HP Pavilion Plus 14 OLED Review: Balancing Price and Performance

Pros:

• Stunning 2.8K OLED display
• Lightweight and sturdy aluminum chassis
• Surprisingly good speakers
• Attractive pricing

Cons:

• Poor battery life
• 1440p webcam underperforms compared to some 1080p cameras

HP Pavilion Plus 14 OLED: Designed for Productivity

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 OLED is aimed at productivity enthusiasts, featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor and Radeon 780M integrated graphics. The device delivers commendable performance and outputs to a vibrant 14-inch OLED screen. Priced below $1,300, it makes a compelling case in the ultraportable laptop market.

Design and Build Quality

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 OLED sports a minimalist design without flashy RGB lights or excessive vents. The aluminum chassis houses two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a USB-A port, and an HDMI 2.1 port on the right, with another USB-A port and a 3.5mm combo jack on the left. The lack of a built-in microSD/SD card reader might be a drawback for some users.

Display Features

The laptop features a 2880 x 1800 OLED panel known for vibrant colors and deep blacks. However, the bezels around the screen, especially at the bottom and top, are noticeably large. The display lid and keyboard design are standard, with the keyboard offering gray keys for better visibility.

Dimensions and Comparisons

Weighing 3.19 pounds and measuring 12.36 x 8.94 x 0.74 inches, the Pavilion Plus 14 OLED is comparable to other ultraportables like the Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED and Lenovo Legion Slim Pro 7 but is smaller and lighter than the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.

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HP Pavilion Plus 14 OLED Specifications

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7840U (8 cores, 16 threads, 5.1 GHz Max Boost)
• Graphics: AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5-6400
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, OLED, 120Hz
• Networking: MediaTek Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3
• Ports: USB-C, USB-A, HDMI 2.1
• Camera: 1440p webcam with IR function
• Battery: 68 WHr
• Power Adapter: 65 watts (USB-C)
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home
• Price: $1,239.99

Productivity Performance

The Pavilion Plus 14 OLED's AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor shows impressive performance in benchmarks. However, it lags behind Intel's 13th generation Raptor Lake in multi-core tests.

Display Quality

The OLED panel's resolution and refresh rate are highlights, but its brightness, while respectable, does not lead the pack.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is spacious and enjoyable for typing, but the key sounds may be distracting to others. The backlighting is adjustable but turning it off reduces visibility of the gray keys.

Audio Quality

The laptop's dual Bang and Olufsen-tuned speakers deliver excellent sound quality, surprising given the device's small size.

Upgradeability

Accessing the internals for upgrades requires removing four screws and using a prying tool, a fairly standard procedure for modern laptops.

Battery Performance

The Pavilion Plus 14 OLED's battery life is a significant downside, particularly for a laptop geared towards productivity.

Thermal Performance

During stress tests, the aluminum chassis heats up, and the fans become audible, although not excessively loud compared to gaming laptops.

Webcam and Security

The 1440p webcam, equipped with an infrared sensor and a physical privacy shutter, offers added security and convenience for logging in with facial recognition.

Software and Warranty

The laptop comes with various preloaded software, including McAfee antivirus and HP utilities, which might be considered bloatware by some users.

Final Thoughts

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 OLED stands out with its exceptional display, solid build quality, and good speakers. However, its limited battery life and non-upgradable RAM might be deal-breakers for some users. Despite these drawbacks, it remains a strong contender in its price range for those prioritizing display quality and build over battery life and webcam performance.