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HP Pavilion Gaming 15 (i7-8750H, GTX 1050 Ti, Optane Memory, FHD) Laptop Review

Mid-range gamer. The Coffee Lake hexa-core processor and the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card can display all current games smoothly on the matte Full HD IPS display. On top of that, the device offers 8 GB of RAM in dual-channel mode, Intel Optane Memory and a decent keyboard. However, it also has some weaknesses.

The Pavilion Gaming 15 series consists of gaming notebooks that are positioned underneath the HP Omen series. HP has equipped its Pavilion models with upper mid-range graphics cards while the Omen models contain high-end GPUs. We tested the Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000, one of the better configurations of the series that was equipped with a GeForce GTX 1060 (3 GB), a few months ago. Our current test unit comes with a hexa-core Core i7-8750H and a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card. The Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52, Medion Erazer P6705, Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH and Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42 are among our test unit's comparison devices.

As both Pavilion models have the same build, we will not go into details about the case, connectivity, input devices and speakers. For further information on these aspects, please take a look at our review of the Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000. 

HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng (Pavilion 15-cx Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1620 MHz, Memory: 1752 MHz, GDDR5, 128 bit memory bus, Nvidia 417.01, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2666, Dual-Channel, two RAM slots (both occupied)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, BOE07A1, IPS, 60 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD, 869 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC295 @ Intel Cannon Lake PCH
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combined audio jack, Card Reader: SDXC, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25.4 x 365 x 256.5 ( = 1 x 14.37 x 10.1 in)
Battery
52.5 Wh, 4550 mAh Lithium-Ion, 11.55 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, McAfee LiveSafe (trial version), 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.4 kg ( = 84.66 oz / 5.29 pounds), Power Supply: 442 g ( = 15.59 oz / 0.97 pounds)
Price
999 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 27 mm / 1.063 inch 2.4 kg5.29 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 27 mm / 1.063 inch 2.3 kg5.12 lbs378 mm / 14.9 inch 267 mm / 10.5 inch 27 mm / 1.063 inch 2.4 kg5.36 lbs366 mm / 14.4 inch 254 mm / 10 inch 25.4 mm / 1 inch 2.3 kg5.18 lbs365 mm / 14.4 inch 256.5 mm / 10.1 inch 25.4 mm / 1 inch 2.4 kg5.29 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 268 mm / 10.6 inch 28 mm / 1.102 inch 2.3 kg5.16 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - DisplayPort via USB-C

While the Pavilion Gaming 15 model we already tested was equipped with a Thunderbolt 3 port, our current test unit only offers USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1. This can be used to transfer data and also to connect external screens. We tried it (please note: You need a separate adapter for DisplayPort via USB-C). According to the maintenance manual, the Type-C port supports DisplayPort 1.2 (resolutions of up to 4096x2304 pixels at 60 Hz). In total, the laptop has two video outputs.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=104, last 2 years)
98.2 MB/s +34%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80 MB/s +9%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
79.5 MB/s +9%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
79 MB/s +8%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
73.1 MB/s
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
70 MB/s -4%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +52%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s +8%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86 MB/s +7%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85 MB/s +6%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81.8 MB/s +2%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80.5 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (865 - 1412, n=12, last 2 years)
1078 MBit/s +65%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
660 MBit/s +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
655 (646min - 660max) MBit/s
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
636 MBit/s -3%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
632 MBit/s -4%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
630 MBit/s -4%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4
520 MBit/s -21%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (708 - 1700, n=12, last 2 years)
1310 MBit/s +110%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
689 MBit/s +10%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4
683 MBit/s +9%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
677 MBit/s +8%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
674 MBit/s +8%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
663 MBit/s +6%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
624 (509min - 654max) MBit/s
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630Tooltip
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø623 (509-654)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø655 (646-660)

Display - IPS has low brightness

While the Pavilion Gaming 15 model we already tested was equipped with a 144-Hz display, our current test unit contains a 60-Hz model. The display has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The contrast (1607:1) is good, but brightness could be better at 235.8 cd/m², particularly considering the price of the Pavilion. We generally consider values above 300 cd/m² and 1000:1 as good. At least the screen is bright enough for indoor use.

The screen uses PWM at brightness levels up to 90%. Its frequency is quite low at 208 Hz and could cause headaches and/or eye problems for sensitive users. 

