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HP Pavilion 17-g120ng Notebook Review

Silent update. HP follows the current trend and equips the Pavilion 17 with a new Skylake processor. Unfortunately, we have not found any other changes. Nevertheless, the laptop has remained a solid all-round device.

For the original German review, see here.

A short time ago, we scrutinized the previous model of the 17.3-inch Pavilion series with Broadwell processor. Now HP uses the current Intel Skylake generation. Instead of an Intel Core i7-5500U, the Pavilion 17 uses an Intel Core i7-6500U. The manufacturer has incorporated an Nvidia GeForce 940M, in order to cope with multimedia requirements. The RAM capacity is slightly smaller in the current model, but it is sufficient with 8 GB. The storage device is still a 1 TB hard drive. Furthermore, the specifications are not different from the predecessor. The test model is offered for 950 Euros (~$1020) on the manufacturer's website. This is a steep 50 Euros (~$54) more than the almost equivalent alternative model.

In this test we will focus on the changes. Please refer to our already reviewed model for details about the casing and input devices.

HP Pavilion 17-g120ng (Pavilion 17-ab Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-6500U 2 x 2.5 - 3.1 GHz (Intel Core i7), 2 cores (4 threads)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce 940M - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1072 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, 10.18.13.5354 WHQL (ForceWare 353.54), Nvidia Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, single channel (1 x 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM)
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, Samsung_SDC3854, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Skylake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Toshiba MQ01ABD100, 1000 GB 
, 5400 rpm
Soundcard
Intel Skylake PCH-H High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: audio combo, Card Reader: SD, Sensors: brightness sensor, accelerometer
Networking
RealTek Semiconductor RTL8101/2/3 Family Fast Ethernet NIC (10/100MBit/s), Broadcom BCM43142 (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
hp DVDRW DU8A6SH
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 27.1 x 418.8 x 286.8 ( = 1.07 x 16.49 x 11.29 in)
Battery
41 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: stereo speakers, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.687 kg ( = 94.78 oz / 5.92 pounds), Power Supply: 345 g ( = 12.17 oz / 0.76 pounds)
Price
950 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Display

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

HP continues to use a high-end IPS display with a Full HD resolution of 1920x1020 pixels. The manufacturer uses a matte panel in order to reduce reflections. It’s brightness of about 292 cd/m² is high enough. The contrast of 1144:1 is an improvement. Thanks to a good black value of 0.27 cd/m², black appears quite deep.

The brightness distribution of the display has to be criticized. There is a brightness difference of 40 cd/m² between the lower right corner and the upper left corner. This brightness difference is quite obvious on closer inspection.

HP Pavilion 17-g120ng
GeForce 940M, 6500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Acer Aspire E5-772G-70VP
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
HP Pavilion 17-g013ng
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Asus F751LB-T4030H
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
Display
-0%
0%
8%
Display P3 Coverage
65.7
69.4
6%
66.5
1%
74.2
13%
sRGB Coverage
97.6
91.9
-6%
97.1
-1%
99.2
2%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
67.7
67.3
-1%
68.4
1%
Response Times
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
70 ?(32, 38)
Response Time Black / White *
46 ?(16, 30)
PWM Frequency
200 ?(50)
Screen
-51%
1%
-3%
Brightness middle
309
243
-21%
321
4%
353
14%
Brightness
292
284
-3%
308
5%
336
15%
Brightness Distribution
86
79
-8%
89
3%
85
-1%
Black Level *
0.27
0.45
-67%
0.32
-19%
0.29
-7%
Contrast
1144
540
-53%
1003
-12%
1217
6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.53
12.04
-166%
3.79
16%
7.03
-55%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.66
13.25
-134%
4.75
16%
6.08
-7%
Gamma
2.62 84%
2.6 85%
2.37 93%
2.15 102%
CCT
7893 82%
14950 43%
7130 91%
7457 87%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
62
60
-3%
62
0%
65
5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98
92
-6%
97
-1%
99
1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-26% / -39%
1% / 1%
3% / -1%

* ... smaller is better

306
cd/m²
302
cd/m²
285
cd/m²
309
cd/m²
309
cd/m²
288
cd/m²
295
cd/m²
270
cd/m²
265
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Samsung_SDC3854 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 309 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 292.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 309 cd/m²
Contrast: 1144:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.53 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.66 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.62

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 200 Hz ≤ 50 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 50 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 200 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.

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
46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 30 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 99 % 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
70 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 32 ms rise
↘ 38 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. » 98 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

According to the CalMAN analysis, the color and grayscales have deteriorated slightly. The DeltaE shift is about 4.53 for the colors and even slightly higher for the grayscales with 5.66. There is even a slight blue tint visible.

As we have already seen in the model with a different configuration, the color coverage is especially good: The sRGB space is almost completely covered (98%) and the AdobeRGB coverage is 62%.

