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HP Envy 13 Review: A well-rounded subnotebook with a good number of features

Privacy screen. HP's 13.3-inch subnotebook scores a lot of points for its slim and elegant exterior. Its inside values are impressive as well: a quad-core processor, a dedicated GeForce GPU and 8 GB of RAM (in dual-channel mode). Most importantly, the device's very bright IPS screen also supports HP's Sure View screen-protection technology.

The Envy 13 from Hewlett Packard is one of the most elegant slim 13.3-inch notebooks on the market. We have already tested several of its models in the past years - the most recent device being the HP Envy 13-ah0003ng. HP's intent for the current model seems to be product maintenance. Only a few subtle changes have been made to its exterior, while the Core i7-8550U and GeForce MX150 from the predecessor have been replaced by a Core i7-8565U and a GeForce MX250. This swap only promises marginal increases in performance. We have included the competitors Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN, Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL and Huawei MateBook 13 into our comparison field.

HP Envy 13-aq0003ng (Envy 13-aq Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U 4 x 1.8 - 4.6 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX250 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1038 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, GDDR5, 64bit , Nividia 436.02, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2400, dual channel, RAM soldered on, no free memory slots
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 166 PPI, InfoVision M133NVF3 R2, IPS, HP Sure View screen protection, 120 Hz, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G, 512 GB 
, 443 GB free
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: combined audio jack, Card Reader: microSD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, TPM 2.0
Networking
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 14.7 x 307 x 211.5 ( = 0.58 x 12.09 x 8.33 in)
Battery
53.2 Wh, 3454 mAh Lithium-Ion, 15.4 V
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: four speakers, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, McAfee LiveSafe (trial version), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.2 kg ( = 42.33 oz / 2.65 pounds), Power Supply: 300 g ( = 10.58 oz / 0.66 pounds)
Price
1099 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity - good-looking metal case

Hewlett Packard has again equipped its Envy 13 with an angular aluminum case. The build has hardly changed compared to its predecessor. The fingerprint reader, originally on the right, has been moved to the wrist rest and the card reader is now positioned on the right rather than left side of the case. We did not notice any issues with workmanship on this 13.3-inch device. The gap dimensions were uniform and there were no overhanging edges. We did notice some weaknesses in terms of stability, however. Subjectively, the base unit was a little too easy to warp. We would have appreciated a more solid build. Slight pressure on the back of the display is immediately visible on the panel.  

The Envy 13 does not have a maintenance hatch, so users will have to remove the bottom cover to access the insides. This requires removing all the screws on the bottom of the base unit and then lifting the cover off with the help of a flat spatula. But be careful: A lot of the screws are hidden beneath the two rubber feet. These can be removed but only carefully, as a replacement set is fairly expensive.

The HP device offers a fairly limited amount of ports. It has three USB ports that support USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds. The USB Type-C port also supports the DisplayPort-via-USB-C function (this requires an adapter that must be purchased separately) and can also be used to recharge the device.

The microSD card reader is one of the fastest of its kind. It reaches a maximum transfer rate of 81.7 MB/s when copying large amounts of data. It transferred 250 jpg files (each about 5 MB large) at a speed of 77.6 MB/s. We always use our reference card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64 GB for testing.

The Wi-Fi module in our test unit comes from Intel (Wireless-AC 9560). It supports the usual Wi-Fi standards 802.11a/b/g/n as well as the faster ac standard. We tested the Wi-Fi speed under ideal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices in the vicinity, short distance between notebook and server) and were pleased with the results.

Size Comparison

316 mm / 12.4 inch 195 mm / 7.68 inch 12.9 mm / 0.508 inch 1.1 kg2.43 lbs307 mm / 12.1 inch 212 mm / 8.35 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.2 kg2.67 lbs307 mm / 12.1 inch 211.5 mm / 8.33 inch 14.7 mm / 0.579 inch 1.2 kg2.65 lbs306 mm / 12 inch 214 mm / 8.43 inch 14 mm / 0.551 inch 1.1 kg2.51 lbs305.9 mm / 12 inch 213.82 mm / 8.42 inch 13.6 mm / 0.535 inch 1.1 kg2.51 lbs307 mm / 12.1 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 11.9 mm / 0.4685 inch 1.1 kg2.41 lbs286 mm / 11.3 inch 211.1 mm / 8.31 inch 15 mm / 0.591 inch 1.3 kg2.87 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Port Selection

