
620 MBit/s +115%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
331 (290min - 376max) MBit/s +15%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
325 MBit/s +12%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
315 MBit/s +9%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
289 (232min - 343max) MBit/s
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
280 MBit/s -3%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
269 MBit/s -7%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +325%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
513 MBit/s +94%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
331 MBit/s +25%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
305 MBit/s +15%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
280 MBit/s +6%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
279 (140min - 285max) MBit/s +5%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
265 (239min - 288max) MBit/s
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
245 MBit/s -8%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340Tooltip
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø265 (239-288)
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø289 (232-343)

Accessories

HP includes only a 65-W charger in the box. The company does not sell any Pavilion 15 specific accessories either, but it does sell general laptop accessories such as keyboards, mice and speakers among others.

Maintenance

The Pavilion 15 does not have a maintenance cover, which would have made it easier to access the HDD, SSD and potentially the RAM. Accessing the internal components requires removing the bottom case, but we did not try doing so with our loaner for fear of damaging the case.

Warranty

The Pavilion 15 comes with 12 months manufacturer’s warranty. The device will also come with statutory warranties and those afforded by third-party sellers such as Amazon. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties article for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Our test device has the same keyboard and trackpad as its siblings. Please see our cw0003ng review for our views on the Pavilion 15’s input devices.

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The Pavilion 15 device has a 15.6-inch IPS screen that runs natively at 1,920x1,080. Our test device achieved an average maximum brightness of 237 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which puts it below the Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB in our comparison table. The display is 90% evenly lit though, which puts it on par with the best of our comparison devices.

HP also sells a variant of Pavilion 15 with a 1,366x768 display. Please see our Pavilion 15-cs0053cl review for our thoughts on the lower resolution display.

231
cd/m²
222
cd/m²
239
cd/m²
247
cd/m²
240
cd/m²
237
cd/m²
246
cd/m²
237
cd/m²
235
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 247 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 237.1 cd/m² Minimum: 13.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 209 cd/m²
Contrast: 571:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.43 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.26 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
54% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
35% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37.47% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
54.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
36.27% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.96
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
1920x1080, 15.60
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
BOE07C5 (NV156FHM-N42), , 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
BOE0700, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Chi Mei CMN15D3, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
BOE CQ NT156FHM-N41, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
10%
9%
17%
3%
Display P3 Coverage
36.27
40.21
11%
39.85
10%
42.27
17%
37.47
3%
sRGB Coverage
54.6
59.6
9%
58.8
8%
63.5
16%
56.4
3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
37.47
41.54
11%
41.17
10%
43.69
17%
38.71
3%
Response Times
-12%
-5%
-2%
21%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
45 ?(21, 24)
46 ?(22.4, 23.6)
-2%
44 ?(21, 23)
2%
40 ?(23, 17)
11%
41 ?(22, 19)
9%
Response Time Black / White *
28 ?(16, 12)
34 ?(15.2, 18.8)
-21%
31 ?(17, 14)
-11%
32 ?(13, 10)
-14%
19 ?(14, 5)
32%
PWM Frequency
60 ?(100)
86000 ?(90)
25000 ?(10)
7000 ?(90)
Screen
35%
11%
39%
14%
Brightness middle
240
280
17%
283
18%
259
8%
230
-4%
Brightness
237
267
13%
252
6%
230
-3%
221
-7%
Brightness Distribution
90
85
-6%
75
-17%
82
-9%
91
1%
Black Level *
0.42
0.2
52%
0.63
-50%
0.19
55%
0.45
-7%
Contrast
571
1400
145%
449
-21%
1363
139%
511
-11%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
7.43
5
33%
4.02
46%
3.13
58%
3.6
52%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
12.42
7.9
36%
8.77
29%
7.81
37%
5.59
55%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.26
3.7
41%
0.8
87%
1.42
77%
3.13
50%
Gamma
2.96 74%
2.08 106%
2.35 94%
2.36 93%
2.45 90%
CCT
6661 98%
7309 89%
6552 99%
6391 102%
7244 90%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
35
38.09
9%
38
9%
40
14%
36
3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
54
59.26
10%
58
7%
63
17%
56
4%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.6
4.03
3.09
Total Average (Program / Settings)
11% / 24%
5% / 9%
18% / 29%
13% / 12%

* ... smaller is better

54% sRGB colour space coverage
54% sRGB colour space coverage
35% AdobeRGB colour space coverage
35% AdobeRGB colour space coverage

Our test device has a comparatively high 0.42 cd/m² black level, which yields a disappointing 571:1 contrast ratio. By comparison, the Mi Notebook 15.6 and the TravelMate P2510 have considerably higher contrast ratios than the Pavilion 15, so colours will look punchier and more vibrant on those two comparison devices than our test device.

