Value and style in equal parts from this
AMD-powered laptop
The AMD processor inside the HP Envy 6
Sleekbook ($825 inc. VAT) prevents it from being an Ultrabook. However, there’s
little difference between this machine and the HP Envy 6.
The chassis is identical, with the same
black brushed metallic finish and 15.6-inch screen. There’s also the same red
rubberised undercarriage that offers both grip and a certain cool factor. We’ve
been very complimentary on the design of HP’s recent laptops and this is no
exception. It’s a cool looking machine that will obviously turn heads down at
the coffee shop.
HP
Envy 6 Sleekbook
Whether Ultrabook or not, this machine is
designed to be portable and, as such, is only 18mm thick and weighs 2.1kg. However,
the effect is slightly undone by having a large 15.6-inch screen.
That’s because the Envy 6 Sleekbook, like
its Intel-christened cousin, succeeds best as a multimedia device. The screen
is bright and crisp, and the Beats Audio technology inside puts extra muscle
into the soundtrack.
In fact, the Sleekbook posted a better
score in our graphics benchmark than for general performance, a rare
occurrence. Part of the reason is AMD’s general excellence when it comes to
integrating decent graphics cards into their processors. The score in itself
isn’t amazing - not compared with dedicated chips elsewhere, but you’ll
certainly be able to handle a little light gaming with this machine.
The processor inside the Envy 6 Sleekbook
is an AMD A6-4455M APU with integrated Radeon Graphics, backed by 6GB of RAM.
During our benchmarking tests, the CPU threw up an unimpressive score, and on
paper it certainly can’t compete on the same level as Intel’s Ivy Bridge
series. However, during day-to-day usage we were impressed with the speed and
fluidity of this laptop. It didn’t fall down when we tried multitasking and the
battery life held up pretty well at 233 minutes.
Comfortable keyboard
The Envy series has consistently provided
us with comfortable computing experiences and the tale is no different here.
There’s a soft, rubberised texture to the keys, as well as a reassuring depth
of travel considering how slim the chassis is.
Comfortable
keyboard
Unfortunately, the usual bootload of HP
bloatware is ready and waiting for you when you first fire the Envy 6 Sleekbook
up. Occasionally these programs are helpful but we honestly doubt you’ll use
the majority of them.
Connectivity is standard, with three USB
slots, an HDMI port and an Ethernet connection alongside an SD card slot. There
are also three USB ports on offer, including a couple of the speedier 3.0
variety.
Ultimately, the HP Envy 6 Sleekbook
benefits from being cheaper than its Intel counterparts, but this is more of an
entertainment machine than a full-on workhorse.
What’s it best for
·
Web, mail & photos
·
HD, movies & TV
·
Light & portable
|
Details
|
|
Price
|
$825
|
|
Website
|
www.currys.co.uk
|
|
Key features
|
|
|
E-Code
|
998653
|
|
Supplier
|
www.currys.co.uk
|
|
Telephone
|
N/A
|
|
OS
|
Windows 7 Home Premium
|
|
Processor
|
AMD A6-4455M APU 2.1GHz
|
|
Memory
|
6GB
|
|
Storage
|
500GB HDD / 32GB SSD
|
|
Optical drive
|
None
|
|
Screen size
|
15.6-inch
|
|
Screen resolution:
|
1,366 x 768
|
|
Graphics
|
AMD Radeon HD 7500G
|
|
Weight
|
2.1kg
|
|
USB ports
|
3 (2 X 3.0)
|
|
Test results
|
|
|
Battery life (Mins)
|
233
|
|
Performance
|
3,560
|
|
Gaming
|
5,223
|
|
Verdict
|
|
|
Value
|
3/5
|
|
Features
|
3/5
|
|
Performance
|
2/5
|
|
Total
|
3/5
|
