HP Envy 700-215xt Desktop Computer, Intel Core i7-4770 3.4GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GT640 4GB, Windows 7 Home Premium

2015-08-30T07:25:01

Overall, this is a great PC. I bought it when a $70 rebate was still available. It took some trials and tribulations to get it because the rebate center kept saying that the wrong invoice was provided (despite that it came directly from an Adorama customer service rep). Anyway... The Nvidia 640 card is a decent entry level card. 4GB of VRAM means it can process HD videos very efficiently without hogging the 8GB system RAM, which is plenty for even heavy multitaskers like myself. The quad-core Core-i7 4770 also strikes a good balance between performance and power usage. The 300 Watt power supply unit limits upgrade options for the video card to an Nvidia 750 Ti, which isn't bad. Based on the case design, upgrading the PSU should be pretty easy although I have no inclinations to do it yet. So why the 1 star off? Because the Wireless LAN provided is not described in as much detail as needed. It only supports single band (2.4Ghz). This means if you have a MIMO router with both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz, you will not be able to use the 5Ghz band. For me in particular, I have a Netgear EX6200 wifi extender configured such that the 2.4Ghz band is used exclusively for communicating with the router, and the 5Ghz band is dedicated device-to-extender connections. Since the extender is also a dedicated media-sharing platform with its USB 3.0 port, this means that I cannot take full advantage of the personal cloud storage I had installed. Again, the above is only a minor annoyance and can be easily dealt with. Even with that, this is a fine unit that operates efficiently and quietly to handle 95% of the most demand tasks out there. The other 5% is hardcore gaming, which is well behind me in my past.

YAO J.

2015-03-20T21:00:00

I purposely sought out a Windows 7 desktop and they are getting harder to find. I don't care much for Windows 8 even if I have to use Windows 7 for the next few years under "extended support" from Microsoft. Love this machine. Powerful. Well built. Fast. Inexpensive. I have absolutely no complaints. I have been buying HP for many years now and I always come back to them - especially the mid-level models like this one. I don't think you can go wrong with this for the price. Get one while you can!

JoeInJax

2014-09-11T20:00:00

have not had this PC long enough to really tell, but wings on it and might fly.

fako

Originally posted at

2014-09-11T20:00:00

Operating system was not installed properly. Package does not include recovery disks. Ended up buying and installing a new copy of Windows 7 pro to get the operating system working.

jpol75

Originally posted at

2014-09-09T20:00:00

The instructions with the machine are lousy and cryptic. There is no picture of the PC explaining/showing buttons and ports. Monitor port is very inconveniently located. Computer arrived with minimum default resolution so it required a support call to fix the overstretched screen. Another call was necessary when discovered that brand new video card did not have all the .dll files downloaded. Some items are not easy to find on the support site - like for example how to default on land line instead of Wi-Fi. Overall, the HP support is the most redeeming feature of the whole HP experience. They are good, fast and very helpful. I wish I did not need them as often as I did.

Yuri

Originally posted at

2014-09-08T20:00:00

This unit comes in a large case, which was a negative that I was prepared to live with because it supposedly had expansion capacity in the form of a bay that would accommodate three hard drives. This was important to me because I saw adding two well-functioning internal hard drives from another Windows 7 computer whose motherboard was failing as an easy way to upload my data. When I opened the case, there was only a connection for one additional hard drive. There was, however, a splitter so that you could convert that one additional connection to two. The HP site had directions on how to replace a hard drive, but not how to add one or two, Those directions were not accurate about removing the hard disk cage and screwing in the new drives, but that was the least of the problems. When I plugged in the SATA cable and the power cables for the additional hard drives, the machine would not boot. Unplugging one of the two additional drives also left it unbootable. HP tech support spent a lot of time with me, but it did not help. One tech suggested I disable secure boot in the BIOS, even though the BIOS tells you not to do that unless your OS is Windows 8 (mine was Win 7 home premium). It was no surprise that this suggestion worked out poorly. Another tech suggested (without reading the case notes already made) that the problem was that the additional hard drive had its own operating system and that this was confusing the computer. I pointed out that the additional hard drive did NOT have any operating system, and that the BIOS was already pointed to the built-in drive as the boot disk. A third tech began by asking me for the serial number of the computer, which I refused to simply until she read the case notes from the prior 2 techs (which contained that info). She claimed she hadn't read them because her computer was slow (was hers an HP computer?) No thanks to HP's tech support, I finally diagnosed the problem when I experimented attaching the additional drive's power socket to an external power source, rather than the one from the computer's power supply. Bingo, the computer booted, saw the second drive and worked just right. In other words, either the standard power supply unit is inadequate to power more than 1 drive along with the included graphics card, or the psu that I got was flaky.I note that, when I ordered the computer and the graphics card from HP's website, there was no option to upgrade the psu. HP offered to send me another psu of the same capacity, but couldn't locate a more powerful psu, even though I was willing to pay for the cost of the upgrade. HP wouldn't agree to pick up the cost of a better PSU from another vendor. They did, however, offer to send me a $50 credit for my inconvenience. The psu and its wiring were apparently made by the lowest bidder. This computer may be fine if you don't upgrade it with anything that uses more power than its standard configuration. If that is so, I think it's wrong for HP to tout its expansion capabilities or give you a bay and case big enough for 3 hard drives. Heaven help you if you need tech support and have to deal with more than 1 tech. And if the tech tells you to do something that the machine warns you against, trust the machine. My machine works well with the drive it came with and no others. I must forget about expandability.

