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HP Gaming Pavilion 15 Laptop Review: A powerful yet pleasingly quiet gaming laptop

Consistent. The HP Gaming Pavilion 15 handles all modern games with ease on its matte 15.6-inch 1080p display thanks to its powerful hardware. The device can even make use of its 144 Hz refresh rate while remaining comparatively quiet too. 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4 RAM keeps the system ticking over, as does the 256 GB NVMe SSD.

HP Inc, the PC and printer element of the former Hewlett-Packard, has refreshed its Pavilion Gaming range. The laptops sit below its OMEN line and consequentially should offer better value for money than something like an OMEN 15. However, the Gaming Pavilion 15 only comes with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 to GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPUs, with the RTX 20 series being reserved for OMEN laptops. Our Gaming Pavilion 15 review unit has an Intel Core i7-9750H processor and a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q GPU, which is the more power-efficient version of the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. We recently reviewed its 17-inch sibling, which comes with the same CPU and GPU. Imaginatively, HP calls this the Pavilion Gaming 17.

The Gaming Pavilion 15 configuration that we are testing currently retails for around 1,400 Euros (~US$1,547). We have chosen to compare the Gaming Pavilion 15 against the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G GA502DU, CUK Model Z, Dell G5 15 5590, Lenovo Legion Y530 and the Medion Erazer X6805.

HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng (Pavilion 15-dk Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-9750H 6 x 2.6 - 4.5 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1335 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, GDDR6, 192-bit connection, Nvidia 431.36, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, dual-channel. Two SO-DIMM slots, both occupied
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LG Philips LGD05FE, IPS, 144 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, 256 GB 
, + Seagate Barracuda Pro ST1000LM049 (1 TB, 7,200 RPM), 1131 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC285 @ Intel Cannon Lake-H/S - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combined headphone and microphone jack, Card Reader: SD, SDHC, SDXC, Sensors: Accelerometer, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 23.4 x 360 x 256 ( = 0.92 x 14.17 x 10.08 in)
Battery
52.5 Wh, 4323 mAh Lithium-Ion, 11.55 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, McAfee LiveSafe, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.375 kg ( = 83.78 oz / 5.24 pounds), Power Supply: 651 g ( = 22.96 oz / 1.44 pounds)
Price
1399 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Gaming Pavilion 15 has a redesigned case compared to the ones that HP uses on its other Pavilion laptops. Nonetheless, our review unit bears a certain resemblance to its predecessor, with the Gaming Pavilion 15 having a matte, black plastic chassis. HP calls this Shadow Black, which it contrasts with several green areas, including the keyboard. The most striking design feature is the air outlet on the back though, in our opinion.

The device does not have a maintenance cover nor is the battery removable. Instead, accessing the battery or other internal components requires removing the bottom case; more on that in the Maintenance section of this review.

Our review unit is well built, with there being evenly tight gaps between materials. However, the bottom edges of the display lid are overly sharp, to the point where they could injure someone. The lid is too easy to twist for our liking though, and the hinges cannot prevent the display from teetering if we are typing. Our review unit is robust at least, with the lid absorbing our best efforts to deform the display. We could not deform the base either no matter how hard we tried. We like that the display can be opened with one hand too, although its maximum opening angle of about 130° is rather shallow.

Our review unit is slightly compacter, sleeker and lighter than its predecessor, with it weighing 2.4 kg and being 23.4 mm thick. This makes it thinner and lighter than all but the CUK Model Z and Zephyrus G GA502DU of our comparison devices too.

Size Comparison

385 mm / 15.2 inch 265 mm / 10.4 inch 33 mm / 1.299 inch 2.5 kg5.62 lbs365 mm / 14.4 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 24 mm / 0.945 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs364.3 mm / 14.3 inch 273.4 mm / 10.8 inch 23.7 mm / 0.933 inch 2.7 kg5.91 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 256 mm / 10.1 inch 23.4 mm / 0.921 inch 2.4 kg5.24 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 243 mm / 9.57 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2.2 kg4.77 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 252 mm / 9.92 inch 20.4 mm / 0.803 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

The Gaming Pavilion 15 has a good selection of ports, with four USB 3.2 ports including one Type-C Gen 2, which also supports DisplayPort out with an appropriate adapter. By contrast, the three Type-A ports operate on the slightly older Gen 1 standard. There is also an HDMI 2.0 port, a 3.5 mm combined headphone and microphone jack, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a cable lock slot. HP has positioned all the ports along the right and left-hand sides of the device, but no cables should obstruct you while using a wired or wireless external mouse.

Our only gripe is that HP chose not to include a Thunderbolt 3 port. While its use is essentially limited to hooking up an external GPU, Thunderbolt 3 has become a standard among modern gaming laptops, so its exclusion seems rather odd here.

Left-hand side: HDMI, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, full-sized microSD card reader
Left-hand side: HDMI, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, full-sized microSD card reader
Right-hand side: status LED, 3.5 mm jack, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, proprietary power connector
Right-hand side: status LED, 3.5 mm jack, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, proprietary power connector

SD Card Reader

The SD card reader in our review unit not only swallows SD cards completely but also keeps them locked in place. It appears that HP has equipped the device with a USB 3.0 reader, which averaged around 75 MB/s transfer speeds with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=102, last 2 years)
98.1 MB/s +32%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81.1 MB/s +9%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
74.1 MB/s
Dell G5 15 5590
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
19.1 MB/s -74%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
19 MB/s -74%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=93, last 2 years)
122.2 MB/s +57%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.6 MB/s +13%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
77.6 MB/s
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
33 MB/s -57%
Dell G5 15 5590
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32.2 MB/s -59%

