How to open HP 15 (15-fc0000) – disassembly and upgrade options

Undo the four captive Phillips-head screws securing the bottom panel.
Use a thin plastic tool to pry the back of the panel.
Lift the zones behind the hinge cover near the top edges using a lever tool.
Pry the corners, followed by the sides and the front, to fully release the clips.

More info: The inside of the bottom panel reveals access to the battery, memory (if available), storage, and cooling system.

Battery Removal

Caution: Wear gloves to avoid short circuits and handle components gently.

Undo the five Phillips-head screws securing the 41Wh battery to the base.
Untangle the speaker cable routed along the bottom of the battery.
Since the connector is built into the battery, lift the unit straight out of the chassis.

More info: The 41Wh battery offers approximately 6.5 hours of video playback, making it suitable for light workloads and daily usage.

You can find compatible batteries here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Memory Configuration

Note: The RAM configuration depends on the CPU variant.

Units with AMD Ryzen 7520U, 7320U, or 7220U come with up to 16GB of soldered LPDDR5-5500MHz memory in single-channel mode. These are non-upgradable.
Models with Ryzen 7730U or 7530U offer two SODIMM slots. HP officially supports up to 16GB of DDR4-3200MHz RAM in dual-channel mode.
However, since the CPU supports up to 64GB, higher-capacity modules may work just fine.

You can find compatible RAM here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Storage Upgrade

Hint: Handle SSD components with care to avoid bending or damaging the slot.

Locate the M.2 slot, which supports 2280 Gen 3 NVMe SSDs.
Note that in some cases, such as ours, the connection is limited to PCIe 3.0 x2, which cuts transfer speeds in half.
A thermal pad beneath the SSD helps maintain performance by reducing heat buildup.

More info: While the speed may be limited, a fast Gen 3 SSD still improves boot times and system responsiveness significantly.

You can find compatible SSDs here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Connectivity Options

More info:

The Wi-Fi 6 card is replaceable and located below the fan for easy upgrades or replacement.

Cooling System Overview

More info: The HP 15 (15-fc0000) features a basic cooling setup appropriate for everyday tasks.

One fan handles airflow to keep the system cool.
A single heat pipe connects to a top-mounted heat sink and a heat spreader, ensuring consistent thermal control during light to moderate use.

Tip: Periodically clean the fan and vents to maintain airflow and prevent thermal throttling.

HP 15 (15-fc0000, fd0000, hr0000, fr0000) in-depth review

It's clear like night and day that you don't need a high-end or even a mid-range laptop for normal light tasks. A modest 15W CPU is more than enough if it's accompanied by 16GB of RAM and a decent SSD. The HP 15 (15-fc0000) is an inexpensive device that will do the job for people who want to get a notebook on a budget for browsing the Web and and playing light games from time to time. However, you have to pay attention to the specs before buying because the machines with Zen 2 CPUs are tied with up to 16GB of soldered RAM while the ones with Zen 3 chips rely on a pair of SODIMMs which makes th[...]

Read the full review

Pros

Clean design
Good comfort during full loads
Light (1.60 kg)
Decent color accuracy with our Design & Office profile (BOE09E2)
Acceptable max brightness of 287 nits (BOE09E2)
Decent input devices
3x USB ports
The fan isn't noisy even in "Best performance" mode
Decent battery life given the limited 41Wh capacity (~ 6 hours and a half of videos)
Web camera with a privacy shutter
Low NVMe temperatures
Lid with a lever design
Optional fingerprint reader and a 1080p Web camera
Clear sound quality
Ryzen 5 7520U can maintain a 3.36 GHz clock even in long loads
2x SODIMMs for the Zen 3-based machines

Cons

Just 1x M.2 slot
The plastic build could be more stable
You can't open the lid with one hand
Rather low SSD speed because of the slow transfer rate of the slot (PCIe 3.0 x2)
The middle of the keyboard flexes during typing
Soldered RAM for the laptops with Zen 2 CPUs
Low sRGB coverage and narrow viewing angles (BOE09E2)
Bad contrast ratio of 290:1 (BOE09E2)
All ports are rated at 5 Gbps and they don't support charging or DisplayPort

#CommissionsEarned