frustratedinparadise

Originally posted at

2014-09-05T20:00:00

I bought the 25 inch HP monitor along with the above computer. I upgraded most choices given. max RAM , better processor, ect. I did stay with Windows 7 as this is compatible with my computers at work. My new HP is replacing my HP pavilion desktop with Vista which is 9 years old. So far, I'm happy with the performance right out of the box. works exactly as expected. rapid start up , web surfing, downloading, steaming video all working as expected. The 25 in screen has excellent resolution. Happy with the purchase so far. Computer and screen arrived on time and in good condition.

soggy

Originally posted at

2014-09-03T20:00:00

This pc is very powerful. I use it for video edition and production as well as music composition and audio recording and edition. This pc gives me all the power I need without a single problem, it is fast, reliable and has a ton of storage room. All the usb and media card ports are very conveniently located everywhere so if you need a lot of usb ports, this pc has enough!

Pakorro

Originally posted at

2014-09-02T20:00:00

Everythig works fine except for BEATS AUDIO! I HATE IT!! You can't turn the freakin' thing off! I'm going to junk the board and drop in an old one from a HP I had 10 years ago that works fine.

Photoguy66

Originally posted at

2014-08-30T20:00:00

excellent product. great all the way around. Love it also like the company

hsamuelH

Originally posted at

2014-08-28T20:00:00

Wow, where do I begin! I was searching for a new computer from HP for some time, just could not find one to suit. The HP Envy 700 - 215xt was perfect to start, with some additions to speed it up. I added the Intel core I7-4790 processor, 16GB mSATA SSD cache and the 4GB Nvidia GeForce GT640 graphics card, these items did the trick, especially the SSD on start up, up and running in about 45 seconds. the graphics card allows faster game play on a couple of games I have loaded, what a difference.

RonH45

Originally posted at

2014-08-28T20:00:00

I am an average user with 18 plus years on computers. I have had my new computer for about a month. The speed is excellent and the quietness is unbelievable. The only problem I have had so far is that the front panel sliding dust door vibrates and makes a vibrating buzzing sound; similar to hair clippers. As my tower is right near me on my desk, this can be quite a pain. I believe it is because the door does not go all the way up and stay there. When I put the door up it slides back down about a 1/16 to 1/8 inch. The door, I think, is a little too heavy for just a door on a track design, so it slips a little. It needs a locking system to keep it up in place better. I can only imagine after time and use it may get worse. It does not buzz all the time but it will start sooner or later. I also do not have any idea what may start the vibration. When it does start vibrating it will not stop unless you hold the door all the way up or put it completely down. Holding the door up with one hand and typing etc does not work to well (tried tape it didn't work). I now open the door all the way to the bottom & leaving it open when it begins to vibrate, the vibration will stop. The point is that I should not have to do that on a nearly a grand computer and the dust door is useless if I have to leave it open. I do not know if anyone else has had this problem or if I am the only one that has a gremlin with a vibrator in my computer. I will say that other than the gremlin, the quietness of this computer will make you believe your tower is in another room.

catnip27

Originally posted at

2014-08-28T20:00:00

Sorry to say I have had nothing but problems, it freezes up and crashes. I have had to obtain technical support. Not sure yet if I will return the PC.

undecided

Originally posted at

2014-08-24T20:00:00

I'm replacing a 3.5-year-old Hp Pavillion and this Envy is only marginally better in terms of performance. I was a little disappointed there were no options for an SSD at all, or larger PSU, or better video card (the next model up offers a GTX 765 I think, but the price was exorbitant). That said the overall package seems fairly well built (QC or assembly either didn't test the video card or didn't use the HDMI like was sent with mine because I had to reseat the video card just to get a signal on initial boot), and performance is decent. Hopefully this unit will be reliable and serve us until Windows 9 comes out and stabilizes in a year or two.

BenBB

Originally posted at

2014-08-22T20:00:00

I eagerly anticipated this new tower. The helpful sales people at HP touted it as one of the top units due to the processor and such. After set up, it locked up.I had to restart multiple times the first couple of days. This was very frustrating . With further use, it appears windows updates alleviated some but not all of the lock up problems. Still too early to tell how I feel about this machine. So far, I am disappointed. But things are looking up.

dm2700

Originally posted at

2014-08-22T20:00:00

For a student or a home multimedia this has all the features one needs. It's pretty expandable and the price is right.

Binny

Originally posted at

2014-08-21T20:00:00

Order came on time in perfect working order. No problems, everything works as it should. Super fast machine!

