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HP Envy x360 15’6″ Touchscreen 2-in-1 Laptop

The HP Envy x360 15-inch is a stylish, all-metal slab that’s lightweight and portable while maintaining spry performance that I’ve grown to appreciate.

The updated AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU and Radeon Graphics in the Ryzen-powered convertible are similar to previous versions, but with improved performance as a result of the new processor and graphics.

The Envy’s look is reminiscent of that of HP users, as the angular tight, robust design is now used in everything from the Envy 13 to the HP ZBook Studio laptops, and it’s a personal favorite of mine. So I took this lively charcoal mix out for a trip to see how it would perform under constant use. 

HP ENVY X360 15 SPECS

  • Price: $769 (starting); $999 as reviewed
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU
  • GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • Display: 15.6-inch, 1080p IPS LED
  • Battery: 11:23
  • Size: 14.13 x 9.96 x 0.68-inches
  • Weight: 4.1 pounds

PROS

  • Speedy eight-core Ryzen 7 CPU
  • Classy, if the bulky, design
  • Colorful screen
  • Function-packed keyboard

CONS

  • No 4K screen option with AMD CPU
  • Pen not included
  • Too heavy to hold in tablet mode

Flexible Hinge, Flexible Configurations 

HP’s Envy brand, according to the company, is aimed at creative individuals. The HP Envy x360 15 comes with either Intel or AMD processors, but only Core i7-1165G7 versions (starting at $1,009.99) come with discrete Nvidia GeForce MX450 graphics instead of integrated graphics and a 4K AMOLED screen in place of a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel display.

The HP 15-e0009nr provides an IPS touchscreen with a resolution of full HD and AMD Radeon integrated graphics, while the $699.99 base model has a Ryzen 5 5500U CPU, 8GB of memory, a 256GB solid-state drive, and a rather dim 250-nit touch screen.

Our $999.99 test unit uses the eight-core 1.8GHz (4.3GHz turbo) Ryzen 7 5700U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and a brighter 400-nit IPS touch display with the same full HD resolution supported by AMD Radeon integrated graphics.

There was no pen in our model 15-eu0097nr; however, custom configurations on HP.com

The webcam lacks face recognition, but there’s a Windows Hello-compatible fingerprint reader you don’t have to type passwords. The surrounding bezels on the Gorilla Glass screen are thin. (HP claims an 89 percent screen-to-body ratio.)

You can flip and fold the display from laptop mode to tray table tent mode, easel mode, or tablet mode with the screen and keyboard back to back using the usual two hinges.

HP Envy x360 15 design

One of my favorite aspects about the HP Envy x360’s ultra-thin charcoal gray slate look is that it appears to be prepared for daring exploits. Its sharp edges, reminiscent of The Falcon’s Redwing drone, just overflowing with potential, ready to act but in stealth mode owing to its dark grey colorway.

When you open the Envy, its hinges offer firm resistance, a good indicator of solidly made hinges, which you want in a 2-in-1. The beautiful backlit Chiclet-style keyboard is visible when you lift the lid.

On each side of the keyboard are two Bang & Olufsen audio speakers, and below it is an ample touchpad with two Bang & Olufsen audio speakers. The fingerprint reader is to the right of the alt key.  

The Dell Latitude 14 7000 Convertible Touch is the biggest, weighing in at 4.1 pounds and measuring 14.13 x 9.96 x 0.68 inches.

It’s also the most powerful of the three members of its group, which includes the 2-in-1 Dell Latitude 7320 (3.1 pounds, 12.1 x 7.9 x 0 ) and Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ (1.8 pounds, 11 .5 x 7 .9 0).

HP Envy x360 15 security 

Windows Hello’s face recognition, IR webcam, and proximity sensor complement one another to lock unwanted visitors and wake the user up when he or she returns.

There’s also a fingerprint reader for increased security and a shutter button to block the camera.

HP Envy x360 15 ports

With so many ports for its size, the HP Envy x360 comes well-equipped. On the right side, there is a USB Type-A port, an SD card slot, and an AC power connection. 

