HP 15-G012DX 15.6 inch Laptop PC Review

15.6 inch HP 15-G012DX
via Amazon

Black liquorice HP 15-G012DX is a low-cost 15.6 inch laptop that seems to be an upgrade on the previous HP 15-G010DX model offering a bit more in terms of CPU, GPU and HDD- better processor (A8 vs A6) and graphics card (Radeon R5 vs R4) and fifty percent more hard drive storage at a similar price. It appears to be a suitable budget choice for school, work or home use.

HP 15-G012DX has a quad core Beema AMD A8-6410 accelerated processor (2MB Cache) at 2 to 2.4GHz speed with a Passmark CPU benchmark score of 2444 (on 6 August), 4GB DDR3L SDRAM for smoother multitasking, 750GB Serial ATA hard drive at 5400rpm providing ample storage space for all your files- images, songs, videos and 64-bit Windows 8.1 operating system as a more stable platform for modern day applications and with an option of the familiar desktop start screen and button.

15.6 inch WLED backlit non-touch HD display with 1366 x 768 pixel native resolution with HP BrightView technology and AMD Radeon R5 graphics which is not an advanced gaming GPU but if you lower the resolution and settings you should be able to play some of the latest games and offers clear and crisp images in light multimedia and anything you do. Don’t expect Full HD type super sharp screen- it is not the best but definitely adequate for its price level. You can chat on Skype comfortably using its HP TrueVision 720p HD webcam with internal digital microphone. And High definition stereo speakers mean loud and clear sound for when you’re playing music, video and games.

It comes with a DVD Burner- DVD±RW/CD-RW, but no Bluetooth which you can get to even a few dollars with the purchase of this HP, then you have the quick internet connection with the 802.11b/g/n wireless, 10/100Base-T Gigabit Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connectivity, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x USB 3.0 port for up to ten times quicker transfer of data, an HDMI port to connect to a large screen HDTV with a single audio and video cable, a VGA port, 3.5mm Audio combo headphone/microphone jack, Multi-format Digital Media Card Reader and a Security Lock Slot.

Matte finish lid and glossy around the keyboard stylish HP laptop is made of solid- good quality plastic and weighs only 4.8 pounds with the measurements of 10.20 x 14.90 x 1 inches so it is relatively slim and lightweight, has an island style full-size non-backlit keyboard with a 10-key numeric pad for easy number crunching and a touchpad with buttons- comfortable overall. 3-cell 2800mAh li-ion battery gives you up to 5 hours of battery life in average use but this will be less for heavier and demanding tasks and less over time. It has a bit of a premium feel- looks more expensive than it actually is.

Conclusion: You can find cheaper models than the HP 15-G012DX at the 250-300 dollar price mark (on the date of this review- 6 Aug 2014) but they are likely to have lower grade CPU, graphics card and probably 500GB hard drive rather than 750GB. You get portability- thin and fairly light, large storage, nice looks, decent processor with low max power usage that can handle daily tasks well with also the help of 4GB system memory- fast and smooth performance, a more capable and stable Windows 8.1 OS and a good variety of connectivity ports at quite an affordable price- this is a system to consider if you’re on a tight budget and you want good value for your money and it is offered with a 1 year limited parts and labor warranty.

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