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HP Pavilion 15z-bw000 (A10-9620P, HD) Laptop Review

Nothing new under the sun. HP's Pavilion 15z is a rather basic 15.6-inch notebook powered by an AMD APU and integrated Radeon graphics. Given its budget status, it doesn't come as a surprise that the systems falls short in many categories.

Nearly all manufacturers offer low-end machines designed to appeal to the budget-conscious buyer. The least expensive notebooks in the $250 price range usually come equipped with Intel Atom x5, Celeron or Pentium N-series processors and eMMC flash drives, while "full-fledged" laptops for $350 to $500 might step it up to Intel Core i3 or previous-generation i5 CPUs and platter-based hard drives with at least 500 GB capacity. The Pavilion 15z is such a machine: with a 768p 15.6-inch display, 8 GB of RAM and a 1 TB conventional hard drive, it ticks the check boxes for basic notebook needs. Instead of an Intel Core processor, our review notebook comes with a quad-core AMD A10-9620p APU. HP offers the 15z with a range of AMD processors starting with the much slower dual-core E2-9000e up to the faster quad-core A12-9720P APU. We don't have pricing for our review unit from Computer Upgrade King, but a similarly-configured notebook from HP directly retails for $460. We expect the street price to be much lower though, especially considering that systems with AMD-based APUs are generally among the lowest-performing and least expensive ones out there. With A12 APU, 1080p display, 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD, the notebook sells for north of $900 when purchased directly from HP - not exactly a bargain.

HP Pavilion 15z-bw000 (Pavilion 15-cx Series)
Processor
AMD A10-9620P 4 x 2.5 - 3.4 GHz, Bristol Ridge
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon R5 (Carrizo), 21.19.414.1280
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4 PC4-19200
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 100 PPI, no, BOE06A4, TN LED
Mainboard
AMD CZ FCH
Storage
Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD, 1024 GB 
Soundcard
ATI/AMD Kaveri - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio-combo jack, Card Reader: multi-format SD media card reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 23.9 x 380 x 253.8 ( = 0.94 x 14.96 x 9.99 in)
Battery
31 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 1280x720
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.898 kg ( = 66.95 oz / 4.18 pounds), Power Supply: 264 g ( = 9.31 oz / 0.58 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Given the price range, we can't expect higher-end materials and upscale design elements. The 15z is an all-plastic design which is fairly pleasing to the eye, although it can't deny its budget roots. Our unit features a silver-colored bottom and display lid; the palm rest is smooth semi-black plastic with a subtle, printed wave-shaped pattern. Jet black is the standard color; all other colors  - HP offers natural silver, silk gold, smoke gray, marine blue, and empress red - cost $10 extra. Although the case design of the test candidate at least at a first glance looks similar to other 15-inch Pavilions we've reviewed recently - see for example the HP Pavilion 15t-au100 and the HP Pavilion 15t X7P44AV - the 15z utilizes a different chassis similar to that of the entry-level office notebook HP 15-ba077ng. While the two 15t-models we mentioned come with Intel Core processors (up to the quad-core i7-7700HQ) and dedicated GPUs, the 15z-bw000 is only available with AMD APUs. Key differences in addition to the choice of hardware are the port distribution - which we'll touch upon shortly - as well as the fact that the 15z comes with a removable battery.

The bottom unit is fairly easy to twist and bend and emits creaking sounds when doing so. The display lid flexes even more easily and even moderate pressure causes noticeable ripples and waves on the display surface. Since the bottom is a shell, the only gap to speak of is the area where the keyboard tray insert and the bottom shell meet. We should mention here that the lid of our review unit wouldn't quite lay flat against the bottom unit when closed, with the gap between the lid and the front edge larger towards the middle. While this doesn't impact operation, it still augments the budget status of the notebook. The hinges hold the display reasonably well up to the maximum open angle of about 135 degrees.

Since it's made from plastic, the chassis won't set new records as far as overall dimensions are concerned - the 15z is about the same size as its competitors give or take a few mm - but it is quite light as a result. The review unit tipped the scales at 1.9 kg (~4.2 lbs); the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 with its larger 41 Wh battery is roughly 20 % heavier.