On the left, we discover another USB-A port, an HDMI port, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

HP Envy x360 15 display

The HP Envy x360 15-inch, 1080p FHD touch display produces pictures and video with plenty of color intensity, good brightness, and contrast. When I’m feeling down, I like watching Iron Man on Disney Plus since it’s my favorite show.

The Envy’s screen rendered the sequence where Robert Downey Jr. is playing cards in a casino while they show a video about Stark’s accomplishments hilarious and flawlessly. 

During another sequence, Tony dons the Iron Man suit and takes to the sky to destroy his weapons. Right before the helmet closes, we see his face, and it just establishes the tone.

When we first see him raise his arms to utilize his repulsors and his palms light up, the Envy’s display warmly emitted the red and gold of his armor. 

Finally, when Iron Man has been knocked out of the sky and comes crashing down, stands up slowly, then turns to fire one solitary missile at the tank before slowly walking away as though to say, “not on my watch,” the Envy x360’s screen never let me down by rendering each moment clearly with vivid color. 

The Envy x360’s color rendering capabilities were tested using the DCI-P3 color gamut, which the premium laptop average of 85.2 bests.

It was still in the first place, but it fell short of the premium laptop standard by 7%. The Surface Pro 7+ obtained an overall grade of 75.5 percent and a group ranking of 83.3 percent, whereas the Dell Latitude 7320 achieved 83.3 percent. 

The HP Envy x360 has an average brightness of 338 nits, which is less than the 392-nit norm. The Surface Pro 7+ was our group’s standout with 358 nits, and the Latitude completed us off with 260 nits. 

I have a strong dislike for 2-in-1 devices, particularly HP. The touchscreen display is very responsive and precise, but it does not include a stylus. It appears as though it would be an excellent opportunity lost, especially at this price point.

For both HP and many other manufacturers, this is a huge swing and miss. Many cheaper Chromebooks include a stylus; even the lack of one would be preferable to just omit it completely.

HP Envy x360 15 audio

The HP Envy x360’s Bang & Olufsen-tuned speakers delivered more audible than I anticipated. In this form factor, I never expect a pounding bass experience, and the Envy is no different. However, they were sufficient enough to listen to a video while also listening to music in our studio flat.

His voice was exceptionally clear and rang out with great range and tone when I played his song “That’s What I Like.” Bruno’s occasional falsetto was clean and nice.

The bass is decent, but it lacked thump as expected. The speakers aren’t designed for parties; rather, they’re intended for business meetings and light usage. 

The machine-gun fire in Iron Man was precise; his repulsors had that lovely whine followed by the blast; explosions sounded appropriate loud and clear, and the vocals were understandable.

Overall, the Envy provides acceptable sound quality but wireless headphones would be preferable if you want to enjoy stronger sounds.

HP Envy x360 15 keyboards and touchpad

Even with my huge Shrek-like hands, I had no trouble typing on the Envy x360’s keyboard. The clicky, backlit keyboard has good travel. It was nice to type on such a tiny, tightly built convertible for once. 

I obtained a staggering 96 words per minute on the 10fastfingers test with 95% accuracy. My normal wpm average is between 70 and 85 percent.

The Envy’s 5.6-inch touchpad is enormous, and it works well with Windows 10 gestures like three or four-fingered swipes and simple finger taps. The touchpad’s bottom corners are extremely clicky and responsive.

HP Envy x360 15 performance

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU in the HP Envy x360 15 is not a minor player. The Ryzen 7 5700U CPU in our test unit scored outstanding productivity benchmark scores, and the integrated Radeon graphics can play some light 3D games.

In PCMark 10, which simulates a variety of productivity activities, the Envy x360 15 outscored several laptops equipped with Intel’s 11th-gen Core i7 processors by 9 percent, with a score of 5,337.

The Envy x360 fared poorly in the “Video Editing” section of this benchmark—3,577 versus 4,769 for HP’s Intel-powered Spectre x360—which appears to help restore its reputation.

hpenvyx36015pcmark10

The Ryzen 7 CPU in the HP Envy x360 15 outperforms several Intel PCs in PCMark10’s productivity test.

The free HandBrake program encoded a huge video file on the Envy x360 15 in just 26 minutes and 15 seconds, about 10 minutes faster than similarly equipped laptops with Intel Core i7 CPUs.