Right: button to turn webcam on and off, SD card reader (microSD), USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), charging port
Right: button to turn webcam on and off, SD card reader (microSD), USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), charging port
Left: combined audio jack, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-C; DisplayPort functionality, Power Delivery 3.0)
Left: combined audio jack, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-C; DisplayPort functionality, Power Delivery 3.0)
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
78.3 MB/s +1%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
77.6 MB/s
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
74 MB/s -5%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (19.5 - 193.9, n=16, last 2 years)
69.6 MB/s -10%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
86 MB/s +5%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (23.6 - 239, n=16, last 2 years)
84.3 MB/s +3%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
82.6 MB/s +1%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
81.7 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
631 MBit/s +1%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
623 (439min - 714max) MBit/s
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
611 MBit/s -2%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
530 MBit/s -15%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
325 MBit/s -48%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
89 MBit/s -86%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
663 MBit/s +24%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
623 MBit/s +17%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
534 (293min - 602max) MBit/s
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
510 MBit/s -4%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
279 MBit/s -48%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
41 MBit/s -92%
04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680Tooltip
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø533 (293-602)
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø623 (439-714)

Input Devices - the Envy has backlit keys

The flat, smooth keys of the backlit chiclet keyboard have a short travel and a noticeable pressure point. The actuation force could be a little crisper for our taste. The keyboard gives way a little while typing, but this didn't really bother us. The backlight offers two brightness levels and can be operated via a function key. All in all, HP has equipped its Envy 13 with a good keyboard.

The ClickPad supports multi-touch gestures and is about 11 x 5.5 cm large. This gives the user plenty of space to use gesture control. The smooth surface of the touchpad makes it easy for fingers to glide over it and inputs are precise even into the corners. The integrated mouse keys have a short travel and a noticeable pressure point.

Input devices
Input devices

Display - very bright and privacy protected

Pixel array
Pixel array

The reflective 13.3-inch display on the Envy has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The contrast ratio (1600:1) and brightness (778.3 cd/m³) of this 120-Hz panel are very good. Unfortunately, the screen uses PWM to regulate brightness from 90% brightness downwards. The frequency of 4000 Hz should be high enough to not cause headaches and/or eye problems even for sensitive users.

The notebook is equipped with HP's Sure View screen-protection technology. This prevents unwanted glances at the display from side angles. The privacy protection can be turned on and off by pressing a key on the keyboard.

