Review HP Envy 13: Good performance, reasonable price

The new HP Envy 13 is all that users hope to appear on the new Apple MacBook Air: Fast performance, attractive appearance and affordable price. That's not surprising because the previous model was ranked one of the best laptops for college students. HP simply duplicates that model, adds new components and re-releases, and it will still have one of the best Ultrabooks.

But instead, the company has given users an even better version, with an elegant design, a bright, vibrant screen, and an awesome speaker system. Combining that with a long battery life (on the 1080p version), a comfortable keyboard and a reasonable price, it's hard to understand why people buy MacBook Air instead of Envy 13.

Configuration options and prices of HP Envy 13

The article reviewed 2 versions of HP Envy 13: Basic FHD version with Core i5 CPU and 4K model with Core i7 processor.

The basic Envy 13 that the article tested costs $ 799 (VND 18,513,000) when it was released in August 2019. This laptop has a 1080p touch screen, a Core i5-8265U CPU, 8GB of RAM and a drive. SSD 256GB. Now you can buy the same model but with the more powerful Core i7-8565U CPU for just $ 719 (16,659,000VD).

For just $ 20 more, you can upgrade from a UHD 620 integrated graphics card to an Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics card. For an additional $ 150 (VND 3,475,000), you get double the amount of RAM from 8GB to 16GB.

The 4K version that the article reviews is priced at $ 1,149 (VND 26,622,000) and is equipped with Core i7-8565U CPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, MX250 graphics card. If you don't have enough space, get a 1TB drive for $ 220 (VND 5,100,000).

Technical data

Intel Core i7-8565U CPU 16GB RAM Size 12.1 x 8.3 x 0.57 inches (30.7 x 21.1 x 1.5cm) Weight 2.8 pounds (1.27kg) Screen size 13.3 Native resolution 3840 x 2160 512GB hard drive capacity PCIe NVMe hard drive type M.2 Windows 10 Home OS (USB not included) USB 3.1 with Type-C, USB 3.1 Always-On, USB 3.1, Headset / Mic, microSD Video memory 2GB WiFi 802.11ac WiFi Model Intel Wireless-AC 9560 Warranty / 1-year Warranty Support USB port 3 Touchpad size 4.3 x 2.2 inches (11 x 5.6cm) Up to 16GB RAM Up to Nvidia GeForce MX250 Graphics Card Company Website https://www8.hp.com/us/en/home.html HP Brand microSD card slot Highest resolution available 3840 x 2160 Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0

Design

Still wearing the look of the previous version, this Envy 13 2019 has a glossy silver metal frame, with a stylish chrome chrome logo in the middle.

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Open the device, you will find the interior resembles the beautiful Specter x360. The most obvious similarity is the triangular pattern on the speaker grille located just above the keyboard. Some people may complain about the lack of contrast between the keys and the surrounding. The gray antenna strip would also make more sense if placed below the frame section.

In addition, the top also has a thin power button with LED strips, opposite the fingerprint sensor. A chrome border around the touchpad gives this reasonably priced laptop an extravagant aesthetic.

Although not as thin as on some Dell and Asus laptops, the narrow black frame surrounding the Envy panel provides a great viewing experience without sacrificing the webcam.

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Envy 13 offers a more comfortable typing experience and improved airflow.

Another clever feature is the Envy 13's concave edges. If you've ever owned an Ultrabook, you'll know how hard it is to open the lid. The edges with the corner facing inwards on the lid and body of Envy 13 solved this problem.

Measuring 0.6 inches (1.5cm) and 2.8 pounds (1.27kg), the Envy 13 is as thin and light as many competitors, including the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (0.6 inches, 2.7 pound), Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (0.6 inches, 2.7 pounds), Asus ZenBook UX333FA (0.6 inches, 2.7 pounds) and MacBook Air (0.6 inches, 2.8 pounds).

Gate

HP has used an intelligent mechanism to match the USB 3.1 Type A ports on each side of the Envy 13. You can use these inputs to connect peripherals such as mice, keyboards or webcams. outside.

