HP Pavilion Plus 14 (2022) review

HP Pavilion Plus 14 (2022)

The Pavilion Plus 14 (2022) is the cheapest sheet in this batch: $470 buys a Core i5 1235U, a GeForce MX550 with 2GB of VRAM and 16GB of RAM. Budget pricing with a real — if small — dedicated card.

Where it holds up

The graphics score of 49.14 runs 80% above the general-class median of 27.24, the stated strength. Mobility at 74 adds a 48% cushion over the class median of 50, portability at 71.3 sits in the high band, and photo design at 87 reads top-tier. Value at 71.7 lands high — the market agreeing that $470 was well judged. Far Cry 5 at the recommended preset measures a genuine 45 fps, Grand Theft Auto V clears its recommended bar, and Overwatch does the same.

Where it falls short

Memory stops at 16GB against the general-class median of 32 — the stated weakness and the sheet's tightest constraint for serious multitasking. Gaming at 46 and modeling and engineering CAD at 55 sit mid-tier, overall performance at 49.78 is mid-band, and the 11.94% depreciation curve is gentle but starts from a low base.

Price and depreciation

At $470 with an 11.94% annual rate, the two-year projection lands near $365 — the flattest absolute-value loss in this batch simply because there is so little value to lose.

Alternatives to consider

The 2023 Pavilion Plus 14 in this batch costs $83 more, doubles the memory to 32GB and posts the batch's best value score at 86.4; the 2024 member completes the ladder at $650 with integrated graphics. If $470 is the ceiling, this is the only dedicated-GPU sheet in the batch at that price.

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class. The batch's cheapest machine still delivers a top-tier photo score, measured 45 fps Far Cry 5 at recommended settings and genuine mobility — the 16GB ceiling is the one real compromise.