HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng Notebook Review

For the original German review, see here.
After introducing HP's Pavilion 17, the first laptop based on AMD's new Carrizo platform, a few weeks ago, we would like to dedicate this article to the smaller, 15.6-inch sister model. For a competitive price of just 500 Euros (~$568), the buyer gets an A10-8700P quad-core APU, 8 GB of RAM and a dedicated Radeon R7-M360 graphics card (in Crossfire array with the processor-integrated Radeon R8 M365DX), among other things. Furthermore, the manufacturer is not frugal and shows off with hardware such as a 1000 GB SSHD, Wi-Fi in ac standard and a Full HD screen that are normally found in much higher price range devices.
Competing multimedia laptops with comparable configurations, such as Acer's Aspire E5-571G, are usually at least 100 Euros (~$114) more expensive, or lack many of the features mentioned. But of course an attractive price is not enough - let us find out how HP's option fares in routine use against the mostly Intel-based competition.
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Case
Our review sample is based on the exact same casing as the recently tested Intel counterpart, Pavilion 15-ab022ng. Considering its price, the laptop looks impressive, and the silver color that gradually turns to a darker charcoal gray towards the back imitates a high quality aluminum chassis. Although it is actually only simple plastic, our quality verdict is mostly positive. The base unit in particular, proves to be exceptionally robust, and barely exhibits visible or audible deformations even under forceful, pinpoint pressure. This is all the more impressive since the casing is relatively slim with a height of 2.5 centimeters (~1 in) and weighs only 2.2 kilograms (~4.9 lb).
The lid does not do as good a job, and in our opinion could use one or two additional crossbars. The display yields several millimeters when pressing a hand gently against the lower bezel or on HP's logo on the back. This leads to temporary image distortions. The tightly pulled hinges make it necessary to use both hands for opening the device. However, the lid does not wobble excessively even under strong vibrations.
Apart from a few not quite perfectly spaced gaps between the casing's upper and lower trays, the Pavilion scores with decent build quality and can definitely compete with equally priced rivals. No more can be expected for 500 Euros (~$568).
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Connectivity
Unfortunately, only two of the three installed USB ports support the modern USB 3.0 standard. However, that should not be a limitation in everyday use. The obsolete Fast Ethernet port (100 Mbit/s) is even more annoying since it is hardly suitable for high-speed data sharing in the age of terabyte hard drives. External monitors can only be connected to the Pavilion 15 via HDMI 1.4a, restricting 4K monitors to a frame rate of 30 Hz (Full HD: 60 Hz).
Apart from some details (hard to access SD card reader, HDMI port too close to the front), the positioning of the individual interfaces seems well considered and ergonomic. The DVD burner on the left makes the layout more suitable for right-handed users.
Communication
HP has reinvested the money saved on the Ethernet adapter in the Wi-Fi module. The Pavilion 15 is one of the few devices in this price range that supports all-important wireless standards in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz band (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth 4.0). Although Intel's Dual-Band Wireless-AC 3160 is limited to single-stream transmissions (1x1, max. 433 Mbit/s), the gross speed of approximately 30 MB/s that we ascertained under ideal conditions is impressive. The range and connection stability in conjunction with the TP-Link Archer C7 router also made a good impression.
Accessories
As often is the case, the included accessories are limited to the suitable power supply and quick start guide. No other items, such as driver DVDs, are in the box. However, that is not really a problem since our installation of Windows 10 Pro - only FreeDOS was preloaded ex-factory - identified almost all components without any problem. Missing drivers and BIOS updates can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website.
Maintenance
The buyer will not find a maintenance hatch on the Pavilion 15. Instead, it will be necessary to release all screws on the underside (some hidden under the stoppers and covers) before carefully levering off the casing's halves with a credit card. We would recommend that only savvy users do this. Potential upgrade options inside include replacing the Wi-Fi module and 2.5-inch hard drive, among other things. Furthermore, one of the two memory banks is empty.
Warranty
The purchase price includes a one-year manufacturer's warranty, which can be extended via Care Packs for a surcharge. An upgrade to a total of 3 years pick-up and return service (U4819E) costs approximately 100 Euros (~$114).
