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HP Envy 13 ad065nr (i5-7200U, FHD) Laptop Review

The HP XPS 13. The narrow bezel design from the flagship Spectre series has trickled down to the mainstream Envy series with fantastic results. Though not without some sacrifices, this is the best Envy notebook to date.

The XPS 13 is arguably the 13-inch Windows subnotebook to beat. Its InfinityEdge design came at a time when narrow bezels were uncommon and Dell still managed to knock it out of the park. Ever since then, the number of competing narrow bezel designs has been growing and the new Envy 13 is the latest example from HP.

Called "Micro Edge", HP's first take on narrow bezels was on the higher-end Spectre x360 series that was good enough to win "Best Windows Laptop of 2016" from The Verge. The design has now been passed down to the mainstream Envy family for the first time to better compete against the XPS 13, Zenbook UX3430, Samsung Notebook 9, and other emerging narrow bezel designs. Its a brand new Envy design that should feel instantly familiar to owners of the latest Spectre x360 13. 

Our 13-inch configuration today houses an i5-7200U CPU, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB SATA III SSD, and a non-touch 1080p glossy display for a retail price of $840 USD. Higher-end SKUs can be equipped with the faster i7-7500U, 16 GB of RAM, NVMe SSD, and a 4K UHD touchscreen for about $1320 USD. Graphics is limited to the integrated HD Graphics 620 while the larger Envy 15 can be configured with the GeForce 940MX.

We recommend checking out our existing Envy review pages below for more details on the series.

HP Envy 13-ad065nr (Envy 13 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-7200U 2 x 2.5 - 3.1 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 620, Core: 300 MHz, Memory: 933 MHz, DDR3, 21.20.16.4599
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3, 1066.7 MHz, 10-10-10-28, Dual-Channel
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 166 PPI, LG Philips LGD0576, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
SanDisk X400 SD8SN8U-128G-1006, 128 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: MicroSD reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 14 x 305.3 x 215.7 ( = 0.55 x 12.02 x 8.49 in)
Battery
53.6 Wh, 6962 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Bang & Olufsen, Quad speakers, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, B&O Audio Control, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.252 kg ( = 44.16 oz / 2.76 pounds), Power Supply: 295 g ( = 10.41 oz / 0.65 pounds)
Price
840 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

HP is doubling down on the "Lifted hinge" design that continues to be a unique visual feature for both the Envy and newer Pavilion notebooks. The smooth matte aluminum surfaces look nearly identical to the MacBook 12 even down to the two Silk Gold and Natural Silver color options. When compared to the older Envy 13, the redesign is flatter and sharper around the edges and corners for a more minimalist appearance. There's no denying the excellent first impressions after having recently published on a number of budget Pavilion SKUs.

As great as it may look, there are a couple of downsides that hold back the Envy. This is not a unibody design unlike on the MacBook 12 and the inner bezel of the display is thus a cheaper black plastic. The touchscreen SKUs promise edge-to-edge glass that should make the lid feel and look better, but this additional layer of glass will make the notebook a little heavier and likely even glossier than it already is on our non-touchscreen test unit. Attempting to twist the base will result in more bending and audible creaking than an XPS 13 or MacBook 12. Meanwhile, the center of the keyboard will warp slightly when applying pressure with a finger. None of these drawbacks are significant enough to make the notebook feel cheap in any way, but they collectively place the Envy a few steps behind the Dell and Apple in terms of chassis rigidity and robustness.

Perhaps the worst offender of the Envy is still the lifted hinge design. The lid teeters more easily than on the Lenovo Yoga 910 and even the cheaper Pavilion series when first opening the display. This makes the lid feel cheap even though its hinges are otherwise satisfactory up to the maximum angle. The drawback is an inherent disadvantage of the unique lifted hinge design as the newer Pavilions and older Envy units also suffer from more display teetering than usual. Resistance to twists and depressions is otherwise just slightly above average but weaker than that of the lid on the XPS 13.

The chassis is still very good when taken as a whole especially from a visual standpoint. Our test unit exhibits no uneven gaps or manufacturing defects that can be more common on non-unibody notebooks. Nonetheless, the small details above keep the chassis from being excellent.

The latest Envy design is thinner than both the XPS 13 9360 and MacBook Pro 13 without being significantly heavier or lighter. It is, however, slightly thicker than the outgoing Envy 13 by just over 1 mm. As expected, the new narrow bezels naturally make the notebook much smaller in length and width compared to the Spectre 13 and older Envy 13.

Users will be quick to point out that the new Envy 13 is 15 mm wider than the XPS 13. The extended dimension preserves the front-facing camera placement near the top of the screen unlike on the XPS 13 series.

