The HP Envy 17-s010nr is one of the most impressive laptops you can buy today for less than $1000. Combine a great display with powerful hardware components and you get an ideal desktop replacement perfect for home or office use.
HP Envy 17-s010n Review
When it comes to raw computational power, the HP Envy 17-s010nr is in my top 3 most valuable notebooks out there. The guys at HP didn’t make any compromises when it comes to this model’s tech specs.
The processor
This HP model comes with a brand new generation, state-of-the art dual core Intel Core i7-6500U processor. This 6th generation CPU has a cache size of 4 megabytes, a clock speed that ranges from 2.5 to 3.1 gigahertz and managed to get a benchmark score of about 4300 points on cpubenchmark.net.
With this CPU you can multitask with no worries of system freezes, you can run just about any program you can think of and you can even play most games at decent quality settings.
System memory
No compromises here either: the HP Envy 17-s010nr comes stock with 12 gigabytes of installed RAM. That amount of memory may seem like overkill at first, however I think this notebook is marketed towards more tech-savvy people who will use it as a tool to get actual work done – think rendering, movie editing, photo manipulation, compiling, etc.
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For daily average users, I think 6 to 8 gigs of RAM is more than enough for their needs. What the HP offers is almost double that amount so said users won’t need to worry about it at all.
Storage space
The 5400 rpm HDD comes with one terabyte of available storage capacity, which is nice. However, I’m a bit disappointed HP didn’t find the necessary space in this huge chassis to also fit a 128 gigabyte SSD for the operating system and essential programs to be installed on. That would have made the system much more responsive, more quick to start up and snappy.
I would recommend swapping the HDD for a decent 256 gigabyte solid state drive if you have the budget of course.
Dedicated graphics card
It has one – a NVIDIA GeForce 940M with 2 gigabytes of DDR3L VRAM! Not so powerful though, but enough to take the load off the system memory and the CPU for those jobs that require some oomph. However, make no mistake: this is a poor man’s video card. The added benefit of having one is most useful when it comes to photo editing, illustrating and supporting web graphics, not games. This isn’t a gaming laptop, although you will find some success in playing somewhat recent titles at good quality settings.
Again, this is a device designed mainly for business professionals and power home users who want to replace or complement their desktop experience with a similarly powerful device. If you’re looking for gaming, there are way better alternatives for about the same price!
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Screen size and display quality
The HP Envy 17-s010nr has a 17.3 inch screen and an accompanying IPS FHD WLED-backlit touchscreen! The people at HP should again be lauded for not making compromises. A full HD resolution on a 17″ screen = decent pixel density. The display solidifies the idea that this HP model can also double as a media center for the whole house. It’s mobile enough to be carried around different rooms, can broadcast signal via Chromecast and can play and display movies on its own screen without the user feeling the need to squint in order to get what’s happening.
Interface options
To be honest, I would have expected it to be more backwards compatible than it already is. It has two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, one HDMI-out, an SD card reader, one headphone/microphone combo jack and a RJ-45 Ethernet port. On the other hand, a VGA/DVI port would’ve made it seem more clunky. This is after all a pretty well designed notebook.
Connectivity
Being a 17 inch laptop, it obviously comes with an Ehernet card and a new gen 802.11 ac (1×1) wireless card. Users haven’t reported any issues with signal strength or unsatisfying transfer rates. The HP also has Bluetooth 4.0 enabled via the WLAN card.
Other notable features…
Include a backlit keyboard which is so useful when typing in a dim lit room, a DVD reader/writer unit – great for those who still have media collections on CD or DVDs – and a Bang&Olufsen audio system with two powerful stereo speakers.
You should know that the HP Envy 17-s010nr comes with its fair share of bloatware and pre-installed software alongside Windows 10 Home Edition. It shouldn’t take anyone more than 20-30 minutes for a clean up.
The elephant in the room
The elephant is actually the notebook itself. It’s big. And it’s also heavy, weighing in a whopping 6.92 pounds. This shouldn’t be a problem though as no sane person buys a laptop with a large screen to travel with it. With that in mind, the battery (a 4-Cell Li-Ion @ 41 Whr) is decent enough considering you’ll never be far enough from a wall socket with this HP model.
Final words
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All in all, the HP Envy 17-s010nr is a great device designed and built for a very specific audience: home power users and business professional who need a bit of mobility out of their powerful device. It has a big screen, exceptional performance, it’s built well and has an attractive design. I think it’ll fit just fine on an office desk, plugged in and ready for work.
Buy it as a desktop replacement / home media center / home office laptop / work laptop.
Don’t buy it as a travel laptop / gaming laptop / college laptop.
