Not Bad, But Not Great Either

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The HP Envy 13 is the most recent computer to go into the busy ultraportable area, and it tries to undercut the contest with a tempting worth. It has ranked extremely in our absolute best laptops chart for a couple of years so can it take care of that robust document with the 2021 style?

The style we’ve reviewed simplest prices RRP £899 in the United Kingdom and $711 in the USA making it very inexpensive. The Envy’s beefier specs value £1,199 and $1,049, despite the fact that, and so HP’s computer obviously targets to compete with top quality ultraportable competitors from Dell and Apple.

Design & Construct

  • 17mm
  • 1.3kg
  • Swish, tempered design

The Envy 13 doesn’t damage the bounds in relation to design, nevertheless it does glance just right: it’s made out of aluminium and contours an unfussy, graceful frame. You don’t get fancier options like RGB LEDs, however the HP doesn’t glance misplaced when covered up along the Dell XPS 13 and Apple MacBook Air.

It’s were given affordable connectivity, too. The HP serves up two full-size USB ports which might be cleverly hidden in the back of drop-hinges. There’s a USB-C port that provides energy supply and 10Gbps report transfers, and there’s an audio jack and a microSD card reader. At the inside of, there’s dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.

HP Envy 13

That’s completely nice for on a regular basis use, however there are omissions too. There’s no HDMI output, and no Thunderbolt 4 both. In truth, there may be now not even Thunderbolt 3 as discovered at the Envy 13 (2020) because the ‘SuperSpeed USB-C’ port is proscribed to 10Gbps.

Further USB-C ports would were welcome, and the USB ports might be sooner, too. There’s no stressed out web and whilst the HP does have a webcam, it doesn’t strengthen Home windows Hi for more straightforward log in.

Construct high quality is appropriate for on a regular basis use, however that is any other space the place the HP is bizarre. The bottom flexes, the keyboard deck bends a little bit and pushing the rear of the show reasons just a little desktop distortion. It’s now not a crisis, however a sleeve can be prudent in the event you ceaselessly take the HP out and about.

The Envy 13 is 17mm thick and weighs 1.3kg, which might be quite bizarre figures too – now not unhealthy, however simply undercut via competition.

HP Envy 13

Certainly, the Envy faces lots of robust competitors. The Dell XPS 13’s Eleventh-gen fashions get started at simply £849 and US$729, and that system is strong, slimmer and lighter than the HP, and it has Thunderbolt ports however no full-size USB.

The more moderen Dell XPS laptops get started at £1,069/US$969 and feature the similar benefits. The MSI Status 14 Evo is slimmer and lighter and it does have Thunderbolt, however its construct high quality is mediocre.

The newest MacBook Air is all the time a contender, too: costs get started at £999 and US$999 and also you get its rock-solid chassis along equivalent dimensions to the Envy.

Keyboard & Trackpad

  • Comfortable, at ease keyboard
  • Massive keys and just right backlight
  • Disappointing trackpad

The keyboard is at the softer facet, and that suggests the buttons are at ease and quiet – ultimate for lengthy typing periods. They’re impressively massive and so they’ve were given a transparent font and a brilliant, crisp backlight. It’s strong mainstream {hardware}, however the Dell has a crisper design if a keyboard is top up your precedence record.

HP Envy 13

It’s a just right get started, however the 13in chassis manner there’s no room for a numberpad, and the huge buttons manner the format is a little bit cramped in puts. The ability button is put in subsequent to the Delete key, and it’s frustrating – you’ll finally end up urgent it unintentionally. The fingerprint reader is slotted subsequent to the cursor keys (two of which might be part length), and the Go back secret is simplest single-height.

Transferring on and the touchpad is mediocre – just a little too brief and with a plastic floor that’s just a little too tough. The integrated buttons are cushy. For on a regular basis use it’s nice, however each key rival is best.

Display screen & Audio system

  • 13.3in IPS touchscreen
  • Complete HD, 16:9
  • Incredible high quality and distinction

The IPS panel at the Envy 13 has a Complete HD 1920 x 1080 answer, which is strong for on a regular basis use. It’s a touchscreen, too, which provides versatility. It’s a disgrace that HP hasn’t long past with a 16:10 or 3:2 facet ratio to ship some further top, particularly when this system will so incessantly run internet browsers and workplace apps.

The HP’s 13.3in panel serves up very good high quality. The backlight reaches a most stage of 422 nits, so it’s simply were given the punch for outside paintings and the black level of 0.21 nits is implausible which means lots of intensity. The ensuing distinction ratio of two,009:1 is a surprising determine for any IPS panel and it lends the HP lots of vibrancy and nuance.

HP Envy 13

The delta E of one.26 manner colors are correct and the panel rendered 97% of the sRGB gamut – even if it will probably’t deal with the Adobe RGB or DCI-P3 coloration areas. The color temperature of 6,086K is at the heat facet, nevertheless it doesn’t motive problems.