Closed position
Closed position
Maximum ~140 degree angle. Bezel thickness is only about 6 mm
Maximum ~140 degree angle. Bezel thickness is only about 6 mm
326.5 mm / 12.9 inch 226 mm / 8.9 inch 12.6 mm / 0.4961 inch 1.4 kg3.09 lbs325 mm / 12.8 inch 229 mm / 9.02 inch 10.4 mm / 0.4094 inch 1.1 kg2.45 lbs321 mm / 12.6 inch 206 mm / 8.11 inch 13.1 mm / 0.516 inch 1.3 kg2.87 lbs305.3 mm / 12 inch 215.7 mm / 8.49 inch 14 mm / 0.551 inch 1.3 kg2.76 lbs304 mm / 12 inch 201 mm / 7.91 inch 15 mm / 0.591 inch 1.2 kg2.71 lbs304.1 mm / 12 inch 212.4 mm / 8.36 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.4 kg3.02 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

HP is putting a lot of faith in USB Type-C by including two Type-C ports and no HDMI. Instead, users who want video-out will have to purchase USB Type-C to mDP adapters which will surely aggravate a large subset of multimedia users. Two USB Type-A ports are included down from three on the outgoing Envy 13. It would have been neat to have USB Type-C Gen. 2 for faster speeds or even Thunderbolt 3 like on the XPS 13, but HP is reserving such features for its more premium Spectre lineup.

Port positioning is excellent and nearly symmetrical between the left and right edges. All ports are easy to reach and not too close up front where cables are more likely to entangle.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: USB Type-C Gen. 1, USB 3.0, AC adapter
Right: USB Type-C Gen. 1, USB 3.0, AC adapter
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: USB 3.0, 3.5 mm combo audio, USB Type-C Gen. 1, MicroSD reader
Left: USB 3.0, 3.5 mm combo audio, USB Type-C Gen. 1, MicroSD reader

SD Card Reader

The full-size SD reader from the Envy 13 2016 has been dropped in favor of a smaller MicroSD reader. Transfer rates from our Toshiba Exceria Pro UHS SDXC card average about 82 MB/s compared to well over 200 MB/s from a proper full-size SDXC reader. Moving 1 GB worth of images from our test card to desktop takes about 16 seconds.

A fully inserted MicroSD card sits almost flush against the edge for safe transporting. The push-to-eject spring can be troublesome for larger fingers and users should be careful not to send the MicroSD card flying across the room.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
 
120.5 MB/s +92%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
 
107.8 MB/s +72%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
 
62.8 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
 
252.6 MB/s +208%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
 
250.6 MB/s +206%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
 
81.9 MB/s

Communication

An Intel 7265 WLAN module with integrated Bluetooth 4.2 is the sole option for the Envy 13. Average transmit speed is slower than expected at 480 Mbps when standing one meter away from our Linksys EA8500 test router, but we otherwise experienced no connectivity issues during our time with the test unit.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HP Spectre 13-v131ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
663 MBit/s +38%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
575 MBit/s +20%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
480 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
635 MBit/s
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
525 MBit/s -17%
HP Spectre 13-v131ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
485 MBit/s -24%

Accessories

There are no included extras outside of the warranty card and Quick Start guide. A USB Type-C to RJ-45 or HDMI adapter would have been a great addition especially since these ports were integrated onto the last Envy model.

Maintenance

Serviceability is a little tricky and will require both a T5 Hex wrench and Philips screwdriver. In addition to the four screws around the corners, there are two additional screws hidden underneath the rear rubber footing. Once removed, the bottom panel can be carefully detached around the edges with a sharp edge or plastic card.

HP has revised the motherboard from last year's Envy 13 with new larger fans and a wide copper heat spreader as shown below. RAM is still soldered, but fortunately both the M.2 2280 and M.2 2232 slots continue to be easily accessible.

Envy 13 2017
Envy 13 2017
Previous generation Envy 13
Previous generation Envy 13

Warranty

The standard one-year limited warranty applies if purchased directly from HP.com. Options to extend up to three years with accidental damage protection are available for an additional $160 USD.

Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The backlit keyboard (~29.3 x 10.3 cm) offers shallower travel and a weaker tactile feedback when compared to the XPS 13 or ThinkPad AccuType series. Keys feel light as a result and could have benefited from more of a "click" when pressed. The plus side is that clatter is minimal for a quieter typing experience and feedback is relatively even across all keys despite the flexible center base.

The gray lettering and bright color of the notebook contrast poorly together. Subsequently, the printing on each key is made more difficult to distinguish than it should be especially when ambient lighting conditions are just right. The keyboard backlight is recommended even if lighting conditions are not unfavorable since it will improve contrast and make the key imprints easier to see. This same issue occurs on certain Spectre notebooks as well and we're disappointed to see it continue here. Furthermore, the keyboard backlight can only be toggled on or off with no brightness options as per usual for HP consumer notebooks.

Touchpad

The integrated trackpad (11.0 x 5.5 cm) is disappointingly smaller than the one on the Spectre x360 13 (12.0 x 6.0 cm) and even the XPS 13 (10.5 x 6.0 cm) in surface area. The short width in particular makes vertical cursor movement feel more cramped than it ought to be. Responsiveness is otherwise excellent from the Synaptics software with no cursor jittering.

