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HP Pavilion Gaming 15t (i7-8750H, GTX 1060 3 GB) Laptop Review

Cut corners. How much is a 144 Hz display worth? The Pavilion Gaming 15t is HP's latest entry in the budget gaming laptop market, designed to compete with the likes of Acer's Helio 300 and Dell's G7. While most areas of the notebook are good (including its high refresh rate screen), HP cut a few corners in their pursuit of the best budget gaming notebook.

Lower-cost gaming laptops keep getting better and better. Dell's G7 and Acer's Helios 300 are proof of this theory, and OEMs are being pushed to improve their entry-level gaming notebooks as a result. HP is looking to up the ante with its Pavilion Gaming 15t, the company's newest entry in the mid-tier gaming market and the direct successor to the Pavilion Power 15.

The Pavilion Gaming 15t takes some cues from HP's other lines. There are echoes of design language from both Omen and Pavilion laptops, and the result falls somewhere in the middle. The internals of the laptop are decidedly mid-range. Intel's Core i7-8750H pairs well with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q. These are small upgrades from the usual Core i5-8300H/GTX 1050 Ti combo typically seen in this price bracket, but HP is keeping costs at bay by opting for the 3 GB variant of the 1060 Max-Q. A 144 Hz display, 16 GB of RAM, an NVMe boot SSD and 1 TB HDD round off the specifications. These options are upgrades over what we're used to seeing in the USD $1200-1300 bracket. Will they be enough to edge out competitors? We shall see.

The mid-tier gaming market has never been more competitive. Dell's G7, the Acer Helios 300, the Asus FX503VM, Lenovo's Legion Y530, and the MSI GV62 are all strong contenders in this space. Each of these makes its own sacrifices to hit a lower price bracket. Will that be enough for the Pavilion Gaming 15t to rise above the rest? Let's dive in.

HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000 (Pavilion 15-cx Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q - 3 GB VRAM, Core: 1063 MHz, Memory: 2002 MHz, GDDR5, Nvidia Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666 / PC4-21300, 1333.3 MHz, 2 x 8 GB
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics AUO82ED, IPS, 144 Hz refresh rate, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, 512 GB 
, 512 GB PCIe SSD + 1 TB 5400 RPM HDD, 1406 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 0 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Headphone/Microphone combo, Card Reader: Full-sized SD/SDHC/SDXC Card reader, Brightness Sensor
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 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25.4 x 366 x 254 ( = 1 x 14.41 x 10 in)
Battery
70 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2 x 2W, Bang & Olufsen, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, B&O Play Audio Control, HP JumpStart, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.349 kg ( = 82.86 oz / 5.18 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
1370 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Pavilion Gaming 15t's case is a blend of premium and budget materials.  The keyboard deck is a single piece of brushed black aluminum that looks sleek but attracts fingerprints. This beauty is more than skin deep; the deck is very sturdy. Flex is minimal, even across the vents along the top edge. The rest of the device is plastic. The bottom panel is as firm as the top deck. There are no noticeable weak spots, and the bottom does not warp under direct pressure. Both the keyboard deck and bottom panel creak slightly when pressed.

The lid is the polar opposite of the main chassis. Made entirely from plastic, it is thin and feels flimsy. It easily twists under light torsion. Warping the back of the lid (such as near the HP logo) does not distort the LCD display, hinting at some shielding between the panel and its housing. The lid does not creak when twisted. The hinge is sturdy and strong. It is a bit too stiff for one-handed opening, but it holds the display in place and does not wobble under normal use (e.g., while typing). All said, build quality is good with the exception of the weak display housing.

The Pavilion Gaming 15t has a smaller footprint than most other 15-inch gaming laptops. This is thanks in part to its small display bezels; while the Pavilion certainly doesn't qualify as a "bezel-less" laptop, the display housing has trimmed a few centimeters off the sides. The keyboard also extends up to the sides of the case, leaving about 1.5 cm of clearance. The angle of the bottom panel makes the laptop look thinner than it really is. At about 2.5 cm thick, it's depth is average for a mid-tier device.

432 mm / 17 inch 290 mm / 11.4 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.9 kg6.42 lbs389 mm / 15.3 inch 274.7 mm / 10.8 inch 24.95 mm / 0.982 inch 2.6 kg5.8 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs384 mm / 15.1 inch 262 mm / 10.3 inch 24 mm / 0.945 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs366 mm / 14.4 inch 254 mm / 10 inch 25.4 mm / 1 inch 2.3 kg5.18 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 268 mm / 10.6 inch 28 mm / 1.102 inch 2.3 kg5.16 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 263 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.4 kg5.34 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

The Pavilion Gaming 15t has a good selection of ports, including a single USB Type-C port. Unfortunately, Thunderbolt 3 is missing. That limits peripheral options, especially for external displays; the HDMI 1.4 port is the sole monitor hookup. The ports are a bit too close together; large thumb drives or USB connectors may block other ports. 

