HP Envy 13 Spectre XT

Figured with this thing coming out in a month, it should get it's own thread up and running. I mean, this thing looks phenomenal, I like it way way better than the gorilla glass ultrabook that HP previously made.

Really really interested in details about processor/RAM/SSD options on this ultrabook. Ideally, hoping for an i7/8GB RAM/256GB(512?) combination for the win.

Obviously a screen upgrade would be most welcome too, but I have this sinking feeling we're going to have to make due with that 1366x768 resolution this go-around.

But honestly, anytime I'm at my desk it'll be plugged into a 24" IPS screen, so less complaining from me about that.

Curious to see if Sony refreshes their Vaio Z with a lower price point to compete on the same tier with this ultrabook. Not sure there's a real need for the crappy external GPU that the previous Vaio Z could make use of, with the improvements that Ivy Bridge brings in that area. Though I suppose the Vaio Z could add a more powerful external GPU unit with their latest refresh to give it an option that most other ultrabooks simply don't have.

Still, the Spectre XT seems like it'll do basically 90% of what the Vaio Z does (minus the 1080p screen, external GPU, and RAID SSD options). That makes it a huge contender, imo, since it'll be probably be under $2,000, whereas the Vaio Z can creep north of $3,000 fully spec'd.

 

gorilla glass ftw

spectre XT ftl

 

I don't know if you were referring to it's looks, but I honestly don't know why anyone would prefer a glass laptop over metal construction, fro a durability standpoint. Why do I need gorilla glass on my palm rest? How does that help durability? Seems silly, really.

I might as well put gorilla glass on my toaster, as it's about as useful.

 

I personally don't believe Vaio Z is supposed to compete at this price point. It's supposed to represent the ultra high-end - before the real advent of Ultrabooks, it was more powerful and portable than anything else out there, but the price matched. I think (without knowing a lot of specific details yet) that the upcoming Vaio Ts may compete there, but we have to see the prices for them first to know for sure.

 

That's what I was getting at - the Vaio Z used to be compelling because it really was the ultimate high-end, way way better than anything else on the market. When this can replicate the majority of what the Z does, I don't think that the Z is a truly compelling product anymore when the price difference is over a grand.

If Apple (likely) comes out with their retina displays in their Macbook Pro refresh, Sony won't be the only Windows-based manufacturer with a high-resolution display in their laptops for much longer.

 

the vaio t price point is actually pretty low, and it uses the same chassis design of the Z2. they have a 11 and 13 models, the prices are below 800

 

Also, confirming some specs for this laptop:

WiDi seems to be confirmed (not sure if on all models though)
I believe Bluetooth 4.0 is also confirmed

I've seen one site make reference that 256GB is the upper limit of SSD options. Probably 128GB for the base ($1,000 starting price) model.

4GB of "onboard" RAM is what I'm reading. Being that the HP Folio-13's apparently *isn't* soldered to the board (upgradeable to a single 8GB RAM stick, is my understanding), I'd have to assume right now that this is the same case.

I found an article that lists one CPU option as the i7-3667U:
HP Envy Spectre XT - 14,5mm thin with a Core i7-3667U processor - www.nordichardware.com

It appears to be a dual-core (4 threads) 2.0GHz i7:

Intel Core i7-3667U Mobile processor

"Spectre XT has powerful Ivy Bridge processor with the model name Core i7-3667U with means two CPU cores with support for HyperThreading that works at 2,0 GHz. The turbo function on the processor can take the clock frequency all the way up to 3 200 MHz with a single active core."

3667U has a TDP of 17W.

Core i7-3667U 2-Core 2.0GHz PC Gaming CPU Hardware For Game System Requirements

A little more detailed explanation on how it compares to it's Sandy Bridge predecessor, the Core i7 2677M:
Faster 17W low power Core i7 in Q4 2012

"It is not certain when we will see the transition from Core i7 2677M to Core i7 3667U in the 17W dual-core notebook market.