390 mm / 15.4 inch 259 mm / 10.2 inch 23.3 mm / 0.917 inch 2.3 kg5.06 lbs384.3 mm / 15.1 inch 254.6 mm / 10 inch 24.3 mm / 0.957 inch 2 kg4.32 lbs382 mm / 15 inch 256 mm / 10.1 inch 25.8 mm / 1.016 inch 2.1 kg4.7 lbs382 mm / 15 inch 256 mm / 10.1 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.4 kg5.29 lbs379 mm / 14.9 inch 261 mm / 10.3 inch 25.4 mm / 1 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 253.8 mm / 9.99 inch 23.9 mm / 0.941 inch 1.9 kg4.18 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

As indicated, the HP 15z differs from the aforementioned 15t-models mainly in the location of its ports. Unfortunately, all the ports are located on the sides in front of the mid-line and not towards the rear like on the 15t. Since both USB 3.1 ports as well as the HDMI and the RJ-45 port are located on the left edge, left handers are going to have some real issues when trying to operate an external mouse while an HDMI or a network cable is connected.

Given the entry-level starting price, it shouldn't come as a surprise that HP didn't include a USB Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 port.

Left side: power jack, RJ-45, HDMI, 2x USB 3.1 (Gen 1), audio combo-jack
Left side: power jack, RJ-45, HDMI, 2x USB 3.1 (Gen 1), audio combo-jack
Right side: SD card reader, USB 2.0, Kensington lock slot
Right side: SD card reader, USB 2.0, Kensington lock slot
Front: no connectivity
Front: no connectivity
Rear: no connectivity
Rear: no connectivity

SD Card Reader

We use a Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card to get an idea how the integrated SD card reader performs. The results are middling with transfer rates of about 34 MB/s according to the utility AS SSD, which likely means that HP uses an USB 2.0 interface. Copying one GB of photos to the hard drive takes about 40 seconds.

The card reader is not spring-loaded and not much of the SD card protrudes, so removal can be tricky at times.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
 
62.5 MB/s +145%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
 
57.3 MB/s +124%
HP 15-ba077ng
 
27.2 MB/s +6%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
 
25.54 MB/s
Asus X555DA-BB11
 
24.9 MB/s -3%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
 
23.2 MB/s -9%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
 
83.2 MB/s +145%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
 
81.7 MB/s +141%
HP 15-ba077ng
 
38.3 MB/s +13%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
 
33.94 MB/s
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
 
27.5 MB/s -19%
Asus X555DA-BB11
 
26.8 MB/s -21%

Communication

Our review notebook comes equipped with an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n/ac) with Bluetooth 4.2 on board. With transfer rates of 403 MBit/s and 412 MBit/s for transmit and receive, respectively, the 15z is no slouch when compared to competitors like the Asus X555DA, but the HP Pavilion 15t X7P44AV with the same adapter is substantially faster. During our time with the test unit we experienced no connectivity issues of any kind.

In addition to the WLAN module, the Pavilion 15z is also equipped with a Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000 MBit) module.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
434 MBit/s +8%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
403 MBit/s
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
346 MBit/s -14%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
319 MBit/s -21%
Asus X555DA-BB11
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
197 MBit/s -51%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
495 MBit/s +20%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
412 MBit/s
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
350 MBit/s -15%
Asus X555DA-BB11
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
341 MBit/s -17%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
333 MBit/s -19%

Accessories

The shipping carton only contains the laptop and the power adapter in addition to some pamphlets. Our unit shipped with a 3 cell, 31 Wh lithium-ion battery, but HP also sells a 4 cell 41 Wh battery as well. In addition, HP offers many generic accessories ranging from notebook cases and sleeves to external mice and speakers.

Maintenance

Ease of maintenance doesn't seem to be one of HP's main goals when it comes their consumer notebooks and the 15z is no different. Access to the inside requires the disassembly of the bottom shell. After the removal of the battery and several screws (four of which are hidden under the rubber feet), the shell can be pried off with the aid of a plastic spreader or similar tool. Once opened, the user can access the the 2.5-inch HDD slot, the two RAM slots (one slot occupied) as well as the WLAN module and the system fan. Note that while an M.2 2280 hard drive can be selected when configuring the laptop on HP's site, there is no M.2-interface in our review unit, which leaves replacing the HDD with a 2.5-inch SSD as the only option for a storage upgrade.

