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Battery Life
While idle, the HP Envy dv6 has a run time of 7:24 hours. We use the Battery Eater Readers test to measure the idle run time. This test will put the brightness to minimum, activate the Power Saver Windows profile and switch off all wireless modules. A full battery charge of our test model is depleted after 1:25 hours at full load. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 lasts 9 minutes longer and the Asus N56VZ quits after 1:57 hours. We used the Battery Eater Classic test to measure the minimum run time. This test sets the brightness to max, activates the High Performance Windows profile and turns on all wireless modules.
The WLAN test reflects the run time a user can expect in everday use. The HP model lasts 4:17 hours (Asus: 3:14 h, Lenovo: 4:26 h). This test runs an automatic script which loads websites every 40 seconds. The Power Saver Windows profiles is active and the brightness is set to roughly 150 cd/m2. Finally, we run a DVD/Blu-Ray test to check how the dv6 performs when playing DVDs/Blu-Rays. The test model lasts 3:20 and 3:17 hours respectively. The run times of the competitors (Asus: 3:03 h, Lenovo: 3:31 h) in the DVD test are quite close.
Overall, the Envy dv6 can offer good run times for a notebook with a quad-core CPU and a GeForce GPU. The run times of the three notebooks are not directly comparable as they use batteries with different capacities (HP: HSTNN-LB3N 62Wh Battery, Asus: A32-N56 56Wh battery, Lenovo: L11L6F01 68Wh Battery).
Case
Hewlett Packard brings a very attractive model to the market: the Envy dv6. HP has named the color of the laptop: Midnight Black Aluminum. The back of the display cover and the top of the base unit are made of matt aluminium, and the bottom of the laptop is made of matt synthetic material. Sadly, HP did not stick to matt surfaces: the display and the keyboard borders are glossy. A silver-grey synthetic material border around the display and base unit provides a nice contrast to the black of the notebook. The competitors, Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 and Asus N56VZ, will not be left behind in terms of looks - in fact, they are partially comprised of metal components.
The case of the HP Envy dv6 is very sturdy and is only deforms slightly under pressure. The base of the laptop can be bent a little if the user grabs the front edges and presses. The display cover is quite resistant, and the stiff hinges hold the screen securely in place. It is not possible to open the laptop with one hand.
Overall, the HP Envy dv6-7202eg is a solid all around laptop. It has good build quality, a sleek design, a good graphics card, fast processor, USB 3.0, and much more. The laptop runs on a quad-core Intel Core i7-3630QM CPU, Switchable graphics are included: either the Intel HD Graphics 4000 IGP or the Nvidia GeForce GT 630M GPU provide graphics output. The storage device is a 1 TB hard disk and the icing on the cake is a Blu-Ray burner.
Connectivity
The connectivity of our test model is similar to that of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 and the Asus N56VZ. The attentive buyer will notice that the HP model does not use the typical blue USB 3.0 ports. Still, the Envy dv6 is equipped with three USB 3.0 interfaces.
Keyboard
The HP Envy dv6 uses a chiclet keyboard. The main keys measure 14 x 14 mm and are made of matt black synthetic material. They look very reliable and high-quality. The keys have medium stroke distance and comfortable resistance. The pressure point is clearly noticeable and the keyboard is securely installed in the case. It does not give way under pressure. However, HP was a bit careless in the middle of the keyboard: in this area, the device can be bent inwards slightly and the keyboard does not sit flush at the bottom edge. Although these are small workmanship errors, the buyer can not tolerate them at a price of 1,200 Euros. Overall, we felt that the keyboard is quite good. Nice extra: the wireless module, mute and Caps Lock key each include a clear LED, which lights up when they are active. Keyboard backlight is also included.
The HP Envy dv6 uses a chiclet keyboard. The main keys measure 14 x 14 mm and are made of matt black synthetic material. They look very reliable and high-quality. The keys have medium stroke distance and comfortable resistance. The pressure point is clearly noticeable and the keyboard is securely installed in the case. It does not give way under pressure. However, HP was a bit careless in the middle of the keyboard: in this area, the device can be bent inwards slightly and the keyboard does not sit flush at the bottom edge. Although these are small workmanship errors, the buyer can not tolerate them at a price of 1,200 Euros. Overall, we felt that the keyboard is quite good. Nice extra: the wireless module, mute and Caps Lock key each include a clear LED, which lights up when they are active. Keyboard backlight is also included.