The large test model can be used outdoors when the sky is overcast. However, the display brightness cannot compensate for direct sunlight.

sRGB coverage
sRGB coverage
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - SaturationSweeps
CalMAN - SaturationSweeps
AdobeRGB coverage
AdobeRGB coverage
The HP Pavilion 17 outdoors
The HP Pavilion 17 outdoors

Performance

LatencyMon
LatencyMon
Underside
Underside

The HP Pavilion 17 comes with all the components that are necessary for multimedia tasks. The powerful CPU is coupled with a capable graphics card, which can cope with current games. The manufacturer does not provide any options. There is only a weaker model with AMD components available for 600 Euros (~$644). Anyone hoping for fast SSD storage will need to add it themselves or buy a different 17-inch model from an alternative HP series.

Processor

Our test model houses a brand new Intel Core i7-6500U of the recently released Skylake generation. The used processor is one of the frugal series of mobile Intel CPUs. Intel specifies a TDP of only 15 W. Two cores (four threads) clock at a base clock of 2.5 GHz and the clock rate can increase to up to 3.1 GHz (both cores: 3 GHz). With Cinebench R15, we want to check, how much the new CPU differs from the previous model's Intel Core i7-5500U. Our comparison shows that HP's new Pavilion is about 9% faster in multi core use, while it performs only 5% better than the Acer TravelMate P277 (Intel Core i7-5500U).

According to Cinebench 15, a performance loss is not to be expected on battery.

Further comparisons of the used CPU can be found in our benchmark table of mobile processors.

Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 17-g120ng
GeForce 940M, 6500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
316 Points
HP Pavilion 17-g013ng
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
290 Points -8%
Acer Aspire VN7-572G-72L0
GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Lite-On CV1-8B128
329 Points +4%
HP ProBook 470 G3
Radeon R7 M340, 6500U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-75JC3T0
323 Points +2%
Acer TravelMate P277-MG-7474
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
302 Points -4%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 17-g120ng
GeForce 940M, 6500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
123 Points
HP Pavilion 17-g013ng
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
122 Points -1%
Acer Aspire VN7-572G-72L0
GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Lite-On CV1-8B128
132 Points +7%
HP ProBook 470 G3
Radeon R7 M340, 6500U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-75JC3T0
125 Points +2%
Acer TravelMate P277-MG-7474
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
123 Points 0%
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2990
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
8454
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
3295
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
23.44 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.73 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.98 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
34.82 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
316 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
123 Points
Help

System Performance

Our test model is equipped with powerful components. Unfortunately, it does not run absolutely smoothly due to a magnetic disk. The response time is often relatively long. This will be particularly noticeable to users used to SSD storage. Thus, the HP Pavilion cannot keep up with competing notebooks with SSDs. It is also very surprising that the new Pavilion 17 achieves about 300 points less than its predecessor.

PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 17-g120ng
GeForce 940M, 6500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2811 Points
HP Pavilion 17-g013ng
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3104 Points +10%
Acer Aspire E5-772G-70VP
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
5254 Points +87%
Acer Aspire VN7-572G-72L0
GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Lite-On CV1-8B128
3624 Points +29%
PCMark 7 Score
2811 points
Help

Storage Device

As in the previous test, the manufacturer uses a 5400 RPM hard drive. The 2.5-inch storage device features a capacity of 1 TB. The read and write rates of almost 100 MB/s are common for magnetic disks.

Next, we check the performance of the SD card reader with a Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II in a realistic copy and read scenario. Copying JPG files (about 5 MB each) is done at 31 MB/s. In the AS SSD benchmark, the sequential read rate is about 84.8 MB/s, while the write rate is about 61.4 MB/s.

Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Transfer Rate Minimum: 51.1 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 115 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 84 MB/s
Access Time: 17.8 ms
Burst Rate: 233.9 MB/s
CPU Usage: 3.1 %

Graphics Card

As in our previously reviewed model, HP uses an Nvidia GeForce 940M in the Pavilion 17. The used graphics card is mid-range and features 4096 MB of VRAM here. In 3DMark 11, our test model achieves 2438 points. The HP Pavilion 17-g013 scores the same. Overall, the used graphics card performs as expected.

Further benchmarks and comparisons of the used graphics unit can be found in our benchmark list of current notebook graphics cards.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 17-g120ng
2438 Points
Acer TravelMate P277-MG-7474
2609 Points +7%
HP Pavilion 17-g013ng
2438 Points 0%
Asus F751LB-T4030H
2487 Points +2%

Legend

 
HP Pavilion 17-g120ng Intel Core i7-6500U, NVIDIA GeForce 940M, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
 
Acer TravelMate P277-MG-7474 Intel Core i7-5500U, NVIDIA GeForce 940M, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
 
HP Pavilion 17-g013ng Intel Core i7-5500U, NVIDIA GeForce 940M, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
 
Asus F751LB-T4030H Intel Core i7-5500U, NVIDIA GeForce 940M, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
3DMark 11 Performance
2438 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
42425 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
6452 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1387 points
Help

Gaming Performance

As we have already seen in our previous test, the Nvidia GeForce 940M is even suitable for newer games. However, you have to select medium settings and a resolution of 1366x768 in most of them. In order to compare the gaming performance to the other Pavilion model, we have run the game “Battlefield Hardline”. Both models perform the same.

Our article, "Computer Games on Laptop Graphics Cards?" shows which other games will run on the used graphics card.