The integrated mouse keys have short travel and an adequate tactile feedback when pressed. The main issue is that the trackpad surface can be depressed without the notebook registering an input and so clicking feels spongier than on other flagship Ultrabooks. A firmer trackpad could have definitely improved the experience. 

Bright gold contrasts poorly with the white key lettering
Bright gold contrasts poorly with the white key lettering
Relatively shallow and spongy keys
Relatively shallow and spongy keys
Power button is very bright when working in a darkened room
Power button is very bright when working in a darkened room

Display

While nothing about the 1080p IPS display has changed on the surface, the panel on the newer Envy 13 is sourced from a different provider than the last. Contrast ratio and color space are thus slightly different - if not a bit worse - than the outgoing Envy 13. Perhaps more notably, the backlight is dimmer than on the previous Envy generation and with poorer uniformity as well; luminance readings becoming increasingly dim when moving from the left side of the screen to the right. The brightness discrepancy isn't significant enough to really notice in practice, but it's a disappointing find nonetheless. Contrast is still excellent and images appear very crisp due to the thin glossy overlay.

Very slight uneven backlight bleeding occurs near the bottom corners of our test unit that is mostly unnoticeable. There are no graininess issues as commonly found on notebooks with matte displays.

Our measurements below reflect only the base FHD non-touchscreen option. SKUs with the FHD touchscreen or 4K UHD touchscreen will very likely exhibit different characteristics.

Very minimal uneven backlight bleeding
Very minimal uneven backlight bleeding
Subpixel array (166 PPI)
Subpixel array (166 PPI)
279.2
cd/m²
272.5
cd/m²
260.5
cd/m²
292.9
cd/m²
290
cd/m²
251.9
cd/m²
277.3
cd/m²
278.6
cd/m²
229
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LGD0576 tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 292.9 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 270.2 cd/m² Minimum: 13.56 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 78 %
Center on Battery: 290 cd/m²
Contrast: 906:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
83.5% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
54.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
83.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.19
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
LG Philips LGD0576, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
Sharp SHP1449 LQ133M1, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
HP Spectre 13-v131ng
CMN1374, IPS UWVA, 13.30, 1920x1080
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
APPA033, IPS, 13.30, 2560x1600
HP Envy 13-d020ng
AU Optronics AUO272D, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
Display
-19%
4%
37%
5%
Display P3 Coverage
65.5
48.94
-25%
64.6
-1%
99.2
51%
63.7
-3%
sRGB Coverage
83.8
73.3
-13%
88.8
6%
99.9
19%
93
11%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
61.3
50.5
-18%
64.8
6%
87.1
42%
65.1
6%
Response Times
-33%
-56%
-41%
-42%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
28 ?(14, 14)
32.8 ?(16, 16.8)
-17%
46 ?(26, 20)
-64%
42.8 ?(22.4, 20.4)
-53%
34 ?(11, 23)
-21%
Response Time Black / White *
22.4 ?(12.4, 10)
33.2 ?(10.8, 22.4)
-48%
33 ?(21, 12)
-47%
28.8 ?(14.8, 14)
-29%
24 ?(5, 19)
-7%
PWM Frequency
10200 ?(100)
208 ?(40)
-98%
Screen
-0%
0%
46%
7%
Brightness middle
290
351.2
21%
404
39%
588
103%
345
19%
Brightness
270
325
20%
382
41%
561
108%
335
24%
Brightness Distribution
78
89
14%
91
17%
92
18%
95
22%
Black Level *
0.32
0.195
39%
0.35
-9%
0.45
-41%
0.25
22%
Contrast
906
1801
99%
1154
27%
1307
44%
1380
52%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.8
7.4
-54%
5.37
-12%
1.7
65%
4.94
-3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
11.2
9.08
19%
9.46
16%
3.5
69%
8.85
21%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.8
6.71
-140%
6.44
-130%
1.9
32%
5.85
-109%
Gamma
2.19 100%
2.74 80%
2.52 87%
2.33 94%
2.25 98%
CCT
6382 102%
7222 90%
6738 96%
6738 96%
7105 91%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
54.9
50.48
-8%
58
6%
77.92
42%
60
9%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
83.5
73.31
-12%
89
7%
99.94
20%
93
11%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-17% / -8%
-17% / -7%
14% / 33%
-10% / -3%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is wide at approximately 84 percent and 55 percent of sRGB and AdobeRGB, respectively. The Chi Mei and AU Optronics panels on the Spectre 13 and previous generation Envy 13, respectively, have slightly wider gamuts that most users will not likely notice in practice. Users who demand full sRGB coverage may want to consider a notebook with Sharp IGZO options or the Apple MacBook Pro 13 instead. Here's hoping that the 4K UHD SKU is not utilizing RGBW subpixels as did the 2016 Envy 13.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD
vs. Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD

Further measurements with an X-Rite spectrophotometer reveal generally accurate colors and grayscale out of the box. A calibration will improve grayscale even further to a DeltaE value of 1.0, but colors remain largely unchanged. Color accuracy decreases the higher the saturation level due to the panel's imperfect sRGB coverage.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

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
22.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12.4 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. » 44 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 31 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than 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 10200 Hz ≤ 100 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 10200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 100 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 10200 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.