Moreover, the 15-cs0003ng achieved lower colour space coverages than our comparison devices. No device is colour accurate enough for even semi-professional image or video editing though. Colours look balanced on our test device, but it has comparatively high DeltaE deviations too. We managed to improve our test device’s colour accuracy by calibrating the display, the ICC profile for which we have included in the box above our comparison table.

CalMAN: Colour Accuracy
CalMAN: Colour Accuracy
CalMAN: Colour Saturation
CalMAN: Colour Saturation
CalMAN: Greyscale
CalMAN: Greyscale

The 15-cs0003ng is tricky to use outdoors because of its dim display. We can read the display when using our test device outside on cloudy days, but the screen is quickly overwhelmed by reflections when there is any sunshine.

Using the HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng outdoors
Using the HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng outdoors
Using the HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng outdoors
Using the HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng outdoors

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 12 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. » 67 % 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
45 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 24 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. » 73 % 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.

Our test device has stable viewing angles though thanks to its IPS display. We noticed no brightness, colour or image distortions even at acute viewing angles, so the 15-cs0003ng should be readable from almost any angle in daily use.

Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles

Performance

The 15-cs0003ng is equipped with an Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8 GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce MX130 GPU, a 256 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD. The combination of hardware makes the device powerful enough for general office tasks and demanding 3D applications. The laptop can even play older games smoothly at medium graphics should you like to unwind with some light gaming.

CPUZ
CPUZ
CPUZ
CPUZ
CPUZ
CPUZ
CPUZ
CPUZ
GPUZ
GPUZ
HWiNFO
HWiNFO
LatencyMon
LatencyMon
 

Processor

The Core i5-8250U processor is one which we have covered in numerous laptop reviews. The quad-core processor is from Intel’s 8th generation Core series and has a 1.6 GHz base clock speed that can increase to 3.4 GHz when required by utilising Intel Turbo Boost technology. OEMs set the Turbo Boost time according to the effectiveness of a device’s cooling system. We subjected our test device to a looped Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark to determine how well it manages its CPU performance under load. The 15-cs0003ng manages its performance well and maintains around 95% of its peak performance throughout the looped benchmark. The CB15 score drops by approximately 5% after the first benchmark pass through, but the scores remain consistent for the remaining 29 benchmark loops.

The Core i5-8250U is initially well beaten in the CB R15 multi-core benchmark by the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U powering the Pavilion 15-cw0003ng. However, the Ryzen 5 2500U thermal throttles so heavily that by the third benchmark loop the CB R15 scores have dropped around 10% behind our test device.

The 15-cs0003ng does not get the most from its processor though, as demonstrated by our CB R15 graph. The ASUS VivoBook 15 X542UF and the Mi Notebook 15.6 outscore the 15-cs0003ng by 10% and 20% respectively. Both devices thermal throttle harder than our test device does, but they still maintain significantly higher CB R15 scores in our looped benchmark, which underlines the effectiveness of their cooling systems.

04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680720Tooltip
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø484 (479.58-505.2)
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø431 (417.88-605.96)
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø500 (432.57-532.94)
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D) Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø625 (620.97-665.25)
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø691 (675.34-730.25)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=96, last 2 years)
249 Points +73%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
146 Points +1%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Intel Core i5-8250U
142 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
Intel Core i5-8250U
142 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (81 - 147, n=97)
141.1 Points -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel Core i5-8250U
140 Points -3%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
124 Points -14%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=103, last 2 years)
2280 Points +351%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
730 Points +45%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
Intel Core i5-8250U
665 Points +32%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
606 (417.88min - 605.96max) Points +20%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel Core i5-8250U
579 Points +15%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (320 - 730, n=101)
570 Points +13%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
Intel Core i5-8250U
533 (432.57min - 532.94max) Points +6%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
505 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel Core i5-8250U
488 Points -3%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
144 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
505 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
78.8 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

The 15-cs0003ng scores well in system performance benchmarks such as PCMark 8 and 10 too. Our test device generally keeps pace with our Core i5-8250U powered comparison devices and performed well in both versions of PCMark thanks to its NVIDIA GeForce MX130 GPU. The 15-cs0003ng outscores its Ryzen 5 2500U powered sibling too, although the difference is not as clear cut as it is in Cinebench. 

