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HP Essential 15 (2025) 15.6"

HP Essential 15 (2025) 15.6"

Manufacturer: HP

The HP Essential 15 (2025) 15.6″ is a reliable productivity laptop designed to handle daily tasks with ease. It comes equipped with a 15.6-inch LCD, LED-backlit, IPS display, offering a 1920 x 1080 px resolution and touch functionality for an intuitive user experience.

Under the hood, the HP Essential 15 features 16GB of RAM with a speed of 3200 MHz, along with 512GB of NVMe flash storage for fast data access. The laptop is powered by a 12-thread CPU with a turbo clock speed of 4.4GHz, and its graphics are supported by the integrated Iris Xe Graphics 80EU. Connectivity options include USB Type-C, HDMI 1.4, and Wi-Fi 6 support, ensuring reliable performance across various tasks.

Pros
  • Supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), offering faster and more reliable wireless connectivity.
  • Equipped with stereo speakers, enhancing audio quality for media and communication.
  • Includes a stylus for precise input, making it useful for creative tasks and note-taking.
Cons
  • Does not support ray tracing or DLSS, limiting its potential for advanced gaming graphics.
  • Lacks a fingerprint scanner and facial recognition, offering fewer security options.
  • No support for external memory slots, limiting expandability for additional storage.
Who is this for?

This product is ideal for users who need a reliable, compact laptop for general productivity tasks, with its 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage providing solid multitasking capabilities. Its Wi-Fi 6 support ensures smooth internet connectivity, while the inclusion of a stylus makes it a good choice for creative tasks like drawing or note-taking. Additionally, its stereo speakers enhance media and video conferencing experiences.

Who is this NOT for?

This product is not suited for users looking for high-end gaming or intensive graphical tasks, as it lacks support for ray tracing and DLSS. It also has limited expansion options with no support for external memory slots, making it less ideal for users who require significant additional storage. Additionally, the lack of advanced security features such as a fingerprint scanner or facial recognition could be a drawback for those prioritizing security.

Design:
Type Productivity
Uses a fanless design ✕
Has a backlit keyboard ✕
is weather-sealed (splashproof) ✕
has a rugged build ✕

The HP Essential 15 (2025) is a productivity-focused laptop that does not include features like a backlit keyboard or a fanless design. It also lacks weather-sealing and a rugged build, making it more suitable for standard office and home use rather than extreme environments.

Display:
screen size 15.6"
resolution 1920 x 1080 px
Display type LCD, LED-backlit, IPS
has a touch screen ✓
brightness (typical) 250 nits
has anti-reflection coating ✓
supported displays 4

The HP Essential 15 (2025) features a 15.6-inch LCD, LED-backlit, IPS display with a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 px. It includes a touch screen for more interactive use and an anti-reflection coating to improve visibility in bright environments. With a typical brightness of 250 nits, this display supports up to 4 connected displays for multitasking.

Performance:
RAM 16GB
RAM speed 3200 MHz
Uses flash storage ✓
internal storage 512GB
CPU speed 2 x 1.3 & 8 x 0.9 GHz
CPU threads 12 threads
Is an NVMe SSD ✓
DirectX version DirectX 12
GPU clock speed 300 MHz
uses multithreading ✓
maximum memory amount 64GB
DDR memory version 5
turbo clock speed 4.4GHz
GPU turbo 1200 MHz
PCI Express (PCIe) version 4
semiconductor size 10 nm
has XeSS (XMX) ✕
Supports 64-bit ✓

The HP Essential 15 (2025) offers solid performance with its 16GB of RAM running at 3200 MHz and a 512GB NVMe SSD for fast storage. The laptop's processor runs at a total clock speed of 2 x 1.3 GHz and 8 x 0.9 GHz, with multithreading support and a turbo speed of up to 4.4 GHz. It also supports up to 64GB of RAM, ensuring room for more demanding tasks and multitasking.