Pixel array
Pixel array
Backlight bleeding
Backlight bleeding
262
cd/m²
257
cd/m²
265
cd/m²
234
cd/m²
241
cd/m²
229
cd/m²
198
cd/m²
218
cd/m²
218
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE07A1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 265 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 235.8 cd/m² Minimum: 13.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 75 %
Center on Battery: 208 cd/m²
Contrast: 1607:1 (Black: 0.15 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.85 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.15 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
59% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.04% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.72% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.49
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
TN, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
54%
0%
62%
-8%
-4%
Display P3 Coverage
39.72
63.4
60%
39.59
0%
66.5
67%
36.4
-8%
38.31
-4%
sRGB Coverage
59.3
87.4
47%
59.5
0%
91.7
55%
54.8
-8%
57.3
-3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
41.04
64
56%
40.92
0%
67.1
63%
37.61
-8%
39.58
-4%
Response Times
-5%
24%
64%
27%
1%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
47 ?(23, 24)
48.4 ?(24, 24.4)
-3%
38 ?(19.2, 18.8)
19%
17.6 ?(9.2, 8.4)
63%
44.8 ?(23.6, 21.2)
5%
43.6 ?(19.2, 24.4)
7%
Response Time Black / White *
31 ?(17, 14)
32.8 ?(18, 14.8)
-6%
22 ?(12, 10)
29%
11.2 ?(6, 5.2)
64%
16 ?(10, 6)
48%
32.4 ?(18, 14.4)
-5%
PWM Frequency
208 ?(90)
Screen
10%
1%
11%
-68%
-28%
Brightness middle
241
299
24%
252
5%
357.5
48%
200
-17%
282.8
17%
Brightness
236
284
20%
237
0%
351
49%
186
-21%
264
12%
Brightness Distribution
75
88
17%
86
15%
85
13%
85
13%
88
17%
Black Level *
0.15
0.24
-60%
0.21
-40%
0.36
-140%
0.43
-187%
0.42
-180%
Contrast
1607
1246
-22%
1200
-25%
993
-38%
465
-71%
673
-58%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.85
4.98
-3%
4.42
9%
4.19
14%
11.39
-135%
4.93
-2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.82
7.67
13%
7.21
18%
6.97
21%
19.36
-120%
17.65
-100%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.15
4.58
11%
3.74
27%
3.5
32%
11.73
-128%
3.8
26%
Gamma
2.49 88%
2.55 86%
2.34 94%
2.324 95%
1.97 112%
2.449 90%
CCT
7042 92%
6397 102%
7291 89%
7028 92%
12614 52%
6112 106%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
38
57
50%
38
0%
60
58%
35
-8%
36
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
59
87
47%
59
0%
91
54%
55
-7%
57
-3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.7
3.08
3.2
3.05
4.07
Total Average (Program / Settings)
20% / 17%
8% / 4%
46% / 28%
-16% / -43%
-10% / -19%

* ... smaller is better

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 208 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 208 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 208 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.

Pavilion vs. sRGB
Pavilion vs. sRGB
Pavilion vs. AdobeRGB
Pavilion vs. AdobeRGB

We measured a relatively decent DeltaE 2000 deviation of 4.85 ex-works. This is not too far off from the target range of DeltaE below 3. The display does not have a blue cast. The color spaces AdobeRGB and sRGB are not displayed fully - we measured color-space coverage of 38% (AdobeRGB) and 59% (sRGB).

The color profile provided by us (see above) can be used to improve the color accuracy of the screen. However, please make sure that your device is equipped with exactly the same display model (manufacturer + model number) as the one in our test unit. Otherwise, colors could actually worsen rather than improve. Manufacturers often use different displays from various manufacturers within the same notebook model.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation

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
31 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17 ms rise
↘ 14 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. » 81 % 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
47 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise
↘ 24 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 78 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

HP has equipped the Pavilion with an IPS panel with stable viewing angles. This means that the screen can be read from any position. The display brightness is sufficient for indoor use but will make using the device out of doors difficult or rather impossible, particularly as the maximum brightness is even lower when the device is running on battery (208 cd/m²).

The Pavilion outdoors (on a sunny day)
The Pavilion outdoors (on a sunny day)
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - sufficient for the next few years

The Pavilion Gaming 15 from Hewlett-Packard is a mid-range gaming notebook. The device has sufficient processing power for all normal applications and can display all current games smoothly. Our test unit is available for around $1,000. The starting price for other configurations is $900.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
LatencyMon
Intel XTU

Processor

The Pavilion is equipped with a hexa-core Intel Core i7-8750H (Coffee Lake). This is a mobile CPU with a TDP of 45 watts. Hewlett-Packard allows users to increase the TDP to 90 watts for a short time. The processor clocks at 2.2 GHz (base rate) but can be increased to 3.9 GHz (six cores), 4 GHz (four cores) or 4.1 GHz (one or two cores) in turbo mode.

There is basically no difference between Coffee Lake and Kaby Lake architecture. Therefore, the performance per MHz has remained the same. The higher performance of the Core i7-8750H compared to its predecessors is based mainly on the additional cores. The improved production process also enables Coffee Lake chips to have higher clock rates.