Left: 2x USB 3.0 (Gen 1) Type-A, Kensington lock, drive activity light, SD card reader
Left: 2x USB 3.0 (Gen 1) Type-A, Kensington lock, drive activity light, SD card reader
Right: Headset, Ethernet, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.0 (Gen 1) Type-A, USB 3.0 (Gen 1) Type-C, DC in
Right: Headset, Ethernet, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.0 (Gen 1) Type-A, USB 3.0 (Gen 1) Type-C, DC in

SD Card Reader

The full-sized SD card reader is about average for most gaming laptops, budget or not. Read and write speeds hover around 80 MB/s, which is fairly good. A few devices in this price bracket are a bit better, but users will need to shell out quite a bit more to get a significantly faster card reader.

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 +24%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
79.5 MB/s
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
78 MB/s -2%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76.5 MB/s -4%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76 MB/s -4%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.22 MB/s -67%
Dell G7 15-7588
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
22.53 MB/s -72%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +50%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s +6%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86.9 MB/s +6%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86 MB/s +5%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81.8 MB/s
Dell G7 15-7588
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
34.51 MB/s -58%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32.06 MB/s -61%

Communication

Similar to the SD card reader, WiFi speeds are average for a gaming laptop. Send and receive speeds are good (630-680 MBit/s), and connections are reliable. Game and file downloads occurr quickly and with no hiccups. We experienced no drops during our review period.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (865 - 1412, n=12, last 2 years)
1078 MBit/s +71%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
643 MBit/s +2%
Dell G7 15-7588
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
642 MBit/s +2%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
640 MBit/s +2%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
632 MBit/s 0%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
630 MBit/s
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
458 MBit/s -27%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
Intel Wireless AC 9462
355 MBit/s -44%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (708 - 1700, n=12, last 2 years)
1310 MBit/s +94%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
692 MBit/s +2%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
690 MBit/s +2%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
677 MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
663 MBit/s -2%
Dell G7 15-7588
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
660 MBit/s -3%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
513 MBit/s -24%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
Intel Wireless AC 9462
326 MBit/s -52%

Maintenance

Maintenance is fairly easy. Seven Phillips Head #0 screws and several plastic clips hold the bottom panel on. Keep in mind that the four screws along the top of the bottom panel (adjacent to the display hinge) are longer than the three along the bottom edge. There is a small notch in the upper-right corner of the bottom panel (right above the pair of USB 3.0 ports) that can be used to pry the plastic clips and remove the bottom panel. 

Once the case is opened, users will have ready access to every component inside the machine. The CPU and GPU are soldered to the motherboard, but the heat pipe array can be removed for re-applying thermal paste if desired. Both RAM modules, both storage drives, and the WiFi card are easy to replace. The battery can also be swapped out. All said, while maintenance isn't as easy as Dell's G7, upgrades and repairs are simple and straightforward.

The HP Pavilion Gaming 15t comes with a standard 12-month warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

The bottom panel is held on by 7 screws (circled).
The bottom panel is held on by 7 screws (circled).
Most components are accessible.
Most components are accessible.
Heat pipe array
Heat pipe array
RAM and HDD
RAM and HDD

Input Devices

Keyboard

One of the biggest weaknesses of low- and mid-tiered gaming laptops typically lies in their input devices. Thankfully, the Pavilion Gaming 15t's keyboard is excellent. Feedback is firm and response is crisp. The keyboard extends across almost the entire deck, which gives plenty of space for the keycaps (16 mm x 16 mm). This makes typing a breeze. Compared to the Dell G7's small keys and mushy response, the Pavilion Gaming 15t's keyboard is far superior. Clatter is similar to the G7; while present, the noise isn't overly distracting.

We do have a few complaints. The half-sized up and down arrow keys are annoying to use at times. The acid green coloring is garish, and the backlight (which is the same pungent shade of green) is piercing in dark environments. HP does offer a version of the Pavilion Gaming 15t with a white backlight and matching lettering. Travel is also a bit on the shallow side but should be acceptable for most writing and office work. None of these issues are deal breakers, and the keyboard is fantastic overall.

Touchpad

While the keyboard is much better than most laptops' in this price range, the touchpad is simply average. Its narrow dimensions (11.3 cm x 6 cm) take a bit of adjustment, but tracking is smooth across the matte plastic finish. Gestures are responsive, and there is no cursor skipping. The biggest flaw is the clicking mechanism, which feels hollow and cheap. Clicks register accurately, but the hinge feels more like an afterthought, which leaves a poor impression. The touchpad is usable, but most users will reach for a mouse.

Keyboard with acid green backlight
Keyboard with acid green backlight
Touchpad
Touchpad

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The Full HD display from AU Optronics sports a feature not commonly seen at this price point: a high refresh rate. The 144 Hz panel boasts quick response times and smooth motion, a definite upgrade from the more typical 60 Hz screens used in low- and mid-tier gaming laptops. The display does not support G-Sync. The high refresh rate isn't the only high point of the display, either. The backlight gets fairly bright at about 350 nits, and distribution is fairly even if a bit dim in the upper left corner. This isn't noticeable in normal use. The contrast ratio is good at 993:1. Blacks look deep and colors are well-defined. PWM is entirely absent. All of this coupled with the good color coverage and accuracy to make for one of the better displays in the mid-tier gaming market. HP also offers 60 Hz FHD (standard) and 60 Hz 4K display options.

