HP Pavilion gaming Ryzen 5 review | Best gaming laptops Sep 2021

A gaming laptop is one of the best pieces of computing hardware you can own. Picking a good gaming laptop can be quite challenging especially when it comes to balancing performance, aesthetics, and build quality within a limited budget. Hence we bring you six detailed in-depth HP Pavilion gaming Ryzen 5 review so that you can choose the best as per your requirement.

The AMD Ryzen 5  mobile processor is one of the top-performing mid-range processors and HP has a great legacy when it comes to building laptops. Hence HP gaming laptops are sure to be no less than Alienware or ROG

All the Ryzen 5 laptops mentioned below are identical when it comes to chassis, ports, and build quality so that you don't have to worry about picking such nitty-gritty details amongst them.

HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec2008AX

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
Storage: 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Display: 15.6" FHD(1920X1080) 144Hz anti-glare IPS

The HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec2008AX is powered by AMD Ryzen 5 5600H which is a 6-core, 12-thread CPU with a base clock of 3.3GHz and a boost clock of 4.2GHz and 16MB L3 cache. This HP Pavilion Gaming laptop processor with its high core count and frequency makes even the most computationally demanding tasks a piece of cake.

This gaming laptop houses the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with 4GB GDDR6 which is a beast of a graphics card considering the price point. With such power-packed hardware under the hood, this laptop churns out an average of 150+, 90 FPS in Forza Horizon 4, 100+ in GTA 5 in high settings mode.

Like all the HP Pavilion gaming Ryzen 5 review laptops, this one comes with a single stick of 8GB DDR4 RAM and can be upgraded to at least 32GB of RAM. On the storage front, it comes with a 512 GB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD which ensures that you will boot into your desktop and be ready to game in under 20 seconds. Though this laptop does not come with an HDD, there is an expansion slot where you can add a SATA SSD or HDD.

The HP Pavilion Gaming display is a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080, 144Hz IPS display with a brightness of 250 nits and anti-glare feature so that you can game in a wide range of ambient lighting conditions. The large screen area ensures a vivid viewing experience while the 144Hz support ensures you will be able to enjoy the high frame rates while gaming without the need for a secondary display.

HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec1051AX

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6
Storage: 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Display: 15.6" FHD(1920X1080) 144Hz anti-glare IPS

The next one in line is HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec1051AX with the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H which has  6 cores, 12 threads and has a base clock of 3.0GHz and a boost clock of up to 4GHz, and 8MB of L3 cache. Though the specs of this processor is a bit less than that of HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec2008AX, it is still quite capable of handling your intensive gaming requirements with its high core count and sufficient clock frequency.

The GPU is where this HP Pavilion Gaming laptop shines, compared to the rest of the lineup. This is the only one that gets the NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti with 4GB of GDDR6. So if you are someone who cares only about gaming performance and other GPU-intensive tasks like video rendering, this specific laptop is for you since it has a decent enough CPU and a quite powerful GPU.

With such a good processor and graphics card, this laptop easily churns out 120+ FPS in Valorant and above 80 FPS in COD WarZone, GTA V, and Witcher 3.

Just like its siblings, HP Pavilion Gaming RAM is a single stick of 8GB DDR4. The laptop comes with two slots so that you can upgrade later as needed to as high as 32GB at least even though 16GB will be sufficient in most cases. When it comes to storage, this one offers much more room with a 512GB SSD NVMe SSD, thus avoiding bottlenecks associated with conventional HDDs. With SSD prices dropping each year, you can consider upgrading to a 1TB SSD after some time to enjoy much faster load time for your games.

HP Pavilion gaming Ryzen 5 review also offers the 15-ec1050AX which is identical to the 15-ec1051AX in every aspect except storage. This laptop has 256GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. However, it is priced steeply around a solid 8K INR above the 15-ec1050AX which absolutely doesn't make sense. Hence we would always recommend the one with 512GB storage. You can easily add a 1TB storage in under 4K INR.

This laptop also sports a 15.6 inch, Full-HD (1920 x 1080), 144Hz refresh rate, IPS panel with 250 nits of brightness enabling you to enjoy gaming at high frame rates even in environments with other bright light sources. The 15.6-inch screen area provides an immersive gaming experience.

HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec1048AX

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
Storage: 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD+ 1TB HDD
Display: 15.6" FHD(1920X1080) 144Hz anti-glare IPS

The HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec1048AX has the same processor as the 15-ec1051AX which is the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H. However, it takes a step back when it comes to CPU as it is packed only with a non-Ti version of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, unlike the 15-ec1051AX which gets the GTX 1650Ti.

On the storage front too, it is a bit different by providing a 256GB + 1TB instead of 512GB. Rest of the things are all same with the laptop having 8GB DDR4 RAM and a 15.6inch 144Hz display.

The surprising part is that both the HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec1051AX and 15-ec1048AX are priced exactly the same at the time of writing this article which makes the 15-ec1051AX as you get the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti instead of the non-Ti version.

HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec1024AX

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
Storage: 1TB HDD
Display: 15.6" FHD(1920X1080) 60Hz anti-glare IPS

The first thing I would say about this HP Pavilion Gaming laptop is that we wouldn't ever recommend this one whatsoever.

Though it has an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H and comes with the GTX 1650, it doesn't get the 144Hz display that the rest of the lineup has, and also it doesn't have an SSD. On top of that, the pricing isn't exactly low to justify the missing components.

For a few thousand rupees, you can easily add a GTX 1650 Ti, 144Hz, and SSD into the mix. So this one is definitely going to be at the bottom of our review though this laptop can be considered if you can find some lucrative deal on it.

HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0106AX

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
Storage: 256 GB NVME SSD + 1TB HDD
Display: 15.6" FHD(1920X1080) 144Hz anti-glare IPS

This is the last one of the lineup and not even actually worth spending the time considering. It comes with a 4 core AMD Ryzen 5 3550H with a base clock of 2.1GHz and a boost clock of 3.7 GHz which will definitely present you with a sub-par gaming experience.

The graphics, storage options, display are very similar to the rest of the HP Pavilion gaming Ryzen 5 review laptops. However, the processor is quite unpowered to be included in a premium lineup of gaming laptops. Also, the pricing is within the range of other far better-performing laptops in the lineup.

The only time which you should consider this laptop is if it is on a killer deal and you are in dire need of a laptop while on a tight budget.

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All of these laptops look the same on the outside and have tons of common features which we will be covering in the rest of the article.

Battery

All of the above-mentioned laptops are equipped with a 3-cell 52.5Wh Li-ion battery ensuring that you can stay unplugged from the wall for many hours at a stretch.

With such a good capacity battery, you can play titles like GTA 5 for three hours straight before draining the battery. You can easily last 5 hours+ for productivity tasks like video editing which is really good considering these are gaming laptops sporting some power-hungry hardware.

If you are opting for HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec1051AX, the battery life will be a bit less than what we have mentioned above since it comes with a better CPU and graphics card that requires much more power to bring you that beast of a performance.

Also, HP Pavilion Gaming Ryzen 5 laptops benefit has AMD Radeon graphics in addition to the dedicated NVIDIA GPU. This means that you can automatically switch to the NVIDIA GPU when gaming and switch back to Radeon graphics when performing tasks that are not GPU intensive, helping to extend battery life.

A 150W charger is bundled with all the laptops which can charge the battery from 0-100% in two hours.

Build quality

All of HP Pavilion Gaming Ryzen 5 review laptops are made out of good quality antistatic plastic. The top cover is surprisingly firm and there is not much flex that you can find which is unlike HP Omen laptops. The main chassis is quite firm, something which you expect from a premium gaming laptop.  So HP Pavilion Gaming scores a point here.

All the laptops are around 23.4mm thick and weigh around 2-3 kg depending on the specific model. The hinges and LCD panel housing are crafted to perfection ensuring the laptop is able to snap shut perfectly without leaving any gaps.

HP Pavilion Gaming laptops seem to have taken a few cues from Alienware laptops and have brought in some sharp edges all along especially around the LCD panel giving it a stealthy gaming look. The gap between the display and the chassis is a refresher compared to the ordinary laptops we see around every day.

