HP Envy 17: HP's MacBook Pro Killer?
by Dustin Sklavos on December 16, 2010 12:30 AM ESTApplication and Futuremark Performance
While the Intel Core i7-720QM in our Envy 17 is a well known quantity by now, it's still nice to get a feel for how this overall system performs, and we're happy to be getting updated results from the AMD Mobility Radeon HD 5850 into our suite. (We did look at MSI's GX640 back in June, but that used a dual-core i5-430M and 5850, and we don't have it for running updated results with our revised benchmark suite.)
It's true, the Envy 17 with its i7-720QM comes in last in nearly all our tests, but that's not entirely fair. These numbers are still very high, and in some cases the Envy 17 is able to outpace machines equipped with the slightly faster 820QM. If we were to include results of lower-end notebooks, the Envy would place quite a bit higher.
Unfortunately, the 5850 remains consistently last in our charts and loses to the last-gen NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M at every turn. In some cases it's not a huge difference, though, and we suspect that if the 5850 in the Envy 17 was clocked at spec instead of below that it might be able to close the gap.
Now let's see how it fares in real games.
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truk007 - Thursday, December 16, 2010 - link
"...we've been sitting at "adequate" for entirely too long. Here's hoping that the mobile variants of AMD's 6800/6900 series can leverage features such as PowerTune to give mobile gaming a shot in the arm."I've been waiting a very long time to buy a new laptop with the hopes that I can play the games I love at settings better than native. I want my laptop to be able to do most of the things my desktop does, especially gaming.
vol7ron - Thursday, December 16, 2010 - link
I think we all are waiting for that day. The ability to truly replace my desktop with a laptop and docking station is approaching, especially with USB3.0 and eSATA performance increases.I'm curious if the GPU in this laptop was clocked down for heat, or if battery life also played a role - I'd believe either.
What would be nice is if there was an interface that enabled me to use my desktop GPU on the laptop. I've seen mods where a guy set his desktop GPU and PSU on his desk and used it for his laptop (actual high-detail gaming). - If only there was a port on the laptop and an apparatus that you could sit your GPU into (with a high-data cable that connected to that port) that would serve as a more conventional way to do the same thing. Less modding and more standard.
Tros - Thursday, December 16, 2010 - link
I used to think the same thing, seriously.A SFF desktop will blow any desktop-replacement laptop out of the water though, and let you get a laptop for what it's made for (mobility). I used to have an Inspiron 9300 (17 in, GeForce 6800 Ultra), and it was fantastic. But then a couple years passed by and it wasn't good for gaming anymore, heavy, and didn't last long on a charge.
Now I have a shuttle-equivalent though, and LAN parties are better.
tyke - Friday, December 17, 2010 - link
"at settings better than native"I don't think your comment really means anything.
Great_Scott - Monday, December 20, 2010 - link
So I guess you're not familiar with docking stations?MobiusStrip - Sunday, December 26, 2010 - link
We've also been sitting staring at our own reflections for too long. The continued fraud of glossy screens is just pathetic at this point. Even in the commercials and glamour shots for these computers, the screen is obscured by a white sheen, ruining the "deep blacks" and "rich colors" promised by third-tier vendors at Best Buy. And who's taking their cues from these purveyors of fake-chromed plastic laptops? Apple. HP. What an embarrassment for the companies and slap in the face to users.dagamer34 - Thursday, December 16, 2010 - link
I think calling anything a XXX killer dooms it to failure, and comparing this laptop to a MacBook Pro is a bit disingenuous. The only thing similar to this laptop and a MacBook Pro is the screen size, the price range, performance, and intended use cases are completely different!Anyway, outside of the few people that would rather not use suitcases to carry their PC to a LAN party, I see these laptops as being rather niche, even in a gamer's world.
quiksilvr - Thursday, December 16, 2010 - link
Agreed. You can get 16" laptops with similar (if not better performance) and a smaller weight and footprint.To me, you can hit all markets with simply three laptop sizes: 12", 14", 16"
gc_ - Thursday, December 16, 2010 - link
Screen size is not the same either --MacBookPro 17 has a 1920x1200 screen 16:10, case is 39.3 x 26.7 x 2.5 cm
Envy 17 has a 1080p (1920x1080) screen 16:9, case is 41.6 x 27.5 x 3.87 cm
Similarities include thinnish aluminum case, no-button pad, glass-to-edge display.
OneArmedScissorB - Thursday, December 16, 2010 - link
"I think calling anything a XXX killer dooms it to failure"But it guarantees people will click on the article and even reply. We're all being professionally trolled! :p