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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If portability and budget are key factors, the HP 15" Laptop might be an appealing option as it's more affordably priced and slightly lighter. However, if performance, especially in areas like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering tasks, is a priority and within budget, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out, offering significantly more power, higher-quality display with touch capability, better build, and a more robust battery. While the Lenovo has a superior keyboard, and a clearer webcam, and is more suited for intensive tasks, it comes at a higher price. For general usage with moderate demands and sensitivity to cost, the HP could be sufficient. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the HP 15" Laptop
- The HP 15" Laptop has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.7
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 excels in general use with a high-quality OLED screen, more RAM, and a powerful AMD processor, enhancing multitasking and media experiences, while also providing a solid battery life and a portable design. Conversely, the HP 15" Laptop offers fair performance with its Intel i3 processor and IPS display, but it has less RAM and a lower-quality screen compared to the ThinkPad, making it adequate for less demanding tasks but not as suited for intensive applications.
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.7
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP 15" Laptop is poor.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is better for gaming and 3D tasks as it has a dedicated AMD RX 6500M GPU, which is more powerful than the integrated graphics found in the HP 15" Laptop's Intel i3 processor. Additionally, the Z16's OLED screen has higher resolution and screen quality, enhancing visuals, even though both share the same screen refresh rate which is very important for smooth gameplay.
Engineering and Design
6.2
8.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 15" Laptop, with its Intel i3 processor and 8 GB of RAM, offers fair performance for engineering and design use, yet falls short with its basic screen quality and limited graphics capabilities. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, on the other hand, better caters to these tasks with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 32 GB of RAM, superior OLED screen, and higher-end AMD RX 6500M GPU, thus earning its very good standing for engineering and design purposes.
Content Creation
6.9
8.5
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for content creation, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
6.7
8.2
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for software development, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
6.3
8.5
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the HP 15" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The HP 15" Laptop's screen, while suitable for everyday tasks due to its resolution and brightness, lacks the wide color gamuts, making it less ideal for engineering and design where color accuracy is key. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16's display boasts superior color accuracy and higher resolution, greatly benefiting professional design work and general media consumption. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications as they don't have high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visuals and a more immersive experience in fast-paced scenarios.
Build Quality
6.0
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has very good build quality, while the HP 15" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$375
$1,120
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The HP 15" Laptop has a price of $375 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The HP 15" Laptop has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and HP 15" Laptop both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the HP 15" Laptop and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP 15" Laptop | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$375 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.5'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.73 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.53" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1215U | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
HP 15" Laptop
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | August 2022
"Chances are high that the HP 15 is one of the first laptops to pop up when you search for an inexpensive notebook. Indeed, its price tag is very tempting for many, and of course, this is the reason for its popularity. However, the HP 15" suffers from poor performance due to low power consumption. On the bright side, one of the good things about it is the port selection. On the inside, this includes two SODIMM slots for memory, an M.2 PCIe x4 slot for storage, and a SATA drive bay. However, the TN panel, and mediocre input devices are not ideal."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the HP 15" Laptop or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
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