Outdoor visibility is below average simply due to how glossy the display is. Glare is prevalent no matter the brightness setting and so users will have to take advantage of the wide IPS viewing angles to make for a more comfortable experience. We absolutely recommend disabling Intel's "Dsiplay Power Saving Technology" in the HD Graphics Control Panel or else the maximum brightness of the display will be reduced to 266 nits on batteries instead of 290 nits when on mains. Users will want the screen to be as bright as possible if working outdoors.

Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

Users can choose between the ULV i5-7200U or i7-7500U with either 8 GB or 18 GB of onboard DDR3 RAM. It's strange to not see DDR4 especially for a full design refresh in 2017, but then again, HP's higher-end Spectre 13 is still shipping with DDR3 RAM as well. Perhaps more CPU options with integrated Iris Pro graphics like the i7-7660U would have made the Envy 13 even more competitive against the Surface Pro 2017, XPS 13, ZenBook UX310, or MacBook Pro 13. Envy 13 users are stuck with the unimpressive HD Graphics 620 with no GeForce or Iris alternatives.

 

Processor

The i5-7200U in the HP performs in the same ballpark as other notebooks sporting the same CPU. Raw performance is about 10 to 15 percent over the Skylake i5-6200U depending on load while moving up to the i7-7500U Envy 13 SKU will bring another 10 percent boost according to CineBench benchmarks. Running CineBench Multi-Thread in a loop shows a minimal 6 to 7 percent drop in performance after the 4th or 5th run compared to the massive dips on the latest Surface Pro series.

See our dedicated page on the Core i5-7200U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
163 Points +30%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Core i5-7360U
145 Points +16%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Core i5-7360U
140 Points +12%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-7267U
141 Points +13%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
Intel Core i7-7500U
139 Points +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2017 20JD0015US
Intel Core i5-7200U
129 Points +3%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel Core i5-7200U
125 Points
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
110 Points -12%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
108 Points -14%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z40-59422614
Intel Core i5-4200U
99 Points -21%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
410 (335.35min - 409.45max) Points +31%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-7267U
383 (377min - 385max) Points +22%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Core i5-7360U
362 Points +15%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Core i5-7360U
346 Points +10%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
Intel Core i7-7500U
343 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2017 20JD0015US
Intel Core i5-7200U
321 Points +2%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel Core i5-7200U
314 Points
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
288 Points -8%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
257 Points -18%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z40-59422614
Intel Core i5-4200U
223 Points -29%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
1.89 Points +30%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Core i5-7360U
1.7 Points +17%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
Intel Core i7-7500U
1.64 Points +13%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-7267U
1.54 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2017 20JD0015US
Intel Core i5-7200U
1.46 Points +1%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel Core i5-7200U
1.45 Points
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
1.28 Points -12%
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
1.26 Points -13%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z40-59422614
Intel Core i5-4200U
1.14 Points -21%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
4.55 Points +25%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-7267U
4.09 Points +13%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Core i5-7360U
3.9 Points +7%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
Intel Core i7-7500U
3.83 Points +6%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel Core i5-7200U
3.63 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2017 20JD0015US
Intel Core i5-7200U
3.58 Points -1%
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
3.16 Points -13%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
2.81 Points -23%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z40-59422614
Intel Core i5-4200U
2.49 Points -31%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
13838 Points +27%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Core i5-7360U
12293 Points +13%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
Intel Core i7-7500U
11676 Points +7%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-7267U
11403 Points +5%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel Core i5-7200U
10906 Points
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
9798 Points -10%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
8672 Points -20%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z40-59422614
Intel Core i5-4200U
7580 Points -30%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
6213 Points +26%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Core i5-7360U
5787 Points +17%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
Intel Core i7-7500U
5630 Points +14%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-7267U
5010 Points +1%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel Core i5-7200U
4943 Points
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
4387 Points -11%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Intel Core i5-5200U
4134 Points -16%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z40-59422614
Intel Core i5-4200U
3725 Points -25%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Lenovo IdeaPad Z40-59422614
Intel Core i5-4200U
790 s * -65%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2017 20JD0015US
Intel Core i5-7200U
500 s * -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Core i5-7360U
499.7 s * -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-7267U
492 s * -3%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel Core i5-7200U
477.5 s *
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
Intel Core i7-7500U
456.8 s * +4%
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
438 s * +8%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
8606
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
10906
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4943
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
3.63 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
33.72 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.45 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
125 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.7 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
44.64 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
314 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks rank the Envy 13 consistently higher than last year's model and even slightly ahead of the XPS 13 9360 despite the latter using a speedier NVMe SSD. Subjectively, system responsiveness is fast as one would expect from an SSD-based notebook with no notable freezes or abnormal behavior during testing.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Iris Plus Graphics 640, i5-7360U, Apple SSD AP0128
4057 (4055min - 4059max) Points +8%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, SanDisk X400 SD8SN8U-128G-1006
3760 Points
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPUK
3535 Points -6%
HP Envy 13-d020ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung MZRPC256HADR-000SO
3246 Points -14%
Work Score Accelerated v2
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, SanDisk X400 SD8SN8U-128G-1006
4669 Points
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPUK
4568 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Iris Plus Graphics 640, i5-7360U, Apple SSD AP0128
4461 (4448min - 4484max) Points -4%
HP Envy 13-d020ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung MZRPC256HADR-000SO
4113 Points -12%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Iris Plus Graphics 640, i5-7360U, Apple SSD AP0128
5544 (5539min - 5549max) Points +22%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, SanDisk X400 SD8SN8U-128G-1006
4541 Points
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPUK
4211 Points -7%
HP Envy 13-d020ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung MZRPC256HADR-000SO
3774 Points -17%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3760 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4541 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4669 points
PCMark 10 Score
3273 points
Help

