Better than expected. Minimal preinstalled bloatware. (HP system etc and McAfee) both fairly easy to remove.Gaming? Not sure if I'd go that far. Plays World of Tanks/Warships on regular settings without being overtaxed.Can handle light photoshop/lightroom easily enough.Big wins are the memory and HS if you're a hobbyist creator it's a solid base rig.Drawbacks are upgrade ability. Requires HP specific hardware for a better power supply which will be needed for a better video card