*HP Envy 13 Owners Lounge!*

I'm definitely not a mac fanboy but I love the design of the MBP. If I had the extra $$$ at the time I would have ordered that instead of my dm3t. The battery isn't much of bother since apple replaces it for $179 and it lasts a lot longer (lifetime) than typical laptop batteries. I just wouldn't let the non-removable battery kill the MBP as a candidate.

If the envy 13 was a lot less (to around $1200) it would be an awesome machine.
You pay for the name with the envy 13, probably moreso than apple in this case. I love the design though. Simple and sleek.

 

I might ask a dumb question but anyone knows is ATI Radeon HD 4330 comes with Intel X4500M integrated switchable graphics or it's just alone?

http://www.shopping.hp.com/series/c...mpid=in_r329_personalization/browse1/home_SDP

 

I just Picked up an open box envy 13 from Microcenter for 970.00!! It was pretty much brand new. The box was open but everything was still in the plastic. This is a great Laptop for under a grand

 

Wow! I would totally buy an envy 13 for $970! Great find!

If the price were around 1200-1300, I would buy the envy 13. Here's hoping for a refresh and/or some sane pricing!

}:^)~

 

I just noticed the price was $1499! That's a LOT better than the $1699 price it was going for before. The price is still high, however, it's now debatable.

I would seriously consider a refresh at this price.

}:^)~

 

does anyone know the difference between the SL9300 and the SU9600?

The SU has 3mb less cache but is more expensive.

I'm guessing the SU gets better battery life and the sacrifice of speed?

Anyone with details, #s, or links please let me know.

I know the SL9300 operates at 17W

The SU9600 operates at 10W

 

Jeezus that is less battery life than what I get with the Envy 15! The HP website claims 18 hours for the Envy 13 with the slice. WTH? That is bordering on fraudulent advertising.

Just to make sure I understand you, are you getting 6.5 for slice plus 3 hrs for regular battery for total of 9.5 hours, or 6.5 hours total for slice plus regular battery?

I'm very interested to know because I'm looking to get a second smaller laptop for traveling and I am leaning towards either Envy 13, 13" MBP or 13" MacBook Air. The supposed long battery life with slice for the Envy 13 was an important factor - I understand the manufacturers lie about battery life, but that is a lot less than 18 hrs!

With brightness setting at max and using graphics intensive applications, I get around 60-90 min for the 6-cell in my Envy 15 and another 4-6 hrs for the slice, for a total of 5-8 hrs. With brightness dialed down and on low performance setting I get much more.

 

Does anyone know what Targus power tip works with the ENVY 13? Nothing is listed on their website. Please help!

FWIW:
I dispute all of those problems with the ENVY 13. I ordered this laptop the day it came out and have loved it since the day it arrived - despite the initial high price. I have had no problems with it. The battery life is insane with the slice. I routinely fly to SF and LA from NY. On a full charge after the 6 hour flight using gogo inflight internet, listening to itunes, logged into my work PC in NY, and working excel I have 38% battery life remaining when I land. I never have to plug it in. The screen is brighter and has a lot more resolution that a 13 inch macbook. The macbook screen looks yellow and dark when you put them next to each other. At the price this thing is going for now I believe its the best laptop on the market.

 

I just bought the Envy 13-1099eo, and my biggest concern was whether the noise levels would be low enough. I am very picky on this issue.

Out of the box, the noise level was alarming. A high pitch sound cut through the constant humming of the fan, and this never ending noise was driving me crasy.

However, the fix was easy and today the computer is perfectly and absolutly silent between occasional quick fan burstings (depending on load and GPU)

1. In BIOS -> change the setting "fan always on"

2. Replace the HDD with an SSD! (The high pitch in the noise was actually coming from the area where the HDD is located)

Using an SSD will also speed up things quite nice

3. Using the "Power saving GPU" will reduce fan activity. At small loads, when using the "power saving GPU" the fan is actually not active at all..

(4. Uninstall as much out-of-the-box bundled HP "junk" software as possible, keeping the overall environment and "background footprint" slim and light)

 

The Envy 13 is seemingly the best option for me, as it doesn't have an ODD, is under 4lbs, looks amazing, and is fast enough for regular computer work. Unfortunately it's being discontinued, and is still wayy out of my budget. I like the DM4, but it's heavier than I would like, and doesn't have the square, clean lines of the Envy series (though its actual design is still nice though).

