HP Pavilion DM4 Beats Edition (DM4-3002ea) review

The DM4 isn’t going to break any performance records, but it’s a very capable mid-range machine, thanks to its dual-core Intel processor. The i5-2450M runs at 2.5GHz but can Turbo Boost up to 3.1Ghz for extra power in certain applications, such as our multimedia benchmarks. Paired with a healthy 6GB of RAM, it managed to score 56 overall – you should have no problems running all your everyday applications.

The DM4 is also the first laptop we’ve seen to use one of the latest generation of AMD mobile graphics processors, the Radeon HD 7470m. However, this is essentially a rebadged version of the older HD 6490m, so we weren’t expecting to be blown away by its performance. Even so, it still managed a reasonable 26fps in our Dirt 3 test, which we run at 1,280×720 at High detail and with 4x anti-aliasing – turn down the AA and most games should be playable at 720p. The dedicated GPU can be disabled when running on battery power, helping the DM4 achieve an impressive seven hours in our light-use battery test. If you need to get some work done but don’t have a mains socket handy, you shouldn’t have to worry about running out of power.

With plenty of power in both 2D and 3D applications, the DM4 is a capable 14in laptop. Despite its size, it has room for a DVD re-writer and two USB3 ports, but at £800 it’s expensive compared to superior 15in laptops from other manufacturers such as Asus N55SF, which is the same price but significantly faster. If you’re determined to find a portable laptop capable of some light gaming for under £1,000, this is a good choice, but if portability isn’t crucial, Asus’ laptop is a better bet.