Editor's Choice
HP Pavilion G6 – an inexpensive but high-quality smartphone [Review]
It was released more than 7 years ago and since then has been one of the leaders in the category.
This model has a beautiful design, high functionality and, most importantly for many users, a low price.
Today, finding a laptop for $150-250 with such characteristics and such an appearance will be extremely difficult.
Perhaps the sample in question is the only one of its kind. In any case, we will look at all its features, and everyone can decide for themselves whether this one is worthy of such praise.
Contents:
Characteristics
| Characteristic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Pentium 2020M (2.4 GHz) with 2 cores or Core i5-2410M (2.3 GHz) with 2 cores |
| Screen | 5.6 inches WXGA HP LED with 1366×768 resolution |
| RAM | 4 GB, type – DDR3 |
| Starting operating system | In most cases DOS, there are modifications with Windows 7 and 8 |
| HDD | HDD 500 GB |
| Drive unit | DVD+/-RW |
| Chipset | Intel HM76 |
| Graphics adapter | AMD Radeon HP 7670M with 1 GB of video memory, discrete |
| Network adapters | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and Fast Ethernet |
| Connectors | 2 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, RJ45 (LAN), headphone and microphone jacks |
| Dimensions | 37.6×24.4×3.63 cm, 2.48 kg |
| Battery | Lithium-ion 6 cells |
Just for fun, you can try to find something similar. You can use the functionality.
We decided to find laptops with a screen diagonal of 15-15.9 inches, a resolution of 1366x768, a Pentium processor, two cores, 4 GB of RAM, and a DOS operating system.
As you can see, all these are characteristics of the model we are considering.
We managed to find only 7 models at a price of 350-400 dollars, which is at least 100 bucks higher than the price of this model. However, in some models other characteristics were lower.
For example, the ASUS X550CC had a 1.8 GHz processor and 320 GB of hard drive. Lenovo B50 70 had a 1.7 GHz processor frequency, ASUS X552CL – 1.8 GHz. Another HP model performed well - 15-ac065ur, but it also costs an order of magnitude higher - 420 bucks.
It seems like there must be a catch here somewhere.
Whether this is really so can only be understood having considered all the characteristics of the computer as a whole. This is what we will do.
Equipment
The device comes in a standard cardboard box for such devices.
One could say that it is very weak and could easily be damaged during shipping, but the problem is that almost all laptops are packaged in just such boxes, so we have no choice.
The box contains instructions in different languages - at least three. By the way, it is not a book of standard sizes, but a rectangular set of sheets. For some, this option may well seem even more convenient.
Another book contains instructions on using the operating system. There the same text is also presented in three languages. There is also a large sheet with telephone numbers of the manufacturer's service centers. A very useful thing, by the way. True, some of the numbers in it are probably outdated - so much could have changed in 7 years.
Also included in the package is a battery, power cable and power supply. .
The same can be said about other elements. There is also a warranty card.
The standard warranty period is 1 year.
Some stores provide their own warranty for a longer period, but in this case it is important to understand that the manufacturer’s warranty will not apply, except for non-warranty service.
Important! If the store offers its own guarantee, make sure it is reliable. There have been cases when people bought laptops or other equipment with a store warranty, and then were forced to pay for repairs at the manufacturer’s service center.
In general, the laptop's package is more than standard and you won't be able to find anything special in it. It's not bad.
Appearance
The classic black or silver color and gloss on top of the device suggest that we are dealing with an undistinguished model.
And this is true when it comes to appearance. However, this does not mean that everything is bad - the laptop is perfect for both home use and office work. It will fit perfectly into any interior and will be an excellent addition.
Important! On the market you can find not only silver and black color options, but also red, pink, blue, sand and many others. It all depends on the store where you buy the product and its suppliers.
True, speaking of gloss, one cannot help but talk about coating, traces of grease, scratches and the like.
Therefore, the user will have to constantly wipe it and generally monitor its appearance. In some cases, you will even have to use the old method that our grandparents used - covering the device with a napkin.
The outer cover has a slight slope on the sides, making it visually appear thinner than it actually is. You can see in the lower left corner.
On the bottom side you can see the classic covers made of matte plastic. They cover the internal elements of the device.
