HP ENVY 4t (Sleekbook 14") Review

Okay, I'm posting from my 4t that was off for a full 24 hours. At first boot into W7 it was at 98% which is about right since it takes about a minute to get into W7 and I don't have the SSD option.

 

You just need to buy a 7mm SSD, like the Samsung 830 that I used fine in my 4t.

 

Hello
I was just wondering how would demanding games like battlefield 3 run on this pc, as in if the game is run on this machine at the lowest graphics settings will it still run at 30 fps or higher?? And does anyone know if the AMD APU is coming to this machine in the near future??

 

To follow on with anj17, could you provide FPS counts for a modern game at native res and low/medium settings both when turbo'ing the cpu and letting it run at native 1.6ghz?

I talked with an HP sales rep today who told me Ivy bridge i5's and the Radeon 7670m would not be put together in the future (not sure how valid this is, last time I talked to them they told me I couldn't switch graphics on this and it's become quite apparent that you can)- so now I'm assessing whether or not I could survive on the 1.6/2.3ghz sandy i5 for my gaming needs.

I'm just looking for 25-30 fps in medium settings 720p Skyrim and then I'm sold on this sucker and can finally put in my order. If only Ivy Bridge were offered, I know that the i5 3317u wont bottleneck this GPU and I'd be able to squeeze out the extra battery life.

Thanks again T2, you're a life saver in helping me decide on the Envy4

 

There's a discussion on page 2 or 3 that discusses the AMD APU coming to the Envy 4 in this thread- sorry, don't know the answer off the top of my head though from what I've heard it's only been announced that Envy 6 is getting the AMD treatment on June 20. But check the previous pages for a more accurate answer.

 

I have been playing Skyrim tonight for 30 mintues, at the native screen res 1366x768 and it plays very well. No slow downs, graphics look excellent for the size of the laptop, I am well impressed.
Note that I am forcing turbo on the i5-2467M and running on the 7670M set to Max Performance, all while running on battery.

 

And that was on medium settings, right?

Putting in my order with HP right now- finally getting one of these bad boys.

 

Ifaudi, thanks for the note! 7mm 256GB Crucial M4 on the way!
One HUGE thing I really like about the 4T is that they finally got the two finger scroll! It works just like Apple. No seriously, just like Apple, not 25% with jittering and stuttering, like every other PC laptop I've tried (including Alienware). Very happy with the 4T so far. Games great (you just have to assign the 7670M to each of your games after starting, but you get a prompt). Played Dead Island at full clip, no slowdowns, as well Black Ops, full clip, no slowdown. Loading Deus Ex3 and BF3 now. Should play Deus Ex at full settings, and BF3 likely at medium (remember that it's pushing 1366x786, not 1080P worth of pixels). I actually like the screen. The angles suck, as stated, but head on looks very good (which is going to be 95% of its usage).
The only thing not crazy about is battery. With actual wifi use (from some flash usage to mostly gmail and putty usage) getting about 5 hours, nowhere near the 8 promised. And that's with 70% brightness and power savings power mode.
Still, this is essentially the Windows 7 version of the Macbook air, I feel as though they finally got it right! Surprisingly sturdy in your hands.

 

No problem groovechild. Glad I could help. Its definitely a fast computer with the SSD. I'm very impressed with the 4t, just wish it came with an IPS display, or at least 1600x900 like the UX31 I had. Keyboard is great, touchpad is great, looks nice, Beats Audio sounds pretty good and can get loud.

Anyone plan on being a guinea pig and trying to swap LCD panels?
(NEW) AU OPTRONICS 14.0 inch Laptop LCD Screen WXGA (1600 x 900) B140RW02 V.0 | eBay

 

For those curious, here is benchmark of a 128GB Samsung 830 inside the 4t:

 

Hey groovechild,
Can you please update on the BF3 gameplay? How was the frame rate and at what graphics setting did you play the game at?? And if possible can you please post a gameplay video of BF3 on youtube and post the link??
Thanks!
P.S. The only thing keeping me from buy this laptop is can this machine handle demanding games like BF3...