Warranty

The Pavilion 15z-bw000 is protected against defects by a standard 12-month warranty. Warranty upgrades (HP calls them "Care Packs") are very reasonably priced: at the time of writing, a 3 year Pickup and Return Support w/Accidental Damage Protection was offered for only $72. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The keyboard differs slightly from the one HP uses in the HP Pavilion 15t-au100. The notebook features a chiclet keyboard with dedicated number pad, but not backlight. Key travel of the plastic keys is adequate, the pressure point well-defined and keyboard flex is fairly minimal. Typing at a decent clip is possible without major caveats. Users who need to type a lot might want to consider a more business-oriented laptop like the Lenovo ThinkPad E570 instead, but overall the keyboard is certainly satisfactory for home use.

Touchpad

The touchpad measures 11 x 4.5 cm (~4.3 x 1.8 in) and differs from the clickpad in the HP Pavilion 15t-au100 in that it comes with two dedicated mouse buttons. We prefer this arrangement, as the click mechanism in the 15t leaves much to be desired. The buttons don't feel spongy when depressed, are somewhat loud and offer very decent feedback. The touchpad is large enough for gestures and features a smooth surface which offers minimal resistance during operation.

The touchpad has separate mouse buttons
The touchpad has separate mouse buttons
For a budget notebook, the keyboard works well
For a budget notebook, the keyboard works well
Key travel is adequate
Key travel is adequate

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The panel (BOE06A4) features HD resolution (1366x768 pixels), which is quite low for a 15.6-inch laptop. HP also offers FullHD panels in both touch and non-touch version for $140 and $100 extra. Contrast and brightness are OK for a simple TN panel at about 525:1 and 250 cd/m², respectively. Colors are not particularly vivid and text and images are not very sharp because of the low resolution and the large display real estate. 

257.5
cd/m²
257
cd/m²
243.8
cd/m²
250.2
cd/m²
251.3
cd/m²
229.8
cd/m²
249.1
cd/m²
232
cd/m²
214.8
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE06A4 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 257.5 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 242.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 251.3 cd/m²
Contrast: 524:1 (Black: 0.48 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.9 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 11.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
56.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.17% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.17% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
56.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37.92% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.05
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
BOE06A4, TN LED, 15.60, 1366x768
Asus X555DA-BB11
TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
BOE NT15N41, TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Chi Mei CMN15C4 / N156HGE-EAB, TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
AUO B156HAN04.4, IPS LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
Lenovo Ideapad 110-15ACL
15.60, 1366x768
Display
-7%
-4%
5%
2%
-1%
Display P3 Coverage
37.92
35.12
-7%
36.24
-4%
39.72
5%
38.65
2%
37.39
-1%
sRGB Coverage
56.8
52.7
-7%
54.6
-4%
59.2
4%
58
2%
56.2
-1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
39.17
36.29
-7%
37.44
-4%
41.07
5%
39.94
2%
38.63
-1%
Response Times
-2%
17%
4806%
-12%
-14%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
41.6 ?(14.8, 26.8)
42 ?(23.6, 18.4)
-1%
43 ?(18, 25)
-3%
42.4 ?(22, 20.4)
-2%
44.8 ?(16.4, 28.4)
-8%
58 ?(36, 22)
-39%
Response Time Black / White *
22 ?(16, 6)
22.4 ?(14.4, 8)
-2%
14 ?(6, 8)
36%
14.6 ?(9.4, 5.2)
34%
25.6 ?(6.8, 18.8)
-16%
23 ?(17, 6)
-5%
PWM Frequency
198.4 ?(99)
28740
14386%
200 ?(90)
1%
Screen
10%
-11%
-2%
31%
6%
Brightness middle
251.3
242.7
-3%
145
-42%
224
-11%
242
-4%
253
1%
Brightness
243
232
-5%
144
-41%
201
-17%
243
0%
246
1%
Brightness Distribution
83
88
6%
90
8%
75
-10%
75
-10%
86
4%
Black Level *
0.48
0.52
-8%
0.49
-2%
0.46
4%
0.24
50%
0.43
10%
Contrast
524
467
-11%
296
-44%
487
-7%
1008
92%
588
12%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
9.9
4.9
51%
9.27
6%
10.5
-6%
4.65
53%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
22.9
20.3
11%
16.9
26%
16.8
27%
9.64
58%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
11.7
2.7
77%
12.28
-5%
11.23
4%
3.39
71%
Gamma
2.05 107%
2.34 94%
2.03 108%
2.12 104%
2.7 81%
CCT
11713 55%
6876 95%
10732 61%
11096 59%
6246 104%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
39.17
33.5
-14%
35
-11%
38
-3%
36.69
-6%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
56.8
52.5
-8%
55
-3%
59
4%
57.66
2%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
0% / 5%
1% / -6%
1603% / 901%
7% / 19%
-3% / -2%