Please see our CPU benchmark page for more information about the Core i5-8250U and how it performs in other laptops.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (4039 - 8670, n=82, last 2 years)
6552 Points +93%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
3609 Points +6%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3418 Points 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
3402 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (3175 - 3418, n=4)
3316 Points -3%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
3250 Points -4%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
GeForce MX110, i5-8250U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
3194 Points -6%
Essentials
Average of class Multimedia
  (8480 - 12420, n=82, last 2 years)
10417 Points +47%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
8110 Points +14%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (7110 - 7589, n=4)
7312 Points +3%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
7140 Points 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
7110 Points
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
GeForce MX110, i5-8250U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
6926 Points -3%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
6191 Points -13%
Productivity
Average of class Multimedia
  (5462 - 11186, n=82, last 2 years)
8685 Points +73%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
5777 Points +15%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
5499 Points +10%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
5479 Points +9%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
5014 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (4474 - 5499, n=4)
4991 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
GeForce MX110, i5-8250U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
4581 Points -9%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Multimedia
  (3861 - 13548, n=82, last 2 years)
8566 Points +186%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
3000 Points
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
2808 Points -6%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
GeForce MX110, i5-8250U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
2790 Points -7%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
2748 Points -8%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (2560 - 3000, n=4)
2734 Points -9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
2723 Points -9%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +39%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3695 Points +1%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
3675 Points +1%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
3647 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
3621 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (3207 - 3903, n=5)
3583 Points -2%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
3461 Points -5%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3404 Points -7%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
GeForce MX110, i5-8250U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
3153 Points -14%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points +11%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
4783 Points 0%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
4779 Points 0%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (4762 - 4779, n=4)
4771 Points 0%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4769 Points 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
4762 Points
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
4654 Points -2%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
GeForce MX110, i5-8250U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
4544 Points -5%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
4467 Points -6%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3647 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4762 points
PCMark 10 Score
3402 points
Help

Storage Devices

The 15-cs0003ng achieves only average transfer speeds in CrystalDiskMark and AS SSD benchmarks. The SK Hynix SSD is noticeably slower than the drive in the Lenovo IdeaPad 330s-15IKB, but it is on par with those in our other comparison devices. Our test device feels snappy in daily use though. We did not encounter any prolonged loading times or stuttering during our tests.

Please see our HDD/SSD benchmark page for more information on other drives.

HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
 
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Average SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-2%
3%
-13%
3%
-0%
Write 4K
66.9
77.3
16%
71.8
7%
94.9
42%
71.3 ?(66.9 - 74.7, n=3)
7%
Read 4K
30.33
29.77
-2%
21.23
-30%
27.3
-10%
25.3 ?(14.9 - 30.8, n=3)
-17%
Write Seq
447.6
442.5
-1%
158.1
-65%
257.1
-43%
410.4
-8%
473 ?(448 - 502, n=3)
6%
Read Seq
534
442.7
-17%
892
67%
476.3
-11%
464
-13%
517 ?(499 - 534, n=3)
-3%
Write 4K Q32T1
197.5
173.8
-12%
162.2
-18%
202.6
3%
246.5
25%
209 ?(197.5 - 214, n=3)
6%
Read 4K Q32T1
234.5
233.6
0%
320.4
37%
282
20%
246.4
5%
234 ?(226 - 241, n=3)
0%
Write Seq Q32T1
495.6
510
3%
160.2
-68%
265.6
-46%
451.4
-9%
494 ?(482 - 505, n=3)
0%
Read Seq Q32T1
559
530
-5%
933
67%
559
0%
532
-5%
552 ?(537 - 560, n=3)
-1%
AS SSD
-2%
-193%
-30%
-2%
-3%
Seq Read
522
489
-6%
95.9
-82%
487.3
-7%
493.7
-5%
499 ?(476 - 522, n=3)
-4%
Seq Write
476.1
458
-4%
78.9
-83%
250.6
-47%
420.1
-12%
474 ?(458 - 487, n=3)
0%
4K Read
30.14
30.24
0%
2.25
-93%
27.61
-8%
25.01
-17%
28.6 ?(25.1 - 30.6, n=3)
-5%
4K Write
64.3
81.6
27%
54.9
-15%
72.1
12%
78.2
22%
60.7 ?(51.7 - 66.1, n=3)
-6%
4K-64 Read
319.2
271.8
-15%
43.28
-86%
375.9
18%
236.4
-26%
298 ?(221 - 353, n=3)
-7%
4K-64 Write
239.8
163
-32%
116.6
-51%
202.1
-16%
277.8
16%
233 ?(195.6 - 263, n=3)
-3%
Access Time Read *
0.131
0.092
30%
2.127
-1524%
0.08
39%
0.104
21%
0.1193 ?(0.092 - 0.135, n=3)
9%
Access Time Write *
0.056
0.044
21%
0.045
20%
0.233
-316%
0.058
-4%
0.06033 ?(0.055 - 0.07, n=3)
-8%
Score Read
402
351
-13%
55
-86%
452
12%
311
-23%
376 ?(296 - 431, n=3)
-6%
Score Write
352
290
-18%
179
-49%
299
-15%
398
13%
341 ?(293 - 378, n=3)
-3%
Score Total
967
830
-14%
262
-73%
980
1%
873
-10%
918 ?(747 - 1040, n=3)
-5%
Copy ISO MB/s
253
287.4
514
Copy Program MB/s
108.8
155.4
259
Copy Game MB/s
154.4
245.8
521
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-2% / -2%
-95% / -124%
-22% / -22%
1% / 0%
-2% / -2%

* ... smaller is better

SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
Sequential Read: 509 MB/s
Sequential Write: 485.6 MB/s
512K Read: 367.6 MB/s
512K Write: 374.8 MB/s
4K Read: 27.34 MB/s
4K Write: 57.4 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 216.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 195.7 MB/s

Graphics Card

Intel UHD Graphics 620 and NVIDIA GeForce MX130 handle graphics on the 15-cs0003ng. While the former is integrated in the Core i5-8250U and is only suitable for graphically undemanding programs, the latter has 2 GB of dedicated VRAM, which allows it to handle more GPU heavy programs. This allows even more demanding 3D applications run as well as older games on medium levels of graphics smoothly.

It is worth keeping in mind that NVIDIA sells two versions of the GeForce MX130. The more powerful model is the one with 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, which is comparable to the GeForce 940MX. HP has equipped the 15-cs0003ng with the 2 GB version though, but many OEMs have done the same. Our test device achieves comparable 3DMark results to those of other GeForce MX130 equipped laptops that we have already tested.

Please see our GPU benchmarks page for more information on the GeForce MX130 and other GPUs.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=87, last 2 years)
18296 Points +532%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2895 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (2476 - 3203, n=14)
2872 Points -1%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2786 Points -4%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2734 Points -6%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2381 Points -18%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
NVIDIA GeForce MX110, Intel Core i5-8250U
2140 Points -26%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1805 Points -38%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1666 Points -42%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 150699, n=61, last 2 years)
57744 Points +324%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (12166 - 14880, n=13)
13617 Points 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
13610 Points
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
13246 Points -3%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
12166 Points -11%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
NVIDIA GeForce MX110, Intel Core i5-8250U
11314 Points -17%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
11226 Points -18%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
10069 Points -26%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
8567 Points -37%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=87, last 2 years)
13540 Points +477%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (2149 - 2495, n=13)
2350 Points 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2347 Points
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2311 Points -2%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2291 Points -2%
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
NVIDIA GeForce MX110, Intel Core i5-8250U
1722 Points -27%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1715 Points -27%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
557 Points -76%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (622 - 17620, n=87, last 2 years)
5121 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (623 - 686, n=4)
650 Points
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
623 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
3194 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
11187 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2212 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The GeForce MX130 is powerful enough for some light gaming. The 15-cs003ng comfortably handles games such as "BioShock Infinite", "F1 2018" and "Thief "at 1,366x768 on low graphics, but framerates will drop severely if you increase the resolution to 1080p. Older games such as "BioShock Infinite" will remain playable at up to high graphics at 1,366x768 though.

