The textured lid, silver-effect trim and glowing touchpad
bezel make HP's Pavilion DV6 look more expensive than it actually is. Its
rounded edges and smooth corners don’t get in the way of connectivity, either:
It has four USB ports, audio input and output jacks, a multiformat card reader,
a DVD drive and an Ethernet port.
HP Pavilion DV6
Its AMD A6 Llano processor is paired with 6CB of RAM. The
A6-3430MX is one of the cheapest quad-core mobile processors we've seen, and
although it normally runs at 1.7GHz, It bumps up to 2.4GHz using Turbo Core,
providing increased performance in single threaded applications. Our multimedia
benchmarks proved a challenge, with the DV6 scoring 42 overall. This isn’t
especially fast, but it's more than enough for everyday tasks and even for more
demanding multithreaded applications.
HP has paired the processor, which has its own integrated
GPU, with a dedicated graphics card so it can play games in Crossfire mode. The
Radeon 7470M is based on AMD’s older 6490M chip, but when working in tandem
with the processor's GPU, the DV6 has the potential to play modem games at high
detail settings. It managed an impressive 42.9fps overall in our Dirt 3 test,
and we still got a playable frame rate when we increased the resolution.
The DV6 managed over seven hours in our light-usage battery
test, which is almost unprecedented for a quad-core laptop. If you stick to
light tasks, you should be able to last almost a full working day on a single
charge.
HP has cleverly paired
a mid-range A6 processor with a competent dedicated graphics card to create a
potent mid-range laptop
The DV6’s fantastically comfortable keyboard makes
performing everyday tasks a breeze. The Chidet-style keys have plenty of bounce
and are spaced far enough apart that our hands never felt cramped while typing.
The large touchpad is also very easy to use, particularly if
you like working in the dark, thanks to its white LED bezel. Physical touchpad
buttons are a welcome addition, especially because they have crisp actions and
lots of tactile feedback.
We were also impressed with the 15.6in screen. Its 1366x768
resolution is standard for a 15in laptop, but it’s surprisingly bright. This
helps colors look a little more vivid than they do on competing laptops,
although contrast is only average. Viewing angles are reasonable and there's a
decent amount of screen tilt, so we were able to find a comfortable working
position without having to worry about light reflections from the glossy
display finish.
HP has cleverly paired a mid-range A6 processor with a
competent dedicated graphics card to create a potent mid-range laptop. The DV6
scored higher in our benchmarks than the supposedly better A8-3500M found in
Acer's more expensive Aspire 5560G. It admittedly can't compete with the raw
power of an Intel Core processor, but it’s more than fast enough for everyday
tasks and even modern 3D gaming. If you’re looking for a laptop on a budget
that can handle most tasks, the DV6 is a great choice.
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Info
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Price
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$532
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From
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www..com
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Details
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www.hp.com
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Summary
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Verdict
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It looks great, performs well and its price is spot on;
this is a superb laptop
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General-purpose laptop
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AMD A6-3430MX, 6CB RAM, 1TBdlsk,AMD Radeon 7470M graphics,
DVD+/-RW +/-DL, 15.6in widescreen LCD, 3kg
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