HP Pavilion dv2000z review: HP Pavilion dv2000z

With the release of the Pavilion dv2000, HP inaugurates a new look and feel for its Pavilion line of laptops. Departing from the familiar matte silver and black case, the dv2000 has sleek rounded edges, a high-gloss finish (which HP says is particularly scratch resistant), and a subtle Zen wave design on the lid. Looks aside, however, the Pavilion dv2000 sticks to the same basic script as previous Pavilion models: you get a strong set of components and most of the features that a home user will want for a competitive price (it starts at $830). HP has also upped the ante with the dv2000's processor options: you can configure it with either an Intel Core Solo or Core Duo, or AMD Sempron or Turion 64 X2 processors. Unfortunately, the AMD-based dv2000z we tested offered below-average performance and battery life that just couldn't keep up with that of similar laptops that feature Intel processors, most notably HP's own Compaq Presario V3000.

When it comes to design, features, and software, the Pavilion dv2000 is virtually identical to the Compaq Presario V3000, with the exception of a Webcam built into the Pavilion's lid. For complete details about the dv2000's overall design, feature set, and warranty, head on over to CNET's Compaq Presario V3000 review.

Where the two models differ is configuration: the Pavilion adds the option of discrete graphics into the component mix. We tested the Pavilion dv2000z, which cost $1,615 (though various Web discounts and rebates can knock $150 off the price) for a 1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 dual-core processor, a whopping 2GB of 533MHz RAM, a 100GB, 5,400rpm hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce 6150 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated video memory. Those are some pretty good specs for the price, which made the system's performance scores on CNET Labs' mobile benchmarks all the more disappointing. Seeming to suffer from the same slow performance we saw on the Turion 64 X2-based HP Compaq nx6325, the Pavilion dv2000z just couldn't muster scores that matched Intel's Core Duo offerings. And while power-saving features factor heavily into the laptop's performance on these tests, the dv2000z doesn't offer much in terms of battery life--it lasted a below-average 2 hours, 42 minutes. In short, the Turion-based Pavilion dv2000z may give you enough performance for basic productivity tasks, such as e-mail and Word processing, but you can get faster performance and longer battery life from several competitors' models, and even from within HP's own product line.

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System configurations:
Compaq Presario V3000
Windows XP Pro; 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400; 512MB PC4300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; Intel Mobile i945GM Express 128MB; Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 60GB 5,400rpm
Dell Inspiron E1405
Windows XP Media Center; 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400; 1,024MB PC4300 DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; Intel 945GM Express Family 224MB; Toshiba MK8032GSX 80GB 5,400rpm
HP Compaq nx6325
Windows XP Professional; 1.8GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-56; 512MB PC5300 DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 256MB; Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 80GB 5,400rpm
HP Pavilion dv2000
Windows XP Home; 1.67GHz AMD Turion 64 X2; 2GB PC4300 DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; Nvidia GeForce 6150 256MB; Fujitsu MHV2100BH 100GB 5,400rpm