Communication

HP has equipped our review unit with a Realtek RTL8822BE Wi-Fi module. The chip supports all modern Wi-Fi standards up to 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2. The chip averaged over 600 Mb/s in our iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests thanks to its two antennas, which puts it well above average for gaming laptops and on par with the Intel Wireless-AC 9560. Incidentally, the Gigabit Ethernet chip is also from Realtek, specifically the RTL8168/8111 family. It also worked well during our tests.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (885 - 1412, n=7, last 2 years)
1147 MBit/s +80%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
642 MBit/s +1%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
642 (581min - 693max) MBit/s +1%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
638 MBit/s
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
611 MBit/s -4%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
252 MBit/s -61%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
144 (113min - 190max) MBit/s -77%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (881 - 1700, n=7, last 2 years)
1391 MBit/s +127%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
674 MBit/s +10%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
657 (556min - 690max) MBit/s +7%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
638 MBit/s +4%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
614 MBit/s
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
332 MBit/s -46%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
293 (186min - 315max) MBit/s -52%

Accessories

HP only includes a power supply in the box, along with a quick-start poster and some warranty information. Our review unit arrived with no other accessories.

Maintenance

As we mentioned earlier, the Gaming Pavilion 15 does not have a maintenance cover, so accessing the internal components requires removing the bottom plate. This is not too onerous by modern HP laptop standards, unlike the HP Spectre x360 13t and its fragile rubber strips with hidden screws, but we would still recommend taking care prying the bottom case from the chassis once you have removed the several screws securing the two pieces together. A small plastic spatula, or spudger, would do. Once you have removed the bottom panel, then you will be greeted by all the major components including the two RAM modules, HDD and SSD.

A look at the inside of the Gaming Pavilion 15
A look at the inside of the Gaming Pavilion 15

Warranty

Disappointingly, the Gaming Pavilion 15 comes with just a one-year warranty by default. HP sells extended warranty coverage though, which it markets as Care Packs. The company currently offers the Gaming Pavilion 15 with either two- or three-year extensions that it sells for 50 Euros (~US$55) and 65 Euros (~US$72), respectively. Care Packs include pickup and delivery, for reference.

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

HP Care Pack options
HP Care Pack options

Input Devices

Keyboard

HP equips the Gaming Pavilion 15 with a six-row chiclet keyboard including a number pad. The primary keys measure 15 x 15 mm and are easily distinguishable from each other thanks to their bright green lettering. The keys have a smooth action and have a medium lift with clear pressure points. The resistance should be crisper for our tastes though, while the keyboard deck gives away a bit when we type. We did not find this overly disturbing during our tests though. HP includes a two-level keyboard backlighting too, which has a dedicated function button. In short, the Gaming Pavilion 15 has a decent keyboard.

Trackpad

The Gaming Pavilion 15 has a multitouch trackpad too, which measures 11.4 x 5 cm. The trackpad has a smooth finish on which it is easy to perform multi-finger gestures, which is aided by its size. The one in our review unit responds precisely to inputs even into the corners of its surface. The trackpad integrates two mouse buttons, which have tactile pressure points and deliver an audible click when pressed.

A look at the keyboard and trackpad
A look at the keyboard and trackpad

Display

The Gaming Pavilion 15 has, as its name suggests, a 15.6-inch display. The IPS panel operates natively at 1920x1080 and has a 144 Hz refresh rate. Our review unit achieved an average maximum brightness of 324 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, making it the brightest screen in our comparison table below. Unfortunately, the display suffers from a comparatively high black value that we measured at 0.42 cd/m², which limits the contrast ratio to a measly 821:1. Only one of our comparison devices has a ratio higher than 1,000:1, which is something we would expect from any class of laptop costing US$1,500. The panel has short responses times though, which will please gamers, as will the lack of pulse-width modulation (PWM).

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array
Our review unit suffers from minor backlight bleeding
Our review unit suffers from minor backlight bleeding
309
cd/m²
297
cd/m²
318
cd/m²
321
cd/m²
345
cd/m²
342
cd/m²
312
cd/m²
338
cd/m²
333
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LGD05FE tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 345 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 323.9 cd/m² Minimum: 19.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 346 cd/m²
Contrast: 821:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.3 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.1
ΔE Greyscale 1.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
94.9% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
95.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.31
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell G5 15 5590
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
-1%
-38%
-37%
-3%
-7%
Display P3 Coverage
64.2
64.5
0%
39.26
-39%
40.33
-37%
62.5
-3%
63.8
-1%
sRGB Coverage
95.1
93
-2%
59.1
-38%
60.6
-36%
93
-2%
82.4
-13%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.8
65.7
0%
40.56
-38%
41.69
-37%
63.8
-3%
60.3
-8%
Response Times
1%
-181%
-138%
2%
-158%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
16.4 ?(8.4, 8)
13.6 ?(6.8, 6.8)
17%
45 ?(22, 23)
-174%
34 ?(17.2, 16.8)
-107%
15 ?(8, 7)
9%
38.4 ?(18.8, 19.6)
-134%
Response Time Black / White *
10.4 ?(5.2, 5.2)
12 ?(7.6, 4.4)
-15%
30 ?(17, 13)
-188%
28 ?(17.2, 10.8)
-169%
11 ?(7, 4)
-6%
29.2 ?(16.8, 12.4)
-181%
PWM Frequency
21280 ?(34)
20490 ?(99)
Screen
-44%
-181%
-117%
-70%
-91%
Brightness middle
345
306.8
-11%
234
-32%
240.1
-30%
305
-12%
270
-22%
Brightness
324
309
-5%
219
-32%
231
-29%
284
-12%
269
-17%
Brightness Distribution
86
87
1%
82
-5%
85
-1%
83
-3%
86
0%
Black Level *
0.42
0.38
10%
0.17
60%
0.34
19%
0.52
-24%
0.32
24%
Contrast
821
807
-2%
1376
68%
706
-14%
587
-29%
844
3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.3
3.16
-143%
8.6
-562%
4.2
-223%
3.63
-179%
5.1
-292%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
2.8
6.05
-116%
17.49
-525%
17.8
-536%
8.18
-192%
9.25
-230%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.1
2.4
-118%
4.06
-269%
4.09
-272%
1.31
-19%
3.25
-195%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.2
2.3
-92%
8.55
-613%
2.8
-133%
4.77
-298%
4.16
-247%
Gamma
2.31 95%
2.17 101%
3.02 73%
2.2 100%
2.54 87%
2.53 87%
CCT
6476 100%
6557 99%
7802 83%
6925 94%
7500 87%
6860 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60.5
60
-1%
37
-39%
38.4
-37%
59
-2%
54
-11%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
94.9
92.6
-2%
59
-38%
60.4
-36%
93
-2%
82
-14%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-15% / -30%
-133% / -154%
-97% / -105%
-24% / -49%
-85% / -84%

