Specifications Review Need new Windows laptop or Android tablet for daily use? Check our review, detail specifications and price before buying
In most cases, high-end laptops, with impressive configurations, cost a lot more than $1000, sometimes even surpassing $2000. Still, after a bit of research, you will find out that there are some great models, like the HP Envy m7-n101dx, costing just a bit over $1000, with a top notch spec sheet, a stylish design and a full HD 17.3″ display.
It’s powered by the potent 5th Gen Intel Core i7-5500U mobile processor, running at 2.4 GHz, which, using the Turbo Boost technology, can be increased to 3.0 GHz, for an extra amount of power. The CPU is aided by 16 GB of DDR3L SDRAM, perfect for running multiple applications at once, software-demanding programs or graphics-heavy PC games.
Moving on to the graphics department, the HP Envy m7-n101dx comes with an NVIDIA GeForce 940M graphics card, with 2048MB dedicated video memory and up to 4096MB total available video memory.
As for the storage capacity, it has a 1 TB hard disk drive, spacious enough for all your files, like photos, high-definition movies and of course games, which lately, require tons of space.
The HP Envy m7-n101dx features four USB 3.0 ports, for high-speed file transfers, alongside a built-in media reader, supporting various card formats, for quick photo transfers, from cameras or smartphones. If you prefer CDs or DVDs, it also has an optical drive, which can read and write a variety of media formats, including DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW.
In terms of connectivity, it has an HDMI output, so you can connect to a bigger display, next-gen wireless connectivity, for speeds three times faster than Wireless-N and a Gigabit Ethernet LAN port, for quick wired Web access. The laptop also has a Bluetooth 4.0 interface, so you can easily sync it with a tablet or a smartphone.
Like mentioned above, the HP Envy m7-n101dx has a 17.3″ WLED-backlit touch screen dispay, with a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The IPS technology provides wide viewing angles, while the antiglare finish allows you to use it in different lighting conditions, with no issues at all.
Another feature we really like is the speaker system, consisting in a quad Band & Olufsen speakers and a subwoofer, able to deliver a rich, dynamic soundscape.
Above the display, we can spot a HP TrueVision HD webcam, with an integrated dual-array digital microphone, allowing you to chat with your friends and family at a more than decent video quality.
Design-wise, the HP Envy m7-n101dx has a very elegant finish, in Linear Carbon and Natural Silver. It’s not the slimmest model on the market, measuring 1.21″ in thickness, nor the thinnest, weighing 6.97 lbs, but for its size, it definitely looks very good.
The full-size, island-style, keyboard is backlit, allowing you to use it in darker environments.
Finally, the price. The HP Envy m7-n101dx is available for $1029.99, with a pre-installed copy of Windows 10 and a multimedia software package included, containing titles like CyberLink PhotoDirector, PowerDirector, MediaEspresso and YouCam.
Considering its specs and also the way it looks, this is definitely a great deal for anybody looking for a powerful and OK-priced laptop, able to deal even with the most demanding tasks.
I was considering this laptop and herein sum up the negatives:
1. Not for gaming. Moderate level graphics & slow hard drive. 16 gigs of fast memory, but accessing virtual memory will bog down memory hogs, like games.
2. A large platform with wasted interior space. Room for a second HD/SSD bay, but none there. If considering swapping for an SSD, this case is EXTREMELY fragile & difficult to open, so replacing HD or memory is risky.
3. Power hungry touchscreen display and a lightweight battery.
4. HDMI, but no remote wireless screen [WIDI], means you need to cable-up to a TV.
The display is magnificent, so for $1000, this could have been a very nice multimedia laptop if HP had added BD to its optical drive. Who did HP imagine would be their target user? Insufficient for high-end users; cumbersome for watching videos; too expensive for everyday surfing.