HP Pavilion 14-ce0009nf: one of the best value for money on the market?

Presentation

HP is used to drowning its ranges with many references, which makes it sometimes difficult to find the right PC at the right price. However, it is possible to find interesting models in this computer jungle, that is to say, good configurations for not too expensive. This is the case with the Pavilion laptop 14-ce0009nf, a 14-inch laptop sold for less than € 600.

For this price, HP offers a Full HD IPS screen as well as an eighth generation Intel Core i5 processor and 256 GB of storage space (SSD). To reach such a price, HP had to make some concessions, it's obvious. But are they important?

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Construction

The HP Pavilion laptop 14-ce0009nf has a visually successful brushed aluminum chassis. The hood has the merit of not retaining fingerprints and has a pleasant sobriety. The keyboard part is of the same ilk and always offers specific HP codes, like the stylized speakers above the keyboard. Note that the plate under the keyboard and the edges of the screen are plastic.

Small interesting design feature, the edges of the screen and keyboard form a notch when the PC is closed; this allows to open it without difficulty. It doesn't change the experience, but it's nice.

The PC is offered in a sober silver dress, although a little sad. HP unfortunately does not offer other colors for this model.

The computer connection is very complete. It thus has a USB Type-C 3.1 port, but also two USB Type-A 3.1 ports in addition to an HDMI and RJ45 port (1 Gb / s). The headphone jack is also available, as is an SD card reader, which is always appreciable on this type of product. Charging is done by an owner port.

The keyboard somewhat disappoints on this Pavilion. The keys have indeed a long hair stroke and especially an unpleasant softness. Added to this is a chassis that folds slightly with each press as well as too much space between the keys, which does not contribute to making it pleasant. Last annoying point, the presence of a column of keys to the right of the "enter" key (long) which results in the user constantly tapping on it if he is not vigilant. The numeric keypad is absent subscribers, which makes sense for a 14-inch PC. The trackpad is correct despite a slightly hard mechanical click.

With a precision screwdriver, it is possible to open the Pavilion to access its insides. Attention, two screws are hidden under the rubber pads of the PC. You will have to take them off slightly to access them.

After opening the PC, we see that it only offers one location for a RAM module. It is however possible to change the module as well as the M.2 SSD, and even to add a 2.5 inch SATA in the empty space provided for this purpose. One way to increase storage at a lower cost.

The heating of the PC is controlled. During our usual test protocol (Unigine Heaven benchmark for one hour), the heat was concentrated on the ventilation grille under the screen, rising to 47 ° C. However, the PC gave us an unpleasant whistle of 42 dB. Admittedly, the sound level is not high but very acute, which could annoy the most sensitive ears. During normal use, that is to say in office automation or Internet browsing, the PC does not heat up and the high-pitched whistling sound is absent, the use is then pleasant.

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Screen

The HP Pavilion Laptop 14-ce0009nf has a 14 inch non-touch screen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 px. The screen / front panel ratio is 79%, which is in the average of current PCs, between 75% and 80%.

contrast 1,011: 1 Delta E 7.8 temperature 6,645 K

The HP Pavilion screen blows hot and cold. The color temperature is impeccable. Measured at 6,645 K, it is close to 6,500 K of the video standard, and the screen does not draw either red or blue. The contrast of 1010: 1 is just fine, but blacks have the advantage of being relatively deep. It is in terms of respect for colors that the HP disappoints with a very high average delta E since measured at 7.8. Only the yellows displayed are relatively close to the original color. No need to think about photo editing on such a screen.

The maximum brightness of 236 cd / m² is a bit tight, but counterbalanced by a matt panel that does not take reflections, which still allows you to work outside. The remanence is good, since it is calculated at 14 ms, while the average for non-gaming PCs is 15 ms. Thus, the user will not have the impression of seeing blurred "streaks" during the movements of the image.

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Performances

The HP Pavilion 14-ce0009nf is equipped with an Intel Core i5-8250U processor (4 cores, 8 threads, base frequency of 1.6 GHz, turbo frequency of 3.4 GHz) supported by 8 GB of RAM in single channel, a technical detail that has little impact on a PC dedicated to office automation. The Pavilion also has a 256 GB M.2 SSD.

During our usual test protocol (photo editing, video editing, file compression or 3D calculation), the PC reached the index of 79 on our scale of values. A good score which places it at the level of its direct competitors equipped with the same processor, like the Dell Inspiron 14. It is also placed above the recent Huawei Matebook D 14 which is equipped with a Ryzen 5 2500U processor. Thus, the Pavilion is sufficient to work without problem on software greedy in computation.

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Mobility / Autonomy

The Pavilion does not necessarily rely on ultra-mobility, but its format brings it by nature of things an appreciable nomadic aspect, even if HP has done nothing for. It is thus a little heavy for a 14 inch, reaching 1.6 kg, but its dimensions of 326 x 225 x 18 mm make it easily transportable in a bag. In addition, it has a relatively small and light 280g magazine.

In terms of autonomy, the Pavilion offers a good result for its format. During our usual test protocol (Netflix in Chrome, headphones plugged in, brightness set to 200 cd / m² and backlight off), the PC shut down after 6 hours. A correct score and in the average of mid-range PCs, operating precisely around 6 hours. The user can hope to keep the double in simple office work and can therefore leave for a day with his Pavilion without cluttering up with the charger.

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Audio

The PC is equipped, by default, with integrated B&O software which provides dynamic compression that is very present and extremely poorly managed. However, by disabling the software, you realize that it was actually trying to save the furniture. Without its presence, the sound focuses only on the mediums and is worthy of a transistor with voices with timbre little respected. The only consolation: the speakers are placed between the keyboard and the screen, the ideal position. Finally, it is impossible to obtain a pleasant ear sound with the Pavilion, whether with or without the software.

Regarding the headphone jack, we note a problem of current handling when the sound is more than 90% of its power; the output level measured by us therefore suffers, going from 175 to 140 mVrms. The consequence here is that the sound set to maximum could cause problems in terms of distortion, energy or frequency response depending on the headphones used.

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Conclusion

The HP Pavilion 14-ce0009nf is a good surprise and a safe bet for its price. With a chassis with a very correct, powerful visual and good autonomy, it represents a safe bet in the field of Windows PCs for less than € 600. Certainly, HP had to make some concessions, on the chassis or on the screen, which is still far from disappointing in this price segment, but nothing that really compromises the experience. A good surprise.

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