* ... smaller is better

HP colour calibrates the display at the factory and has done a good job according to our tests. We measured DeltaE 2000 colours and greyscale deviations of just 1.3 and 1.2, respectively, which are better than the ideal values of 3. While the human eye cannot perceive the difference between a deviation of 3 and 1.2 or 1.3, it can notice colour tints. Thankfully, the display in our review unit is not afflicted by a tint, with its colour temperature being within 25 K of our ideal value of 6500 K.

We tried further calibrating the display but only managed a minimal improvement in deviations, with colours and greyscale both dropping to 1.1. We have included our calibrated ICC profile in the box above our comparison table should you wish to use it, but most people will not notice the difference between our calibration and the one done at the factory. Also, we would only recommend applying our ICC profile to the same display as the one in our review unit. OEMs often use multiple display partners for their devices, which is worth checking before you apply our profile to your Gaming Pavilion 15. The display also covers 94.9% of sRGB and 60.5% of AdobeRGB, making it colour accurate enough for hobbyist level photo and video-editing.

CalMAN: ColorChecker - uncalibrated
CalMAN: ColorChecker - uncalibrated
CalMAN: Grayscale – uncalibrated
CalMAN: Grayscale – uncalibrated
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – uncalibrated
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – uncalibrated
CalMAN: ColorChecker- calibrated
CalMAN: ColorChecker- calibrated
CalMAN: Grayscale – calibrated
CalMAN: Grayscale – calibrated
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – calibrated
CalMAN: Colour Saturation – calibrated
60.5% AdobeRGB colour-space coverage
60.5% AdobeRGB colour-space coverage
94.9% sRGB colour-space coverage
94.9% sRGB colour-space coverage

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
10.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5.2 ms rise
↘ 5.2 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
16.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8.4 ms rise
↘ 8 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 25 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18080 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The Gaming Pavilion 15 is usable outdoors, but only when direct sunlight is not shining at it. The matte display diffuses reflections nicely, but it cannot get bright enough to overcome the sun’s luminosity, making it look washed-out and difficult to read. In short, we would recommend using the device in the shade where possible.

The IPS panel has stable viewing angles, with the display remaining readable from practically every angle. However, there are some brightness and colour distortions at acute viewing angle, as the photo montage below demonstrates.

Using the HP Gaming Pavilion 15 outdoors under direct sunlight
Using the HP Gaming Pavilion 15 outdoors under direct sunlight
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

The Core i7-9750H and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q-powered Gaming Pavilion 15 is powerful enough to handle all modern triple-A games. The configuration retails for around 1,400 Euros (~US$1,547), but there are cheaper versions should you not want to drop that much on a gaming laptop. The cheapest model currently costs just 700 Euros (~US$774), which HP equips with a Core i5-9300H processor and a GeForce GTX 1050 GPU.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
LatencyMon
 

Processor

The Core i7-9750H succeeds the Core i7-8750H, a popular hexa-core processor found in many of last year’s gaming and multimedia laptops. The Core i7-9750H is also a hexa-core chip that Intel bases on its Coffee Lake Refresh and offers slightly higher clock speeds than its predecessor. The CPU has a 2.6 GHz base clock that it can boost up to 4 GHz on all cores thanks to Intel Turbo Boost. It can also get 100 MHz faster for every core that is not in use, with it reaching 4.5 GHz on a single core.

Our review unit can briefly keep its CPU at 4 GHz in Cinebench R15 Multi 64Bit before it drops to between 3 GHz and 3.3 GHz. Conversely, we recorded the CPU fluctuating between 4.0 and 4.5 GHz throughout the corresponding single-core benchmark. The Gaming Pavilion 15 can still reach 4.5 GHz in single-threaded tasks on battery, but it occasionally drops to 2.5 GHz. The same applies during multithreaded tasks too, although the CPU could only peak at 2.9 GHz during our tests.

System information during a CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark on mains power
System information during a CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark on mains power
System information during a CB R15 Single 64Bit benchmark on mains power
System information during a CB R15 Single 64Bit benchmark on mains power
System information during a CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark on battery power
System information during a CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark on battery power
System information during a CB R15 Single 64Bit benchmark on battery power
System information during a CB R15 Single 64Bit benchmark on battery power

We also subjected our review unit to a looped CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark to see how well it maintained its performance under sustained load. We left the benchmark running for 30 minutes and recorded each successive benchmark result. Scores dropped by around 10% between the first and second run-through, although they then stabilised at around 1,030 points, with scores fluctuating between 1,020 and 1,042 points. The CPU engaged its Turbo Boost throughout the loop, but it could not maintain peak multi-core clock speeds.

In short, the Gaming Pavilion 15 has disappointing multi-core performance, as the graph below demonstrates. The device even scores below average in its best run and consistently scored around 150 points fewer than the CUK Model Z in our CB R15 loop. The Gaming Pavilion 15 and Pavilion Gaming 17 perform similarly in this regard, with both underwhelming in CB R15 Multi 64Bit.