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Additionally, on the left side of the Envy 13 is the USB-C port and headphone jack, while the right edge has a microSD memory card reader and a power jack. Unfortunately, no Thunderbolt 3 port.

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Screen

The 13.3-inch, 1080p touch screen on the Envy 13 is just as good as the 4K touch option, if not better. While both touchscreen panels are very sharp and bright, the FHD version is even more vivid than the high-resolution panel.

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The colors of a 4K screen do not look as vivid as a 1080p screen.

Envy's 4K touch screen is quite responsive when scribbling some notes in Microsoft's Snip & Sketch app. You will also have no problem using the on-screen keyboard to type URLs or compose emails.

The 1080p panel reproduces 109% of the sRGB color gamut, making it more vivid than the 4K display, only at 99.4%. Both screens are less colorful than the 1080p screen on Notebook 9 Pro (118%), 2256 x 1504 pixel screen on Surface Laptop 2 (176%) and 4K screen on Asus ZenBook S UX391UA (116%). Envy 13's 1080p and 4K screens also do not exceed the average of high-end laptops (130%).

The Envy 13's FHD and 4K panels look pretty vibrant thanks to their brightness. With a brightness of 411 nits on a 1080p panel and a maximum brightness of 397 nits on a 4K screen, Envy 13 outperforms the screens on Notebook 9 Pro (254 nits), Surface Laptop 2 (321 nits), ZenBook S UX333FA (225 nit) and the average of a high-end laptop (346 nit).

Keyboard and touchpad

As you type, you will appreciate the 1.2mm movement of the keys on the Envy 13, although not reaching the optimal level of 1.5mm. The size and spacing between the keys on the Envy 13 also makes typing easier.

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But still need to change a few things on the keyboard. The paint used by HP on the keys feels a bit sticky, slowing down the movement of fingers. Besides, also need to use a fairly strong force to activate each key. Anyway, the Envy 13's keyboard is better than what is commonly found on most such thin laptops.

The author wrote at 119 words per minute at 94% accuracy on the 10fastfingers.com typing test.

HP has finally accepted the Precision drivers and Envy 13's touchpad has gotten even better. You should have no problems performing gestures on Windows 10, like pinch-to-zoom or 4-finger touch to open Action Center on a surface of 4.3 x 2.2 inches (11 x 5.6cm) this.

Efficiency

The article tested two Envy 13 versions: A base model with a Core i5-8265U CPU and 8GB of RAM and a 4K model with an Intel Core i7-8565U CPU and 16GB of RAM.

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Envy 13 4K has passed a practical performance test, fast loading 20 Google Chrome tabs with lots of 1080p YouTube videos playing in the background, downloading trailers for Mulan, while watching Part 3 of Stranger Things on Netflix, all The whole thing went very smoothly. The laptop's cooling fans have booted at this point, but are not annoying.

Envy 13's Core i5 and Core i7 versions performed well in the synthetic benchmark tests, achieving 15,147 and 15,738 in the Geekbench 4. Notebook 9 Pro (15,432; Core i7-8565U) respectively. between those results, while both Envy 13 models surpass the Surface Laptop 2 (12,744; Core i5-8250U), ZenBook S UX333UA (15,110; Core i5-8265U) and the average (15,085). The MacBook Air is a bit disappointing at only 7,880.

Envy 13 has also done a good hard drive test. The 256GB SSD inside the base model doubled 4.97GB of media files in 13 seconds, at a rate of 391MBps, while the 512GB SSD in the Core i7 version took 14 seconds, at a rate of 363.5MBps. That's faster than the Surface Laptop 2 (203 MBps) but slower than most rivals, including the Notebook 9 Pro (391.5 MBps), Asus UX333 (424 MBps), MacBook Air (1,011 MBps) in average ( 646.3 MBps).

Graphics card

Amazingly, Envy 13 4K comes with a discrete graphics card. Although the Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU is not suitable for gaming, this is a step up from the integrated graphics (as evidenced by comparison with the UHD 620 GPU in the FHD model).

