The HP Pavilion 15-ab110nr is an interesting laptop which proposes a unique combination of hardware resources and features. We would argue this is a cross breed between an ultrabook and a mid range notebook, with design elements and build quality borrowed from the former and hardware specs from the latter.
Review
HP’s Pavillion series consists of notebooks designed for a wide spectrum of uses, from home entertainment hub to office mobile stations and even affordable college solutions. The 15-ab110nr model is somewhere in the middle, positioned as a mid range laptop with decent hardware specs. Of course, some compromises have been made to to keep it as balanced as possible within the $500 – $600 price range.
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The first thing that draws our attention is the processor. This notebook comes with a dual core (they said quad, but it only has 2 physical cores and 2 threads) AMD A10-8700P CPU. It’s quite refreshing to see AMD make a minor comeback in the world of energy efficient laptop computing. To put things in perspective, this processor’s performance is very similar to the ubiquitous Intel Core i5-5200U, found on many models like the Toshiba Satellite S55T or on the Lenovo Yoga 3. Here’s a comparison of both using benchmark tests.
Unfortunately, the HP Pavilion 15-ab110nr doesn’t come with a dedicated video card, but with integrated Radeon R6 graphics. This means you won’t be able to run modern games on it, but it will render older names on medium settings.
The system memory is adequate for this kind of laptop, with 8 gigabytes available. Running multiple tabs, editing photos, playing and streaming high definition video will not freeze the system or even slow it down.
Storage space is also plentiful, capable of holding vast collections of media on it. However, to get the premium experience of not having to wait more than a couple of seconds for Windows to boot up, we recommend investing in a 256 gigabyte Solid State Drive.
The display is brighter than expected, performing well in nullifying the sunshine caused glare so many screens struggle with. We wanted to see a full HD display on the HP Pavilion 15-ab110nr, and this is our main complaint about it. It would have performed beautifully if it could have been used to watch 1080p movies for example. The lack of a better display is somewhat mitigated by the Bang&Olufsen powered audio technology, which delivers a crisp and full sound experience through the stereo speakers.
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One thing to rave about when talking about this sub $600 laptop is the build quality. It’s not aluminium, but the HP is built using a uni body superior quality and durable plastic material. It doesn’t feel cheap to touch at all. The full sized keyboard is nice to type on, with enough space between keys to make it comfortable.
Lastly, the battery is not that impressive. HP hasn’t given an official battery life expectancy, but real life tests determined a full charge won’t last more than 4 to 6 hours, depending on the energy plan being used. This is a drawback if the laptop is bought to be used in college, but not so much if you intend to keep it around the house or use it as a home office notebook, where a plug is readily available at any time.
Technical Specifications
[table width =”100%” style =”table-simple table-hover” responsive =”true” class=”customtable”]
[table_head]
[th_column]Product[/th_column]
[th_column]HP Pavilion 15-ab110nr[/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 A10-8700P[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Dual Core[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Speed[/row_column]
[row_column]1.8 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]8 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]750 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]WLED Backlit Touchscreen[/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]Yes[/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]Radeon R6[/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]B&O Play[/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]Yes, 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]Yes, Multi-Format[/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]HP Imagepad[/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]4-Cell Litium-Ion[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]41 Whr[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Battery Life[/row_column]
[row_column]Unknown[/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 Home[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Dimensions (W x D x H)[/row_column]
[row_column]15.14″ x 10.28″ x 0.99″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Weight[/row_column]
[row_column]4.89 lbs[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[/table_body]
[/table]
Scores, Pros and Cons
[row]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”80″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Performance: 8/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”75″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Functionality: 7.5/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”80″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Price: 8/10″]
[/column]
[/row]
[list]
[li]Pros[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Good processor[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Adequate system memory and storage space[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Decent screen[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Great sound quality[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Nice build materials[/li]
[li]Cons[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]No full HD display[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]No dedicated video card[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]Poor battery life[/li]
[/list]
Final Thoughts
Great to use in a home environment or even at the office, the HP Pavilion 15-ab110nr isn’t well suited for accompanying you on the road due to its modest battery life and bulkiness. However, it will handle most usage scenarios when used as an entertainment machine, desktop replacement, light work station or as a college laptop.
