HP Pavilion dv6-6135dx review
HP Pavilion dv6-6135dx — from 2011, 2.9 kg, performance 34.
Technical specifications
| Type | Laptop |
| Release year | 2011 |
| Screen | 15.6" · 1366x768 |
| Processor | AMD A8-3500M |
| Graphics | Radeon 6600M |
| Weight | 2.9 kg |
Performance scores
Pavilion dv6-6135dx — a 2011 oddity: real gaming GPU, compute at the floor
The 2011 Pavilion dv6-6135dx is one of the strangest configurations in the catalog: an AMD A8-3500M APU paired with a Radeon 6600M discrete GPU. The graphics score of 68.56 lands in the top quarter of the general-laptop class — 152% above the median of 27.24 — while the CPU score reads at the absolute floor (0 versus a 58.99 median). At $207 it is priced below the class median, and the verdict calls it worth the asking price for one specific kind of buyer.
The GPU that carries the machine
A Radeon 6600M in 2011 was a genuine mid-range gaming part, and its relative placing still reflects that: 68.56 puts it above most of the used field. For its era the combination delivered playable 3D in a consumer chassis — the classic AMD "dual graphics" formula. Just calibrate expectations: this is 2011 performance, meaningful against other decade-old machines, not against anything modern.
The CPU reality
The A8-3500M's compute score reads at the floor of the bracket (0 versus a 58.99 median). In day-to-day terms the Llano APU was weak even when new — four slow cores optimized for power draw, not throughput. Anything CPU-bound (compiling, heavy browsing, modern web apps) will stall long before the GPU is asked to work. Mobility at 10 versus a 50 median completes the picture: this is a desk machine.
Price trajectory
From roughly $900 new to $207 today at about 6% per year — a slow curve that says the residual value has stabilized. The two-year projection is $183 (11.6% lower). At this price the machine trades as a curiosity or spare parts donor more than a daily driver.
Where it sits against peers
Cheaper neighbors are the Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15IKB ($187) and Flex 2-14D ($182); the HP 15-ay102nf ($214) and 15-ay038no ($213) sit sideways at the same money — all of them newer with weaker graphics but vastly stronger CPUs. Nothing else in the bracket matches the 6600M, and nothing else needs the CPU caveat as badly.
Bottom line
Worth it only as a period piece or a collector's retro-gaming box: the GPU placing is real for its era, but the compute floor, 3.7-kilogram-class chassis and decade-plus age make it a poor general purchase. The sub-median price is fair for what it is — just be clear that "gaming" here means 2011 titles.
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⭐ What stands out
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graphics performance is higher than typical general laptop class (+151.7%) (high tier).
top 25% of its category -
CPU performance is lower than typical general laptop class (+100%) (basic tier).
budget segment of category -
mobility is lower than typical general laptop class (+80%) (low tier).
budget segment of category
🔁 Alternatives
Compromise axis: mobility ↔ overall performance
⚙️ Configuration analysis
Top configuration handles modern AAA games at high settings, video editing, and heavy multitasking.
🤔 How to choose
Universal advice for any use case.
- Reliability vs price: reliability (median 54) ↔ price (median 247.9).
- Weight vs CPU: mobility (median 50) ↔ overall performance (median 43.1).
- Upgradeability vs battery: upgradability (median 50) ↔ battery life (median 2.3).
Pavilion dv6-6135dx: verdict
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