HP Pavilion DV7 Review: An Ideal Alternative for your Desktop Computer

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HP Pavilion DV7: At First Glance

There are a lot of things to love about HP’s Pavilion DV7. It’s not that it’s an extremely great laptop, but it feels and looks a lot nicer than its price suggests.

With a second-generation Intel Core i7 processor as well as plenty of memory, this laptop features a strong combination of hardware. This laptop also has a stylish design as well as a powerful performance.

In addition, given its price and size, this laptop is an excellent alternative for a desktop computer. When it comes to price, the laptop starts at $399.99 when I published this review (August 2021).

Now that I’ve given you a taste of what to expect from the Pavilion DV7, Let’s dive into its design and other features.

HP Pavilion DV7: Design, Dimension & Weight

The Pavilion DV7 from HP proves that you can get a Windows laptop that looks and feel great at a low price. The lid, palm rest, and keyboard deck are all made of dark-brown brushed aluminum.

The laptop’s screen bezels, on the other hand, are glossy black plastic. Additionally, the laptop’s bottom is also made of plastic, although it is matte black.

The HP Pavilion DV7’s design is simple and subtle. The only extravagant part of the laptop is the backlit HP logo located on the lower right corner of the lid.

Moreover, there is also a small backlit HP logo on the speaker bar above the keyboard. The Pavilion DV7 design’s main flaw is that its shiny aluminum lid, palm rest, and keyboard deck attract fingerprints easily.

Moving on, the HP Pavilion DV7 has a 17-inch display with a screen resolution of HD+ (1600 x 900). This display is exceptionally bright, with good color and contrast, and excellent viewing angles.

On the downside, the display is very reflective. The Pavilion DV7 features a built-in TV tuner for those who want to watch television. The included remote is small and light, with large buttons that are easy to press, and it fits nicely on the laptop’s side.

HP Pavilion DV7 comes with an island-style keyboard. This keyboard is spacious, responsive, quiet, comfortable to use, and features a full numeric pad.

However, the keyboard would be even nicer if it was backlit, but unfortunately, it isn’t. Instead, the touchpad is surrounded by light, which I’m not sure does anything other than look pretty.

If you don’t want the light surrounding the touchpad, you can easily turn it off by pressing the Fn key plus the spacebar.

Furthermore, the touchpad has a smooth surface, is large enough, and supports multi-touch gestures such as pinch-zooming and two-finger scrolling. In addition to that, the touchpad also features dedicated left and right-click buttons. 

Above the keyboard, you will find a smooth touch-sensitive panel. On this panel, there is one tiny Web quick-launch button that can be used to launch the default Web browser. 

Furthermore, there are also buttons such as mute, volume, rewind, play/pause, fast-forward, stop, and Wi-Fi. In addition, these buttons glow white when the laptop is turned on. 

If you’re looking for high-quality audio on a budget, this DV7 could be the one for you. The stereo speakers on this laptop are extremely loud, and there is also a subwoofer speaker underneath the laptop.

When playing music on the laptop, the subwoofer speaker adds richness to the sound. For a budget laptop when I turned the volume up, I didn’t notice any distortion.

In terms of ports, the HP Pavilion DV7 comes with a fair number of ports. On the left side, there are VGA, HDMI, LAN, two USB 3.0 ports, and two headphone and microphone jacks.

On the right side, you will find two USB 2.0 ports, a Blu-ray optical drive, and a charging port. The front side of the laptop houses only a card reader.

The HP Pavilion DV7 features an HD Webcam embedded at the top of the screen bezels. This webcam produces colorful images and is adequate for video calling.

Furthermore, the webcam comes with CyberLink YouCam software, which allows you to apply special effects to your photos. Fun filters, avatars, animations, frames are among the special effects.

The Pavilion DV7 comes with a one-year standard warranty from HP. This warranty covers hardware issues not caused by the user, such as malfunctioning keyboard, displays issues e.t.c.

As a result, if your laptop has a hardware problem during the warranty period, HP will fix or replace it.

In terms of dimension and weight, the Pavilion DV7 measures 416 x 275 x 31.4 mm and weighs 3048 g. To my surprise, even with this size and weight, the Pavilion DV7 still weighs less than most of its competitors.

