HP Pavilion 15.6" 2026, Core Ultra 5 125H, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Silver

A solid $629 workhorse with a snappy Core Ultra 5 chip and 16GB of RAM. The 1080p touchscreen and port selection are practical, but the display quality and gaming performance are just okay. Buy this if you need a reliable daily laptop for work or school and don't care about gaming.

The Core Ultra 5 125H is the star here, landing in the 68th percentile for CPUs. It handles office work, video calls, and a dozen browser tabs without breaking a sweat. The integrated Intel Arc Graphics are a step up from older Intel iGPUs, sitting at the 65th percentile, but let's be real: this is not a gaming machine. Our gaming score of 17.3 out of 100 tells the whole story. You can play older titles or indie games at low settings, but anything modern is a slideshow. The 16GB of RAM is a nice touch at this price, keeping things smooth even when you push it.

Stacked against the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition or the ASUS ProArt PX13, the Pavilion feels decidedly budget. Those machines have sharper, brighter screens and more premium builds, but they also cost two to three times as much. The Lenovo Legion 5i will absolutely destroy this HP in gaming, but it's a completely different beast. The Pavilion's real competition is other sub-$700 laptops, and here it holds its own with that Core Ultra 5 chip and generous RAM. You're trading a bit of screen quality and portability for raw specs per dollar.

At $629, this Pavilion is a genuinely good deal for what you get. You're walking away with a current-gen Intel chip, 16GB of RAM, and a touchscreen, which is a combo that usually costs a couple hundred more. The build quality won't wow you, and the screen is nothing special, but for a no-fuss business or school laptop, the value is hard to beat. If you just need a machine that works without any drama, this is a smart buy.

The HP Pavilion 15.6" is a straightforward workhorse that nails the basics without draining your wallet. You get a snappy Intel Core Ultra 5 chip, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a touchscreen in a package that costs just $629. It's not trying to be a gaming rig or a premium ultrabook, and that's honestly refreshing. HP packed in a solid port selection and Windows 11 Pro, making this a sensible pick for students or anyone who needs a reliable daily driver for spreadsheets, browsing, and light multitasking.

If you need a laptop for gaming or any kind of 3D rendering, skip this. The integrated graphics just can't keep up. Creative pros who need a color-accurate screen for photo or video editing should also look elsewhere, since the display quality is a weak point. And if you're hard on your gear, the below-average reliability score might give you pause.

The HP Pavilion 15.6" is for the practical buyer who wants a capable, no-nonsense laptop for work or school. It's perfect for students, office workers, or anyone who lives in a browser and needs a reliable machine that won't stutter during a heavy multitasking session. The touchscreen is a nice bonus for scrolling through documents or quick navigation. Just don't expect to edit 4K video or play the latest games.