Between the HP Envy and Dell XPS, which one is perfect for you? In this article, we compare these two midrange laptops and show you the specs, the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the pros, and cons of each, allowing you to make a better buying decision.
To start with, we will review each of them individually, after which we will then place them side by side to match them up. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Hp Envy vs Dell XPS
DELL XPS
High-quality and compact laptops are always in demand, especially when it comes to those who want portability with long-lasting battery life.
Dell has been making these types of laptops for decades, coming out with different models along with cutting-edge technology.
The latest Dell machine is the XPS 13 2-in-1 laptop. It’s one of the most highly rated laptops on Laptop Mag’s list of top laptops in 2019.
From what consumers have said so far about their experience, it’s safe to say that this product is definitely worth considering for its overall quality and features.
The XPS 13 2-in-1’s design incorporates a precision touchpad, magnetic keyboard, and a stylus. It renders the laptop into an ultra-slim form factor that enables it to fit into a backpack or any smaller pocket.
Elegant Appearance
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has a metal body built with carbon fiber that gives it an elegant appearance and hides the machine’s true weight.
It features an OLED touchscreen with a resolution of 3200 x 1800, which makes the display perfect for multitasking due to its 224 PPI pixel density.
This may in fact be the biggest drawback of the XPS 13 2-in-1, as one user commented: “Screen is so bright it hurts my eyes. The auto-brightness is useless…it’s too dark.”
It’s also important to note that the display has a glossy finish which can cause inconvenient glare from sunlight or bright indoor lighting.
Connectivity
The XPS 13 2-in-1 comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, but it doesn’t have a 3G/4G mobile broadband option for connectivity.
This feature could be a deal-breaker, especially for those who are looking for portable connectivity without having to pay the high costs of internet services.
It also has an audio jack port where you can connect your headphone jack.
However, there’s an alternative: you can get Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1 in an LTE option which provides more flexibility in terms of mobility while also enabling faster data speeds.
The laptop has an open-source Ubuntu operating system that runs on the 2.8 GHz Pentium Silver processor with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of ROM.
The laptop is a bit slow to start up, but it performs faster once it’s turned on.
The XPS 13 2-in-1 may also be slow when it comes to running multiple programs at once, but this isn’t a huge obstacle since the machine is intended for average users who don’t need to multitask extensively.
One user commented: “Upgrade from Ubuntu 16.04…to 18.04 was smooth. Great minimalist machine…especially at [an] incredible price”.
Battery Life
The XPS 13 2-in-1 has an average battery life considering a similar model, lasting for 9 hours and 36 minutes.
It also has fast charging capabilities that enable it to be fully charged in just two to three hours.
This feature comes with a downside, which is that the battery may wear down quickly when the laptop is used extensively.
Weight
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 weighs 1.25 kg and measures 12 x 7 x 0.6 inches, making it a bit heavy yet still considerably portable for its size.
Overall, this laptop is one of the best options if you want to work on multiple tasks simultaneously while traveling or commuting due to its compact nature and convenient portability features.
HP Envy
The HP Envy, on the other hand, is an 11.6-inch ultraportable laptop with a touchscreen that runs on the Intel Core i5 processor. It offers 4GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage.
It comes with a full HD display and comes in many colors, including silver, rose gold, black, and gold.
Connectivity
The HP Envy has only one USB 3.0 port for connectivity and no HDMI or SD card slots.
This is a disadvantage compared to the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 since it only has one USB 3.0 punch hole which could limit additional devices that need to be connected to the computer, such as external hard drives for large file storage.
Keyboard
The HP Envy has a sleek and elegant design with a full-sized keyboard that makes it comfortable when typing.
The backlit keyboard can also be customized to increase visibility. It’s a touchpad that provides an accurate response to commands.
This makes it easier for students to navigate their schools’ computers since this model comes with Windows 10 Pro.
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 vs HP Envy
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has longer battery life than the HP Envy: 11 hours and 8 minutes compared to 9 hours and 36 minutes.
This is a bigger difference considering they have the same amount of RAM and storage space, along with similar processors and screen resolutions.
The HP Envy has a faster booting speed, however, taking just 2 minutes and 15 seconds compared to 3 minutes and 17 seconds for the XPS 13 2-in-1.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has a larger display than the HP Envy that has 13-inch displays compared to 11.6 inches.
This is one of the biggest differences considering most users prefer ultraportable laptops being smaller in size to be more portable.
The display resolution is similar although the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1’s weighs 30 grams heavier than the HP Envy: 1.25 kg versus 1 kg.