Sure View turned off (shown on an HP Elitebook 840 G5)
Sure View turned off (shown on an HP Elitebook 840 G5)
Sure View turned on (shown on an HP Elitebook 840 G5)
Sure View turned on (shown on an HP Elitebook 840 G5)
831
cd/m²
857
cd/m²
797
cd/m²
797
cd/m²
768
cd/m²
778
cd/m²
768
cd/m²
708
cd/m²
701
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
InfoVision M133NVF3 R2 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 857 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 778.3 cd/m² Minimum: 15 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 733 cd/m²
Contrast: 1600:1 (Black: 0.48 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.49 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.07
ΔE Greyscale 4.09 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
92% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
91.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.4% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.54
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
IPS, 2160x1440, 13.00
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Display
-13%
5%
6%
3%
-5%
-5%
Display P3 Coverage
64.4
54.8
-15%
67.5
5%
68.1
6%
65.6
2%
65.1
1%
65.2
1%
sRGB Coverage
91.7
82.5
-10%
95.8
4%
97.7
7%
95.5
4%
83.1
-9%
83.3
-9%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.2
56.6
-13%
69
6%
69.2
6%
66.7
2%
60.8
-7%
60.9
-7%
Response Times
-25%
-28%
-36%
-96%
514%
1025%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
31 ?(15, 16)
31 ?(15, 16)
-0%
47.2 ?(23.6, 23.6)
-52%
43.2 ?(22, 21.2)
-39%
75.2 ?(32.8, 42.4)
-143%
31 ?(14, 17)
-0%
36 ?(18, 18)
-16%
Response Time Black / White *
24 ?(14, 10)
24 ?(14, 10)
-0%
24.8 ?(14, 10.8)
-3%
32 ?(18, 14)
-33%
38 ?(22, 16)
-58%
20 ?(11, 9)
17%
26 ?(14, 12)
-8%
PWM Frequency
4000 ?(90)
1000 ?(90)
-75%
544
-86%
65000 ?(10)
1525%
128000 ?(90)
3100%
Screen
10%
10%
-4%
-2%
-23%
-15%
Brightness middle
768
289
-62%
466
-39%
366.6
-52%
355.1
-54%
324
-58%
299
-61%
Brightness
778
310
-60%
462
-41%
360
-54%
336
-57%
293
-62%
306
-61%
Brightness Distribution
82
85
4%
90
10%
93
13%
83
1%
78
-5%
90
10%
Black Level *
0.48
0.23
52%
0.33
31%
0.39
19%
0.32
33%
0.32
33%
0.27
44%
Contrast
1600
1257
-21%
1412
-12%
940
-41%
1110
-31%
1013
-37%
1107
-31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.49
1.64
53%
1.93
45%
2.76
21%
2.93
16%
5.52
-58%
4.46
-28%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.41
3.31
55%
4.26
43%
6.19
16%
4.39
41%
10.91
-47%
10.51
-42%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.07
0.99
52%
1.99
4%
1.53
26%
1.83
12%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.09
1.71
58%
1.7
58%
4.2
-3%
3.6
12%
3.36
18%
2.41
41%
Gamma
2.54 87%
2.32 95%
2.15 102%
2.22 99%
2.071 106%
2.23 99%
2.29 96%
CCT
6452 101%
6291 103%
6382 102%
6271 104%
7161 91%
6687 97%
6757 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60
52
-13%
62.2
4%
63.2
5%
61
2%
55
-8%
55
-8%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
92
82
-11%
95.7
4%
97.6
6%
95
3%
83
-10%
83
-10%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-9% / -0%
-4% / 4%
-11% / -6%
-32% / -18%
162% / 81%
335% / 182%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
24 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 10 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 48 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
31 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15 ms rise
↘ 16 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 35 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 4000 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 4000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 4000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The screen already does a great job at displaying colors out of the box. We measured a DeltaE-2000 color deviation of 3.49, which is just short of the ideal range (DeltaE below 3). The display does not have a blue cast. Calibrating the display improved colors and resulted in a DeltaE deviation of 2.07 for colors and more balanced grayscales. The panel does not cover the color spaces AdobeRGB and sRGB. We measured coverage of 60% (AdobeRGB) and 92% (sRGB).

Users can calibrate their screens using the color profile we used for our calibration (available for download above). However, please make sure that you have the exact same display model (manufacturer and model number) as in our test unit. Otherwise, using our color profile could worsen the color display rather than improve it. Manufacturers often use screens from various manufacturers within the same notebook model.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - ColorChecker (after calibration)
CalMAN - ColorChecker (after calibration)
CalMAN - Grayscales (after calibration)
CalMAN - Grayscales (after calibration)
CalMAN - Saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN - Saturation (after calibration)

HP has equipped the Envy with an IPS panel with stable viewing angles. This means that the screen can be read from any angle. Although the display has great brightness, it can still be difficult to read the screen outdoors. This is mainly due to the highly reflective display surface.

The Envy outdoors
The Envy outdoors

Performance - problems reaching higher levels

The HP Envy 13 is a slim 13.3-inch subnotebook. Its processor offers sufficient performance for office and internet applications while the dedicated graphics card allows users to play computer games. Our test unit is currently available for $1,200. Other configurations are available; the cheapest version does not have a dedicated GPU.

Processor

The Envy 13 is powered by a quad-core Core i7-8565U (Whiskey Lake). This is a ULV model with a TDP of 15 watts. HP has configured the processor to increase to 35 watts for a short period of time. The Core i7 clocks at a base rate of 1.8 GHz and can reach up to 4.1 GHz (four cores), 4.5 GHz (two cores) and 4.6 GHz (one core) thanks to its turbo. 

The CPU clocks at between 3.8 and 4.6 GHz at the beginning of our CineBench multithread test but then drops and settles to 3.9 - 4 GHz. The single-thread test results in a clock rate between 2 and 4.6 GHz. The CPU performance drops to 1.9 - 2.3 GHz (multithread) and 1.5 - 1.9 GHz (single thread) on battery.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
HWInfo
HWInfo
Intel XTU
Intel XTU

We test whether the turbo is used under continuous load by running the CineBench R15 multithread test in a loop for 30 minutes. The results show that the processor slows down slightly between the first and second round and then remains fairly constant for the remainder of the test. This means that the turbo is active but works at comparably low speeds.

