Four hundred quid for a laptop with an Intel i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD? We had to double-check HP's pricing on this 15.6-inch machine because it seemed almost too good to be true. Most laptops at this price point skimp somewhere — usually on memory or storage — but HP appears to have thrown everything at this one.
We've been putting the HP 15.6" laptop through its paces for the past few weeks, using it for everything from endless Teams calls to Netflix binges and the odd bit of photo editing. The question isn't whether it's a decent laptop — at this spec, it obviously is — but whether HP has cut corners elsewhere to hit that aggressive price point. Spoiler alert: they have, but probably not where you'd expect.
Right out of the box, this thing feels substantial. We're talking proper 15.6-inch laptop territory here, which means it's not exactly what you'd call portable. Measuring up at roughly the size of a small tray, it's definitely more of a desk-bound machine than something you'll fancy lugging about in a rucksack all day.
The natural silver finish looks smart enough, though it's clearly plastic rather than metal. HP's made some effort with the build quality — it doesn't creak or flex when you pick it up, which is more than we can say for some budget laptops we've tested. The use of ocean-bound and recycled plastics is a nice touch, even if you can't actually tell by looking at it.
The 15.6-inch Full HD display genuinely surprised us. For £400, we expected something a bit naff, but the 1920 x 1080 resolution delivers properly crisp text and decent colours. We spent hours watching Netflix on this thing, and honestly, it's perfectly adequate for entertainment. It's not going to win any awards for colour accuracy — our editor's MacBook definitely has it beat — but for everyday use, it's more than good enough.
The screen gets reasonably bright too, though you might struggle a bit in direct sunlight if you're trying to work outside. We tested it in our conservatory on a sunny afternoon and had to angle it away from the windows to see properly.
Here's where HP has done something quite clever. That Intel i5-1334U processor paired with 16GB of RAM creates a machine that just gets on with things. We threw our usual mix of Chrome tabs, Word documents, and Spotify at it, and it barely broke a sweat. The 13th-generation Intel chip might not be the absolute latest, but it's plenty powerful enough for typical laptop duties.
The 512GB SSD means boot times are snappy — we're talking about 15 seconds from pressing the power button to having Windows 11 ready to go. Loading applications feels responsive, and we never found ourselves drumming our fingers waiting for things to happen.
Intel's Iris Xe graphics won't turn this into a gaming powerhouse, but they're perfectly capable of handling some light gaming or photo editing. We managed to play some older games at decent frame rates, though don't expect to run the latest releases at high settings.
That backlit keyboard with the integrated numeric pad is genuinely useful. If you're someone who works with numbers regularly, having a proper numpad built-in is brilliant. The keys have decent travel and don't feel mushy, though they're not quite as satisfying as a premium laptop's keyboard. The backlighting works well in dim conditions, though it's not the brightest we've seen.
HP claims up to 9.75 hours of battery life, and in very light use — think just typing in Word with the screen dimmed — we actually got close to that. But in real-world use with the screen at a comfortable brightness, Wi-Fi connected, and multiple applications running, you're looking at more like 6-7 hours. Still perfectly respectable for a 15.6-inch laptop at this price.
This HP laptop makes sense for three types of buyer. First, students who need something reliable for coursework and can't stretch to £800+ for a premium machine. Second, home workers who want a proper-sized screen and keyboard for daily tasks without breaking the bank. Third, anyone looking for a family laptop that can handle everything from homework to streaming without feeling sluggish.
For £399, this HP laptop delivers genuinely impressive value. Yes, it feels like a budget machine, but the performance and features punch well above their weight. If you need a reliable workhorse for home or study and don't mind the size, it's hard to argue with what you get for the money.
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