0651301952603253904555205856507157808459109751040110511701235Tooltip
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1035 (1020.33-1139.99)
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1190 (1182.24-1239.66)
Dell G5 15 5590 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1144 (1121.11-1191.01)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, AMD Ryzen 7 3750H: Ø790 (787.28-796.5)
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1118 (1106.5-1218.62)
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1107 (1095.29-1196)
CPU clock speeds during a CB R15 Multi 64Bit loop
CPU clock speeds during a CB R15 Multi 64Bit loop
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6983
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
34445
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
8083
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
186 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1140 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
116.4 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=241, last 2 years)
266 Points +43%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Core i7-9750H
187 Points +1%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
186 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (170 - 194, n=82)
183.7 Points -1%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points -6%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
Intel Core i7-8750H
171 Points -8%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
165 Points -11%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
144 Points -23%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=242, last 2 years)
3024 Points +165%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Core i7-9750H
1261 Points +11%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
1219 Points +7%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
Intel Core i7-8750H
1196 Points +5%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
1191 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (952 - 1306, n=85)
1182 Points +4%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
1140 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
805 Points -29%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (6257 - 15819, n=23, last 2 years)
9174 Points +31%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
6983 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (6659 - 7214, n=13)
6923 Points -1%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
6338 Points -9%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
4770 Points -32%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (37321 - 112749, n=23, last 2 years)
60072 Points +74%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
34465 Points 0%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
34445 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (28251 - 36304, n=13)
33539 Points -3%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
20687 Points -40%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (169 - 855, n=237, last 2 years)
693 Points +55%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
447 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (416 - 486, n=55)
443 Points -1%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
403 Points -10%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
340 Points -24%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (930 - 13769, n=237, last 2 years)
7255 Points +200%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
2707 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (2017 - 3133, n=55)
2564 Points +6%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
2415 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
1825 Points -24%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
22875 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (21185 - 23587, n=8)
22450 Points -2%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
21920 Points -4%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
4263 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (4137 - 4428, n=8)
4243 Points 0%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
3868 Points -9%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (31241 - 71700, n=27, last 2 years)
48749 Points +104%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
23928 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (17054 - 25043, n=27)
22076 Points -8%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
20450 Points -15%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
11396 Points -52%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (5986 - 8936, n=27, last 2 years)
7577 Points +40%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H
5423 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (4440 - 5511, n=27)
5238 Points -3%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
4723 Points -13%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
3898 Points -28%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
1137 ms * -7%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)
1066 ms *
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (845 - 1713, n=54)
1048 ms * +2%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
799 ms * +25%
Average of class Gaming
  (421 - 824, n=214, last 2 years)
522 ms * +51%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming
  (69893 - 111243, n=52, last 2 years)
91826 Points +144%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
37762 Points +1%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)
37557 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (22874 - 39708, n=47)
35814 Points -5%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
33522 Points -11%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
30577 Points -19%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming
  (357 - 650, n=28, last 2 years)
491 Points +86%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)
264.4 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (212 - 280, n=47)
258 Points -2%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
243.8 Points -8%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
213.1 Points -19%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
205.1 Points -22%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The device performs comparatively well in system benchmarks like PCMark though. A glance at the spec sheet reveals why, with its hexa-core CPU, powerful GPU, dual-channel RAM and fast NVMe SSD all combining to create a nimble system. Our review unit finished second overall in PCMark to the CUK Model Z and scored 8% better than average for its class.

HP includes two 8 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM modules that run in dual-channel mode.
HP includes two 8 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM modules that run in dual-channel mode.
PCMark 7 Score
6847 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4362 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4155 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5608 points
PCMark 10 Score
5583 points
Help
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Gaming
  (5235 - 9852, n=203, last 2 years)
7573 Points +36%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
5678 Points +2%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5583 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (5429 - 5583, n=2)
5506 Points -1%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5234 Points -6%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5125 Points -8%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
5069 Points -9%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4322 Points -23%
Essentials
Average of class Gaming
  (8300 - 12334, n=202, last 2 years)
10701 Points +13%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
9450 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (9320 - 9450, n=2)
9385 Points -1%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
9158 Points -3%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
8702 Points -8%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
8427 Points -11%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
8308 Points -12%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7424 Points -21%
Productivity
Average of class Gaming
  (7244 - 11833, n=202, last 2 years)
9729 Points +27%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7687 Points
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
7546 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (7165 - 7687, n=2)
7426 Points -3%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7102 Points -8%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7019 Points -9%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
6808 Points -11%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
6305 Points -18%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Gaming
  (6462 - 18475, n=202, last 2 years)
11407 Points +75%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
7190 Points +11%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6502 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (6502 - 6502, n=2)
6502 Points 0%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
6501 Points 0%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
6252 Points -4%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5983 Points -8%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4682 Points -28%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4166 - 6657, n=36, last 2 years)
5264 Points +21%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
4459 Points +2%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4440 Points +2%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4404 Points +1%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4362 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (4148 - 4362, n=2)
4255 Points -2%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
4165 Points -5%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3642 Points -17%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=35, last 2 years)
6098 Points +9%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
5696 Points +2%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5608 Points
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5543 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (5222 - 5608, n=2)
5415 Points -3%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5379 Points -4%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
5291 Points -6%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4956 Points -12%

Storage Devices

HP has equipped our review unit with a 256 GB Samsung PM981 SSD, which remains one of the fastest PCIe NVMe drives on the market, as our comparison table below demonstrates. The 256 GB SSD had about 200 GB free when we first booted our review unit, with the remaining space being occupied by the recovery partition and Windows 10 installation. The PM981 is not only considerably faster than SATA III SSDs, which are limited to around 600 MB/s transfer speeds, it delivers better speeds than all but the 2 TB version of the Intel 660p of the drives in our comparison table.

