The HP Pavilion Plus 16 is an impressive blend of style and practicality, offering a sleek, modern design with a sturdy three-sided metal body and an aluminum display shell. It’s notably portable for a 16-inch laptop, balancing a large screen with ease of transport, making it ideal for those who value both a spacious workspace and mobility. Additionally, its environmentally conscious design, incorporating recycled aluminum, adds to its appeal.
Performance-wise, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 provides good value for its price, especially when compared to pricier models like the Dell XPS 17 and Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra. While its RTX 3050 GPU and SSD speeds don’t match the higher performance of these more expensive laptops, they are sufficient for everyday tasks, casual gaming, and general multimedia use. This makes the HP Pavilion Plus 16 a solid choice for users seeking a well-rounded, budget-friendly laptop that doesn’t compromise on style or functionality.
The HP Pavilion Plus 16 marks an exciting step forward in the world of mid-range laptops, offering a blend of functionality and design that caters to both productivity and creative needs. Positioned as a more affordable alternative to high-end models like the Apple MacBook Pro 16 and the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360, it stands out for its sturdy build, reliable display, and versatile hardware configuration. Equipped with the NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPU, it transitions effortlessly into a capable gaming machine, presenting a viable option for those seeking a multipurpose device without a hefty price tag.
Notably, the Pavilion Plus 16 doesn’t compromise on display quality. It features a 16-inch IPS screen with WQXGA resolution and up to a 120Hz refresh rate, providing a decent visual experience, though it may not top the segment. So how does it stack up against some of the heavy competitors in this segment where premium players dominate the field? Well, here’s my HP Pavilion Plus 16 review.
The HP Pavilion Plus 16, the 2023 variant, is a well-crafted laptop that combines stylish design with practical functionality. The laptop features a three-sided metal body, contributing to its elegant and modern appearance. Its display shell is made from aluminium and has a frosted surface, which not only enhances its look but also resists fingerprints. This choice of materials feels premium both aesthetic as well as durable.
In terms of dimensions, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 measures 357 x 253.5 x 17.7mm and weighs approximately 1.89kg. This slim profile is notable, especially for a 16-inch laptop, as it strikes a balance between having a large screen and maintaining portability. This makes the Pavilion Plus 16 a compelling option for users who need a spacious workspace but also value the ease of transportation. It’s also built with the environment in mind, incorporating sustainable materials like recycled aluminium.
The design is complemented by a no-frills approach, featuring an aluminium finish that looks and feels premium. The display can tilt backwards up to 110-120 degrees. Weighing 1.8 kg, it’s more portable than some of its competitors like the Apple MacBook Pro 16, though it’s outdone by the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 in terms of slimness and lightness. But if you consider its profile compared to something which has a discreet GPU, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 will, almost always, come out as the more portable one.
The HP Pavilion Plus 16, designed with creators in mind, features a robust selection of I/O ports that cater to a wide range of connectivity needs. It includes a Thunderbolt 4 with USB Type-C port, offering a 40Gbps signalling rate, which is crucial for fast data transfer and efficient workflow in creative tasks. This port also supports USB Power Delivery, and HP Sleep and Charge, making it versatile for various uses including charging and external display connectivity. Additionally, there is another USB Type-C port with a 10Gbps signalling rate, further enhancing its capability for high-speed data transfer.
For traditional connectivity, the laptop provides two USB Type-A ports, one with a 10Gbps signalling rate and the other with a 5Gbps signalling rate, accommodating a range of peripherals. An HDMI-out 2.1 port is included for high-quality video output, essential for presentations or media consumption. While this selection covers most bases for creators, the absence of an SD card slot might be a drawback for those who frequently work with photography or video content.
The laptop comes equipped with a full-size keyboard, which includes a numeric keypad, enhancing its utility for office work and daily use. The layout is spacious, with proper spacing between each key, minimising the likelihood of mistypes. This design choice is especially beneficial for extended typing sessions, ensuring comfort and accuracy. The function keys are easily accessible, and some include small LEDs for mute, microphone, and power, providing clear visual feedback. Backlit keys with adjustable brightness improve low-light use, though the clicky spacebar may be a minor issue.
Regarding the speakers on this laptop, they present a mixed performance when compared to other 16-inch laptops in the market. On the positive side, these speakers deliver a clear and crisp sound at mid-range frequencies, which is great for conference calls and casual video viewing. The laptop’s bass response and maximum volume are underwhelming compared to other 16-inch multimedia or gaming laptops. These limitations are evident in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies, and in larger or noisier environments.
Compared to the MacBook Pro 16-inch, known for its exceptional speaker quality and immersive audio experience, this laptop’s speakers fall short. Similarly, against the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360, which features superior AKG-tuned speakers, this laptop lacks in audio richness and depth. For high-quality audio, the MacBook Pro 16-inch and Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 are better options.
The HP Pavilion Plus 16’s display does show notable strengths and a few weaknesses in comparison to other 16-inch laptops. Its peak brightness of 403 cd/m² is competitive, offering good visibility in various lighting conditions, though it falls short of the MacBook Pro 16-inch’s 1000 nits sustained and 1600 nits peak brightness, and is comparable to the 400 nits of the HP Pavilion Plus 16.
