Intro
In this second generation, HP brought with it, the new 2010 Intel iCore family. You can now configure it to use the i5-430, i5-520m, i5-540m, and it was available briefly i7-620m. All of the new 2010 Intel iCore Dual processors are on the newer 32nm design. That made the laptop cooler and uses less power, resulting in longer battery life. On top of this awesome addition, they revamp the GPU! The laptop now offer the new ATI 58xx series GPU, among one of the first in industry to offer this GPU.
Specs:
* Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
* 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 10GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (SSD 160GB + 250GB 5400RPM
* 15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display (1920x1080)
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
I received my laptop a head of schedule by a few days, so excitement started early. I am sure on everyone mind right now are two main questions. How hot is this the 2nd generation HP Envy 15 and How fast is the new ATI GPU? That is probably the two top questions right now on any discussion board when mentioning HP Envy 15. Are are some static on the laptop. Bare in mind that these stat are based upon stock out of the box HP Envy 15 with all of HP bloatware still in tact. I have not adjusted, modify, or tweak any setting yet.
What's in the Box:
Looks like a mac, almost quack like a mac, but it is a PC
Screen:
The setup I've gotten for my HP Envy is a glossy 1920 x 1080 HD resolution 15.6" LCD. HP Envy 15 also comes in a matte / non-glossy finish with the same resolution, and a lower resolution. Of the 3, I believe this to be the best one as it is also the brightest. I do a lot of Adobe Photoshop editing with pictures and this LCD is sharper and more crisp than my Dell 21" desktop LCD. I believe it is approx 200 nit, if I recall correctly from reading somewhere. Please message me if that is incorrect. I have not use the HDMI slot and hook it up to my LCD TV yet, so I can not comment how is the quality watching playback. Beside, there is no internal DVD/BluRay Slot Drive :-)
Keyboard
Comfortable keyboard, similar to Macbook Pro. It is not back-lit.
Touchpad
Good multi-touch touch pad.
Features:
Multimedia Keys
Pretty useful. They are aligned down the left side of the keyboard
Wifi –
Is there onboard wifi? Is it easy to use? Does it get strong signals?
Speakers
The HP Envy 15 is advertised with using Dr Dre "BEAT" technology in their sound. While I can't tell the difference between a good Bose quality and BEAT, I can say these speaker are better than the IBM Thinkpad T60/T61 Series, Sony CW Series, and my Asus Z71V laptop. It is clear and good quality sound.
Input and Output Ports
Front:
SD Card Reader
Webcam Pictures
Yes
Right Side:
HDMI, RJ45 and 2USB
Left Side:
power port and vent
Rear:
no ports
Bottom:
Battery lock, two vent ports
Benchmarks
SPEED TEST
With HP Instant On Solution, the computer boot directly into an environment where you can browser the internet, uses Skpye, check email, and even IM in less than 2 seconds. From there, I can boot into Microsoft Windows 7 and be ready to use it fully in less than 12 additional seconds. Now that is FAST! Much of this is thanks to the primary disk being Intel SSD! If you look at the Windows Index above, it rated Primary Hard Disk 7.9! Wow! Speaking of WOW, I am able to play World of Warcraft Online w/o any lag and using all of the high settings!
Size and Weight
Dimensions 14.96" (W) x 9.60" (D) x 1.04" (H) Thinness 1.04"
Weight 5.17 lbs
I think this is the category where HP Envy 15 excel in comparison with other laptop in the same category (Alienware m15x, Sonystyle Series, Dell XPS 16, etc.,)
* Dimensions 14.96" (W) x 9.60" (D) x 1.04" (H) Thinness 1.04" Weight 5.17 lbs
For what it offers and being under 5.5lbs is really good. Granted you don't have a slot DVD drive, but how often do you really use one? That add weight. Yes it doesn't have Edge to Edge, but again hello! add weight.The only thing I say that huge about this is the power brick. At 120w, this is larger than the one I am using on my Thinkpad T61!
