Latest Gadgets Specifications: HP Pavilion dm4t Beats Edition Notebook Laptop

HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition does a lot for a little. The moderately priced laptop boasts sturdy, striking design, powerful speakers, a generous allotment of external ports, good battery life, and an Intel Core i5 processor. The Beats brand is endorsed by rapper and hip-hop producer Dr. Dre. An inch thick, this 4.5-pound all-purpose laptop slips neatly into any work-sized bag without weighing you down.
Despite its compact frame, the dm4 packs a punch and goes toe-to-toe with the Laptop of many laptops in its class. The dm4 Beats Edition bested the HP Envy 15, Lenovo IdeaPad U400, and VAIO S Series with a moderate WorldBench 6 score of 120. The Asus U46SV earned a slightly higher WorldBench 6 score of 123.

Aided by the Beats Audio control interface — which is different from the much simpler Windows sound panel — the dm4 Beats Edition really kicks. It can get loud without sounding overdriven, and the Beats Audio control panel is a big improvement over the Windows sound controls (with a nine-band graphic equalizer and special built-in microphone filters). I used the HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition to take notes at a recent presentation in a crowded theatre. This configuration of the dm4 Beats Edition, however, is certainly not for gaming. It shows average performance at low resolutions (48 frames per second when playing Dirt 2 and 40 on Far Cry 2 at 800 by 600 resolution), and much poorer frame rates as the resolution increases (22 fps on Dirt 2, and 15.1 fps on Far Cry 2 at 1024 by 768). If you can spend a bit more, look into the Asus G53SX — by far the strongest performer of all our recently reviewed all-purpose laptops.

The HP dm4 Beats Edition didn't score the highest ratings in our lab tests, and it in some ways it certainly leaves you wanting.

HP Pavilion dm4t Beats Edition Notebook Laptop

Display
Display size 14 inches
Maximum resolution 1600 x 900
Display type Matte LCD with LED Backlight

Processor
Processor class Intel Core i5
Processor model 2450M
Processor speed 2500 MHz
Number of Cores 2
Cache size 3 MB

Graphics
Graphics Type Integrated
Integrated Graphics Chipset Intel
Integrated Graphics Chipset Model Number HD Graphics 3000

Memory
Installed memory 6 GB
Maximum memory 16 GB
Memory technology DDR3

Storage
Hard Drive Type Hard Disk Drive
Total HD Size 500 GB
Hard Drive Speed 7200 RPM
Number of hard drives included 1
Other Storage SD/MMC Card
SDHC Card

Networking
Ethernet Type 10/100/1000 Mbps
Wifi Type 802.11 n/b/g

Interface Connections
Number of USB 3 Ports 2
Number of USB 2 Ports 1

Video Interfaces
HDMI
VGA

Additional Interfaces
Bluetooth

Dimensions
Weight (min) 4.5 pounds
Weight (with accessories) 5.3 lbs
Width 13.4 inches
Depth 9 inches
Height 1.3 inches