Removing them is quite easy- There are screws that can be unscrewed with a screwdriver. On one side there is a cooler outlet, from which the wind constantly blows, and sometimes even hot (if you perform complex tasks).
There are special rubber feet in the corners, thanks to which the laptop will not stand on the table, but will be located on some elevation.
They light up when the computer is running and when the battery is running low, respectively. Nothing is loose here, everything is firmly in place.
On the other side, that is, on the right when looking at the screen, there is a disk drive, a charging port and another USB. The design is also quite reliable.
If we open the lid of the device in question, we will see a completely standard arrangement of all elements. Below the screen there is a corporate logo, and above it is a webcam. On the main unit you can also.
Regarding the first, the button layout here is not quite what we might be used to. To put it simply, there is no calculator, that is, buttons with numbers that are usually located on the right side of the keyboard. It ends with arrows and “PG Down”, “PG Up”. It is quite possible that this option will not suit you. This is important to remember.
A few words about the touchpad. It is noticeably different from the rest of the surface. This element feels like pimples to the touch. There is a small notch in the upper left corner - if you touch it twice, the touchpad will turn off. This will be indicated by the corresponding color of the LED, which is located slightly higher.
In general, it’s a fairly standard and convenient model, but not if the glossy surface doesn’t suit you.
Screen
The device in question has a fairly standard screen for this price category. Its diagonal is 15.6 inches and its resolution is 720p (1366x768).
TN type used. As for the color display itself, everything here is also quite standard - satisfactory brightness, low contrast, color rendition shifted to cool tones.
Certain colors may appear washed out, but this is not a big deal.
The viewing angles are such that it will only be comfortable to look at the screen directly, and not at an angle. However, all this is also very subjective.
The surface of the screen is also glossy and is characterized by all the same problems discussed above - there will be fingerprints, stains and scratches. Below you can see several screen samples in low light and from different angles.
In general, this screen is quite suitable for work and games not manufactured in 2017. But to work with demanding programs, especially those that involve a graphical component, you need to look for something larger.
Performance
The most common processor option in this model today is Core i5-2410M (2.3 GHz) with 2 cores. By using Turbo Boost mode the frequency can be increased to 2.9 GHz, which today can also be considered an average characteristic.
As you can see, you can’t call him a leader by this criterion, but you can’t call him an outsider either. The indicators are average, but this will be quite enough for work.
Price
Advantages and disadvantages
From everything we discussed above, it follows that this model has the following positive aspects:
- Affordable price– other computers with the same characteristics cost at least $100 more.
- Standard design and high quality housing. There is no backlash, glitches, jamming or other similar moments. The variety of colors is also amazing.
- Lots of connectors. You can easily connect a TV, a projector, smartphones with tablets, and much more to your laptop, all at the same time.
- Good performance. For all basic tasks and operation, this device is sufficient. If you need to play games and run heavy programs, it's better to find something else.
- Good battery life, and in different modes. This sample is not inferior to other laptops in the same price category.
- A glossy surface that easily retains fingerprints, grease, scratches, and so on.
- A medium screen that will only be comfortable to look at from the front. Viewing angles in this case are poor.
- There are no “calculator” buttons on the keyboard, which will seem inconvenient to many users.