The processor clocks at 3.5 - 4 GHz during the first few seconds of our Cinebench multithread test. After that, the clock rate drops to 2.8 GHz - 3.1 GHz. The single-thread benchmark is completed at 3.9 - 4.1 GHz. These are the results when running on power supply. On battery, the processor clocks at 2.2 - 2.7 GHz (multithread) and 2.4 - 4.1 GHz (single-thread).

Single-thread (connected to power supply)
Single-thread (connected to power supply)
Multithread (connected to power supply)
Multithread (connected to power supply)
Single-thread (on battery)
Single-thread (on battery)
Multithread (on battery)
Multithread (on battery)

We can find out whether the turbo is used continuously by running the multithread Cinebench R15 benchmark in a loop for about 30 minutes. The results drop slightly between the first and second round but then remain constant for the remainder of the test. This means that the turbo is used. However, the Pavilion cannot keep up with the Acer Nitro 5, which is equipped with the same CPU/GPU combination. The latter offers results above 1000 points throughout the entire test.

06012018024030036042048054060066072078084090096010201080Tooltip
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø988 (977.49-1049.42)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0 AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U: Ø658 (642.69-661.47)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1046 (1037.32-1090)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø855 (845-860.07)
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø969 (936-1116.11)
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Core i5-8300H, Intel Core i5-8300H: Ø817 (804.93-829.48)
Clock rates during the CB15 loop
Clock rates during the CB15 loop
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6692
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
32391
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6630
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
72.4 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
11.26 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.98 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
105.2 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1049 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
173 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=245, last 2 years)
265 Points +53%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Core i7-8750H
177 Points +2%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points +1%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
Intel Core i7-8750H
173 Points 0%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
173 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (163 - 177, n=86)
172 Points -1%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H
171 Points -1%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
150 Points -13%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=246, last 2 years)
2988 Points +185%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
Intel Core i7-8750H
1116 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (863 - 1251, n=93)
1113 Points +6%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Core i7-8750H
1090 Points +4%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
1049 Points
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H
863 Points -18%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H
830 Points -21%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
661 Points -37%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (19.7 - 64.3, n=24, last 2 years)
35.7 Points +217%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Core i7-8750H
12.98 Points +15%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (9.54 - 13.5, n=41)
12.2 Points +8%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
Intel Core i7-8750H
12.01 Points +7%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
11.26 Points
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H
9.54 Points -15%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
7.53 Points -33%
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (2.62 - 3.73, n=23, last 2 years)
3.21 Points +62%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.99 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.99 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.98 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (1.89 - 2, n=40)
1.967 Points -1%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.96 Points -1%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1.71 Points -14%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (35806 - 112749, n=24, last 2 years)
59061 Points +82%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (29664 - 35307, n=25)
33163 Points +2%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
32391 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (5847 - 15819, n=24, last 2 years)
9035 Points +36%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
6630 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (6236 - 6645, n=25)
6479 Points -2%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (20725 - 22665, n=13)
21871 Points +3%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
21215 Points
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (3734 - 4163, n=13)
3995 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
3955 Points
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (31808 - 41034, n=3, last 2 years)
36990 Points +93%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (17048 - 22006, n=8)
19665 Points +3%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
19159 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (6453 - 7348, n=3, last 2 years)
6951 Points +43%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
4854 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (4548 - 4997, n=8)
4839 Points 0%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (27071 - 71700, n=28, last 2 years)
47975 Points +137%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (17709 - 23313, n=17)
21069 Points +4%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
20235 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (5812 - 8936, n=28, last 2 years)
7514 Points +50%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
5009 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (4669 - 5146, n=17)
4982 Points -1%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (695 - 1272, n=50)
1108 ms * -1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
1102 ms *
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H (Microsoft Edge 42.17134.1.0)
1095 ms * +1%
Average of class Gaming
  (421 - 882, n=217, last 2 years)
526 ms * +52%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming
  (66558 - 111243, n=51, last 2 years)
90966 Points +162%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
34775 Points
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H (Microsoft Edge 42.17134.1.0)
34278 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (27460 - 44549, n=47)
34108 Points -2%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming
  (356 - 639, n=27, last 2 years)
478 Points +92%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H (Microsoft Edge 42.17134.1.0)
250.6 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
248.6 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (205 - 299, n=49)
247 Points -1%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The Pavilion does not lack performance power. The hexa-core processor performs well in all the usual areas of use and offers sufficient reserves for the next few years. The dedicated graphics card also enables gaming. In addition, the combination of a hexa-core processor, RAM in dual-channel mode and Intel Optane Memory ensures a smooth-running system. The results of the PCMark benchmarks confirm our very good impression. We did not encounter any issues here.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 7 Score
6418 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4259 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4820 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5249 points
PCMark 10 Score
4732 points
Help
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=206, last 2 years)
7542 Points +59%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5001 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (4532 - 5162, n=10)
4851 Points +3%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
4812 Points +2%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4767 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD
4732 Points
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4724 Points 0%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), R7 2700U, SK Hynix HFS128G39TND
3763 Points -20%
Essentials
Average of class Gaming
  (7334 - 12334, n=205, last 2 years)
10674 Points +27%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
8735 Points +4%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
8418 Points 0%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD
8388 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (7142 - 9110, n=10)
8371 Points 0%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
8186 Points -2%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7598 Points -9%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), R7 2700U, SK Hynix HFS128G39TND
6733 Points -20%
Productivity
Average of class Gaming
  (6282 - 11833, n=205, last 2 years)
9693 Points +44%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
7246 Points +8%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
7088 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (6607 - 7332, n=10)
6989 Points +4%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6830 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD
6739 Points
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6629 Points -2%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), R7 2700U, SK Hynix HFS128G39TND
5574 Points -17%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Gaming
  (5288 - 18475, n=205, last 2 years)
11339 Points +123%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5682 Points +12%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5485 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (5070 - 5616, n=10)
5305 Points +4%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5258 Points +3%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD
5088 Points
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
4959 Points -3%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), R7 2700U, SK Hynix HFS128G39TND
3855 Points -24%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +23%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4606 Points +8%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
4371 Points +3%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD
4259 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (3894 - 4371, n=10)
4162 Points -2%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
4129 Points -3%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4017 Points -6%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), R7 2700U, SK Hynix HFS128G39TND
3860 Points -9%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +16%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5370 Points +2%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
5369 Points +2%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5346 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (4973 - 5461, n=10)
5312 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5308 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD
5249 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), R7 2700U, SK Hynix HFS128G39TND
4810 Points -8%

