HP Pavilion 15 Gaming Laptop Review: Old yet Affordable and Great Value

 

HP Pavilion 15 Gaming Laptop Review: Old yet Affordable and Great Value 

 

The HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop is one of the most affordable laptops around. It caters to those who don’t want to spend so much money and want to get the best gaming experience. With gaming laptops so affordable, there are bound to be pros and cons to look out for before you buy.

This review hopes to reveal them to you and provide you with all the information you need before you decide to buy this gaming laptop. If you’re still curious, then let’s run through the review of the HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop.

 

 

HP Pavilion 15 (2019)

 

HP PAVILION 15-dk1056wm | DISPLAY: 15.6-inch, Full HD (1920 x 1080) | CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core™i5-10300H | STORAGE: 256GB SSD | MEMORY: 8GB DDR4 | OS: Windows 10 Home (64bit) | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB GDDR5) | WEIGHT: 4.92 lbs (2.23 kg) | PORTS: 3xUSB 3.1, HDMI 2.1, 1xUSB Type-C, SD Card Reader, Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack | MISC: WiFi, Bluetooth, 720p webcam, backlit keyboard

 

Reason to buy

  • Affordable price
  • Nice look and design
  • Decent overall performance
  • Good quality display
  • Relatively quiet cooling fans 
  • Good battery life for daily use
  • Lots of input ports

Reason not to buy

  • Plastic-build material makes it less durable
  • Gaming better at low or medium graphics settings
  • Poor battery life for gaming
  • Cooling fans get loud during long gaming sessions

 

 

Overview

 

The HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop comes in two models: the 15-inch and the 17-inch. The one here on review is the 15-inch model that comes with a 1080p 144Hz display. It also includes a 10th generation Intel i5 chip, with a GeForce GTX 1650 graphics chip, 256GB fast SSD storage drive, and 8GB of memory.

This is a rather older gaming laptop (released in 2019), but has a lot of great features, adequate specs for light or casual gaming, and comes at a decent price (under US$1000).

Anyone hunting around for a cheaper gaming laptop, that comes with good system performance, and plays the latest games, then the HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop is for you. Let’s find out more from this review if you not convinced.   

 

 

What’s to like

 

There’s a lot of reasons why you should give this gaming laptop a try.

Firstly, it comes with a Full HD IPS display, with a 60Hz refresh rate, and a screen resolution of up to 1080p. It produces decent views with good use of color and sharp images. What I’m trying to say is the display looks good. It’s not 4K but it’s expected in this price range.

Next, the speaker grill is placed on the top section of the keyboard, which is good for anyone using the laptop. The speakers are tuned by ‘Bang and Olufsen’. They really sound good and go quite loud.

Thirdly, the design of the gaming laptop looks decent and attractive in black and green. As you open it, you see the green backlit keyboard, with a large touchpad, and speakers on top.

 

Input ports included on the HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop

 

On the flip side of the laptop is the green HP logo, on the left and right sides are the input ports, and at the bottom are the large air vents to help keep the laptop cool.

The HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop is equipped with a 52.5Wh battery back. With it, you can get up to six hours of web browsing, up to five hours of streaming and video play, and of battery.

For daily use, on average you are looking at up to 4 hours on battery. Nowadays it’s common for gaming laptops to have a short battery life, even at this price range.

The next feature is the HP Pavilion comes equipped with lots of input ports here. On the left side, there is the HDMI 2.1, a USB 3.1, an Ethernet port, a USB-C 3.1, and an SD card reader. Then on the right side, you will see two more USB 3.1, and a headphone/mic combo jack.

Then lastly is the system performance. It’s good but not great. With a gaming laptop at this price range, you can get a decent amount of work done, gaming, web browsing, and decent video streaming.

It’s not as strong as higher-priced laptops, but it’s expected at the current price range.

Overall, the HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop is a decent-performing laptop. It comes with a lot of features that may mostly appeal to the laptop standards but these are common features for gaming laptops in this price range. If you want to see how much it goes for, click here.  