Core i7 2677M is Sandy Bridge based and has 4MB cache, a 1.8GHz base clock and can turbo-clock all the way to 2.9GHz. The replacement is still scheduled for Q2 2012 and the new Ivy Bridge 22nm based CPU to take the crown in this market is Core i7 3667U. It is a 2GHz processor with two cores and four threads, with HD 4000 graphics, 4MB cache and 17W TDP. This time the top turbo speed is 3.2GHz which means we can expect this new 17W king of the hill to make quite a difference."

So this all seems to confirm to me that the Envy Spectre 13 will have the top-of-the-line Ivy Bridge i7 ULV available as an option. That's great, great news.

If this thing can be equipped (or upgraded) to 8GB of RAM...HP, take my money.

Also, looking forward:

" The replacement, or a faster version of Core i7 3667U is planned for Q4 2012 at the earliest, but this is something that Intel can decide depending on the sales of the Core i7 3667U 2GHz with 3.2GHz turbo clock part.

This processor and its potential predecessor have to rule the Ultrabook market at least until new architecture codenamed Haswell makes an appearance in Q2 2013, roughly a year from now."

As well as this article referencing the fact that with Ivy Bridge, the TDP may actually vary:

Exclusive: Additional ULV Ivy Bridge processor unveiled by VR-Zone.com

"Let's start with the programmable TDP of the two models we already know about. The Core i5-3427U at stock 17W TDP will operate at 1.8GHz, but it can go down to 14W and all the way up to 25W. All models can go down in terms of TDP, but not all can go up. Its lowest speed is 800MHz, again something that is a common feature across the entire range, although at 25W TDP it can operate as high as 2.3GHz without going into turbo mode.

The Core i7-3667U will be able to operate at speeds of 2.5GHz at a 25W TDP, up from 2GHz at 17W TDP."

Hope that helps whet your appetite, power users. I know I'm pretty excited with this news. I was so annoyed when all the initial press releases on the tech sites kept referencing "a processor of unknown designation".

 

I had actually overlooked the announcement of the Vaio T series somehow. I really have to start religiously reading Engadget again - I followed most of the old guard over to The Verge but their layout makes it tough to know if you've caught every single article, even after following The Verge and most of their writers on Twitter. Anyway.

You're right, it does look like the Vaio T will be a direct competitor to the Spectre XT. Here's some info I dug up on the T13":

"Thanks to Tech Focus, we now also have a comparison video of the ultrabook duo, showing them with aluminum cases and keyboards with no backlight. The ultrabooks have user replaceable batteries and RAM [only one of the two slots is user-replaceable].

Sony’s VAIO T ultrabooks will be offered in a wide range of configurations, including up to the Core i7 processors and up to 512GB SSDs. The prices will accordingly range from about $700 to $2,000."

"Pricing for the T11 starts at approximately US$881 and the T13, US$1044." Note though, that those are the European prices converted to US dollars, and don't accurately reflect what the pricing will likely be when they're released in the US. Maybe dip a bit in price for the US market.

Source(s):
Sony Vaio T Ultrabooks: Ivy Bridge Support, Specs, Pricing Revealed | PCWorld

Sony VAIO T Ultrabooks to Ship with Ivy Bridge, Pricing Revealed | Laptoping

Also, this site's review notes that the T13 has two RAM slots, but one of them is soldered. Likely shouldn't be a problem, since that'll probably be a 4GB stick of RAM that's soldered to the board, leaving room for another 4GB (or 8GB?) stick. Would be interesting to see if it's the same setup for the Spectre XT. 8GBx2 would be an interesting option for either system.

Sony Vaio T1311W1ES Vorserie im Test Stilmobil – 13-Zoll-Ultrabook mit i5-Herz der nächsten Generation auf notebookjournal.de

The keyboard layout *may* be slightly better on the Vaio T13. I like how they isolated the arrow keys, personally. However, you never know, that could just be specific to the European layout (vertical Enter key).

However, and for me, if this was going to be my primary laptop, here's the dealbreaker. No backlit keyboard, when pretty much every other ultrabook is now including them almost standard.