04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680720Tooltip
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel Core i7-8565U: Ø480 (438.45-513.08)
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø445 (425.56-530.84)
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel Core i7-8565U: Ø514 (487.58-728.05)
Huawei MateBook 13 i7 Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel Core i7-8565U: Ø581 (538.98-696.8)
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø404 (388.66-500.31)
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U: Ø367 (350.28-545.62)
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø361 (354.65-551.62)
CPU clock rates during the CB15 loop
CPU clock rates during the CB15 loop
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6550
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
15758
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
4097
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
96.2 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
517 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
172 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (91.8 - 280, n=62, last 2 years)
234 Points +36%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U
175 Points +2%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U
175 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (138.3 - 193, n=51)
172.5 Points 0%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
172 Points
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
160 Points -7%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
135 Points -22%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
135 Points -22%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Intel Core i5-8265U
126 Points -27%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (514 - 2581, n=70, last 2 years)
1705 Points +230%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U
728 Points +41%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U
697 Points +35%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (452 - 815, n=52)
612 Points +18%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
556 Points +8%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
546 Points +6%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
531 Points +3%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
517 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Intel Core i5-8265U
503 Points -3%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2481 - 10300, n=13, last 2 years)
7601 Points +16%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (2682 - 8906, n=16)
6571 Points 0%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
6550 Points
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
6221 Points -5%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
4379 Points -33%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13940 - 56242, n=13, last 2 years)
38077 Points +142%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (13806 - 23118, n=16)
17608 Points +12%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
15758 Points
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
15505 Points -2%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
9812 Points -38%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (216 - 738, n=64, last 2 years)
602 Points +70%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (342 - 472, n=20)
409 Points +16%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
354 Points
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (810 - 6314, n=64, last 2 years)
3825 Points +228%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (954 - 1645, n=20)
1257 Points +8%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
1166 Points
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
21447 Points +101%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (10521 - 13703, n=12)
12071 Points +13%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
11795 Points +11%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
10660 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
10423 Points -2%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
5120 Points +53%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (3340 - 4820, n=12)
3882 Points +16%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
3520 Points +5%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
3340 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
3136 Points -6%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (15240 - 43897, n=11, last 2 years)
32353 Points +136%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
15166 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (8142 - 16968, n=30)
14179 Points +4%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
13694 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
8582 Points -37%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (3460 - 7522, n=11, last 2 years)
6551 Points +37%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (2357 - 5547, n=30)
5053 Points +5%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U
4842 Points +1%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U
4794 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
3357 Points -30%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
1271 ms * -9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Intel Core i5-8265U (Microsoft Edge 44.17763.1.0)
1201 ms * -3%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U (Edge 44)
1163 ms *
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1138 ms * +2%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U (Edge 42)
1121 ms * +4%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (730 - 2622, n=43)
1096 ms * +6%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
986 ms * +15%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (363 - 1913, n=67, last 2 years)
598 ms * +49%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (49893 - 98093, n=33, last 2 years)
80655 Points +140%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
38546 Points +15%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (13935 - 49795, n=42)
34603 Points +3%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U (Edge 44)
33597 Points
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U (Edge 42)
33496 Points 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Intel Core i5-8265U (Microsoft Edge 44.17763.1.0)
32752 Points -3%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
27884 Points -17%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
25255 Points -25%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
348 Points +49%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
269.6 Points +15%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Intel Core i5-8265U (Microsoft Edge 44.17763.1.0)
243.5 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (107.6 - 277, n=37)
238 Points +2%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U (Edge 44)
234.3 Points
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U (Edge 42)
233.5 Points 0%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
208.2 Points -11%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U (Edge 42)
159.9 Points -32%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
144.5 Points -38%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The system performance is fast and smooth. We did not encounter any issues. The notebook has sufficient processing power for office and internet applications and the dedicated GPU enables users to play games. The PCMark benchmark results confirm our good impression.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3331 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3378 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4922 points
PCMark 10 Score
3882 points
Help
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4384 - 7428, n=56, last 2 years)
5810 Points +50%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4344 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3759 - 4547, n=9)
4153 Points +7%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3970 Points +2%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G
3882 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
3869 Points 0%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
3802 Points -2%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2584 Points -33%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8890 - 11168, n=56, last 2 years)
10202 Points +37%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
8395 Points +12%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8382 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (7204 - 8929, n=9)
8038 Points +8%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7962 Points +7%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
7614 Points +2%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G
7465 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5395 Points -28%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6213 - 10279, n=56, last 2 years)
7803 Points +15%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7281 Points +7%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (6302 - 7443, n=9)
6948 Points +2%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G
6789 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6556 Points -3%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
6398 Points -6%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
6378 Points -6%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3605 Points -47%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4093 - 9749, n=56, last 2 years)
6758 Points +116%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3645 Points +16%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3133 - 3841, n=9)
3489 Points +11%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3334 Points +6%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G
3133 Points
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
3071 Points -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
2857 Points -9%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2410 Points -23%
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4730 - 5285, n=3, last 2 years)
5030 Points +51%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
4051 Points +22%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3331 - 4220, n=9)
3738 Points +12%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3712 Points +11%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3616 Points +9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
3443 Points +3%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G
3331 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
3168 Points -5%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3155 Points -5%