For instance, the Acer Aspire 8920G weighs 4200 grams while the Asus N75SF weighs 3401 grams. However, when compared to its predecessor (Pavilion DV6), the Pavilion DV7 weighs more.

The Pavilion DV6 weighs 2621 grams and has a dimension of 378 x 243 x 35 mm.

In conclusion, the Pavilion DV7 offers decent build quality and some banging speakers. However, it is quite heavy than its preceding model.

As a result, I will rate the laptop an eight out of ten in this design review.

HP Pavilion DV7: Processor (CPU) Performance

The HP Pavilion DV7 features a second-generation Intel Core i7 processor. This is a strong quad-core processor; it is also a successor to the popular Intel Core i7-2630QM.

Furthermore, this processor supports hyper-threading and is based on Intel’s Sandy Bridge architecture. Sandy Bridge is the nickname for Intel’s 32 nm microarchitecture utilized in Intel’s second-generation Core processors (Core i7, i5, i3).

In terms of performance and power consumption, Sandy Bridge Processors aren’t quite as efficient as Ivy Bridge’. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t fast, or capable of running powerful applications.

As previously stated, this processor supports Hyper-threading. Hyper-threading is Intel’s unique simultaneous multithreading technology, which is used to improve parallelization during CPU computations.

To clarify, hyper-threading improves CPU performance by enhancing the processor’s speed and efficiency. As a result, you’ll be able to use powerful applications or run numerous demanding apps at the same time without your laptop lagging.

Moving on, the Intel Core i7-2670QM processor has a base frequency of 2.20 GHz and a maximum frequency of 3.1 GHz. Additionally, this processor features a 6 MB cache. 

To know how well the HP Pavilion DV7’s processer can perform, I conducted a Cinebench R10 test. Cinebench R10 is a benchmark test that determines how fast a CPU performs under various workloads.

On the Cinebench R10 single-core test, the laptop scored 3912 points. However, on the Cinebench R10 multi-core test, the laptop scored 14847 points.

In comparison, the Pavilion DV7 outperformed its predecessor, the Pavilion DV6, which has an Intel Core i5-2450M processor. On the Cinebench R10 single-core test, the Pavilion DV6 scored 3428 points.

On the Cinebench R10 multi-core test, the Pavilion DV6 scored 13842 points.

In conclusion, the Pavilion DV7’s processor is a strong performer and the laptop also outperformed its predecessor in a benchmark test. Therefore, I will rate the laptop a nine out of ten in this processer review.

HP Pavilion DV7: Memory (RAM) Performance

The HP Pavilion DV7 has two DDR3 SDRAM memory slots and comes with an 8 GB standard memory size. Moreover, this 8 GB RAM may also be increased to the maximum memory capacity of 16 GB – 8 GB on each slot.

The laptop I reviewed came with 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM in one slot, which is the standard memory size. To evaluate the laptop’s multitasking capabilities, I opened about 20 Chrome tabs while streaming a movie on Netflix. 

Even with the Chrome browser app and Netflix running at the same time, the laptop performed admirably. That is not all, I also performed a PCMark 7 test to further determine the laptop’s performance.

The PCMark 7 test evaluates a computer’s overall performance and provides an official PCMark score. PCMark 7 combines more than 25 different workloads into seven different tests to provide different perspectives of the computer’s performance.

According to the PCMark 7 test, the HP Pavilion DV7 scored 2456 points. In comparison, the Pavilion DV7 was outperformed by the Acer Aspire 7750G.

The Acer Aspire 7750G got 3277 points on the same PCMark 7 test. On the bright side, the Pavilion DV7 performed better than its predecessor, Pavilion DV6.

According to the PCMark 7 test, the Pavilion DV6 had a score of 2284 points.

Finally, the HP Pavilion DV7 is really good at multitasking, but it was outperformed by its competitor in a benchmark test. All things considered, I believe the Pavilion DV7 deserves an eight out of ten ratings in this memory review.

HP Pavilion DV7: Storage Options & Performance

In terms of storage, the Pavilion DV7 comes with a 5400 RPM SATA HDD. This HDD supports a maximum storage capacity of 1 TB.

Furthermore, the Pavilion DV7 also comes with an SD card reader for an extra storage option.

This review is based on 500 GB HDD storage.

