ENVY 15-jXXX / ENVY 17-jXXX Notebooks (2013)

Well, my HP Envy 15t-j100 Quad TouchSmart will be delivered on Monday.

I look forward to checking it our and will give you my impressions of it. I am particularly interested in seeing how I like (or dislike) the screen.

I also have a HP Spectre 13t-3000 Ultrabook on order as well. I should get in next Friday.
I will be comparing those two laptops and will keep the one I like best and return the other one.

Here's the specs on my HP ENVY 15t-j100 Quad TouchSmart:

• Windows 8.1 64
• 4th generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4700MQ Processor
• NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 740M Graphics with 2048MB of dedicated video memory
• 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1920x1080)
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 24GB flash Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
• No Additional Office Software
• Security Software Trial
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
• No Internal DVD or CD Drive
• Backlit Keyboard
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam w/ integrated digital mic
• 802.11b/g/n 2x2 WLAN and Bluetooth(R) [2x2]

 

FYI - Here is the most recent review that I found online.

Inspect-a-gadget: HP ENVY TouchSmart 15 - DAWN.COM

 

just got my 15t-j100.
it is wonderful so far.
keyboard is great. screen looks good.

happy holidays, you guys.

 

I ordered the 15t-j100 (quad edition) on December 14. Shipping information was sent to Fedex at 10:50 PM central time on December 19. It's now the 23rd, and the last tracking update I got was 'international shipment release - import' in Chongqing, China at 11:43 PM central time on December 20. The top of the tracking page says it's in transit, but I haven't gotten any updates. It seems like this is abnormal to me based on my prior experiences with ordering HP laptops and the tracking info I've seen from other HP customers. Anyone else have this problem?

 

That's normal. It may set that way for days until they get around to clearing customs and release it to ship to another city in China.

My HP Spectre 13t-3000 has been that way since Dec 19. I guess during the holidays it takes longer to clear or they are waiting until they get a certain number ready to release. SEE ATTACHMENT

It is scheduled for delivery on Friday. We'll see.



My HP Envy 15t-j100 is on the FedEx truck right now. Just waiting for it now.
EDIT: My 15t-j100 just got delivered. Yea!

 

lots of new tricks to learn. wow.

 

First Congratulations on your laptop , can you tell me the type of screen on it ??

 

Well, good news, then very bad news.

My HP Envy 15t-j100 Quad TouchSmart was delivered today BUT it is already on it's way back to HP.

The quality control must have been asleep when they checked mine. I noticed a place on my screen as soon as I turned it on and got to a light colored screen. I thought maybe it was something I could wipe off, but it seems to be imbedded in the screen (even though the screen was smooth there)

Check this out.

 

Does anyone have the BIOS for the HP ENVY TouchSmart 15t-j100 Select Edition? I got a new one and it's quasi-bricked but I think a BIOS restore will save me the trouble of returning it.

 

PM me your email. I can send you Norton ghost image of UEFI partition

 

Sent! Thank you!

 

Thanks.

• Intel(R) HD Graphics

• 15.6-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1366x768)

also have spent a tiny amount of time with this laptop now.
first impressions (ymmv.....I may not be all that tough to please):
keyboard is awesome. no problem with flex. super high quality. it is a joy.
screen is fine. no complaints.

 

I have the Envy 15t quad edition touchsmart j000. I upgraded to Windows 8.1 last night via the link in the Windows Store. No issues so far. Before I ran the upgrade I had the latest drivers installed from the HP support assistant app and the latest Windows updates. The process went very smooth and even my boot menu was not affected (I have 2 other operating systems installed to VHDs).

Edit: here are my specs so you can see the internals.
Intel i7-4700mq
12gb ram
No nvidia graphics
No SSD
1080p screen

 

Hi I am currently on a vacation (Christmas break) with my family in India. I will be post screenshot as soon as I reach US on Jan 1st week. As I had to carry my old laptops here I could not bring my envy laptop with me to India.

 

Could you please let me know if you observe any issues with text appearing blurry ....distorted....not crisp...etc on any window menus or web browser (chrome in particular) after your upgrade to windows 8.1
If possible could you also post your screen manufacturer name. Usually it is one of these 4 brands 1) samsung 2) LG 3) Chimei 4) Au optionics that laptop makers use.
thank you

 

My laptop is finally on the truck for delivery! I'm expecting to get it some time today, so I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone might have about it when it gets here. Here are my specs:

• Windows 8.1 64
• 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7-4700MQ Processor
• NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 740M Graphics with 2048MB of dedicated video memory
• 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1920x1080)
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
• No Additional Office Software
• Security Software Trial
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
• No Internal DVD or CD Drive
• Backlit Keyboard
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam w/ integrated digital mic
• 802.11b/g/n WLAN [1x1]

 

That is a scratch on the inside of the glass panel. My first one I got had this same thing but at the top corner. I took mine back and had it replaced immediately.