 

 

What’s not to like

 

The HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop may come with some good features, but with gaming laptops, at this price range, you do encounter a few setbacks you need to note before purchasing.

First off, the build material is made of plastic. Not the most durable but it’s common with these gaming laptops at this price range.

 

Back and side view of the HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop.

 

The second is the battery life is really short when gaming. It’s not really the best idea to play games on a gaming laptop on the battery as the hardware will consume a lot of power from the battery. So when you plan on having a long gaming session, it’s best to keep it plugged into a power source.

Thirdly, with the GeForce GTX 1650 graphics chip expect acceptable gaming performance here. If you like to play games like Fortnite then it will work in normal to high graphic settings, but as you play other A-list titles like Call of Duty, you will need to decrease your graphic settings to medium or low. Again, these are common with all gaming laptops in this price range.

Lastly, the cooling fans get quite loud but bearable during use, especially when your gaming. You cannot really get rid of it because the sound comes from the cooling fans. The only thing you can do really is to plug in headphones, otherwise, it’s another common feature with laptops.

Overall, most of these setbacks can be managed and others are bearable. Yet they are common in all gaming laptops, especially at this price range.  

 

 

Verdict

 

In my opinion, the HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop is not the most impressive. For the current price on offer, it really doesn’t need to be the best. The fact that it looks this good, comes with good features, and is affordable, makes it a product with great value.

If you think you can handle this gaming laptop, seeing all the pros and cons, then I recommend it. But for those who are looking for more then this one may not be for you. 

 

 

Should you buy it?

 

Well, if you are looking for a really cheap gaming laptop, that has decent system performance, and good looks, then Yes, you should buy it.

If you can tolerate its limitations, like gaming in medium or low settings, then Yes, you should buy it.

 

Front view of the HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop.

 

If battery life, is an important requirement for gaming laptops, then you won’t find it here. Hence No, don’t buy it. You going to have to budget a lot more money to get to a faster gaming laptop. 

 

 

Closing off

 

That’s all from me for now. Thank you for your time and for checking out this review. Please leave any questions or comments. I will greatly appreciate it, it helps and contributes to the overall ratings of wildbreaktech.com.

So how do you feel about this review of the HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop? Is it worth your next purchase? What do you really look for in affordable gaming laptops?

 See you at the next post.

 

Lenovo Legion 5i Gaming Laptop Review: Awesome & Affordable

If you want an affordable gaming laptop that won’t sever your budget much, then here’s the Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop. It’s quick, attractive, comes with great hardware specs, and is a fantastic gaming companion. Not convinced? Let’s check out the review. 

  

Front and side view of the Lenovo Legion 5i

Lenovo Legion 5i

LENOVO LEGION 5 81Y600DCUS | DISPLAY: 15.6-inch, Full HD, (1920 x 1080) | CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H | STORAGE: 512GB SSD | MEMORY: 16GB DDR4 | OS: MS Windows 10 Home (64bit) | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 2060 6GB GDDR6 | PORTS: 1 x USB-C, 4 x USB 3.2, 1 x HDMI 2.0, headset jack, Ethernet | WEIGHT: 5.5lbs (2.5 kg) | MISC: WiFi, Bluetooth, 720p webcam

 

Reasons to buy

  • Solid system performance
  • Good typing experience
  • Plenty of input ports
  • Great gaming at 1080p 60fps
  • Decent price
  • Standard laptop design

Reasons not to buy

  • Mediocre webcam
  • Loud cooling fans
  • Low battery life

 

 

Overview

The Lenovo Legion 5i is by far one of the best gaming laptops to get at an affordable price. It comes with the whole package: a great design, a good-looking keyboard with a great typing experience, a 15-inch Full HD screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, and a good set of input ports. Under the hood, this laptop model reviewed includes a 10th generation Intel Core i7 chip, with 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD storage, and a GeForce RTX 2060 GPU that will bring you a smooth gaming experience. In terms of price, you’re looking at a price of less than US$1500 with the cheaper being less than US$1000. Overall, the Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop comes with great features. At a fair price (and costs less than other premium gaming laptops), it’s worth considering as your next mid-range gaming laptop.