 

This would be good, but if someone did decide to do that, it would be best if they got into the laptop and checked out the cable part number or did a count of the wires connecting to the video connector. The connector may not support LDVS or the cable may not as standard. I would believe that any resolution over 1366x768 require an LVDS cable
BUT... If HP does upgrade the screen in the future, we should be able to get the cable as spare parts to make the change.

Btw. Has anyone been able to find the service manual for the Envy 4 yet?

 

Hello all, posted this question earlier but it didn't post. Seems you all really like this laptop which is good. I'm torn between this with the Sandy Bridge and dedicated or the Ivy Bridge HD 4000. The only PC games I play are The Old Republic and City of Heroes. I'm wondering if the HD 4000 can handle these games on native settings? I with they would offer the Ivy Bridge and dedicated graphics as they do in Asia. I'm thinking I'd just get a bit better resale value with the Ivy Bridge in the future. Thoughts anyone?

 

Did anybody test Starcraft II or Diablo III on this laptop yet?

 

I have tested Starcraft II demo, and it runs nice. I don't have the full game.

This link should help some people a lot, appears that the two 7670M cards tested are both DDR3.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-7670M.69483.0.html

Appears that Starcraft II can handle medium if not high settings.
Battlefield 3 could run low and maybe medium.
Also take into account the i5-2467M processor is slower in Envy 4 compared to the i5-2450M that I believe was benchmarked in the above link testing. Therefore you may need to look at the benchmarks and go back one setting?
Until Ivy Bridge processor is paired with the 7670M and becomes widely available.

 

I really hope it's possible to get a 4600M, not the 25W version, in the 4t. If they can fit a 17W SB CPU and a 30W dGPU, they can definitely get a 4600M in there. Trinity runs really cool.

 

Hi Anj, runs BF3 with no issues. On medium settings was getting around 40-58 FPS. Not sure what program notebookcheck was using. Uploading the fraps vid now, which is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUrc0O7dpbM&feature=youtu.be

For some reason fraps didn't record the FPS, which is likely a setting I forgot to add when playing, but it was hovering around 40 most of the time. Interestingly, with ULTRA settings, the fraps meter lists 13-14 fps, but the game is playable (?). Will record another one later today in ultra mode. Irregardless, as Tony Soprano would say, the playability is very good. Just beware the laptop gets pretty hot when using the higher settings, but doesn't seem to affect gameplay over time. Played Dead Island for about 90 minutes yesterday.

 

Hate to beat a dead horse, but I've been e-mailing HP sales support, trying to get them to say it has switchable graphics in writing so I can yell at them and get a refund if it doesn't. I don't want to get stuck with another dGPU-only computer and get 2 hours battery life again.

T2, I think you mentioned somewhere that you were an Australian buyer- has anyone here bought an Envy 4 from HP Direct in the US that can confirm switchable graphics? I'm sure HP sales support knows absolutely nothing about the products they're trying to sell- but I could just use a little peace of mind.

 

It is absolutely switchable graphics. I do not know where people are getting that it would not include an HD3000, but an IGP is built in every single mobile SB chip. There have also been several conformations of switchable graphics.

 

i sincerely hope they offer the 25W 4655M, because i want four cores and 384 shaders.

anything less and i might as well go for a 17W ivy-bridge.

 

The 4600M is 4 cores and 384 shaders, just faster.

 

In terms of pure CPU which one is better: the 4600M or i5-2467M?? And is it worth waiting for the AMD APU which, who knows when HP will be willing to install inside this machine?

And are the rumors true that HP is selling the 3rd gen IB processor with the dGPU in the Asian markets??

 

It depends. Multi-Threaded, the 4600M is generally faster. Single, the i5 is faster. However, there may be a possibility of overclocking Trinity like you could Llano.

 

Muti-Threaded?? I m sorry I am technologically too slow, can you please explain??
Thanks

 

On programs that utilize four cores worth of a CPU, the 4600M is faster. On programs that only utilize one core of a CPU, the i5 is faster. This is an oversimplification, however, and not technically "cores."