Storage Devices

HP has equipped the Pavilion with Intel Optane Memory that consists of a 2.5-inch hard drive (1 TB of storage, 7200 rpm) and a 16-GB NVMe SSD from Intel. The SSD is used as a fast cache for the hard drive. This should speed up start-ups, searching for files and storing large sets of data significantly.

Overall, the transfer rates are good. Optane is used primarily to increase the read rates and the test unit's write rates are accordingly low in comparison. The random read rates are particularly high. The Optane transfer rates can be positioned between those of SATA III SSDs and NVMe SSDs.

Users do not have to use Optane. Alternatively, they could also go for a combination of an SSD as system drive and an HDD for storage, or simply just use one of the two storage devices. 

The solid state drive...
The solid state drive...
...and the hard drive are combined to offer Optane Memory
...and the hard drive are combined to offer Optane Memory
Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD
Sequential Read: 851 MB/s
Sequential Write: 156.6 MB/s
512K Read: 778 MB/s
512K Write: 153.1 MB/s
4K Read: 120 MB/s
4K Write: 69.3 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 568 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 162 MB/s
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
SK Hynix HFS128G39TND
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
Average Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-25%
80%
298%
266%
9%
0%
Write 4K
59.2
73
23%
78.8
33%
129.5
119%
107
81%
71.8
21%
59.2
0%
Read 4K
91.3
29.16
-68%
29.51
-68%
44.61
-51%
39.91
-56%
41.03
-55%
91.3
0%
Write Seq
158.3
135.9
-14%
581
267%
1268
701%
1439
809%
349
120%
158.3
0%
Read Seq
880
498.5
-43%
934
6%
992
13%
2011
129%
736
-16%
880
0%
Write 4K Q32T1
161.8
135.4
-16%
280.8
74%
535
231%
282.1
74%
105.3
-35%
161.8
0%
Read 4K Q32T1
286.5
215.6
-25%
335.6
17%
601
110%
326.6
14%
308
8%
287
0%
Write Seq Q32T1
159.8
135.7
-15%
571
257%
1938
1113%
1441
802%
151.4
-5%
159.8
0%
Read Seq Q32T1
929
512
-45%
1389
50%
2306
148%
3516
278%
1262
36%
929
0%
AS SSD
-17%
217%
649%
310%
21%
0%
Seq Read
854
470.8
-45%
1321
55%
1235
45%
2724
219%
1231
44%
854
0%
Seq Write
147
126.8
-14%
554
277%
1829
1144%
1365
829%
131.6
-10%
147
0%
4K Read
105.1
23.64
-78%
32.38
-69%
35.03
-67%
46.14
-56%
38.71
-63%
105.1
0%
4K Write
59.5
54.5
-8%
94.5
59%
95.9
61%
102.6
72%
35.74
-40%
59.5
0%
4K-64 Read
42.09
203.1
383%
505
1100%
1160
2656%
567
1247%
335.3
697%
42.1
0%
4K-64 Write
137.3
127.1
-7%
511
272%
1808
1217%
459.8
235%
78.9
-43%
137.3
0%
Access Time Read *
14.99
0.121
99%
0.12
99%
0.051
100%
0.08
99%
0.626
96%
15
-0%
Access Time Write *
0.043
0.269
-526%
0.039
9%
0.038
12%
0.037
14%
0.287
-567%
0.043
-0%
Score Read
233
274
18%
670
188%
1319
466%
886
280%
497
113%
233
0%
Score Write
211
194
-8%
661
213%
2087
889%
699
231%
128
-39%
211
0%
Score Total
577
600
4%
1643
185%
4113
613%
1983
244%
838
45%
577
0%
Copy ISO MB/s
110.1
110.1
0%
Copy Program MB/s
94.1
94.1
0%
Copy Game MB/s
81.7
81.7
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-21% / -20%
149% / 159%
474% / 501%
288% / 292%
15% / 16%
0% / 0%