 

Yes, I have already returned it and have already received my refund. :thumbsup:

I turned around and ordered another on with some upgrades for the same price because the 20% coupon was back in effect.

 

Congrats! :thumbsup:

OK, let's hear your impressions of it.

 

Hi Friends

Just came across this post that talks about blurriness of fonts and menus in some applications in Win8.1.
These effects are more prominent on displays with high pixel densities....full HD displays etc.

High-PPI support in Windows 8.1: still not so great - The Tech Report

I am not sure if everyone is having this display issues or is it just random on some laptops with specific configurations.
I observe this kind of blurry fonts on some applications on my envy (15t-j100 select edition non touch) with 1920x1080 screen. I have default intel HD graphics on board and not nvidia. As per Hwinfo software my display is manufactured by Chimei brand. My processor is intel 4th gen i-5.

Any body else observed this problem on their hp envy displays (especially 1920x1080 screens) ??
Also if possible please comment on your graphics card type and screen manufacturer.

If anybody finds good solution to this issue kindly post on this forum for all.
Many thanks

 

Its strange to hear that most of you doesn't know about "scaling" feature built in Windows for years.
Yes, most old apps and some new applications doesn't support this feature natively - that's why these apps perform render its UI in old 1:1 scale factor, while Windows stretch their UI to desired factor. By default there are 1:1.25 scale factor on full hd(1920x1080) display, but you can go (Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Display) and set custom scale. The only way to get rid of blur in all apps - set scale factor 1:1(100%) 1:2(200%) 1:3(300%) e.t.c. which make one pixel rendered equal to integer number of pixels in scaled view. You can see this when look at specifications of Apple retina displays - these just double previous resolution to keep scale integer scale factor. Unfortunatelly 200% scale factor can be used only on displays starting from 2048x1536 resolution - else most dialogs and UI elements wont fit your display.

As a temporary solution for some apps which still not support scaling - I would recommend set "disable display scalling on high DPI settings" on the "Compatibility" tab. On other hand you can set scaling factor to 100%(1:1) in "Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Display" then all apps will be displayed without blur. Only one disadvantage here - all UI elements are too small to control via touch when you set 100% scale factor

 

Anybody have trouble updating to 8.1? I get a black screen after the update, and then Windows automatically starts reverting back to the previous version.

 

Fresh installed win 8.1 from official MS's media - no problem at all. Try to do the same.

 

According to HP parts store the 1366 x 768 models uses the same display ribbon cable as the FHD models

The touch screen units are meant to be not serviceable, as in open up and replace the screen. I am willing to lose the touchscreen and replace the HD panel with a FHD panel.

Wondering if anyone out there has ripped open the touchscreen model bezel and replaced the LCD panel?

 

I think the HP ENVY TouchSmart 17t-j100 is great

 

I agree. Just bought one with Windows 8.1 pro. Excellent machine.

 

How about an owners lounge for the new HP ENVY Notebooks 2013.?

 

can someone run HWiNFO and check how CPU clocked in idle and load state.
I found strange issue when BUS underclocked by 4% 96MHz instead of 100MHz when CPU work in turbo mode
See attached screenshot

 

My children decided to kill off my 3.5 year old Studio 17 (with touch). So I ended up this coming my way. I hope HP is like dell and over predicts the shipping date. The middle of the month cannot get here soon enough.

• Windows 8.1 64
• 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7-4700MQ Processor
• Included 2 Year Warranty
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M Graphics with 2048MB of dedicated video memory
• 17.3-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080) Non touch
• 16GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
• No Additional Office Software
• Security Software Trial
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
• Blu-ray writer & SuperMulti DVD burner
• Backlit Keyboard
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam w/ integrated digital mic
• 802.11b/g/n WLAN [1x1]

 

Nope, no text blurry issues. It works exactly the same as Windows 8 did. I have the Chimei screen. Also I am using 100% display scaling, so no scaling at all.

 

the 15.6 non touch fhd display is bad as the notebook check review tells ?

