HP Pavilion Plus 14 review: Premium style and performance at a mainstream price

Price When Reviewed

$1,079.99

Best Prices Today: HP Pavilion Plus 14

HP has established three ranges of laptop computer: the mainstream Pavilion, the high-end Envy, and the highest-end Spectre. With the Envy and Spectre strains, you’re in a position to commerce plastic enclosures for skinny but rugged all-metal designs and extra highly effective parts at albeit greater costs. With the introduction of the Pavilion Plus, HP has blurred the strains between the Pavilion collection and the premium Envy and Spectre strains. The first Pavilion Plus laptop computer is a 14-inch mannequin that provides many points of interest to the workhorse Pavilion to make it look and run extra like a thoroughbred. Disappointingly, racehorses are higher sprinters than marathoners as you’ll see after we get to its battery life efficiency.

What are these added points of interest that flip a Pavilion right into a Pavilion Plus? For starters, a skinny, aluminum chassis that HP says is the thinnest ever for a Pavilion. It’s additionally the primary Pavilion to supply an OLED show, on this case a 14-inch 16:10 panel with a high-quality 2.8K (2880 x 1800) decision. Inside, it affords a wide range of chips from Intel’s newest 12th-gen household of Core processors, and there’s even an choice to bump the built-in graphics as much as an RTX 2050 GPU. And one of the best half? These additions don’t take the value out of the mainstream vary. The Pavilion Plus 14 maintains a pleasant mainstream worth and delivers a ton of worth. So a lot so, that it’d damage gross sales of the corporate’s Envy and Spectre items. 

HP Pavilion Plus 14 specs and options

As configured, our HP Pavilion Plus 14 check system is promoting for $1,009.99 direct from HP and options the next specs: 

• CPU:  Intel Core i7-12700H
• Memory: 16GB onboard
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
• Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED
• Webcam: 1080p
• Connectivity: 2 x USB Type-C, 2 x USB Type-A, HDMI 2.1, microSD card slot, combo audio jack.
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• OS: Windows 11 Pro
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 51 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.34 x 8.83 x 0.72 inches
• Measured weight: 2.96 kilos (laptop computer), 0.41 kilos (AC adapter)
• Price: $1,009.99 (as examined)

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 begins at $599.99 with HP’s present $200 low cost. For that sum, you get a Core i5-1240P CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a non-OLED show with a 2.2K (2240 x 1400) decision. That’s a fantastic worth for an all-metal design and a high-res show, even when it’s a daily IPS panel. I might, nonetheless, argue for 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD because the minimal however doubling the default 256GB SSD provides solely $50 to the invoice. All however one of many CPU choices embody 16GB of RAM, however the reminiscence is onboard, which leaves no possibility for future growth. Given that the following two CPU choices add lower than $100 to the price of the system, I strongly encourage you to improve.

Our check system options Windows 11 Pro, which provides $70 to the invoice. So, for those who go together with Windows 11 Home, as configured, the laptop computer would price an much more cheap $1,009.99.

HP affords a powerful array of 12th-gen Core processors, together with chips from its 15-watt U collection, 28-watt P collection, and 45-watt H collection. Our check system includes a Core i7 from the H collection. I used to be initially frightened concerning the pairing of the thinnest Pavilion ever with a chip from the high-powered, high-wattage H collection. My fears have been unfounded, because the Pavilion Plus 14 operated in close to silence throughout my time with it. Even throughout intensive graphics duties, the followers kicked on however nowhere close to the jet-engine sound that plagues many laptops. 

Perhaps our configuration with the Core i7-12700H chip and built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics is less complicated to maintain cool than both of the choices that pair a extra environment friendly U-series CPU with discrete graphics. One includes a Core i5-1235U chip and MX250 graphics and the opposite includes a Core i7-1255U chip and RTX 2050 graphics.

One final be aware on the configuration choices: as a way to outfit the laptop computer with the non-obligatory OLED show, you’ll need to decide on both the Core i7-1255U chip and RTX 2050 graphics possibility or the Core i7-12700H half present in our check system.

Silver and svelte

HP asserts that the Pavilion Plus 14 is the thinnest Pavilion ever. I can neither affirm nor deny this declare, however I can say that the system isn’t clunky by any stretch. It’s additionally not shockingly skinny, both. Let’s name it compact and transfer on. It weighs a hair lower than three kilos, which is definitely a bit heavy for a 14-inch laptop computer. Two different 14-inch 16:10 laptops we reviewed lately are lighter. The Acer Swift 5 weighs 2.8 kilos and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 is simply 2.4 kilos.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

While many Pavilions function chassis made totally or partially of plastic, the Pavilion Plus 14 boasts an all-metal enclosure that enables it to chop a skinny profile whereas nonetheless feeling inflexible and in a position stand up to every day abuse heaped upon it from enterprise journey or scholar life. And to face out on campus, you may get the Pavilion Plus in certainly one of 5 colours: silver, darkish silver, darkish blue, gentle pink, and gold. 