In terms of colour accuracy and range, the Pavilion Plus 16’s impressive 99.4% sRGB and 81.6% DCI-P3 coverage are strong, but not quite at the level of the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360’s 120% DCI-P3 colour volume. However, the Pavilion’s average Delta E of 3.9, indicating minor colour inaccuracies, is higher than the ideal and suggests it lags slightly behind the top models like the MacBook Pro 16-inch and the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 in colour precision.
The Dell XPS 17, Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, and HP Pavilion Plus 16 show varied performance in Cinebench benchmarks, reflecting their different market positions. The Dell XPS 17 consistently leads in both single and multi-core tasks (Cinebench R15 CPU: 2611, R20 n-Thread: 6680, R23 n-Thread: 17113), marking it as a high-end, performance-focused laptop. The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, while slightly behind the Dell, still delivers robust performance, especially in multi-core scenarios (R15 CPU: 2348, R20 n-Thread: 5857, R23 n-Thread: 15319), balancing between power and cost.
In contrast, the HP Pavilion Plus 16, more budget-friendly, performs respectably, especially in OpenGL (R15: 221.89) but falls behind in CPU benchmarks (R15 CPU: 2234, R20 n-Thread: 4918, R23 n-Thread: 11238). This positions it as a value-for-money option for less demanding users. The Dell XPS 17 and Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, with their superior CPU performance, cater to a higher-end market, offering more power for demanding applications.
In my analysis, I found that the Dell XPS 17 and the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra exhibit superior SSD performance compared to the HP Pavilion Plus 16. The top variants of the Dell and Samsung laptops showcase impressive read and write speeds, with the Dell XPS 17 achieving 6783.4 MB/s and 5613.91 MB/s, and the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra at 6690.97 MB/s and 4955.05 MB/s, respectively. This high level of performance aligns with their positioning in the market as premium, more expensive models.
In contrast, the HP Pavilion Plus 16, which I found to be significantly more affordable, offers slightly lower SSD speeds at 6205.09 MB/s read and 5316.91 MB/s write. Despite not matching the performance of its higher-priced counterparts, these speeds are still commendable and reflect HP’s value-for-money proposition. While the Dell XPS 17 and Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra have faster SSDs on paper, the practical, real-world difference for most users compared to the HP Pavilion Plus 16 might not be substantial, especially for general use. The difference is more evident in specialised scenarios that involve heavy file transfers or specific high-end applications.
The HP Pavilion Plus 16, equipped with the RTX 3050 GPU, demonstrates a notable performance gap compared to the pricier Galaxy Book3 Ultra and Dell XPS 17, which feature the more powerful RTX 4070 GPU. In benchmarks like TimeSpy and FireStrike, the RTX 3050 scores (4294 and 9156) are significantly lower than the RTX 4070’s scores in both the Galaxy Book3 Ultra (9035 and 19464) and the Dell XPS 17 (8631 and 21158). This indicates that the RTX 3050 is less capable in handling demanding gaming and graphical tasks.
Despite its lower performance, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 offers good value for money, targeting users with modest gaming and multimedia needs. In contrast, the Galaxy Book3 Ultra and Dell XPS 17, with their higher performance metrics, cater to a more performance-oriented audience, such as hardcore gamers and professionals, but come at a significantly higher cost. This makes the HP Pavilion Plus 16 a more budget-friendly option for casual users.
The HP Pavilion Plus 16 strikes a remarkable balance between stylish design, practical functionality, and affordability. Its three-sided metal body and aluminium display shell not only give it a sleek and modern appearance but also ensure durability and a premium feel. The laptop’s dimensions and weight make it notably portable for a 16-inch model, ideal for users seeking a spacious screen without sacrificing ease of transportation. Moreover, its use of sustainable materials like recycled aluminium speaks to its environmentally friendly design ethos.
In terms of performance, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 holds its own, especially considering its more budget-friendly price point compared to the Dell XPS 17 and Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra. While it may not match these high-end models in raw power, as seen in various Cinebench and GPU benchmarks, it offers more than adequate performance for everyday tasks, casual gaming, and general multimedia needs. The RTX 3050 GPU, though less powerful than the RTX 4070 found in the Dell and Samsung models, still delivers a respectable gaming experience for its price range.
The SSD speeds in the HP Pavilion Plus 16 are slightly lower compared to the Dell XPS 17 and Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, yet they are still quite impressive and contribute to the system’s overall responsiveness and efficiency. For most users, the difference in SSD speed is unlikely to be significant in everyday usage, though it may become more apparent in tasks involving heavy file transfers or high-end applications.
In conclusion, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 (2023) is an excellent choice for users who value a blend of style, functionality, and affordability. It’s particularly appealing for those who need a large screen and good performance but are also mindful of budget constraints. While it may not compete with the likes of the Dell XPS 17 or Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra in terms of high-end performance, it stands out as a solid, value-for-money option in its own right.