Review HP Envy 15-j011sg Notebook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

 

There are subjective vision of things.
I would definitely say this NB is 4...5 out of 5 for all stats except display in the following config.
Win 8.1 PRO
i7 4900MQ (2.8-3.8GHz overclocked to 4.1 GHz undervolted by 0.1V)
GT740M (GK208) 1920x1080
16GB RAM
mSATA SSD 256 (installed after purchase. used for system and boot partition)
hybrid HDD 1Tb (UEFI and DATA partitions)

Concerning display I would mark it as 2 out of 5 ...
I definitely not recommend to buy this laptop for those people who want decent picture.
1) display is REALLY LOW CONTRAST. probably 1:200 or so make black color look like gray
2) viewing angles also poor.
this is why I give this display only 2 out of 5.
regarding screen door effect - I owned several laptops - all of them have same effect when you look at them very close. This is because all subpixels organized in vertical lines (it depends). if you see at completely white color - then you'll notice it is mix if RED GREEN and BLUE vertical lines. the only way to not see them - don't look at display too close. Distance could be 0.4 - 0.6 meters. From that distance you wont notice screen door effect.

 

i think the same , is like a 5 star pc exept the display , why hp don't use the same ips as asus ( n550jv ) !!

 

They also have one up on the 17t. It doesn't slam the display as badly, so I'm hopeful that it's better than what's in the 15t. Review HP Envy 17t-j003 Notebook

 

Totally normal, I have had 3 of these machines, and they all do as you have explained.

 

Silly question... is there a way to run the laptop with the lid closed but attached to an external display (via HDMI) & external keyboard/mouse? I don't see this as an option and some laptops have it and some don't.

 

And the 17t-j100 has arrived! It's certainly lighter than the Studio 17 it's replacing.

Impressions:

• UEFI can just die in a fire. It shouldn't be hard to get another OS into a secondary drive, nor just even do a restore onto a secondary drive with this much effort.
• I CAN see virtical lines in the display. However, that's only if I have my face at about 6 inches from the screen and on mostly white backgrounds. At what I consider a "normal" distance, a foot to 18 inches, I cannot see it.
• It's fairly fast for now but I'm still working on loading up all my crap, as it were. It'll be dual booting Win 8.1 and Ubuntu at some point. I've got a Samsung 840 EVO as the primary, and the 1TB that HP includes as secondary.
• With so much empty space available, why in the world would they not use it to upsize the keys a bit on the keyboard?
• Not a fan of the clicky touchpad thing. Why not put actual buttons in the groove below the touchpad?

It's much quieter than the Studio 17 at this point. Now, time will tell as the fans inside accumulate dust. I had to blow out the Dell every 6 months or so, but the GPU fan on that thing was annoying at full RPM. It's a workhorse replacement for me, so I'm satisfied. It should last me through the 3 years of accidental damage coverage.

 

Yes, it is possible. However, you will need to set the Power Options within the Control Panel so that the laptop does not go to sleep when its lid is closed.

 

Wow. My machine lasted one entire day. It's dead, will not boot... and it's a known issue with HP computers?? I mean, there's pages, plural, dedicated to this issue on HPs support site! Here, for instance. Fuuuuuuuck this . I'm done. Never again. And when I phoned them up the only thing they can offer me is to ship it BACK, and have them turn it around. It will take them at least 2.5 weeks to do this???? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck them straight to hell. There are just not enough words to explain how angry I am right now.

 

Update: It dawned on me I have the extended warranty contract, and one of the stipulations is that it's 3 years accidental damage PLUS 3 day onsite for repairs. The downside is "since we don't know what's wrong with it, it needs to come in". Really? I know what's wrong with it. The BIOS is crap. Bring out a new main board and I bet it solves the problem! At any rate, I spent 2 hours of my life on the phone with them today. The first hour was trying to get someone to understand that they should be sending someone out onsite ("But there's no extended service contract on your account. Oh, you see it? Well it must not be activated" - this, I get at the hour mark). The second hour was spent getting through the disconnections, getting the extended service activated, getting back through to the correct team, getting transferred (finally) to the hardware response team. The end result is I'll have a box waiting for me on Monday, and should it ship back out on Monday, will be returned to me the following Monday.

So, I learned today:

• Even IF you bought the service contract at the same time as the machine, it doesn't activate automatically (or at all) until you call in.
• My order Product number and ACTUAL Product do not match. This concerns me.
• I have two logins, which the website handles fine (one is EPP, the other is not). Their system cannot find me when using the email address I used to make the actual purchase for some reason.

