HP Pavilion 15.6" TPN-W155_ Silver 2023

The standout spec is 32GB of RAM, a capacity that's well above average and the main reason to consider this machine. But it's paired with a sluggish CPU that lands in the 38th percentile, creating a weird performance bottleneck. The 250-nit display is also a letdown, so this is purely a budget pick for memory-hungry multitaskers who don't care about screen quality or gaming.

Let's be real, the performance here is a story of extremes. The 32GB of DDR4 RAM is a standout feature, putting it well above average for multitasking. You can have dozens of Chrome tabs open without a sweat. But that memory is yoked to a CPU that's frankly underwhelming. The Core i7-1255U is a 10-core chip from Intel's 12th Gen, but its low 1.2GHz base clock holds it back, resulting in a 38th percentile CPU score. For everyday office work and streaming, it's fine. Just don't expect it to chew through video edits or heavy data crunching. The integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics are middle of the pack, scoring in the 48th percentile, which means it's strictly for casual games and media, not modern AAA titles. The 15.6-inch 1080p touchscreen is a disappointment, with a dim 250-nit panel that lands in the 35th percentile. It's usable indoors but feels washed out and struggles near a window.

Stacked against the competition, the Pavilion's niche is clear but narrow. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition will run circles around it in build quality and display brilliance, though you'll likely get less RAM for the money. An ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is in a different universe for GPU and gaming performance, making the Pavilion's 16.1 gaming score look like a typo. Even a more work-focused machine like the MSI Prestige will offer a significantly better CPU and a sharper, brighter screen. The Pavilion's only real win here is that massive 32GB of RAM at a potentially low price, a spec you'd usually find on much pricier workstations. It's a memory monster in a budget body, but it's outclassed in almost every other category.

Pricing on this model is all over the map, with a wild spread of over $175,000 across vendors, which is clearly a data error on the high end. The realistic entry point seems to be around $1,061. At that price, the 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD make it a compelling value for a student or office worker who just needs a ton of memory. But you're making a clear trade-off in processing power and screen quality. If you can snag it near the lower end of that range, the RAM alone almost justifies the cost. Just don't overpay for a CPU that's already behind the curve.

The HP Pavilion TPN-W155_ is a bit of a mixed bag, and the numbers tell the story. Its strongest suit is the generous 32GB of RAM, which lands in the 73rd percentile and is frankly overkill for the kind of work this machine is built for. You also get a spacious 1TB SSD, but the 12th Gen Core i7-1255U processor is a letdown, scoring in the 38th percentile for CPU performance. That means it's outpaced by the majority of laptops we've tested, which is a real head-scratcher given the RAM it's paired with.

Gamers and creative pros should look elsewhere without a second thought. The gaming score of 16.1 out of 100 is one of the worst we've seen, and the dim, color-inaccurate screen is a dealbreaker for photo or video editing. You should also skip this if reliability is a top concern, as its 33rd percentile score and user reports of hardware failures are a red flag. Anyone who values a bright, vibrant display or strong processing power over sheer RAM capacity will be disappointed.

The HP Pavilion TPN-W155_ is a one-trick pony, but it's a pretty good trick if you need it. The 32GB of RAM is the sole reason to buy this laptop, making it a solid choice for users who keep a million browser tabs open or run multiple virtual machines on a budget. For everyone else, the dim screen and underwhelming CPU are hard to ignore. We can only recommend it if you find it at a price close to $1,061 and your primary need is memory capacity over raw speed or display quality. If you can live with 16GB of RAM, there are far better all-around laptops available.