HP Pavilion 17 (2015) Notebook Review

Our review sample has been equipped with a 17.3-inch screen and a native resolution of 1600x900 pixels. Neither the brightness (227.4 cd/m²) nor the contrast (498:1) is exceptional, but they are still acceptable in view of the laptop's price range. The same is also true more for the contrast than the brightness. The latter could be slightly better even in this price range.

HP's Pavilion 17-f217ng is a 17.3-inch all-rounder. The installed hardware provides enough computing power for everyday use and can render games smoothly. Our review sample is currently sold at a starting price of 575 Euros (~$633). Other configurations are also available.

There are models with both AMD APUs as well as Intel processor within the Pavilion 17 series. Our present review sample belongs to the second group. Intel's Core i5-5200U dual-core processor (Broadwell) is inside the laptop. It clocks at a base speed of 2.2 GHz, which can be boosted to 2.5 GHz (both cores) and 2.7 GHz (one core only) via Turbo. The Turbo is fully utilized in both AC and battery mode.

The superiority of Intel's CPU compared to models with AMD's A10 chip becomes evident in the Cinebench comparison (single-core: +69%; multi-core: +46%). The former i5-4210U processor is outperformed by approximately 5 to 8%.

The system runs smoothly; we did not experience any problems. The PCMark benchmark scores are also very good. Toshiba's Satellite Pro C70-B-111 achieves a considerably better score in the PCMark 8 Home benchmark because it is based on an AMD graphics core. The benchmark particularly benefits from AMD GPUs. The system performance can be increased by installing a solid-state drive. The system would then run much faster and Windows would start quicker.

A 2.5-inch hard drive from HGST has been installed in the Pavilion 17. It has a capacity of 750 GB and spins at 5400 revolutions per minute. The drive's transfer rates are within the normal range for a 5400-rpm hard drive.

The installed GeForce 830M graphics core is a rare guest. The Pavilion is the second GeForce 830M laptop that we have tested to date. The GPU is a member of the lower mid-range. It clocks at a base speed of 1028 MHz, which can be increased to 1150 MHz via Turbo. The core can fall back on a 2048 MB DDR memory (64-bit interface). The 3DMark scores confirm what the name suggests: Its performance is between a GeForce 820M and GeForce 840M cores. AMD's counterpart would be the Radeon R7 M260 graphics core. The scores of both GPUs are very close.

The GeForce 830M graphics core is part of the graphics switching solution (Optimus) used in the Pavilion. The GeForce GPU is enabled in high-requirement applications, such as computer games. Otherwise, Intel's integrated HD Graphics 5500 is active. Switching is automatic, and the user does not have to do anything. However, it is always possible to intervene manually.

The Pavilion 17 is a member of the 17.3-inch all-rounders. Therefore, gaming suitability should be part of the repertoire of HP's laptop. Many games run smoothly in the HD resolution using medium to sometimes high quality settings. This is primarily true for games that have been available for some years or those with moderate hardware requirements. Newer games from 2014/2015 often require reducing the resolution and/or quality level. Acer's Aspire E5-771G would be an alternative to the Pavilion. Models with a comparable configuration based on Haswell or Broadwell processors are available for approximately 600 to 680 Euros (~$660 to ~$750). However, the installed GeForce 840M graphics core ensures slightly higher frame rates.

System Noise

Yet another HP laptop with a fan that runs permanently while idling. The reason is the same in the Pavilion: The feature "Fan always on" is enabled in the BIOS. The fan is sometimes inactive when this feature is unchecked. The fan speeds up strongly under load. We measured a maximum noise level of 45.2 dB(A). The fan in our review sample produced a subtle whistling noise during full load. However, its intensity is so low that it cannot be called annoying.

Power Consumption

The Pavilion does not show any inconsistencies in power consumption. The energy requirement climbs up to 12.2 watts while idling - a normal rate for a 17.3-inch laptop of this performance category. It is a similar situation with rivals, such as Acer's Aspire E5-771G. HP's laptop consumes up to 44.6 watts during load. The Aspire needs more energy because it is equipped with a more powerful processor and a stronger GPU.

Websites are opened automatically every 40 seconds in the real-life Wi-Fi test. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The Pavilion achieved a runtime of 4:06 hours - a decent rate.