HP Pavilion Plus

HP Pavilion Plus Review: A Great Laptop with Unfortunate Timing

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to review the HP Pavilion Plus when it was first released, and it left a lasting impression as one of the best value propositions in the tech world at the time. Fast forward to today, and the HP Pavilion Plus is back, boasting impressive hardware and a beautiful 2.8k OLED display.

However, while it maintains its reputation for quality, it’s facing a challenging market with fierce competition and enticing discounts on other laptops. In this review, we’ll take a close look at the new HP Pavilion Plus and see how it stacks up against the backdrop of the current laptop market.

Design and Build Quality:

The HP Pavilion Plus is designed with sustainability in mind, featuring an all-recycled aluminum construction. This commitment to the environment is commendable and contributes to the laptop’s premium feel. It’s relatively lightweight, weighing just 1.44 kg, making it highly portable and ideal for users on the go.

The laptop’s ports are quite adequate, with a headphone jack, USB-A port, and two USB-C ports for charging and data transfer on the left, and another USB-A port, a full-size HDMI port, and a second USB-C port on the right. The decision to use USB Type-C for charging is a step in the right direction, eliminating the need for outdated barrel connectors.

One noticeable improvement over the previous model is the keyboard. The keys are now a black or grayish-black, addressing a previous issue where silver keys made it challenging to see the backlighting. The font size has been increased, making it easier to read. While there is some flex in the middle, it’s on par with other laptops, and the overall typing experience is comfortable. HP has also added a mute button, a thoughtful addition that wasn’t present in the previous version.

The touchpad is perhaps the least impressive aspect of the laptop. It lacks the precision of some other touchpads and feels somewhat cheap. However, for general use, it gets the job done.

Display:

The standout feature of the HP Pavilion Plus is undoubtedly its display. The laptop boasts a 2.8k OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This dynamic OLED display allows users to switch between 60Hz and 120Hz or let the laptop adjust it automatically based on the power source.

The display is nothing short of stunning, delivering vibrant and sharp visuals for a wide range of tasks. It’s worth noting that the glossy panel can be prone to reflections, so it might not be the best choice for use in brightly lit environments. However, for content creation and multimedia consumption, it’s a top-tier display.

One notable aspect of this laptop is the webcam, which not only features a physical kill switch for privacy but also delivers a high-quality 1440p resolution. The combination of superior video and audio quality is great for video conferencing and content creation.

Audio:

The laptop’s speakers are situated on the bottom, and while they are not front-firing, their placement works well. They deliver sound that is clear and relatively powerful, although not as robust as front-firing speakers would be. Placing the speakers on the bottom front helps direct the sound towards the user, providing a better audio experience than bottom-side placement.

Performance:

The HP Pavilion Plus is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U CPU and an RX 7800M GPU. While it may not be a high-end gaming laptop, it still has enough horsepower to handle a variety of tasks efficiently. When it comes to everyday computing and running applications like Photoshop, it performs admirably. You won’t want to edit 4K videos all day on this machine, but it can handle basic video editing if needed.

The laptop’s AMD CPU includes some AI features, such as background blurring in the webcam, auto-framing, and eye contact, which help improve video calls and presentations.

Thermal Performance:

HP has taken a conservative approach to thermal management with the Pavilion Plus, resulting in relatively low operating temperatures even under full load. While the laptop can reach 65-70°C under heavy load, it maintains consistent performance without excessive heat.

However, this conservative thermal approach also means that the laptop’s average core clock speeds are lower than some other laptops with the same processor. For those looking to maximize performance, there are faster laptops available on the market.

Battery Life:

One of the laptop’s strengths is its battery life. It features a sizable 68Wh battery that delivers over 11 hours of usage on a single charge. This extended battery life is perfect for users who need a device that can last throughout the workday without constantly searching for an outlet. Price, Pros and Cons, and more details of HP Pavilion Plus on the NEXT PAGE…

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Abdel Editor at Superfashion.us. I've been writing about the tech industry for many years and my favorite topics to cover include Big Tech, media, and gaming.