* ... smaller is better

Color space coverage is mediocre at just about 56 % of the sRGB standard and 39 % of AdobeRGB. It goes without saying that the 15z-bw000 is not suitable for photo or video editing.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. Adobe RGB
vs. Adobe RGB
vs. Asus X555DA
vs. Asus X555DA

While grayscale is very good, colors are not very accurate out of the box according to our measurements with a X-Rite spectrophotometer. While a calibration improves the color accuracy quite a bit, it does nothing for the color blue, which still has a DeltaE deviation of close to 20 afterwards. Blue also remains very inaccurate at higher saturation levels.

ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration

Since our review notebook is equipped with a glossy TN panel, outdoor visibility is not great either even despite the comparatively  high brightness of 250 nits. Working in the shade is certainly possible, as long as the display angle is carefully adjusted to minimize reflections. Working out in the open even on an overcast day is challenging and working in the sunlight is out of the question. Because of the TN technology, the viewing angle stability is also unimpressive with colors washing out and inverting at more shallow angles. 

Outdoor use - shade
Outdoor use - shade
Outdoor use - sunlight
Outdoor use - sunlight
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

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
22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 42 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
41.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14.8 ms rise
↘ 26.8 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. » 62 % 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 detected 198.4 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 198.4 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 198.4 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

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.

Performance

Our test notebook is powered by a quad-core Bristol-Ridge-series A10-9620P APU clocked at 2.5 GHz with up to 3.4 GHz burst frequency according to HP. During our review, the cores ran at up to 3.6 GHz simultaneously for brief periods as long as no load was present. Graphics is courtesy of an integrated AMD Radeon R5 GPU. The ULV chip has a 15 W TDP similar to its Intel Core-i counterparts, but generally can't perform at the same level.

 

Processor

Performance of the APU isn't very impressive. According to the Cinebench benchmark tests, the A10-9620P offers multicore performance at approximately the same level as the Haswell-generation dual-core Intel Core i5-4200U. Singlecore performance trails even more and compares best to a Broadwell i3-5010U, as the i5-4200U is about 20-35 % faster here. A current-generation Kaby Lake i3-7100U manages to outperform the A10-9620 by a healthy 20 % when running Cinbench R15 Single and about 12 % when running R15 Multi. The APU is also affected by throttling when running the CineBench R15 Multi-test in a loop. After the initial high score of 233, the CPU throttles during the subsequent loops and performance declines by about 8 %. 

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
142 Points +97%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Intel Core i5-7200U
129 Points +79%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
80 Points +11%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
78 Points +8%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD A10-9620P
72 Points
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD A10-8700P
64 Points -11%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
338 Points +47%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Intel Core i5-7200U
330 Points +43%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD A10-9620P
230 Points
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
229 Points 0%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
222 Points -3%
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD A10-8700P
180 Points -22%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
1.66 Points +105%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
0.94 Points +16%
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD A10-8700P
0.83 Points +2%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD A10-9620P
0.81 Points
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
0.76 Points -6%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
3.75 Points +41%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD A10-9620P
2.66 Points
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
2.62 Points -2%
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD A10-8700P
2.3 Points -14%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
1.92 Points -28%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
12161 Points +64%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD A10-9620P
7420 Points
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
7188 Points -3%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
5148 Points -31%
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD A10-8700P
4808 Points -35%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
5624 Points +147%
HP 15-ba077ng
AMD A12-9700P
2596 Points +14%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD A10-9620P
2277 Points
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD A12-9700P
2262 Points -1%
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD A10-8700P
2192 Points -4%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD A10-8700P
507 s * -8%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD A10-9620P
470.9 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
4880
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
7420
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
2277
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
20 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.66 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.81 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
25.12 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
230 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
72 Points
Help

System Performance

According to PCMark 8, the Pavilion 15z offers middle-of-the-pack performance when compared to other budget offerings. System with current-generation Intel CPUs, SSDs and dedicated GPUs are up to 60 % faster. Subjectively, the system is held back by the platter-based hard drive with its rather pedestrian performance. Depending on the application, load times of three seconds or more are not unusual.