The Envy 13 equipped with MX250 scored 116,575 on the Ice Storm Unlimited benchmark test, while the base model scored 82,270. Upgrading to discrete graphics helps Envy 13 to outperform the Notebook 9 Pro (61,662; UHD 620), Surface Laptop 2 (71,647; UHD 620) and the average of high-end laptops (86,937).

I wrote Dirt 3 racing game at 92 frames per second on MX250 model, higher than my ability to play 30 frames per second, average (69 frames per second) and what Surface Laptop 2 gain (82 frames per second). ZenBook S UX391UA (45 fps) did not perform well on this practical test, but it outperformed the basic Envy 13 model (31 fps).

Sound

You will have a great experience with the sound of the speakers on Envy 13. HP has done all the best for Envy, placing dual speakers on the underside of the chassis, along with the third, top driver above the table. key.

Bang & Olufsen software comes pre-installed on Envy 13, with equalizer controls, so you can adjust the bass, mids and treble to your liking. But even without adjusting anything, you can still enjoy great sound with Envy 13.

Battery life

Choose Envy 13 with a 1080p non-touchscreen display if battery life matters to you.

The FHD model lasted 11 hours and 11 minutes while the 4K model lasted only 4 hours and 36 minutes on the battery test (including continuous web browsing over WiFi at 150 nits brightness).

Other rival laptops such as ZenBook S UX391UA (7:05), Surface Laptop 2 (9:22) and Notebook 9 Pro (8:53) surpassed Envy 13 4K, but had to bow their heads. 1080p version.

Webcam

The 720p webcam on Envy 13 is not worth mentioning. A selfie taken in a dimly lit room is not very good. A positive point is that the lens acquires colors quite naturally.

On the right side of the Envy 13 is a physical kill switch, which cuts off the power to the webcam so you can feel assured that no one is snooping on you.

Heat

If you leave your laptop at home, you don't have to worry about Envy 13 being overheated.

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After playing 15-minute full-HD video full screen, the touchpad on the HP Envy 13 with Core i7 CPU increased to only 83ºF while the keyboard (87ºF) and underside (90ºF) were fine, below the comfort threshold of 95ºF . Even the hottest part of the device, the lower left edge, is only at 94ºF.

Software and warranty

It's a shame a laptop with good hardware like Envy 13 has such bad software. Too many pre-installed programs can be grouped or ignored entirely.

HP offers an application called Audio Switch, which simply allows you to switch audio input / output between the speaker and the internal headset. HP Command Center is where you can receive information about your Envy 13. Along with supporting documentation, HP also provides a setup program called JumpStart, to connect the printer and backup system information application called Event Utility.

Envy 13's Windows 10 Home operating system is equipped with a number of Microsoft applications, including simple Solitaire, Candy Crush Friends, and Your Phone. Other third-party applications include Booking.com, Netflix and McAfee Security.

HP offers Envy 13 a 1 year warranty.

Conclude

Envy 13 has strengthened its position as the best laptop for college students or tourists. Along with 11 hours longer battery life (on FHD model), Envy 13 has a beautiful frame, ultraportable, fast performance and powerful speakers. On top of that, the Envy 13 has a reasonable starting price of $ 799, hundreds of dollars lower than its competition. In many ways, Envy 13 is what many users want to see on the new MacBook Air.

Be sure to choose the right model. The article really recommends using the 1080p version instead of the 4K model, as it has a longer battery life on a single charge and lower costs. In fact, considering the 4K model alone, it's probably only rated 3.5 out of 5.

If you really need a high-resolution screen, Envy 13 4K is one of many good options. The article also recommends Samsung Notebook 9 Pro, which has a similar premium design, but has much better battery life than the Envy 4K. Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 is another recommended alternative, although you may want to wait a few more months until the Surface Laptop 3 is released.

Overall, the HP Envy 13 is a great laptop, as long as you buy the 1080p model.

HP Envy 13 is an almost perfect Ultrabook, offering fast performance, long battery life and a bright screen at a reasonable price.

Advantages:

1. The frame is beautiful, light
2. Fast performance
3. The screen is bright
4. Long battery life (on FHD model)
5. Sharp speakers, powerful

Defect:

1. The 4K model has a short battery life
2. No Thunderbolt 3