惠普 Envy 6-1000sg 超级本测评

Apart from the slim profile characteristic of Ultrabooks, the Envy 6 immediately impressed us with its beautiful design and excellent materials. While the back of the display and the top of the chassis are finished in black matte aluminum, the red underside offers a stark contrast - just in case you often find yourself looking at the laptop from below. Attention to detail is reflected in the chrome-look framing of the touchpad, adding to the impression of high build quality that even puts some of the pricier Ultrabook competitors to shame. Unfortunately, the case attracts dirt and finger prints all too easily - frequent use of a cleaning cloth is compulsory.

For a 15-inch laptop, the weight of only 2.15 kg (4.7 pounds) is extremely light, underscoring the mobility aspirations of the Envy 6. In addition, the thickness of less than 2 centimeters (0.78 inches) is just 2 mm (0.08 inches) more than the smaller Asus Zenbook UX32VD. With these numbers, one has to ask: did HP take any shortcuts when it comes to stability?

Fortunately, that's not the case: Especially the base unit is very rigid, thanks to a thick aluminum plate. The rubberized bottom covering also proved to be solid enough, despite its simple plastic construction. The display cannot quite keep up and can be visibly flexed. Given that the hinges are very tight, both hands and a bit of care are required to open up the display.

Apart from this minor shortcoming, the Ultrabook has a remarkable touch and feel to it and oozes build quality. Material transitions reveal no sharp edges or uneven spacing. The HP does not quite reach the lofty quality standard of Apple's MacBooks or Dell's XPS series, but in its price range, the build quality is second to none.

Communication

HP has opted for a WLAN card in mini PCIe format made by Broadcom, the 4313GN (1x1) to be precise. This low-end model only transmits in the 2.4 Ghz band, and supports 802.11 b/g/n standards. Neither the range nor the maximum transfer rate (72 MBit/s BRUTTO) left a particularly good impression during our test, and could become a problem when connecting to more distant Wi-Fi hot spots. At least the adapter also supports Bluetooth, but only the older 3.0 + HS (high speed extension) variant. HP does not offer a UMTS (3G) option.

The "TrueVision-HD-Webcam" is integrated in the display frame, and capable of 1.3 Megapixel resolution. Image quality is at best average; neither sharpness nor noise level are particularly convincing. On the upside, the sensor delivers a fluent video stream, even at maximum resolution. The built-in microphone delivers slightly tinny and hollow sounds, only really usable for applications like Skype.

Accessories

The HP Envy 6-1000sg comes shipped with a battery, 65 Watt power adapter, a few brochures and warranty papers included in a slim box. The manufacturer does not provide any additional extras, like recovery or driver media. The preinstalled Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system is mostly free of annoying tool bars or trial versions, but all the useful standard programs like Adobe's Acrobat Reader or Microsoft Office 2010 (starter edition) are on board. In addition, there are a couple of more or less useful manufacturer tools. The HP Security Assistant lets the user manage passwords or create backups; the Connection Manager provides an overview of network connections.

Maintenance

The lack of a service cover makes user serviceability rather cumbersome: A total of nine screws have to be removed from the underside before the case can be carefully jimmied open. After you've cleared this first hurdle, however, most components of the Envy 6 can be replaced with relative ease.

While the 2.5-inch bay and the mSATA slot are already occupied, there's nothing to prevent you from upgrading the RAM. The Wi-Fi module could also be exchanged by the user, although the single antenna means that faster adapters will have limited use.

Warranty

According to a sticker on the bottom, HP offers a two-year manufacturer's warranty. This time span can be extended to a total of three years with an optional upgrade called "Care Pack", for a price of about 120 Euros (~$155), depending on the seller.

When a notebook is as mobile as the Envy 6, unlimited outdoor readability is of the essence. Unfortunately, HP falls short on two fronts: In combination with the much too low display brightness, the glossy finish makes images hard to see even outside of direct sunlight. The manufacturer really needs to get its act together here.

Our final discipline, the measurement of viewing angles, is no strong suit of the display either. Typical of TN panels, even a slight variation of seating position results in a noticeable decrease of image quality. The vertical is particularly hard hit, but even in the horizontal, the Envy 6 cannot compete with the (admittedly much more expensive) Zenbook UX32VD.

A thin laptop requires a ULV processor in order to officially qualify as an Ultrabook, according to the specifications of Intel, "inventor" of the category. HP has opted for the midrange model Core i5-3317U , a 1.7 GHz dual-core CPU of the current Ivy Bridge generation. Like all Core i5 (and Core i7) processors, the 3317U features Intel's Turbo Boost 2.0 technology, which enables the clock speed to increase in steps of 100 Mhz, up to a maximum of 2.6 Ghz (2.4 Ghz in dual-core mode). Multithreaded software can benefit from Hyperthreading, where each core executes two threads in parallel. In terms of power consumption, the 22nm CPU is quite moderate: like all ULV models, the TDP is specified at only 17 Watts.

While most Ultrabooks have to make do with the HD Graphics 4000 option integrated into the chipset, the Envy 6 comes equipped with an additional dedicated graphics card. After most of the models we've had for review recently featured NVIDIA’s Kepler series, we are surprised to see the choice of the slightly older Radeon HD 7670M. AMD's card also enables dynamic graphics switching (which the manufacturer calls "Dynamic Switchable Graphics" or "Enduro") comparable to Optimus, so that no power goes to waste in idle mode.