 

It comes with both, the Intel X4500M integrated and the discrete ATI Radeon HD 4330. When I first bought the computer it would always run on the Intel, but if I would charge it it would then switch to the ATI. I find the flickering of the screen when switching from integrated to discrete annoying. As a result, I changed the settings to allow the ATI to run all the time. Hope that helped! If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask!

 

I know the keyboard and display cant cmpare but how about the Acer 3820TG.

 

So, we all know the webcam on the Envy 15 was terrible, and I’ve seen one post on here complaining about purpling on the Envy 13. I’m looking at getting a 13 (and yes I know the 14 is just around the corner) so my question is – have other 13 owners suffered from a purple webcam?

David

 

@David: I've only had my Envy 13 for less than a day, but i did try out the webcam and there was no purpleness that I could tell. Hope that helps!

Also, if anyone has any advice, outside of the guides (which I've followed as best as possible), I'd love to hear it. Specifically, if anyone has any words of wisdom on how to get used to the Clickpad, that'd be much appreciated. I can't even get the darn thing to do the two-finger right click thing lol

 

best website to order a envy13? any configuration that i cant go without it? any suggestion? any e-coupon for these laptops?

 

Hello,
Do you happen to experience the same issue here:
Re: Hp Envy 13 Graphics Issue - The Next Bench
?

 

Hey all. I just jumped ship from a dv6t Select Edition due to temperature and build quality issues. I'm now looking at a 13" laptop, since I also felt that the 15" was too big.

I'm deciding between this, the Sony Z-series, and the Macbook Pro 13". But the Envy and MB don't have the performance I need to run AutoCad. Does anyone know if there will be a performance upgrade for the 13" anytime soon?

Btw, I know there's an Envy 14, but I'm not into the flowery etching.

 

Hey all,

I just ordered an Envy 13 1190. Does anybody know if I can put in any 1,8'' SSD to replace the internal 250 GB HDD?

What connector does the HDD use? Is it microSATA or normal?

Thanks everybody!

 

Under W7 in high performance mode what does the SL9600 get for the passmark cpumark scores?
The passmark scores state 1472 but i think that is too low and probably based on laptops that run Vista.
PassMark PerformanceTest - PC benchmark software
Thank you

 

Just to inform the world: The Envy 13 holds a 1,8'' HDD with a MicroSATA-connector. This HDD can relatively easily be replaced with an SSD. I used the Kingston V180+ 64 GB. Also ordered an external MicroSATA frame for the original HDD.

With the SSD, the Envy 13 is damn fast (much faster than the Envy 14 w HDD I had before). Bootup time is about 25 secs, system responsiveness is incredible. Its the first laptop to be faster than I can click. Also it is really quiet (hardly audible white noise from the vent) compared to the Envy 14 (high pitch cpu noise, unbearable).

So, the Envy 13 is the best laptop I could get for a low price (950€ including a SSD, a second battery, external 250 GB HDD), and you can even play StarCraft 2 with 115 FPS (low details).

 

@Flotti

Yeah, I'm kind of sad to see how forgotten and under-marketed the 13 was/is. The performance is great, ~30-35 fps in Dalaran on WoW 4.0.1 with medium settings, the screen has a near 180 degree viewing angle with excellent color saturation and sharpness. While the 2:25 battery life while gaming isn't stellar, its pretty solid, and the 4:05 on the intel isn't shabby.

With closeout pricing on the Envy 13 hovering around $900, it really is an excellent deal.

 

Not many people are talking about the Envy 13 anymore, I just looked up looking for a 13inch range laptop for my self, I stumbled up to the Envy 13 and Asus U35JC (Yes the ASUS specs are alot better, however I really like the look for the envy 13 ), although I see the pro's and cons, I still have a few question to ask even though its already been said.

Is the fan noise really noisey during heavy load? Some say yes some say no.

What is the temperture during heavy load such as gaming etc using full CPU and GPU? I mean I've seen reviews of it being around 62C which is quite hot since the ASUS at full load is around 35C.

Thank you for your time!