Storage Device

The HP Envy 13 is equipped with an NVMe SSD from Toshiba. This M.2 2280 model has a capacity of 512 GB, of which around 443 GB is available to the user with the remaining 69 GB being taken up by the Windows installation and the recovery partition.

The main storage device is an NVMe SSD
The main storage device is an NVMe SSD
Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G
Sequential Read: 790 MB/s
Sequential Write: 787 MB/s
512K Read: 663 MB/s
512K Write: 605 MB/s
4K Read: 49.36 MB/s
4K Write: 128.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 378.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 332.6 MB/s
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
Average Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G
 
Average of class Subnotebook
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
3%
58%
97%
44%
25%
23%
6%
162%
Write 4K
106.2
112.9
6%
149.2
40%
159.4
50%
117
10%
87.5
-18%
127
20%
93.8 ?(80.6 - 106.2, n=3)
-12%
154.8 ?(65.3 - 329, n=38, last 2 years)
46%
Read 4K
44.89
38.69
-14%
47.18
5%
47.31
5%
40.65
-9%
31.39
-30%
42.21
-6%
44.6 ?(41.8 - 47.1, n=3)
-1%
65.7 ?(22.2 - 92, n=38, last 2 years)
46%
Write Seq
639
654
2%
750
17%
1899
197%
1456
128%
1281
100%
781
22%
695 ?(597 - 850, n=3)
9%
2528 ?(393 - 3918, n=19, last 2 years)
296%
Read Seq
849
642
-24%
1137
34%
2173
156%
1181
39%
1453
71%
1552
83%
990 ?(849 - 1157, n=3)
17%
2659 ?(455 - 4560, n=19, last 2 years)
213%
Write 4K Q32T1
217.4
305.9
41%
749
245%
368.1
69%
232.3
7%
169.4
-22%
189.6
-13%
228 ?(188.8 - 278, n=3)
5%
406 ?(219 - 690, n=38, last 2 years)
87%
Read 4K Q32T1
322.1
351.6
9%
478.7
49%
526
63%
311.3
-3%
241.8
-25%
312.5
-3%
424 ?(322 - 546, n=3)
32%
489 ?(240 - 961, n=38, last 2 years)
52%
Write Seq Q32T1
865
869
0%
1453
68%
1914
121%
1463
69%
1337
55%
783
-9%
821 ?(689 - 908, n=3)
-5%
3834 ?(503 - 6773, n=38, last 2 years)
343%
Read Seq Q32T1
1630
1683
3%
1713
5%
3487
114%
3480
113%
2786
71%
3079
89%
1615 ?(1583 - 1632, n=3)
-1%
5151 ?(562 - 7116, n=38, last 2 years)
216%

GPU Performance

The Envy is equipped with a dedicated GeForce MX250 GPU from Nvidia. This is the "1D52" version of the MX250 model, which clocks at a lower rate and is made with slim, compact notebooks in mind. While the normal MX250 GPU has a TDP of 25 watts, this chip's TDP is limited to 10 watts. It's basically like a Max-Q version of the MX250 - except for the fact that Nvidia doesn't label it as a slower version.

The MX250 clocks at a base rate of 937 MHz and can boost to 1038 MHz. The GPU can also reach higher speeds, provided that it doesn't reach certain temperature and/or energy limits. For example, we measured a maximum clock rate of 1696 MHz. The GPU didn't keep this up for very long, however. The Witcher 3 test resulted in an average GPU speed of 1431 MHz.

