HP Pavilion 15.6", Core i5-1235U, 16GB, 1TB SSD + 160GB SSD, Silver

The HP Pavilion 15 is a storage-heavy workhorse that's great for everyday tasks and terrible for gaming. Buy it for spreadsheets, not for fun.

The storage situation is the real surprise here. That 1TB SSD plus a 160GB docking station set puts this thing in the 88th percentile for storage, which is genuinely great for a budget laptop. The CPU sits at the 36th percentile, so don't expect miracles. The i5-1235U handles everyday tasks fine, but the 10 cores are split between performance and efficiency cores, so it's not the multitasking monster the core count suggests. Gaming performance is rough at 13.5 out of 100, which is no shock with integrated graphics.

Against the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro or ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, this HP isn't even in the same conversation. Those are performance machines with dedicated graphics and much faster processors. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is a closer competitor for everyday use, but it typically costs more. The Lenovo Legion 5i will crush this for gaming, but it's also heavier and pricier. For pure budget productivity, the Pavilion 15 holds its own, but it's not competing with the big boys.

At CAD 949, this is a reasonable deal for a 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD laptop with Windows 11 Pro. You're getting solid everyday performance and tons of storage for under a grand. But if you can find something with a better CPU at a similar price, that's worth considering. The storage is the star here, not the processor.

The HP Pavilion 15 is a perfectly fine everyday laptop that won't blow your socks off. The one thing to know? It's built for spreadsheets, streaming, and schoolwork, not gaming or creative heavy lifting. The Intel Core i5-1235U with 10 cores sounds impressive on paper, but this is a low-power chip designed for battery life over raw speed. Paired with integrated Iris Xe graphics, you're getting a reliable workhorse, not a racehorse.

If you're looking for a gaming laptop or something that can handle video editing, this isn't it. Go get a Lenovo Legion 5i or ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 instead. Those have dedicated graphics and much stronger CPUs. The Pavilion 15 is for people who need a dependable daily driver, not a performance machine.

If you need a reliable laptop for school, office work, or streaming and you want tons of storage without spending a fortune, the HP Pavilion 15 is a solid pick. Just don't expect to play modern games or edit 4K video. It's a practical choice for practical people.