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
3978 Points +52%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
3550 Points +35%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Radeon R8 M445DX, A12-9700P, Liteonit CV3-8D128
2847 Points +8%
HP 15-ba077ng
Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), A12-9700P, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
2777 Points +6%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
2624 Points
Asus X555DA-BB11
Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2335 Points -11%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
5033 Points +37%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
4666 Points +27%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Radeon R8 M445DX, A12-9700P, Liteonit CV3-8D128
3844 Points +5%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
3669 Points
Asus X555DA-BB11
Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
3246 Points -12%
HP 15-ba077ng
Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), A12-9700P, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
2773 Points -24%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
4862 Points +58%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
3075 Points
Asus X555DA-BB11
Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2856 Points -7%
HP 15-ba077ng
Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), A12-9700P, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
2413 Points -22%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2624 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3075 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
3669 points
PCMark 10 Score
2080 points
Help

Storage Devices

Our notebook comes equipped with a 1 TB, 5400 RPM platter-based hard drive with 64 MB of cache and 8 GB of NAND. HWiNFO identifies the model number as MD1TBLSSHD; the label itself states WL1000GLSA6454-SSHD with no manufacturer listed. At this point we are not sure if the drive in question is standard-issue HP or was installed by our notebook-supplier Cukusa.

Performance is good for a 5400 RPM drive, but 4K reads are not particularly speedy according to CrystalDiskMark, which explains the fairly sluggish response during operation. Systems equipped with SSDs - even those using a slower SATA interface - are significantly faster and clearly a much better choice for a livelier performance.

Update 07/26/2017: Cukusa (Computer Upgrade King) have confirmed that they swapped out the HDD the Pavilion 15z comes with for an SSHD (conventional hard drive with NAND). Customers purchasing the system through HP.com or another retailer will therefore end up with a different drive. 

HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
Asus X555DA-BB11
Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
HP 15-ba077ng
SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Liteonit CV3-8D128
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-26%
6943%
4243%
4443%
11273%
Read Seq
109.6
106.9
-2%
502
358%
447.4
308%
348.6
218%
1140
940%
Write Seq
104.6
97.5
-7%
458.1
338%
243.3
133%
311.8
198%
468.1
348%
Read 512
36.88
32.28
-12%
382.8
938%
333.4
804%
295.9
702%
759
1958%
Write 512
56.3
35.39
-37%
385.7
585%
283.1
403%
185.8
230%
414
635%
Read 4k
0.436
0.373
-14%
29.25
6609%
20.99
4714%
23.76
5350%
34.3
7767%
Write 4k
1.212
0.636
-48%
55.9
4512%
62.7
5073%
44.94
3608%
123.4
10082%
Read 4k QD32
1.234
0.694
-44%
285.2
23012%
143.1
11496%
171.6
13806%
530
42850%
Write 4k QD32
1.242
0.682
-45%
239.6
19191%
138
11011%
143.2
11430%
319.2
25600%
Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
Transfer Rate Minimum: 44.4 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 111.4 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 80.4 MB/s
Access Time: 19.9 ms
Burst Rate: 68.4 MB/s
CPU Usage: 4.4 %

GPU Performance

The IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) has 384 shaders and runs at 758 MHz for the GPU and 933 MHz for the RAM. Unlike the processor-portion of the APU, the performance of the integrated GPU is a little more impressive, as it outperforms a current-generation Intel HD Graphics 620 by 10-20 % depending on the 3DMark benchmark test in question.