* ... smaller is better

GPU Performance

Nvidia's dedicated GeForce GTX 1050 Ti belongs to the upper mid-range of graphics cards. The Pascal model supports DirectX 12 and reaches speeds of up to 1620 MHz. The GPU has 4096 MB of GDDR5 VRAM available. The results of the 3DMark benchmarks show that the GPU cannot quite reach its full potential in this device. Again, the Acer Nitro 5, equipped with the same CPU/GPU combination, reaches results that are 10 - 15% higher. The average clock rate of the GPU in the HP device was slightly lower than that of the Nitro 5 GPU.

HP's 15.6-inch Pavilion is equipped with the graphics-switching technology Optimus. This means that the device uses Intel's integrated UHD Graphics 630 for simpler, everyday workloads and when running on battery, and it switches to the Nvidia core for graphically demanding scenarios such as gaming.

Sky Diver
Sky Diver
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark 06 Standard Score
33957 points
3DMark 11 Performance
8501 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
87964 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
25570 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6286 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
2196 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=244, last 2 years)
39642 Points +377%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
13030 Points +57%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i5-8300H
9909 Points +19%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (8304 - 10402, n=36)
9591 Points +15%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
9203 Points +11%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
8624 Points +4%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
8451 Points +2%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
8304 Points
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (15902 - 193851, n=155, last 2 years)
134902 Points +189%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
74599 Points +60%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
51337 Points +10%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i5-8300H
50387 Points +8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (43721 - 53978, n=37)
50013 Points +7%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
47895 Points +3%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
46618 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
34407 Points -26%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=248, last 2 years)
29013 Points +327%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
10511 Points +55%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (6792 - 8376, n=38)
7743 Points +14%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i5-8300H
7740 Points +14%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
7682 Points +13%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
7192 Points +6%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
6792 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
6262 Points -8%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=246, last 2 years)
11809 Points +493%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (1990 - 2536, n=16)
2309 Points +16%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
1990 Points

Gaming Performance

The hardware of the Pavilion is able to display all current games smoothly. Most of the games in our database can even be displayed at maximum resolution. Current games allow average to high quality settings. Older games that are less demanding on the hardware can be displayed with higher details.

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 326.3 237.1 174.7 80
BioShock Infinite (2013) 259.7 200.5 180.5 71.9
The Witcher 3 (2015) 116 69.7 40 23.1
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) 95.9 92 74.9 69.3
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 (2018) 107.8 47.6 47.5 44
Hitman 2 (2018) 60.8 43.1 37.8 33.4
Fallout 76 (2018) 60 50.3 44.1 43.1
Battlefield V (2018) 65.8 53.2 44.5 39.5
Farming Simulator 19 (2018) 163.1 124.8 79.1 60.1
Darksiders III (2018) 116.6 60.2 44.7 38.9
Just Cause 4 (2018) 65.6 40.9 34.6 33.2
BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
102 fps +42%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (61 - 97, n=23)
73.2 fps +2%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
71.9 fps
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
61 fps -15%
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Gaming
  (17.5 - 449, n=175, last 2 years)
214 fps +435%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
50 fps +25%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
48.7 fps +22%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
46.4 fps +16%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (21.3 - 51.9, n=26)
45.1 fps +13%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
42.9 fps +7%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
40 fps
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
33.2 fps -17%
Farming Simulator 19 - 1920x1080 Very High Preset
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
60.1 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (59.3 - 60.1, n=2)
59.7 fps -1%
MSI GE72 7RE
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
59.3 (50min) fps -1%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
27 fps -55%
Just Cause 4 - 1920x1080 Medium / Off AF:4x
MSI GE72 7RE
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
50.3 (45min) fps +23%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (40.9 - 54, n=3)
48.4 fps +18%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
40.9 fps
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 - 1920x1080 Very High / On
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
44 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (35.5 - 47.7, n=4)
41.2 fps -6%
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
37.7 fps -14%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
35.5 (26min - 45max) fps -19%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
20.3 fps -54%

We ran the game The Witcher 3 for about 60 minutes in Full HD resolution and high quality settings to find out whether the device can keep up the frame rate over a long period of time. The in-game character remains stationary during this entire period. We did not record a drop in the frame rate.

