HP 15-p214dx L0Q40UA#AB Notebook with Intel i7-5500U CPU, 6GB RAM, 750GB HDD

If you want a laptop with solid performance and low price, the HP 15-p214dx L0Q40UA#AB is one of the options to consider.

This 15.6-inch notebook with a full-size keyboard with numeric pad and gray plastic casing boasts the speedy 5th Gen Intel Core i7-5500U “Broadwell” dual-core processor. It’s one of the fastest CPUs for the mainstream notebooks, if you exclude the top-tier quad-core i7 variants. However, the dual-core i7 consumes much less power and runs cooler than the quad i7. The i7-5500U is exceptionally fast when it comes to everyday computing duties and is a good solution for more advanced stuff like editing of high-resolution photo and video files.

The rest of the spec sheet is conventional fare for a budget laptop. Most of the traditional notebooks offer the same mediocre 1366-by-768 screen resolution. They provide only moderate graphics performance, optimized for basic tasks like webpage rendering, streaming media, and occasionally running non-demanding games. The HP 15-p214dx L0Q40UA#AB with its integrated Intel HD 5500 graphics is no exception. Lenovo has outfitted the system with 6GB of RAM memory and a mechanical 750GB hard drive, both with higher capacities than the standard 4GB RAM / 500GB HDD configurations. This however doesn’t affect user experience much, but makes the laptop more future-proof. Especially if you take into account that these components aren’t easily upgradeable on the 15-p214dx L0Q40UA#AB due to a lack of easy access of the internals.

There’s also a DVD burner built-in, as well as stereo speakers and a 720p web camera. The machine has 802.11n wireless, Ethernet LAN network connector, three USB ports, HDMI video port, a media card reader, and a combo audio jack.
The 15-p214dx weighs in at five pounds, which is a bit much for carrying around all day, but fine for the occasional outing or commuting to your workplace or school.