Ryzen’s eight-core CPU should make it capable of video encoding, and the larger chassis allows for better heat dispersion during intensive tasks compared to 13- or 14-inch laptops with similar specs.

HP includes air vents on both sides of the Envy x360 15’s back edge to keep hot air from blowing onto your lap; these should negate any need for an external cooler.

hpenvyx36015handbrake

The eight cores of Ryzen 7 outperform quad-core Intel processors in video encoding.

The Cinebench benchmark is a short burst of CPU activity, similar to a sprint in a marathon. In single-threaded mode, which reflects the needs of most common applications, and multi-threaded mode, which resembles the demands of more demanding applications such as video editing, we test Cinebench.

To its credit, the laptop’s multi-threaded score was significantly better than an Intel-powered machine’s. Single-threaded performance dropped back to the middle of the pack.

hpenvyx36015cinebench

In Cinebench’s multi-threaded test, the HP Envy x360 15 outperforms most laptops. Single-threaded performance, on the other hand, is average.

According to 3DMark’s Time Spy test, machines with Intel Xe graphics have an advantage over the Envy x360’s integrated Radeon in gaming. Even so, if you manage your expectations, HP’s laptop may suffice in a pinch.

Fortnite ran at a smooth 60 frames per second on my computer at 1080p with medium settings. Hideo Kojima’s post-apocalyptic head-trip Death Stranding was barely playable at 720p on low settings, to my surprise.

hpenvyx36015timespy

We couldn’t resist adding a discrete GPU for comparison with both Intel and AMD touting their integrated graphics these days, so we had to include one.

Don’t expect outstanding battery life. In our looping video rundown test, the HP Envy x360 15 lasted for 10 hours and 5 minutes.

While this isn’t terrible for a 15-inch laptop, you can see from our comparison chart how smaller laptops tend to last longer, even with similar battery capacities. (Both the Envy x360 15 and the Envy 14 have design capacities of around 51Whr, but the smaller laptop survived five hours longer.)

hpenvyx36015battery

You’ll want to loop the video for 10 hours if you expect a section of your working day on battery power, but you’ll probably need an additional top-up near the end.

All of this adds up to a great bargain for a 15-inch laptop, especially when you consider the 16GB of RAM and 512GB of solid-state storage as tested. The HP Envy x360 15 is fantastic, with an attractive design and a decent range of ports. Even if it means extra bulk, the convertible touchscreen is just icing on the cake.

HP Envy x360 Convertible 15 graphics 

The AMD Radeon graphics found in the Envy x360 handled videos and games without a hitch. Playing Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Gathering Storm at 1080p, our system achieved an average of 35 frames per second, which is greater than the premium laptop average of 28 frames per second.

The Latitude (20fps) and Surface Pro 7+ (15fps) completed us off. The Latitude 7320 obtained a score of 3,615 in 3DMark Fire Strike, which was below the 4,798 means. The Latitude outscored the Surface Pro 7+ with 4,227 to put this benchmark behind us.

HP Envy x360 15 battery life

The Envy x360 lasted 11 hours and 23 minutes during the Laptop Mag Battery Test, which entails continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. That time is above the 10:17 premium laptop average. The Latitude lasted 12:01, whereas the Surface Pro 7+ barely finished the day at 8:49.

HP Envy x360 15 heat

The HP Envy x360 is a chilly creature at all times of the day or night. During our heat test (15 minutes of playing a fullscreen HD video), the touchpad measured 78.5 degrees Fahrenheit, with the center of the keyboard sitting at 83 degrees.

The bottom of the laptop climbed to 84.5 degrees, which is well below our 95-degree comfort threshold.

HP Envy x360 15 webcam 

The HP Envy x360’s integrated webcam is typical for its class. The colors in my test photos were nicely saturated, particularly my tawny color.

My beard and facial features were visible, as were the smallest details of it. The shutter button to the left of the power button on the camera is the most remarkable aspect. You can assure your privacy by pressing just one button.

Overall, the webcam performs well when conducting video conferences, but if you want a higher-resolution camera, check out our top webcams page.

Upgradability of the HP Envy x360 15

Even though nothing within the Envy x360 15 is meant to be user-replaceable, HP claims that none of it is. And, despite our best efforts (which included removing one of the two exposed screws), we were unable to remove the bottom of the laptop ourselves.

