PC Review: HP Envy 23 All-in-One PC

PC Review: HP Envy 23 All-in-One PC

There are many all-in-one computers that come with a 27-inch screen but most of these, if not all, may seem a little big and expensive for those who want an all-in-one PC. That is why the ones that have a 21 or 23-inch display are preferred by many, because they are less bulky and are quite affordable.

HP tries to bank on this fact with the 23-inch Envy (23). This all-in-one has a display resolution of 1080p and a core processor from Intel. It is thin and even comes with a built-in sound bar. You can get the Envy 23 at a competitive price of $1000. It stands out among the simpler all-in-ones but it is not as unique as you would expect it to be, especially with the marketing effort that HP is putting into it. It delivers but still a conventional all-in-one.

Similar Design

The Envy 23 has a design similar to other HP all-in-ones like the Omni, Pavillion and TouchSmart. Its base is made of brass plastic and an upward curving metal bar that holds the display. The bar allows its adjustment towards the back or front. The look is good but may be lackluster compared to newer designs from its competitors.

The soundbar can easily be distinguished with the chrome-made company logo right on the middle of it. Next to the top of the soundbar is the display panel with glossy black bezel surrounding it. The back panel is curved to make the PC look thinner and there is an indention on the top edge that serves as a handle.

On the left side, you will find the memory card slot, jacks for a microphone and headphones and 2 ports for USB 3.0 . At the back itself, there are four ports for USB 2.0 plus a D-Sub. However, you will not find any HDMI input, an adapter for Wireless-N and a TV Tuner, which HP lists as an available feature.

Great Display

The 1080 resolution works well with the size of the Envy 23. It delivers nice and sharp images and refined texts, saving your sight from the so-called “screen door effect”. Additionally, the features for contrasting and black leveling as well as the accurate presentation of colors produce decent images.
While the glossy coating may annoy some of you, the brightness of the display makes up for it especially in moderately-lit rooms. Aside from that, it fares pretty well when angular viewing is concerned.

If you watch a lot of streamed videos or movies in HD, you might like the Envy 23. The all-in-one’s display is able to provide vivid colors as well as accurate details of it even in dark areas of a video frame. At times, videos come out sharper than what the actual source can deliver.

The Beats audio system is also added in the PC. However, its capability may not match your expectations. When the volume is maxed, audio plays loudly with midrange clarity. You might also want to take note that a bass kick would distort the sound of some audio files and would produce vibration on some chassis parts.
Overall, the audio system still delivers at a moderate volume and it has features including a separate volume controls for various audio outputs, echo and noise cancellation and equalizer.

Keyboard and Mouse with Cables

Standard and wired peripherals come in default with the computer system. The keyboard has a few function keys like the one you use to control sound while the mouse uses an IR sensor. T his may come as a surprise for you especially it is not unusual to expect something that is wireless for an all-in-one PC.

HP-Added Features

You also have to take note of the frequent prompts from HP to do a hard drive backup, check the status of the product warranty and register the PC with them. There are other HP features like Snapfish and Magic Canvas which may seem inappropriate for a non-touchscreen computer. In addition, Norton Internet Security is installed by default. Depending on your tolerance for pop-ups and prompts, these may or may not cause any inconvenience.

Hardware Performance

Since the Envy 23 only comes with the Intel Core processor i5-3450S, you might notice its not-so-good performance and other all-in-ones might be better. In terms of storage, it fares better than Lenovo’s A720, but falls far-behind Dell’s XPS One. This is probably because the Envy 23 storage is not an SSD.
The inclusion of the graphics processor GT 540M from Nvidia however, is Envy 23’s advantage over other computers that use the IGP from Intel. If you are a gamer, you can play some of the more recent games in it but adjust the details to medium or even low.

Noisy Hard Drive

You may also notice that the PC is producing a strange thumping or grinding sound because of the hard drive working and that somehow gets a little amplified by the vibrating plastic body of the Envy 23.

As for cooling, the noise produced by the fan is low both at load and when idle but this should not worry you because there has not been any instance that a part of the PC is warm or alarmingly hot when in use.

To Buy or Not to Buy

The Envy 23 is a standard all-in-one that delivers what other all-in-ones can. The price may not be expensive but you can easily find a computer with a similar hardware like the B-Series from Lenovo. In terms of style, Lenovo would soon have the A520 which is smaller and perceived to be more stylish. You can also check a more expensive Inspiron One from Dell but with more room for storage, and better graphics. This is not to say that Envy 23 would not be a good choice, it is competitive but not exceptional.