Problem solved
Advantages: Sufficiently productive for commercially available toys, it will also work for Adobe Photoshop cs6, all the goodies there, such as 3D modeling, launch quickly and work without brakes. This, of course, is not a stationary, powerful PC, but it’s good for editing photos and drawing something not particularly large-scale. I haven’t installed 3D modeling programs like Max yet, but I think there won’t be any problems there either. You can probably also mention Windows 8... I won’t say that this is a huge advantage, because I don’t like it because of its absolute squareness, but it can do a lot of things without installing third-party applications on it, even mounting images - small thing, but I liked it. In addition, this OS boots up the system very quickly, so now there is not much difference for me between sleep mode and just shutting down. and yes, she knows how to solve compatibility problems with other operating systems, for which we thank her. Although the battery lasts 3 hours, it lasts as advertised. I can’t ask for more from a laptop, because its power is quite high, and I use it as a hospital. Yes, by the way, the viewing angles are good, but I can’t say anything about working in the sun yet - I haven’t had time to get out into nature with it yet. Disadvantages: firstly, it’s glossy - glossy everywhere and in everything. I’m sitting near the window, which, of course, looks out onto the roadway, and after a few minutes of standing under the window it looks like something that hasn’t been washed for a very long time. In the first days of using it, I somehow tried to wipe it, but I soon got tired of this. secondly, heating. Of course, I read that HP are famous for computers on which you can cook eggs, but so... In general, it heats up, bless you, and even now, I have it on a cooling stand and my hands still sweat and slide on the plastic. If I were a typist, I would probably hate it))) but in principle, such a surface is easy to clean from dirt, and even in winter such a stove for your hands will be just that... a so-so excuse, of course... Thirdly, two video cards... I don’t know why the hell I got this configuration, but the fact that there are two of them is really annoying. You can read a lot about the disadvantages of this on the internet, but if you are lazy and like to play games like crysis 3, forget it... just because it has 2 cards... seriously, a friend of mine has a toshiba with the same characteristics, but there is only built-in memory, and everything works fine. the same crisis works fine at high levels. Comment: I can’t raise my hand to give 5 points, and you can see why. In general, gentlemen, the computer is good and for this price you can buy it if you are not chasing particularly resource-hungry toys. You can play all sorts of mass effect 1-2-3, now Remember Me has come out - it also works, but not at the maximum. for work, study - for me personally it’s enough, even too much.
Pavilion g6 series laptops manufactured by a North American company Hewlett-Packard, unlike the previously reviewed m6 series (and this, remember, is the HP Pavilion m6-1061er), have a less representative appearance due to the absence of metal elements, and are designed for a wider audience. This is also influenced by the more affordable price, ranging on average from 500 to 700 US dollars, depending on the configuration.
One of the laptops in this series is, which costs slightly more than 5,000 UAH. ($620) offers a rather nice appearance, although a little bulky by today's standards, and a very impressive level of performance created by a combination of a quad-core A10-4600M APU with integrated graphics core AMD Radeon HD 7660G, discrete video card AMD Radeon HD 7670M, running in AMD Dual Graphics mode, and 8 GB of RAM. At the same time, a feature of this model is that it is equipped with a capacious hard drive with a capacity of 1 TB, which allows you to forget about the need to search for free space.
Specifications
|
Manufacturer |
Hewlett-Packard |
|
|
Pavilion g6-2209sr |
||
|
CPU |
AMD A10-4600M APU: 4 cores, 2300 MHz (up to 3200 MHz in Turbo Core mode), UMI – 2.5 GT/s, Level 2 cache – 4 MB |
|
|
AMD Hudson-M3 (AMD A70M) |
||
|
RAM |
8 (4+4) GB, DDR3-1600 SDRAM 2 x Samsung M471B5273CH0-CK0 |
|
|
Chimei Innolux CMO15A2: 15.6", 1366x768, TN technology, LED backlight, glossy finish |
||
|
Graphics adapter |
AMD Radeon HD 7660G: 497 MHz (up to 686 MHz in Turbo Core mode); effective system memory frequency – 1600 MHz; video memory capacity – 512 MB (allocated from RAM) AMD Radeon HD 7670M: 600 MHz; effective video memory frequency – 900 MHz; video memory capacity – 1 GB |
|
|
Drives |
||
|
Optical drive |
hp DVD-RAM UJ8B1 |
|
|
Card reader |
SD/SDHC/MS/MS PRO |
|
|
Expansion cards |
||
|
Interfaces |
1 x audio output 1 x microphone input 1 x power connector |
|
|
Multimedia |
Acoustics |
Stereo (Altec Lansing speakers) |
|
Audio processing |
Dolby Advanced Audio |
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Sound adapters |
||
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Microphone |
Mono, directional |
|
|
Webcam |
1.3 MP (HP TrueVision) |
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Communication capabilities |
Network adapter |
10/100/1000 Mbps (Realtek RTL8139/810x) |
|
802.11b/g/n (Ralink RT3290) |
||
|
V4.0+HS (Ralink RT3290) |
||
|
Safety |
BIOS and HDD boot password Kensington lock |
|
|
Battery |
6-cell Li-Ion battery: 10.8 V, 4200 mAh, 47 Wh |
|
|
power unit |
Output parameters: 19 V DC e.g. 4.74 A, 90 W. Input parameters: 100~240V AC eg at 50/60 Hz. |
|
|
Glossy display unit and operating panel |
||
|
Dimensions, mm |
376 x 244 x 36.3 |
|
|
Black / Dark gray |
||
|
operating system |
Windows 8 (64-bit) |
|
|
Official guarantee |
12 months |
|
|
Products webpage |
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Hardware platform
Information aboutAPU
RAM information
Chipset and motherboard information
Information aboutgraphics cores
Delivery and configuration
The HP Pavilion g6-2209sr laptop is delivered in a large and relatively thin cardboard box, which has a minimalist design and is almost entirely painted black. The only identifying marks are a couple of manufacturer logos and a few small security pictograms. On the sides there are a couple of stickers with technical information about the delivery.