There is a 1 TB Seagate Barracuda HDD too should you need more than 200 GB of storage. The 2.5-inch drive operates at 7,200 RPM and is considerably slower than the PM981, hence why HP preinstalls Windows 10 on the latter rather than the former.

A look at the SSD with its protective cover attached.
A look at the SSD with its protective cover attached.
HP also includes a 1 TB 2.5-inch HDD.
HP also includes a 1 TB 2.5-inch HDD.
CrystalDiskMark 3: Seagate Barracuda Pro HDD
CrystalDiskMark 3: Seagate Barracuda Pro HDD
HD Tune: Seagate Barracuda Pro HDD
HD Tune: Seagate Barracuda Pro HDD
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Sequential Read: 1436 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1343 MB/s
512K Read: 362.5 MB/s
512K Write: 348.9 MB/s
4K Read: 27.2 MB/s
4K Write: 113.5 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 524 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 349.5 MB/s
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
Dell G5 15 5590
KBG30ZMS128G
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Average Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
37%
-56%
-6%
2%
-9%
72%
Write 4K
100
134.4
34%
64.3
-36%
132.2
32%
108.9
9%
90.3
-10%
116.1 ?(50.2 - 183.6, n=25)
16%
Read 4K
31.39
56.8
81%
29.3
-7%
55.5
77%
40.23
28%
38.98
24%
189.5 ?(31.4 - 3738, n=25)
504%
Write Seq
1308
1742
33%
131.1
-90%
986
-25%
1390
6%
1095
-16%
1409 ?(991 - 1687, n=24)
8%
Read Seq
1083
1687
56%
776
-28%
1318
22%
964
-11%
777
-28%
1624 ?(755 - 2300, n=24)
50%
Write 4K Q32T1
362.9
535
47%
96.8
-73%
220.3
-39%
314.2
-13%
302.7
-17%
360 ?(205 - 568, n=25)
-1%
Read 4K Q32T1
425.7
639
50%
198.6
-53%
315.5
-26%
369.2
-13%
352.2
-17%
396 ?(229 - 645, n=25)
-7%
Write Seq Q32T1
1411
1903
35%
127.8
-91%
987
-30%
1506
7%
1265
-10%
1492 ?(1104 - 1712, n=25)
6%
Read Seq Q32T1
3240
1849
-43%
1044
-68%
1416
-56%
3446
6%
3389
5%
3313 ?(1529 - 3522, n=25)
2%

Graphics Card

As we mentioned earlier, HP has equipped our review unit with a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, a more power-efficient version of the regular GeForce GTX 1660 Ti that NVIDIA has designed for thin and light laptops. The Max-Q has a 60 W thermal design power (TDP), 20 W shy of the regular GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti sits in the upper-middle class of laptop gaming GPUs, with NVIDIA basing it on its Turing architecture. However, while the Turing architecture is synonymous with DLSS and ray tracing, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti has no tensor cores so cannot make use of these new technologies. The Gaming Pavilion 15 supports NVIDIA Optimus though, meaning that it can switch between its NVIDIA GPU and the integrated UHD Graphics 630 to minimise power consumption.

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q supports DirectX 12 and has a 1,140 MHz base clock, which NVIDIA claims it can boost up to 1,335 MHz when required. However, NVIDIA only gives this as a guideline, with the GPU able to reach higher clock speeds if it does not hit its power or temperature limits. The one in our review unit reached a maximum of 1,500 MHz during synthetic benchmarks, for example, although it averaged 1,377 MHz while playing The Witcher 3. NVIDIA pairs the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q with 6 GB of fast GDDR6 VRAM.

Our review unit performed as expected for a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q-powered device in 3DMark. The Gaming Pavilion 15 scored 1% more than the Ryzen 7 3750H-powered GA502DU and just under 20% more than our GeForce GTX 1060 powered comparison devices. However, our review unit throttles the GPU performance by up to 50% when running on battery, effectively curtailing an opportunity of gaming on the go.

Sky Diver
Sky Diver
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark 11: Mains power
3DMark 11: Mains power
3DMark 11: Battery power
3DMark 11: Battery power
3DMark 06 Standard Score
38536 points
3DMark 11 Performance
15913 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
117976 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
33027 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
11615 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
5072 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=241, last 2 years)
39928 Points +131%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-9750H
21409 Points +24%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
20196 Points +17%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (17010 - 18653, n=8)
17711 Points +3%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-9750H
17264 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
17170 Points -1%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
14569 Points -16%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
14557 Points -16%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (15902 - 193851, n=150, last 2 years)
135325 Points +53%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-9750H
110817 Points +26%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
95292 Points +8%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-9750H
88271 Points
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
83591 Points -5%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
82954 Points -6%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (38321 - 89505, n=7)
63736 Points -28%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
44557 Points -50%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=245, last 2 years)
29195 Points +126%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-9750H
16460 Points +28%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
15415 Points +19%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (12903 - 13870, n=7)
13356 Points +4%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
13355 Points +4%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-9750H
12903 Points
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
11662 Points -10%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
11640 Points -10%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=243, last 2 years)
11907 Points +142%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-9750H
6503 Points +32%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
5977 Points +21%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (4867 - 5440, n=8)
5089 Points +3%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-9750H
4925 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
4867 Points -1%

