The HP Pavilion 15 is a budget-friendly choice with a lower resolution and less powerful processor, making it suited for everyday use like browsing and office tasks. In contrast, the HP Spectre x360 is more expensive but boasts a higher resolution screen, a stronger processor, and additional features like being a convertible 2-in-1 device, enhancing its suitability for more demanding applications such as photo editing or multitasking. The Spectre also typically has a better build quality and battery life. Consider the Pavilion 15 for basic tasks and value, or the Spectre x360 if you require higher performance and versatility. 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 Pavilion 15
The HP Pavilion 15 has no clear advantages over the HP Spectre x360.
Advantages of the HP Spectre x360
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
8.2/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The HP Spectre x360 is very good for general use, while the HP Pavilion 15 is good.
The HP Spectre x360 is better for general use due to its higher-quality screen, with a significantly sharper display and better color coverage, along with a superior processor offering better performance. However, the HP Pavilion 15, while more affordable and slightly more portable, offers good performance with a serviceable screen and longer battery life, but its overall build and screen quality are not as high as the Spectre's.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Spectre x360 and HP Pavilion 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the HP Spectre x360 is somewhat better.
The HP Spectre x360 is better suited for gaming and 3D applications than the HP Pavilion 15 because it features a more powerful CPU and a superior integrated GPU, which are crucial for such tasks. While both laptops have screens with the same refresh rate, the HP Spectre x360 also boasts a higher resolution and better screen quality, which enhance the visual experience during gaming and 3D rendering.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
8.0/10
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Spectre x360 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Pavilion 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.1/10
8.2/10
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Spectre x360 is very good for content creation, while the HP Pavilion 15 is good.
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
6.6/10
8.3/10
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Spectre x360 is very good for software development, while the HP Pavilion 15 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
5.3/10
7.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
The HP Spectre x360 has a better screen than the HP Pavilion 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The HP Pavilion 15's screen may disappoint you if you're looking for vibrant colors and sharp images as it lacks the resolution, brightness, and quality panel found in higher-end models, leading to a less immersive experience across all use cases. For engineering and design tasks, the HP Spectre x360's display offers superior color accuracy and a wider color gamut, ensuring that your work appears true to life and precise, but it may not be the best option for gaming and 3D activities where a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth action, an area where the Spectre x360 falls short. While the Spectre x360 excels in display quality for most tasks, if you're a hardcore gamer or work with fast-paced 3D applications, the lack of a high refresh rate could be a point of frustration.
Battery
3.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The HP Pavilion 15 has 3 hours of battery life. The HP Spectre x360 has 11 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.
Build Quality
6.2/10
8.5/10
The HP Spectre x360 has very good build quality, while the HP Pavilion 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$600
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The HP Pavilion 15 has a price of $600 and the HP Spectre x360 costs $1,000.
"The HP Pavilion 15 carries a fair amount of power and a sharp display in its handsome slimline shell. It's not perfect, but it's a hard worker. This is wonderfully designed and totes a heck of a lot of desktop power, with the added benefit of a decent webcam and a full-sized keyboard. If you're getting down to business on a budget, it's a great fit."
"As we said, Lenovo's Yoga 9i is a tough competitor to the Spectre with an equally admirable OLED display. We're sad that neither of them has an HDMI port nor a niche or slot to hold the stylus, though the HP wins points for its bundled mini docking station and magnetically attached pen. Your choice will come down to screen shape—and in our eyes, just as seeing an OLED screen spoils you for an IPS panel, enjoying a tall 3:2 display spoils you for a more conventional view. The HP Spectre x360 13.5 is our new favorite 2-in-1."
Get a great deal on the HP Pavilion 15 or the HP Spectre x360
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.
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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