Please see our GPU games benchmark page for more information about the GeForce MX130 and other GPUs.

BioShock Infinite
1366x768 Medium Preset
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
75.3 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (57.3 - 84.5, n=10)
72.9 fps -3%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
70.3 fps -7%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
34.2 fps -55%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
18.3 fps -76%
1366x768 High Preset
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
64.8 (23.7min) fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (48 - 69, n=10)
61.7 fps -5%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
60.6 fps -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
29.9 fps -54%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
15.7 fps -76%
Thief
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
32.2 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
 
32.2 fps 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
15.1 fps -53%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
37.1 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
 
37.1 fps 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
15.2 fps -59%
F1 2018
1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:8x
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
20 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
 
20 fps 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
12 fps -40%
1920x1080 Medium Preset AF:4x
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
Intel Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
26 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
 
26 fps 0%
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
16 fps -38%
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 135 75.3 64.8 23.7
Thief (2014) 58.1 37.1 32.2 15.5
F1 2018 (2018) 48 26 20

Emissions

Fan Noise

Fan noise spectrum
Fan noise spectrum

The 15-cs0003ng operates quietly at idle. Our test device is never silent though because its HDD spins at around 32 dB(A). Removing the drive would make the device run even quieter. Predictably, the fan gets louder under sustained load, but it starts emitting an uncomfortable whirring sound when the device is pushed hard. The fan noise is particularly intrusive in quiet rooms, so we would advise operating with caution if you to perform computationally intensive tasks in noise-sensitive environments.

Noise Level

Idle
30.6 / 30.6 / 32.1 dB(A)
HDD
32 dB(A)
Load
43.2 / 43.4 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: 30.6 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.4353331.835.42531.933.133.130.731.93135.83533.732.935.84030.832.62930.230.85031.132.330.23031.16327.828.528.427.827.8803031.428.227.4301002828.72926.52812525.526.225.825.825.51602525.324.525.32520023.323.422.922.723.325022.523.622.122.722.531524.925.721.72224.940024.124.921.92124.15002424.720.520.12463027.227.419.419.827.280027.527.420.418.927.5100029.230.121.218.329.2125029.930.720.41829.9160030.430.221.518.130.4200032.432.720.217.932.4250034.734.919.818.134.7315036.836.819.418.136.8400029.930.119.218.329.9500028.929.319.118.428.963003029.918.918.630800024.424.718.818.824.41000022.422.218.818.822.41250021.62118.818.621.61600020.420.118.818.720.4SPL43.343.432.130.943.3N3.83.91.51.33.8median 27.2median 27.4median 20.4median 18.8median 27.2Delta33.11.91.9335.23330.530.735.23732.432.533.837403331.534.54033.930.730.829.833.937.436.335.329.337.428.627.429.126.328.62726.727.326.92726.826.624.925.926.826.725.424.324.626.726.325.823.124.126.325.725.122.222.725.726.825.822.121.326.829.62822.520.529.628.327.220.820.828.326.725.619.919.326.725.224.919.218.425.225.624.818.91825.627.626.419.117.327.626.625.918.817.126.62928.119.217.22928.327.318.917.228.32927.919.517.12927.626.417.917.327.628.126.617.817.528.12624.517.917.62623.622.717.817.823.620.6201817.820.619.218.918.117.719.218.318.31817.618.318.618.51817.818.6393830.9303932.71.31.23median 26.7median 25.8median 19.1median 17.8median 26.72.62.62.11.72.6hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHP Pavilion 15-cs0003ngAsus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T

Temperature

The 15-cs0003ng operates coolly at idle, with surface temperatures only reaching a maximum of 24.6 °C (~76 °F). The palm rest stays below 30 °C (~86 °F) under sustained load too, which ensures comfortable use even when the device is being pushed hard. However, surface temperatures reach 49 °C (~120 °F) on the underside of the device, which will feel hot if you are using it on your lap while gaming, for example. Hence, we would recommend placing the device on a table if you are stressing the system.

We also subjected the 15-cs0003ng to a stress test to determine whether the system thermal throttles. CPU core temperatures briefly exceed 60 °C  (~140 °F) during a combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test, but the CPU then downclocks to 1.9-2.0 GHz to cool itself. The core clock throttling helps cores temperatures drop to around 55 °C (~131 °F). Hence, the CPU only operates at its maximum potential for the first 15-30 seconds of our hour-long stress test. This behaviour is less dramatic than it seems at first glance though since it only occurs when the CPU and GPU are both stressed simultaneously. By contrast, our test device maintained almost peak performance during our Cinebench R15 multi-core looped benchmark.