314.7
cd/m²
356.9
cd/m²
340
cd/m²
349.7
cd/m²
357.5
cd/m²
367.8
cd/m²
341.3
cd/m²
371.8
cd/m²
356.6
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics AUO82ED tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 371.8 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 350.7 cd/m² Minimum: 16.58 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 357.5 cd/m²
Contrast: 993:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.19 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.2
ΔE Greyscale 3.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
91% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
91.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.324
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
AU Optronics AUO82ED, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Dell G7 15-7588
LG Philips LGD053F, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
B156HAN02.1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus FX503VM-EH73
AU Optronics B156HAN06.1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
BOE07A1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
LG Philips LGD0590, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
-41%
-4%
-40%
-42%
-38%
-38%
Display P3 Coverage
66.5
37.82
-43%
67.1
1%
38.31
-42%
37.48
-44%
39.64
-40%
39.58
-40%
sRGB Coverage
91.7
56.2
-39%
86.1
-6%
57.3
-38%
56.3
-39%
59
-36%
59.5
-35%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
67.1
39.2
-42%
63
-6%
39.58
-41%
38.72
-42%
40.95
-39%
40.91
-39%
Response Times
-130%
-101%
-169%
-146%
-179%
-104%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
17.6 ?(9.2, 8.4)
38.8 ?(16, 22.8)
-120%
36 ?(18.8, 17.2)
-105%
43.6 ?(19.2, 24.4)
-148%
36.8 ?(19.6, 17.2)
-109%
47.2 ?(23.6, 23.6)
-168%
33.2 ?(16.4, 16.8)
-89%
Response Time Black / White *
11.2 ?(6, 5.2)
26.8 ?(14.4, 12.4)
-139%
22 ?(10.4, 11.6)
-96%
32.4 ?(18, 14.4)
-189%
31.6 ?(18.4, 13.2)
-182%
32.4 ?(18, 14.4)
-189%
24.4 ?(13.6, 10.8)
-118%
PWM Frequency
122000 ?(95)
200 ?(99)
Screen
-61%
-20%
-34%
-34%
-14%
-35%
Brightness middle
357.5
250.9
-30%
365
2%
282.8
-21%
235.9
-34%
275
-23%
268.7
-25%
Brightness
351
246
-30%
341
-3%
264
-25%
235
-33%
254
-28%
246
-30%
Brightness Distribution
85
89
5%
89
5%
88
4%
91
7%
90
6%
82
-4%
Black Level *
0.36
0.34
6%
0.32
11%
0.42
-17%
0.27
25%
0.27
25%
0.42
-17%
Contrast
993
738
-26%
1141
15%
673
-32%
874
-12%
1019
3%
640
-36%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.19
7.34
-75%
6.51
-55%
4.93
-18%
4.81
-15%
4.62
-10%
4.79
-14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.97
28.66
-311%
12.32
-77%
17.65
-153%
21.55
-209%
8.05
-15%
18.13
-160%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.2
4.42
-38%
2.9
9%
4.07
-27%
3.59
-12%
4.31
-35%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.5
6.8
-94%
7.65
-119%
3.8
-9%
3.1
11%
4.31
-23%
3.1
11%
Gamma
2.324 95%
2.164 102%
2.64 83%
2.449 90%
2.31 95%
2.49 88%
2.28 96%
CCT
7028 92%
6780 96%
8066 81%
6112 106%
6984 93%
7000 93%
7049 92%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60
36
-40%
56
-7%
36
-40%
36
-40%
38
-37%
38
-37%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
91
56
-38%
86
-5%
57
-37%
56
-38%
59
-35%
59
-35%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-77% / -66%
-42% / -27%
-81% / -52%
-74% / -50%
-77% / -39%
-59% / -44%

* ... smaller is better

Color coverage is very good for the price range. The panel covers 91% of the sRGB gamut and 60% of the AdobeRGB color space. While color professionals will want more, gamers will be more than happy with the bevy of available colors. The panel should also offer enough color coverage for amateur photo and video work. Considering most similarly-priced gaming machines only offer 50-60% of the sRGB gamut, the Pavilion Gaming 15t doesn't have much competition in this regard.

vs. sRGB: 91%
vs. sRGB: 91%
vs. AdobeRGB: 60%
vs. AdobeRGB: 60%

Just like color coverage, color accuracy is above average for this end of the market. Out of the box, the DeltaE2000 score for colors sits at 4.19. While not good enough for professional color work, this score is better than most competitors. Calibration improves this score a bit to 3.2. Grays are also fairly accurate with a DeltaE2000 of 3.5. Colors are a bit cool at 7028 K; whites subsequently have a subtle blue tint to them, though this isn't distracting.

ColorChecker
ColorChecker
ColorChecker (calibrated)
ColorChecker (calibrated)
Grayscale
Grayscale
Grayscale (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)

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
11.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 5.2 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. » 25 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
17.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9.2 ms rise
↘ 8.4 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 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 26 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better 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 not detected

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.