I dunno. I'm not sure if I'll be keeping this machine yet. Maybe Dell is just as bad anymore, but you'd think there's be SOMETHING stateside to address issues like this instead of having to just ship everything back to China.

 

Well, I got my second HP Envy 15t-j100 Quad TouchSmart a few days ago. (The first one had a bad place on the display.)

I believe this one is a keeper. The FHD screen looks great. Admittedly the viewing angles aren't great, but that doesn't really bother me as I am the only one that will be looking at it (from straight on). I hooked up my USB Blu-ray player and watched a movie and the color and detail looked great to me. I personally can't see any screen door effect.

I really like the sound and using the headphones work great as well. Also the fan seems pretty quiet to me as well. I like the keyboard feel, but I don't write any novels. LOL

Now if I can just learn to get used to using Windows 8. Ugh!

 

Congrats on ur new envy.
how is battery life. hp claims upto 9 hrs.........so any close to that...?
and what display panel u got ? (chimei or AUO or any other)
enjoy ur new lappy.

 

No, not close to 9 hours if you are constantly using the laptop. I suspect I will get between 4 to 6 hours, depending on what I am doing.

Now if I am not using the laptop and it is sleep mode, 9 hours maybe.

I don't know what kind of screen other than the 1920 x 1080 HD display.

Beautiful from straight on but looses viewing quickly from off angles (as most TN panels do).


NOTE: I have the dedicated video card and I believe this cuts down on the battery life too.

 

Has anybody successfully upgraded this laptop to Windows 8.1? Mine does not work, and apparently HP says my model # is not compatible yet.

 

15-j000 updated with no problems.

 

I upgraded no problems. I have the 15t j000 with quad i7-4700 chip. No nvidia. 1080p touchscreen. No other options added.
Make sure you have all the latest windows updates installed and the latest HP drivers from the HP support assistant application.

 

many thanks for the info.
also,my envy has shipped. will arrive soon. initially i ordered 15tj 100 select edition that had core i-5 4200 and 1080p FHD screen with intel HD graphics. But I realized that 1920x1080 resolution is too much for 15.6 inch screen. All fonts....menus and in general all windows elements were too small for eyes. So I returned it back and ordered the one with standard 1366x768 screen, Will write more once it arrives. btw the old one had a Chimei display monitor panel. I used Hwinfo software to check that. like u said screen was beautiful and rich in colors but lost viewing angles quickly from sides.

 

hi I am so sorry........forgot to acknowledge your reply. many many thanks.

 

Hi guys,

My gateway FX just died and I need a replacement. I'm boiled down to these models of the envy 15-j100: http://www.laptopvip.vn/compare.php?goods[]=1290&goods[]=1317

The first one on the left has 1TB + 24SSD but no touch screen.
The second one on the right has 1TB with touch screen. This one doesn't have a backlit keyboard and that concerns me.

Both of them has a 1900x1080 resolution. The one on the left has a slightly cheaper price ($100 less) than the one on the right so it's not really a big problem.

I'm a developer and a gamer (not a heavy gamer) so the GT740M is enough for me. I prefer to have 16GB of RAM to run some virtual machines but it is not a requirement (I play turn-based strategy games such as Heroes might and magic etc). My questions:

1. I saw the Envy 15 with touch screen in the store. I like the glass panel without edges. Does the Envy 15 without (the one on the left) have edges? I know it should be glass panel but I wonder whether its glass panel is edgeless, you know, like an ipad screen? If it has edges (like the pavilion line) then it's ugly << deal stopper for me.

2. I saw some post in this forum concerning about the 24GB SSD. What is it used for? I guess it's used to store Windows 8 so the machine can be woken up quickly. However if some applications need to be installed on the "C" drive then clearly 24GB is not enough. On HP website, it says that 24GB is for "cache", so Windows 8 will be installed on the 1TB HDD? If Windows is installed on the 24GB partition, will we have any problem later on?

Overall, what is your satisfaction index for the Envy 15t? How does it perform in the gaming category? I can't really find an in depth review of the Envy 15 (2013) on this forum, can anyone send me a link?

Thanks in advance!

 

The 24GB SSD is just for caching nothing else. If you want to install files on it (or Win8) you will have to replace it with a bigger one or just order it without the SSD drive and add your own. I did.