The results of the 3DMark benchmarks are quite normal for this GPU while the "normal" MX250 chip is up to 40% faster. The UHD Graphics 620 chip, which is integrated into the processor, is active and used during less-demanding applications thanks to Nvidia's graphics-switching technology Optimus. 

Sky Diver
Sky Diver
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
3DMark 11 Performance
3978 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
83688 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
14231 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2773 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1000 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2979 - 16904, n=55, last 2 years)
8016 Points +121%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i5-8265U
4942 Points +36%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
4633 Points +28%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8565U
4514 Points +25%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3585 - 4942, n=29)
4404 Points +22%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
4126 Points +14%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
3622 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
3593 Points -1%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8565U
3540 Points -2%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
3512 Points -3%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
2688 Points -26%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1784 Points -51%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1668 Points -54%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2837 - 12349, n=59, last 2 years)
5881 Points +97%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
3858 Points +29%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i5-8265U
3720 Points +24%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
3616 Points +21%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8565U
3586 Points +20%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (2939 - 3885, n=29)
3531 Points +18%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
2988 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
2977 Points 0%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
2874 Points -4%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8565U
2851 Points -5%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1567 Points -48%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1263 Points -58%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1095 Points -63%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13768 - 65911, n=40, last 2 years)
29002 Points +41%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
23748 Points +15%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i5-8265U
23643 Points +15%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
21545 Points +4%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (13805 - 23863, n=25)
21491 Points +4%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8565U
21260 Points +3%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
20618 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
20283 Points -2%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8565U
18423 Points -11%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
17325 Points -16%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
10070 Points -51%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
9364 Points -55%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
7309 Points -65%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (811 - 4773, n=58, last 2 years)
1981 Points +120%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
1090 Points +21%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (881 - 1169, n=22)
1070 Points +19%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
899 Points
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8565U
858 Points -5%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
843 Points -6%

Gaming Performance

The Envy's CPU and GPU combination manages to display most games in our database smoothly at HD resolution (1366x768 pixels) and middle to high details. Games that are only moderately demanding can be played at higher settings. Users will have to reduce the resolution and/or quality settings to play current demanding games at acceptable refresh rates.

We let the game The Witcher 3 run for 60 minutes at low resolution (1024x768 pixels) and minimum quality settings in order to find out whether the refresh rate changes over a longer period of time. The character played by the gamer is not moved throughout this test. The refresh rates drop slightly after a few minutes and then fluctuate minimally for the remainder of the test. However, they continue to remain acceptable for gaming at all times. The changes in refresh rate are due to the GPU, which also has varying clock rates at high load levels.

The long-term GPU performance is significantly higher than Nvidia's specifications for this chip. This means that the difference to a regular MX250 GPU (with a TDP of 25 watts) is lower than expected. In other words: The refresh rates are, at times, as good as on notebooks that are equipped with the full-fledged MX250.

051015202530354045505560Tooltip
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV512G: Ø48.9 (29-58)
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG: Ø45.9 (15-61)
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G: Ø54.1 (48-58)
GPU measurements during The Witcher 3 test
GPU measurements during The Witcher 3 test
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 179.1 99.4 86.6 32.9
The Witcher 3 (2015) 59.2 32.9 18.3 10.6
Battlefield V (2018) 36.2 19.9 15.8 14
Apex Legends (2019) 59 25.6 19.6 19
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 40 20 18 16
Anthem (2019) 15.4 10.7 8.5 5.1
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 81.4 28.6 22.2 10.6
The Division 2 (2019) 48 20 14 8
Anno 1800 (2019) 56.3 22.7 13.8 7.7
Rage 2 (2019) 30.6 14.2 11.1 9.6
Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) 71.2 19.8 9.9 6.2
F1 2019 (2019) 73 31 27 17
BioShock Infinite - 1366x768 High Preset
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
97 fps +12%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
96.9 fps +12%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
94 fps +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (84 - 100.5, n=14)
93.6 fps +8%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
93.4 fps +8%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
86.6 fps
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
84 fps -3%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
81.6 fps -6%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
76.4 fps -12%
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
32 fps -63%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
25.4 fps -71%
The Witcher 3 - 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Subnotebook
  (37 - 249, n=53, last 2 years)
99.5 fps +68%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
70.5 fps +19%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
63.5 fps +7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (47.4 - 70, n=24)
60.8 fps +3%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
59.2 fps
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
58 fps -2%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
57.6 fps -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
49.9 fps -16%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
47.4 fps -20%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
42.6 fps -28%
Apex Legends - 1280x720 Minimum Settings
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
59 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (57 - 59, n=2)
58 fps -2%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
57 fps -3%
F1 2019 - 1280x720 Ultra Low Preset
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
73 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (66 - 73, n=2)
69.5 fps -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
66 fps -10%
Total War: Three Kingdoms - 1280x720 Low (incl textures)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (77 - 136, n=4, last 2 years)
97.7 fps +37%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (71.2 - 78.2, n=2)
74.7 fps +5%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
71.2 (49min - 87max) fps
Dirt Rally 2.0 - 1280x720 Ultra Low Preset AF:2x
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
89.7 fps +10%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (81.4 - 89.7, n=2)
85.6 fps +5%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
81.4 fps
The Division 2 - 1280x720 Low Preset (100% Res. Scale)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
81 fps +69%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
48 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (46 - 48, n=2)
47 fps -2%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
46 fps -4%