We have included screenshots below of our FurMark and Prime95 stress tests to give you a greater overview of clock speeds and core temperatures. Please keep in mind that up until 8 minutes in only Prime95 is stressing the CPU. The CPU briefly operates at 3.4 GHz, before quickly dropping to 1.95 GHz. After 8 minutes we started running FurMark, which caused the GPU core temperatures to reach 82 °C (~180 °F). The dGPU consistently maintained a 1,050 MHz clock speed throughout our stress tests.

Temperatures and clock speeds during a combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test
Temperatures and clock speeds during a combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test
Max. Load
 40.4 °C
105 F
48 °C
118 F
36.6 °C
98 F
 
 38.6 °C
101 F
44.1 °C
111 F
30.4 °C
87 F
 
 28.2 °C
83 F
27 °C
81 F
27.5 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 48 °C = 118 F
Average: 35.4 °C = 96 F
37.6 °C
100 F
49 °C
120 F
39 °C
102 F
29.2 °C
85 F
40.7 °C
105 F
37.5 °C
100 F
27 °C
81 F
27.4 °C
81 F
274 °C
525 F
Maximum: 49 °C = 120 F
Average: 35 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  49.1 °C = 120 F | Room Temperature 23.1 °C = 74 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.4 °C / 96 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 48 °C / 118 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 49 °C / 120 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.7 °C / 75 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 28.2 °C / 82.8 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 (+0.6 °C / 1 F).
Heatmap of the top of the device at idle
Heatmap of the top of the device at idle
Heatmap of the bottom of the device at idle
Heatmap of the bottom of the device at idle
Heatmap of the top of the device under load
Heatmap of the top of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker characteristics
Pink Noise speaker characteristics

The Pavilion 15 has surprisingly decent speakers. The sound produced is balanced and can get comparatively loud. The sound spectrum is relatively even too, which make the speakers good enough for listening to music or watching videos for prolonged periods. You could connect external speakers or headphones via Bluetooth or the headphone jack if you prefer.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.631.831.62532.130.732.13130.832.930.84030.330.230.35030.33030.36329.827.829.8802827.42810027.326.527.312525.925.825.916029.925.329.920035.822.735.825046.422.746.431557225740067.72167.750067.320.167.363067.619.867.68006118.961100066.818.366.8125068.11868.1160067.118.167.1200068.417.968.4250067.618.167.631507118.171400070.318.370.3500069.318.469.3630067.318.667.3800063.318.863.31000065.418.865.41250065.418.665.41600059.918.759.9SPL8030.980N45.31.345.3median 66.8median 18.8median 66.8Delta8.71.98.735.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Pavilion 15-cs0003ngApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (71 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 67% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 51% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 41% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

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

Power Management

Power Consumption

The 15-cs0003ng is a comparatively energy efficient laptop. Our test device consumes a minimum of 3.3 W at idle, which is on par with the best of our comparison devices, and a maximum of 67 W under load. The device averages 56 W under load too, which may initially look alarming. However, the 15-cs0003ng has a more powerful GPU than most of our comparison devices and is on par with the VivoBook 15 X542UF, which also has a GeForce MX130 GPU.

HP includes a 65-W charger, which will be overwhelmed by the 15-cs0003ng when the system is pushed hard. This should not be a problem in daily use, but it is something worth keeping in mind if you are looking for a device on which you can also do some light gaming.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.3 / 6.1 / 8.3 Watt
Load midlight 56 / 67 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-cs0003ng
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
R5 2500U, Vega 8, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
i5-8250U, GeForce MX110, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ, LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, , IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba MQ04ABF100, TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
 