Battlefield 4
1366x768 Battlefield 4 medium (sort by value)
1366x768 Battlefield 4 high (sort by value)
low med. high ultra
Battlefield Hardline (2015) 74.2 50.8 17 10.1

Emissions & Energy

System Noise

System noise: red/cyan = load, green = idle
System noise: red/cyan = load, green = idle

Even while idling, the test model is always audible. This is due to the option "Fan always on" being enabled in the BIOS. If you deactivate it, the fan is quieter - at least while the system is idle. The test model gets rather loud under load with up to 47 dB(A). The previous model was disturbingly loud with 50 dB(A). We expect a better and quieter cooling in a large 17-inch notebook.

Noise Level

Idle
33.5 / 33.5 / 33.5 dB(A)
DVD
37.6 / dB(A)
Load
45 / 47 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)

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

Unfortunately, the current model of the Pavilion 17 gets 3 °C (~6 °F) warmer than its predecessor with a hotspot of 47 °C (~117 °F) on the underside. The notebook even reaches 46 °C (~115 °F) at the keyboard, which is clearly noticeable at the number pad. However, it is not to be expected that the maximum temperature is reached during everyday tasks. The temperature does not even climb that high during gaming. Thus, these high values should not put you off too much.

The core temperatures of the CPU during a load scenario are interesting too. With our stress test programs, FurMark and Prime95, we simulate such a scenario. After more than one hour, the CPU can still work at its Turbo Boost of 2900 MHz and the maximum core temperatures are about 80 °C (~176 °F). Thus, throttling will not occur. After the stress test, we restarted the 3DMark 11 benchmarks: The score is the same as that of the cold start.

 21.7 °C
71 F
24.6 °C
76 F
23.3 °C
74 F
 
 21.4 °C
71 F
23.7 °C
75 F
23.9 °C
75 F
 
 21.9 °C
71 F
21.4 °C
71 F
29.7 °C
85 F
 
Maximum: 29.7 °C = 85 F
Average: 23.5 °C = 74 F
24.6 °C
76 F
23 °C
73 F
23.3 °C
74 F
25.9 °C
79 F
23.6 °C
74 F
23.6 °C
74 F
29.1 °C
84 F
24.3 °C
76 F
21.9 °C
71 F
Maximum: 29.1 °C = 84 F
Average: 24.4 °C = 76 F
Power Supply (max.)  37 °C = 99 F | Room Temperature 20.8 °C = 69 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.6 °C / 91 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 46 °C / 115 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 47 °C / 117 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.5 °C / 74 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 31.7 °C / 89.1 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 (-2.9 °C / -5.3 F).

Power Consumption

While idling, the test model is not particularly power-hungry for its size with up to 10 W. Under load, the power consumption is between 45 W and 63 W. This is normal in view of the used components. During standby, the power consumption is about 0.6 W.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.8 / 10.1 / 10.4 Watt
Load midlight 45.4 / 63 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.

Battery Life

The manufacturer has not changed the 41 Wh battery.

We ran our Wi-Fi test, which simulates realistic web surfing at a brightness of 150 cd/m². The battery life is 4 hours and 16 minutes, which is almost equivalent to that of the previously reviewed model. The battery life is particularly good for a 17-inch notebook.

Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing (sort by value)
HP Pavilion 17-g120ng
GeForce 940M, 6500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
256 min
HP Pavilion 17-g013ng
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
261 min +2%
Acer Aspire E5-772G-70VP
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
259 min +1%
Asus F751LB-T4030H
GeForce 940M, 5500U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
234 min -9%
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
4h 16min

Pros

+ matte Full HD IPS panel
+ gaming capable
+ battery life for a 17 inch consumer device

Cons

- only 12 months warranty
- lid can be depressed
- fan runs permanently
- only Fast Ethernet

Verdict

In review: HP Pavilion 17-g013ng. Test model provided by: HP Store.
In review: HP Pavilion 17-g013ng. Test model provided by: HP Store.

HP continues the concept of the Pavilion 17 in this small update and once again delivers a solid all-round device. In our previous test we had already noticed the decent display and good performance. Unfortunately, the cooling system and system noise have not improved. It is particularly annoying that the new model costs 50 Euros (~$54) more, even though the performance has remained almost the same.

Overall, HP's bundle is alright. Anyone looking for a large and capable notebook, will find it in our test model.

However, you should also consider competitors like the Acer Aspire E5-772G. Since the difference compared to the Broadwell version is small, prospective buyers should take advantage of the predecessor's lower price.

HP Pavilion 17-g120ng - 01/12/2016 v5(old)
Nino Ricchizzi

Chassis
80 / 98 → 82%
Keyboard
79%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
64 / 81 → 79%
Weight
58 / 20-67 → 81%
Battery
84%
Display
88%
Games Performance
81 / 85 → 95%
Application Performance
82 / 92 → 89%
Temperature
87%
Noise
72 / 95 → 76%
Audio
56%
Camera
44 / 85 → 52%
Average
73%
80%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Nino Ricchizzi, 2016-01- 6 (Update: 2018-05-15)