Reviewed by Marcus Knapman, BSc (Hons) Computing ·
✓ Personally purchased & tested
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I bought this HP 15.6" laptop six months ago needing something reliable for daily programming work and occasional Photoshop sessions. At £400, I wasn't expecting miracles — just something that could handle my workflow without constant frustration. I've now put it through proper daily use, including some fairly intensive coding sessions and image manipulation work. The short version? It's proved itself more capable than the price tag suggests, though it's definitely showing some wear from my admittedly heavy usage patterns.
The 13th-gen Intel i5-1334U processor paired with 16GB of RAM handles my daily programming tasks without breaking a sweat. When I'm running multiple development environments, browser tabs, and the occasional Photoshop session simultaneously, it keeps pace. The 512GB SSD means boot times are quick and file operations don't leave me twiddling my thumbs.
I was particularly impressed with how it handles Photoshop — not lightning fast by any means, but perfectly usable for the kind of image editing I do. The Intel Iris Xᵉ graphics aren't going to win any gaming benchmarks, but they're more than adequate for creative work and general use.
After six months of daily use, some patterns have emerged. The backlit keyboard with numeric pad has been brilliant for late-night coding sessions. The keys have a decent feel, though they're starting to show some shine from heavy use. The 15.6" Full HD display is sharp enough that I can comfortably work with code for hours, and the colour reproduction is decent for photo work.
Battery life has been solid throughout my ownership. The claimed 9.75 hours is optimistic if you're doing anything demanding, but I regularly get 6-7 hours of mixed programming and web browsing, which is perfectly reasonable.
Here's the honest truth: this laptop is beginning to show signs of fatigue from my heavy usage. The fan kicks in more frequently now than it did when new, and I've noticed occasional thermal throttling during particularly intensive tasks. It's not failing — just working harder than it used to.
The build quality, whilst adequate, isn't premium. The plastic construction feels sturdy enough for daily use, but it's clearly built to a price point. The screen bezels are chunky by modern standards, and the overall aesthetic is functional rather than inspiring.
The HP True Vision camera with privacy shutter has been useful for video calls, and the dual microphones with noise reduction work better than expected. The port selection is reasonable — enough USB ports for my needs without requiring a constant dongle dance.
Setup was straightforward, and Windows 11 runs smoothly. The pre-installed software bloat was minimal compared to some manufacturers, which I appreciated.
Despite the signs of wear, I'm planning to replace this laptop with another of the same model when the time comes. That tells you something about how well it's served my needs. For £400, it's delivered reliable performance day after day, handling everything I've thrown at it with reasonable grace.
Despite some wear after six months of heavy use, this HP laptop has earned my respect through consistent daily performance. I'd buy another when this one eventually gives up. Best suited for students, home workers, or anyone wanting reliable computing power without premium pricing.
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