Emissions & Energy - great stamina

System Noise

The HP notebook never becomes too loud. The cooling fan usually remains turned off while idling or at low load and HP's own BIOS option "Fan always on" is deactivated ex-works. The device is completely silent in these scenarios. The noise level increased to 39.5 dB(A) during the stress test.

Noise Level

Idle
30 / 30 / 30 dB(A)
Load
/ 39.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.431.233.932.42533.332.331.333.33130.63232.830.64029.829.529.929.85030.229.828.430.26327.931.82927.98026.726.425.626.710026.725.325.426.712524.924.624.424.916024.124.123.824.120022.523.822.722.525023.122.321.823.131522.120.520.422.14002221.119.42250021.920.719.121.963024.421.818.524.480025.121.818.225.1100026.923.517.626.9125027.223.117.627.2160028.724.417.228.7200029.725.317.229.7250030.525.917.330.5315032.427.117.432.4400029.524.617.629.5500025.619.917.725.6630021.118.417.821.1800018.817.917.818.81000018.317.717.818.31250017.817.717.717.81600017.817.817.817.8SPL39.935.63039.9N32.21.43median 24.4median 22.3median 17.8median 24.4Delta32.61.53hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHP Envy 13-aq0003ng

Temperature

The Envy during the stress test
The Envy during the stress test

Whether the HP Envy 13 is running on battery or on mains makes no difference to the results of our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark running for at least one hour). The processor clocks at 1.8 - 2.3 GHz at first but drops to 400 - 500 MHz within the first 10 minutes. The clock rate then fluctuates between 400 and 1000 MHz for the remainder of the test. The GPU reaches speeds between 800 and 1100 MHz. The stress test is an extreme scenario that will not occur during everyday use. We use it to find out how the system fares under maximum load.

The notebook does not heat up particularly. We measured a few hot spots of over 40 °C during the stress test, but the temperatures remain absolutely acceptable during everyday use.

Max. Load
 37.4 °C
99 F
39.7 °C
103 F
41 °C
106 F
 
 35.1 °C
95 F
36 °C
97 F
39.1 °C
102 F
 
 31.3 °C
88 F
30.3 °C
87 F
32.7 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 41 °C = 106 F
Average: 35.8 °C = 96 F
42.9 °C
109 F
37.6 °C
100 F
39.1 °C
102 F
40.4 °C
105 F
36.2 °C
97 F
37.2 °C
99 F
34.7 °C
94 F
33.8 °C
93 F
33.6 °C
92 F
Maximum: 42.9 °C = 109 F
Average: 37.3 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  48 °C = 118 F | Room Temperature 22.9 °C = 73 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.8 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.9 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.2 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.7 °C / 90.9 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-4.4 °C / -8 F).
Heat development top (load)
Heat development top (load)
Heat development bottom (load)
Heat development bottom (load)
Heat development top (while idling)
Heat development top (while idling)
Heat development bottom (while idling)
Heat development bottom (while idling)

