Condition |
Certified Refurbished. They are professionally tested and restored to Factory default state. May have light cosmetic blemishes in some cases. (Buyer pays Return postage). |
Warranty |
12 Months Laptop Outlet Warranty (Return to Base). |
The reflective 13.3-inch display on the Envy has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The contrast ratio (1600:1) and brightness (778.3 cd/m³) of this 120-Hz panel are very good. Unfortunately, the screen uses PWM to regulate brightness from 90% brightness downwards. The frequency of 4000 Hz should be high enough to not cause headaches and/or eye problems even for sensitive users.
The notebook is equipped with HP's Sure View screen-protection technology. This prevents unwanted glances at the display from side angles. The privacy protection can be turned on and off by pressing a key on the keyboard.
The Envy is equipped with a dedicated GeForce MX250 GPU from Nvidia. This is the "1D52" version of the MX250 model, which clocks at a lower rate and is made with slim, compact notebooks in mind. While the normal MX250 GPU has a TDP of 25 watts, this chip's TDP is limited to 10 watts. It's basically like a Max-Q version of the MX250 - except for the fact that Nvidia doesn't label it as a slower version.
The MX250 clocks at a base rate of 937 MHz and can boost to 1038 MHz. The GPU can also reach higher speeds, provided that it doesn't reach certain temperature and/or energy limits. For example, we measured a maximum clock rate of 1696 MHz. The GPU didn't keep this up for very long, however. The Witcher 3 test resulted in an average GPU speed of 1431 MHz.
The results of the 3DMark benchmarks are quite normal for this GPU while the "normal" MX250 chip is up to 40% faster. The UHD Graphics 620 chip, which is integrated into the processor, is active and used during less-demanding applications thanks to Nvidia's graphics-switching technology Optimus.
The Envy has four speakers in total. Two are positioned above the keyboard, beneath a perforated cover. The other two are positioned towards the front of the bottom of the base unit. They produce an agreeable, full sound, although bass frequencies are missing almost entirely. We would still recommend using headphones or external speakers for a better audio experience.
The Envy does not have any surprises in store for us in terms of power consumption. It consumes 10.8 watts while idling and increases its power needs to a maximum of 62.7 watts during the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark running for at least an hour). The rated output of the AC adapter is 65 watts.