Storage Devices

Upgradeable M.2 2280 slot
Upgradeable M.2 2280 slot

Like most newer 13-inch Ultrabooks, the single M.2 2280 slot is the only internal storage option on the Envy 13. HP ships SKUs with NVMe support up to 1 TB drives even though our lower-end configuration utilizes a SATA III SanDisk X400 SSD instead. Sequential read and write rates are about average for a SATA III SSD at 449 MB/s and 314 MB/s, respectively, whereas NVMe solutions can reach well over four digits. This particular 128 GB SanDisk SSD is not a significant improvement over the 256 GB Samsung MZRPC256HADR SSD on our older Envy 13 test unit.

See our table of SSDs and HDDs for more benchmark comparisons.

CDM
CDM
AS SSD
AS SSD
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
SanDisk X400 SD8SN8U-128G-1006
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPUK
HP Spectre 13-v131ng
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
HP Spectre x360 13-ac033dx
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
HP Envy 13-d020ng
Samsung MZRPC256HADR-000SO
AS SSD
82%
275%
283%
26%
Copy Game MB/s
162.9
390
139%
397.9
144%
1123
589%
196
20%
Copy Program MB/s
99.3
188
89%
426
329%
466.7
370%
122.6
23%
Copy ISO MB/s
247.3
283.3
15%
720
191%
1672
576%
252.3
2%
Score Total
790
1607
103%
3617
358%
2219
181%
984
25%
Score Write
182
327
80%
1115
513%
832
357%
325
79%
Score Read
401
870
117%
1654
312%
945
136%
439
9%
Access Time Write *
0.082
0.035
57%
0.026
68%
0.031
62%
0.051
38%
Access Time Read *
0.149
0.055
63%
0.042
72%
0.036
76%
0.145
3%
4K-64 Write
99.3
197.7
99%
862
768%
566
470%
231.6
133%
4K-64 Read
329.5
723
119%
1465
345%
641
95%
364.5
11%
4K Write
51.5
92
79%
134.4
161%
118.5
130%
67.5
31%
4K Read
26.63
29.52
11%
56.4
112%
48.18
81%
24.79
-7%
Seq Write
314.5
372.8
19%
1190
278%
1476
369%
258.1
-18%
Seq Read
449.5
1179
162%
1325
195%
2556
469%
502
12%

* ... smaller is better

SanDisk X400 SD8SN8U-128G-1006
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 552 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 330.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 285.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 160.3 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 503 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 342.5 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 29.34 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 57.5 MB/s

GPU Performance

The HD Graphics 620 in the HP is consistently slower than on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga equipped with the same i5-7200U CPU according to 3DMark benchmarks. Moving up to the Iris Graphics 640 or the GeForce 940MX found on certain Ultrabooks will bump raw graphical power by as much as 50 to 70 percent. Gaming performance is similarly anemic.