Speaker

The Envy has four speakers in total. Two are positioned above the keyboard, beneath a perforated cover. The other two are positioned towards the front of the bottom of the base unit. They produce an agreeable, full sound, although bass frequencies are missing almost entirely. We would still recommend using headphones or external speakers for a better audio experience.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203333.9342534.531.332.43131.832.8364031.329.932.15034.328.430.66332.22931.98029.925.628.510037.925.42712544.524.428.716049.523.827.220046.722.723.225051.321.822.831558.420.422.74006619.420.750066.319.121.763067.718.520.380066.618.220.8100066.917.619.7125066.917.619.616007017.219.8200072.917.220.125007217.319.9315062.717.419.6400067.917.618.8500068.317.718.863006617.820.5800066.717.819.51000064.617.818.61250062.217.718.31600057.617.818.4SPL80.43032.1N48.61.41.7median 66median 17.8median 20.1Delta5.71.51.743.945.140.940.537.139.836.238.737.437.135.436.53635.534.136.934.438.833.150.732.7543257.631.757.130.958.430.26029.561.929.863.628.868.928.671.328.474.128.269.92867.827.962.327.859.127.658.227.660.127.559.827.362.627.261.827.159.340.679.5441.7median 28.6median 601.52.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Envy 13-aq0003ngAsus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (73 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 27% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 17% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 80% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 10.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 70% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 24% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 58% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 36% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Consumption

The Envy does not have any surprises in store for us in terms of power consumption. It consumes 10.8 watts while idling and increases its power needs to a maximum of 62.7 watts during the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark running for at least an hour). The rated output of the AC adapter is 65 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.9 / 7.8 / 10.8 Watt
Load midlight 53 / 62.7 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

Our practical Wi-Fi test simulates the load of browsing websites. The power profile is set to balanced, the energy-saving mode is turned off and display brightness is set to around 150 cd/m². The Envy 13 managed a runtime of 8 h 32 m in this scenario.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44)
8h 32min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S-13IWL 81JB0004US
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
668 min +30%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (303 - 1144, n=64, last 2 years)
623 min +22%
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, 53.2 Wh
512 min
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, 50 Wh
506 min -1%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 53.2 Wh
481 min -6%
Huawei MateBook 13 i7
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, 41.7 Wh
457 min -11%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
R7 2700U, Vega 10, 48 Wh
398 min -22%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh
204 min -60%

Pros

+ bright, high-contrast IPS screen
+ 120-Hz panel
+ HP Sure View screen protection
+ fancy aluminum case
+ NVMe SSD
+ good battery times
+ DisplayPort via USB-C
+ optional power supply via USB-C (Power Delivery 3.0)
+ keyboard backlighting

Cons

- low multithread performance
- no Thunderbolt 3
- throttled version of the GeForce MX250

Verdict

The HP Envy 13-aq0003ng (6HV09E). Test unit provided by HP Germany.
The HP Envy 13-aq0003ng (6HV09E). Test unit provided by HP Germany.

Hewlett Packard has packed a quad-core processor and a GeForce MX250 into a slim, good-looking metal case. Unfortunately, the CPU can't reach its full potential in these tight surroundings and only reaches a weak turbo boost in multithread applications. The GPU HP has chosen turns out to be the throttled version of the MX250. Nonetheless, the Envy manages to display most games in our database smoothly.

HP has created a well-rounded subnotebook that does not have any major weaknesses.

The notebook provides plenty of storage space. It is equipped with a 512-GB NVMe SSD, which also ensures fast system performance. If necessary, the storage device can be exchanged, although this requires opening the notebook, as it doesn't have a maintenance hatch.

The Envy 13's IPS screen is very bright, has a good contrast ratio and stable viewing angles, and it displays colors well. The privacy function "Sure View" can be activated by the click of a button. This makes it difficult or almost impossible to read the screen from an angle.

The Envy is also equipped with a decent keyboard with backlighting (two brightness levels). Its battery life is promising as well. We were also pleased to see that the USB Type-C port supports the DisplayPort-via-USB-C function (although this requires a special adapter that is not included in the scope of delivery). The notebook can also be recharged via this port (Power Delivery 3.0).

HP Envy 13-aq0003ng - 10/22/2019 v7
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
82 / 98 → 84%
Keyboard
82%
Pointing Device
87%
Connectivity
51 / 75 → 68%
Weight
73 / 20-75 → 96%
Battery
83%
Display
85%
Games Performance
59 / 78 → 76%
Application Performance
81 / 85 → 96%
Temperature
91%
Noise
92%
Audio
48 / 91 → 53%
Camera
42 / 85 → 49%
Average
74%
85%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Envy 13 Review: A well-rounded subnotebook with a good number of features
Sascha Mölck, 2019-08-29 (Update: 2019-08-30)