For most users, 500 GB of storage should be sufficient. However, if you are a storage-hungry user, you can easily increase the HDD’s storage capacity to 1 TB.

To determine the laptop’s HDD speed, I conducted a CrystalDiskMark 3.0 test. CrystalDiskMark is a benchmark software that assesses the transfer speed of media data storage drives such as HDD, SDD, SD cards, and network-attached storage (NAS).

Based on the CrystalDiskMark 3.0 test, the Pavilion DV7 has a sequential read speed of 81.55 MB/s. Also, the laptop also has a sequential write speed of 82.48 MB/s.

Comparatively, the Pavilion DV7 nearly has the same read and write speed as the ASUS N75SF. On the CrystalDiskMark 3.0 test, the ASUS N75SF achieved a sequential read speed of 87.01 MB/s and a sequential write speed of 81.58 MB/s.

Finally, in this memory review, I will rate the Pavilion DV7 an eight for its sufficient HDD storage capacity and reasonable performance in the benchmark test.

HP Pavilion DV7: Graphics Card Performance

For graphics, the HP Pavilion DV7 comes with an Intel HD Graphics 3000. This graphics card is integrated into the laptop’s motherboard and doesn’t feature a dedicated VRAM.

Lack of VRAM simply means that the graphics card will have to share the same memory as the processer. As a result, you shouldn’t expect the laptop to play modern games smoothly or run graphics-intensive apps.

The Intel Graphics 3000 features a base GPU frequency of 650 MHz and a boost GPU frequency of 1100 MHz. This graphics card may not feature a dedicated VRAM, but it is still very much capable of running outdated games.

For instance, while playing Dirt 3 on low graphics setting, the Pavilion DV7 achieved a frame rate of 104.2 fps. However, while playing the same game on a medium graphics setting, its frame rate dropped to 63.2 fps.

I also conducted a 3DMark Vantage benchmark test to further determine how well the laptop can perform with this graphics card. 3DMark is a computer benchmarking tool created by UL to assess a computer’s 3D graphic rendering performance.

According to the 3DMark Vantage test results, the HP Pavilion DV7 scored 6765 points. Comparatively, the Pavilion DV7 achieved a better score than its predecessor (Pavilion DV6).

On the 3DMark Vantage test, the HP Pavilion DV6 which uses an ATI Radeon HD 4200 Graphics scored 6217 points. That isn’t all, the Pavilion DV7 also got a better score than Acer’s Aspire 7750G laptop.

On the 3DMark Vantage test, the Acer Aspire 7750G which uses an Intel HD Graphics 620 scored 6344 points.

Finally, even though the HP Pavilion DV7’s graphics doesn’t feature a dedicated VRAM, it is capable of playing outdated games. As a result, I believe it deserves a seven out of ten.

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HP Pavilion DV7: Battery Life & Performance

The HP Pavilion DV7 is equipped with a 9-cell 100 Whr lithium-ion battery. HP claims the Pavilion DV7’s battery should last up to 4 hours.

Even 4 hours of battery life isn’t enough for most users nowadays. However, I still conducted a battery test to validate HP’s claim about the Pavilion DV7’s battery.

The battery test includes continuously surfing the internet via WLAN, setting. I also set the brightness to medium and activated “Power saving” mode.

According to the battery test, the Pavilion DV7 lasted 4 hours and 46 minutes.

Comparatively, the Pavilion DV7 has a better battery runtime than its predecessor, Pavilion DV6. On the battery test, the Pavilion DV6 lasted only 2 hours and 10 minutes.

In conclusion, the DV7’s battery runtime may be disappointing and may not be sufficient for more users nowadays, it’s still better than its predecessor’. As a result, I believe the laptop deserves nothing less than a seven out of ten ratings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The Pavilion DV7 is another member of the HP Pavilion series that offers good performance at a reasonable price. It has a bright, clear 17-inch display and good sound quality.

This laptop, like its predecessor, the Pavilion DV6, is an ideal alternative for a desktop computer. Furthermore, this laptop is best suited for home use.

Despite its impressive features, this laptop has certain flaws, such as its short battery life and relatively heavy weight.

In conclusion, if you want speed, a lot of features, banging speakers, and a good-looking design, the HP Pavilion DV7 is the way to go.

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