05101520253035404550556065707580859095100105110115120125130135140145150155160165170175180185190195200205210215220225230235240245250255260265270275280285290295300305310315320325330335340345350355360365370375380Tooltip
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel Optane 16 GB MEMPEK1J016GAH + HGST HTS721010A9E630 1 TB HDD: Ø40 (34-44)
Average of class Gaming  : Ø197.8 (182.8-382)
GPU results during our The Witcher 3 test
GPU results during our The Witcher 3 test

Emissions - relatively high temperatures

System Noise

The two fans in the Pavilion run at low speed constantly while the device is idling. This is due to HP's own BIOS function "Fan always on". If this is disabled, the cooling fans can occasionally stand still while the laptop is idling. There is a noticeable difference between when the fans are running during idle and when they are turned off. However, even then the device is not silent as the hard drive emits audible noise. This can only be avoided by exchanging the HDD for an SSD. The device becomes quite loud under load as the cooling fans turn up significantly. We measured 43 dB(A) during the stress test. The results are very similar at average load with a system noise of 42.8 dB(A). 

Noise Level

Idle
30.6 / 30.6 / 33.2 dB(A)
DVD
0 / dB(A)
Load
42.8 / 43 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.6 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.233.731.431.836.22533.830.233.630.733.83132.33231.632.932.3403228.931.130.2325029.63132.23029.66331.831.328.927.831.88027.32827.727.427.310025.926.426.126.525.912526.226.225.625.826.216026.326.524.825.326.320026.826.223.922.726.825027.327.722.722.727.331528.829.422.32228.840028.429.324.92128.450028.328.622.220.128.363028.528.420.619.828.580031.431.22618.931.4100032.432.423.318.332.4125031.531.721.31831.5160034.134.421.718.134.1200031.832.219.717.931.8250034.234.619.718.134.2315031.331.319.118.131.3400030.630.41918.330.650002626.719.118.426630023.123.118.818.623.1800020.720.718.918.820.71000019.819.918.818.819.81250019.519.218.718.619.5160002019.319.118.720SPL42.84333.230.942.8N3.83.91.71.33.8median 28.3median 28.4median 21.3median 18.8median 28.3Delta4.34.22.11.94.3hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
R7 2700U, Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
 
Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
2%
-3%
-2%
-7%
7%
-1%
5%
off / environment *
30.6
29
5%
30
2%
28.3
8%
29
5%
28
8%
29.4 ?(27.7 - 30.9, n=32)
4%
24.1 ?(19.5 - 29.9, n=192, last 2 years)
21%
Idle Minimum *
30.6
29
5%
30
2%
32.2
-5%
29
5%
28
8%
30.7 ?(28 - 34, n=35)
-0%
25.6 ?(21.9 - 41.6, n=193, last 2 years)
16%
Idle Average *
30.6
31
-1%
32
-5%
32.4
-6%
34
-11%
28
8%
31.7 ?(28 - 35, n=35)
-4%
27.4 ?(21.9 - 42.1, n=193, last 2 years)
10%
Idle Maximum *
33.2
32
4%
33
1%
32.4
2%
43
-30%
28.5
14%
33.8 ?(28.5 - 44, n=35)
-2%
30.8 ?(21.9 - 47, n=193, last 2 years)
7%
Load Average *
42.8
36
16%
42
2%
40.2
6%
44
-3%
34.9
18%
41.3 ?(32.7 - 50, n=35)
4%
43.2 ?(25.2 - 62.9, n=193, last 2 years)
-1%
Witcher 3 ultra *
42.1
44
-5%
46
-9%
45
-7%
44
-5%
40
5%
Load Maximum *
43
46
-7%
49
-14%
47.2
-10%
48
-12%
49.6
-15%
47.2 ?(40.8 - 53, n=35)
-10%
53.3 ?(42.1 - 68.2, n=193, last 2 years)
-24%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

The Pavilion during our stress test
The Pavilion during our stress test

Our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark running for at least an hour) is completed differently depending on whether the Pavilion is running on power supply or in battery mode. When connected to the grid, the processor clocks at 1.8 - 2 GHz while the graphics core reaches speeds of around 1600 MHz. On battery, the CPU throttles to 800 MHz and the GPU clocks at between 1300 and 1400 MHz.