*sad trombone sound*

I believe both of the Spectre XT's USB ports are 3.0. I think only one of the Vaio T's is 3.0.

 

I completely agree that the advent of the Ultrabook in general diminished the appeal and advantage of the Vaio Z, but one thing to remember is that the Vaio Z used normal processors while most Ultrabooks use low-voltage ones. For most that may not be a concern but again, the Vaio Z has the engineering (and expense) to pull that off with the form factor. Also, even though you can only have discrete graphics and an ODD while plugged into the dock, at least that's an option, whereas even with IB graphics, the Vaio Z has a better GPU than Envy 14 SB with 6630M. Finally, the display is serious business - I haven't seen one personally, but it seems to be as heralded as original Envy 14 Radiance and Dell RGB-LED.

Then again, Vaio Z has been out almost a year - it'll be interesting to see if Sony keeps it going, and where it takes it next refresh.

 

the refresh is about to happen on the vaio z, it will be a simple swtich regarding mobo + chipset + ivb. We havent had any news regarding how the PMD is going to be packed.

The vaio Z is in a different league compared to ultrabooks.

They have higher performance, all around.

SSD are in RAID 0 from factory, and they can go up to 1tb of that goodness.
RAM you can add latter, but its a custom format that they developed due to size issues, still you can go and buy it
Screen is the best in the 13'' market, I still have to see how the new asus are going to fare, but sincerely I dont have my hopes up
and there is the cpu, full voltage.

Had one last year for a couple of weeks, returned it, simply due to the keyboard, and chassis. While I do take care of my notebooks, I commute about 3h of my day by train, and its usually packed

 

My main point (this is also a partial response to wetwilly's reply) is that if you wanted to do say, HD video editing, in the 13" form factor, previously the Vaio Z was practically your only real option. i7 + SSD just wasn't common on any other systems back then (at least at a pricepoint that didn't make you want to go with the Z - the Samsung Series 9 with i7 + 256GB SSD was WAY up there). This Ivy Bridge ultrabook wave is going to make that quite common by comparison.

The Z (refreshed) will clearly have the upper hand with the notable things you mentioned - full voltage CPU as opposed to ULV, RAID0 hard drives (I was *curious* about 512x2, however, last time I checked, that option was only available on the S, not the Z?), and of course, a native 1080p resolution display.

Just again to highlight my point, i7 ULV vs i7 Full Voltage, 8GB of RAM in either machine (though perhaps the refreshed Sony could be configured with 16GB?), RAID0 is still a performance upgrade (and 512GB / 1TB[?] options beat out 256GB in all other ultrabook models).

(here's where I point out that while 1080p res is nice, if I'm video editing I'm likely doing it while hooked up to a real, 24" or larger monitor, so it's much less of an actual necessity for my workflow)

The PMD is definitely a nice addition, but I wish you could purchase it separately after the fact (to my knowledge, you have to purchase it during the initial order or not, unless you get it from an unofficial channel). That way you could see if you need the extra graphics power first before dropping for the additional cost.

If a competing ultrabook can do the stuff I mentioned at a price that's over a thousand dollars cheaper, you really have to consider if the performance bumps from the Vaio Z's higher end components are going to make a difference with what you do.

 

Yeah, if an Ultrabook can provide the level of power you need to do video editing, it's way more cost efficient than a Z for sure. The advent of the Ultrabook has definitely reduced the awesomeness of the Z too. I just don't consider a Z to be an Ultrabook, and I don't think Sony does either. It's more of an ultimate machine with fewer compromises than it is an Ultrabook.

 

actually no ultrabook will come close to the performance of the Z, it comes with the i7 3612qm now.

You can buy the PMD separetly, if you are not in the US, a pity that they put it forward like that.

The 1tb config of the SSD from the Z is a quad raid 0.

