[IT동아 김영우 기자] ‘Cost-effectiveness’ literally means ‘the ratio of performance that can be obtained for the price’. A product with good cost-effectiveness is not simply a product that is cheap. A product that provides more functions than other products in the same price range, or a product that demonstrates greater utility than expected in a specific application and environment, is recognized as a product with high ‘cost-effectiveness’.
When you want to buy a PC such as a laptop, you need a lot of knowledge to find a product with good cost-effectiveness. Especially in the case of low-priced entry-level laptops, it is difficult to find a product that is excellent in all aspects. Even if the performance (CPU or memory) is good, there are cases where the design or additional functions are lacking, and even if the design is good, there are often regrets such as problems with the screen quality or portability.
HP 14-ep0165TU Laptop / Source = HP
You need to be aware of these subtle differences so that you can choose a product that is suitable for your use and is reasonably priced. You need to find a product that is not perfect in every way, but whose basic features are above average, so you can expect relatively high usability. The ‘HP 14-ep0165TU’ product introduced this time is a popular notebook that largely meets these conditions.
HP has various laptop brands such as business laptops such as ‘ProBook’, ‘Elitebook’, gaming laptops such as ‘Victus’, ‘Omen’, and general-purpose laptops such as ‘Pavilion’, ‘Envy’, etc., but ‘HP 14-ep0165TU’ does not belong to any of the brands mentioned above, it is just an ‘HP laptop’.
Since it doesn’t emphasize any special features or functions, and the manufacturer doesn’t actively promote it, you won’t notice this product unless you look closely. However, despite this, this product has some interesting marketability, and we’ll look at its advantages from now on. First, let’s look at the advantages.
Advantage 1. Compliant basic specifications
: The HP 14-ep0165TU is a laptop equipped with a 13th generation Intel Core i5-1335U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Although it is not the latest CPU, it still has sufficient performance with the 13th generation Core i5, and a generous 512GB SSD as standard for a mid-range laptop. Except for high-spec games or full-scale content creation, the performance is sufficient for most tasks.
Advantage 2. Expandability through multiple RAM slots
The CPU and SSD capacity are generous, but the 8GB RAM capacity may be a bit disappointing. A larger RAM capacity is advantageous for running large contents or performing multiple tasks simultaneously. Fortunately, the HP 14-ep0165TU is equipped with a total of two DDR4 standard RAM slots, and since it is shipped with one 8GB RAM, you can upgrade the RAM capacity using the remaining slot. It would be safe to add one 8GB RAM (around 20,000 won) to make a total of 16GB. Also, some stores sell it in a state where it is upgraded to 16GB from the beginning.
Some people use two RAM slots simultaneously to upgrade to 32GB (16GB + 16GB), but it may not be necessary. However, there is only one SSD slot. Please note that if you want to increase the storage capacity, you will need to remove the existing SSD and replace it with a new one.
Advantage 3. Highly versatile 14-inch screen, light weight of 1.4 kg
: Laptops that emphasize portability usually have screens of 13 inches or less, and laptops that are intended to replace desktops often have screens of 15 inches or more. The HP 14-ep0165TU has a 14-inch screen, making it suitable for users who want to be able to carry it around and use it on a stand.
And among the popular laptops, there are many that are heavy compared to their size, so it is difficult to find a product that weighs less than 1.5 kg. However, the HP 14-ep0165TU weighs 1.4 kg, which is relatively light compared to laptops with similar specifications and prices. It is hard to find a product like this among popular laptops these days.
HP 14-ep0165TU Laptop / Source = HP
HP 14-ep0165TU has the above advantages, but it also has quite a few disadvantages. Some of them may cause unexpected inconvenience to some users, so it would be good to keep that in mind.
Disadvantage 1. USB-PD function not supported
: Many of the latest laptops support the ‘USB-PD’ function, which allows you to charge the main unit using the USB Type-C port. This function is convenient because you can charge various devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets with a single USB power adapter without having to carry around multiple power adapters.
However, the HP 14-ep0165TU does not support USB-PD, so you will need to carry a regular AC adapter. It is a budget laptop, so it is acceptable, but it is still a pity.
Cons 2. Screen quality and brightness
: The screen of the HP 14-ep0165TUdp is a 14-inch VA panel with Full HD (1920×1080) resolution and a maximum brightness of 250 nits. The size and resolution are fine, but the brightness is somewhat lacking. And the VA panel is somewhat disadvantageous in terms of viewing angle and color compared to the relatively expensive IPS panel. Of course, it is much better than the TN panel used in older laptops, but opinions on the picture quality are bound to be divided.
Cons 3. Limitations of built-in graphics, somewhat cheap-looking materials, etc.
: HP 14-ep0165TU is not suitable for running 3D graphic content such as games because it processes the screen with the CPU’s built-in graphics function, and it does not have a luxurious feel because expensive materials such as aluminum or magnesium are hardly applied to the body.
In addition, many of them do not support some of the additional features that you would expect from new laptops these days, such as keyboard backlighting (internal lighting) that is useful in dark places, or Thunderbolt ports for using high-end peripherals.
Of course, there are price advantages that offset these shortcomings, so if you purchase it knowing these limitations in advance, there will be no problem.
As of September 2024, the HP 14-ep0165TU with 8GB of RAM and no Windows OS is selling for around 600,000 won. Depending on the store, it may be sold with 16GB of RAM for an additional 20,000 to 30,000 won, and it may be sold with the Windows 11 OS installed for an additional 100,000 won, so you can choose according to your needs.
Written by / IT Donga Kim Young-woo (pengo@itdonga.com)