 

If you're interested in the Envy 13, HP has been selling refurbished models for as low as $649. Refurbished business products I seriously consdiered one but I have the need for a more powerful GPU. They seem to be sold out of the 1600 x 900 Radiance but the 720p models are radiance displays as well.

Bronsky

 

Yes I am a little thanks bronsky! Anyways I might buy it, but I just want the few question to be ask first . It isn't much popular in the forum since Envy 14 took over it...

But im still wondering all the previous owner does the laptop tend to get hot very quick during heavy load?

Hows the fan noise? Noisey?

Thanks,
Philo

 

I'm pondering picking one of these up. I'm so sick of my crappy (putting it nicely) Asus netbook. Did they ever end up putting better drivers out for the trackpads? Also, are all of the models in that list for sale?

 

I bought an Envy13 off Amazon.com Marketplace for $750 with the 1366x768 screen, 3gb ram and the 1.86ghz processor and like it a lot. I got mine to have an RGB screen for videos and light gaming after getting frustrated with the negative blacks while trying to game on other machines I tried. It does look very nice. My used laptop looked brand new, can you even scratch the panel, looks like not, it is all glass, mine is perfect so far.

As far as the drivers, you can try the Envy14 touchpad drivers and they install, but yes, the trackpad is that bad. I find that lightly touching it and using tap to click works best.

Also, I play a few RTS titles - Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth II, Command Conquer Generals work great, trying Starcraft II next.

To reiterate, the touchpad is bad, I use a usb mouse, but can get by web surfing with the touchpad by being careful. I also tried playing with settings a bunch, not much effect to improve it. The Envy 15 we have upstairs works fine.

 

Thanks for this. I have a nearly year old netbook I am sick of being, slow, and ty screen. I am a huge fan of high build quality, great screens, and metal chassis, so getting a old E13 seems like a great option.

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to pull the trigger, but it needs to be a 900x1600. I'm so happy that some RTSes work, because that is one of my fave genre of games. Any other comments on graphics?

 

I installed StarCraft II and it really looks fantastic and plays over 30 fps all the time on the higher levels I am on. The colors really pop on an RGB screen, I enjoy playing it much better now with the colors looking so good. I left the details at low, but the color and screen really make up for it. So I would say a very good RTS gaming rig. I was using native resolution on the latest drivers from HP website for ATI. So it will probably look even better at 1600x900 but I am happy with my resolution too.

 

FWIW, I run 5-man Cataclysm heroics on my Envy 13. Back in WotLK, I used to run 25-man raids, no problem on medium settings.

 

Thanks for the info!

Now the frustration is that once Amazon accepted my return for my crappy old Asus netbook, the Envy I was looking at 13 inch, SL9600, 1600x900 screen for $883 is gone. So sad

 

Update!

The Microcenter nearby has a Open Box Envy 13 for $598, which is so tempting. SL9400 processor, external DVD included in the price, but sadly, the crap screen. I want a nice screen!

Edit!

It also includes a slice battery. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go for it. Does anyone know how unfeasible it is to swap screens in an envy? I am desperate for a 900x1600 screen

 

Ok, I read up to page 10 and no-one answered the earlier questions. (Apologies as the hard drive question was answered on page 12)

Hard drive:
It's a 1.8" microsata drive. An intel SSD makes a world of difference! Quite easy to fit.

The memory. Ok, this is NOT for the faint of heart as you literally have to remove the motherboard on the machine. It's not exactly difficult but you have to take it very easy. The Dimm slot is under the board.....

Search for the HP Envy 13 Miantenance and repair guide for instructions.


P.s. I absolutely love the machine! I have the standard battery, 2x 6-cell slices (for some odd readon) and 1x 9-cell slice Thinking of getting an Envy 14 though

 

Anyone know where I can find an ENVY13 with 1600x900?
I found this: HP ENVY 13 SL9300 1.6GHZ 5GB 13.1" (1600X900) LAPTOP PC

But I don't totally trust them.

 

Looking for some help with this envy 13. Just bought a refurb from HP. Love the look and seems to perform well. However, HP ships the laptop with bloatware that no one needs... First thing i did when getting it home, was format and install Windows 7 Ultimate that I've had. I installed the graphics drivers from the HP website, and the dang Radeon 4330 cannot seem to enable. I get a code 43 and a yellow exclamation mark on it no matter what I try. Wanting to play my starcraft, and can't! Also, solidworks won't install, cause the graphics card isn't good enough apparently.