The XPS 13 2-in-1 can be used for almost all basic tasks such as writing papers, watching movies or reading books.
The HP Envy is only meant to be used for basic tasks such as word processing and Internet browsing.
Amazon Ratings
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has an average value of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon, while the HP Envy only has 3.9 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
This could be one of the most important features to take into account since both laptops are fairly expensive and have similar features but vary in a few areas, which makes it important to know the XPS 13 2-in-1’s maximum buyer rating.
The HP Envy also gets 3.9 out of 5 stars on Amazon, which is less than the 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon for the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1.
The HP ENVY has a lid that opens like a book and includes an 8.5-inch touch screen, while the Dell XPS 13 has a classic aluminum design with an edge-to-edge display that also boasts full color in its 1920x1080p variant.
The HP ENVY is advertised as having “advantages for gamers” due to Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics, but it lacks discrete graphics and the same UHD Graphics found in its competitor.
Laptop Mag notes that the HP ENVY is not meant as “a replacement for your work notebook,” but rather as “a high-powered gaming laptop”.
Display
The HP ENVY is a mid-range laptop with a 0.3-inch touch screen and an aluminum chassis, according to Laptop Mag, while the Dell XPS 13 features a premium design made with aluminum.
The latter comes in two sizes: 13.3 inches and 15 inches.
While the HP ENVY has a 2048×1536 display, the Dell XPS 13 has two options: one at 1920x1080p and another at 3840x2160p (4K Ultra HD).
The latter of the two options comes as an option for both screen sizes, but not as a standard for its smaller size.
The Dell XPS 13 also has an edge-to-edge display that measures 0.1 inches (4.1 millimeters) thick, while the HP ENVY has a 0.2 inch (5.7mm) edge thickness, according to CNET’s comparison of the two laptops.
Both laptops offer touchscreens: the Dell features an 8.5-inch TrueLife Touch Screen with capacitive pen support, while the HP ENVY sports a cloth trackpad that can be used in two different modes for different gestures: tap and flick (tap to scroll or swipe between tabs in Chrome).
Connectivity
The HP ENVY offers four USB 3.0 ports and two Thunderbolt ports, while the Dell XPS 13 has one USB 3.0 port and one USB Type-C port Thunderbolt 3 with Thunderbolt daisy chain.
Additionally, the HP ENVY has a full-size SD card reader slot, while the Dell XPS only offers a microSD card slot, according to Laptop Mag.
The HP ENVY also comes with an HDMI port as well as a Micro SD memory card reader, which is something that most laptops do not provide.
The HP ENVY also offers a Nano SIM card slot for cellular connectivity when traveling in international markets where wireless networks are not available.
Battery, Graphics, and Storage
The HP ENVY comes with a 56Wh battery, while the Dell XPS 13 has a 51-Watt battery that claims to last up to 12 hours of battery life, according to PCMag. That’s decent battery life.
The HP ENVY also comes with an Intel UHD Graphics 615 processor; the Dell XPS 13 is equipped with an Intel UHD Graphics 620 processor.
Additionally, the HP ENVY features 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM — twice as much as the Dell XPS 13’s 4GB of RAM – and a 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive storage system, whereas the Dell XPS 13 offers 16GB of DDR3L-1866MHz RAM and a 256GB SATA M.2 Solid State Drive system.
These specs have a great impact on the performance of the two laptops, with the HP Envy exhibiting an outstanding performance.
Warranty
The HP ENVY has a three-year limited warranty and starts at $999, while the Dell XPS 13 is priced at $999 for an Intel UHD Graphics 620 processor with a Core i7 chip.
The Dell XPS 15 starts at $999 for an Intel UHD Graphics 620 processor with a Core i7 chip.
Both the HP ENVY and Dell XPS 13 feature 8GB RAM, 256GB of storage space, and standard one-year warranties.
The Dell XPS 13 also offers an updated and improved Kaby Lake processor (up to Core i7 7560U) that this laptop is equipped with, along with 16GB DDR3L-1866MHz RAM and a 256GB SATA M.2 Solid State Drive system for storage.
According to CNET, the HP ENVY is marketed as a gaming laptop like the Dell XPS 13, “but it’s less expensive and doesn’t come with that same level of connectivity.
“For the price, the ENVY provides midlevel graphics that will play demanding games fine, but it’s not a replacement for a full-fledged gaming laptop like the MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro or Asus ROG Strix GL502VS.”
The HP ENVY is also 2.73 pounds more than its competitor.
