HP 4-1215dx Envy TouchSmart Overview

HP 4-1215dx Envy TouchSmart

The touchscreen laptops are an emerging category among mobile computers and one of them is the latest HP 4-1215dx from the Envy TouchSmart series. This model provides multitouch input support via its 14″ 720p screen, to give you an alternative for using just the keyboard and trackpad. By the way, the keyboard on the 4-1215dx has backlight which is another plus and it sits in the middle of the 0.9″ aluminum chassis with sliver base, “midnight black” lid, and a weight of 4.7 pounds.

Although it is advertised as an ultrabook to draw a buyer’s attention, the Windows 8-based HP 4-1215dx isn’t as thin as an standard ultrabook and it doesn’t feature a solid state drive which is a must for these. Instead, the Intel Core i5-3337U dual-core powered laptop has a 500GB hard drive, while for RAM it has 4GB of DDR3. Judging from the specifications, it appears that RAM isn’t upgradeable since the 4-1215dx has only one memory slot and the system doesn’t provide a built-in optical drive. The whole system is powered by a 4-cell battery, without provided info on battery life.

When it comes to the CPU, we are talking about a middle-of-the-road part among the ultrabook and thin-laptop class processors, but with all Intel’s advanced features, such as TurboBoost for dynamic increase of clock rates if needed, HyperThreading for multiple computing threads per core, and Quick Sync for faster video editing. The display is powered by the Intel HD 4000 integrated non-gaming graphics.

Intel Core i5-3317U Test

Other highlights of the Envy 14-incher are its built-in subwoofer besides stereo speakers and Beats Audio optimization, a 720p webcam, three USB ports, HDMI out, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Gigabit LAN, and a multi-in-one memory card reader.

The HP Envy TouchSmart 4-1215dx is priced at $680. It isn’t expensive as hell. On contrary, with its price it is one of the cheaper touch-enabled laptops on the market with a Core i5 CPU included, delivering decent everyday performance and benefits of screen touch input.

4-1215dx lid

HP Envy 4-1215dx TouchSmart Ultrabook Specifications

  • Display: 14-inch with multitouch input support, BrightView technology (glossy coating), 1,366-by-768 pixels
  • Processor: 3rd Generation Intel Core i5-3337U ultra-low voltage “Ivy Bridge” dual-core, 1.8GHz-2.7GHz, TurboBoost
  • Graphics: Intel HD 4000 IGP
  • Memory: 4GB DDR3 RAM, two memory slots
  • Storage: 500GB hard drive at 5,400rpm
  • Optical drive: none
  • Webcam: HP TrueVision HD (720p)
  • Audio: stereo speakers and subwoofer, Beats Audio technology
  • Network: Wireless-N (802.11b/g/n), 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN, Bluetooth
  • Input: Backlit chiclet-style keyboard, touchpad with multitouch, touchscreen
  • Ports and Slots: 2 USB 3.0; 1 USB 2.0, HDMI, multiformat digital card reader
  • Battery: 4-cell 52WHr lithium-ion polymer
  • Dimensions: 0.9″ height x 13.5″ width x 9.3″ depth
  • Weight: 4.7 pounds
  • OS: Windows 8 64-bit OS
  • Warranty: 1-year

4 thoughts on “HP 4-1215dx Envy TouchSmart Overview”

  1. Video card issues, even HP support couldn’t fix it and they were completely like no replacement or exchange of product(Which sounds rude).

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