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HP Laptop 15 (FC0434NO)

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Specifications:

• Processor family: AMD Ryzen™ 7 processor
• Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U (max. boost clock frequency up to 4.5 GHz, 16 MB L3 cache, 8 cores, 16 threads) 1 2
• Chipset: AMD embedded SoC
• Graphics: Integrated - AMD Radeon™ graphics card
• Memory: 8 GB DDR4-3200 MHz RAM (2 x 4 GB)
• Internal storage: 1TB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD
• Screen: 15.6" diagonal, FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, very narrow bezel, anti-glare, 250 nits, 45% NTSC 3
• Touch screen: No
• Screen-to-body ratio (without speakers) : 85% 4
• Minimum product dimensions (W x D x H): 35.98 x 23.6 x 1.86 cm
• Weight: 1.59 kg
• Operating system: Windows 11 Home
• Battery type: 3-cell lithium-ion polymer battery of 41 Wh ( 8)
• Battery life: Up to 10 hours
• Battery charging time: Supports fast battery charging : Approx. 50% in 45 minutes 10
• Wireless connection : Realtek Wi-Fi 6 (1x1) and Bluetooth® 5.3 wireless card 11 12 (New standby (connected))
• Product colour: Natural silver
• Keyboard: Full-size keyboard with numeric keypad, light gray
• Webcam: HP True Vision 720p HD camera with timed noise reduction and two built-in digital microphones
• Sound features: Two speakers
• Pointing device: HP Imagepad
• Ports: 1 USB Type-C® 5 Gbps signal speed (supports data transfer only and does not support charging or external displays); 2 USB Type-A 5 Gbps signal speed; 1 AC smart plug; 1 HDMI 1.4b; 1 combined headphone/microphone
• Power supply type: 45 W Smart AC adaptera

As we can see from the list here, this is not a gaming laptop. There is integrated graphics as part of the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U chip. With eight GB of RAM, it's not because it wins any awards on that front either.

However, it is not the high end segment that is aimed at with the machine here either. The price alone is respectively ¼ or ⅛ of the prices of the last two laptops we have looked at on this page. So we have to keep in mind that this is a budget machine aimed at lighter tasks such as study or home PC.

A tour around the HP Laptop 15

The design of the HP Laptop 15 is made of silver-colored plastic complemented by a bit of black around the screen. Recycled plastic is used in certain parts.

There is not much to find beyond an HP logo on the lid of the device. The sides and edges are sensibly rounded and with a weight of just over one and a half kilos, this is a relatively light laptop.

When folded, it is less than two centimeters thick, so it is also easy to carry in your bag and does not take up much space.

If we open up and there on the inside we get a 15.6" Full HD IPS screen with a relatively narrow edge all around. However, the screen is only 250 nits, so it is not particularly bright.

There is a 720p webcam located at the top along with two microphones. There is a manual slider you can use to block the camera, which is nice to see.

We get a "full-size" keyboard, which means that it is slightly adapted compared to a real full-size keyboard. However, there is a numpad, which is an advantage for many if the machine is to be used for work or study.

Below the keyboard, there is a large trackpad, with a fine demarcation to the rest of the surface.

There are two speakers on the device, which are located on the bottom with a slight angle to the side.

As for connections, we get a single USB Type C (5 Gbps), which, however, is only for data transfer. It therefore does not support charging, screens or anything else that certain USB C plugs can pull. It is supplemented by two USB A (5 Gbps) and a combined speaker and microphone connector, an HDMI connector together with the connector for the power supply.

The power is supplied by a compact power supply of only 45W.

On the wireless front, there is WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.

You can tell that one of the areas that HP has chosen to save in order to keep the price down is the materials. There is some flex in the cabinet and keyboard, which is to be expected when it is plastic all around.

Software

The HP Laptop 15 comes with Windows 11 Home, which unfortunately means that there is quite a lot of bloat included in the standard installation. It's everything from Microsoft Office and Adobe offers to WhatsApp, TikTok and a lot more.

On top of that, however, HP has also added ExpressVPN and LastPass Premium with the option of free trials.

Personally, I would prefer to be free of this kind of "offer", but if you were already interested in one of the two programs, there is an opportunity to test them for 30 days, before any money has to come out of your pocket.