Heat and Noise
Low Heat, Low Noise. Much improvement over 1st Generation HP Envy 15.
In terms of heat, the #1 complaint about the 1st generation HP Envy 15 is high heat in two areas. One is the palm rest and second the battery vent. I can safely say those complaint is non-existence in this new 2nd generation HP Envy 15.
After completing all of the bench mark, I created the recovery DVD and start preping for a clean Windows 7 install and other applications (i.e.: Adobe Photoshop CS4, latest drivers, etc.,). The whole process took 4 hours and the laptop palm area is still very cool w/o any sign of heat.
Battery Life
2-3hrs on typical usage
Software
HP Bloatware
Negative and Con
# The lack of internal slot DVD/CD/Blu-Ray Drive. If Apple Macbook Pro with dimension very similar to this laptop is able to have a slot drive, why can't the HP Envy 15. Could it be because Intel iCore processor requires a greater amount of heat distribution versus the old Core 2 Duo? I guess I'll have to wait for Apple to announce the iCore family in their Macbook and see.
# The material while look nice, does feel a bit plastic. It would be nice to have comparable material used in Apple Macbook if this laptop is supposed to be compared to it.
# No Edge to Edge, to me this is okay, but would be nice to have.
# Lack of Back Lit Keyboard.
# Lack of Compact Flash slot, they do come with SD, should've include one more slot to it.
# Lack of HDMI to VGA/DV-I adapter. That should've been part of the package instead of having to purchase it seperately.
# All of the plugs are on the right hand side, that does conflict a bit with those who are right hand mouse user.
Conclusion:
Overall, recommend this to anyone. If you are thinking of a Dell XPS 16 or Sony F Series, take a step back and look at the HP Envy 15. It has a much better / more powerful video card and lower heat than the comparable competition. It is also much lighter as well.
Further HP Envy remarks can be found here.
In this second generation, HP brought with it, the new 2010 Intel iCore family. You can now configure it to use the i5-430, i5-520m, i5-540m, and it was available briefly i7-620m. All of the new 2010 Intel iCore Dual processors are on the newer 32nm design. That made the laptop cooler and uses less power, resulting in longer battery life. On top of this awesome addition, they revamp the GPU! The laptop now offer the new ATI 58xx series GPU, among one of the first in industry to offer this GPU.
Specs:
* Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
* 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 10GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (SSD 160GB + 250GB 5400RPM
* 15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display (1920x1080)
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
I received my laptop a head of schedule by a few days, so excitement started early. I am sure on everyone mind right now are two main questions. How hot is this the 2nd generation HP Envy 15 and How fast is the new ATI GPU? That is probably the two top questions right now on any discussion board when mentioning HP Envy 15. Are are some static on the laptop. Bare in mind that these stat are based upon stock out of the box HP Envy 15 with all of HP bloatware still in tact. I have not adjusted, modify, or tweak any setting yet.
What's in the Box:
- HP Envy 15
- Power Block 120W
- 2GB SSD
- Laptop Cover
- Miscellaneous Papers and Documents
Looks like a mac, almost quack like a mac, but it is a PC
Screen:
The setup I've gotten for my HP Envy is a glossy 1920 x 1080 HD resolution 15.6" LCD. HP Envy 15 also comes in a matte / non-glossy finish with the same resolution, and a lower resolution. Of the 3, I believe this to be the best one as it is also the brightest. I do a lot of Adobe Photoshop editing with pictures and this LCD is sharper and more crisp than my Dell 21" desktop LCD. I believe it is approx 200 nit, if I recall correctly from reading somewhere. Please message me if that is incorrect. I have not use the HDMI slot and hook it up to my LCD TV yet, so I can not comment how is the quality watching playback. Beside, there is no internal DVD/BluRay Slot Drive :-)
Keyboard
Comfortable keyboard, similar to Macbook Pro. It is not back-lit.
