The consumer oriented HP 15-f305dx is a great desktop replacement laptop, designed to fill the gap between low-end notebooks and mid-range devices. It really feels like a more expensive unit trapped in a rather affordable body. For the price its being sold at, the HP looks like a good deal for users who want to upgrade their aging home systems without spending too much.
Review
Unlike many of today’s laptops, the HP 15-f305dx comes equipped with a quad core AMD processor, specifically the A6-5200 APU unit which was launched two years ago. This processor has scored decent points in benchmark tests: 2400 points. Although it has four cores, it only boasts 2 MB of available L2 cache and a thermal design power of 25 Watts. The performance is comparable to a 4th generation Intel Core i3 processor.
System memory will prove sufficient for the vast majority of users, 4 gigabytes of RAM being enough for the operating system to run smoothly, as well as any programs that might be used simultaneously. For those with increased demands, system memory is user upgradeable up to 6 to 8 gigabytes by adding another memory stick in the available free slot.
Storage space is also sufficient enough to hold significant media collections, as well as many games or large files. As for the graphics department, it doesn’t come with a dedicated video card, but with an integrated, on board component. New games are out of the question, but you’ll still be able to play games like League of Legends or Counter Strike at bearable frame rates. The 15.6 inches screen comes with a standard HD display. Our recommendation is to connect the laptop to an external full HD monitor via HDMI cable to get a better browsing experience while sitting at the desk, since its native 1366 x 768 resolution might make you a bit claustrophobic when viewing web content.
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Other notable features include 2 high speed USB 3.0 ports, 802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN (streaming high definition video content may prove problematic), Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 port and a DVD writer.
The HP 15-f305dx isn’t a featherweight, but we’ve seen bulkier laptops around, so size and weight are normal for a device this cheap. However battery life is unimpressive when put against competitors, managing around 4 hours of screen time at best, not enough to warrant taking it to long trips or cafes, since the actual battery stats will be lower when overworked.
Technical Specifications
[table width =”100%” style =”table-simple table-hover” responsive =”true” class=”customtable”]
[table_head]
[th_column]Product[/th_column]
[th_column]HP 15-f305dx[/th_column]
[/table_head]
[table_body]
[table_row]
[row_column]PROCESSOR[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Name[/row_column]
[row_column]AMD A6-5200 APU[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Quad Core[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Speed[/row_column]
[row_column]2.0 GHz[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Cache[/row_column]
[row_column]2 MB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]SYSTEM MEMORY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Installed Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]4 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]8 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Memory Type[/row_column]
[row_column]DDR3L SDRAM[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Total Memory Slots[/row_column]
[row_column]2 slots[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]STORAGE[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]500 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Hard Disk Drive[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]SATA, 5400 rpm[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]DISPLAY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Size[/row_column]
[row_column]15.6″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Type[/row_column]
[row_column]LCD[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]BrightView WLED Backlit[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Resolution[/row_column]
[row_column]1366 x 768[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Aspect Ratio[/row_column]
[row_column]16:9[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Touchscreen[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]GRAPHICS[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphics Processing Unit[/row_column]
[row_column]AMD Radeon HD 8400[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphic Card Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Integrated[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphics Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]Shared[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]AUDIO & VIDEO[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Audio Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]HD Audio[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Speakers[/row_column]
[row_column]Stereo speakers[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Webcam[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes, 720p[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]NETWORK AND COMMUNICATION[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Wireless LAN[/row_column]
[row_column]1×1 802.11 b/g/n[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Bluetooth[/row_column]
[row_column]Bluetooth 4.0[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Ethernet[/row_column]
[row_column]10/100 BASE-T[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]INTERFACE[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]USB Ports[/row_column]
[row_column]2 x USB 3.0
1 x USB 2.0[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]HDMI[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]VGA[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Headphone/Mic[/row_column]
[row_column]Audio Combo Jack[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Multi Card Slot[/row_column]
[row_column]Multi-Format Digital Media Reader[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]LAN (RJ45)[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]INPUT DEVICES[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Touch Pad / Track Pad[/row_column]
[row_column]Touch Pad with multi-touch gestures[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]Full size island style[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Backlit Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]BATTERY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Type[/row_column]
[row_column]3-Cell Lithium-Ion Polymer[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]31 Whr[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Battery Life[/row_column]
[row_column]Up to 4 hours[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Other Features[/row_column]
[row_column]DVD-Writer[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Operating System[/row_column]
[row_column]Windows 10[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Dimensions (W x D x H)[/row_column]
[row_column]15.18″ x 10.16″ x 0.89″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Weight[/row_column]
[row_column]4.82 lbs[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[/table_body]
[/table]
Scores, Pros and Cons
[row]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”70″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Performance: 7/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”75″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Functionality: 7/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”95″ bartype=”progress-bar-success” label=”Price: 9.5/10″]
[/column]
[/row]
[list]
[li]Pros[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Affordable price[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Adequate system memory[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Nice keyboard[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]DVD-Writer[/li]
[li]Cons[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]Poor battery life[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]Last generation CPU[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]Storage space could have been larger[/li]
[/list]
Final Thoughts
When considering the HP 15-f305dx, you must tone down your expectations by keeping in mind that this full featured notebook computer costs under $300. For that amount of money, you can easily replace the home desktop or use it with success as a college laptop and even as a work machine. However, you shouldn’t keep it too far away from a power socket, since battery life is one of its low points.