Input Devices
Keyboard
TThe Pavilion has the same keyboard unit as its 17-inch sister model, and thus we would refer to our review. The lateral bezel of the chiclet keyboard is slightly narrower due to the smaller casing, but this does not have a negative effect on the stability. The chassis hardly yields even when typing energetically on it. A well-defined typing feel evolves despite the relatively soft stroke with a short drop. We would also like to highlight the impeccable response of all keys and the low (but in some places rather rattling) noise.
Touchpad
Regrettably, the touchpad from Synaptics can only conditionally confirm the keyboard's overall successful performance. Although the 11.0 x 6.5 centimeter (~4.3 x 2.6 in) pad scores with good gliding traits, high accuracy and pleasantly responding multi-touch gestures, the integrated mouse keys proved to be a total failure. Their stiffness, noise and lack of clearly defined pressure point make productive work difficult. The wish for an external mouse arises soon.
Display
Bright, high-contrast and viewing angle stable – in our tests, the Full HD screen in the Pavilion 17 surprised us with its above average qualities. Can the screen of the 15-inch model, with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, keep up with that? Unfortunately, not: Apart from the decent pixel density of 141 PPI, the installed TN panel disappoints in almost every aspect. Although the LED backlight manages without potentially flickering PWM control, and achieves a homogeneous illumination, the maximum brightness is limited to a poor 200 cd/m². This might be sufficient indoors most of the time, but higher brightness reserves will often be needed in bright offices or near windows.
|
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 202 cd/m²
Contrast: 306:1 (Black: 0.66 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.72 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 9.22 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
66.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
46.21% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
44.72% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.17
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng 1.920 x 1.080 TN-Panel | Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X 1.920 x 1.080 TN-Panel | Acer Aspire E5-571G-536E 1.920 x 1.080 TN-Panel | Asus F555LJ-XX110H 1.366 x 768 TN-Panel | Dell Vostro 3558 1.366 x 768 TN-Panel | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 23% | -1% | -10% | ||
Display P3 Coverage | 44.72 | 55.9 25% | 44.34 -1% | 40.25 -10% | |
sRGB Coverage | 67.3 | 80.7 20% | 66.1 -2% | 60.6 -10% | |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 46.21 | 57.8 25% | 45.95 -1% | 41.59 -10% | |
Screen | -2% | -20% | 33% | -11% | |
Brightness middle | 202 | 223 10% | 212 5% | 245 21% | 267 32% |
Brightness | 200 | 226 13% | 217 9% | 236 18% | 253 27% |
Brightness Distribution | 86 | 91 6% | 91 6% | 86 0% | 91 6% |
Black Level * | 0.66 | 0.77 -17% | 1.1 -67% | 0.31 53% | 0.78 -18% |
Contrast | 306 | 290 -5% | 193 -37% | 790 158% | 342 12% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 8.72 | 10.13 -16% | 12.4 -42% | 6.6 24% | 14.62 -68% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 9.22 | 11.68 -27% | 13.94 -51% | 6.96 25% | 16.03 -74% |
Gamma | 2.17 101% | 2.92 75% | 3.08 71% | 2.35 94% | 2.36 93% |
CCT | 10298 63% | 12592 52% | 17672 37% | 8450 77% | 23192 28% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 42.4 | 52 23% | 49.2 16% | 43 1% | 39 -8% |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 66.8 | 66 -1% | 61 -9% | ||
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 24.75 | ||||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 11% /
5% | -20% /
-20% | 16% /
25% | -11% /
-11% |
* ... smaller is better
The screen meets only the minimum requirements in color reproduction: A coverage of 42.4% in AdobeRGB and 66.8% in sRGB are insufficient even for hobby photographers. The same is true for the high DeltaE shifts of approximately 9.0 in both colors and grayscale levels. However, we would like to emphasize that comparably priced rivals do not do much better - laptops with higher-quality IPS screens rarely start below 700 Euros (~$795) depending on the configuration. At least calibration improves the reproduction significantly and reduces the distinct bluish tint.
Despite its anti-reflective surface, the Pavilion 15 can only be used conditionally outdoors. As expected, the weak backlight does not have a chance in direct sunlight, and forces the user to look for the shadiest place possible. Asus' F555LJ and Dell's Vostro 3558 fare better here: both achieve approximately 250 cd/m², but they also have the coarse WXGA resolution of 1366x768 pixels.