There may well be additional screws hidden beneath the rubber foot strips, which would almost certainly be destroyed if they are taken away.

However, the manufacturer has already sent us an image (above) of the system with the underside removed. The Intel Wi-Fi 6/Bluetooth card in the upper-left appears to be detachable, as does the M.2 SSD behind a shield in the lower-right corner.

Furthermore, because it is most likely a LiPo battery, replacing it should be quite simple so long as you pay attention to the speaker cable that sits just below it. HP offers a video explaining how to remove and replace the battery here.

However, because you’ll almost certainly have to break the bottom of the computer to perform any upgrades, it’s probably better to buy from HP with what you like rather than attempting to add stuff yourself later.

Software and Warranty on the HP Envy x360 15

While there is a lot of bloatware on this HP laptop, it has been kept under control. I didn’t think there was much after casually using and testing the laptop.

However, one long look at (and a complete scroll down) the Start menu reveals shortcuts for McAfee. Booking.com, Adobe trials, Lastpass, ExpressVPN, and the Utomik games subscription service are just a few of the programs that appear.

Many of these are simple shortcuts instead of full applications, which isn’t as bad as pre-installed software but is still something to be concerned about when you have so much stuff on your PCs.

The HP Omen 15-d020nr’s software bundle is similar, except for its Omen software, which gathers your game installations and screen captures from several services into one location.

Perhaps this makes sense because the laptop’s AMD integrated Radeon graphics are more capable of light gaming than previous Intel Integrated graphics.

However, if you intend to play more than simple and older games, you should invest in something with a dedicated GPU.

Here’s HP Command Center, which displays system information, allows you to change the temperature and performance settings manually, and prioritize network traffic for certain applications.

The Focus Mode in the included Control Center is also worth noting. When active, it gives the entire brightness of the screen to whatever window is in the foreground, while dimming out your desktop background and other applications.

The firm claims that this can improve battery life, and perhaps it will for some people. Windows already has a “focus mode” for when you wish to concentrate on one thing: It’s generally turned on by checking the box in the upper-right corner to have what you’re working on fill up the whole screen. 

HP provides a one-year limited hardware warranty and 90 days of phone assistance with the Envy x360 15.

Conclusion

The HP Envy x360 15 is a good pick for mobile workers or college students who need something lightweight. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU in the Envy allows it to handle most of your work and entertainment demands.

The laptop also has some great security measures in place to ensure that critical data remains secure. The HP Envy x360 15 offers solid performance and specifications for the price, starting at $769 (our review model was $999).

It’s far less expensive than the Dell Latitude 7320 (starting price $1,569) or the Surface Pro 7+ ($1,486), for example. The absence of a stylus is inconvenient.

Buy it if you want a high level of performance?

The HP Envy x360 15 (2021) features a Ryzen 7 5500U processor at the heart of its excellent performance in our benchmarks.

Buy it if You don’t want to spend a fortune?

You’ll have a hard time finding a better deal than ASUS’s 2-in-1 for $659/£850/AU$1,999.

Buy it if You want ports and you want them now?

This laptop won’t be difficult to connect to your large collection of dongles, flash sticks, and peripherals.

Don’t buy it if you want something lightweight?

The HP Envy x360 15 (2021) isn’t the world’s heaviest laptop, but because it must serve as a tablet when needed, many people will undoubtedly select a lighter 2-in-1 that is less bulky to carry.

Don’t buy it if You’re an audiophile?

HP’s Envy x360 15 (2021) laptop features top-firing speakers, which is a plus for sound quality, but it isn’t the best. 

HP Envy x360 15
hpenvyx36015pcmark10 100894502 large | HP Envy x360 15'6" Touchscreen 2-in-1 Laptop

The HP Envy x360 15-inch is a stylish, all-metal slab that's lightweight and portable while maintaining spry performance that I've grown to appreciate. The updated AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU and Radeon Graphics in the Ryzen-powered convertible are similar to previous versions, but with improved performance as a result of the new processor and graphics. Price Range: $739.99 to $1,499.99

Product Brand: HP

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 739.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.4

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