This new laptop features a Full HD display, Core i7 processor, SSD storage and quite a bit more at a very convenient price. Overall, we're talking about a laptop with high end specs that's within the mid-range price bracket. Without further ado, let's get to know this model in depth in our review of the HP 15-ay018nr.
Pros: Full HD 15 inch display, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, Core i7 CPU.
Cons: Roughly 5 hours of battery life, only 1 USB 3.0 port.
HP 15-ay018nr The future of laptops has arrived
Display and design
As with the more "modest" variant of the 15-ay variant, the HP 15-ay018nr comes with a polished metal design that simply exudes "premium laptop design". The brushed metal design in the front of the laptop and the straight lines in the back cover set the tone for a laptop that's clearly meant to do more than stream cat videos.
The screen is formed by a 15.6 inch Full HD IPS LED backlit display. It's not a touchscreen but honestly we couldn't care less about this feature since it still seems a bit "gimmicky" without much actual usage in real-world scenarios. Unless we're talking about a convertible laptop in which case it's a whole other ball game entirely.
In terms of weight and size, HP's high end model weighs in at a relatively tight 4.7 pounds and the thickness is also pretty tamed at just 0.95 inches, average numbers within the 15 inch laptop segment.
Performance that goes above and beyond
Leaving the design aside, what truly makes this laptop remarkable are its internals. Specifically, performance on the HP 15-ay018nr is trusted on the latest generation Intel Core i7-6500U processor.
This is a dual core, Skylake generation CPU, with 4 MB of Intel's smart cache and a very high base speed of 2.5 GHz that can stretch all the way towards 3.1 GHz when we're in need of some more power.
Couple that with 8GB of DDR3L SDRAM and you've got yourself a powerhouse laptop that won't disappoint. Whether you're in the mood to edit your family album, create the next big app to hit the Play Store or develop resource-hungry programs, the HP 15-ay018nr's got you covered. Overall, there's little this set of specs can't get away with.
Add to all of this a high speed 256GB SSD storage unit and you've got the perfect storm in terms of performance. You'll be able to open apps in the blink of an eye and booting up as well as shutting the laptop down won't take much more than a few seconds of your time.
What's even better is that while most laptops that have made the transition to SSD storage still place their bets on more restricted 128GB modules, 256GB deliver you the freedom of not having to make much of a compromise between speed and storage capacity.
What's the word on gaming? Is this a gaming laptop?
As with most laptops that feature an integrated graphics chip, the HP 15-ay018nr is not meant for gaming. Specifically, it houses an Intel HD 520 graphics chip which, while it's great for editing videos and streaming high definition video, it's not your ideal graphics card if you wanna do some serious gaming.
Battery life and connectivity options
As we approach the end of the HP 15-ay018nr review, it's time to take a quick look at the connectivity and battery life. In this regard, HP promises up to 6 hours of battery life on this model.
Honestly, I'm not big on trusting company claims when it comes down to battery life so I believe it would be wise to expect roughly 5 hours instead of 6. That said, 5 hours is still pretty good for a high performance laptop such as this one.
As far as connectivity is concerned, HP has covered all its bases with a couple of USB 2.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 port for fast data transfers, an HDMI output to plug your laptop onto an external monitor, an ethernet port for wired connectivity, SD card reader and HP's even thrown in a DVD reader which is not all that common in this day and age.
Final thoughts and opinions...
Overall, there's not that much left to say in this review of the HP 15-ay018nr. HP's new laptop is quite simply great, delivering a high end performance for a mid range price. The latest generation i7 coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage are all very impressive features for a mid range laptop but when you also throw in a Full HD display and an abundance of connectivity options, there's really not much left to say.
So to sum it up; if your budget allows for it we would very much recommend you buying this laptop. Sure, gamers and graphic designers should abstain and find a laptop with a dedicated graphics chip but pretty much anyone else looking for a fast high performing laptop won't be disappointed when they get this model.