84 PCWorld MARCH 2020REVIEWS HP PAVILION GAMING L APTOP
Pavilion 15t model on hp.com
(go.pcworld.com/hp5t), with
Intel Core i5-9300H and a
last-gen GTX 1050. The model
we received is essentially HP’s
“high-end” unit, the poetically
named 15-dk0045cl, a $1,250
version sold at Costco (go.
pcworld.com/csco) and
equipped with an Intel Core
i7-9750H, an Nvidia GeForce
GTX 1660 Ti, 16GB of DDR4
RAM, a 256GB M.2 SSD, and a
1TB HDD. It’s a good deal. If
you’re not a Costco member, an
identical model based on the
Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15t at hp.com costs
$1,440 (go.pcworld.com/hp5t). The similar
Pavilion 15-dk0046nr is available for $1,300
on hp.com (go.pcworld.com/46nr) with a
Core i7-9750H, 12GB of RAM and a 256GB
SSD, and a step down in graphics to Nvidia’s
GTX 1650.
Storage is a place you can skimp,
depending on your needs. On hp.com,
opting for only the 256GB SSD saves $100,
though you’ll be packing games in like
sardines at that point. A 512GB SSD might be
the better option—still small by modern
standards, but more than enough to keep a
few games installed at all times, and you’ll still
save $50 over the 256GB SSD/1TB HDD
combo.
Aim low, or you might as well check outOmen, which is only a little more expensive.
For instance, you can configure a Pavilion
Gaming Laptop 15t on hp.com for $1,490
(go.pcworld.com/hp5t) with a Core
i7-9750H, GTX 1660 Ti, a 512GB SSD, and a
144Hz display. The same configuration in an
Omen Laptop 15t on hp.com is $1,550 (go.
pcworld.com/o15t). It’s only a $60
difference, but the Omen line is arguably
slightly better, as you’ll see when we delve
into the design.DESIGN
The difference is in the details—some small
ones, but also some very important ones.
Let’s start with the aesthetics.
The Pavilion Gaming Laptop looks every
bit as good as HP’s Omen lineup. It features