Due to its IPS panel, the display's viewing angles are good. Images and text remain vivid and clear at angles up to 85°, though the screen starts washing out on the vertical axis at about 40°. Backlight bleed is present, but not noticeable. There is a significant amount of clouding in the lower left corner of the screen, but this is hard to make out in all but the darkest rooms.

The matte finish and bright backlight make outdoor use possible. Direct sunlight obscures the display, but the screen is fully visible under shade or cloud cover.

Clouding in bottom left corner
Clouding in bottom left corner
Exposure increased to show bleed
Exposure increased to show bleed
Outdoors, shade
Outdoors, shade

Performance

Even in the budget sector, gaming laptops have become very competent machines. This is thanks in large part to Intel's six-core Core i7-8750H, which is making its way into more and more devices, especially those in lower price brackets. The CPU pairs nicely with mid- and high-tier GPUs, such as the Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 and GTX 1070. The Pavilion Gaming 15t under review sports an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, though HP has opted for the 3 GB version rather than the more expensive 6 GB variant. On top of the reduction of VRAM, the GPU's clock speeds are also lower than the 6 GB GTX 1060. Does halving the VRAM make a significant difference in performance? Let's take a look.

CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: SPD
CPU-Z: SPD
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO64
HWiNFO64
 

Processor

The Intel Core i7-8750H is the go-to CPU for most gaming laptops. The hexacore chip is a welcome replacement for last year's Core i7-7700HQ, which had only four cores. Typically, the 50% higher core count translates to about 50% performance in multi-threaded testing. Curiously, the Pavilion Gaming 15t doesn't come close to this average, beating the 7700HQ by a mere 18%. Heavy CPU throttling is the likely culprit, as multiple runs confirm these findings. While the CPU is stable over our Cinebench R15 loop, performance stays locked between 845 cb and 860 cb, well below the 1050+ cb the 8750H typically hits. In this regard, the HP Pavilion Gaming 15t's 8750H is more akin to the Core i5-8300H. Despite the extra cost of the Core i7, there seems to be no benefit.

Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730740750760770780790800810820830840850860Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=245, last 2 years)
265 Points +51%
Aorus X9 DT
Intel Core i9-8950HK
185 Points +6%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Core i5-8300H
173 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (163 - 177, n=86)
172 Points -2%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch000
Intel Core i7-8705G
165 Points -6%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
Intel Core i7-8550U
162 Points -7%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
156 Points -11%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
144 Points -18%
HP ProBook 645 G4 3UP62EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
139 Points -21%
HP EliteBook 755 G5 3UN79EA
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
134 Points -23%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=246, last 2 years)
2988 Points +246%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
1408 Points +63%
Aorus X9 DT
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1391 Points +61%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (863 - 1251, n=93)
1113 Points +29%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H
863 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Core i5-8300H
805 Points -7%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
733 Points -15%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch000
Intel Core i7-8705G
733 Points -15%
HP EliteBook 755 G5 3UN79EA
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
626 Points -27%
HP ProBook 645 G4 3UP62EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
589 Points -32%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
Intel Core i7-8550U
503 Points -42%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (2.62 - 3.73, n=23, last 2 years)
3.21 Points +61%
Aorus X9 DT
Intel Core i9-8950HK
2.1 Points +6%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.99 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (1.89 - 2, n=40)
1.967 Points -1%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Core i5-8300H
1.94 Points -3%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch000
Intel Core i7-8705G
1.89 Points -5%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.83 Points -8%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
1.63 Points -18%
HP ProBook 645 G4 3UP62EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
1.58 Points -21%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (19.7 - 64.3, n=24, last 2 years)
35.7 Points +274%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
15.76 Points +65%
Aorus X9 DT
Intel Core i9-8950HK
15.13 Points +59%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (9.54 - 13.5, n=41)
12.2 Points +28%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H
9.54 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Core i5-8300H
8.68 Points -9%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.17 Points -14%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch000
Intel Core i7-8705G
7.59 Points -20%
HP ProBook 645 G4 3UP62EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
6.74 Points -29%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (35806 - 112749, n=24, last 2 years)
59061 Points
Aorus X9 DT
Intel Core i9-8950HK
39380 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (29664 - 35307, n=25)
33163 Points
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
29330 Points
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21978 Points
HP ProBook 645 G4 3UP62EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
16509 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (5847 - 15819, n=24, last 2 years)
9035 Points
Aorus X9 DT
Intel Core i9-8950HK
6978 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (6236 - 6645, n=25)
6479 Points
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5939 Points
HP ProBook 645 G4 3UP62EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
4382 Points
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
4286 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
HP ProBook 645 G4 3UP62EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
386.7 s * -114%
Average of class Gaming
  (116.8 - 1021, n=13, last 2 years)
333 s * -84%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
231.7 s * -28%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Intel Core i7-8750H
180.5 s *
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (125.5 - 180.5, n=6)
157.5 s * +13%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.99 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
9.54 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
72.7 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
175 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
863 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
99.4 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