It still going to be an expensive machine, the RAM is proprietary, but at least you can upgrade it. The cpu is soldered, the SSD is quite expensive and proprietary, the screen is only used in this model and yes its deadly gorgeous with a great res, the chassis is CFRP and that is still expensive, not to mention the proprietary lightpeak based connector, and the further research for the PMD

Basically there is no wonder that the Z is expensive as it is, the price is what it should be as well.

 

Yeah, that's exactly what I was getting at: it's more of an ultimate machine than an Ultrabook.

 

Wait, so quad core, quad-raid is confirmed for their Ivy Bridge Z????///

Source?????!!!!!!!!!!

 

you dont need a source its already being sold as it is, just check the european sites for that.

btw the 1tb SSD quad raid 0 is usually only offered in Japan, its been like that since the z12

 

Okay, so I got the email telling me that the Spectre XT has been released.

Base model starts @ $1,000, with a Core i5, 128GB SSD, and 4GB RAM.

That's basically equivalent spec-wise to the HP Folio-13 that I bought a couple of weeks ago (besides the upgrade to Ivy Bridge). From what I can tell, the SSD is MSATA.

Now, obviously the HP Envy 13 Spectre XT is designed to look a lot sleeker than the HP Folio-13.

128GB SSD: Included in price
256GB SSD: +$300.00

Processor options:
Core i5-3317U Processor - Included in price
Core i7-3517U Processor +$100.00
Core i7-3667U Processor +$225.00

4GB of RAM (1 DIMM) is only option, not configurable.

Same with screen, there is no higher res option than the 1366x768 default crap display.

Looks like due to the non-upgradeable display and RAM, I'll be looking for a different ultrabook. Unless you need Ivy Bridge (doubtful), I'd certainly recommend the HP Folio-13 over this, especially for the value.

 

BTW, I'm assuming the quality (speed) of the SSD included in this is pretty good, but for pricepoint, there's been lots of 256GB SSDs on sale in the range of $150~$200. $300 for a mere additional 128GB bump, is, imo, waaaay overpriced.

Not sure how those sale prices translate into MSATA territory offhand, but the point remains, you're paying probably 50-100% what it would cost you to purchase a 256GB MSATA SSD and install it yourself.

 

BTW, I'm not too sure they have a 1TB option for the current Sony Z model. I just dug through their Japan site and checked the CTO (configure-to-order) page and it only lists the usual 128/256/512. Unless the 1TB version is listed separately elsewhere as one of those ultra limited editions that gets it's own page, I think they may have discontinued that option from the previous models.

Anyway, back on topic for the Spectre XT, let's keep on the lookout for any applicable discounts for this laptop. I'm interested in potentially replacing my Folio-13 with the Spectre XT, at the right price. Core i5 / 128GB SSD at a lower price point would probably make me bite, because it has Ivy Bridge + 2 USB 3.0 ports (my Folio-13 only has one).

Maybe I'll check to see what the student/military discount % is (I'm eligible for either).

 

Hmmm, military/EPP discount is only 4% on the Spectre XT. I think it's usually 10% on laptops, so unfortunately that's not really the avenue to go for good savings (only drops it $40 / $960 for the base model).

[EDIT: Also, if you just wanted the base model (128GB SSD) with the upgrade to the best available i7 CPU, with the military/EPP discount (still just 4%), that would come to $1,175.99 (+Tax/Shipping, though I think you can actually use a CashBack site like FatWallet {currently 3% CashBack which would be roughly $35.28 back, but if you wait until they have one of their CashBack specials like a couple of weeks ago when they had CashBack for HP @ 5%, that would be roughly $58.80 CashBack, which ultimately comes fairly close to negating the Tax}, since the order appears to go through the standard HP Home Shopping website, unlike a lot of military discount sites which usually have their own separate site). Tack on just under $300 ($1,463.99 total) if you really want that 256GB SSD too.]