Gaming Performance

As mentioned earlier, the Gaming Pavilion 15 can handle any modern triple-A game with ease. Our review unit averaged playable frame rates at 1080p and maximum graphics in all but Anno 1800, where it averaged just 33.2 FPS. Dropping the graphics settings to high resulted in it averaging 64.1 FPS though. Overall, the device will play most games at 60 FPS on maximum graphics, but you could make use of its 144 Hz refresh rate display if you reduce the graphics settings to high.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=237, last 2 years)
115.1 fps +117%
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
63 fps +19%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
60 fps +13%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
53.1 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (44.8 - 53.2, n=7)
50.3 fps -5%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
48.8 fps -8%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
41.4 fps -22%
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
39.5 fps -26%
BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
150.2 fps +19%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
136.9 fps +8%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
126.3 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (102.3 - 130, n=5)
117 fps -7%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
114.2 fps -10%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
102.3 fps -19%
Far Cry 5 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
Average of class Gaming
  (14 - 218, n=129, last 2 years)
125.8 fps +70%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
79 fps +7%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
74 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
  (50 - 74, n=2)
62 fps -16%

We also subjected the Gaming Pavilion 15 to an hour-long The Witcher 3 run-through to see how it managed its performance under sustained load. Frame rates fluctuated between 44 and 53 FPS during this test, with the system averaging 49.5 FPS. We did not move the playable character during this test and conducted it with the game running at 1080p and maximum graphics, for reference. The Gaming Pavilion 15 edges the GA502DU by 5 FPS here and is about 10 FPS shy of the GeForce RTX 2060-powered G5 15 5590.

05101520253035404550556065Tooltip
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ: Ø49.5 (44-53)
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8: Ø59.7 (57-64)
Dell G5 15 5590 GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G: Ø60.1 (36-65)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8: Ø45 (37-48)
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ: Ø39 (36-42)
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP: Ø39.6 (36-44)
GPU information while playing The Witcher 3
GPU information while playing The Witcher 3
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 294 271.9 246.8 126.3
GTA V (2015) 161.3 151.5 114.6 59.6
The Witcher 3 (2015) 243 162.6 95.2 53.1
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) 232.8 200.1 163.6 148.8
Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) 130.4 78.1 72.4 41.5
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 106.4 70.3 50
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 125.6 91.7 77.3 53.7
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 102.3 88.1 75.4
Far Cry 5 (2018) 103 84 79 74
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 90 71 60 44
Battlefield V (2018) 117.4 74.6 65.9 61
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 97 81 78 71
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 194.2 139.9 103.2 59.2
The Division 2 (2019) 142 87 69 50
Anno 1800 (2019) 87.9 83.2 64.1 33.2
Rage 2 (2019) 154.7 70.9 58.7 58.2
Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) 209.4 93.1 57.1 41.6
F1 2019 (2019) 183 140 117 71

Emissions

Fan Noise

HP sets the fans to “always-on" in the BIOS, with the fans whirring at 29.3 dB(A) by default even at idle. The fans will remain silent if you disable this option though. Unfortunately, the disks inside the HDD spin at 29.7 dB(A), so you must remove the drive if you want the Gaming Pavilion 15 to operate silently at idle.

Despite the fans always remaining on by default, they run comparatively quietly under load. We recorded the fans reaching a maximum of 41.2 dB(A) during our stress test, but this drops to 34 dB(A) while playing The Witcher 3 and 37.3 dB(A) in CPU-heavy games. In short, the Gaming Pavilion 15 runs as quietly as its 17-inch sibling.

Noise Level

Idle
29.3 / 29.3 / 29.3 dB(A)
HDD
29.7 dB(A)
Load
32.3 / 41.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.2 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2029.232.231.32925.527.728.92529.529.83130.327.726.7283126.82728.627.625.925254026.927.329.729.325.525.226.75025.125.425.726.123.723.124.46326.42225.623.921.523.3248024.822.62322.721.823.322.810022.822.721.922.120.621.522.112526.222.721.121.920.321.823.516024.120.321.821.320.920.921.820024.922.822.521.720.921.223.32502421.321.621.120.420.622.731524.621.421.320.519.920.523.340024.822.221.120.62020.522.950026.62221.319.419.31924.263026.822.721.62018.418.424.48002923.722.320.119.318.125.9100028.422.821.519.419.317.224.9125030.62422.418.318.516.42716003124.82317.917.115.527.5200030.424.821.217.217.514.928.6250033.322.620.216.516.414.827.1315031.621.719.416.516.314.726400027.418.817.816.215.914.522.9500025.617.416.615.815.814.321.6630022.615.915.214.514.414.320.2800019.31514.814.414.314.118.71000016.914.514.514.21413.916.9125001514.814.613.913.813.814.81600014.314.514.413.913.713.914.6SPL41.23432.329.729.328.237.3N3.41.91.61.31.21.12.5median 25.6median 22median 21.2median 18.3median 18.4median 16.4median 23.3Delta3.42.82.82.62.82.92.8hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Dell G5 15 5590
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
 
Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
-23%
-13%
-20%
-9%
-20%
-5%
-6%
off / environment *
28.2
28.6
-1%
30.4
-8%
28
1%
30.2
-7%
29
-3%
28.3 ?(26.3 - 30.2, n=7)
-0%
24.1 ?(19.5 - 29.9, n=188, last 2 years)
15%
Idle Minimum *
29.3
30.8
-5%
30.4
-4%
29.4
-0%
30.9
-5%
29
1%
29.2 ?(26.7 - 31.5, n=7)
-0%
25.7 ?(21.9 - 41.6, n=189, last 2 years)
12%
Idle Average *
29.3
30.8
-5%
30.4
-4%
31.9
-9%
30.9
-5%
32
-9%
29.5 ?(26.7 - 31.9, n=7)
-1%
27.4 ?(21.9 - 42.1, n=189, last 2 years)
6%
Idle Maximum *
29.3
35
-19%
33.4
-14%
33
-13%
31.6
-8%
35
-19%
30.4 ?(27 - 33, n=7)
-4%
30.8 ?(21.9 - 47, n=189, last 2 years)
-5%
Load Average *
32.3
45
-39%
42
-30%
41.2
-28%
42.3
-31%
45
-39%
37.3 ?(30.9 - 42.4, n=7)
-15%
43 ?(25.2 - 62.9, n=189, last 2 years)
-33%
Witcher 3 ultra *
34
51.6
-52%
53.8
-58%
47
-38%
Load Maximum *
41.2
57.8
-40%
48.7
-18%
55.7
-35%
40
3%
56
-36%
46.1 ?(34.3 - 55.7, n=7)
-12%
53.3 ?(42.1 - 68.2, n=189, last 2 years)
-29%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