Overall system benchmarks echo our CPU tests. The Pavilion Gaming 15t more closely matches Core i5-8300H devices rather than Core i7-8750H machines. Still, system performance is good. The Pavilion Gaming 15t feels responsive, due mainly to the Samsung PM981 NVMe SSD. The UI glides on the 144 Hz panel, and programs open quickly. Games loaded onto the SSD will benefit from reduced load times, and standard office tasks are handled with aplomb.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark Home
PCMark Home
PCMark Work
PCMark Work
PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=206, last 2 years)
7542 Points +60%
Dell G7 15-7588
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, SK hynix SC311 SATA
5285 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (4724 - 5285, n=4)
5022 Points +6%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
4856 Points +3%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
4812 Points +2%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4724 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G
4707 Points 0%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i5-8300H, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
4266 Points -10%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +13%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
4940 Points +7%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4606 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (3968 - 4650, n=4)
4412 Points -4%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Hynix HFS128G39TND
4253 Points -8%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
4129 Points -10%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G
4109 Points -11%
Dell G7 15-7588
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, SK hynix SC311 SATA
3968 Points -14%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i5-8300H, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
3896 Points -15%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +14%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (5308 - 5705, n=4)
5455 Points +3%
Dell G7 15-7588
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, SK hynix SC311 SATA
5410 Points +2%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
5369 Points +1%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G
5362 Points +1%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Hynix HFS128G39TND
5347 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5308 Points
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
5174 Points -3%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i5-8300H, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
5098 Points -4%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (5206 - 10574, n=16, last 2 years)
7408 Points
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
7238 Points
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i5-8300H, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
5251 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4606 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5308 points
PCMark 10 Score
4724 points
Help

Storage Devices

As we mentioned above, the PCIe NVMe SSD is quick. Our SKU uses Samsung's PM981, one of the quickest consumer drives on the market today. This drive is complemented by a 7200 RPM drive for mass storage. The mass storage drive is fairly quick for a mechanical drive, so file transfers between drives should occur reasonably fast. It should be noted that most other gaming laptops in this class typically use slower SATA III SSDs, so the NVMe boot drive is a very nice upgrade; read and write speeds are in a league of their own. HP also sells cheaper SKUs that use a SATA HDD with a 16 GB Intel Optane drive.

There is a marked discrepancy between sequential read times in AS SSD and CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1. This difference was seen in multiple passes through both benchmarks.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1 (SSD)
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1 (SSD)
HD Tune
HD Tune
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1 (HDD)
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1 (HDD)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Dell G7 15-7588
SK hynix SC311 SATA
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Hynix HFS128G39TND
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
Asus FX503VM-EH73
SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
Average Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
 
AS SSD
-87%
-120%
-212%
-92%
-117%
-73%
-3%
Copy Game MB/s
223.2
122.6
1057 ?(547 - 1639, n=43)
Copy Program MB/s
126.9
69.2
454 ?(206 - 828, n=43)
Copy ISO MB/s
460.8
170.5
1755 ?(917 - 3259, n=43)
Score Total
4113
528
-87%
811
-80%
838
-80%
798
-81%
670
-84%
703
-83%
3966 ?(2348 - 5316, n=62)
-4%
Score Write
2087
181
-91%
196
-91%
128
-94%
178
-91%
195
-91%
207
-90%
1780 ?(147 - 2992, n=62)
-15%
Score Read
1319
233
-82%
414
-69%
497
-62%
411
-69%
343
-74%
334
-75%
1451 ?(752 - 2125, n=62)
10%
Access Time Write *
0.038
0.068
-79%
0.259
-582%
0.287
-655%
0.09
-137%
0.227
-497%
0.057
-50%
0.08337 ?(0.025 - 2.52, n=62)
-119%
Access Time Read *
0.051
0.161
-216%
0.626
-1127%
0.17
-233%
0.177
-247%
0.113
-122%
0.05092 ?(0.029 - 0.103, n=62)
-0%
4K-64 Write
1808
99.6
-94%
120.1
-93%
78.9
-96%
95.5
-95%
103.6
-94%
129.4
-93%
1504 ?(96.2 - 2716, n=62)
-17%
4K-64 Read
1160
158.8
-86%
336.6
-71%
335.3
-71%
343.4
-70%
187.8
-84%
257.7
-78%
1203 ?(530 - 1823, n=62)
4%
4K Write
95.9
59.8
-38%
62.7
-35%
35.74
-63%
46.48
-52%
79.3
-17%
63.5
-34%
112 ?(1.76 - 145.8, n=62)
17%
4K Read
35.03
23.66
-32%
26.5
-24%
38.71
11%
20.44
-42%
31.48
-10%
26.23
-25%
50.5 ?(31.7 - 61, n=62)
44%
Seq Write
1829
220.3
-88%
128.2
-93%
131.6
-93%
328.4
-82%
123.5
-93%
138.1
-92%
1637 ?(487 - 2564, n=62)
-10%
Seq Read
1235
506
-59%
513
-58%
1231
0%
476.3
-61%
1238
0%
503
-59%
1976 ?(1030 - 2806, n=62)
60%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2306 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1938 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 601 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 535 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 992 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1268 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 44.61 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 129.5 MB/s

GPU Performance

Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q is becoming a popular choice for mid-tier gaming laptops due to its solid "bang-for-the-buck" performance. HP has cut some costs by using the 3 GB variant of the GTX 1060 Max-Q. In addition to less VRAM, the GPU suffers from lower clock speeds than its 6 GB brother (1063 MHz vs. 1265 MHz base, 1342 MHz vs. 1480 MHz boost).

