HP Pavilion Plus 16 Review: Productivity Meets Gaming

When it comes to productivity laptops, many think of devices with powerful processors that often compromise on graphics capabilities to conserve power. However, what if there was a device capable of striking a delicate balance between productivity and gaming, all while maintaining a sleek office aesthetic? This is where the HP Pavilion Plus 16 comes into play.

Let us delve straight into its review.

HP Pavilion Plus 16 Review: Design and Hardware

Starting with the build, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 measures ‎55.2 x 34.5 x 6.9 cm and features a stunning 16-inch display (more on that below), while weighing a mere 1.89 kilograms.

Moving over to the materials, the Plus 16 features a full aluminum chassis, which looks sturdy and premium, thanks in part to the minimal flex and curved edges. Additionally, the hinge, which allows for one-handed opening, feels robust and prevents the screen from wobbling. Moreover, the company’s commitment to using recycled materials is a pleasant addition for those who care about their carbon footprint.

Coming to the sides, the laptop is filled with useful ports. On the left side, a standard USB Type-A 5Gbps port and a headphone-microphone combo jack are present. On the right side, the laptop accommodates a barrel plug charging port, a USB Type-A 10Gbps port, an HDMI 2.1 port, another USB Type-A 5Gbps port, a Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C port (supporting a 40Gbps signaling rate, USB Power Delivery, and DisplayPort 1.4), and a USB Type-C port (supporting a 10Gbps signaling rate, USB Power Delivery, and DisplayPort 1.4).

Furthermore, the laptop boasts Wi-Fi 6E compatibility, along with Bluetooth 5.3 support. In our testing, we encountered no issues with internet connectivity or device pairing.

Keyboard and trackpad

Opening the laptop reveals a full-size keyboard, along with a number pad. While some might prefer a more centrally positioned keyboard, this layout caters to professionals who frequently utilize the number pad. Regarding the keyboard itself, although the keys may feel somewhat mushy, they offer ample travel, resulting in a satisfying typing experience.

The trackpad, however, is a different story. This is because, during initial testing, the surface felt grippy, which made the scrolling experience not so good. However, with continued use over several days, the trackpad’s scrolling performance did improve. Nevertheless, one persistent issue relates to clicking. Due in part to the trackpad’s large size, clicking feels inconsistent across different areas. For instance, the top portion of the trackpad requires significant pressure to register a click, leading to fatigue over time and limiting usage to specific areas.

HP Pavilion Plus 16 Review: Display

Arguably, the standout feature of the HP Pavilion Plus 16 is its display, which we found to be exceptional. Boasting a stunning 16-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS panel with a refresh rate ranging from 48 to 120Hz and a peak brightness of 400 nits, the Plus 16 delivers a visually immersive experience. Talking about the quality, HP has seemingly struck a perfect balance with the resolution, ensuring that text appears sharp without excessively draining the battery. Colors are rendered vibrantly, enhancing the laptop’s suitability for content consumption.

Moreover, the display’s coverage of 100% of the sRGB color space makes it an ideal choice for photo and video editing tasks. However, what truly impressed us was its multitasking capabilities. The spacious 16-inch screen enables seamless multitasking, allowing users to spread out their workflow without feeling cramped by limited screen real estate.

HP Pavilion Plus 16 Review: Performance

The HP Pavilion 16 Plus is available in two variants: one equipped with the Intel Core i5-13500H processor and Intel Iris XE graphics and another featuring the Intel Core i7-13700H (our unit) processor paired with the RTX 3050 (6GB) graphics card. Both models offer up to 16GB of LPDDR5-5200MHz RAM and a 1TB SSD.

Starting with day-to-day performance, the laptop felt excellent, effortlessly handling every task and window. Additionally, when browsing the web using Chrome, it managed to handle 20 tabs without any noticeable lag. The general user interface also benefits significantly from the 120Hz refresh rate. Moreover, the fact that the Plus 16 maintained its temperature during normal workloads could be a significant factor for those who work with their laptops on their laps.

Turning to synthetic benchmarks, the Plus 16 scored 2646 in Geekbench’s single-core test and 12330 in the multi-core test. Additionally, in Cinebench R23, the device scored 1899 in the single-core test and 12988 in the multi-core test.

HP Pavilion Plus 16 Review: Gaming

Considering the laptop is primarily focused on productivity, its gaming capabilities pleasantly surprised us. This is because paired with its impressive display and the capable RTX 3050 GPU, the Plus 16 delivers smooth gaming performance across a variety of titles.

Starting with Valorant, an e-sports title, the Plus 16 consistently managed over 100 FPS at high settings. Moving on to F1 2023, at high settings (image below), the laptop maintained 66 FPS, providing a pleasant gaming experience. Stepping up the intensity, we tested Halo Infinite, where the laptop sustained around 40-50 FPS at medium settings.

In simple terms, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 can play almost any game around 60 FPS, although users may need to adjust settings.

Regarding thermals, while the laptop performed well in everyday tasks, it did get quite warm on the right-hand side during gaming sessions. However, it’s important to note that the laptop’s temperatures dropped significantly when the fans spun at maximum speed. Speaking of the fans, during gaming sessions, they are audible, requiring the use of headphones.

Battery and Charging

The 68 Wh battery of the Plus 16 provides ample power to sustain the device for approximately 4-5 hours on a single charge under light workloads, such as web browsing and watching movies. However, this battery life significantly diminishes during heavy workloads, as both the i7 processor and the 3050 GPU draw considerable power.

Furthermore, while the laptop includes a fast 135W charger in the box, capable of charging the laptop to 50% in just 30 minutes, the inconvenience of its barrel plug design makes it cumbersome to carry around. However, it is important to mention that users have the option to charge the laptop using either of the two USB-C ports as well.

HP Pavilion Plus 16 Review: Speakers and Webcam

Despite the looks, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 does not house front-facing speakers; rather, the apparent speaker grille serves as an intake for the fans, with the actual speakers positioned underneath. This positioning puts the device at a disadvantage, as any soft surface will muffle the sound. Compared to the M1 MacBook Air, the speakers sounded dull and lacked high volumes and bass.

On a positive note, the laptop features a 5MP 1080p webcam, which proves adequate for video calls and incorporates the Windows Hello face recognition system. In our testing, the laptop was able to detect faces from multiple angles, providing a quick and easy login method. Moreover, it’s important to note that the device also includes a camera privacy shutter.

Bloatware

In classic HP fashion, the Pavilion 16 comes packed with several HP and third-party services. Among the useful apps are myHP, allowing you to manage your laptop’s performance and access warranty support; the OMEN Gaming Hub, offering detailed control over gaming experiences; and the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics Windows, which facilitates driver checks and updates.

In addition to these HP apps, the laptop comes pre-installed with the infamous McAfee antivirus system, which we recommend uninstalling immediately.

What’s the Verdict?

Starting at 1,24,999 INR for the i7 variant, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 stands out as one of the few laptops successfully combining productivity and gaming features with a sleek design and a stunning 16-inch display. Therefore, if you’re in the market for such a laptop, the Plus 16 is worth considering. However, it’s essential to note that the 14th-generation laptop chips are on the horizon, and the Plus 16 is likely to receive a refresh in the coming months.