Brihan1976

Originally posted at

2014-08-19T20:00:00

This is my first desktop computer. For the last 20 or so years I have had all laptops or notebooks (all HP) and have found every product to be reliable and user friendly. My new Envy's performance far exceeded my expectations and I believe I made a good choice purchasing yet another great HP product. Thanks

Murray77

Originally posted at

2014-08-19T20:00:00

I brought this computer two weeks ago, it is very easy to put together, the performance is good (I get confuse with my video card, called support center for several times, but some how computer itself figured out...). I use the computer for gaming and studying. So far it operates well, and I do like Windows 7 operating system, hate W8.

AthenaX

Originally posted at

2014-08-14T20:00:00

Set up was very simple; took less than an hour. Computer is running flawlessly as far as I can tell. This is my second HP. I went with HP because I have an HP printer and scanner and wanted to simplify managing all this hardware (driver updates, etc.) as much as possible. I wish Windows 7 installation disks were included so I can do a clean re-install if my ever hard disk crashes.

Tweedles

Originally posted at

2014-08-10T20:00:00

I have always been happy with HP and continue to be that way. I liked how easy it was to choose the options I wanted.

Guido2014

Originally posted at

2014-08-08T20:00:00

Very easy to set up. Up and running in less than 30 minutes by following the easy prompts. That is important to an older person like me (68). Very quiet, and fast. I also got the wireless key board and mouse, love it.

Windrod29

Originally posted at

2014-08-08T20:00:00

Was about to build a new system. This is the first pc I have not built in a few decades. A quick tally of the components clearly shows that you can buy this system for considerably less than you can get the individual components and assemble yourself This unit arrived on the day it was scheduled to be shipped. I cloned an SSD, and installed the drive in the case (easy to do). This system boots and is at log-in screen in 12 seconds! Very pleased with value, performance, and delivery.

nousefornickname

Originally posted at

2014-08-08T20:00:00

unfortunately I had to return the unit due to constant issues of not booting up, customer service was good spent 2 hours re-imaging the computer but the next day same issue.. I must have gotten a lemon..specs were great but never really got a chance to use it

jr2000

Originally posted at

2014-08-07T20:00:00

I was surprised and pleased with the ease of set up. Past experience with other computer setups had me prepared for a good half day of stress. This was not the case with this computer. Within 5 minutes I was up and running and being impressed with the speed of the processer and the styling of the computer case. Very, very pleased with the equipment and am particularly happy that I had the option of Win7 instead of Win 8. Much more user friendly. Thanks HP for the option.

Lee1

Originally posted at

2014-08-06T20:00:00

I used to be a Dell guy. Dell's website was so hard to navigate, I decided to look at hp. I am SO glad that I did. This computer is more than enough for home life, as well as work, and at a fantastic price! I love it!

bubbajolee

Originally posted at

2014-08-06T20:00:00

It was really easy to setup and the speed is excellent.

LeeAnn

Originally posted at

2014-08-06T20:00:00

This computer is fast and has easy to learn features. I like the Windows 7; lots of memory. I am quite pleased with my choice of desktop.

MichiganLady1950

Originally posted at

2014-08-06T20:00:00

a couple things puzzle me. Why is the restore partition the D: drive? I always add a second hard disk and partition both, The first drive C: has windows and programs in one partition, data in the second partition which would be the D: drive (try moving a massive iTunes Library to a new drive letter!). The second physical drive would have a partition for data backup and another for images of the C: drive. This is a basic data protection scheme. But if I change the restore partition to another drive letter it can lead to problems (per some tech forums). Why can't the restore partition be something like the X: drive? Also, it's easy for me to add an old hard disk but why can't it be ordered this way? A second hard disk is common if you have a lot of data (i.e., too big for the cloud) and want to back up carefully. That said I'm very pleased with the internal build. Was easily able to add two old hard disks. Clean layout - had nightmares souping up some friends old Dell computers with the mess and/or lack of drive brackets inside Also pleased that it came with Windows 7 (last machine had Vista). Microsoft has to be kidding with Windows 8 - I don't ever want to touch my desktop screen and will use a keyboard until I kick off.

RIRick

Originally posted at

2014-08-03T20:00:00

I purchased the HP Envy as a replacement for my aged Compaq Presario. The product out of the box looked sleek and nicely designed. Setting it up was a challenge, because as an English speaking American, I could not understand why the booklets had to be in Spanish only; and identifying the external components which were all indicated with a question mark, gave me the impression that the information booklets were prepared by a "MIME". How cheap can HP be to not afford to provide better written informational booklets IN ENGLISH. YES! A CD was provided, but how can someone with limited computer set up skills access the CD, if they can't understand how to complete the set up. Then a few days later, I was locked out of my computer, because after booting up, I could not sign in with my password, because of a problem with my log in profile not loading. With all the advancement in computer technology over the years, there should be no need for reviews because they would all work flawlessly. I can now see why the Mac is so popular.

Walkan

Originally posted at