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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
Processor type Intel Core i5
Processor speed 2400.0 MHz
Cache size 3.0 KB
Processor count 2
Memory
Memory size 6000.0 MB
Memory type DDR3
Memory max 16.0 GB
Display
Display size 15.6 inches
Display type Glossy LCD with LED Backlight
Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels
Storage
Drives included 1.0
Drive size 500.0 GB
Hard Drive Speed 7200 RPM
Other storage
  • SD/MMC Card
  • SDHC Card
Drive type Hard Disk Drive
Battery
Vendor Rated Battery life 7.25 hours
Ports and Connections
SD/MMC Card 1
Ethernet Type 10/100/1000 Mbps
MultiMedia Card (MMC) or MultiMediaCard (MMC) Yes
Available Interfaces Bluetooth
SDHC Card or Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) 1
Wireless connection 802.11 n/b/g
Video Interfaces
  • DisplayPort
  • HDMI
Slots
  • SD/MMC Card
  • SDHC Card
Dimensions
Width 15.0 inches
Depth 9.6 inches
Height 1.2 inches
Weight with Accessories 7.1 pounds
Weight 5.8 pounds
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
Idle power usage 15.2  Watts
Sleep power usage 1.2  Watt hours
Off power usage 0.9  Watt hours
Content Creation
Image Editing 321  seconds (lower is better)
GPU Graphics Rendering 321  seconds (lower is better)
CPU Graphics Rendering 388  seconds (lower is better)
Video Encoding 196  seconds (lower is better)
DVD Burning 259  seconds (lower is better)
Video Editing 181  seconds (lower is better)
Multitasking
World Bench 6 Multitasking 295
Gaming
Unreal Tournament 3, Medium, 800 by 600 120.4  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Medium, 1024 by 768 117.5  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Medium, 1680 by 1050 69.5  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Highest, 800 by 600 102.6  Frames per second (higher is better)
Unreal Tournament 3, Highest, 1024 by 768 82.8  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, 800x600 46.6  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, 1920x1080 21.5  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, 1024x768 63.1  Frames per second (higher is better)
Far Cry 2, Low Quality, 1920x1080 34.5  Frames per second (higher is better)
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)
Dirt 2, Low Quality, 800x600 82.6  Frames per second (higher is better)
Dirt 2, Low Quality, 1024x768 73.4  Frames per second (higher is better)
Dirt 2, Low Quality, 1920x1080 45.6  Frames per second (higher is better)
Dirt 2, Ultra Quality, 1920x1080 24.5  Frames per second (higher is better)
Far Cry 2, Ultra Quality, 1920x1080 19.4  Frames per second (higher is better)
Stalker 2, Ultra Quality, 1920x1080 11.9  Frames per second (higher is better)