We also run a custom Adobe Photoshop image-editing benchmark. Using an early 2018 release of the Creative Cloud version of Photoshop, we apply a series of 10 complex filters and effects to a standard JPEG test image. We time each operation and add up the total (lower times are better). The Photoshop test stresses the CPU, storage subsystem, and RAM, but it can also take advantage of most GPUs to speed up the process of applying filters. PCMark 10 and 8 are holistic performance suites developed by the PC benchmark specialists at UL (formerly Futuremark). The PCMark 10 test we run simulates different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows. We use it to assess overall system performance for office-centric tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet work, web browsing, and videoconferencing. PCMark 8, meanwhile, has a storage subtest that we use to assess the speed of the system's boot drive. Both yield a proprietary numeric score; higher numbers are better. We run the same general productivity benchmarks across both mobile and desktop systems. Our first test is UL's PCMark 10, which simulates a variety of real-world productivity and office workflows to measure overall system performance and also includes a storage subtest for the primary drive. HP Enhanced Lighting: Adds a virtual light ring on the screen to improve lighting during video calls.

Battery life is another area where the HP Envy x360 15 (2021) excelled. With a 51WHr battery, we expected it to make it through at least a full workday on a single charge and found it did a little bit better than that, making it just over 13 hours in our PCMark 10 battery test. This is a little under five hours longer than the ThinkBook 14s Yoga and about 20 minutes longer than the HP Spectre x360. I only spent a short amount of time with the HP Envy x360 15.6-inch laptop at a press event, so won’t be reviewing the product in full here. Instead, this is hands-on that focuses on the design and specs of the device, rather than its performance and battery life. Price and Availability The tables were turned here as the Lenovo won handily, with the Envy turning in a decent but unexciting time. It's fine for image touch-ups and managing a photo collection, though serious content creators will probably want a 4K display. Graphics Tests After fully recharging the laptop, we set up the machine in power-save mode (as opposed to balanced or high-performance mode) where available and make a few other battery-conserving tweaks in preparation for our unplugged video rundown test. (We also turn Wi-Fi off, putting the laptop into airplane mode.) In this test, we loop a video—a locally stored 720p file of the Blender Foundation short film Tears of Steel Tears of Steel—with screen brightness set at 50% and volume at 100% until the system quits.Free 30 day subscription of McAfee LiveSafe service included. Internet access required and not included. Subscription required after expiration. Actual battery Watt-hours (Wh) will vary from design capacity. Battery capacity will naturally decrease with shelf life, time, usage, environment, temperature, system configuration, loaded apps, features, power management settings and other factors.

The keyboard includes buttons to mute the microphone and disable the webcam, as well as the fingerprint reader (replacing the right Control key) and a special key to launch the HP Command Center software, which lets you prioritize favorite apps' network bandwidth; activate a Focus Mode that dims the display except for the active window; and choose balanced, quiet, or performance modes depending on your tolerance for cooling-fan noise. (I ran our benchmark tests in performance mode, except for the battery test in balanced mode.) In accordance with the Microsoft Silicon Support Policy, HP does not support or provide drivers for Windows 8 or Windows 7 on products configured with Intel or AMD 7th generation and forward processors HP Inc UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 973346) and acts as a credit intermediary and not a lender, offering credit products provided by a limited number of finance providers. Such credit products may not be suitable for everyone. Borrowing more than you can afford or paying late may negatively impact your financial status and ability to obtain credit. The Envy x360 15 offers a strong selection of ports, but you miss out on Thunderbolt 4 support because of the AMD chipset. The two USB-C ports support a display and high-speed data, however, and there's also an HDMI port for connecting to an external display. With a pair of USB Type-A ports in addition to the USB-C ports, you won't need to hassle with an adapter to connect your devices. You also get an SD card slot, which is not usually found on a mainstream laptop.

HP Command Center: Lets you tweak the laptop's performance and fan speed, optimize network performance, and view system information.

At 4.2 pounds (1.9 kilograms), the Envy x360 15 feels heavier than it should, likely a result of the extra layers needed for the touch display found on all two-in-ones. The 3-pound Lenovo Yoga 7i makes a better option for daily commutes with its 14-inch, 16:10 display. A smaller, lighter two-in-one also has a more natural feel in tablet mode. The Envy x360 15 looks comically tall and narrow when held in portrait mode as a tablet. It's also too heavy to hold with one hand and tap, swipe or sketch with the other hand. One last note on the Envy x360 15 as a tablet: A pen is not included. Our other three benchmarks focus on the CPU, using all available cores and threads, to rate a PC's suitability for processor-intensive workloads. Maxon's Cinebench R23 uses that company's Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene, while Geekbench 5.4 Pro from Primate Labs simulates popular apps ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning. Finally, we use the open-source video transcoder HandBrake 1.4 to convert a 12-minute video clip from 4K to 1080p resolution (lower times are better).

Large and in Charge 

We were also surprised to see how well the HP Envy x360 15's Radeon graphics handled both benchmarks and real-world use. No, you really won't be able to run the best PC games on the Envy x360 15, natively, and without issue, but we've played Valheim with worse specs, for sure.