Review HP Envy 15-j011sg Notebook

The Envy 15 belongs to the thinner laptops with a maximum height of three centimeters (~1.2 inches). The all-rounder is pleasant to carry around owing to its moderate dimensions, and its relatively low weight of approx. 2.3 kg (~5.1 pounds).

Its design is also appealing. While the display bezel and casing's underside are black, the lid and keyboard area feature a suave silver-gray color. HP states a mix of fiberglass and aluminum on its homepage. Subjectively, the cover and the wrist rest have a high-quality feel to them, which has a positive effect on the quality impression.

The stiffness is not as compelling. Besides the maintenance cover that allows accessing the 2.5-inch slot, both working memory banks, the wireless module, and an empty mSATA slot, the upper side is not exceptionally pressure resistant (especially in the center area). This drawback is not particularly distracting when the user can live with a yielding keyboard though. The display that wobbles noticeably on shaky surfaces is not a paragon for stiffness either.

Nevertheless, we would say the chassis is well built. Its looks and its build will satisfy most customers.

Software

As known from HP, there are various programs on the storage device. Mostly proprietary products are installed besides a few trial versions, such as Norton Internet Security, and Microsoft Office 365.

"3D DriveGuard" protects the hard drive against shocks, and "CoolSense" controls the laptop's performance and fan speed depending on the situation (disabled during the test). Other tools, such as "Recovery Manager" can be accessed via "HP Utility Center". Also, the built-in fingerprint scanner can be configured via "SimplePass". Some users will be happy about Cyberlink's software bundle (Photo/Power Director & YouCam).

We would however recommend cleaning up the installation. The system boots rather slowly in factory settings, and does not respond very fast in the first few minutes.

Accessories

Following the current trend, HP does not include many accessories. The buyer has to be satisfied with three information leaflets. The compact 125 x 50 x 30 millimeter (~4.9 x 2.0 x 1.2 inch) power supply weighs 325 grams (~0.7 pounds), and the 6-cell battery is on about the same level.

Warranty

A 24-month warranty with pick-up & return service is included.

Keyboard

The island-style keyboard (aka chiclet or chocolate) makes a good impression. Although it yields noticeably in some areas, as mentioned above, HP has done almost everything right.

The user will only have a short familiarization period owing to the white backlight, the keys' decent size (~15 x 15 millimeters), and the well-designed layout. Only the F-row that is mapped with 12 convenient functions (screen brightness, volume, etc.), and the center arrow keys could have been a bit larger. The installed, dedicated number pad will be interesting for prolific typists.

We did not find the typing feel exceptional. The drop, pressure point, and stroke do not step out of line. The same is true for the noise. It is possible to change the FN functions' behavior in the BIOS so that the FN-key does not have to be pressed at the same time (System Configuration, Action Keys Mode).

Processor

The Core i5-4200M is a brand new dual-core CPU from Intel's Haswell generation. The 22 nm structure width indicates a modern architecture, just like a three MB L3 cache and a DirectX 11 capable graphics chip.

The Envy 15 can switch between the GeForce GT 740M and HD Graphics 4600 via Nvidia's Optimus technology. Its main advantage is the lower power consumption, and consequently longer battery runtimes.

Some readers will be familiar with the term Hyperthreading. By simulating two virtual cores, the Core i5-4200M can process four threads simultaneously (eight in quad-core models). However, focus is placed on automatic overclocking in (gaming) use.

The GeForce GT 740M is very closely related to the GT 750M model. Both graphics cards feature 384 CUDA cores, and 1.3 million transistors. The chips are built in the 28 nm process because they are members of the Kepler generation.

The performance differences are a result of the used memory. The Envy 15-j011sg supplies only a 64-bit interface (128-bit for the GT 750M). The 2048 MB DDR3 VRAM clocks with 902 MHz. The core's clock ranges from 980 to 1058 MHz in 3D mode.

The used ForceWare 327.02 GPU driver was installed via a Windows update. The pre-loaded 311.41 version is not recommendable due to its advanced age. Windows offered the newer ForceWare 331.65 shortly after all tests were completed. Battlefield 4, which had problems starting, first worked with this driver.