How much do these drawbacks affect real-world performance? For the most part, a small but noticeable amount. In 3DMark's various tests, the Pavilion Gaming 15t comes in 8-10% behind the Dell G7, which uses the 6 GB GTX 1060 Max-Q. Additionally, resolutions higher than 1920x1080 (Full HD) demand more VRAM, as do higher graphics settings in AAA games. The 3 GB GTX 1060 is held back from these settings by its limitations. The HP Pavilion Gaming 15t is well-suited to gaming at FHD and High settings; turning these dials up may result in low frame rates and stutters.

Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=244, last 2 years)
39642 Points +204%
HP Omen 17t-3AW55AV_1
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
21380 Points +64%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
18349 Points +41%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i5-8300H
15101 Points +16%
Dell G7 15-7588
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
14487 Points +11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (12970 - 14487, n=10)
13581 Points +4%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
13030 Points
HP Spectre x360 15-ch000
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
9632 Points -26%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
9266 Points -29%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7693 Points -41%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average of class Gaming
  (1251 - 26759, n=243, last 2 years)
19642 Points +67%
HP Omen 17t-3AW55AV_1
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
11842 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
11735 Points
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
11101 Points -5%
Dell G7 15-7588
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
10798 Points -8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (6212 - 11735, n=10)
8931 Points -24%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch000
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
8405 Points -28%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i5-8300H
8215 Points -30%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
7739 Points -34%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7385 Points -37%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (15902 - 193851, n=155, last 2 years)
134902 Points +81%
HP Omen 17t-3AW55AV_1
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
112332 Points +51%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
95034 Points +27%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i5-8300H
82006 Points +10%
Dell G7 15-7588
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
81015 Points +9%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
74599 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (42781 - 81720, n=10)
71376 Points -4%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
49254 Points -34%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
38631 Points -48%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch000
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
37915 Points -49%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=248, last 2 years)
29013 Points +176%
HP Omen 17t-3AW55AV_1
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
16131 Points +53%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
14427 Points +37%
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i5-8300H
11968 Points +14%
Dell G7 15-7588
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
11309 Points +8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (9992 - 11366, n=10)
10659 Points +1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
10511 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
7576 Points -28%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch000
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
7059 Points -33%
MSI GL63 8RC-069US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
6145 Points -42%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
34189 points
3DMark 11 Performance
12774 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
31926 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
9348 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Most recent titles are entirely playable at Full HD and high settings, hitting around 50-60 fps. That said, the Pavilion Gaming 15t seems intentionally designed for more casual or competitive titles that are lighter on system resources. For example, Rocket League easily exceeds 144 fps, even at the highest settings. Thus, the game is able to fully take advantage of the high refresh rate display. Other titles like CS:GO and Team Fortress 2 should see similar results, although modern battle royale games (e.g., PUBG and Fortnite) may require that settings be dialed back.

Over long play sessions, the GPU is fairly consistent. Over an hour-long playthrough of The Witcher 3 (FHD/High), frame rates average between 46 and 50 fps with no noticeable drops. Most titles should remain consistent over long periods.

01234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950515253Tooltip
The Witcher 3 high
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 327 231 215 102
The Witcher 3 (2015) 50
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 168 111 63 54
Rocket League (2017) 250 216 155

Stress Test

Stress testing confirms our initial suspicions of CPU throttling. Running Prime95 for an hour sees the CPU average 3.1 GHz, which is not atypical compared to other Core i7-8750H machines. Temperatures average 85° C across the package. Furmark sees similar results for the GPU; the GTX 1060 Max-Q runs at a lower but still reasonable clock speed (~1000 MHz), and temperatures remain controlled at 82° C. The trouble begins when both the CPU and GPU are under load. Running Prime95 and Furmark together causes both chips to pull back even further. Despite this throttling, temperatures average just shy of 95° C, which suggests that the system is struggling to keep heat under control and is forced to throttle its components.

In real-world use, the GPU and CPU perform well. After playing The Witcher 3 for an hour, the CPU hovers around 4.0 GHz and the GPU averages about 1450 MHz. Both are operating near their rated boosts, and temperatures settle in just under 90° C. While synthetic benchmarks cause the system to throttle, the Pavilion Gaming 15t should be able to handle more realistic loads. Still, there are machines in this price bracket (like Dell's G7) that perform better while staying cooler.

Prime95
Prime95
FurMark
FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.1 - 85 -
FurMark Stress 4.0 986 77 82
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 2.0 925 93 94
Witcher 3 Stress 3.9 1450 88 89

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise profile
Fan noise profile

Fan noise is on the quieter side of average for mid-tier gaming laptops. The system is fairly quiet when idle, especially because there is no noticeable coil whine. Under load, the fans ramp up aggressively. When gaming, noise averages about 45 dB(A). To top it off, the fans are somewhat shrill and can be noticed from across an office. Still, the Pavilion Gaming 15t does not get as loud as some of its competitors.

