HP Envy VS Spectre: What to Buy in 2022 and Why

HP Envy VS Spectre: The Main Differences

Pocket-friendly yet power-packed! With an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and AMD Graphics card, the HP Envy x360 delivers fast, powerful performance. It tops rivels with an Intel i5 and UHD Graphics cards for both gaming and professional use.

The Spectre x360 comes with a premium design, build while an i7 processor that delivers strong performance. ThunderBolt Ports with USB-C charging make it worth the extra cost.


HP Envy VS Spectre: In Brief

HP Envy X360

For budget buyers, HP Envy X360 is perfect The Ryzen 5 processor gives the laptop ample power to edit 1080p videos or run QuickBooks with multiple users while the AMD graphics card gives better frame rates for gaming than Intel UHD. It lacks Thunderbolt 3 and HDMI ports but for a laptop costing less than $800, it is a steal.

Pros

  • AMD Graphics gives good frame rates
  • Ryzen 5 matches i7 processor
  • It is pocket-friendly
  • Great battery life
  • Good keyboard and Trackpad
  • Bright, Full-HD and Larger display
  • Comes with SSD storage
  • Large 15.6-inch display

Cons

  • No Thunderbolt 3 ports or HDMI
  • Average design and build
  • Less storage space at 256GB
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HP Spectre

While the i7 of the HP Spectre goes toe to toe with the Rzyen, its graphics card is let down (just a tad though). What makes it worth the extra bucks is that it comes with Thunderbolt 3 ports, an HDMI Port, excellent 6-7hrs battery life. It also features comparatively smaller bezels and a sturdier keyboard and trackpad.

Pros

  • Thinner bezels
  • Solid processor performance
  • 16 GB RAM for easy multi-tasking
  • 512GB SSD for speed and ample storage
  • Premium design and build
  • Excellent battery life
  • Windows Pro variant available
  • Way lighter at 2.88lbs

Cons

  • Smaller display size
  • There’s bloatware
  • Costs over $1000
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Are you confused between HP Envy and HP Spectre? Can’t decide which one is really worth the money? Got questions like, how long does their battery last? Which one is sleeker and compact? Can I run games on either of the two?

Then you are in the right place. Here’s a detailed article on HP Envy VS Spectre were we answer all your queries so you can make an informed buying decision.

HP Envy VS Spectre: A Detailed Review

Performance

If you are looking for top-notch performance, either of the laptops won’t leave you disappointed. While their processors go neck and neck, the main difference lies in the graphics card and RAM. More about it below.

The HP Spectre X360 is equipped with a 10th Gen, an i7-1065G7 processor that can turbo boost to 3.9GHz while the Envy comes with an AMD Ryzer 5 4500U Processor with a turbo boost capability of 4.0GHz

Wait. How does a Ryzen 5 processor go neck and neck with the latest 10th Gen i7?

Well, while the i7 has a base clock speed of 1.3GHz the Ryzen comes with a 2.3GHz. But that’s not all. If you are into video editing and work with 1080p videos, you know how important cores can be, right? And that’s where the Ryzen levels up as it has 6-cores compared to 4-cores of the i7. 

If you want to play games like PUBG or Fortnite, HP Envy takes the cake. That’s because the AMD Radeon Graphics card outperforms the Intel UHD Card all day long by giving you better frame rates. Don’t trust us? Check out these images below.

Are you going to be browsing with 10-15 tabs at once? Have multiple programs run in the background? Then you need a lot of RAM. And with the Spectre costing well above $1000, its 16GB RAM comes as no surprise.

On the other hand, the Envy X360 comes with an 8GB RAM which is ample in most cases. As for the storage, both laptops are equipped with a faster, more durable 512GB SSD storage.

Display

The battle for the best display is as close as it was for performance. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if HP has used the same display in both the series.

Both the laptops are available in either Full-HD resolution i.e 1920 x 1080 or a 4k resolution.

Apart from resolution, there are other factors like sRGB Color Gamut that play a part in making a display truly captivating as it has a direct connection with color production thus making it an important feature.

The Spectre covers 109% of the sRGB color gamut while the Envy covers 108%. Now, this isn’t out of the world but is well above the average 70-80% so you get good colors when watching movies or a TV series.

Plus, you can use both the laptops outside in bright sunlight as well. That is because the Spectre has a brightness of 369-nits whereas the Envy has a brightness of 319-nits (yes, a tad lower but barely noticeable).

The main difference when it comes to Display is screen size and bezels. The Spectre has smaller bezels but the display is also smaller at 13.3-inch. It is one of the reasons why the Spectre is so light and portable.

On the other hand, Envy comes with a larger 15.6-inch display. Yes, the bezels are a tad bigger. But when you are editing photos or learning programming, you’ll want something big and comfortable making the Envy screen more suited for it.

Ports

When it comes to ports, the Spectre has a clear edge since it comes with a Thunderbolt 3 port. This allows you to transfer/backup your videos and photos within seconds with speeds of up to 40 GBPS speed.

Furthermore, it also features 1 headphone/microphone jack, 1 USB 3.1 port, Gen 1 Type-A port; and 2 USB 3.1 Gen 2.

On the other hand, Envy X360 Envy x360 13 comes with 1 USB 3.1 Type-A port on the left side while there is another USB-A port on the right.

There’s also a USB Type-C port along with a headphone/mic jack. But you miss out on the speed and convenience of a Thunderbolt 3 port.

Both laptops come with a MicroSD card reader so you can watch your videos and photos without having to perform any transfers or spend on card reader

The HP Spectre X360: Lightweight Yet Fast & Powerful

If you want a portable laptop with a premium, eye-catching design, the HP Spectre X360 is just what the doctor ordered.

It weighs just 2.88 lbs and is a convertible laptop in a compact yet durable chassis allowing you to carry it to mountains, the beach, etc. without feeling the burden or worry about damage due to a few bumps.

Adding to the portability is the excellent battery life so you do have to worry about carrying the charger or power outlets.

Another thing we love about the Spectre is that it comes with a fast 16GB RAM (much higher than the Envy), a 512GB SSD, and an i7 processor making it the ideal laptop for professional tasks like photo editing, video editing, or programming

Then there are Thunderbolt and USB Type C ports that add to the convenience of using the laptop.

The display size is a tad smaller but it also has smaller bezels better than that on the Envy. The integrated graphics card is its biggest letdown as it limits its usage.

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The HP Envy X360: Inexpensive yet Power-Packed

If you are looking for a convertible laptop for less than $1000, the HP Envy 360x is a great buy. The AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor performs as well as the i7 while the Radeon Vega 8 Graphics outdoes the HP integrated graphics unit.

This makes the laptop suitable for tasks like Full-HD video editing, photo editing, and for students learning to program.

Though the 8GB RAM means you will have to limit background programs and browser tabs or the laptop will slow down.

It isn’t as compact as the Spectre but that is because you get a bigger 15.6″ Full-HD display with color production and brightness at par with the Spectre.

Long battery life is another strength of the Envy 360x as it can run between 7-9hrs depending on the tasks performed

On the downsides, it has a lower storage space at 256GB which will need to be upgraded sooner or later.

The bezels are slightly bigger and since this a lower costing laptop, the lack of Thunderbolt 3 ports comes as no surprise.

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Written By Eric Smith

My name is Eric Smith and I've been working within the tech space for over 10 years, both at one of the largest computer manufacturers (for which I have no affiliation with anymore) but also in the retail sector where I gained a lot of experience in helping people finding suitable tech products.