The delivery package, in addition to the laptop itself, includes:
installation instructions in three languages;
a booklet with the basics of Windows 8 in three languages;
a card with telephone numbers of all HP product support centers;
battery;
network cable;
power unit.
Appearance, arrangement of elements
The appearance of the HP Pavilion g6-2209sr is pleasant, but it does not stand out as anything special, which is typical for laptops in the mid-price segment. But the use of classic colors makes it a universal option for both ordinary and corporate consumers. True, the purchase of this laptop will burden you with the need for constant and careful care of the condition of the case, almost all of the elements of which have a glossy finish that actively collects fingerprints. At the same time, do not forget that scratches can easily be left on such a surface.
The outer side of the display lid is noticeably beveled along the contour, making it appear thinner. The lid is painted gray with a “sparkle”, which looks unusual in bright light. At the bottom of the cover on the left there is a metal manufacturer's logo.
The working panel, including the under-palm area and the area around the keyboard unit, is also painted in a “sparkling” color, and is edged along the contour with a thin black insert.
Only the sides of the laptop and its bottom, as well as the metal insert above the keyboard, remained devoid of gloss.
The HP Pavilion g6-2209sr case, weighing about 2.5 kg, which is not very little, is made of very durable plastic, which provides the laptop with fairly high rigidity. The only exception is a slight deflection of the lid, typical of many laptops, when you press on its central part. The build quality is very good. The body elements are perfectly adjusted to each other, there are no gaps between them, and nothing creaks when trying to twist or apply pressure.
The display unit is secured by two fairly tight hinges, ensuring good fixation of the display position. The maximum opening angle is about 135°, which is quite enough for comfortable work.
The front and back sides of the laptop do not have any interface elements.
The left side houses the bulk of the communication ports, namely VGA and HDMI ports, an RJ-45 network connector, two USB 3.0 ports, two audio jacks and a memory card reader. There is also a not very large ventilation grille here.
Most of the right side is occupied by an optical DVD drive with a retractable carriage. In addition to this, there is a place for two small indicators (power and hard drive access), a USB 2.0 port, a power connector, next to which there is a network connection indicator, and a Kensington lock hole.
On the flat bottom of the laptop, which has smooth curves at the edges, there are several relatively large ventilation grilles, a battery compartment equipped with a single spring retainer, and a large L-shaped hatch. After removing it, access to the RAM modules, hard drive connector and wireless network adapter opens. At the corners of the case there are four large round rubber feet, which, given the considerable weight of the laptop, provide excellent grip on surfaces.
Input Devices
The HP Pavilion g6-2209sr uses a proprietary full-size island-type keyboard, which is located in a small recess of the working area. Its traditional features are the integration of several indicators directly into the keys, as well as the presence of rounded corner keys on both the main and additional number pads. The keyboard layout is very good - all the keys, the main part of which measures 15x15 mm, are located in their usual places, but the [Up] and [Down] arrows, halved in height - 18x7.5 mm, and the inverted row of function keys - everything you need to get used to it.
The keys have a short and fairly quiet stroke, the moment of operation is clearly felt. The application of symbols, carried out using the printing method, was done with high quality, but the implementation itself is somewhat controversial. For all characters without exception, only white color is used, while Latin characters are printed in a fairly large font exactly in the center of the keys, leaving a minimum of space for Cyrillic and additional symbols. We also note the use of a glossy backing, which instantly becomes covered with fingerprints, especially after removing the protective film.
