HP ENVY x360 13 Ryzen 5 Review

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HP ENVY x360 13 Ryzen 5 Review

Design

With its anodised all-aluminium chassis, the HP Envy x360 13 offers an impression of a true high-end 2-in-1 portable. In terms of build, the HP Envy x360 13 (2019) feels solid and sturdy with little to no flex in the chassis. The same goes for its 360-degree hinge, allowing for conversion into tablet mode. You get the sense it’s been engineered to last. With slim bezels on two out of three sides of the display, the HP Envy x360 13 is reasonably compact, too. That said, it’s still just thick enough to offer a pair of full-size USB Type-A ports in 3.1 spec. There’s also a USB Type-C socket and a microSD reader. While the full-sized USB ports will score points with those averse to using dongles, it’s worth noting that the single USB-C port has HP Sleep-and-Charge for charging your devices, even when the laptop is in sleep mode.

All told, HP Envy x360 13 weighs in at 1.27kg which makes it eminently portable. HP has also teamed up with Bang & Olufsen for the sound system. Improved audio is always welcome. It means the track pad below is shallower than we would have preferred. If you’re used to a large trackpad, you’ll find the Envy’s quite restrictive, that’s for sure. 

Sound and Display

Speaking of those Bang & Olufsen speakers, the sound output is good with reasonable volume levels.

As for the HP Envy x360’s 13-inch touch screen, it’s about as good. With this IPS technology, the colours are accurate and the viewing angles of the panel itself are excellent, while maximum brightness levels are good. The resolution of the screen is Full HD (1920 * 1080).

In terms of pure CPU performance, the new AMD Ryzen 5 3500U sets new standards for a low-voltage quad-core processor. In fact, Intel’s latest 8th generation Core chips are facing the heat from these new AMD chips. These new mobile chips from AMD - known as an APU because it includes integrated graphics, deliver more CPU Performance and GPU power than their Intel Counterparts.

Battery life

There’s good news when it comes to battery life. By racking up over nine hours in our battery life test (PCMark 10), this new AMD variant of the HP Envy x360 13 gets a lot closer to the Intel-powered competition. 

Final verdict

The HP Envy x360 13 is a compelling proposition. The chassis has a premium feel and the 2-in-1 element works well even if the screen’s large chin bezel ensures you never forget it’s not a true tablet. The performance of the new AMD Ryzen APU is competitive with the Intel quad-core alternative, especially given the price point. The same goes for battery life. Similarly, the HP Envy x360’s 13-inch 1080p screen is good with decent viewing angles. The HP Envy x360 13’s is all about offering a great value proposition without burning a hole in your pocket.