Average of class Multimedia
 
Power Consumption
1%
-15%
4%
5%
-7%
3%
-11%
-81%
Idle Minimum *
3.3
4.5
-36%
5.6
-70%
5
-52%
3.3
-0%
4.75
-44%
5.6
-70%
4.54 ?(3.12 - 7.5, n=13)
-38%
7.28 ?(2.2 - 34.6, n=93, last 2 years)
-121%
Idle Average *
6.1
7.3
-20%
8.6
-41%
7.6
-25%
5.6
8%
6.9
-13%
7.1
-16%
6.98 ?(5.3 - 9.7, n=13)
-14%
11.8 ?(4.6 - 43, n=93, last 2 years)
-93%
Idle Maximum *
8.3
9.4
-13%
8.7
-5%
8.6
-4%
7.8
6%
7
16%
7.9
5%
9.08 ?(7 - 13, n=13)
-9%
14.6 ?(5.6 - 44.9, n=93, last 2 years)
-76%
Load Average *
56
34
39%
39.9
29%
25.6
54%
54
4%
53
5%
32.8
41%
54.1 ?(34 - 74.3, n=13)
3%
77.3 ?(14.3 - 147, n=92, last 2 years)
-38%
Load Maximum *
67
41.9
37%
59.9
11%
34
49%
63
6%
65.3
3%
30.5
54%
66.4 ?(40.5 - 106.6, n=13)
1%
119.3 ?(44 - 247, n=92, last 2 years)
-78%
Witcher 3 ultra *
33.2

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The 15-cs0003ng has a 41 Wh battery, which has poor runtimes. Our test device lasted just 4:44 hours in our practical Wi-Fi test, during which we set the screen to approximately 150 cd/m² and run a script that simulates the load required to render websites. This runtime puts the 15-cs0003ng bottom of our comparison table and 11 minutes behind the Ryzen 5 2500U equipped Pavilion 15. In short, our test device has worse battery life than all our comparison devices and has around 4% shorter runtimes than the 15-cw0003ng. Likewise, the 15-cs0003ng also has 35% worse battery life than the 15-cs0053cl.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
8h 13min
WiFi Websurfing
4h 44min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 01min
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, 41 Wh
HP Pavilion 15-cw0003ng
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 41 Wh
Xiaomi Mi Notebook 15.6 (E58514D1D)
i5-8250U, GeForce MX110, 40 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad 330S-15IKB-81F500N5GE
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 52 Wh
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, 48 Wh
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, 38 Wh
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 41 Wh
Average of class Multimedia
 
Battery Runtime
4%
22%
23%
38%
43%
35%
55%
Reader / Idle
493
504
2%
613
24%
754
53%
722
46%
933 ?(506 - 1571, n=25, last 2 years)
89%
WiFi v1.3
284
302
6%
340
20%
350
23%
505
78%
407
43%
419
48%
560 ?(262 - 1204, n=92, last 2 years)
97%
Load
121
126
4%
113
-7%
118
-2%
134
11%
96.9 ?(39 - 215, n=73, last 2 years)
-20%

Verdict

Pros

+ cheap
+ attractive design
+ robust case
+ good system performance

Cons

- high power consumption
- short battery life
- unpleasant fan noise under load
The HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng laptop review. Test device courtesy of HP Germany.
The HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng laptop review. Test device courtesy of HP Germany.

The HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng has a modern design and an almost bezel-less display. Moreover, the Intel Core i5-8250U processor and NVIDIA GeForce MX130 GPU is a powerful combination that will breeze through general office tasks and even some games at the right graphics settings.

The HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng is a well-rounded 15.6-inch laptop that has a great design and enough power for most tasks. However, it has comparatively short battery life and a noisy fan under load, which may put off some potential buyers.

Unfortunately, the NVIDIA GPU has a significant impact on battery life, with the practically identically equipped Pavilion 15-cs0053cl achieving twice as long runtimes in our tests as the 15-cs0003ng. Disabling the NVIDIA GPU in Device Manager would help improve battery life though. Overall, the Pavilion 15-cs0003ng is a great 15.6-inch laptop that falls short of the competition in a few areas.

HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng - 01/10/2019 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
76 / 98 → 78%
Keyboard
72%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
43 / 81 → 53%
Weight
64 / 20-67 → 93%
Battery
80%
Display
81%
Games Performance
70 / 85 → 83%
Application Performance
87 / 92 → 95%
Temperature
79%
Noise
84 / 95 → 88%
Audio
64%
Camera
50 / 85 → 59%
Average
72%
80%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Pavilion 15 (Core i5-8250U, NVIDIA MX130) Laptop Review
Mike Wobker, 2019-01-11 (Update: 2019-02-23)