HP Pavilion 17-f215dx 17.3″ Laptop with Intel i5 CPU

The HP Pavilion 17-f215dx laptop offers a great screen real estate and good performance without breaking the bank. It has a big 17.3-inch display with 1600-by-900-pixel resolution and the latest Intel Core i5-5200U dual-core processor we reviewed here. In short, the i5 can handle not only the basic computing tasks, but is also suitable for advanced photography and videography work. The processor has built-in Intel HD 5500 integrated graphics which is satisfactory for occasional gaming as described here. 6GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive are included to provide enough multitasking potential and data storage space for the vast majority of users. On the negative side, design of the 17-f215dx doesn’t allow easy RAM and HDD upgrades, since many parts need to be removed to access them.

Outwardly, design is dominated by dark gray metallic-like finish on the palmrest and lighter gray lid with lines pattern. The keyboard consists of Chiclet-style keys and has a dedicated numeric pad. The trackpad has built-in left and right click buttons, as opposed to those with physically separated buttons.

Other important specs include a DVD writer, stereo speakers enhanced by Beats Audio technology, a web cam with 720p resolution, Wi-Fi 802.11n and Ethernet LAN network interfaces, two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port, HDMI video output, and a multi-format memory card reader. In short, all features an average user might need.

The battery has a capacity of 41 WHr, which is a mid-range one. Given the notebook has a large display which consumes more power than smaller ones, you can’t expect an exceptionally long battery life on the 17-f215dx.

Overall, the HP 17-f215dx delivers a good value for the price, but lacks some advanced stuff like Full HD 1920-by-1080 display resolution, touchscreen support, and keyboard backlight you can find on pricier laptops.