Benchmarks:
Geekbench 6 result (multi) 5675
Geekbench 6 result (single) 1847
PassMark result 13387
PassMark result (single) 3217
Cinebench R20 (multi) result 3321
Cinebench R20 (single) result 637

The HP Essential 15 (2025) demonstrates strong benchmark results, with a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 5675 and a single-core score of 1847. In PassMark testing, it achieves a score of 13387, with a single-core result of 3217. For rendering performance, the laptop scores 3321 in Cinebench R20 (multi) and 637 in the single-core test, showcasing its efficient processing capabilities.

Connectivity:
USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-C) 0
USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A) 0
USB 4 20Gbps ports 0
USB 4 40Gbps ports 0
Thunderbolt 4 ports 0
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-C) 1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-A) 2
Thunderbolt 3 ports 0
has an HDMI output ✓
Has USB Type-C ✓
supports Wi-Fi ✓
Wi-Fi version Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
has an external memory slot ✕
RJ45 ports 0
HDMI ports 1
HDMI version HDMI 1.4
DisplayPort outputs 0
USB 2.0 ports 0
has AirPlay ✓
mini DisplayPort outputs 0
has a VGA connector ✕

The HP Essential 15 (2025) offers a variety of connectivity options, including USB Type-C and USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (1 USB-C, 2 USB-A), alongside a single HDMI 1.4 port for external display connections. It supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) for fast wireless internet, and also features AirPlay support for streaming. However, it does not include any USB 4 or Thunderbolt ports, nor does it have an external memory slot or RJ45 Ethernet ports.

Battery:
Has sleep-and-charge USB ports ✕
Has a MagSafe power adapter ✕

The HP Essential 15 (2025) does not include sleep-and-charge USB ports or a MagSafe power adapter, limiting its power management options compared to devices with these features.

Features:
release date September 2025
has stereo speakers ✓
has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack ✓
supports ray tracing ✕
supports DLSS ✕
has Dolby Atmos ✕
Stylus included ✓
Has a fingerprint scanner ✕
number of microphones 1
Uses 3D facial recognition ✕
has voice commands ✕
has a front camera ✓
Has S/PDIF Out port ✕
has a gyroscope ✕
has GPS ✕
has an accelerometer ✕
has a compass ✕
Has an optical disc drive ✕

The HP Essential 15 (2025) includes stereo speakers, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a front camera for basic audio and video functionality. It also comes with a stylus for precise input, though it does not support features like ray tracing, Dolby Atmos, or a fingerprint scanner.

Miscellaneous:
clock multiplier 13
PassMark result (overclocked) 13563
GPU name Iris Xe Graphics 80EU
Uses big.LITTLE technology ✓
L1 cache 928 KB
L2 cache 9.5 MB
render output units (ROPs) 20
texture mapping units (TMUs) 40
shading units 640
L3 cache 12 MB
Has an unlocked multiplier ✕
Has NX bit ✓
CPU temperature 100 °C
OpenCL version 3
OpenGL version 4.6
GPU execution units 80
Has integrated graphics ✓
Supports ECC memory ✕
memory channels 2
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 15W
Type Laptop
instruction sets SSE 4.2, SSE 4.1, AVX, AES, FMA3, F16C, MMX
RAM speed (max) 5200 MHz

The HP Essential 15 (2025) is powered by an Iris Xe Graphics 80EU GPU with 80 execution units, supported by 12 MB of L3 cache and a CPU clock multiplier of 13. It features big.LITTLE technology for efficient processing, but does not have an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. With a TDP of 15W, it operates efficiently while supporting OpenCL 3 and OpenGL 4.6.

Final Verdict

The product stands out as a solid choice for general productivity, with its 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage offering ample performance for most office and creative tasks. The inclusion of a stylus and Wi-Fi 6 support further enhance its appeal for users seeking versatility. However, its limitations in high-end graphical performance and lack of advanced security features may deter users with specific gaming or privacy needs. Overall, it is well-suited for everyday work and casual creative use, providing a reliable and practical experience for most users.