         

 

What’s to like

Front view of the Lenovo Legion 5i

Wow, where do I start? First of all, it’s one of the most affordable gaming laptops. Next is the display. You get a 15-inch screen with a 1080p full HD technology, that includes a 144Hz refresh rate. Combine with a GeForce 2060 RTX graphics chip and you get a smooth gaming experience. You can also play the latest games as well.

The laptop design looks standard. It’s doesn’t draw unwanted attention, nor does it have any fancy RGB lighting, except for the backlit keyboard. You can even take it with you to work and no one will really notice that it’s a gaming laptop. 

The overall performance of the Lenovo Legion 5i is great. For normal daily use, Windows 10 loads up quickly along with others programs thanks to the SSD storage drive, and the full HD display looks smooth, clear, and produces crisp and accurate colors.  

For gamers, you can get away with gaming between high and ultra graphics settings with this review model, between 50fps and 60fps. It also looks smooth thanks to the 1080p display. Overall, no complaints here with the performance. It’s one of the best factors of this gaming laptop.

The Lenovo Legion 5i comes with a lot of input ports. The review model comes with a USB-C port, 4 USB 3 ports, an HDMI, a headphone/mic jack, and an Ethernet port. Maybe it’s not a wow factor but to me, there’s a lot of input ports. Let’s not forget, you also get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity as well, which is standard for these gaming laptops. For an affordable gaming laptop, it includes some great features overall. Definitely worth the purchase. 

 

 

What’s not to like

View of the clamshell Lenovo Legion 5i

The Legion 5i gaming laptop is a solid performer and an affordable gaming device, yet there are factors to note before you purchase it. Firstly, it includes a 720p webcam positioned well on the top side of the display. However, it does not display the best quality video. Secondly, the thermal cooling system works well to manage the heat but gets quite loud especially during long gaming sessions. This is expected from gaming laptops, especially affordable ones. The best thing to do is to use headphones during gaming.

Then lastly, the Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop has low battery life. On average you are looking at up to 4 hours of use daily. So yes, you need to keep your laptop charger handy, especially on the go. Overall, this gaming laptop has its faults but they are common with other affordable gaming laptops.  

 

Verdict

So what can I say about the great and affordable but not perfect Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop? Well, it’s great. The overall performance, design, screen quality, and hardware specs, all make this gaming laptop one of the best to look out for when shopping. If you are a gamer and looking for an affordable gaming laptop money can buy, then this one has all the least good specs for you to play the latest games in the market in good quality.   

However, it’s not perfect. It does have setbacks, but they are minor and pretty much common with all other gaming laptops in this price range. For me, the Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop is a definite recommendation. You can get all these great features, and a great gaming experience, at a fairly affordable price. 

Should I buy it? Well, if you want a gaming laptop, just for casual or even long gaming sessions, then Yes, you should buy itIf you don’t have the budget for an expensive gaming laptop (which most of us don’t) but want one, then Yes, you should buy itIf you can compromise or tolerate the minor setbacks, and want to experience gaming from an affordable gaming laptop, then Yes, you should buy it

 

Back view and ventilation of the Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop

 

For what it’s worth, this is definitely a must-buy gaming laptop. So what’s the next time you should do? Well, I’ve given you all the info you need and my honest opinion about the Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop. Now it’s your turn to decide. But before you do that, click here to find more about this stunning yet affordable gaming laptop and see the latest price on offer.

Thank you for making it this far in my review of this awesome Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop. Hope you enjoy it. If you got questions or comments, then please leave them here below along with your own scores and reviews. Do you like it or hate this gaming laptop? What is your gaming experience overall? Please let’s discuss this amazing gaming laptop below. As always, thanks again, stay well, keep safe until next time.