Any help?

 

I read on pg12 that the envy13 takes a 1.8" hdd, but I was wondering is this all that will fit or could I get a 2.5" in?

 

There's NO chance of getting a 2.5" drive in the tiny space, sorry!

@mcgrathpatj. I recall having the same issue with the 2nd Envy 13 i purchased for the business here and all i can say (I couldn't be bothered to fix) is to basically un-install the Graphics drivers and start again. Guys, is it the Intel first or the ATI? The switchable graphics are controlled by a service so try to ensure that it's Started

 

mcgrathpatj,

download and install drivers from AMD/ATI website, perhaps? I've never had problems updating graphics drivers for years thru this method. Try using DriverSweeper beforehand too.

 

I know that if you don't have the original drivers from hp installed first you will lose switchable graphics if you just download straight from ATI. I believe you can find what you are looking for on HP's site and i know for sure there are like 5 threads that give a detailed guide on how to do it for the envy 14's 5650. I'm guessing its the same process just different drivers for the 4330 (or whatever it is) that is in the envy 13.

 

Alien9 from guru3D forums has done some sterling work on the AMD/Intel switchable drivers and the latest version now works perfectly on the Envy 13!

http://forums.guru3d.com/showpost.php?p=3990141&postcount=73

EDIT: Spoke too soon, it's still not working properly. The driver doesn't load properly if you reboot with the IGP selected.

 

Well after a load more testing Alien9 and I discovered that it was the latest Intel IGP drivers that were causing the problem.

Alien9 has now put together the latest AMD drivers (11.5 RC5 / 11.5b) with the same Intel drivers from the Official HP Envy 13 drivers and everything works perfectly:

Zippyshare.com - ATI_11.5_W7x64_Alien9_switchable_v8.exe

Enjoy

 

Hi, hoping to get some advice on the envy 13.

A local ads site has an envy 13 for sale and I might be able to get it for as low as ~ £380 - £400. That price includes an 80gb Intel x18 ssd and its fully boxed etc... So a good deal on the face on it.

My big issue is the trackpad and all the bad reports about it. I see HP released drivers for this last year to 'fix' the issues:

https://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc...en&cc=dk&dlc=da&sw_lang=&product=4039998#N185

Did installing those drivers make much of a difference? If no, did any find any other solutions to it?

Thanks.

 

Either I have a high tolerance or maybe the trackpad issues are over stated.


Also, if I can complete Plants Vs Zombies using the Envy 13 trackpad, it can't be that bad!

 

Thanks.

Anyone else got any input?

 

I've been searching for this answer & can't find it. I bought from Amazon a few days ago and it's a refurb. It's labeled as: "Sealed by HP/Same as New".

When I opened the box, I noticed no slice battery and Intel graphics. In other words, no ATI Radeon. I am just sick. Has anyone else commented on this? Again, I did a search and no hits. Thanks

-Disappointed in Sacramento

 

Was it supposed to come with a slice?

IIRC all envy 13s have ATi graphics. You may just have a bad driver.

and @flawless, check out http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/563791-definitive-guide-envy-trackpad.html

 

Maybe I am not educated on this. I thought they all came with a slice?

If you look at the unboxing video from HP, it shows it:

YouTube - ‪Exclusively From HP: Unboxing the New HP Envy 13‬‏

When I look at Device Manager, it shows this:

Display Adapter: Mobile Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family

 

No, the slice is an extra option you can opt for. If the site didn't say it came with a slice then it didn't.

All E13s have an ATI card. Try installing HP's video drivers on their site.

 

THANKS SO MUCH! The DL from the HO site found the card. I can't believe the driver was not pre-loaded. Thanks a million!

 

Wow, is all I can say. Switched graphics to the ATI and tried Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online. Expected it to be decent, maybe choppy. Nooooo. When the graphic check ran the settings based on the card, it set things to "Super" or "high". The game looks incredible on here. Stoked with the purchase, in spite of "no slice". Just kicked down on it from HP.com though and got a great price. I think $107 before tax and shipping with a coupon I found. Again, very happy at this point (Day 1).

 

Thanks.

Not exactly the feedback I was hoping to hear. Might just leave that Envy and look into something else now.