HP 15-AY103DX / 15-BS015DX 15.6″ Touch-Screen Laptop (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD)

Description

The HP 15-AY103DX and HP 15-BS015DX are a pair of very similar mainstream laptops with touch-screen display, mid-range computer components, and a price of around $450. The HP 15-AY103DX and 15-BS015DX have a usual entry-level 1366×768-pixel multi-touch TN display panel, an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of system memory, and a 1-Terabyte hard drive.

The only differences between the 15-AY103DX and HP 15-BS015DX are in the USB and networking departments. The AY103DX features one fast USB 3.1 port and two older USB 2.0 ports, basic 10/100 Ethernet LAN wired network port, and previous generation 802.11N Wi-Fi wireless connection. On the other side, the HP 15-BS015DX is better equipped, while having the same price tag in most stores. It has two USB 3.1 ports and one USB 2.0, a full-speed Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN, support for newer and faster 802.11AC wireless connectivity, and additionally a Bluetooth interface which is lacking on the 15-AY103DX. That being said, the BS015DX is obviously the better configuration.

The rest of the specs sheets is identical.

These HP laptops ensure hassle-free completion of the daily computing duties under pre-installed Windows 10 Home operating system. The included CPU is the 7th Generation Intel Core i5-7200U we reviewed recently. In short, it’s a no-brainer solution for most notebook PC users. It can effortlessly crunch all the usual home and office tasks. Its integrated Intel HD 620 graphics (review), can be used for casual gaming and even some more demanding game titles on low graphics detail settings. As for multi-tasking capabilities, 8GB of RAM is sufficient for running many programs and browser tabs simultaneously without system slowdowns. Finally, the provided 1TB 5,400rpm HDD isn’t the fastest type of storage on today’s market, but on the positive side, it offers huge storage space for your movies, music, and other file libraries.

Interaction with the notebooks is enabled via the touch-screen, a standard full-size keyboard with numeric pad, and a multi-touch trackpad with physical left and right click buttons. The keyboard lacks LED backlight, which is usually reserved for pricier laptops. Also, there are no fancy chassis materials on these models, since they’re covered with usual matte black plastics. However, glossy stripes on the palmrest give these machines a hint of style.

Besides aforementioned three USB ports, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections, and optional Bluetooth, the HP 15-AY103DX & HP 15-BS015DX have a built-in DVD drive, stereo speakers, a web camera, HDMI video out connector, a combo audio mic / headphones connector, and a multi-in-one media card reader.

The 15-AY103DX and 15-BS015DX are fairly light in comparison to similar 15.6″ touch-screen models. They weigh in at 4.7 pounds and have a 0.9″ thin profile.

HP hasn’t provided official info on battery life. The battery in both configurations has a lower-end capacity of 31 WHr. We can assume you’ll be getting around 4 hours on a charge if you don’t put display brightness on max and put a high stress on the processor.