3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U
4243 Points +148%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD Radeon R8 M445DX, A12-9700P
3811 Points +123%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
AMD Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U
2208 Points +29%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P
1711 Points
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P
1288 Points -25%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U
4250 Points +291%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
AMD Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U
2493 Points +129%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD Radeon R8 M445DX, A12-9700P
1283 Points +18%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P
1087 Points
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P
861 Points -21%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U
21835 Points +276%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD Radeon R8 M445DX, A12-9700P
12140 Points +109%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
AMD Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U
9617 Points +66%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P
5804 Points
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P
4033 Points -31%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U
3545 Points +254%
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
AMD Radeon R8 M445DX, A12-9700P
2090 Points +109%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
AMD Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U
1579 Points +58%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P
1001 Points
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P
764 Points -24%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
AMD Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U
43492 Points +32%
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
AMD Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P
33003 Points
Asus X555DA-BB11
AMD Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P
26331 Points -20%
3DMark 11 Performance
1686 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
37793 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
4365 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
898 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
464 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The gaming performance follows suit: the Radeon 5 once again outperforms the Intel HD Graphics 620 - used for example in the Acer Aspire E5 with Core i5-7200U CPU - in most cases and enables up to 30-45 % higher frame rates depending on the game. Still, only older games can be played at HD resolution and maximum settings; modern games are out of the question if any other setting than low is used.

BioShock Infinite
1280x720 Very Low Preset (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
45.9 fps
Asus X555DA-BB11
Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
36.3 fps -21%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
98.7 (17.5min - 155.4max) fps +115%
HP 15-ba077ng
Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), A12-9700P, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
60.9 fps +33%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
138.1 fps +201%
Acer Aspire E5-774-54HJ
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
35.6 fps -22%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
28.7 fps
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
53.9 (14.5min - 148.1max) fps +88%
HP 15-ba077ng
Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), A12-9700P, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
37.8 fps +32%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
95.4 fps +232%
Acer Aspire E5-774-54HJ
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
20.1 fps -30%
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
21.8 fps
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
44.5 (8.7min - 164.9max) fps +104%
HP 15-ba077ng
Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), A12-9700P, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
32.6 fps +50%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
86.8 fps +298%
Acer Aspire E5-774-54HJ
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
16.6 fps -24%
low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 51.8 29.1 21.3
BioShock Infinite (2013) 45.9 28.7 21.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 19 12.2

Stress Test

We stress the notebook with Prime95 and Furmark to identify stability and throttling issues. With Prime95 running on its own, the CPU cores run at 2.8 GHz and close to 70 degrees C. Within 15 seconds, all cores drop to 2.1 GHz with a subsequent increase of the fan speed at a temperature of around 62 degrees C with occasional spikes to 2.8 GHz. After 15 minutes, the CPU Frequency stabilized at 2.1 GHz and 61 degrees C. When under Furmark stress, the Radeon R5 starts out at 758 MHz but drops down to about 450-520 MHz within a few minutes, again at a temperature of 61 degrees C. Running both Prime95 and FurMark in parallel throttles the CPU and GPU to 800 MHz and 435-445 MHz, respectively. At no time did the APU exceed 71 degrees C.

Running on battery power does impact performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries resulted in a close-enough Physics score, but the Graphics score took a substantial hit (1711 vs. 1311). Overall reduction of the 3DMark 11 score was roughly 21 %. 

Stress test Prime95
Stress test Prime95
Stress test Furmark
Stress test Furmark
Stress test Prime95 + Furmark
Stress test Prime95 + Furmark
3dMark 11 - mains
3dMark 11 - mains
3dMark 11 - battery
3dMark 11 - battery
 
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 2.1 - 61 -
FurMark Stress - 450-520 - 61
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 0.8 435-445 62 62

Emissions

System Noise

(White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark, Green: Prime95+FurMark)
(White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark, Green: Prime95+FurMark)

Even at idle, the internal fan is always active, but the noise level remains low at around 31.2 dB. At more substantial load levels - for example when running Prime95 or other benchmark tests - the system remains unobtrusive. The machine tops out at almost 39 dB, which is still acceptable, but definitely audible across the room. At 42 dB, the admittedly much more powerful Dell Inspiron 15 5000 is a bit louder, whereas the Acer Aspire E5-774-54HJ with Intel hardware isn't nearly as loud at only 34 dB.