On top of that, there is a selection of HP programs installed.

The most practical of them is their HP Hardware Diagnostics, where you can get information about the system and check if there are updates for things like BIOS or driver.

HP Audio Center allows you to adjust the sound with access to things like volume, EQ and noise reduction on the built-in microphones.

However, there is also some software that is more filler, in the form of an HP printer program, which is quite irrelevant if you do not have an HP printer.

Finally, there is also HP Omen Gaming software to be found on the machine. It might be a little off the mark if you look at the gaming performance, which I'll get into later.

Overall, there is way too much bloatware on the machine in my book, but that's only part of what HP can be held responsible for. The rest are Microsoft and Windows.

There are a few good things in between, but most of it will probably just end up being unimportant stuff for most people.

Testing

I've been using the HP Laptop 15 for a few weeks now for various writing and work tasks. The form factor has been wonderfully easy to carry around when needed.

The low weight and relatively small size mean that I have been able to take it everywhere. At the same time, the power supply does not take up much space.

For the common tasks of typing and web browsing along with media consumption via YouTube and streaming services, there have been no issues in my time with the HP Laptop 15.

In my book, the biggest weakness in that regard has been the screen. In part, the 250 nits do not go very far if you go out into the summer sun. At the same time, the screen has horribly bad viewing angles.

It is a very small sweet spot that you have to hit in terms of placement in relation to the screen, if the colors are not to be washed out. It is most pronounced in the vertical angle and it was a frustrating experience at times.

For example, the screen had to be tilted all the way back when it was placed on a table, in order to hit the right spot for me.

The writing experience wasn't the best I've had either. It is a rather soft and slightly shapeless experience to type on the HP Laptop 15. I miss a little more firmness and feedback from the keys. Here, however, I will admit that I am probably in the wrong segment, as I am used to significantly more expensive and, at least in my opinion, better keyboards.

For a machine that is made primarily for office and studio use, I think it's a shame that HP hasn't invested a little more in giving us a good writing experience.

HP itself spends a lot of space in their marketing of the HP 15 to mention that it comes with an integrated AMD Radeon graphics card. It's also true enough and to test it I gave it a shot with some gaming.

However, it was not exactly a good experience. I had set my expectations low and started with Overwatch, which, other things being equal, is a fairly forgiving game graphically.

There I had to go all the way down to a Low Preset on the graphics to approach a stable 60 FPS. So it IS possible to play on the HP Laptop 15, but to that extent it should be limited to the completely graphically light games or Indie titles that do not make high demands.

The built-in Webcam is only 720p and won't win any awards for quality. However, it is fine for most people for regular online meetings or the like.

HP itself states the battery life at up to 10 hours. It will of course depend a lot on which tasks you throw at it. My experience, however, was that with light work and web browsing, I can easily manage 7-8 hours of use before I have to stop by a charger.

The included charger can charge the battery from 0 to 50% in about 45 minutes if the machine is switched off.

Price

I can currently find the HP Laptop 15 (FC0434NO) with an online price of 8504, and that is one of the biggest strengths of the machine here. You get quite a lot of internal hardware for the price, compared to what else is on the market in this segment.

Conclusion

The HP Laptop 15 (FC0434NO) is a machine in the middle class, for those who want a little more hardware power than the completely light Chromebook style machines.

There is more to be had here than you would otherwise get for the money in that price range. HP has managed it by saving on the physical framework of the machine. It can be clearly felt when you are used to more expensive machines, but it is probably a bit of a luxury problem in my case. The last two laptops I have tested cost 6.000$ and DKK 2.600$ respectively, so of course this is hardware in a completely different class.

Considering the price, you get a lot for your money. If you have to write a lot or need to take the machine outside, then I might consider another alternative. The weak points are clearly the dim screen with poor viewing angles and then the keyboard, which is not particularly good for typing much on.

We end up with a final grade of 7, for a machine for the mid-range segment that offers a lot of internal hardware for the money but has skimped on the external hardware.

Pros:

• Good price
• Solid hardware for the price
• 1 TB SSD
• Lightweight
• Long battery life

Cons:

• Dim screen
• Poor viewing angles on the screen
• Below medium keyboard