HP Pavilion DM1-3200sa review

Performance was never going to be the DM1’s strong point, but an overall score of 10 in our multimedia benchmarks falls well short of true ultrabooks: it’s not good for much more than word processing or web browsing. That’s a shame, as the integrated Radeon 6310 GPU is reasonably capable; it can play high-definition video and even handle some modest gaming, although a jittery 12fps on our demanding Dirt 3 test shows that it’s not ideal for modern titles.

Battery life is one thing you won’t have to worry about, if our light-use test is any indication – the DM1 managed a fantastic nine hours away from the mains. You won’t need to pack a power adaptor to get a full day’s work out of it.

If you’re looking for a laptop to take on the move, but don’t want to pay for top-end performance, a Fusion-powered machine like the DM1 could be a great choice. It’s well-built and easy to use, but doesn’t cost the earth. You do sacrifice performance for battery life, and it’s not as thin or light as an ultrabook, but it’s a good laptop for anyone on a tight budget.