HP Envy Envy 17 Silver

The HP Envy 17 is a 17.3" desktop replacement that packs an Intel Core i7-13700H and an absurd 64GB of RAM into a $495 chassis. It's a productivity and development powerhouse with a class-leading port array, but the integrated graphics and dim 300-nit screen hold it back for entertainment or creative work.

The Core i7-13700H delivers the kind of multi-core performance that makes compiling code, running VMs, or blasting through spreadsheets feel snappy. In our database, this CPU lands in the 79th percentile among all laptops, which is solidly above average. You'll rarely feel held back by processing power. But the GPU is the elephant in the room. The integrated Iris Xe sits at a disappointing 18th percentile, meaning it's fine for streaming and basic photo edits but utterly chokes on modern games or 3D modeling. For developers who don't touch graphics-heavy workloads, the massive 64GB RAM (95th percentile) is a dream. You can run Docker containers, an IDE, and a bunch of emulators without breaking a sweat. The 1TB SSD is quick enough at 81th percentile, though we'd have loved to see a Gen 4 drive for that extra zip. Realistically, this machine is a productivity beast, not a creative one.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Pro MDE14LL/A, you lose the gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, M-series efficiency, and premium build, but you gain a 17.3" touchscreen, five times the ports, and you pay roughly a quarter of the price. The ASUS ProArt PX13 and MSI Prestige PRE13EVOA2088 both offer dedicated GPUs and much better screens for creative workflows, which makes the Envy a non-starter for photo or video pros. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro and Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 are far more portable and battery-friendly, but their RAM ceilings and price tags don't even belong in the same conversation. If you need a huge screen and ungodly RAM on a shoestring budget, the Envy 17's closest competitor might be a refurbished desktop. That's about it.

At $495, the HP Envy 17 is a bafflingly good deal. You'd typically pay double or triple for 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD in a machine with a 14-core H-series Intel chip. It absolutely trounces its competitors on price alone, though you're making clear sacrifices in display quality, portability, and graphics. For a coder, data analyst, or anyone who needs a desktop replacement that can handle a ton of memory, it's a no-brainer. Just don't expect to edit 4K videos or play Cyberpunk. If that's the trade-off you're willing to make, there's very little on the market that can touch this value proposition.

If you're looking for a laptop that feels more like a desktop that occasionally moves rooms, the HP Envy 17 makes a strong case. We're talking about a 17.3-inch machine with an Intel Core i7-13700H, a staggering 64GB of DDR4 RAM, and 1TB of NVMe SSD storage, all for a price that frankly made us double-check our notes: $495. That's not a typo. This configuration sits in a weird spot where it's massively overbuilt for office tasks but can't really game. The 14-core, 5.0GHz boost clock gives it serious crunch power, and the port selection is, no exaggeration, the absolute best we've seen in our database. It's not the sleekest or lightest option, but if you're someone who's been searching for a 17-inch laptop under $1,000 that can handle development work, large datasets, or just juggling a hundred browser tabs, this Envy might have caught your eye. And for the price, it's hard to overlook. The integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, however, will quickly remind you that this isn't a mobile workstation for rendering or gaming.

If your laptop ever needs to leave your desk, skip this. The 2.49kg weight and 17-inch footprint put it in the worst category for portability in our database. Gamers and creative professionals will be frustrated by the integrated graphics, and anyone who works outside should look for at least 400 nits of brightness. For a more balanced 17-inch laptop with a dedicated GPU, consider something like the ASUS ProArt series if your budget allows. If portability matters, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro or a ThinkPad will serve you far better.

You should buy the HP Envy 17 if your workload is all about memory and CPU muscle and you don't care about gaming, colour accuracy, or schlepping it to a coffee shop. It's a phenomenal deal for programmers, homelab enthusiasts, or anyone running data-intensive local tools. The port situation alone will make some desktop users weep with joy. But if even a whisper of GPU-dependent work is on your radar, or if you need a screen that's bright enough for a sunny room, you'll be disappointed. This laptop fills a very specific niche and fills it cheaply, but it falls flat for mainstream consumers who might expect a more well-rounded machine.