 

To give people an idea, this is what is in Asia, Ivy Bridge with the 7670M included:
Review: HP Envy 4 (Core i5 3317U Processor 1.7GHz, 8GB RAM) - Notebooks - CNET Asia

 

Are they going to be offering the AMD Trinity processors in the 14' model? I thought it was going to only be offered in the 15.6' model. Also, does anyone know if the model with Ivy Bridge and dGPU will ever be offered in US anytime soon?

 

I am not sure , Its not fair that HP is releasing Singaporean Models with 3rd gen + 7670M and we in the US are stuck with 2nd Gen. If they put Ivy Bridge + 7670M , I won't hesitate to buy it.

 

I can't see the issue, but I have an idea maybe why. The asian models are pre-built (as is mine), therefore into the retail chain quicker. US is a bigger market, they could be waiting on supplies to increase before offering.
Also to take into account, both the CPU and the GPU are soldered directly onto the motherboard, therefore HP will need to get a supply of motherboards with the combo 3rdGen+GPU to make them available.

 

i am planning to buy this laptop in india with 3rd gen i5 and radeon7670 can anyone tell me how is the screen quality and viewing angles?

 

it is also a 35W chip using a bulkier packaging format, and if they are going to use the 25W slimline 4655M on the Envy 6, why would they use that on the smaller Envy 4?

 

fingers crossed, but HP is being distressingly ambiguous about its plans for the Envy4 Sleekbook.

 

My point is, they could easily fit a 35W chip, and they are already fitting a 17W chip + a 30W dGPU in it. Also, was it confirmed they are using the 25W chips?

 

have to admit that given the thin chassis i [assumed] they would go for the 'ultrabook' style low wattage chips.

further, i [presumed] that they would not use a different socket type for the two ENVY books.

finally, given i am only interested in the ENVY4 all i really want is an A10 APU in there, of either 25W variety or its bulkier 35W cousin.

that there is so much uncertainty in the sentences above is entiurely due to the incompetance/deviousness of HP marketing.

 

Just out of curiosity. A lot of the post says that HP could install a 25W/35W trinity chip and the machine currently houses a 17W chip. Wouldn't having a higher wattage chip potentially decrease the overall battery life?
And relative to the i5 chip it currently houses are the trinity chips more energy efficient?

 

given that it woould require a change of socket it seems very unlikely.

they will either go with FS1r2 (and 35W chips), or they will go FP2 (and thus 17/25 Watt chips).

 

Anyone else surprised that the macbook 13 didn;t get a retina display upgrade?

 

can anyone tell me if the SD card slot is:
1. SDXC format
2. full depth, so card doesn't protrude
would be handy to add 64GB of high speed storage if we decide to stick an SSD in one..............

 

What kind of storage is the 32GB cache? mSata? Is it user replacable?

 

Got my Envy4t Customized today.
i5, 32GB, 500Gb, 6GB ram, intel wifi,widi, win prof os.

I found it sometimes kicking the fan suddenly and the next min, silent and the next 5-10 mins spinning slowly. The laptop is pretty fast for the speed of the processor. The 1600 MHZ RAM and 32GB SSD cache are doing their part pretty well.I found the laptop's base very hot. It might be coz i was installing a bunch of softwares and 15GB dropbox files, windows update , so the laptop was continuously working.... When I put the laptop on bed, it gets damn hot . I enabled turbo thru turbo drivers from a lenovo Edge laptop. CAN SOME ONE HELP ME HOW TO DISABLE THIS? DAMN I SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS. this takes the processor to 2.1Ghz. I opened the base and found one chip beside the i5 proc. . Its getting damn hot than the processor. LOL

** It is the Intel plaatform controller hub chip slj8c. Its getting damn hot, dunno why..


Heat: Top left of the keyboard is some times hot, this is where that chip is located.Most of the times warm.
screen : so-so , my dv5 has a better angles
speakers: powerful , never heard the bass thumps, low at bass, but will fill the room
handrest : left hand rest is warm coz u have the HDD below that.
clickpad: the best in hp laptop yet, my dv5's clickpad sucz
-> right side is the coolest part.

