HP Envy x360 2019 with AMD Gen 3 Ryzen

HP Envy x360 2019

The HP Envy x360 2019 13 and 15-inch series has added the latest AMD 3000 series Ryzen 3, 5 and 7 systems on a chip (SoC) to its range offering more power for a lower price point.

The HP Envy x360 2019 series sits about halfway up the HP range – Essential, Pavilion, Envy, Spectre and Elitebook, so you are getting many of the high-end specs for the price. The trade-offs are an injection moulded polycarbonate chassis (that is just as rigid and strong as aluminium) and perhaps not the latest tech like BT 5.0 or Wi-Fi AX.

So, the HP Envy x360 2019 is what Joe and Jan Average aspire to. Will it meet and exceed their expectations?

As tested HP Envy x360 2019 (models prefixed by ar0)

Note: Test unit supplied by AMD, not HP. This model 13-ar0075AU does not currently appear on HP Australia’s website as HP preconfigures SKU’s to suit various retailers and channels. This is equivalent to the 13-ar0018au at $2099 (less the current bonus $200 gift card offer).

  • 13.3-inch 1920 x 1080, WLED-backlit, 400 nits, 100% sRGB (IPS Corning Gorilla Glass NBT
  • AMD Ryzen 5-3500U (Also in 3-3300U, 7-3700U)
  • Integrated Vega 8 GPU (3 series have Vega 6, and 7 series have Vega 10)
  • 8GB DDR4-2400 and 512GB PCIe SSD (maximum 2 slots or 16GB)
  • Wi-Fi AC, BT 4.2
  • 4-cell 53Wh battery 65W charger
  • 30.6 x 21.2 x 1.47 cm x 1.31kg
  • Website here

For our reviews, we use the words FAIL, PASS and EXCEED to denote performance in the various paradigms.

My first impression – EXCEED

Deep bronzy brown (called Nightfall Black), subtle ENVY branding (on the hinge), solid build, small side bezels (larger top and bottom). Like name, like nature – aspirational – it is not bland aluminium.

The thing that most drew my attention was the screen – it is bright and colourful, and you will find out why below. Add to that a decent keyboard, fast SSD and battery life and well – the AMD Ryzen version has lots to offer at a better price.

HP Envy x360 2019

Screen – EXCEED

13.3″ diagonal 1920 x 1080, WLED-backlit, touch with anti-reflection Corning Gorilla Glass NBT, 400 nits, 100% sRGB IPS panel

It is bright, colourful and the AMD Radeon software/driver allows for plenty of customisation. 100% sRGB means (standard Red Green Blue) – an RGB colour gamut that HP and Microsoft created cooperatively in 1996 to use on monitors, printers, and the Internet. It is a subset of AdobeRGB (creative professionals) and DCI-P3 (movies)

Processor – PASS

AMD and Intel fight it out in the x86 processor race. These days, model-for-model there is little between them. The AMD Ryzen 3, 5 and 7 series in the ‘U’ (low power) versions are roughly equivalent to the respective Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 series. Both have embedded graphics on the SoC.

The AMD Ryzen 5-5300U 2.1/3.7GHz, 4-core/8-thread is almost equivalent to the Intel Core i5-8265U (Pass Mark 7910 versus 8008). Both are 15W TDP, but the Ryzen can go as high as 35W under load that can affect battery life.

Geekbench single/multi scores: 731/2550 showing a slower single-core performance but good load performance.

  • Fan: 32 to 42dB under load
  • CPU Heat: 33-75°
  • Power – 3W idle and 25W+ under load
  • Throttling: None evident at 100% load for 15 minutes – just a louder fan

It is a great SoC for general office work, productivity and casual gamers.

GPU – PASS for productivity and content but FAIL for ‘serious’ gamers

Most often compared to NVIDIA GeForce 940MX or 945M

Fine for non-demanding games 1080@10-15fps and no worse than Intel’s embedded UHD Graphics.

Full game specs here.

RAM/Storage – FAIL/EXCEED

  • 8GB DDR4 soldered to the motherboard (FAIL – not upgradable)
  • 1 x M2 slot for PCIe NVMe
  • Samsung PCIe 3.0 x 4 lanes 512GB

8GB RAM is fine for office use but not being able to expand to 16GB loses some points.

The SSD performance is spectacular, achieving more than 3000/1700MBps sequential read/write. That is high-end performance

Ports – PASS

  • USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps, PD 3.0, DP 1.4, HP Sleep and Charge) connect to a dock
  • USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 (HP Sleep and Charge)
  • USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A
  • 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo
  • multi-format SD media card reader

You are not paying for Thunderbolt 3, HDMI or Ethernet, but you get a very competent USB-C and two USB-A ports. You will need a dongle or a dock to run an external monitor or two. 5Gbps will run 1 x 4K@60Hz or two x 1080p@60Hz.

Wi-Fi/BT – PASS

RTL8822BE Wi-Fi AC 2×2 MU-MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2

It is standard fare. Wi-Fi AC achieves 866Mbps at 2 metres from our D-Link AC5300 router.

Battery – PASS

Uses either the HP 65W plug adaptor supplied or any USB-C PD 45W or greater (5V/2A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/2.25A)

  • Typical use gave nearly eight hours (Wi-Fi, BT, screen-on, Word, Internet etc.)
  • Heavy load gave about two hours
  • 1080p video loop 50% brightness, aeroplane mode gave nearly seven hours

Battery life is as expected for a 53W battery – if you need more, then you need to look at 80W or higher.

Keyboard/trackpad – PASS

The backlit keyboard has three-coats nightfall black paint with reverse lettering. It will wear off eventually. The keys are 16x15mm with a 1.2mm throw and 40g actuation. Typists will find it a little light, but overall it is a good keyboard.

Keyboard

The 11 x 5.5cm trackpad is good but ‘clunky’ when you click it. It does not affect performance.

The fingerprint reader substitutes for Windows Hello.

Sound – PASSable

Quad Bang & Olufsen tuned speakers – front bottom-firing and two rear top-firing with HP Audio Boost 2.0 that provides a +/- 12dB equaliser and 15 pre-sets.

720p camera (privacy switch and camera LED), and dual mic

  • Volume 70dB
  • No bass, mid starts late at 250Hz building top flat at 500Hz start dropping at 8Khz – mid centric

It is not overly loud, nor a sound signature suited to movies and music – more a clear voice. But you can play with the B&O EQ to fill in a little bass.

Case/Build – EXCEED

Injection moulded polycarbonate is the material of the future. It is well made, durable and has little flex.

Serviceability – PASS

User Manual here  and Maintenance guide here

RAM soldered onto the motherboard – otherwise reasonably repairable.

GadgetGuy’s take – HP Envy x360 2019 with AMD meets and exceeds expectations

I admit it – I am an HP x360 Spectre user, so I am spoiled for all the go-fast stuff and a 4K screen.

What I like about this is the x360 design, terrific screen, very fast SSD and that USB-C supports DP and PD 45W. It is great for business or students that want a quality device.

I was impressed at the AMD Ryzen 5-3500U processor – for general office productivity and low-level online mobile games it is perfect.

HP Envy x360 2019

What I am not as keen on is the practice of soldering RAM to the motherboard, but that is what you get at this price.

Ratings: To get more CPU/GPU speed, you are going to spend a lot more, so it is rates as a mid-market device.

Features
Value for money
Performance
Ease of Use
Design
Reader Rating0 Votes
Great screen
Perfect for home, office and student use
Battery life can be affected by heavy load - use it on 240V
4.2