HP 15-r063nr Highlights -
Pros: Touchscreen display. Great value. Fairly thin (1 inch).
Cons: Entry level processor. Bluetooth not supported.
A lot of thought goes into recommending to our readers a laptop that will satisfy their needs: perhaps you need to do a lot of photo or video editing; or maybe you're a hardcore gamer, looking for the best possible performance you can get in a laptop. Most people decide they need a powerful computer with all the latest technologies, and then go for a 15 or 17 inch laptop with a fast processor and a beefy graphics card. If you need that kind of power and performance, the ASUS ROG G750JM-DS71 or Toshiba Satellite S55-A5359 laptop is something we'd recommend, but most of us don't really need all that power.
The HP 15-r063nr is probably what we would recommend - particularly if you're going to carry out everyday tasks. This laptop comes equipped with an entry level Intel Pentium N3530 processor with 4GB of memory and 500GB hard drive. The 15.6 inch screen with touchscreen capability makes it very convenient to use Windows 8, which comes standard with this laptop. Note: the HP 15-r063nr is among a few budget laptops to fit a touchscreen into a 15.6-inch display. The laptop looks quite modern with it's smooth black cover and glossy surface around the well-spaced keyboard. It is well built and designed even though it has a plastic body.
Performance - HP 15-r063nr features a low-power Intel Pentium N3530 processor clocked at 2.16GHz. The processor was launched early in 2014 so it is a relatively new processor. It is a quad-core processor but unfortunately doesn't support Hyper-Threading or Turbo Boost technology which is found in faster Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. It is not the most robust processor, but it can handle multiple tabs being opened in web browsers, running multimedia and office applications and also streaming videos. This processor seems to manage application loads and videos pretty well. Unless you are gaming or using processor intensive applications, the processor performs most tasks smoothly. CPUBoss gave it a benchmark rating of 5.9 in terms of performance, power consumption and value. It is definitely slower than the Intel Core i5 processor, but then you'll be paying more for such processors.
Storage & Memory - The laptop comes with 4GB of DDR3L memory and 500GB (5400RPM) storage space. The memory and storage space is pretty much the standard that you'll find in most budget oriented laptops. You could easily store about 300 - 400 movies and still have room for the operating system and other software, files and documents. The memory is sufficient for light multitasking without putting too much strain on the system.
Display, Graphics & Sound - The 15.6 inch diagonal high definition BrightView WLED-backlit touchscreen display with 1366x768 pixels resolution provides decent video and image clarity. We really like the fact that HP has added touchscreen capability thereby making it very easy and convenient to use Windows 8. The touchscreen is very responsive and works extremely well. The integrated Intel HD Graphics is not suitable for games with heavy graphics requirements, but it will do just fine watching high definition movies or streaming TV/Netflix/YouTube videos etc. The sound quality is surprisingly good for this budget laptop.
Battery - The 4-cell lithium-ion battery offers a battery life of up to 4 hours.
Operating System - Windows 8.1.
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HP 15-r063nr features standard connectivity options including 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port, a SuperMulti DVD burner, multi-format digital media card reader and a headphone/microphone combo jack. For network connectivity there is 802.11b/g/n WLAN wireless and Gigabit Ethernet with RJ-45 connectivity but unfortunately there is no Bluetooth connectivity. Also, the front facing HD webcam with integrated microphone completes the whole package. The laptop measures 14.88 x 10.20 x 1.01 inches and weighs 5.2 pounds.
ReviewsBucket's Verdict:
HP 15-r063nr is a no fuss entry level laptop that is capable enough of carrying out your basic computing tasks. It may not have the most powerful processor, but if you find yourself just web browsing, paying bills online, checking emails, watching videos or DVDs and carrying out office productivity tasks then we highly recommend this laptop. The addition of touchscreen is definitely a plus and with the added benefit of 500GB storage space, this laptop is a great choice for budget conscious users.
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