The notebook heats up a little too much during our stress test. We registered temperatures above 50 °C in some areas. However, this is not too worrisome as the stress test represents an extreme scenario that will not occur during everyday use. We simply use this test to find out whether the system remains stable even at maximum load. The temperature development was even more significant during our The Witcher 3 test (with the game running at Full HD resolution and high quality settings for an hour). The temperatures are fine during everyday use. 

Max. Load
 40.6 °C
105 F
26.3 °C
79 F
44.1 °C
111 F
 
 35.7 °C
96 F
43.4 °C
110 F
40.6 °C
105 F
 
 27.9 °C
82 F
27 °C
81 F
30.6 °C
87 F
 
Maximum: 44.1 °C = 111 F
Average: 35.1 °C = 95 F
53.8 °C
129 F
52 °C
126 F
46.5 °C
116 F
35.9 °C
97 F
35.9 °C
97 F
36.3 °C
97 F
25.6 °C
78 F
26.5 °C
80 F
29.4 °C
85 F
Maximum: 53.8 °C = 129 F
Average: 38 °C = 100 F
Power Supply (max.)  42 °C = 108 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.1 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.1 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 53.8 °C / 129 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.1 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.2 °C / 95 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30.6 °C / 87.1 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-1.7 °C / -3.1 F).
Heat map top (idle)
Heat map top (idle)
Heat map bottom (idle)
Heat map bottom (idle)
Heat map top (The Witcher 3)
Heat map top (The Witcher 3)
Heat map bottom (The Witcher 3)
Heat map bottom (The Witcher 3)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
R7 2700U, Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
 
Average of class Gaming
 
Heat
-4%
-22%
-11%
5%
-18%
-5%
-12%
Maximum Upper Side *
44.1
47
-7%
52
-18%
46
-4%
45
-2%
42.8
3%
46.5 ?(30 - 58.6, n=36)
-5%
46.3 ?(28.2 - 61, n=192, last 2 years)
-5%
Maximum Bottom *
53.8
44
18%
55
-2%
52
3%
43
20%
52
3%
48.4 ?(36.4 - 59.4, n=36)
10%
49.7 ?(30 - 66.3, n=192, last 2 years)
8%
Idle Upper Side *
24.6
30
-22%
36
-46%
29
-18%
25
-2%
32
-30%
28.6 ?(22.2 - 36, n=35)
-16%
31.5 ?(21.2 - 43, n=192, last 2 years)
-28%
Idle Bottom *
26.7
28
-5%
32
-20%
33
-24%
26
3%
39.4
-48%
28.9 ?(22.1 - 39.4, n=35)
-8%
32.7 ?(22.6 - 45, n=192, last 2 years)
-22%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.731.833.72531.630.731.6313332.9334030.830.230.85029.93029.96328.827.828.88027.327.427.310027.126.527.112528.225.828.216041.725.341.720043.922.743.925041.622.741.631550.32250.340060.32160.35006020.16063064.719.864.780066.318.966.3100066.418.366.4125068.81868.816006418.164200065.117.965.1250065.518.165.5315064.318.164.3400065.418.365.4500064.218.464.2630066.618.666.6800070.418.870.41000065.818.865.81250056.418.656.41600054.918.754.9SPL77.930.977.9N39.41.339.4median 64.2median 18.8median 64.2Delta7.81.97.835.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ngApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 73% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 53% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 40% 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%

Energy Management - not a lot of stamina

Power Consumption

The power consumption is normal on every level for this combination of hardware. We measured a maximum consumption of 11.9 watts while idling. This increased to up to 144 watts during our stress test. Users can expect around 94 watts (+/- 20 watts) during everyday gaming use. The rated output of the power supply is 150 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.5 / 8.5 / 11.9 Watt
Load midlight 94 / 144 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 Gaming 15-cx0003ng
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
R7 2700U, Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
 
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
-14%
5%
-10%
12%
-4%
-19%
-98%
Idle Minimum *
5.5
7
-27%
5
9%
6
-9%
4
27%
4.5
18%
7.92 ?(3.8 - 14.6, n=36)
-44%
13.8 ?(2 - 64, n=189, last 2 years)
-151%
Idle Average *
8.5
10
-18%
7
18%
11.2
-32%
7
18%
10
-18%
11.9 ?(6.6 - 20, n=36)
-40%
19 ?(6.5 - 67, n=189, last 2 years)
-124%
Idle Maximum *
11.9
18
-51%
11
8%
13.3
-12%
11
8%
13.8
-16%
15.4 ?(8.1 - 25, n=36)
-29%
26.6 ?(9 - 101.1, n=189, last 2 years)
-124%
Load Average *
94
79
16%
91
3%
89.2
5%
72
23%
92.5
2%
85.1 ?(57.6 - 114.2, n=36)
9%
112 ?(32.1 - 202, n=189, last 2 years)
-19%
Witcher 3 ultra *
86
98
-14%
97
-13%
101.9
-18%
79
8%
108.1
-26%
Load Maximum *
144
128
11%
137
5%
134.5
7%
158
-10%
123.2
14%
130.5 ?(100 - 163, n=36)
9%
250 ?(64.5 - 418, n=188, last 2 years)
-74%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtimes

The Pavilion reaches a runtime of 5:18 hours during our realistic Wi-Fi test. We use this test to simulate the load of browsing the Internet with the energy profile set to "balanced" and display brightness at around 150 cd/m². The HP Pavilion managed to keep going for 4:38 hours during our video test, for which we used the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.264 coding, 1920x1080 pixels) in a loop. The wireless modules are disabled and the energy-saving profile is turned on during this test with the display brightness set to 150 cd/m² again.

This positions the Pavilion far below its sister model in terms of battery runtimes - although that is equipped with a stronger GPU. Why? The battery in our current test unit has a significantly lower capacity (52.2 Wh vs. 70 Wh). On top of that, the battery has a rate of wear of 8%. The Acer Nitro 5, which is equipped with the same CPU/GPU combination, proves that it does not have to be this way. It manages to get a longer runtime out of its 48-Wh battery than both of the Pavilion Gaming 15 models we have tested.

The battery has a capacity of 52.5 Wh
The battery has a capacity of 52.5 Wh
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
10h 49min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44)
5h 18min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
4h 38min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 23min
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 52.5 Wh
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
R7 2700U, Radeon RX 560X (Laptop), 48 Wh
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 48 Wh
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, 70 Wh
Medion Erazer P6705-MD61131
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 62 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 52.5 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
7%
27%
2%
28%
-23%
11%
Reader / Idle
649
752
16%
478
-26%
534
-18%
548 ?(57 - 1290, n=90, last 2 years)
-16%
H.264
278
428
54%
392 ?(56 - 747, n=97, last 2 years)
41%
WiFi v1.3
318
340
7%
418
31%
375
18%
400
26%
245
-23%
365 ?(57 - 745, n=190, last 2 years)
15%
Load
83
90
8%
95
14%
147
77%
85.5 ?(36 - 173, n=153, last 2 years)
3%

Verdict

Pros

+ matte IPS display
+ Full HD resolution
+ decent keyboard
+ high storage capacity

Cons

- dark display
- loud cooling fans
- unstable/wobbly lid
- heats up quite a lot under load
- average battery runtimes
The HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng, provided by HP Germany
The HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng, provided by HP Germany

The Pavilion Gaming 15 is a 15.6-inch mid-range gaming notebook. The combination of a Core i7-8750H processor and a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card can display all games that are currently in our database smoothly. However, the most-demanding modern games should be played at lower settings. The hexa-core processor also offers sufficient processing power for applications beyond gaming loads. If you do not need a hexa-core processor and/or would like to save some money, you should take a look at a Pavilion model that is equipped with a quad-core Core i5-8300H.

The Intel Optane Memory combination consists of a 1-TB HDD and a 16-GB NVMe SSD and ensures a fast-running system. The use of Optane is optional. The cache SSD could be replaced by a larger NVMe device from a different manufacturer, which could then be used as the system drive while the HDD would be used for data storage only.

The Full HD IPS display in the Pavilion offers stable viewing angles and good contrast. The brightness is too low for a device in this price range. Its battery runtimes are fine for a gaming notebook, although some comparable competitors have more to offer. The keyboard is quite good, particularly for a gaming notebook.

HP has created a series of gaming notebooks that is positioned below the Omen series. These devices are supposed to offer as much gaming performance as possible for a comparatively low price. While the device fulfills this goal, it does not unleash waves of enthusiasm.

The cooling fans in our test unit could also be better, as these produce a lot of noise. On top of that, the case itself is not quite as stable as we would have hoped for. For example, the relatively unstable display cover shows that a large part of the budget was spent on the device's insides rather than its outside. The Acer Nitro 5 is equipped with the same CPU/GPU combination but manages to get more performance out of these components while simultaneously offering significantly better battery runtimes. 

HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng - 12/12/2018 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
75 / 98 → 77%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
79%
Connectivity
62 / 81 → 77%
Weight
60 / 10-66 → 90%
Battery
80%
Display
84%
Games Performance
90%
Application Performance
93%
Temperature
86 / 95 → 91%
Noise
83 / 90 → 93%
Audio
55%
Camera
42 / 85 → 49%
Average
75%
83%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Pavilion Gaming 15 (i7-8750H, GTX 1050 Ti, Optane Memory, FHD) Laptop Review
Sascha Mölck, 2018-12-14 (Update: 2018-12-17)