Our check system got here outfitted within the silver chassis. The general look is certainly one of refinement. Branding is minimal with an HP brand centered on the lid, a smaller brand on the underside bezel under the show, and a faint Pavilion wordmark on the left fringe of the keyboard deck. On the suitable edge are two Intel stickers, a small B&O brand (denoting Bang and Olufsen audio), and a fingerprint reader.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

No matter the colour you select for the Pavilion Plus 14, the keyboard will match the colour of the remainder of the laptop computer. The silver keys with grey key symbols doesn’t create one of the best distinction — and positively not as a lot as having the standard pairing of black keys with white symbols. I had hassle in sure lighting circumstances making out which key was which. If you aren’t a contact typist, it’s possible you’ll need to go for the darker Mineral Silver or Space Blue, which seem to have higher distinction between the keys and key symbols.

Lack of distinction apart, I loved typing on the keyboard. The keys really feel snappy and are quiet, and no keys are shortened. There is two-level backlighting, which can assist you see which secret’s which however may also make issues look much more washed out in opposition to the sunshine silver keys.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The touchpad is generously proportioned and precisely recording my swipes, pinches and different mousing gestures. The click on response is ideal with simply the correct amount of journey and a quiet response.

First OLED Pavilion

At the middle of our Pavilion Plus 14 check system is a 14-inch OLED show with a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) decision and 90Hz refresh charge. The mixture of an OLED panel and a high-quality 2.8K decision ends in a shocking picture. With OLED, you get unbelievable distinction and deep blacks, and the decision produces a pointy image throughout the 14-inch show. 

In addition to deep blacks, the OLED show, with a score of 500 nits, exhibited brilliant whites. My measurement confirmed it was each bit as brilliant as its score suggests. Seeing that it’s solely a $60 improve over the baseline IPS panel with a 2.2K decision, I strongly encourage you to go for the OLED improve. 

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The OLED panel is the spotlight of the show, however its side ratio can also be an attraction. It’s a 16:10 show, which is taller than the widescreen 16:9 show with which you’re seemingly acquainted. The taller show supplies extra room from prime to backside so you possibly can match extra on the display and scroll much less via lengthy paperwork and internet pages. And notably on a 14-inch panel that may typically really feel cramped throughout busy multitasking classes, the added vertical area is enormously appreciated and makes the show really feel bigger than its 14 inches.

More and extra mainstream laptops are ditching 720p webcams for higher-resolution 1080p cameras since Zoom calls and video conferences have turn into commonplace. The Pavilion Plus 14 has hopped aboard the 1080p webcam practice. With it, you’ll look clearer to your video convention attendees with extra correct colours and fewer grainy noise that plagued earlier 720p video calls. Without a bodily cowl or kill change, nonetheless, you possibly can’t be absolutely sure your privateness is protected when you’re sitting in entrance of the laptop computer and never utilizing the digicam.

The B&O-aided audio system produce common laptop computer sound. The audio system fireplace downward from the slanted sides on the underside panel. During music playback, some separation is obvious between the mids and highs, however bass response is predictably missing. I fiddled with the settings within the B&O Audio Control app to enhance the sound however had little luck. I moved the slider for Bass to its max however didn’t discover any change. The sound suffices for motion pictures and movies however is missing for music playback.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The Pavilion Plus 14 affords a helpful choice of ports, with a pair of 10Gbps USB Type-C ports with USB energy supply and DisplayPort 1.4 assist and a pair of 5Gbps USB Type-A ports. Until all my PC peripherals are of the USB-C selection, I respect having each sorts of ports. The USB-A ports are break up with one on both facet of the laptop computer, however each USB-C ports are positioned on the suitable facet. Since you have to use one of many USB-C ports to cost the laptop computer, I want these have been additionally break up so I may select which facet of the laptop computer to plug the ability twine into. Such is life that typically you’re sitting to the suitable of a wall outlet, and typically are you sitting to the left. Rounding out the ports is an HDMI 2.1 port, a combo audio jack, and a microSD card slot.

Performance

Our HP Pavilion Plus 14 options an Intel Core i7-12700H processor, 16GB of RAM, built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics, and a 1TB SSD. The Core i7-12700H is a member of Intel’s Alder Lake H collection of 45-watt cell chips. The Core i7-12700H options Intel’s new hybrid structure with efficiency and effectivity cores; it has six efficiency cores, eight effectivity cores, and a complete of 20 processing threads.

