Pros

  • Lots of ports and wireless features
  • Great audio, with analog volume dial

Cons

  • Miscalibrated color
  • Terrible palm detection on the touchpad

At A Glance

HP could have a very satisfying performance laptop in the Envy 15--if it addresses a couple of critical problems.

Manufacturer’s Description

Discrete graphics and second-generation Intel i-core processors for good gaming, multimedia, and creative projects, plus premium support, Beats audio, an eye-popping display, a precision-etched metal alloy case. It's all in ENVY 14 series.

The Specs

Pricing
Part Number LY277AV1697276
Processor
Cache size 3.0 KB
Processor count 2
Processor speed 2400.0 MHz
Processor type Intel Core i5
Memory
Memory type DDR3
Memory size 6000.0 MB
Memory max 16.0 GB
Display
Display type Glossy LCD with LED Backlight
Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels
Display size 15.6 inches
Storage
Hard Drive Speed 7200 RPM
Drives included 1.0
Other storage
  • SD/MMC Card
  • SDHC Card
Drive type Hard Disk Drive
Drive size 500.0 GB
Battery
Vendor Rated Battery life 7.25 hours
Ports and Connections
SD/MMC Card 1
Ethernet Type 10/100/1000 Mbps
Video Interfaces
  • DisplayPort
  • HDMI
MultiMedia Card (MMC) or MultiMediaCard (MMC) Yes
Wireless connection 802.11 n/b/g
Available Interfaces Bluetooth
Slots
  • SD/MMC Card
  • SDHC Card
SDHC Card or Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) 1
Dimensions
Weight with Accessories 7.1 pounds
Height 1.2 inches
Weight 5.8 pounds
Depth 9.6 inches
Width 15.0 inches
Included Software
Included Software Adobe: Photoshop Elements 9, Premiere Elements 9 with SmartSound Quicktracks; CyberLink: PowerDVD, YouCam, Power2Go; Microsoft Office Starter 2010
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Other Features
Devices
  • Backlit Keyboard
  • Built-In Microphone
  • Built-In Webcam
  • Carrying Case/Cover
Input devices
  • Keyboard (backlit)
  • Touchpad (multitouch)

Performance

Overall Performance
WorldBench 6 Score 119
Battery
Battery Life 5:15  (hh:mm)
Office Productivity
Web Browsing 255  seconds (lower is better)
Office Suite Use 352  seconds (lower is better)
File Compression 182  seconds (lower is better)
Power Usage
Off power usage 0.9  Watt hours
Sleep power usage 1.2  Watt hours
Idle power usage 15.2  Watts
Content Creation
CPU Graphics Rendering 388  seconds (lower is better)
DVD Burning 259  seconds (lower is better)
Image Editing 321  seconds (lower is better)
GPU Graphics Rendering 321  seconds (lower is better)
Video Encoding 196  seconds (lower is better)
Video Editing 181  seconds (lower is better)
Multitasking
World Bench 6 Multitasking 295
Gaming
Dirt 2, High Quality, 800x600 51.4  Frames per second (higher is better)
Dirt 2, High Quality, 1024x768 42.1  Frames per second (higher is better)
Dirt 2, High Quality, 1920x1080 24.8  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Medium, 800 by 600 120.4  Frames per second (higher is better)
Dirt 2, Ultra Quality, 1920x1080 24.5  Frames per second (higher is better)
Far Cry 2, High Quality, 1024x768 37.6  Frames per second (higher is better)
Far Cry 2, High Quality, 800x600 46.6  Frames per second (higher is better)
Far Cry 2, Low Quality, 1024x768 63.1  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Highest, 800 by 600 102.6  Frames per second (higher is better)
Far Cry 2, Low Quality, 800x600 77.1  Frames per second (higher is better)
Far Cry 2, Low Quality, 1920x1080 34.5  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Medium, 1024 by 768 117.5  Frames per second (higher is better)
Stalker 2, Ultra Quality, 1920x1080 11.9  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Highest, 1024 by 768 82.8  Frames per second (higher is better)
Far Cry 2, Ultra Quality, 1920x1080 19.4  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Highest, 1680 by 1050 57  Frames per second (higher is better)
Far Cry 2, High Quality, 1920x1080 21.5  Frames per second (higher is better)
Dirt 2, Low Quality, 1920x1080 45.6  Frames per second (higher is better)
Dirt 2, Low Quality, 1024x768 73.4  Frames per second (higher is better)
Dirt 2, Low Quality, 800x600 82.6  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Medium, 1680 by 1050 69.5  Frames per second (higher is better)

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