The storage device in the Envy 15 is a big 1000 GB HDD. The Travelstar 5K1000 spins at 5400 rpm. Although that is not much, it is compensated quite well by the memory's high capacity. A sequential read and write rate of approximately 110 MB/s (CrystalDiskMark) could be the rate of a 7200-rpm model. HD Tune recorded an average transfer rate of 84 MB/s (access time: 18 ms), which is also a decent rate.

However, the limitations of the magnetic technology are soon noticed in routine use. Compared with a solid-state drive, boot and load times, as well as installation and program starts usually need considerably longer.

As can be seen in our gaming benchmarks, the GeForce GT 740M has a very hard time with high resolutions. Maximum details, and enabled anti-aliasing are usually not possible because these settings cause extreme stuttering. All four tested games, i.e. Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Need for Speed: Rivals, and Assassin's Creed IV, only managed less than 15 fps.

Some games do not run lag-free even in medium settings and 1366x768 pixels (the GT 750M often copes with high details). Thus, an HD or HD+ screen would have been the better choice for the laptop.

Basically, only casual gamers or those willing to accept compromises should take the Envy 15-j011sg. Satisfying gaming requires, at minimum, the GeForce GTX 765M.

The permanently running fan at least keeps the surfaces cool during low load. An average of 25 °C (77 °F) after 120 minutes of idling is impressive.

The Envy 15 does not perform as well in 3D mode. While the wrist rest area did not get too hot with a maximum of 36 °C (96.8 °F), up to 46 °C (114.8 °F) (upper side), and 51 °C (123.8 °F) (underside) were ascertained in the fan's area. However, the temperatures are still tolerable in view of the slim build, particularly since these high temperatures are not reached under normal conditions.

A lot more is demanded from the components. The Core i5-4200M's temperature climbed to over 90 °C (194 °F) after one hour of full load. Nevertheless, we would not call this critical. The GeForce GT 740M managed to stay below 85 °C (185 °F) despite full overclocking.

The audio system looks impressive on paper. Four speakers paired with two subwoofers promise a rich sound. HP meets the expectations as our test proved.

When smaller discrepancies that can barely be avoided in laptops are ignored, the Envy 15 scores with a great sound that can compete with bigger gaming machines (MSI GT70). Only a few laptops provide the user with such a balanced soundscape. Unlike other laptops, the user is treated to a powerful bass that decently accentuates even harder music pieces. It is also surprising that the slightest details in games and movies are extracted.

The icing on the cake is the software dubbed "Beats Audio" on the HDD. It features a graphic equalizer besides three scenarios. There are also several improvements for microphones, e.g. echo cancellation. This makes it even more aggravating that the screen does not even come close to the sound quality.

A battery capacity of 62 Wh (5225 mAh) deserves to be called "decent". The 15-inch laptop achieves above-average runtimes in combination with Nvidia's Optimus technology.

Up to 6.5 hours would theoretically be possible in minimum screen brightness or load, and maximum energy saving options. The Envy 15-j011sg ran for 4.5 hours when the brightness was set to 150 cd/m² (-2 levels), and we browsed the Internet via Wi-Fi. Not every laptop manages approximately 100 minutes of gaming either (based on Battery Eaters Classic test).

Is it a success or a failure? The answer to this question strongly depends on the demands placed on image quality. Seen objectively, the glossy Full HD screen is a failure. Tight viewing angles, limited color space, poor contrast: Video fans should steer clear of the Envy 15-j011sg.

Less demanding users who simply want an attractively priced all-around laptop can take it. The light, and fairly slim casing convinces with its good build, and elegant design. The backlit keyboard also enables working or playing in absolute darkness.

Another buying argument (for laptop conditions) is the exceptional sound. The Beats system makes external speakers unnecessary. Although the GeForce GT 740M and Core i5-4200M do not achieve record-breaking performance, their power is adequate. However, we would recommend the version with the GT 750M for 50 Euros (~$69) more (the premium version with a Core i7-4702MQ is only conditionally worthwhile). An SSD for the system is not a bad idea either. The main point of criticism remains to be the inferior screen.

Other alternatives can be found in the right column under "Shortcut".