Outdoors
Our review sample presents us with the typical drawbacks of a low-cost TN panel in slanted viewing angles. The screen's contrast decreases and colors distort when moving the head up or down by only a few centimeters. These image distortions are more intense if viewing the screen from vertical angles.
Performance
AMD's A10-8700P is the second-fastest offspring of the Cazrizo series introduced in June. Depending on the load, temperature and TDP setting (can be configured from 12 to 35 watts), the four cores clock at 1.8 to 3.2 GHz, making it slightly slower than the FX-8800P top-model (2.1 to 3.4 GHz). We have compiled further details, benchmarks and consumption measurements concerning the A10-8700P and Carrizo in general in a dedicated article.
In addition to the processor-integrated Radeon R6 (384 Shaders @ 720 MHz), the Pavilion is equipped with a dedicated Radeon R7 M360 (384 Shaders @ 1125 MHz, 2 GB DDR3 @ 900 MHz, 64-bit interface). Unlike Intel-based systems, both GPUs not only operate in the either-or approach, but also can be interconnected in a Crossfire array, and are used together for calculating images. AMD calls this dual-GPU solution Radeon R8 M365DX.
The working memory has a decisive influence on the resulting performance, especially for integrated graphic chips; only faster dual-channel RAMs can more or less satisfy the bandwidth requirements of modern GPUs. This principle, however, has apparently not reached all manufacturers since HP has installed only one 8 GB module in our current review sample. Thanks to the replacement memory from AMD, we could perform the following benchmarks with the ideal configuration of 2x 4 GB DDR3L-1600. Buyers of a Pavilion 15 or 17 should take note if their RAM configurations.
Processor
Although AMD defines a configurable TDP frame of 12 to 35 watts, most laptop manufacturers limit the power dissipation to approximately 15 watts. The reason for that is: Many devices are offered with Intel processors, which also have a TDP of 15 watts in the case of ULV chips. Thus, the power supply, cooling system and other components can be directly adopted from the respective sister model based on a different CPU platform.
The Pavilion can only partially utilize the potential clock headroom of the A10-8700P due to this dissipation limit. Instead of the maximum possible 3.2 GHz, we observed around 2.9 GHz in single thread applications, and even 2.3 GHz were achieved when all four cores were fully loaded (battery and AC mode). Therefore, the Carrizo APU reaches the level of a Core i3 from the Broadwell generation in the ideal case, but can also occasionally fall behind by 20 to 25% in poorly parallelized software.
Storage Device
The limited budget was not enough for an SSD in this case. Nevertheless, HP has found a good compromise of costs, storage capacity and speed with a 1000 GB SSHD from Seagate. Thanks to the additional 8 GB of flash memory - fully automated and invisible to the user - frequently used files are cached and loading Windows and smaller programs (e.g. the browser) are hardly slower than with a full-fledged SSD.
Standard benchmarks, such as HD Tune, reflect this advantage, which evolves after a certain period of usage only very insufficiently. The tool records an average transfer rate of 89.7 MB/s and access time of 18.7 milliseconds in sequential read - other 5400 rpm hard drives without a fast flash memory cache achieve similar rates.
System Performance
The Pavilion 15 surprises with astonishingly good performance rates in the synthetic PCMark that are in some cases even higher than those of the Core i5 CPUs in Intel rivals. There are two reasons for this: Firstly, our review sample benefits from its SSHD in this rather storage-device biased benchmark, and secondly, AMD's GCN architecture offers a comparatively strong OpenCL performance. Both mutually even out the existing deficiency in terms of CPU raw performance - naturally depending on the software.
The 15-inch device also proves to be a fast office device in routine use, and is subjectively on par with equally priced Core i3 systems. However, the system eventually finds its limits in more demanding applications and heavy multitasking. It is too bad that no manufacturer has a laptop with a higher TDP setting (and consequently higher Boost clock rate in full CPU utilization) in its lineup.