 

Comparison thought, I was going to price-compare it against a similar sized laptop (HP EliteBook Folio - 14"), when I realized the Elitebook Folio isn't being released until October. If this is at $1,000 (not sure what the "Pro" version of this will run, but it shouldn't be too much more judging by the minimal difference in price between the Folio-13 consumer and business "Pro" models), either the Elitebook Folio will match or undercut this price point, or it's going to be DOA that late in the game (after the coming Macbook Air refresh with rumored "Retina" high-res display).

Also, I know it sounds like such a small thing, but if this laptop managed to have a 3rd USB 3.0 port (like the Elitebook Folio), I'd be all over it at this price point. It would enable having two available USB 3.0 ports to do a high-speed data transfer between external USB 3.0 hard drives, while leaving an additional USB 3.0 port open for a thumb drive / port replicator. Sigh, wishes, good for the soul.

 

Just received a $50 off coupon for the new HP Ultrabooks in my email. I'm not sure whether the code is universally applicable or tied to my email address, give it a shot:

NBUB5594

It's nice in that it applies the $50 discount after the military discount, maximizing your savings. Including the military discount, that makes the top i7 CPU + 128GB SSD = $1125.99 (+Tax / Free Shipping)

Combine that with Cashback and you're ultimately getting this for under $1,100, which is a pretty good deal for such a nice looking laptop.

 

Just something I noticed, and worth noting, the backlit keyboard on this appears to be very similar in construction to the one I'm currently typing on with my HP Folio-13.

As in, from a photo, I noticed that the keys are raised above the bodymetal enough that if you're sitting back from the laptop (as opposed to more above it), you're probably going to be at an angle that gives you a direct view of the LEDs underneath the keys. It's a little annoying at night (when I'm at my desk leaning back in my chair), because since you're staring straight at the LEDs, and it's suuuuuper bright (and there's so many of them, 2 for each small key, I think). Like the Millenium Falcon all lit up, as opposed to a backlit keyboard.

Not sure if other ultrabooks from other manufacturers share this (flaw).

[EDIT: Snapped a picture of what I'm talking about, so you know I'm not joking. The camera didn't even focus on them as much as it should have, so they're blurred a bit in the photo - they're brighter and more defined IRL, especially in a dark room.]

 

Hello all, quick question. Why would somebody consider this over the Envy 4? Yes, I know this can be equipped with i7 Ivy Bridge and has 128gb SSD but for roughly 400+ more $$. With the Envy 4 it can be upgraded to 8G+ RAM also couldn't you just put your own 256GB SSD and I figure overall price would still be much cheaper. Am I missing something? Thanks

 

My understanding is (I think) this has an MSATA SSD, and those are a little harder to buy aftermarket?

Also, the obvious thing you seem to be overlooking is this is constructed from way way way better materials than the Envy 4.

 

I think the Elitebook Folio is going to have a tough time if it's coming out in October. There will be so much stuff out by then, that I'm not sure who will be left to pick it up.

 

Most laptops I have used with backlit keys are like this.
The only one I currently have that isn't this bad is the XPS 13 Ultrabook.
Both the Lenovo and Samsung are the same as the picture you posted.

 

weaksauce, to the Sony z3 I go.

 

Anybody find out if the RAM in the XT is soldered to the board?

 

Ordered

 

...moved.....

 

My summary of the Envy Spectre XT - screen resolution is terrible, 4GB ram is dodgy.
Samsung Series 9 is better. Ciao!

 

I looked at this laptop and really liked it but 4gb of RAM is a deal killer. With all the resource intensive apps pushed through laptops and the low cost of adding RAM, it's beyond me why all these ultrabook manufacturers insist on including only 4bg of RAM. Kind of like buying a Porsche and putting a Smart Car engine in the thing.

 

Polishing a turd more like it

 

Can anyone confirm this laptop contains an Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 network card? I've found reference to the specific model on the PC World Australia website. HP doesn't even mention it on their own website. Kind of ridiculous if you ask me (and it's even a good card!).

 

Yes, it has the Advanced-N 6235 card. I'm typing this using a Spectre XT.

 

As i always say, you cant polish a turd , but you can roll it in glitter

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk 2

 

It's still a turd