It can run games, but it really depends on how much RAM you have installed. If it's in stock configuration with just 4 GB, you need to immediately upgrade it to 8 or better 16 GB for many times better performance. Most newer games will not run with just 4 GB. Even normal everyday use would dramatically improve with more RAM. You can find out how much RAM you have by opening the Explorer, navigating to This PC, right clicking in the empty space and selecting Properties. It'll tell you the amount of installed RAM. You need DDR4 PC4-25600 3200MHz Non-ECC SODIMM. There are two slots, so I would go for two identical modules according to the above specs, with 8 GB each. This should cost you less than 30 bucks in total. Crucial is a good budget brand I've been using for many years. Take out the old 4 GB module, then install the new modules. Follow this guide up to step 11 to gain access to the RAM (these plastic tools they are using can be bought for next to nothing if you don't buy them from ifixit): https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/HP+Pavilion+15-eh+Battery+Replacement/160480 I've done this before on a very similar model of HP laptop. It's not difficult at all, but it can be nerve-racking to release the plastic clips that hold the underside in place. Be very careful with these fragile things! With this out of the way, what can the freshly upgraded laptop play? Tons of stuff, it turns out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMlPEeNiZIw Anything in this video that runs at 30 fps or above is considered playable. Skyrim also runs just fine on this kind of hardware: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofuKyINHxCQ Ignore the low video quality, that's due to the recording. The game actually looks much better. More benchmarks: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMoSQJmJaWqANOmt4XrBtSFMNwXbL7H1E If you're unsure about whether or not a game would run on your system, just search for RYZEN 3 5300U + the name of the game on the Internet and on Youtube. More on reddit.com

41wh battery on an 8 core and 15 inch display, yeah amd is power efficient but how much battery life should i expect with this? Just for basic student stuff and web browsing, microsoft suite etc., already have a desktop for gaming More on reddit.com

We sold an Hp Pavilion with i5 10300H, Gtx 1660 Ti 6gb. One time the customer thought his bag was waterproof'd only to get home with a drenched laptop. He brought the laptop to our office the next day, we opened it, removed the battery, ram, storage and placed the mobo in a pack of rice. After 4 days we cleaned the mobo with only isopropyl just a little and assembled it. Everything worked fine and is still working over 6 months now at first one of the USB-A wasn't transmitting data but could charge devices this still remains fortunately. We rate the Hp Pavilion series highly, its one rugged laptop. More on reddit.com

Depends, do you want to game (and by that I mean, is it a priority besides indie games or older games) and is the touchscreen important? If the answer to the first is yes, then I'm almost certain you can find better, according to what I've seen on r/suggestalaptop (I highly recommend asking them for advice too and filling out the form in the sidebar as you do so). But if you want a touchscreen and/or aren't open to upgrading RAM yourself (I often find it's best to buy 8 GB in the laptop and buy a separate 8 GB yourself), then that's probably a decent choice. You did say general use, and for that it's pretty good IFF you have checked reviews for build quality (HP can be dodgy on some of their lines) and thermals. But since you posted on a gaming subreddit, thought I'd add that caveat above. Worth noting that I don't live in the US but I'm basing this off prices in that sub for general/gaming/touchscreen laptops. Touchscreen plus gaming usually cost a decent bit more but just one or the other is about that price, afaik. If touchscreen and gaming aren't important but you want longevity, consider a more business-grade laptop like Thinkpads. Someone more knowledgeable might come along though :) Edit: Why did I think I was on low end gaming lmao. I see many laptop posts there and it was late, apologies! More on reddit.com