Touchpad
Good multi-touch touch pad.
Features:
Multimedia Keys
Pretty useful. They are aligned down the left side of the keyboard
Wifi –
Is there onboard wifi? Is it easy to use? Does it get strong signals?
Speakers
The HP Envy 15 is advertised with using Dr Dre "BEAT" technology in their sound. While I can't tell the difference between a good Bose quality and BEAT, I can say these speaker are better than the IBM Thinkpad T60/T61 Series, Sony CW Series, and my Asus Z71V laptop. It is clear and good quality sound.
Input and Output Ports
Front:
SD Card Reader
Webcam Pictures
Yes
Right Side:
HDMI, RJ45 and 2USB
Left Side:
power port and vent
Rear:
no ports
Bottom:
Battery lock, two vent ports
Benchmarks
SPEED TEST
With HP Instant On Solution, the computer boot directly into an environment where you can browser the internet, uses Skpye, check email, and even IM in less than 2 seconds. From there, I can boot into Microsoft Windows 7 and be ready to use it fully in less than 12 additional seconds. Now that is FAST! Much of this is thanks to the primary disk being Intel SSD! If you look at the Windows Index above, it rated Primary Hard Disk 7.9! Wow! Speaking of WOW, I am able to play World of Warcraft Online w/o any lag and using all of the high settings!
Size and Weight
Dimensions 14.96" (W) x 9.60" (D) x 1.04" (H) Thinness 1.04"
Weight 5.17 lbs
I think this is the category where HP Envy 15 excel in comparison with other laptop in the same category (Alienware m15x, Sonystyle Series, Dell XPS 16, etc.,)
* Dimensions 14.96" (W) x 9.60" (D) x 1.04" (H) Thinness 1.04" Weight 5.17 lbs
For what it offers and being under 5.5lbs is really good. Granted you don't have a slot DVD drive, but how often do you really use one? That add weight. Yes it doesn't have Edge to Edge, but again hello! add weight.The only thing I say that huge about this is the power brick. At 120w, this is larger than the one I am using on my Thinkpad T61!
Heat and Noise
Low Heat, Low Noise. Much improvement over 1st Generation HP Envy 15.
In terms of heat, the #1 complaint about the 1st generation HP Envy 15 is high heat in two areas. One is the palm rest and second the battery vent. I can safely say those complaint is non-existence in this new 2nd generation HP Envy 15.
After completing all of the bench mark, I created the recovery DVD and start preping for a clean Windows 7 install and other applications (i.e.: Adobe Photoshop CS4, latest drivers, etc.,). The whole process took 4 hours and the laptop palm area is still very cool w/o any sign of heat.
Battery Life
2-3hrs on typical usage
Software
HP Bloatware
Negative and Con
# The lack of internal slot DVD/CD/Blu-Ray Drive. If Apple Macbook Pro with dimension very similar to this laptop is able to have a slot drive, why can't the HP Envy 15. Could it be because Intel iCore processor requires a greater amount of heat distribution versus the old Core 2 Duo? I guess I'll have to wait for Apple to announce the iCore family in their Macbook and see.
# The material while look nice, does feel a bit plastic. It would be nice to have comparable material used in Apple Macbook if this laptop is supposed to be compared to it.
# No Edge to Edge, to me this is okay, but would be nice to have.
# Lack of Back Lit Keyboard.
# Lack of Compact Flash slot, they do come with SD, should've include one more slot to it.
# Lack of HDMI to VGA/DV-I adapter. That should've been part of the package instead of having to purchase it seperately.
# All of the plugs are on the right hand side, that does conflict a bit with those who are right hand mouse user.
Conclusion:
Overall, recommend this to anyone. If you are thinking of a Dell XPS 16 or Sony F Series, take a step back and look at the HP Envy 15. It has a much better / more powerful video card and lower heat than the comparable competition. It is also much lighter as well.
Further HP Envy remarks can be found here.