Above the keyboard on the left is a small chrome power key equipped with a bright white LED. The laptop does not provide any other additional keys.
The Synaptics touchpad, slightly recessed into the laptop body with dedicated mechanical buttons, is noticeably shifted to the left relative to the center of the under-palm area. The touch panel has fairly large dimensions - 96x44 mm, and is characterized by a pimpled texture, which should ensure ease of sliding of the finger, and it is worth noting that it copes with the task very well. However, the sensation of moving your finger over these “pimples” is not very pleasant. The sensitivity of the touchpad is good, and it also supports several Windows 8 gestures, in particular, when you swipe from the right edge to the left, the Charms Bar sidebar appears/disappears, and when you swipe from the left edge to the right, you sequentially switch between running applications of the Modern UI interface.
The separate and rather large touchpad buttons are made of the same plastic as the entire under-palm area. Their stroke is short and quite clear. Traditionally, there is also a function to disable the touchpad when you double tap on the upper right corner of the touchpad.
Display, webcam, sound
The laptop is equipped with a 15.6" Chimei Innolux CMO15A2 display, the maximum resolution of which is 1366 by 768 pixels. Its main disadvantages are small vertical viewing angles, resulting from the use of a mid-level TN matrix (horizontal viewing angles are quite good), and the presence of a glossy coating, due to which you have to constantly fight against glare and fingerprints. Under optimal conditions, the display provides a very high-quality image with bright and saturated colors. The brightness range is sufficient for comfortable work indoors, both during the day and at night. , however, for work under bright sun, especially given the gloss, it may not be enough.
Participation in video conferencing is ensured by an HP TrueVision HD webcam with a 1.3 megapixel module resolution, which makes it possible to record video in 720p format. Next to the camera there is an indicator of its activity and one directional microphone.
The sound component of the laptop is represented by two Altec Lansing speakers, which are located above the keyboard and covered with a decorative metal mesh. The playback quality, additionally processed by Dolby Advanced Audio technology, is very good - the mids and highs have good detail, and there is also a slight “thump” of the low frequencies. Thanks to this, it’s quite pleasant to watch a movie and listen to music on a laptop. However, music lovers are better off using external acoustics or headphones.
The audio path of the laptop's audio subsystem was tested using the RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.2.3 application. To obtain a more accurate result, the audio driver was updated to the latest version, and all sound special effects were disabled in the settings. Operating mode: 16 bit, 44 kHz. Signal route: external short circuit (linear output - linear input).
Power supply and battery
Operation from the mains and charging the battery is provided by a fairly large Nihon Hewlett-Packard A090A00AL-HW01 power supply with a power of 90 W and maximum output parameters of 19 V, 4.74 A. In the passive mode of operation of the laptop, the power supply practically does not heat up. Under load, its temperature rises noticeably and is about 55-60°C.
Autonomous operation of the laptop is ensured by a removable lithium-ion battery Nihon Hewlett-Packard HSTNN-IB0W with a capacity of 4200 mAh (47 Wh) and an output voltage of 10.8 V. The battery is based on 6 prismatic cells.