To get a way of the Pavilion Plus 14’s efficiency, we in contrast its benchmark outcomes to these of different ultrabooks utilizing 11th- and 12th-gen Intel Core chips in addition to a pair with CPUs from AMD’s Ryzen 7 5000 collection. The Acer Swift 5 and Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 each function the Core i7-1260P, a 28-watt chip from Intel’s Alder Lake P collection with 4 efficiency cores, eight effectivity cores, and a complete of 16 processing threads. The Acer Swift 3X and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 each function 11th-gen Core i7 chips, whereas the Dell Inspiron 14 7000 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Carbon are the 2 AMD-based fashions with the Ryzen 7 5700U and Ryzen 7 5800U, respectively. All the laptops depend on built-in graphics.

Our first benchmark is PCMark 10, which measures efficiency on on a regular basis computing work together with workplace productiveness duties, internet shopping, and video chats. The Pavilion Plus 14 acquired off to a little bit of a sluggish begin, ending behind each AMD-based laptops in addition to the pair based mostly on the Core i7-1260P, which is a extra environment friendly and presumably much less highly effective processor than the Pavilion Plus 14’s Core i7-12700H half. It’s arduous to ding the Pavilion Plus 14 an excessive amount of for its PCMark 10 end result when it nonetheless scored above 5,000, which denotes sturdy software efficiency. You is not going to have any hassle working workplace apps and multitasking on the Pavilion Plus 14.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Our HandBrake benchmark assessments how a laptop computer is ready to deal with crushing CPU masses over a prolonged interval—on this case, transcoding a 30GB MKV file to a format appropriate for Android tablets utilizing HandBrake, the free video encoding utility. The Pavilion Plus 14 was in a position to flex its muscle on HandBrake, coasting to a simple win on HandBrake by finishing the check far quicker than the opposite laptops right here. The added cores and processing threads of the Core i7-12700H have been of nice worth on HandBrake.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Next up is Cinebench, one other CPU-intensive check however one which renders a fancy 2D scene over a brief time period. As we noticed on HandBrake, the Pavilion Plus 14 was clearly the superior laptop computer on Cinebench, excelling on the All Threads check and in addition ending first on the Single Thread check.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

This group of laptops with built-in GPUs affords nothing of curiosity to avid gamers, however we run 3DMark’s Time Spy check to get a way of the capabilities of Intel’s built-in Iris Xe graphics and AMD’s built-in Radeon graphics. We have been stunned to see the Pavilion Plus 14 end behind the 4 different Intel-based techniques, however all these laptops are in the identical boat: they don’t provide any gaming efficiency exterior of informal, browser-based video games.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Battery life

To check a laptop computer’s battery life, we loop a 4K video utilizing Windows 11’s Movies & TV app, with the laptop computer set to Airplane mode and earbuds plugged in. We set the display brightness at a comparatively brilliant 250 nits to 260 nits, which is an effective brightness for watching a film in an workplace with the lights on. The Pavilion Plus 14 barely lasted longer than six hours, which is a disappointing quantity and hours shorter than competing fashions provide. The three-cell, 51-watt-hour battery is undersized, given the high-resolution show. Powering the show is the one greatest drain on battery assets, and powering extra pixels creates a better drain on the battery.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Conclusion

The Pavilion Plus 14 brings two necessary premium options — a modern, all-metal chassis and a stunning OLED show — to HP’s mainstream laptop computer line. The skinny, inflexible chassis appears extra like a laptop computer from HP’s higher-end Envy or Spectre strains than from the bizarre Pavilion collection. And the OLED show provides mainstream patrons a clearly superior picture to that of an bizarre IPS panel. Getting each objects in a laptop computer for roughly $1,000 — much less for those who go for Windows 11 Home and fewer storage than our check system’s 1TB SSD — is a boon for college kids and any laptop computer purchaser on a price range. 

A contemporary part lineup highlighted by a 12th-gen Core i7 CPU supplies ample efficiency for dwelling use, workplace work, and scholar life, and the 14-inch 16:10 show is simply concerning the excellent measurement for many laptop computer customers making an attempt to steadiness display measurement with portability.

I’d like the flexibility so as to add extra reminiscence submit buy, nonetheless, and I’m not in love with the silver keyboard with grey key symbols. That key and key image pairing prioritizes kind over operate, which is the improper selection for the first enter machine. The greatest disadvantage, nonetheless, is the poor battery life. A 14-inch laptop computer is eminently transportable and received’t keep anchored to your desk like a bigger mannequin the place battery life is much less necessary. While you possibly can select a distinct coloration chassis for the Pavilion Plus 14 that may present higher distinction between keys and key symbols, sadly, you’re caught with the undersized, three-cell battery. With a much bigger battery and longer runtime, the Pavilion Plus 14 can be near the right mainstream laptop computer.