HP Compaq CQ58-253SA Review

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The HP Compaq CQ58-253SA is Compaq’s reasonably priced mid level notebook, with emphasis solely on function rather than design – featuring a solid Intel Core i3-2328M running at 2.2GHz, in addition to 4GB RAM, and a generous 500GB hard drive operating at 5400RPM. Also included is the Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics card, an integrated webcam and the latest stable Windows 8 Operating system from Microsoft. Read on for our Compaq CQ58-253SA review.

Below is our review of the HP Compaq CQ58-253SA, a 15.6" laptop, featuring 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive and Windows 8.

So you’re looking to buy a sub £400 notebook and are unsure which one to buy? HP’s entry level laptops are badged as Compaq, a company which they took over – and below we look at the Compaq CQ58-253SA – a sub £400 laptop, with understated looks and offering a decent spec for the price.

The exterior is a polished black plastic – which looks great out of the box, but will unfortunately show fingerprints – so you may need to regularly wipe this, as well as the interior, in order to maintain the laptop’s looks.

Inside you’ll find Intel’s Core i3-2328M processor operating at a decent speed of 2.2GHz – this is backed up by a solid 4GB RAM, and an Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics card – this helps keep applications running fast, and indeed the start up time – we were quite impressed with the speed in which this laptop loaded from cold.

Battery life isn’t bad by any means – and the 15.6″ display offers a good picture – granted it’s not as good as some higher end laptops, but for the money this is a pretty good screen. Both photos and movies appeared crisp and sharp, and colours displayed pretty well too.

The speakers offered fairly good sound – find for listening to music and the odd film – hardcore audio buffs may wish to invest in a set of speakers or headphones though.

Dimensions wise this laptop measures 24.7cm by 37.6cm by 3.1cm, and weighs in the region of 2.2kg – so still light enough to carry out and about, making this laptop suitable for students and commuters alike.

The keyboard and touch pad both look and perform well – a decent action to both, with the touch pad offering accurate and responsive control over the notebook – no complaints from our testers in this area. One small issue is the lack of a number pad – instead the letter keys span the entire laptop’s width – so regular number crunchers may wish to look elsewhere.

So overall what did we think?

Compaq CQ58-253SA Pros and Cons

Pros: A decent processor from Intel, pretty good screen, 4GB RAM. Performs well overall.

Cons: Hard drive only runs at 5400rpm - would have been nice to have a 7200rpm version.

Our Verdict for the HP Compaq CQ58-253SA

Overall – a solid entry level laptop which will serve you well. Slightly understated in looks, but a good performer.

You can buy the HP Compaq CQ58-253SA here, priced at just £379.99 £329.00

Reviewed by Techdesigns Staff on . Rating: 4.0

HP Compaq CQ58-253SA Specification

Manufacturer: Compaq
Model: Compaq CQ58-253SA
Screen size: 15.6"
Processor: Intel Core i3-2328M 2.2GHz
DDR3 RAM: 4GB
Hard drive: 500GB
Operating System: Windows 8
Extras: DVD-RAM and Integrated Webcam
Our Rating: 4.0 out of 5
User Rating:

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