Noise Level

Idle
31 / 31.2 / 31.3 dB(A)
Load
34.4 / 38.9 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 (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.3 dB(A)
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
Radeon R5 (Carrizo), A10-9620P, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
Asus X555DA-BB11
Radeon R6 (Carrizo), A10-8700P, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
HP 15-ba077ng
Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), A12-9700P, SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
Radeon R8 M445DX, A12-9700P, Liteonit CV3-8D128
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
Lenovo Ideapad 110-15ACL
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-7410
Acer Aspire E5-774-54HJ
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
HD Graphics 515, 6Y30, Apple SSD AP0256
Noise
0%
-5%
2%
1%
3%
4%
3%
off / environment *
28.3
28.9
-2%
30.6
-8%
30.6
-8%
30.5
-8%
29
-2%
30.4
-7%
30.5
-8%
Idle Minimum *
31
31.6
-2%
30.6
1%
31.5
-2%
31.4
-1%
29
6%
30.9
-0%
30.8
1%
Idle Average *
31.2
32
-3%
30.6
2%
31.8
-2%
31.4
-1%
29
7%
30.9
1%
30.8
1%
Idle Maximum *
31.3
32.4
-4%
30.6
2%
31.8
-2%
31.9
-2%
29
7%
31
1%
30.8
2%
Load Average *
34.4
33.3
3%
41.9
-22%
31.4
9%
33.7
2%
34.3
-0%
31.8
8%
32.1
7%
Load Maximum *
38.9
35.5
9%
41.8
-7%
33.4
14%
33.8
13%
40.1
-3%
31.9
18%
33.8
13%
Witcher 3 ultra *
40.6

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Even at idle temperatures aren't completely flat across with the right palm rest getting warmer than the left, although the difference is not substantial at about 3 degrees C. Under load, it's the left palm rest which heats up a lot more - we measured a maximum of 36 degrees in this location - which can lead to sweaty palms. The hotspot of 41 degrees C is located on the bottom left corner. Placing the 15z on the lap under heavy load can get quite toasty after a while.

Temperature idle - top
Temperature idle - top
Temperature idle - bottom
Temperature idle - bottom
Temperature load - top
Temperature load - top
Temperature load - bottom
Temperature load - bottom
Max. Load
 38 °C
100 F
25.4 °C
78 F
23.8 °C
75 F
 
 37.4 °C
99 F
30 °C
86 F
24 °C
75 F
 
 36 °C
97 F
32.2 °C
90 F
28 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 38 °C = 100 F
Average: 30.5 °C = 87 F
22.2 °C
72 F
23 °C
73 F
40.8 °C
105 F
23 °C
73 F
25.2 °C
77 F
38.6 °C
101 F
27.2 °C
81 F
26 °C
79 F
35.6 °C
96 F
Maximum: 40.8 °C = 105 F
Average: 29.1 °C = 84 F
Power Supply (max.)  43.8 °C = 111 F | Room Temperature 21.5 °C = 71 F | Raytek Raynger ST
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.5 °C / 87 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 38 °C / 100 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 40.8 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.2 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 36 °C / 96.8 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-7.2 °C / -13 F).

Speakers

The speakers are loud enough and the sound remains undistorted even at high volume levels. Bass is lacking, but the mids are at least well-balanced. The sound is quite tinny, so we recommend external headphones or speakers when listening to music or when watching movies.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs20039.440.825033.93631036.435.240031.935.650031.633.663032.33480031.933.2100031.230.8125033.132.816002935.7200028.149.1250027.661.6315026.965.3400026.260.1500025.557.7630024.863.1800025.465.6100002559.51250024.662.51600023.962.72000023.255.82500023.462.73150023.262.74000022.962.45000022.858.86300022.862.88000022.668.510000022.565.112500022.562.316000022.763.6SPL7536.175N37.62.737.6median 24.6median 62.4median 56.3Delta562.24.835.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Pavilion 15z-bw000Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.5% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (16.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 52% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 38% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 55% 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%

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox selectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