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-536E | |
Dell Vostro 3558 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E550-20DGS00300 | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H |
PCMark 7 Score | 3290 points | |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2825 points | |
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 3333 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 3532 points | |
Help |
Graphics Card
Regular readers of our reviews will know that we have not exactly lavished AMDs dual-graphics technology with praise in the past. The issues and drawbacks of an asynchronous Crossfire array were usually significantly bigger than the resulting performance gains. That, however, seems to be slowly changing. The Radeon R8 M365DX, composed of the processor's Radeon R6 GPU and dedicated Radeon R7 M360, virtually outruns the mid-range competition from Nvidia under Windows 10 and with updated graphic drivers - at least in the 3DMark benchmarks. A lead of approximately 30% on a GeForce 840M that hardly calculates slower than the latest GeForce 940M is more than impressive in relation to the price range.
Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of the Carrizo platform is the integrated HEVC/H.265 decoder that we dealt with extensively in our architecture article. It should actually run natively and without third-party software under Windows 10. However, the display remained black in all videos in our tests. Apparently, there is still a problem with the driver. We finally managed playback via Media Player Classic, but only at very high CPU load.
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
Dell Latitude E5550 Broadwell |
3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
Dell Latitude E5550 Broadwell |
3DMark 06 Standard Score | 8336 points | |
3DMark Vantage P Result | 7076 points | |
3DMark 11 Performance | 2701 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 41517 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 5261 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 1687 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score | 817 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
The dual-graphics array can only partially confirm the strong 3DMark results in real gaming. Although still 6 of 10 tested games presented gains compared with the integrated Radeon R6, they were considerably lower than in the Futuremark software, with the exception of "Tomb Raider". The frame rate stagnated or even dropped slightly in the other four games. Beyond that, the GPU combination seemed to increase the processor's load since many games tended to run slower in very low settings.
Crysis 3 | |
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
1366x768 Medium Preset AF:16x (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ |
Tomb Raider | |
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ |
BioShock Infinite | |
1280x720 Very Low Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ |
Thief | |
1024x768 Very Low Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ |
Dirt Rally | |
1024x768 Ultra Low Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H |
The Witcher 3 | |
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 | |
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus F555LJ-XX110H |
Metal Gear Solid V | |
1024x768 Low / Off (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
1366x768 Medium / Off (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
1920x1080 High / On (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H |
Mad Max | |
1366x768 Normal Preset AF:2x (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
1920x1080 High Preset AF:6x (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H |
World of Warships | |
1366x768 Low Preset AF:Trilinear (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
1366x768 Medium Preset AF:Trilinear (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
1920x1080 High Preset AF:8x (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H |
FIFA 16 | |
1280x720 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:2x MS (sort by value) | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX305LA-FC012H |
low | med. | high | ultra | |
Crysis 3 (2013) | 30.1 | 21 | 17.6 | 4.8 |
Tomb Raider (2013) | 85 | 74.5 | 41.8 | 21 |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 68.1 | 44.8 | 42.1 | 15.7 |
Thief (2014) | 15.4 | 9.9 | 8.9 | 5.2 |
Dirt Rally (2015) | 72.3 | 28 | 17.6 | 12.5 |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 19.6 | 11 | 6.1 | |
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) | 42.4 | 28.9 | 11.5 | 7.6 |
Mad Max (2015) | 17 | 8.8 | ||
World of Warships (2015) | 50.2 | 37.7 | 16.6 | 12.5 |
FIFA 16 (2015) | 54.8 | 37.4 | 15.8 | |
Anno 2205 (2015) | 31.2 | 19.3 | 5.2 | 2.9 |
Emissions
System Noise
Although the fan is never completely inactive even in idle mode, its speed during low load is on an extremely low level. This, combined with the quiet noise from the mechanical hard drive results in a noise level below 31 dB(A), which we would describe as barely audible and not at all distracting.
Sophisticated 3D applications demand more from the cooling system, and force the noise to 40 to 44 dB(A). Even if the fan spins quite evenly and is not excessively high-pitched, the Pavilion 15 fares slightly worse than its direct competitors, Asus' F555LJ (38 - 42 dB(A)) and Acer's Aspire E5-571G (34 - 38 dB(A)).
Noise Level
Idle |
| 30.7 / 30.7 / 30.7 dB(A) |
HDD |
| 30.7 dB(A) |
DVD |
| 36.9 / dB(A) |
Load |
| 40.1 / 44.3 dB(A) |
![]() | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Temperature
The laptop heats up moderately in both idle and full load, and never exceeds 40 degrees Celsius (~104 degrees Fahrenheit) anywhere. Many areas of the device remain considerably cooler, and the user can always work without any impairments. The Pavilion can also be unhesitatingly used on the lap during basic tasks like browsing.