Lastly, while the HP ENVY does have an 8.5-inch touchscreen with 1920x1080p resolution and works with an Intel Iris Xe Graphics, it lacks discrete graphics — which is something that many gamers are looking for in a gaming laptop — and instead offers an Intel UHD Graphics 615 processor coupled with 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM to handle media and high-end graphics.
These two PCs, HP ENVY and Dell XPS, are very similar; what can distinguish between the two products are the screen resolution and graphics card.
The specifications comparison of HP ENVY and Dell XPS are listed below:
- Performance-wise, HP Envy packs a better performing processor, having an AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, while the XPS has an Intel Core i7-8550U.
- HP Envy also contains more memory with a 32gb compared to the XPS which has 8gb.
- Envy also has faster graphics card for it’s display. It has Radeon Vega 8 Mobile while the XPS has Intel HD Graphics 620.
- The Dell XPS has a better, high resolution screen. However, the Envy has a bigger screen. The Envy screen is 15.6″ whereas the XPS screen is 13.3″.
- In terms of weight and portability, the XPS is lighter at 1.22 kg (2.68 lbs), whereas the Envy weighs 2 kg (4.41 lbs).
- They both run on Windows 10 Home OS.
- Cost wise, Envy is cheaper, going for as low as $1,399 while XPS goes for $1,499.
- ENVY also has more SSD storage packing a 2000gb SSD, while the XPS packs a 500gb SSD.
- Card Specification: Dell XPS has SD memory card slot, while HP ENVY doesn’t have the slot.
- Wireless Network Adapter Specification: The two laptops have a wireless network card.
- Battery Capacity: HP envy uses 58 WHr battery and Dell XPS uses 50 WHr battery.
- Ports and Connector Specification: Both laptops have USB A 3.0, USB C, HDMI port, SD card reader, etc.
- Keyboard Specification: Both laptops use backlit keyboard; HP ENVY has chiclet style keyboard while Dell XPS has standard style keyboard.
- Color Specification: Both laptops use silver color—it looks elegant.
Performance
The HP Envy is a great laptop for individuals that need to do some light gaming on the side. It’s not the most powerful device, but it does what is required of it with ease and without any lag.
For more intense games, you might want to consider something a little more heavy-duty like the Dell XPS 15 or other gaming laptops.
The Dell XPS 15 has its flaws, but its graphics are nothing short of spectacular, as well as incredibly power-efficient.
For the majority of everyday tasks, however, the Dell XPS 15 is a great device. It has a 4th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive.
The 4th generation intel core i7 processor offers excellent performance.
It doesn’t have the same power as an AMD or Nvidia graphics card (though it does come with Intel HD Graphics 4400).
Don’t expect to run any games on either machine at full detail settings—minimal at best on both devices.
But, if you’re just looking to get the most out of a simple word processor or do a little light gaming, they are both perfectly adequate.
You can see the pixels more clearly on the Dell screen but it’s not that big of a deal since it is an older model with extremely low-end specifications.
The color accuracy in both devices is excellent, however, and only gets better as you increase your screen brightness levels during use.
Smaller key travel
Because the XPS has a keyboard with longer key travel, you’ll find yourself having to press down a little harder on the Envy than on the XPS 15.
The trackpad isn’t as good on the HP Envy 13, however, when compared to the Dell XPS 15. It is also smaller and feels less responsive than the touchpad on its rivals.
The HP Envy 13 has almost identical specs to those found in the Dell XPS 15 but it does come with an i5 processor rather than an i7 model (yet).
It offers the same 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space, as well as the same interesting selection of ports and connectivity.
So, How Does HP Envy Compare to Dell XPS?
The XPS 15 is a cool machine for everyday tasks. It only has 16GB of RAM, but honestly even that’s enough for most people to get by with. It also features an amazing 1080p IPS screen.
When it comes to graphics performance, this device is excellent. The Dell XPS 15 also offers a much better typing experience. This device is excellent for light gaming and everyday tasks.
However, the HP Envy 13 is a much more versatile laptop than the Dell XPS 15.
Also Read: Brand Comparison Between Dell And HP
Final Words
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a Chromebook that sports the best specs and design without compromising on performance, then you should choose the HP Envy 13.
Its battery life is second to none, and its impressive display is enough to put it above its peers.
The Dell XPS 15 has a 15.6-inch display with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160), which makes it the perfect machine for editing photos and videos.
It also comes with a dual-band wireless card, backlit keyboard and its massive, 4 pounds worth of heft can serve as a paperweight too if need be.
It seems that both laptops have similar specifications and features, although there are some key differences that might change your decision in either direction. The biggest difference between them is the display size since portability will affect your overall preference between them. You can learn more about the differences between HP and Dell laptops here.
