HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024) review

HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024)

The Pavilion Aero 13 is HP's ultralight play: a Ryzen 5 8640U with integrated graphics in a 13-inch chassis, $1,084 today. It is the most portable sheet in this batch, and the numbers that matter most to its buyers are the ones it wins outright.

Where it holds up

Portability at 89.2 is the best reading in this batch, comfortably clear of the next-best 80.8. Light office work at 88.21 is top-tier, photo design at 82 sits high, and engineering CAD at 64 is mid-tier. The integrated GPU scores 37.92 against an ultrabook-class median of 3.84 — nearly a tenfold cushion, one of the stronger integrated readings in the field even though newer platforms in this batch post higher. Reliability at 86 runs 69% above the class median of 51, and overall performance at 59.75 beats the median by 43%.

Where it falls short

The battery is the stated weakness: 43Wh against an ultrabook median of 63, a 32% shortfall that undercuts the travel-first premise. The measured game runs tell the same story from below — Far Cry 5 at minimum settings lands short of the 45 fps minimum bar, and the Battlefield V run misses its minimum line too. Gaming at 43 and modeling at 49 are mid-tier; value at 57.25 is merely mid-band for the price.

Price and depreciation

At $1,084 with an 11.29% annual rate, the two-year projection lands near $855 — one of the gentler curves in this batch, consistent with premium lightweight machines holding value.

Alternatives to consider

If the portability crown is the goal, nothing in this batch competes — the next-best readings are full band lower. If battery life matters as much as weight, the Spectre convertibles in this batch carry 66Wh cells at similar money.

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class. The Aero 13 wins the portability argument outright and pairs it with top-tier office scores — buy it for the weight, plan around the small battery and the below-minimum game results.