We also stress-tested our review unit with FurMark and Prime95 to see how it fared under extreme load conditions. As our previous tests revealed, the Gaming Pavilion 15 throttles its CPU and GPU when running on battery power. While the CPU initially operated at between 2.5 and 2.6 GHz on mains power, it could only maintain between 800 MHz and 1.1 GHz on battery. Incidentally, the CPU dropped to between 2 and 2.1 GHz on mains power after 10 minutes of stress testing. The GPU initially fluctuates between 1 GHz and 1.1 GHz regardless of its power state, but it only rises when the CPU throttles if it is connected to the mains. Incidentally, the GPU peaked at 1,290 MHz during our stress tests. Overall, you should not experience such heavy throttling even when gaming, as our stress tests push systems to their limits.

System information during a combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test
System information during a combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test
System information after running FurMark and Prime95 for 30 seconds
System information after running FurMark and Prime95 for 30 seconds
System information at the end of our hour-long stress test
System information at the end of our hour-long stress test

The Gaming Pavilion 15 manages its surface temperatures well too, with only one area of the palm rest exceeding 30 °C even during our stress tests. The rest of the top case gets hot while playing games, but not worryingly so. However, one area of the bottom case peaked at 53.7 °C during our stress tests and 52.2 °C while playing The Witcher 3, which will feel uncomfortable to the touch. Hence, we would recommend gaming with the laptop on something like a table or desk rather than on your lap.

Max. Load
 41.6 °C
107 F
46.7 °C
116 F
44 °C
111 F
 
 36.8 °C
98 F
43.9 °C
111 F
42.5 °C
109 F
 
 27.9 °C
82 F
29.6 °C
85 F
31.4 °C
89 F
 
Maximum: 46.7 °C = 116 F
Average: 38.3 °C = 101 F
49.7 °C
121 F
53.7 °C
129 F
43.3 °C
110 F
39.2 °C
103 F
41.8 °C
107 F
38.4 °C
101 F
27.1 °C
81 F
26.4 °C
80 F
25.9 °C
79 F
Maximum: 53.7 °C = 129 F
Average: 38.4 °C = 101 F
Power Supply (max.)  47.9 °C = 118 F | Room Temperature 20.4 °C = 69 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.3 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.7 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 53.7 °C / 129 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.4 °C / 74 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 38.8 °C / 102 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33.3 °C / 91.9 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-4.4 °C / -7.9 F).
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Dell G5 15 5590
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
 
Average of class Gaming
 
Heat
-38%
-8%
-27%
-5%
-10%
-12%
-16%
Maximum Upper Side *
46.7
47.2
-1%
51.5
-10%
55.8
-19%
48.4
-4%
43
8%
46.6 ?(41.4 - 55.8, n=7)
-0%
46.3 ?(28.2 - 61, n=189, last 2 years)
1%
Maximum Bottom *
53.7
65.8
-23%
48.3
10%
58.2
-8%
48
11%
55
-2%
49.4 ?(39.5 - 65, n=7)
8%
49.8 ?(30 - 66.3, n=189, last 2 years)
7%
Idle Upper Side *
23.8
35.2
-48%
27.2
-14%
33.4
-40%
26.7
-12%
28
-18%
30.1 ?(23.8 - 34.6, n=7)
-26%
31.5 ?(21.2 - 43, n=189, last 2 years)
-32%
Idle Bottom *
23.7
43
-81%
27.4
-16%
33.6
-42%
26.9
-14%
30
-27%
31 ?(23.7 - 39.4, n=7)
-31%
32.7 ?(22.6 - 45, n=189, last 2 years)
-38%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

HP equips the Gaming Pavilion 15 with stereo speakers that fire upwards from behind a perforated cover above the keyboard. The speakers are comparatively quiet by laptops standards, but they still sound reasonably loud thanks to their positioning, as audio does not reflect off other surfaces before reaching your ears as is the case with downward-firing speakers. We would still recommend using external audio equipment like headphones and speakers for a better listening experience though.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2027.730.12526.729.1312526.64025.227.45023.126.86323.326.28023.324.210021.523.212521.826.916020.935.820021.245.625020.651.431520.554.540020.555.15001960.163018.465.380018.167.2100017.262.7125016.462.6160015.561.8200014.963.7250014.864.7315014.762.6400014.564.9500014.364.9630014.363.8800014.165.51000013.962.61250013.858.21600013.952.9SPL28.275.8N1.137.9median 16.4median 62.6Delta2.97.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 60% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 32% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 39% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

There are no surprises with power consumption, with the Gaming Pavilion 15 averaging a slightly lower power draw than we expected. Our review unit consumes a minimum of 6.8 W at idle, with it averaging 10.7 W. The system peaked at 191.5 W during our stress tests and 121 W in The Witcher 3, making it considerably more power-hungry than the GA502DU, despite having the GPU. HP includes a 200 W power supply in the box, but our review unit never consumed more than this during our tests, so it will keep the Gaming Pavilion 15 charging even if you push the system to its limits.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.09 / 0.16 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6.8 / 10.7 / 12.5 Watt
Load midlight 87.2 / 191.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Dell G5 15 5590
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
 