See our dedicate page on the HD Graphics 620 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

Ice Storm
Ice Storm
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
2493 Points +69%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i5-7360U
2379 (2355min - 2425max) Points +61%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
2230 Points +51%
Asus X302UV-FN016T
NVIDIA GeForce 920MX, 6200U
1747 Points +19%
Acer Switch 5 SW512-52-5819
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1613 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2017 20JD0015US
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1562 Points +6%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1474 Points
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6500U
1410 Points -4%
HP Pro X2 612 G1
Intel HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y
744 Points -50%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i5-7360U
2193 (2057min - 2200max) Points +60%
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
2184 Points +60%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
1770 Points +29%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2017 20JD0015US
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1608 Points +18%
Asus X302UV-FN016T
NVIDIA GeForce 920MX, 6200U
1572 Points +15%
Acer Switch 5 SW512-52-5819
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1567 Points +15%
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6500U
1486 Points +9%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1368 Points
HP Pro X2 612 G1
Intel HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y
767 Points -44%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i5-7360U
11495 (10969min - 11750max) Points +46%
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
11264 Points +43%
Acer Switch 5 SW512-52-5819
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
8599 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2017 20JD0015US
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
8570 Points +9%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
8385 Points +7%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
7854 Points
Asus X302UV-FN016T
NVIDIA GeForce 920MX, 6200U
7733 Points -2%
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6500U
7064 Points -10%
HP Pro X2 612 G1
Intel HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y
5149 Points -34%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5N-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
1593 Points +70%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i5-7360U
1541 (1484min - 1547max) Points +64%
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
1418 Points +51%
Asus X302UV-FN016T
NVIDIA GeForce 920MX, 6200U
1282 Points +37%
Acer Switch 5 SW512-52-5819
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1030 Points +10%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2017 20JD0015US
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1017 Points +8%
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
939 Points
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6500U
825 Points -12%
HP Pro X2 612 G1
Intel HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y
539 Points -43%
3DMark 11 Performance
1613 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
54450 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
5995 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
858 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
394 points
Help
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 54.3 31 26.3 8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 19.9 10.9
Overwatch (2016) 33.3 25

Stress Test

We stress the notebook with synthetic benchmarks to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. With just Prime95 active, the CPU can be observed operating at the maximum rated Turbo Boost of 3.1 GHz until core temperature reaches 77 C after several seconds. Thereafter, both core clock rate and temperature plateau at the more stable 2.7 GHz - 2.8 GHz and 68 C - 71 C ranges, respectively. The Envy 13 is unable to maintain the maximum Turbo Boost clock rate of the i5-7200U for very long as reflected by both our Prime95 and CineBench loop conditions. Nonetheless, the 2.7 to 2.8 GHz range is still above the 2.5 GHz base clock rate of the processor and so at least some Turbo Boost is preserved. The cycling clock rate and core temperature readings is due to the slight pulsing behavior of the system fans as well.

Running both Prime95 and FurMark to stress both the CPU and integrated GPU will heavily throttle the CPU down to just 1.3 GHz in order to maintain a steady core temperature of 71 C. Note that we selected the incorrect gray HWiNFO graph below (Imaging Unit Clock) to represent real-time GPU clock rate; we apologize for the error. Fortunately, the backup GPU-Z window shows the HD Graphics 620 behaving stably throughout the stress tests in the 750 - 900 MHz range.

Running on battery power will not limit CPU or GPU performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 4221 and 1545 points, respectively, compared to 3966 and 1474 points on mains.

System idle
System idle
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 2.7 - 2.8 -- 68 - 71
FurMark Stress -- 900 76
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.3 750 71

Emissions

System Noise

Ventilation grilles are directed upwards toward the screen instead of the edges of rear of the notebook
Ventilation grilles are directed upwards toward the screen instead of the edges of rear of the notebook

The cooling solution consists of two fans and a copper spreader for the CPU in between. The system is silent during low loads and will impressively remain silent for quite some time even when subjected to higher loads. For example, the fans refused to ramp up until after two full loops of the first 3DMark06 benchmark scene "Return to Proxycon". This is one of the quieter Ultrabooks currently available especially when compared to the more active fans of the thinner Spectre 13 series.

Extreme loads with Prime95 and FurMark will bump fan noise up to a loud 40 dB(A) before quickly falling back to the more tolerable 32 - 33 dB(A) range. Thus, while the fans have the potential to be quite loud, they will not remain at such high RPMs for very long and will throttle accordingly.

An interesting aspect of the fan noise is that it is higher pitched than on other Ultrabooks. Our microphone measurements below show peaks at the 4k Hz mark compared to <2k Hz on the XPS 13, so the fans on the Envy are more noticeable should higher RPMs become necessary. Still, we never found the noise to be distracting during use.

Electronic noise is present on our test unit whenever the internal SSD is actively transferring files. Fortunately, the volume is very low and essentially unnoticeable when under real-world ambient conditions.