Performance testing
The following laptop models took part in comparative testing:
|
Model |
Display |
CPU |
Chipset |
Graphics core |
Memory |
Disk subsystem |
Battery |
|
AMD A10-4600M APU @ 2300 MHz |
AMD Radeon HD 7660G + AMD Radeon HD 7670M 1 GB |
8 (4+4) GB, DDR3-1600 |
TOSHIBA MQ01ABD100 (1 TB, 8 MB buffer, 5400 rpm, SATA 2.0) |
4200 mAh, 47 Wh |
|||
|
AMD A10-4600M APU @ 2300 MHz |
AMD Radeon HD 7660G |
8 (4+4) GB, DDR3-1333 |
TOSHIBA MK5059GSXP (500 GB, 8 MB buffer, 5400 rpm, SATA 2.0) |
4400 mAh, 48 Wh |
|||
|
Intel Core i7-3612QM @ 2300 MHz |
Intel HM77 Express |
Intel HD Graphics 4000 + AMD Radeon HD 7670M 1 GB |
4 (2+2) GB, DDR3-1333 |
WD Scorpio Black WD5000BPKT (500 GB, 16 MB buffer, 7200 rpm, SATA 2.0) + SAMSUNG SSD PM830 (32 GB, mSATA) |
4400 mAh, 48 Wh |
||
|
Intel HM77 Express |
Intel HD Graphics 4000 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M 1 GB |
6 (4+2) GB, DDR3-1600 |
Seagate Momentus ST9500423AS (500 GB, 16 MB buffer, 7200 rpm, SATA 2.0) + SAMSUNG SSD PM830 (32 GB, mSATA (SATA 3.0)) |
5640 mAh, 65 Wh |
|||
|
Intel Core i5-3210M @ 2500 MHz |
Intel HM77 Express |
Intel HD Graphics 4000 + AMD Radeon HD 7670M 2 GB |
6 (4+2) GB, DDR3-1600 |
TOSHIBA MK7575GSX (750 GB, 8 MB buffer, 5400 rpm, SATA 2.0) |
5225 mAh, 62 Wh |
The bulk of the performance testing was carried out using several popular packages and modern games, which allow you to fully evaluate the capabilities of the reviewed laptop.
The performance of the HP Pavilion g6-2209sr laptop is thanks to the use of the AMD A10-4600M APU with integrated AMD Radeon HD 7660G graphics core and a discrete AMD Radeon HD 7670M graphics card, which operates in AMD Dual Graphics mode, i.e. together with an integrated solution, very high, especially when processing graphic scenes. However, in terms of processing speed of non-graphical and physical calculations, the APU A10-4600M is significantly inferior to competing Intel solutions - third-generation Core i5 and especially Core i7 processors, which, with the same number of cores, are capable of simultaneously processing twice as much information.
Generally speaking, the HP Pavilion g6-2209sr provides not only a comfortable level of work with all kinds of office applications, graphic editors and video editing programs, but also allows you to admire the very smooth processing of modern games, including at high graphics settings.
The graphs above show the results of gaming tests at the native (“native”) display resolution and minimum/medium/maximum graphics settings, which allows you to more accurately assess the gaming capabilities of the laptop.
The Windows Experience Index gave fairly high scores to almost all laptop components on a scale from 1.0 to 9.9. The lowest score, according to which the final result was obtained, went to the processor (computing) part of the AMD A10-4600M, which is quite surprising, because it is the fastest representative of the Trinity mobile APU line.
To determine the performance of the APU cache memory and RAM modules, a specialized module built into the AIDA64 utility was used.
Drives
The laptop's disk subsystem is built on a 2.5-inch TOSHIBA MQ01ABD100 hard drive with a capacity of 1 TB. The data buffer is 8 MB, the spindle speed is 5400 rpm. The drive is connected via the SATA 2.0 interface.
To determine the detailed characteristics of the hard drive, as well as test the speed of writing and reading information, the HD-Tune Pro program was used.
The HP DVD-RAM UJ8B1 optical drive, which provides both reading and writing capabilities, works with almost all types of CD and DVD discs. To obtain detailed characteristics, the Nero InfoTool 11 utility was used.
Cooling system, noise level and temperature conditions
Determination of the efficiency of the cooling system and temperature conditions of the laptop was carried out after an hour-long run of the Unigine Heaven Benchmark v3.0 test package in DirectX 11 mode with tessellation enabled. The ambient temperature was 26°C. Next, the following readings were collected using a Scythe Kama Thermo Wireless electronic thermometer:
At the end of the allotted time, the temperature of the working area, depending on the measurement location, ranged from 27.4 to 40.3 °C, and the lower part - from 28.4 to 43.9 °C.
The temperature of the internal components at idle or minimal load is at 45°C, while under active load their temperature rises significantly, up to 90°C, which is not recommended for continuous operation. This, in turn, indicates the insufficient productivity of the cooling system used, which, moreover, is quite noisy under such a load. Therefore, we strongly recommend using cooling pads, for example, manufactured by ZALMAN.
Autonomous operation
Battery life measurements were carried out using the Battery Eater Pro 2.70 program in several modes: “classic” at maximum display brightness, watching Full HD video in hardware decoding mode at maximum display brightness, and idle at minimum display brightness.
In “classic” mode, the laptop was able to work for an hour and a half (91 minutes). When watching Full HD video, the battery ran out after almost three hours (170 minutes). In idle mode, i.e. without performing any actions, the laptop turned off after just over six hours (381 minutes). It takes about three hours (183 minutes) to restore the battery to full capacity.
Results
The medium-format laptop has a completely ordinary appearance, which, unfortunately, is completely impractical due to the abundance of glossy elements that instantly collect fingerprints. In addition, scratches can easily be left on the gloss if handled carelessly, which will irreparably ruin the appearance. The main features of the laptop are the presence of a slow, but very capacious 1 TB hard drive, which allows you to forget about the possible lack of free space, as well as the use of the fastest mobile APU of the Trinity family, which is the AMD A10-4600M. Its performance, complemented by a discrete AMD Radeon HD 7670M graphics card operating in AMD Dual Graphics mode, and 8 GB of RAM, is sufficient not only for the ideal operation of all kinds of office and graphic applications, but also for processing modern games, many of them at high graphics settings.
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In 2011, most manufacturers traditionally update their laptop lineups. As a rule, not only hardware components are upgraded, but also design, although not always synchronously. HP did not lag behind its competitors. Moreover, it decisively changes the design of the entire model range - from netbooks to mobile workstations. In our opinion, the line of budget consumer laptops, the so-called “G series,” has undergone the most radical changes.
It seems to us that the previous series, HP G42 / G62 / G72, was not in great demand, which was also due to its rather ambiguous design. The new budget series, called Pavilion g4/ /, not only changed the labeling, but also acquired a completely different, more modern and sophisticated appearance. In our review, we will look at one of the many configurations of the Pavilion g6 model, an AMD-based laptop with an economical 4-core Phenom II processor and an entry-level graphics card.
Specifications
The new Pavilion g line should become the basis of the updated lineup of HP consumer laptops. Judging by the design and technical characteristics, the developers were focused on users with a limited budget, mainly young people. The laptop turned out to be striking in appearance, relatively compact and lightweight, and quite simple in terms of functionality. Two options were chosen as hardware platforms, both quite inexpensive. Firstly, this is Intel Calpella, a previous generation platform, with inexpensive Pentium, Core i3 and low-end Core i5 processors. Secondly, this is AMD Danube, but with more powerful processors, since the level of low-end AMD processors is clearly insufficient for modern entertainment tasks.
The Pavilion g6 laptop is most often equipped with a switchable AMD video card, not only of the low-end, but also of the middle class. The set of ports turned out to be quite modest: only three USB, one output for a large screen (VGA, HDMI), a simple card reader, an inexpensive audio codec. At the same time, the developers installed Altec Lansing speakers and added a proprietary SRS Audio Control settings panel. Thus, the result is a youth entertainment device with an emphasis on multimedia performance, which in its functionality and level of performance is closer to the budget level than the entry level. And of course, conceptually the Pavilion g6 is not similar to the more functional and austere in appearance notebook-universal G62, produced earlier.
The Pavilion family of laptops from Hewlett-Packard includes not only multimedia models for the home with bright designs, high functionality and an impressive price tag, but also more down-to-earth models. About one of them, medium format HP Pavilion g6-1206er costing only $550 is what we will discuss in this review.
Design
HP Pavilion g6 it looks more expensive than its cost, it’s not just “another medium format”, but a device in the creation of which the designer clearly had a hand. The lion's share of this effect is achieved through the massive use of gloss - if you do not put up with this type of finish, then it is better to immediately pay attention to some other option.
We received the most neutral design option, but much more cheerful colors are also available, including blue, red, pink, sand, etc. The lid, with a small HP logo in the lower corner, is finished in high-gloss gray plastic, which is very effective at hiding fingerprints.
Body base HP Pavilion g6 made of ordinary matte plastic. In the rear part of the bottom there is a battery with a capacity of 47 Wh; memory and Wi-Fi modules, as well as a hard drive, are hidden under the L-shaped upgrade hatch.