Noise Level

Idle
32.2 / 32.4 / 32.4 dB(A)
Load
40.2 / 47.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.3 dB(A)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Dell G7 15-7588
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, SK hynix SC311 SATA
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Hynix HFS128G39TND
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i5-8300H, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
Noise
2%
-1%
8%
1%
-5%
-6%
off / environment *
28.3
28.1
1%
29
-2%
28
1%
27.8
2%
29
-2%
28.2
-0%
Idle Minimum *
32.2
29
10%
29
10%
28
13%
29.6
8%
29
10%
33.5
-4%
Idle Average *
32.4
29
10%
31
4%
28
14%
29.6
9%
33
-2%
33.5
-3%
Idle Maximum *
32.4
29.2
10%
33
-2%
28.5
12%
29.6
9%
41
-27%
33.7
-4%
Load Average *
40.2
40.6
-1%
45
-12%
34.9
13%
37.3
7%
44
-9%
41
-2%
Witcher 3 ultra *
45
49.8
-11%
45
-0%
40
11%
49.8
-11%
47
-4%
52.3
-16%
Load Maximum *
47.2
49.8
-6%
51
-8%
49.6
-5%
53.7
-14%
49
-4%
52.3
-11%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Heat exhaust
Heat exhaust

The Pavilion Gaming 15t struggles to control both internal and external temperatures under load. Heavy work and gaming cause the keyboard to climb between 44-46° C across most of its middle. After about 10 minutes, the keys start to feel warm; some users may find them uncomfortable. This is not uncommon for budget and mid-tier laptops; the Asus FX503 and MSI GV62 also suffer from hot keyboards. The bottom panel climbs past 50° C across the upper portion that covers the heat pipe array, making lap use uncomfortable at best and unusable at worst. Considering that heat is also exhausted out the back, we suggest using the Pavilion Gaming 15t on a flat surface when gaming.

Max. Load
 38.8 °C
102 F
46 °C
115 F
41.4 °C
107 F
 
 35 °C
95 F
44 °C
111 F
37 °C
99 F
 
 29 °C
84 F
27.6 °C
82 F
30.4 °C
87 F
 
Maximum: 46 °C = 115 F
Average: 36.6 °C = 98 F
45 °C
113 F
46.8 °C
116 F
45.2 °C
113 F
38.4 °C
101 F
52 °C
126 F
41 °C
106 F
27.2 °C
81 F
27.8 °C
82 F
32.2 °C
90 F
Maximum: 52 °C = 126 F
Average: 39.5 °C = 103 F
Power Supply (max.)  47 °C = 117 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Fluke 62 Mini
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.6 °C / 98 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 46 °C / 115 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 52 °C / 126 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.1 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 38.1 °C / 101 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.4 °C / 90.3 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-3.5 °C / -6.3 F).
Keyboard, idle
Keyboard, idle
Bottom, idle
Bottom, idle
Keyboard, load
Keyboard, load
Bottom, idle
Bottom, idle
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Bottom, The Witcher 3
Bottom, The Witcher 3

Speakers

Speaker profile
Speaker profile

The speakers are unexceptional. They manage to get reasonably loud at about 70 dB, but bass is almost completely absent. As such, the overall sound profile is thin and feels hollow. Sounds remain clear at any volume level with no rattle or distortion. The speakers are remarkably similar to those used in Dell's G7 and are fairly typical for this price range.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.837.72534.4363131.435.14033.4335031.933.56335.632.88030.730.910029.329.512528.729.516029.442.92002749.525026.655.331526.159.840025.761.150024.662.363024.866.180026.766.2100025.565.5125024.669.7160024.868.1200023.861.6250023.863.7315023.559400023.464.7500023.364.5630023.365800023.164.71000023.262.41250023.152.61600022.948.5SPL36.477.1N2.741.1median 24.6median 62.3Delta1.7735.14033.436.835.636.835.434.133.833.833.53132.531.930.431.730.135.229.645.328.551.927.859.327.259.626.657.525.858.725.265.52570.225.167.324.369.42467.523.968.123.76523.763.823.65923.666.323.371.423.374.823.170.32361.62359.536.480.32.748.4median 24.3median 63.81.76.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000Dell G7 15-7588
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 76% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 58% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Dell G7 15-7588 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.7% 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%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Power consumption is about average for a mid-tier gaming laptop. The Pavilion Gaming 15t pulls about 100 Watts under normal gaming loads, which is well below the power supply's 200 W rating. Under full load, the device draws 135 Watts. The Pavilion Gaming 15t draws about 15% less power than the similarly-specced Dell G7, likely because of the G7's higher clock speeds under load. This is especially interesting considering the Pavilion Gaming 15t has a brighter 144 Hz panel that should demand more power.

Prime95. Note the sharp drop after 45 seconds.
Prime95. Note the sharp drop after 45 seconds.
Load. Note the inconsistent power draw and downward trend.
Load. Note the inconsistent power draw and downward trend.
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.07 / 0.12 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6 / 11.2 / 13.3 Watt
Load midlight 89.2 / 134.5 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 15t-cx0000
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell G7 15-7588
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, SK hynix SC311 SATA, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Hynix HFS128G39TND, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus FX503VM-EH73
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
6%
3%
5%
-28%
-28%
-32%
Idle Minimum *
6
5.5
8%
6
-0%
4.5
25%
12.8
-113%
12
-100%
9.38
-56%
Idle Average *
11.2
7.6
32%
9
20%
10
11%
15.4
-38%
14
-25%
15.95
-42%
Idle Maximum *
13.3
9
32%
13
2%
13.8
-4%
15.9
-20%
18
-35%
18.46
-39%
Load Average *
89.2
94
-5%
95
-7%
92.5
-4%
78
13%
92
-3%
95.68
-7%
Witcher 3 ultra *
101.9
116.3
-14%
102
-0%
108.1
-6%
107.3
-5%
100
2%
135.6
-33%
Load Maximum *
134.5
154.4
-15%
134
-0%
123.2
8%
143.4
-7%
142
-6%
156.98
-17%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Battery life is a bit lower than expected given the 70 Wh battery. The Pavilion Gaming 15t died after 6 hours 15 minutes in our WiFi v1.3 battery test, which opens a new webpage every 30-40 seconds on the Balanced power profile. Nvidia's Optimus helps a bit with battery life, but the high refresh rate display needs more power than a standard 60 Hz panel and will thus drain the battery faster. The HP Omen 15, for instance, lasts two hours longer in the same test.

While users can likely get away with leaving the power supply at home for a short workday of word processing and web browsing, they will need the adapter if they plan to do any gaming; the Pavilion Gaming 15t lasted a mere hour and a half under load. 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
7h 58min
WiFi Websurfing
6h 15min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 35min
HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, 70 Wh
Dell G7 15-7588
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, 56 Wh
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 48 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 52.5 Wh
Asus FX503VM-EH73
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 64 Wh
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 70 Wh
MSI GV62 8RE-016US
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 41 Wh
Battery Runtime
32%
16%
-35%
-28%
27%
-45%
Reader / Idle
478
656
37%
710
49%
340
-29%
626
31%
315
-34%
WiFi v1.3
375
452
21%
354
-6%
245
-35%
276
-26%
514
37%
207
-45%
Load
95
132
39%
100
5%
67
-29%
106
12%
42
-56%

Pros

+ solid keyboard deck
+ firm, responsive keyboard
+ fast screen response times
+ bright display backlight
+ good color accuracy for its price
+ boot drive faster than most budget devices'
+ good port selection w/ Thunderbolt 3
+ more compact than other mid-tier gaming laptops

Cons

- below average CPU and GPU performance
- only 3 GB VRAM
- flimsy lid
- loud fan under load
- case gets warm while gaming
- mediocre battery life

Verdict

In review: HP Pavilion Gaming 15t 3BJ31AV. Test model provided by Computer Upgrade King
In review: HP Pavilion Gaming 15t 3BJ31AV. Test model provided by Computer Upgrade King

The HP Pavilion Gaming 15t is a bit of a mixed bag. While it succeeds in bringing some nice features to the mid-range gaming laptop space, it falls short in other regards. For instance, 144 Hz display options are almost unheard of in this price range and give the Pavilion Gaming 15t a serious edge over its rivals. On the flip side, the weak CPU performance and thermal throttling work against the notebook.

The Pavilion Gaming 15t is essentially a budget version of the HP Omen 15. The Pavilion shares some features with the Omen line, like the 144 Hz display, and makes them available at a lower price point. The Omen 15t has better build quality and higher-grade components, but these come at a higher cost.

Outside of HP's own internal competitors, there are two main roadblocks for the Pavilion Gaming 15t: Dell and Lenovo. The Dell G7 and Lenovo's Legion Y530 are both excellent mid-range gaming laptops that offer similar performance at similar price points. The G7 has everything the Pavilion offers with the benefit of better build quality, longer battery life, and higher performance, and improved heat management. The major advantage of the Pavilion Gaming 15t is its high refresh rate screen. The Pavilion Gaming 15t is also more compact and lighter than the G7, which may be enticing to gamers on the go.

In sum, HP has created a competitive laptop that falls short in a few key areas but is overall a competent gaming machine. If you want to game on a budget, there are better options on the market. However, if a 144 Hz appeals to you, it may be worth the extra $100-200 to purchase the Pavilion Gaming 15t.

HP Pavilion Gaming 15t-cx0000 - 09/15/2018 v6(old)
Sam Medley

Chassis
75 / 98 → 77%
Keyboard
82%
Pointing Device
69%
Connectivity
58 / 81 → 71%
Weight
61 / 10-66 → 91%
Battery
88%
Display
88%
Games Performance
93%
Application Performance
97%
Temperature
85 / 95 → 89%
Noise
81 / 90 → 90%
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 15t (i7-8750H, GTX 1060 3 GB) Laptop Review
Sam Medley, 2018-09-18 (Update: 2019-02-27)