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
-101%
15%
-23%
-5%
-25%
12%
-71%
Idle Minimum *
6.8
23.5
-246%
3.5
49%
7.4
-9%
7.3
-7%
10
-47%
5.16 ?(3.4 - 7.4, n=7)
24%
13.8 ?(2 - 64, n=184, last 2 years)
-103%
Idle Average *
10.7
28
-162%
6.9
36%
8.6
20%
11.1
-4%
13
-21%
8.51 ?(7.4 - 10.7, n=7)
20%
19.1 ?(8 - 67, n=184, last 2 years)
-79%
Idle Maximum *
12.5
32
-156%
8.5
32%
39.1
-213%
12.6
-1%
21
-68%
14.6 ?(9 - 39.1, n=7)
-17%
26.6 ?(9 - 101.1, n=184, last 2 years)
-113%
Load Average *
87.2
102.4
-17%
127
-46%
65.9
24%
109
-25%
101
-16%
76.4 ?(55.1 - 90, n=7)
12%
111 ?(32.1 - 202, n=184, last 2 years)
-27%
Witcher 3 ultra *
121
142.8
-18%
106.9
12%
126
-4%
Load Maximum *
191.4
209
-9%
179
6%
141.3
26%
168
12%
176
8%
151.4 ?(108 - 191.4, n=7)
21%
250 ?(64.5 - 418, n=183, last 2 years)
-31%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Gaming Pavilion 15 has a 52.5 Wh battery, which lasted just 4:50 hours in our practical Wi-Fi battery life test, during which we ran a script that simulates the load required to render websites. We also left the system on the Windows 10 balanced power plan and reduced display brightness to 150 cd/m². The battery lasted about 20 minutes longer when playing an H.264-encoded 1080p video with all the radio modules deactivated and the power plan set to “Energy-saving mode". We left the display at 150 cd/m² for this test too.

In short, the Gaming Pavilion 15 has above average battery life for a gaming laptop. However, it falls well short of the G5 15 5590 and GA502DU, although both have considerably larger batteries than the 52.5 Wh cell in the Gaming Pavilion 15.

A look at the 52.5 Wh battery in the HP Gaming Pavilion 15.
A look at the 52.5 Wh battery in the HP Gaming Pavilion 15.
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
8h 42min
Witcher 3 ultra 150cd
1h 00min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44)
4h 50min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
5h 17min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 16min
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, 52.5 Wh
CUK Model Z GK5CQ7Z
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 46.74 Wh
Dell G5 15 5590
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 60 Wh
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, 76 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 52 Wh
Medion Erazer X6805-MD61085
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 46.7 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
-39%
78%
68%
-31%
6%
20%
Reader / Idle
522
890
70%
916
75%
495
-5%
503
-4%
541 ?(57 - 1290, n=87, last 2 years)
4%
H.264
317
506
60%
391 ?(56 - 747, n=95, last 2 years)
23%
WiFi v1.3
290
178
-39%
463
60%
482
66%
228
-21%
270
-7%
364 ?(57 - 745, n=188, last 2 years)
26%
Witcher 3 ultra
60
81.6 ?(47 - 155, n=22, last 2 years)
36%
Load
76
168
121%
123
62%
26
-66%
98
29%
85.5 ?(36 - 173, n=150, last 2 years)
13%

Pros

+ matte display
+ IPS panel
+ 144 Hz refresh rate
+ good colour accuracy
+ NVMe SSD
+ 1 TB HDD
+ runs comparatively quietly
+ fast memory card reader
+ backlight keyboard

Cons

- weak contrast ratio
- no Thunderbolt 3
- unstable display lid
- only a one-year warranty

Verdict

The HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng laptop review. Test device courtesy of HP Germany.
The HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng laptop review. Test device courtesy of HP Germany.

The HP Gaming Pavilion 15 does what it is supposed to do and brings all modern triple-A games smoothly to its 15.6-inch 1080p display. The Core i7-9750H and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q GPU proved to be a powerful pair during our tests and ones that can make use of the 144 Hz panel even on maximum graphics in some games. The Gaming Pavilion 15 runs comparatively quietly, with its fans not overwhelming its speakers when gaming.

A fast NVMe SSD keeps the system running smoothly and quickly too, while you should not run out of space for storing games thanks to the inclusion of a 1 TB HDD. Better still, both drives can be replaced should you want to switch things up, although you must remove the bottom panel to do so.

The HP Gaming Pavilion 15 is a decent all-rounder, about which we have few complaints.

The IPS display scores well not only for its 144 Hz refresh rate but also for its short response times, stable viewing angles, good maximum brightness and excellent colour accuracy. It is not all positive though, as the comparatively high black value results in an underwhelming contrast ratio. We would have expected more from any laptop class at this price.

The Gaming Pavilion 15 will not wow you with its battery life either, with it lasting just 4:50 hours in our practical Wi-Fi test. This should come as no surprise though considering that it has just a 52.6 Wh capacity. Our only other gripes are the lack of Thunderbolt 3, unstable display frame and one-year warranty. However, the keyboard is pleasant to type on, as is the inclusion of backlighting. Likewise, HP has included plenty of ports to keep you going. Overall, the Gaming Pavilion 15 is good value for money at around US$1,500, with its main differentiator being its quiet fans.

HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng - 09/20/2019 v7
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
73 / 98 → 74%
Keyboard
82%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
61 / 80 → 77%
Weight
61 / 10-66 → 90%
Battery
62 / 95 → 65%
Display
90%
Games Performance
87%
Application Performance
88%
Temperature
85 / 95 → 90%
Noise
93 / 90 → 100%
Audio
71%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
76%
84%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Gaming Pavilion 15 Laptop Review: A powerful yet pleasingly quiet gaming laptop
Sascha Mölck, 2019-08- 4 (Update: 2019-08- 5)