There are several perforation zones on the bottom, and in the far left corner there is a main fan that blows exhaust air through the radiator on the left side.
Almost all available connectors are concentrated here: two video outputs, a network RJ45, a pair of USB and two audio ports, as well as a card reader, plus power and hard drive activity indicators are also located here. On the left side HP Pavilion g6 There is a DVD drive and a third USB, as well as a charger socket with an indicator that glows red during charging and white after reaching 100% level.
The rear edge is empty, and a pair of SRS Premium Sound stereo speakers are placed on the front.
Ergonomics
Laptop screen border HP Pavilion g6 made of matte plastic, a webcam and microphone are integrated into its upper part, as well as two of the four rubber rollers that prevent abrasions on the working panel.
The latter is entirely made of two-color glossy plastic – black around the perimeter and gray inside. The laptop is equipped with a glossy 15-inch matrix with standard resolution, the image quality is average, the shortcomings are typical for TN technology.
Classic keyboard model HP Pavilion g6 It stands out for its practical matte surface, the original two-level shape of the keys and the signature rounding of the outer keys. Additional navigation keys are placed in the right column; the arrow block is more convenient for horizontal rather than vertical movements. Function buttons have a reverse layout by default, so you can adjust the brightness and volume of the sound or control playback without using a modifier key.
The touchpad with separated hardware buttons is indicated by a rectangular array of miniature pimples, which are clearly visible to the touch against the background of the glossy panel under the palm. The touchpad can be quickly disabled by double tapping on the notch in the corner of the panel, which will be indicated by the red LED under the space bar.
Functionality
Model HP Pavilion g6 may be based on processors from Intel or AMD, but in any case, discrete graphics from the latter company are used.
For example, the configuration in question is equipped with an AMD Llano A4-3300M processor, dual Radeon HD 6510G2 graphics card and runs Windows 7 Home Basic. This level of equipment allows you to do office work without any problems and even play modern games at minimum graphics settings.
The ability to switch graphics cores allowed the laptop to work for more than four and a half hours in reading mode, but at maximum load the autonomy was only an hour and fifteen.
Test operation did not reveal any significant design flaws HP Pavilion g6. This is a typical inexpensive workhorse, which may not be liked except because of the abundance of glossy finishes. At the same time, in brighter color options, this laptop may well perform image functions.
Video review of HP Pavilion g6 laptop
Results
HP Pavilion g6– a nice medium-format player with an abundance of hardware configurations and a very affordable price tag. In the gray version it will be a successful office horse that does not distract from work, and in one of the bright color options it will be an excellent choice for a creative person.
Liked
+ affordable price
+ combination of integrated and discrete graphics
+ nice design in the style of the HP Pavilion line
+ bright color options
+ full set of necessary connectors
Did not like
- abundance of glossy surfaces
— sliding on the touchpad touchpad
HP Pavilion g6-1206er laptop specifications
| CPU | AMD A4-3300M (1.9/2.5 GHz; 2 cores, 35 W TDP) |
| Chipset | AMD A60M, K12 |
| Integrated Graphics | AMD Radeon HD 6480G (Sumo) |
| Discrete graphics | AMD Radeon HD 6470M (Seymour) |
| Switching graphics | AMD Radeon HD 6510G2 (AMD Dual Graphics) |
| RAM | 4 GB, DDR3-1333 (2×SODIMM) |
| HDD | 500 GB, 5400 rpm, SATA |
| SSD | — |
| Screen | 15.6″ (1366×768), glossy |
| Screen brightness, min./max. | 10/130 cd/m2 (10 gradations) |
| Drive unit | DVD±RW |
| Connectors | 3×USB 2.0, D-subi, HDMI, RJ45, SD(HC/XC)/MMC, mic-in/head-out |
| Net | Fast Ethernet |
| WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| 3G | — |
| Webcam | VGA |
| Acoustics | Altec Lansing |
| Battery | 4200 mAh, 10.8 V (47 Wh) |
| Autonomy | 1 h 17 min / 4 h 42 min |
| Dimensions and weight | 374×245×36.3 mm, 2.55 kg |
| Pre-installed OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic |
| Modification | HP Pavilion g6-1206er (A1R05EA) |
| Peculiarities | several color options |