HP Pavilion dv6 review

A 2010 Pavilion dv6 with obsolete graphics and a CPU score at the floor

The HP Pavilion dv6 is a 2010-vintage multimedia laptop built around an Intel Core i5 540M, a GeForce GT 230M dGPU, and 16 GB of RAM, landing at $137 — below the general-laptop median of about $248. At this age, every meaningful metric reflects the platform's vintage: the CPU score is at the floor (0.04 against a median near 59), reliability is at the floor (1), and the GT 230M is obsolete by modern standards. The case for this machine rests entirely on the low price.

The price is the only real story

There is no metric on which this laptop leads its modern peers — the CPU score (0.04) and reliability (1) both sit at the very bottom of the bracket, and the GT 230M was entry-level when new in 2010. Capability data confirms it cannot hit minimum playability on modern titles like The Witcher 3 or Counter-Strike 2.

The CPU is the honest ceiling

The weak spot by level is CPU performance (0.04), which reflects a 2010 processor that is thoroughly outclassed by anything modern. The GT 230M dGPU is also obsolete — it cannot run modern games at minimum settings. This is a machine for offline document work or as a spare, not for any productive workload.

Slow depreciation, near the floor

From a base near $900, the laptop has settled to $137 at roughly 5.6% per year, with a projected value around $122 in two years. The curve has flattened — most of the value has already been lost.

Bracketed by budget peers

Slightly pricier options include the Lenovo G405s ($149) and HP Pavilion dv7 6b55sg ($157); cheaper alternatives include the Dell Inspiron 15-3552 ($127) and HP 15-ay087ur ($120).

Bottom line

The Pavilion dv6 is worth considering only as a cheap, near-disposable machine for genuinely light duties — offline documents, a spare, or basic web access. The CPU and GPU are both at the floor of the bracket, so buyers needing a dependable daily driver should spend slightly more on a much newer peer.