Both the HP Envy and Dell Inspiron are two affordable laptop options in 2024, and yet despite their humble price, they are powerhouses when it comes to speed and durability. Choosing between them is certainly not an easy decision to make.
Let's break down the most important factors to consider between the two.
Also, since we last reviewed these two laptops, the HP Envy has gone on sale for summer 2024 — be sure to check the latest price here.
Price
When it comes to price between these two options, Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is the clear winner here, priced at $419 on Amazon while the HP Envy rings in over a hundred dollars more. Neither laptop is likely going to break the bank, though the top-end HP Envy's can cost over $1,000.
HP Envy | Pros and Cons
Pros:
- 2-in-1 laptop/tablet functionality
- Accurate and responsive touchscreen
- Upgradeable RAM (starting at 8GB)
- Excellent battery life
- Suitable for basic tasks and note-taking
Cons:
- Heavier than ideal for tablet use
- Limited performance for heavy photo/video editing
- Higher price compared to Dell Inspiron
This is a true 2-in-1 laptop. I do prefer tablets to be light, and the HP Envy is a bit too heavy to be highly portable, but if you're looking for the best laptop as a college student or medical student, it's perfect for placing facedown in tablet mode and taking notes on the screen. And even if you're just looking to use it for everyday life, this is a solid bargain laptop, and it can perform your basic tasks extremely well.
8GB of RAM is on the lower end of the spectrum, but it is upgradeable. This is perfect for school, it will not struggle or overheat if you're browsing the web or launching Office programs like PowerPoint, Word or Google Docs.
At this price, it's not going to be the best for heavy photo/video editing, but everything else has been lightning fast in my experience. If you want more memory to do those more intensive tasks, look into higher-end models instead.
The touchscreen feels very accurate and responsive, even with the stylus. I've found that the responsiveness and experience seems to be a little variable depending on what app you're running, but overall it's responsive and accurate. Taking notes and drawing are a breeze on the Envy and the battery life is outstanding, I could use it for the whole day of work and get by on one charge.
Dell Inspiron | Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Affordable pricing
- High-resolution FHD anti-glare display
- Improved CPU with Intel Core i3
- Great viewing angles and color contrast
Cons:
- No touchscreen or 2-in-1 capability
- Smaller hard disk storage (512GB)
- Shorter battery life (6-7 hours)
Compared to the HP Envy, the Dell Inspiron is certainly cheaper, but we also think it's just the better laptop overall.
While compared to the Envy, the Inspiron laptop does not have a touch screen and so does not come with 2-in-1 laptop and tablet capabilities. However, the 15.6 inch FHD anti-glare display looks just as high resolution as the HP Envy.
The CPU processing is a major step up from old Inspiron versions which mostly used the Celeron CPU that we wish would never be used in a laptop again. The new Intel Core i3 chip is a game changer in the Inspiron's speed and ability to handle your computing needs.
It's wide viewing angle is also perfect for nights when you're looking to kick back on the couch or lay awkwardly in bed while watching TV. Color contrast comes off cleaner than the HP Envy, which had some odd saturation when watching shows or playing games. Whatever your angle is, the Inspiron gives users a great viewing experience.
The one drawback of the Inspiron vs the HP Envy is that the hard disk storage is a bit smaller, coming in at 512GB. However, that's easily fixed with external storage if you do end up needing it for gaming or generally just a very large file.
One con is the battery life isn't as great as the HP Envy, but it's not terrible, with about 6-7 hours of battery.
See it on Amazon
Specifications
| HP Envy | Dell Inspiron |
Display | LED Backlit | LED Backlit |
Resolution | 1920 x 1280 | 1920 x 1280 |
Diagonal Size | 1920 x 108015.6″ diagonal FHD, IPS, micro-edge, WLED-backlit, multitouch-enabled, edge-to-edge glass display | 15.6-inch FHD anti-glare non-touch display |
Monitor Features | 250 nits, multitouch | 0.179 mm pixel pitch, 35 ms response rate, 60 Hz refresh rate, Narrow Border Display, TrueLife, Wide Viewing Angle, glossy, ±85° horizontal viewing angle, ±85° vertical viewing angle |
CPU Model | Intel Core i3 | Intel Core i3 |
CPU Speed | 1.6 Ghz | 1.12 Ghz |
Hard Disk Size | Up to 1TB | Up to 512GB |
Memory | Up to 16GB | Up to 16GB |
Interested in more laptop comparisons? See our latest review comparing the Dell Inspiron vs HP Pavilion. If you're looking for a more expensive models, you should check out this review on the Acer Nitro 5 vs HP Victus 15.