Manage updates with the Download App
The difference, however, is modest compared with the performance hit you'd take with the Intel Atom chips in many of the low-cost Windows 8 tablet/laptop hybrids we've tested, so the Windows 8 interface still runs very smoothly. In general, for Web surfing, social media, and even HD video playback, the Sleekbook is more than adequate, although I did run into a little bit of occasional stuttering and pausing when opening multiple browser windows.
More interesting is the GPU part of AMD's platform, via a part called the Radeon HD 7600G. AMD says it's the equivalent of a discrete graphics card (such as you'd get from Nvidia), but keep in mind, it's still at the lower end of the scale. This won't play the newest games at the highest detail settings, even at the lower 1,366x768-pixel screen resolution, but it still beats Intel's default HD 4000 graphics. In a not-too-challenging Just Cause 2 test, at the same 1,366x768-pixel resolution, this system ran the game at 15 frames per second, while HP's more expensive Spectre XT with Intel's HD 4000 graphics ran the same test at 10.9 frames per second.
While the graphics may be good for a budget laptop, one area where AMD can't seem to catch up with Intel is in battery life. Despite being a low-power system, and with a chassis big enough to hold a sizable battery, the TouchSmart 15z-b000 ran for only 3 hours and 20 minutes in our video playback battery drain test. That's not great for a laptop designed for easy travel, and Dell's similarly budget-minded Inspiron 15z ran for more than 1.5 hours longer in the same test.
Conclusion
The HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15z-b000 Sleekbook wins points for being the best-looking sub-$700 touch-screen Windows 8 laptop I've seen so far, and for adding a tiny bit of GPU muscle to a class of laptops generally unsuitable for gaming.
Keep in mind that the trade-offs are going to be relatively short battery life, a slightly frustrating touch pad, and occasionally sluggish performance. But, if you need to have a presentable-looking, very thin laptop for only $650, this system deserves a serious look.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.
System configurations:
HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15z-b000 Sleekbook
Windows 8 (64-bit) w/SP1; 1.8GHz AMD A8-455M APU; 6GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 512MB (Shared) AMD Radeon HD 7600G; 750GB Seagate 5,400rpm
HP Spectre TouchSmart 15-4010nr
Windows 8 (64-bit) w/SP1; 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Shared) Intel HD 400, 500GB HD + 32GB SSD
Dell Inspiron 15z
Windows 8 (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 6GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Shared) Intel HD 4000; 500GB HD + 32GB SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad Y500
Windows 8 (64-bit); 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3630QM; 16GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; (x2) 2GB Nvidia Geforce GT650M; HDD#1 SanDisk 16GB SSD/ HDD#2 1TB Seagate 5,400rpm
Acer Aspire V5-571P-6499
Windows 8 (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 128MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 500GB Hitachi 5,400rpm + 20GB SSD Hybrid