The fans are not symmetrical. One side is ~35 mm...
The fans are not symmetrical. One side is ~35 mm...
... while the other is slightly smaller at ~30 mm
... while the other is slightly smaller at ~30 mm
Envy 13 (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark06, Green: Prime95+FurMark)
Envy 13 (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark06, Green: Prime95+FurMark)
Spectre x360 13-w023dx
Spectre x360 13-w023dx
Dell XPS 13 9350
Dell XPS 13 9350

Noise Level

Idle
28.1 / 28.1 / 28.1 dB(A)
Load
33.3 / 40 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.1 dB(A)
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, SanDisk X400 SD8SN8U-128G-1006
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPUK
HP Spectre 13-v131ng
HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
Iris Plus Graphics 640, i5-7360U, Apple SSD AP0128
Acer Aspire S 13 S5-371-71QZ
HD Graphics 520, 6500U, LiteOn CV1-8B512
HP Envy 13-d020ng
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Samsung MZRPC256HADR-000SO
Noise
3%
-9%
-4%
-7%
-9%
off / environment *
28.1
30.4
-8%
30.2
-7%
31.2
-11%
Idle Minimum *
28.1
28.9
-3%
30.4
-8%
30.2
-7%
31.2
-11%
32.5
-16%
Idle Average *
28.1
28.9
-3%
30.4
-8%
30.2
-7%
31.2
-11%
32.5
-16%
Idle Maximum *
28.1
28.9
-3%
30.4
-8%
30.2
-7%
31.5
-12%
32.4
-15%
Load Average *
33.3
30.9
7%
40
-20%
32.9
1%
35.7
-7%
36
-8%
Load Maximum *
40
33.5
16%
40
-0%
39.3
2%
35.8
10%
36.5
9%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

The Envy and Spectre notebooks typically have very symmetrical surface temperature development since they share similar design features. Our temperature maps below show a hot spot of up to 48 C near the center of the notebook closest to the "7" and "8" keyboard keys not unlike on the Spectre 13. While the palm rests remain relatively cool, a good portion of the keyboard can become warmer than on the XPS 13 if under heavy loads. Typing becomes warm but never uncomfortable unless if these center keys are used very frequently.

Surface temperatures are flat during very low loads, but even medium loads with 3DMark06 will warm up the notebook very quickly to the same maximum load temperatures. This is perhaps the price to pay for having fans that are generally very quiet and lethargic.

Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Max. Load
 38 °C
100 F
48 °C
118 F
36.2 °C
97 F
 
 35.8 °C
96 F
41.8 °C
107 F
35.2 °C
95 F
 
 32.2 °C
90 F
31 °C
88 F
32 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 48 °C = 118 F
Average: 36.7 °C = 98 F
34.8 °C
95 F
42 °C
108 F
35 °C
95 F
33.6 °C
92 F
38.6 °C
101 F
34 °C
93 F
32.4 °C
90 F
33.4 °C
92 F
32.2 °C
90 F
Maximum: 42 °C = 108 F
Average: 35.1 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  42.6 °C = 109 F | Room Temperature 24 °C = 75 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.7 °C / 98 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 48 °C / 118 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 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.1 °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 (32.2 °C / 90 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-3.9 °C / -7.1 F).

Speakers

Two of the four speakers are located near the front corners
Two of the four speakers are located near the front corners

Sound quality from the integrated speakers is decent for a 13-inch Ultrabook. Volume is sufficiently loud and there are no extreme imbalances or static no matter the volume setting. Too loud of a volume (>70 percent), however, and the palm rests will begin to reverberate. Our pink noise measurements show a relatively even reproduction of frequencies similar to the Spectre 13, but bass appears to be slightly worse and with slightly softer maximum volume. Frequencies under 500 Hz drop off more quickly and could have been represented better.

Envy 13 (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
Envy 13 (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
Spectre x360 13-w023dx
Spectre x360 13-w023dx
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Eurocom Sky X7E2
B&O Audio Control
B&O Audio Control
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.639.82532.735.13134.535.44032.833.5503433.96332.933.38031.232.4100303212530.230.116028.233.120027.239.825027.845.331526.751.340025.957.750025.259.26302560.680024.663.9100024.163.2125023.963.6160023.866200023.764.1250023.663.5315023.459.7400023.656.5500023.361630023.559.6800023.557.71000023.559.31250023.460.91600023.554.7SPL36.174.1N2.632.8median 23.9median 59.3Delta1.58.235.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Envy 13-ad065nrApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
HP Envy 13-ad065nr audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (66 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 77% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 66% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox selectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The new Envy 13 is more efficient than the older Skylake Envy 13 by a few Watts under all tested conditions. We recorded a power draw of 3 W to 7 W depending on the brightness level and Power Profile when idling on desktop compared to 4 W to 10 W on the Skylake Envy 13. Running 3DMark06 is enough to draw close to the system maximum of about 32 W. The small AC adapter (~6.3 x 6.3 x 3.0 cm) is rated for up to 45 W and so there is ample power headroom even when under extreme processing loads.