The RAM is specified at a minimal 4 GB (1 module of DDR3-1600 made by Hynix), and the 320 GB hard disk is also a common choice for entry level notebooks. At least, HP also provides a 32 GB SSD cache, which should increase responsiveness.

More and more manufacturers go for a combination of a classic HD and a fast SSD cache - not surprisingly, since it offers a well-balanced compromise of capacity and performance at an attractive price point.

From the point of view of the user, this RAID configuration works completely seamlessly. The most frequently used data is automatically stored on the SSD, and in an ideal case, the much larger access time of the hard disk never becomes an issue.

Inside the Envy 6, we find a Hitachi HDD (HTS545032A7E380, 320 GB), as well as an mSATA drive made by Samsung (PM 830, 32 GB). While the hard disk isn't a particularly fast one, with 8 GB of cache and spinning at 5400 RPM, the performance of Samsung's current SSD generation had already impressed us in several previous tests.

At least according to our benchmarks, HD Tune and CrystalDiskMark, however, the combination does not seem to work together that well. The average sequential transfer rate of about 55 MB/s is even lower than what the HDD should be capable of on its own. For small 4K files, we were able to witness much better results, in line with our expectations for flash memory.

The Radeon HD 7670M, as well as the identical HD 6650M have made it to our test bench several times - you will find the corresponding bench marks in our GPU database.

In line with expectations from the synthetic 3DMark test, in games, too, the graphics card performs pretty much on par with the GeForce GT 620M, which makes it see eye to eye with the Aspire V5-571G: Many current games, like Deus Ex: Human Revolution or Anno 2070 are playable at the display's native resolution of 1366x768 pixels and medium detail settings. Particularly demanding titles, such as Alan Wake, may require somewhat reduced settings, while older or less complex games like FIFA 12 leave some performance reserves, that can be used for additional features such as anti-aliasing or anisotropic filters.

Compared to the HD Graphics 4000, the 7670M has a comfortable advantage of between 50 and 100% that also comes through in practice.

HP makes use of the aluminum surfaces to channel part of the heat generated by the CPU and graphics card out of the case. While this helps to keep the hardware cool, the effect this has on the user are less fortunate: Even at idle, the case warms up to an average of 34 degrees centigrade. After prolonged periods of full load, temperatures in excess of 40 degrees were reached, even though that sounds more dramatic than it feels in practice. Firstly, extreme temperatures of 45 degrees were only recorded near the air vent, which is located on the back and out of reach of the user's hands. Secondly, temperatures reached during the stress test represent a theoretical maximum, and will rarely be encountered in real life. On the contrary, the Envy 6 can usually be placed on your lap without problems.

The efficiency of the cooling system is reflected in our temperature measurements from inside the case: After about 60 minutes of running Prime95, the Core i5 settles on about 77 degrees centigrade, while the Radeon GPU heats up to no more than 65 degrees centigrade during the FurMark test. With these low values, it's surprising that HP severely restricts the processor's Turbo Boost function: After just a few minutes, the CPU throttles down to its base rate of 1.7 Ghz. In our opinion, the cooling design would be well capable of dealing with higher clock speeds.

A large "Beats Audio" sticker is prominently displayed on the box, suggesting exceptional sound quality. Two stereo speakers located above the keyboard and a small subwoofer hidden within the case are tasked with keeping that promise.

In practice, our high expectations were only partly fulfilled. The audio presets configured by the manufacturer are all biased towards the high end, but lack mid tones and bass. With a few adjustments, however, a pretty well balanced soundscape can be reached, with the exception of basses that remain disappointing. Still, the speakers are adequate for playing the occasional movie or music and deliver a volume adequate for filling a medium sized room if required. Hi-Fi aficionados will be able to connect their home cinema system via the HDMI adapter, while headphones can be connected to the 3.5 millimeter audio jack.

Ultrabooks are coming of age: Thanks to its dedicated graphics card, the HP Envy 6-1000sg can be transformed from an enduring travel companion into a gaming-capable all-rounder if required. 

Even though the Radeon HD 7670M may no longer represent the cutting edge of technology, it is still capable of running most current games fluently, and also wins our favor with a surprisingly good power efficiency. At idle, the Envy 6 works just as economically as most of its competitors, and reaches a superb battery life that exceeds even the manufacturer's claims.

Unfortunately, the inferior screen disqualifies the notebook for outdoor use. Both the sub-average brightness and the glossy finish keep the user locked indoors - a double blow, considering that the Ultrabook has been designed for portability. The poor Wi-Fi reception just adds to the poor performance here.

We're left with a slightly ambivalent feeling: For about 750 Euros (~$969), you get a well-made multimedia notebook, but judged by the key criteria of an Ultrabook, it falls short. In the same price region, there are both more powerful and more mobile alternatives - HP has tried to make a compromise between the two. As a result, the Envy 6 is perhaps most directly comparable to models such as the Aspire V5-571G or the Aspire TimelineU M5-581TG, both manufactured by Acer. We weren't able to establish a clear front runner, so the buyer is left with the choice depending on personal preferences, and has to balance price, performance and features.