HP 15 Notebook , Core i3-1115G4, 8GB, 256GB SSD, Natural Silver

The HP 15-dy2044nr is a budget touchscreen laptop with a Core i3-1115G4, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The 720p display is the biggest letdown, and the dual-core CPU sits near the bottom of our performance charts. At CAD 805, it's not even a great value. Only consider it if you absolutely need a touchscreen and can't stretch your budget any further.

Let's talk about that Core i3-1115G4. It's a dual-core, four-thread processor with a 3.0GHz base clock. For basic tasks like opening a browser with a few tabs, checking email, or streaming video, it'll get the job done. But our database puts this CPU at the 21st percentile for laptops, which means roughly four out of five machines out there have more processing muscle. That's not a great starting point, especially when Windows 10 updates and background processes start eating into those two cores.

The 8GB of DDR4 RAM sits at the 13th percentile, which is another way of saying it's near the bottom of what we see in modern laptops. Eight gigs is workable for light use, but you'll feel the squeeze if you're the type who keeps 15 browser tabs open while streaming music and editing a document. The 256GB NVMe SSD is actually the least offensive spec here, landing at the 24th percentile. It's fast enough for boot times and app launches, but 256GB fills up quicker than you'd think once Windows, updates, and a few apps settle in. And the integrated graphics? They score 6.3 out of 100 for gaming, which is our polite way of saying don't even think about it.

The competitors listed in our database are almost comically mismatched. We're talking about an Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro, a Lenovo Legion 5i, an ASUS ROG Zephyrus, an MSI Creator, and an Alienware Aurora. Those are all machines that cost several times more and target completely different users. The HP 15 doesn't really compete with any of them. It's like comparing a bicycle to a fleet of sports cars.

A more realistic comparison would be against other budget laptops in the CAD 700-900 range. Machines like the Acer Aspire 5 or Lenovo IdeaPad 3 typically offer 1080p displays, quad-core Ryzen or Core i5 processors, and similar RAM and storage for around the same price. The HP's touchscreen is its one differentiator, but you're giving up screen resolution and CPU performance to get it. If you don't absolutely need touch, there are better options at this price point. If you do need touch, you might still want to look at a used Surface Laptop or a Chromebook with a better panel.

Pricing is a bit of a mystery here. The only listing we found is CAD 805 from a Canadian retailer, and there's no US price attached. That's not a great sign for availability or consistency. At CAD 805, you're paying for a touchscreen and a brand name, but the underlying hardware is entry-level even by budget standards. The affordability score lands at the 58th percentile, which means it's not even particularly cheap compared to other laptops in its class.

Here's the thing: for that kind of money, you can often find a used or refurbished machine with a 1080p display, a quad-core processor, and double the RAM. The value proposition here is thin. You're essentially paying a premium for the HP logo and the touchscreen, while accepting a screen resolution that makes text look fuzzy and a processor that'll struggle with anything beyond the basics. If you can find this on sale for significantly less, it becomes a more interesting option. At full price, it's a hard sell.

The HP 15-dy2044nr is one of those laptops that looks perfectly fine on a store shelf and then makes you question your life choices about six months in. It's a 15.6-inch touchscreen notebook with an Intel Core i3-1115G4, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB NVMe SSD. On paper, that sounds like a reasonable budget machine for basic tasks. In practice, the compromises start piling up fast.

Who's this for? Honestly, someone who needs the absolute cheapest new laptop with a touchscreen and doesn't plan to do much beyond web browsing, email, and maybe some light document editing. Students on a very tight budget might glance at it, but our scoring puts it at 36.3 out of 100 for student use, which is not exactly a ringing endorsement. The compact score is even lower at 26.5, and the overall score lands at 22.2. That's rough territory.

The interesting thing here is the mismatch between what HP is selling and what you actually get. A touchscreen on a 720p display in 2024 feels like putting a spoiler on a golf cart. The Core i3-1115G4 is a two-core chip from Intel's 11th gen, which launched back in 2020. It's not ancient, but it's also not going to age gracefully. And the 720p screen? That's the kind of spec that makes you wonder if someone found a warehouse full of panels from 2012 and decided to use them up.

If you do any kind of creative work, photo editing, video editing, or even heavy multitasking, skip this. The dual-core i3 and 8GB of RAM will choke on anything beyond basic productivity, and the 720p screen makes color work or detail work nearly impossible. You'd be better off with a used MacBook Air, a refurbished ThinkPad, or a mid-range Ryzen laptop with a 1080p IPS panel.

Gamers should obviously look elsewhere, but even casual users who stream a lot of video or keep dozens of browser tabs open will feel the limitations quickly. And if you're buying this for a student who'll need it for four years of college, the lack of upgradeability and the weak processor mean it'll feel outdated before they finish their sophomore year. Spend a bit more now, or buy used, and you'll save yourself the frustration of replacing this thing in two years.

For a student who only needs to write papers, browse the web, and attend video calls, this HP 15 will technically work. The SSD keeps things feeling responsive, and the touchscreen is a nice bonus for scrolling through documents or pinch-zooming on web pages. But the 720p display is a constant reminder that you bought the cheapest option, and the dual-core i3 will start to feel sluggish as soon as you push it with multiple apps or heavy browser tabs.

If you're buying this for a younger student or as a secondary machine for light tasks around the house, it's passable. But if this is going to be your primary computer for the next few years, we'd strongly suggest saving up a bit more or looking at the used market. A refurbished ThinkPad or a previous-gen ultrabook will give you a much better screen, more RAM, and a processor that won't make you want to throw the thing out a window in 18 months.