The display also features a micro bezel which provides an improved viewing experience along with some great color reproduction.

Keyboard and Trackpad

HP Pavilion Gaming Ryzen 5 laptops feature backlit keyboards with violet light. There are no configurable RGB lights or zone lighting that you can find on much higher-priced gaming laptops. Although you configure three varying levels of brightness for the keyboard backlight. Also, the keyboard has a number pad which is rare these days.

The keys are made of soft material and the WASD keys are highlighted providing a good gaming experience without the need for an external keyboard. However, there is a slight flex around the keyboard although it is not something you should bother about much considering the great features this laptop packs at this price point.

The trackpad is solid and placed more to the left rather than the center which might take some time to get used to depending on what configuration you are accustomed to. Also, the pad does make a slight clicking noise if you try to touch it with a decent amount of finger travel.

Speakers

HP has built-in dual speakers and incorporated HP audio boost for a superior audio experience.

This is one of the areas where HP has scored again. Unlike most other laptops which place speakers underneath resulting in a sub-par audio experience, HP Pavilion Gaming laptops have placed them above the keyboard for the best possible audio experience.

Considering the budget, the speakers offer the right amount of bass, loudness, and clarity.

Thermals and cooling

Any HP Pavilion gaming Ryzen 5 review would be incomplete without mentioning the amazing thermal management.

Thermals and cooling are very important aspects of any gaming laptop and have to be designed with precision to ensure that the processor and graphic cards are not thermally throttled. And HP seems to have got it right.

The thermal setup involves twin fans, a large vent at the bottom of the laptop for air intake, and another large one at the rear of the display ensuring super-cool performance even during the most intensive gaming sessions.

Due to the good cooling setup, the idle temperatures hover at around 40°C while it goes up to around 70°C during heavy gaming. Even during stress tests and Cinebench sessions, the temperatures don't rise above 90°C which is outstanding for a gaming laptop.

Ports

All HP Pavilion Gaming Ryzen 5 laptops come with a host of ports as listed below:

1x SuperSpeed USB Type-C 5Gbps
1x SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps
1x USB 2.0 Type-A
1x HDMI 2.0
1x RJ-45
1x 3.5mm audio jack
1x multi-format SD Card reader
1x AC smart pin

Networking

On the networking front, these laptops are equipped with 1GbE Ethernet for blazing-fast wired networking and 802.11a/b/g/n/ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi and is Miracast compatible. This enables you to connect to both 5GHz and 2.4GHz and hence avoid possible radio interference with reduced latency and network congestion.

Warranty

All HP Pavilion gaming Ryzen 5 review laptops come with a 1-year warranty which covers both labour and parts. However, there is no on-site repair which is something I really enjoyed on Dell laptops.

Other goodies

The laptops have a basic in-built HD webcam with is sufficient for quick online meetings. However, if you want better picture quality, you might have to invest in an external USB webcam. It also integrates the latest Bluetooth 5.2 which supports Gigabit data rate so that you can quickly transfer files or listen to your favourite music wirelessly.

All the laptops come pre-installed with Genuine Windows 10 and you can upgrade to Windows 11 when it is released on October 5th.

Also, you will get Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 and 30 days of McAfee LiveSafe software in addition to 25GB of storage on Dropbox for the next 12 months.

Our Pick

We understand that choosing a tech product is always confusing and stressful. There are so many options out there with so many variations. So we are making this easy for you by picking two of the very best HP Pavilion Gaming Ryzen 5 laptops. Our HP Pavilion gaming Ryzen 5 review best picks are based on certain factors like performance, how new the hardware is, and the value for money and here it goes.

So our top pick is HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec2008AX. This is one of the latest laptops from the series and features a relatively new AMD Ryzen 5 5600H when compared to the rest of the lineup. While it does not offer a Ti version of the NVIDIA GTX 1650, at a price point of INR 68,000, it offers some the best performance and great value for money.

The second spot goes HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec1050AX. Though it sports AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, which is a year old, on the GPU front it comes with NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti. So if you are someone who requires that bump in graphics performance, this laptop is for you. This laptop is priced slightly higher than our top pick at ₹70,990.