HP Pavilion Gaming 15 laptop continues to blend work and play

And it's bringing a 17-inch model and a gaming mouse and mousepad along for the ride, too.

Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice

Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.

Expertise Laptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and drones Credentials

More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.

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Joshua Goldman

May 14, 2019 4:00 a.m. PT

hp-pavilion-gaming-15-laptop-1 — Thinner bezels and better cooling are coming to HP's mainstream gaming laptops.
HP

HP's Pavilion Gaming Laptop is one of the best mainstream gaming laptops under $1,000, and it looks like it's going to get a little better.

Like Dell's G series, the Pavilion Gaming line gives you a mainstream option instead of shelling out for a pricier PC from HP's Omen gaming brand such as the new dual-screen Omen X laptop. While it definitely still has a "gamer" look, its thinner, streamlined frame isn't over the top.

The updated model isn't vastly different from the last, but HP did redesign the intake and exhaust vents for more efficient cooling and slimmer bezels around its 15.6-inch full HD display. The insides are getting an update, too, with ninth-gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and discrete graphics up to Nividia's GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max Q.

The 15.6-inch Pavilion Gaming 15 will start at $800, which converts to approximately AU$1,150 and £620. A 17-inch version will join the lineup as well for $50 more starting at $850.

hp-pavilion-mousepad-400-4 — The new Pavilion Gaming laptops are joined by a budget-friendly mouse and mousepad.
HP

Accompanying the updated Pavilions are a new mouse and mousepad. The $25 Pavilion Gaming Mouse 200 isn't nearly as fancy as the new Omen Photon wireless mouse, but it does have on-the-fly DPI switching and RGB lighting. The $30 Pavilion Gaming Mousepad 400 has an anti-fray cloth surface with a rubber base that's wrapped in light.

The mouse and mousepad are available now, while the updated laptops arrive in June.