During idle, the Pavilion 15z can consume up to 9 W, which is in line with many other laptops, although the Lenovo ThinkPad E570 with i5-7200U and dedicated GPU only requires 7 W. With 3DMark running, the system draws about 35 W, which is still acceptable. Systems with dedicated GPU can consume up to 50 % more. The load maximum of 42 W is slightly more than that of the Acer Aspire E5-774-54HJ with Intel hardware, but we have to consider that the GPU performance of our review unit is slightly higher as well.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.16 / 0.9 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.38 / 7.9 / 8.98 Watt
Load midlight 34.74 / 42.41 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 15z-bw000
A10-9620P, Radeon R5 (Carrizo), Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD, TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
Asus X555DA-BB11
A10-8700P, Radeon R6 (Carrizo), Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
i7-7500U, Radeon R7 M445, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G), TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP 15-ba077ng
A12-9700P, Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge), SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
A12-9700P, Radeon R8 M445DX, Liteonit CV3-8D128, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
i5-7200U, GeForce GTX 950M, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire E5-774-54HJ
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
Power Consumption
-21%
-4%
14%
-37%
-4%
-6%
Idle Minimum *
5.38
8.3
-54%
4
26%
4.4
18%
7.2
-34%
2.8
48%
5.3
1%
Idle Average *
7.9
8.6
-9%
5.4
32%
6.8
14%
10.3
-30%
6.3
20%
10.1
-28%
Idle Maximum *
8.98
13.1
-46%
8.3
8%
8.9
1%
11.9
-33%
6.9
23%
10.5
-17%
Load Average *
34.74
31.2
10%
54
-55%
30.9
11%
48.2
-39%
51.6
-49%
34.3
1%
Load Maximum *
42.41
43.9
-4%
55.4
-31%
31
27%
63
-49%
69.7
-64%
37
13%
Witcher 3 ultra *
51.8

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Although the power consumption is certainly not out of line, the battery life is dismal by comparison. The culprit: the 3-cell battery only supplies 31 Wh. With a run time of about 3 hours and 45 minutes during our WLAN test - we use a brightness of 150 nits (8/10) and the Balanced profile - the 15z trails most systems except for the Asus X555DA with A10-8700P APU. Even with the larger 41 Wh battery the notebook won't set any longevity records. We expect an increase of a little over one hour - the ThinkPad E570 lasts almost 7 hours and 45 minutes by comparison, which is quite a feat considering its battery also only supplies 41 Wh. 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
6h 21min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 42min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 04min
HP Pavilion 15z-bw000
A10-9620P, Radeon R5 (Carrizo), 31 Wh
Asus X555DA-BB11
A10-8700P, Radeon R6 (Carrizo), 37 Wh
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
i7-7500U, Radeon R7 M445, 42 Wh
Acer Aspire E15 E5-553G-109A
A12-9700P, Radeon R8 M445DX, 40 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
i5-7200U, GeForce GTX 950M, 41 Wh
Acer Aspire E5-774-54HJ
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 41 Wh
Battery Runtime
2%
53%
-1%
114%
44%
Reader / Idle
381
435
14%
466
22%
358
-6%
883
132%
WiFi v1.3
222
176
-21%
417
88%
257
16%
462
108%
320
44%
Load
64
72
13%
95
48%
55
-14%
129
102%

Pros

+ comparatively low weight
+ display is reasonably bright
+ good GPU performance
+ maintenance is not overly difficult
+ decent input devices

Cons

- all-plastic, bland design
- washed-out TN display with mediocre viewing angles
- PWM even at 99% brightness
- low resolution and low sharpness
- dismal battery life
- lower performance on battery

Verdict

In review: HP Pavilion 15z-bw000. Test model provided by Computer Upgrade King
In review: HP Pavilion 15z-bw000. Test model provided by Computer Upgrade King

The Pavilion 15z is a reasonably lightweight, unobtrusive, but also rather uninspiring entry-level 15.6-inch notebook. The processor component of the AMD APU doesn't perform nearly as well as current-generation Intel ULV CPUs, although the Radeon R5 iGP offers decent enough performance to handle at least some older games at lower resolution and quality settings.

The system is held back by its slow platter-based hard drive, an HD TN display with low viewing angle stability and its dismal battery life. 

With so many entry-level offerings on the market, it's hard to make a case for the HP Pavilion 15z - it simply doesn't stand out enough from the crowd.

HP Pavilion 15z-bw000 - 07/15/2017 v6(old)
Bernie Pechlaner

Chassis
63 / 98 → 64%
Keyboard
77%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
45 / 81 → 55%
Weight
64 / 20-67 → 94%
Battery
73%
Display
69%
Games Performance
56 / 85 → 66%
Application Performance
56 / 92 → 61%
Temperature
92%
Noise
91 / 95 → 96%
Audio
56%
Camera
45 / 85 → 53%
Average
67%
72%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Pavilion 15z-bw000 (A10-9620P, HD) Laptop Review
Bernie Pechlaner, 2017-07-16 (Update: 2019-04- 5)