This display is the equivalent of any rival panel and it’s just right sufficient for colour-sensitive inventive duties. You’ll simplest get a significant improve in the event you spend extra money.

The audio system are just right sufficient for on a regular basis song use due to a wealthy mid-range and a top-end that doesn’t get tinny, nevertheless it doesn’t have a lot bass.

Specifications & Efficiency

  • Eleventh-gen Intel Core i5 & i7 CPUs
  • As much as 16GB RAM and 1TB SSDs
  • Nvidia GeForce MX graphics

Unsurprisingly, the HP has a mid-range specification. The important thing element is the Intel Core i5-1135G7, which is a Tiger Lake CPU with 4 cores and a height Turbo tempo of four.2GHz. There’s 8GB of dual-channel reminiscence and a 512GB SSD whilst an Nvidia GeForce MX450 GPU is a pleasant marvel taking into account maximum competitors runs on built-in graphics.

HP Envy 13

The HP’s single- and multi-core Geekbench result of 1,37 and four,486 are nice, and so they allow strong on a regular basis efficiency – there’s sufficient energy right here to run Workplace duties and lots of browser tabs. It’ll run undemanding inventive apps, too. It’s a just right thermal performer, with hardly ever any fan noise and warmth provide all through benchmarks.

There’s little the Core i5 section can’t do in relation to on a regular basis computing, and its PC Mark 10 ranking is on par with the consequences delivered via the Core i7 CPUs within the MSI and Dell notebooks. That’s no marvel in the ones benchmarks, which pay attention to mainstream situations.

Any of the Core i7 chips in rival machines will upload about 1,000 issues to that Geekbench consequence, despite the fact that, and that’ll provide the further grunt required for harder content-creation duties. The Apple M1 CPU within the MacBook Air is even sooner.

The Nvidia GeForce MX450 graphics core helped the HP to a ranking of 13,554 in 3-D Mark Night time Raid. That’s first rate, nevertheless it’s simplest a few thousand issues past Intel’s Iris Xe core. The Nvidia GPU delivers a little bit extra velocity in informal video games and a tad extra enhancing grunt, nevertheless it’s now not a transformative addition.

See the way it plays in comparison to competitors beneath together with laptops discussed already in addition to the Microsoft Floor Pc 4 and Honor MagicBook 14.

Battery lifestyles, in the meantime, is middling. The Envy 13 lasted for 10 hours and 22 mins in a piece check, and 14 hours and 37 mins in a video check at 120 nits. The ones effects are higher than the MSI system and Dell and when you’ll haven’t any downside lasting via an entire day with the Envy, longer battery lifestyles is in the market if you wish to have it.

Value & Availability 

The Core i5 style I’ve reviewed prices £899 in the United Kingdom and US$711 in the USA (sale worth). In the United Kingdom, it’s the most cost effective HP Envy 13 to be had. In the USA, you’ll save money via ditching the touchscreen and halving the garage capability. That drops the associated fee to simply US$599 (sale worth). UK patrons don’t get customisation choices.

In the United Kingdom you’ll spend £1,199 on a style with a Core i7-1165G7 processor, double the RAM and a 1TB SSD. In the USA, that very same style prices US$1,049 (sale worth).

You’ll additionally purchase it from John Lewis, AO, Amazon and Currys PC International. In the USA, you’ll get it from the likes of Amazon and BestBuy.

In the United Kingdom, the Core i5 and Core i7 machines use the section codes 13-ba1013na and 13-ba1565sa. In the USA, they use 13t-ba100 and 13-ba1097nr.

Take a look at our chart of the absolute best laptops to look the entire peak choices at the moment. If you wish to have one thing inexpensive then head to our absolute best funds computer chart.

HP Envy 13

Verdict

The HP Envy 13 is a tight mainstream computer, nevertheless it struggles to face out – it’s were given a very good display, however that’s the one space the place it actually excels.

In other places, the Envy 13 has first rate design, a cheap keyboard and just right battery lifestyles along strong efficiency from the Core i5 CPU and Nvidia GPU. Negatively, despite the fact that, its competition are slimmer and extra powerful, and the Envy’s connectivity and trackpad are mediocre.

The HP is bizarre in too many spaces, and that suggests its pricier Core i7 variations aren’t price purchasing when such a lot of competitors are sleeker, more potent and less dear. But if the contest is a little bit too dear, the Core i5 style is a cheap selection in the event you’d like a tight ultraportable on the cheap.

Specifications

HP Envy 13 (2021): Specifications

  • Display screen: 13.3in 1,920 x 1,080 IPS
  • Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-1135G7
  • Graphics: Nvidia GeForce MX450
  • Reminiscence: 16GB LPDDR4
  • Garage: 512GB SSD
  • Ports: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-C/energy supply, 1 x audio, 1 x microSD
  • Connectivity: Twin-band 802.11ax WiFi, Bluetooth 5
  • Dimensions: 319 x 219 x 16mm (WxDxH)
  • Weight: 1.3kg
  • Guaranty: 1yr RTB



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