Planning to sell it on ebay or CL.Not happy with this. I would better buy new sony ultrabooks with exact same config and price , but will get a cool laptop ( i also have a sony vpcsa laptop ) its good at cooling the laptop.

 

Use throttle stop, this will give you control over the processor speed, set the multiplier at x16 or disable turbo, make sure you check the power saver box. Click the save button and create a shortcut in your startup menu.

If you really want to keep it cool and make the battery last a long time, set yor multiplier to x8, that way the voltage stay as low as possible all the time, which can be fine if you usage does not demand high power during your session.

That chip I am sure is the HM77 chipset. This does not have any heat sink on it at all. The HM77 is design of powerful notebooks, therefore chews a bit of power and gets hot.
To avoid excessive power comsumpsion and heat, other vendors will like be using UM77. This one is a low voltage chipset. We don't have this in the Envy 4.

 

Why not return to HP?

 

Coz i got this laptop as my dv5 died due to MB failure ( over heating happened 4 times in 1 yr, been to repair center and finallyover heated and died one fine day )

 

Thats a lot of good info from you mate.. thanks .. One more observation, the SSD is getting really hot .. I can feel it from the bottom... i tried removing the ssd and booting, got an error. can delete the raid config, but I dont know how to configure raid if I wanted later ( does any one know of a succesful procedure to config SSD on raid mode )

 

any help on these?

cheers

 

I could not find my model listed when looking for drivers. Which is the HP Envy 4-1032TX. Can anyone find the actual Envy 4-1032TX model in with the other models?
Weird thing is my particular model is list as the below specs. Say that it only has a HM70 chipset (which has a 4.1w TDP, just to add the HM77 is also 4.1w TDP)
http://ark.intel.com/products/chipsets/67418
Strange as my device manager says otherwise, it shows HM77. RAM is definately 1600MHz by default to 1333MHz speeds. Even stanger is the battery is listed as a Li-Ion polymer, if it is not me, then I thought none were of the polymer type?
Check out the name, calling it an HP ENVY Pro Ultrabook 4?
HP ENVY Pro Ultrabook 4- HP ENVY 4-1030tx Notebook PC Product Specifications - c03332162 - HP Business Support Center

Product Number: B6T94PA
Microprocessor: 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5-2467M
Chipset: Intel HM70 Express
Microprocessor: Cache 3 MB L3 cache
Memory: 8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Memory Max: Supports up to 8 GB DDR3
Video Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 7670M (2 GB DDR3 dedicated)
Display: 14" diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1366 x 768)
Hard Drive: 500GB (5400rpm) with Intel Smart Response and Rapid Start Technology
Solid-State Drive: 32GB SLC mSATA
Network Card: Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
Wireless Connectivity: Intel 802.11 b/g/n WLAN
Power: 4-cell Li-Ion polymer

 

Added overclocking the 7670M to the first post on page 1.

This is a big achievement, as the core is already plenty fast on the 7670M, but the memory bandwidth is strangled. Opening up the memory to be overclocked opens up some big gains, gains in the way the graphics are rendered when you are playing.

When though DDR3 does not overclock in general that great in most cases. I was able to put the memory 278MHz higher than stock 900MHz speed.
Even if you are running on battery and don't want a big core overclock to save on power, keep your settings at Maximum Battery life in the catalyst control panel, and then open the memory to as fast as possible. On the Maximum Battery setting limits the memory to 400MHz, here it is possible to almost reach a 200% overclock on the memory.

Remember the core eat the most power, overclocking memory does not have the same massive power drains. Aim for this if running on battery. It is likely when set to Maximum Battery, the core goes in to a lower voltage mode.

Posting a overclocked 3dmark06 score soon...

OK here it is, had to reduce the clocks somewhat for the first run, speed is 750MHz / 1100MHz
Stock score was 8054, overclocked score is 8422



This is my max I can push, clocks are 800MHz / 1100MMHz
Any higher causes issues.

 

can anyone comment on its display?

 

Doubtful...

 

It isn't a spinning HDD, and is soild state never the less, simular to this.
Intel® Solid-State Drive 310 Series – Compact Size, Big Performance
You will see in the photo that one of them is an old HDD and the other is soild state