HP Envy TouchSmart 15-k020us
The HP Envy TouchSmart 15-k020us is a high-performance mainstream consumer laptop with a 15.6-inch touchscreen Full HD 1080p display and a quad-core Intel i7 processor.
This 1.1″ thick laptop which weighs 5.7 pounds could have been thinner and lighter, like some of the available ultrabooks with the same screen size. But, all the provided features justify its slight bulkiness in comparison to similarly priced 15.6″ ultrabooks. On the other hand, the machine is more portable than many budget laptops. The 15-k020us is covered with a silver colored finish, but it isn’t clear if it’s plastic, aluminum or some other material. Anyway, it looks stylish. The keyboard deck holds a spacious chiclet-style keyboard with backlight and a large touchpad with Control Zone technology. Control Zone is a touchpad with advanced multitouch gesture support for Windows 8.
The included 4th generation Intel Core i7-4710HQ quad-core CPU runs at up to 3.5GHz and is one of the fastest laptop processors on the market. For comparison’s sake, the widely adopted i5-4200U/4300U used in many laptops and the Microsoft Surface Pro have a PassMark benchmark score of around 3,500 points, whereas the i7-4710HQ racks in more than 8,000. Daily web and office work on it is a breeze, as same as more demanding use such as professional photography editing or video editing. Also there are 8GB of RAM memory and a generous 1-Terabyte hard drive to complete the high-end specs sheet of the notebook. A drawback regarding the core components is reliance on the Intel HD 4600 graphics instead of a dedicated GPU solution. Therefore, this laptop isn’t especially good at gaming, but you can play many titles on low graphics detail settings and resolutions. Another mediocre side of the laptop is its hard drive speed. It spins at 5,400rpm which is a kind of standard laptop HDD speed, but slower than available 7,200rpm HDDs. Not to mention hybrid hard drive / solid state drive devices or pure SSDs. You can easily find many laptops with a way faster SSD in the price range of the 15-k020us, but keep in mind that their capacity will be only up to 1/4 of 1-Terabyte. To complement internal storage, HP has included a DVD burner.
Besides the high 1920×1080 display resolution delivering sharper and crispier picture than on the usual 1366×768 screens, the HP 15-k020us has a subwoofer bass speaker alongside stereo speakers. So, it is clear that the laptop is entertainment oriented. Sound is enhanced by Beats Audio technology.
The built-in HP TrueVision HD Webcam is also 1080p. For video output to external displays, the notebook provides an HDMI port, while for peripherals there are three USBs at 3.0 speed. Another present port is for Ethernet LAN networking and there’s a multi-format media card reader built-in. Present wireless connections are the new and faster 802.11AC Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Nice additional perks are a fingerprint reader for enhanced security and Intel Wi-Di tech for wireless video streaming to HDTVs.
The battery used in HP’s 15-k020us is a 4-cell 41WHr 2.8Ah lithium-ion unit, but we have no info on battery life.
Regarding alternatives to this model, it’s best to check out some of the quad-core i7 based machines, since laptops with other CPUs have a significantly lower performance.
Specifications of the HP Envy TouchSmart 15-k020us
Here are the specs of the HP Envy TouchSmart 15-k020us with descriptions of its features. For comparison against other laptops, you can use the "Compare Specs" button.
Brand | HP |
---|---|
Screen Size | 15.6-inch This is by far the most popular laptop screen size. It provides a lot of screen real estate, while avoiding bulkiness of the 17.3" laptops. |
Screen Resolution | 1920x1080 pixels Full HD Full HD is the most common laptop screen resolution today. It provides a good image sharpness and a decent amount of space on the display for the user interface and programs. However, it isn't as good as the top-tier 4K Ultra HD. |
Touchscreen | Finger multi-touch input The screen supports finger touch input, including multi-touch gestures. |
Other Display Specs | TN type Displays based on the old TN technology lack wide viewing angles you can find on IPS screens. The colors may look washed out or inverted at certain viewing angles. |
Processor (CPU) | Intel Core i7-4710HQ 4th Gen quad-core 2.5-3.5GHz 6MB cache (User Benchmark CPU score: 57) |
Graphics (GPU) | Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics |
System Memory (RAM) Size | 8GB RAM The 8GB RAM size is the standard one in 2023. It provides comfortable multi-tasking for the most home and office users. |
Data Storage | 1000GB (1TB) HDD 1TB is an excellent storage capacity, but HDD is a slow type of storage. |
DVD Optical Drive | DVD writer |
Keyboard & Input | Backlit keyboard with dedicated number pad The keyboard has backlit keys and a separate numeric pad on the right side of the keyboard. Touchpad with click buttons built into the surface The left and right click buttons are built into the surface of the touchpad, as opposed to separate physical buttons. Touchscreen |
Speakers & Audio | Stereo speakers with subwoofer Besides the standard stereo speakers, the laptop additionally features a built-in subwoofer speaker for a better bass sound. |
Camera | Front-facing web camera Laptops usually feature a frontal webcam located on the display bezel. This laptop is no exception. |
Wi-Fi Wireless | 802.11AC The 802.11AC is the previous-generation wireless networking standard. It's also known as Wi-Fi 5. 802.11AC is succeeded by 802.11AX Wi-Fi 6 with data transfer speed and multi-device connectivity improvements. |
Ethernet Network Port | Yes This laptop has an Ethernet LAN port for wired internet and networking connectivity. |
Bluetooth | Yes This laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. It enables you to connect the computer to Bluetooth mice and other Bluetooth peripherals, smartphones, and other Bluetooth-equipped devices. |
Mobile broadband (4G LTE) | No |
USB Ports | 3 x USB 3.0 Three full-size USB Type A ports. |
Video Output Ports | 1 x HDMI HDMI is a widely used digital video output port. You can find HDMI-in ports on most computer monitors and TVs. |
Media Card Reader | SD card reader The laptop has a slot for full-size SD memory cards, used in many digital cameras. You can also use microSD cards with a card adapter. |
Other Features | Fingerprint reader This laptop has a built-in fingerprint reader. It improves security and enables easier system log-ins, without password typing. Intel Wireless Display (Wi-Di) |
Battery | 4-cell 41WHr 2.8Ah lithium-ion |
Weight | 5.7 pounds |
Height | 1.1" |
Width | 15.1" |
Depth | 10.2" |
Windows Version | Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 is eligible for free upgrade to Windows 10 Home. Check Windows.com for more info. |
Warranty | 1-year A typical laptop warranty. |
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