Unfortunately, none of the programs we tested could record the APU's core temperature. However, problems should not evolve since the dedicated Radeon R7 M360 (that is connected to the same heat pipe as the processor) only reached an uncritical 74 degrees Celsius (~165 degrees Fahrenheit) even during the stress test. The A10-8700P occasionally throttles to approximately 1.6 GHz because it reaches the manufacturer's defined TDP limit. The Radeon GPU also throttles slightly, and drops from 1125 to 1034 MHz.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.1 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36.8 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.9 °C / 80 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 31 °C / 87.8 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 (-2.2 °C / -4 F).
Speakers
The Danish manufacturer has made itself an impressive reputation with high-quality hi-fi products, and HP's Pavilion series now benefit from it. However, the name promises more than the integrated stereo speakers can ultimately provide in this case: Clear trebles and an acceptable maximum volume are faced with virtually non-existent bass. We would thus call the sound only mediocre. Games, videos and music are more enjoyable with external speakers or headphones that can be connected via HDMI or the 3.5-millimeter jack.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Interestingly, the Pavilion 15 not only has a much higher idle consumption of 6.9 to 12.1 watts than the Intel-based sister model (4.8 to 8.3 watts), it also needs more than the virtually identically configured Pavilion 17 we have recently tested (4.1 to 11 watts). Perhaps some energy-saving features are not yet working properly under Windows 10. Principally, lower consumption rates would be possible based on the Carrizo platform.
Our review sample almost completely utilizes the reserves of its 65-watt power supply under combined CPU and GPU load. In relation to the average performance gain, we again observed that dual-graphics does not exactly improve the energy efficiency. The APU is more efficient than a Crossfire solution and will likely perform faster in many 3D games when equipped with dual-channel RAM instead of single-channel RAM.
Off / Standby | ![]() ![]() |
Idle | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Load |
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Battery Runtime
The determined power consumption is faced with a relatively low-capacity 41-Wh battery, which limits the possible runtimes significantly. The Pavilion 15 did not even last four hours on battery power - using minimum screen brightness, disabled radio modules, and idling Windows desktop. The user will even have to recharge after just two to two and a half hours when browsing on the Internet via Wi-Fi or playing a local HD video with a screen brightness set to approximately 150 cd/m². However, we would again like to point out that this poor outcome is very likely due to some improperly functioning energy-saving features.
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng 41 Wh | Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X 56 Wh | Asus F555LJ-XX110H 37 Wh | HP Pavilion 17-g054ng 41 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | 187% | 152% | 48% | |
Reader / Idle | 222 | 795 258% | 473 113% | |
H.264 | 154 | 424 175% | 228 48% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 137 | 345 152% | 216 58% | |
Load | 75 | 172 129% | 53 -29% | |
WiFi | 412 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Naturally, some cutbacks and compromises have to be accepted in a laptop from the 500 Euro (~$568) price range - nevertheless HP has managed to create a solid product for this comparatively low price. The Pavilion 15 convinces with its decently built casing, well-tuned keyboard, and low noise and temperature development, among other things. The extensive configuration is particularly striking: Plenty of storage, a Full HD resolution screen, Wi-Fi in 802.11 ac standard - these features are not at all a matter of course even in more expensive devices. The CPU performance of the A10-8700P is, as expected, on par with a modern Core i3, while the graphics performance of the Crossfire array ranges somewhere between a GeForce 820M and GeForce 940M depending on the game.
The touchpad's stiff and spongy keys made a rather mixed impression, and the extremely short battery life disappointed us. However, that should not be a problem when the laptop is mainly used on the desk. Furthermore, the screen's relatively low maximum brightness will not be as significant here. In our opinion, HP could have also omitted the slow Fast Ethernet port - or installed a marginally more expensive Gbit LAN adapter from the outset.
The bottom line is: The Pavilion has nevertheless earned a purchase recommendation with its outstanding price-performance ratio, in case the buyer can accept the mentioned shortcomings.
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng
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10/14/2015 v4(old)
Till Schönborn