HP Pavilion Plus 16 Evaluation: Hardware and Design
The 16-inch display of the HP Pavilion Plus
Commencing with the construction, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 has the following specifications: dimensions of 55.2 x 34.5 x 6.9 cm; weight of 1.89 kilogrammes; and a remarkable 16-inch display (more on that below).
Regarding the construction materials, the Plus 16 is equipped with a chassis made entirely of aluminium, which appears robust and high-end due, at least in part, to the curved edges and minimal elasticity. Furthermore, the screen is secured against swaying by a sturdy mechanism that enables one-handed operation. For individuals concerned with their ecological footprint, the organization’s dedication to utilising recycled materials is an additional plus.
The HP Pavilion Plus 16’s lid
Left-sided underside of the HP Pavilion Plus 16: The sides of the laptop are adorned with practical connections. A headphone-microphone combo connection and a standard USB Type-A 5Gbps connector are located on the device’s left side. The laptop features the following ports on its right side: an HDMI 2.1 port, a Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C port (which supports a 10Gbps signalling rate, USB Power Delivery, and DisplayPort 1.4), and a USB Type-A 10Gbps port. Additionally, an HDMI 2.1 port and another USB Type-A 5Gbps port are located on the right side.
In addition, the laptop is powered by Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 standards. We did not encounter any difficulties with internet connectivity or device integration during our testing.
The trackpad and keyboard
When the laptop is opened, a full-size keyboard and number pad are visible. Although there are individuals who may prefer a keyboard positioned more centrally, this design accommodates professionals who make frequent use of the number pad. With respect to the keyboard itself, despite the keys having a slightly spongy feel, they provide sufficient travel, which contributes to a gratifying typing experience.
In contrast, the trackpad presents an entirely different narrative. This is because, during preliminary testing, the surface exhibited a greasy sensation, which negatively impacted the scrolling experience. Nevertheless, after several days of consistent use, the trackpad’s scrolling functionality did exhibit an improvement. However, a persistent issue pertains to the act of selecting. In part as a result of the trackpad’s sizable footprint, clicking experiences vary in quality across various regions. As an illustration, the upper section of the trackpad necessitates substantial force in order to produce a click, which inevitably induces fatigue and restricts utilisation to particular regions.
Review of the HP Pavilion Plus 16 Display
The display on the HP Pavilion Plus 16 is arguably its most notable characteristic; we found it to be outstanding. The Plus 16 features an impressive 16-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS display that provides a maximal luminance of 400 nits and a refresh rate of 48 to 120Hz, resulting in a visually engaging experience. Regarding quality, it appears that HP has achieved an ideal resolution compromise, guaranteeing crisp text visibility without unduly taxing the battery. The laptop exhibits enhanced colour reproduction, thereby improving its appropriateness for content consumption.
The HP Pavilion Plus 16 2’s display
Additionally, the display’s complete coverage of the sRGB colour space renders it an optimal selection for duties involving the modification of photos and videos. Its multitasking capabilities, however, were what truly impressed us. The ample 16-inch display facilitates smooth multitasking, allowing individuals to distribute their work without experiencing any discomfort caused by the restricted space on the screen.
Review of the HP Pavilion Plus 16’s Performance
Utilising the HP Pavilion Plus 16 to multitask: Two variants of the HP Pavilion 16 Plus are offered: one is powered by an Intel Core i5-13500H processor and Intel Iris XE graphics, while the other is equipped with an RTX 3050 (6GB) graphics card and the Intel Core i7-13700H processor (the one we reviewed). A 1TB SSD and up to 16GB of LPDDR5-5200MHz RAM are included in both configurations.
Beginning with its daily performance, the laptop handled every task and interface with ease, creating an exceptional user experience. In addition, it was capable of managing twenty tabs while perusing the web with Chrome without experiencing any discernible slowdown. Additionally, the overall user interface is substantially enhanced by the 120Hz refresh rate. Additionally, individuals who do their work on their laps may find the Plus 16’s ability to maintain a consistent temperature throughout typical tasks to be a noteworthy attribute.
With regard to synthetic benchmarks, the Plus 16 achieved a single-core score of 2646 on Geekbench and a multi-core score of 12330. Furthermore, the device achieved 1899 points in the single-core test and 12988 points in the multi-core test according to Cinebench R23.