OUR VERDICT
HP has created yet another excellent budget device with this year’s HP 15 laptop. A refreshed look and souped up internals make it a solid performer with the looks to match. If you’re in the market for a laptop which performs well and looks premium, this is a seriously tempting device.
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EDITORS RATING7.8
Much like other laptops in the HP 15 laptop line, the HP 15-dy2021nr is a gorgeous device that can easily keep up with the best midrange notebooks out there. If you’re wondering how we got here, it’s the product of HP taking a step back and re-evaluating its Pavilion lineup, which results in a new light chassis, backed by more powerful components and included Intel Iris Xe graphics.
The HP 15 (2020) may not be radically different from its predecessors. However, it does add new features – including an 11th Gen Core i5 processor, and enough refinements to its design and internals, that allow it to keep up with its peers while sticking to the svelte ultrabook design. More importantly, even with the newer hardware, it keeps the price of entry lower than that of the Dell XPS 13 and Asus ZenBook 13.
HP 15-dy2021nr design
While it is slightly lighter than the HP Pavilion 15, the revamped look of the HP 15-dy2021nr makes it far more attractive than the 2019 predecessor. The new design has profited from some subtle changes compared to its predecessor, most noticeably the black bezels surrounding the screen and grille vents above the keyboard, giving the HP 15 a more unique look.
On the left-hand corner sits the power button, and the right sports an additional USB-C port. As mentioned, the speaker grille that runs along the top of the keyboard sports an updated, slick design, and the speakers supply decent audio quality. The 15.6-inch screen uses IPS technology to deliver wide viewing angles on the FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution panel.
Keyboard & Touchpad
Unlike the HP Pavilion 15, the 15-dy2021nr doesn’t feature a fingerprint reader that lets you log into Windows quickly and easily by placing your finger on the sensor. The touchpad is centered below the keyboard and is large enough for comfortable use. However, on daily use, the touchpad isn’t as responsive as we would like, but being a midrange notebook, on the whole it does a fine job with multi-touch gestures. Still, it isn’t as responsive as the touchpads we’ve seen on Apple’s MacBook 13.
The keyboard, on the other hand, is pretty comfortable for the work-from-home user or student who needs to churn hundreds of term papers. Its square, flat keys feel solid rather than the wacky, with good key travel and satisfying mid-stroke bump. If you occasionally find yourself typing a lot, the keyboard here is among the best you can get at this price point.
HP 15 performance
Our HP 15-dy2021nr review model boasts an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD storage and Intel Iris Graphics. The Intel Core i5-1135G7 is an 11th generation processor that was launched in Q2 last year, with four cores and eight threads, as well as a base frequency of 2.4Ghz that boosts up to 4.2GHz. It also comes with Intel Iris Xe graphics.
While it isn’t powerful enough to modern games like the MSI GL65 Leopard with a dedicated GeForce RTX graphics card, it can still handle watching and editing videos, as well as photo editing.
For day-to-day use, the HP 15 performs well. It’s not the most high-powered laptop around, nor does it match the performance of its siblings like the HP Pavilion 15-eg0021nr, but it handles Windows 10 tasks well. That makes it a perfect candidate for students, office users and home users who often need to browse the internet, create documents and do some light photo editing beautifully. It’s particularly an alluring choice for students thanks to its versatility.
Battery life
HP has been bragging about this year’s HP 15 battery life, claiming up to 7 hours on a single charge. Well, that sounds good on paper, but when playing a looped video with the screen at 50% brightness, the HP 15-dy2021nr lasts just over 5 hours 18 minutes, which isn’t bad at all, but competitors last longer.
Bottom Line
HP has created yet another excellent budget device with this year’s HP 15 laptop. A refreshed look and souped up internals make it a solid performer with the looks to match. If you’re in the market for a laptop which performs well and looks premium, this is a seriously tempting device.
Its build quality, design and performance go a long way to prove that you’re getting value for every buck you spend. However, if you need long battery life and even better performance in the same stylish outfit, then consider the HP Pavilion 15-eg0021nr. But if you need to spend less, and can’t compromise design and performance, then the HP 15-dy2021nr is definitely worth a look – you won’t spend much while at it.
