It's one of the most popular mid-range laptops available today and took the top spot in our roundup of the
best student laptops
.But is it a good choice for the average consumer? Our HP Pavilion 14 review answers that very question.
There are a number of configurations, but the model we got to test is the HP Pavilion 14-dv0511sa. This laptop costs about half a grand, runs Windows 10, and has a Full HD touchscreen. In other words, it promises a premium computing experience at a great price.
But does it actually deliver? To find out, we spend some time putting the HP Pavilion 14-dv0511sa through its paces. Here's what we discovered.
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HP Pavilion 14 Review: Design
No question: this is a beautiful looking laptop. The sleek and streamlined looks that HP has become known for carries the silver-white aluminum chassis that has a thin (17mm) premium feel but with a generous footprint of 325 x 215mm .
While the Pavilion 14 has a generous 14-inch touchscreen, the bezels around it are refined (just 6mm thick on the sides) so everything feels nice and compact. And at just 1.41kg, this laptop is relatively light and portable, making it a good option for travel and commuting.
(Image credit: Future)
The chiclet keyboard is a little curious. At 290 x 102mm it takes up a lot of real estate, but there's no number pad, meaning the keys are only slightly larger than we're used to. This effect is accentuated by the way amplifies how the characters are printed, making them feel huge (even when they're not).
This made typing a bit odd at first, but we quickly got used to it, and over time we were less likely to hit the wrong keys. With one notable exception: placing the delete key next to the power button is an accident, waiting to happen.
The touchpad, on the other hand, is generously sized at 73 x 115mm and works well in practice. Note, however, that unlike most Windows machines, the so-called "right-click" is actually a two-finger click, like on a Chromebook .To the right of the touchpad is a fingerprint scanner that works with Windows Hello.
HP Pavilion 14 review: screen and speakers
The Pavilion 14 has a 14-inch LED display that offers 1080p Full HD. In practice, we found it very comfortable. It's a good size for opening multiple windows and placing them side by side so you can do more things faster It's responsive and just like a touchscreen. And for TV and movies, it delivers a crisp and clear picture with deep blacks and accurate color reproduction.
The brightness and anti-glare coating allowed us to enjoy movies even in strong daylight, and the use of an IPS panel allows you to view comfortably from pretty much any angle. Yes, there are better screens if you spend more especially if you're into 4K content. But personally, we found the Pavilion 14's image to be more than rich and detailed enough for this screen size.
(Image credit: Future)
And here's the real kicker: the sound is fantastic. Typically, you get a tinny sound for a laptop at this price point, forcing you to order external speakers. But the Pavilion 14 has a dual speaker system from Bang & Olufsen, that really rocks. (So much so that they unusually stamped a B&O logo on the laptop itself).
Not only does the Pavilion 14's sound have a clarity that its competitors lack, with deep tones and crystal-clear highs, but it also lets you crank up the volume seriously. To properly enjoy a movie on many mid-range laptops, you either have to crank the volume up crank it up or use headphones. But on the Pavilion 14 we found around 50 percent more than adequate, while on Spotify we were able to crank it up higher to fill multiple rooms of the house with our tunes.
HP Pavilion 14 review: price and performance
The HP Pavilion 14 review unit we were provided with, the 14-dv0511sa, has an Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. While these aren't the most impressive specs you can find in a laptop , but they're pretty good value for money. And we've found that in practice, the laptop easily handles everyday tasks like browsing the web, editing documents in Microsoft Office, and streaming video and audio.
(Image credit: HP)
If you want to do more resource-intensive tasks like using Photoshop or editing videos, we recommend upgrading to the version with the more powerful Core i5 processor, which of course costs a little more. That said, at the time of writing, several retailers have it this variation reduces, making it a slam dunk.
It just goes to show that it pays to keep an eye out for the latest bargains, which you can find in this page's auto-updating price widget and in our regularly updated widget
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HP Pavilion 14 Review: Battery Life and Connectivity
The Pavilion 14's battery life is very good, if not spectacular. Manufacturers claim over eight hours of normal use, which seems about right based on our experience with the device. That should get you through a typical workday of E -Check email, use social media, conduct web-based research and edit documents if you ever run out of a charger.
We also looped a downloaded Netflix movie at normal brightness, and the HP Pavilion 14's battery lasted for a pretty impressive eight hours and 43 minutes before it gave up the ghost. Not bad at all.
(Image credit: Future)
The Pavilion 14 also puts on a decent show when it comes to connectivity. On the left side there is a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-A port. On the right side there is a MicroSD slot, another USB A port, a USB-C port and slots for a power cable and an HDMI cable.
The latter might seem like a throwback these days, but you never know when it might come in handy. For example, we found it invaluable as it's the only way to get Sky Go content on our smart TV (annoyingly, the Sky Go app not compatible with Chromecast).
HP Pavilion 14 review: Verdict
(Image credit: HP)
If you're looking for a mid-range Windows laptop, should you go for the HP Pavilion 14? In truth, there isn't a single compelling reason to choose this laptop. But there are plenty of small reasons that add up to a very compelling proposition sum up.
The most obvious reason is the stylish, ultra-lightweight design. This may sound superficial, but if you want something that looks impressive in a meeting, for example, then this will do. Another is the gorgeous HD display, which combined with the superior Bang & Olufsen audio makes it a great choice as an entertainment hub.
(Image credit: HP)
Connectivity is wide-ranging, meaning you can pair it with a variety of monitors, TVs, headphones, universal chargers, and more. Battery life is decent. And overall, the Pavilion 14 does a good job of letting Windows 10 take advantage of without stopping with bloatware or annoying quirks.
In short, this is an attractive, efficient laptop that gets out of its way and lets you do what you want to do. And for the price, it couldn't be fairer than that.
Today's best HP Pavilion 14 deals
32 Amazon customer reviews
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
HP Pavilion 14" HD Notebook,...
Amazon
$675
view
HP Pavilion 14-al062nr 14...
Amazon
$768.88
view
We check over 250 million products daily for the best prices
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