Systems with the more capable integrated Iris GPU, such as on certain MacBooks, will demand noticeably more power than our Envy.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.22 / 0.43 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.8 / 5.8 / 6.4 Watt
Load midlight 31.3 / 31.7 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.
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, SanDisk X400 SD8SN8U-128G-1006, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPUK, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
HP Spectre 13-v131ng
i7-7500U, HD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS UWVA, 1920x1080, 13.30
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640, Apple SSD AP0128, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
HP Envy 13-d020ng
6200U, HD Graphics 520, Samsung MZRPC256HADR-000SO, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Power Consumption
8%
-20%
-27%
-30%
Idle Minimum *
2.8
4.1
-46%
3.6
-29%
3.7
-32%
4.2
-50%
Idle Average *
5.8
4.2
28%
6.4
-10%
5.2
10%
7.4
-28%
Idle Maximum *
6.4
5.1
20%
9.2
-44%
7.6
-19%
10.1
-58%
Load Average *
31.3
22.1
29%
34
-9%
41.6
-33%
33.4
-7%
Load Maximum *
31.7
29.4
7%
34.4
-9%
50.5
-59%
34.7
-9%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

HP has upped the battery capacity to 53.6 Wh from 45 W on the outgoing Envy 13 and runtimes have indeed been improved. Users can expect a battery life of over 9 hours on the new Kaby Lake model compared to 6 hours on the older Skylake model when under Balanced WLAN conditions. While still not as impressive as on the XPS 13 or MacBook Pro 13, battery life is still significantly better than even the flagship Spectre 13 since the latter utilizes a much smaller 38 Wh battery. Simply idling on desktop at the lowest possible brightness setting will last for over one full day before automatic shutdown.

Charging from near empty to full capacity will take just over two hours. The system utilizes a proprietary AC port unlike the more standardized USB Type-C charging ports of the Spectre series.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
24h 47min
WiFi Websurfing
9h 30min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 07min
HP Envy 13-ad065nr
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 53.6 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
HP Spectre 13-v131ng
i7-7500U, HD Graphics 620, 38 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640, 54.5 Wh
Acer Aspire S 13 S5-371-71QZ
6500U, HD Graphics 520, 45 Wh
HP Envy 13-d020ng
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 45 Wh
Battery Runtime
10%
-41%
-10%
-23%
-33%
Reader / Idle
1487
1295
-13%
718
-52%
1028
-31%
WiFi v1.3
570
677
19%
394
-31%
681
19%
472
-17%
381
-33%
Load
127
157
24%
77
-39%
78
-39%
99
-22%

Pros

+ sharp display with great colors and contrast
+ serviceable components; upgradeable SSD
+ visually appealing matte aluminum chassis
+ FHD and 4K UHD touchscreen options
+ 2x USB Type-C ports; MicroSD reader
+ no major throttling under load
+ small and lightweight design
+ very quiet even under load
+ respectable sound quality
+ long battery life

Cons

- slower than expected HD Graphics 620 GPU performance
- no matte display option; very glossy screen
- spongy trackpad; very light key feedback
- no Intel Iris or GeForce graphics options
- no Thunderbolt 3 or full-size SD reader
- below average brightness distribution
- base can creak and warp slightly
- below average outdoor visibility
- surfaces warm up very quickly
- lid susceptible to teetering
- higher-pitched fan noise
- soldered DDR3 RAM

Verdict

In review: HP Envy 13-ad065nr
In review: HP Envy 13-ad065nr

The biggest draw of the latest Envy is its lower starting price of $840 USD as a similarly configured XPS 13, Yoga 910, or Spectre x360 13 will run $1000 USD each or more. If Thunderbolt 3 or 2-in-1 features are not desirable, then the Envy 13 makes for a recommendable no frills solution. It's as close to owning a Spectre x360 13 but at a more affordable price point.

While the new chassis is certainly more portable and visually appealing than the outgoing Envy 13, the dropped HDMI port and full-size SD reader may irk some users. Both the keyboard and clickpad could have had better tactile feedback and fan noise, while generally quiet, is higher-pitched than usual. Matte panel and Iris Graphics options would have propelled the Envy 13 to be a more versatile Ultrabook especially for constant travelers or those demanding more graphical horsepower. Investing a couple hundred USD more in the XPS 13 or Spectre x360 13 will still net users sturdier designs, firmer keyboards, and more versatile connectivity options. Thus, the higher-end Envy 13 SKUs are more difficult to justify since the additional processing power is minimal compared to the improved rigidity and quality of the XPS 13 or Spectre designs.

The 2017 Envy 13 is a near-universal improvement over the 2016 model with its larger battery, integrated USB Type-C ports, and smaller and lighter size. It's still a few notches down from the flagship XPS 13 and Spectre series, but its lowest-end SKU still makes for a very strong case against bulky mid-range alternatives.

HP Envy 13-ad065nr - 08/09/2017 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
83 /  98 → 85%
Keyboard
67%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
59 / 80 → 73%
Weight
72 / 35-78 → 86%
Battery
92%
Display
82%
Games Performance
57 / 68 → 84%
Application Performance
86 / 87 → 98%
Temperature
90 / 91 → 99%
Noise
95%
Audio
70 / 91 → 77%
Average
78%
85%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Envy 13 ad065nr (i5-7200U, FHD) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2017-08- 9 (Update: 2019-04- 5)