Touchpad
The Synaptics touchpad of the Envy dv6 is placed in a depression. A silver metal border separates it visually and by feel from the rest of the case. The touchpad measures 9.8 x 4.7 cm. The smooth surface allows the finger to slide without issues. At the top left edge of the touchpad, we have a switch, which allows the user to turn the touchpad on/off. A small LED shows the status of the touchpad. The device is capable of recognizing multi-touch gestures like zooming with two fingers. The individual gestures can be configured (turned on/off) in the settings menu. Not all functions are on by default; for example, the scroll function is deactivated. The two mouse keys of the touchpad are easy-to-use and have medium stroke distance. The pressure point is tangible.
The Synaptics touchpad of the Envy dv6 is placed in a depression. A silver metal border separates it visually and by feel from the rest of the case. The touchpad measures 9.8 x 4.7 cm. The smooth surface allows the finger to slide without issues. At the top left edge of the touchpad, we have a switch, which allows the user to turn the touchpad on/off. A small LED shows the status of the touchpad. The device is capable of recognizing multi-touch gestures like zooming with two fingers. The individual gestures can be configured (turned on/off) in the settings menu. Not all functions are on by default; for example, the scroll function is deactivated. The two mouse keys of the touchpad are easy-to-use and have medium stroke distance. The pressure point is tangible.
It appears as if there are some issues between the touchpad and some programs and Windows 8. When certain programs are started (like HWinfo or Hardware Monitor), the touchpad just turns off and can not be turned back on. This did not occur at each start of the afore-mentioned programs, but when it did, the issue could only be corrected by restarting the laptop. We circumvented this issue by connecting an external mouse every time the touchpad crashed.
Display
Hewlett Packard uses a matt 15.6 inch display in the Envy dv6-7202eg. The native resolution is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (Full HD). Other models of the Envy dv6 series are only equipped with a HD panel (1,366 x 768 pixels). The Asus N56VZ is also equipped with a Full HD panel. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 we previously tested, used a HD display. However, the laptop was available with a Full HD display as well. The average brightness of the panel of our test model is 257.6 cd/m2 - a good number. However, this can not measured up to the display of the Asus notebook (298.8 cd/m2), but it can beat the Lenovo display (231.4 cd/m2).
The display offers good contrast. Our subjective impressions were confirmed by the measurements: the black value of the panel is 0.52 cd/m2 and the contrast is 537:1. These values are in good regions. The displays of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 (0.46 cd/m2, 535:1) and Asus N56VZ (0.59 cd/m2, 514:1) are similarly good, and prove to even be slightly better. Sadly, the screen can not cover the sRGB or AdobeRGB color spectrum.
On battery, the brightness of the display does not change, which is promising for outdoors use. The matt display surface and good contrast ensure good outdoors suitability.
The viewing angle stability of the Envy dv6-7202eg is impressive; regardless how the display is turned or looked at, the picture retains its colors to a good extent. The brightness can drop slightly. The displays of the Asus N56VZ and the IdeaPad Y580 can not keep up with the panel of our test model.
Speakers
Hewlett Packard packs four speakers and a subwoofer in this 15.6 inch model. The speakers are placed above the keyboard and the subwoofer can be found at the bottom of the laptop. The Beats Audio caption promises high-quality sound output, and the user will not be disappointed with this audio system. The Envy dv6 emanates loud, well-balanced sound. Thanks to the subwoofer, the output includes tangible bass. Overall, HP offers a good audio system, which most notebooks can not even dream of. However, this Beats audio system is comprised of notebook speakers and as such even external speakers, which cost a mere 30 Euros, should offer better sound quality. (DELL ADP-180MB adapters)
Verdict
Buyers of the HP Envy dv6-7202eg receive a powerful multimedia notebook packed to the brim with modern technology. This laptop can complete any task with ease and look good while doing it. We especially like the high contrast Full HD display with great viewing angle stability and matt surface. The packet will set you back around 1,199 Euros - a high price, but there are alternatives. The other available Envy dv6 models work with the same CPU and GPU but have to cut corners in other areas. The cons of this notebook would be the high noise emissions, which kick in at medium load, and high heat emissions at load.
The Asus N56VZ and the Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 are two competitors the buyer can consider, but these two models focus more on games. Their GPUs offer higher frame rates in games than the GPU of the Envy dv6.
More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu
