Hardware Overview and Core i3 CPU Functioning

The Envy xiii comes in a range of dissimilar models, and the one I received today is the cheapest of the lot. It features an Intel Cadre i3-6100U processor, but 4 GB of RAM, a 128 GB solid state bulldoze, and a 13.3-inch 1080p brandish. This model isn't bachelor in the United States, and instead you'll find it mostly in Europe and Asia.

Even though this laptop isn't available in the US, it provides an interesting look into Intel's Cadre i3-6100U and the limitations that 4 GB of RAM provides in cheaper systems. The Core i3-6100U is particularly interesting as information technology's still a 14nm Skylake role with two cores, four threads and a 15W TDP, but it lacks Turbo Boost technology, meaning its clock speed is limited to 2.7 GHz. In comparison, the Core i5-6200U that's available on United states of america models is clocked at 2.3 GHz with a Turbo Heave of 2.8 GHz.

The Core i3-6100U also features 3 MB of L3 cache, and an Intel HD 520 graphics core clocked upwardly to 1000 MHz. The Hard disk drive 520 is used across almost of Intel'south U-series mobile parts, so its functioning won't differ greatly from Cadre i5 and Core i7 SKUs.

For configuration options, this is what you lot tin can await from the Envy 13 line-upwardly:

  • Core i3-6100U – 4 GB of RAM – 128 GB storage: £499 (approx. United states of america$590 tax gratuitous) - Reviewed
  • Core i5-6200U – eight GB of RAM – 128 GB storage: $799
  • Cadre i7-6500U upgrade: +$120
  • QHD+ display upgrade: +$fifty
  • 256 GB SSD upgrade: +$130
  • 512 GB SSD upgrade: +$330

This means that if you want the acme-finish model with a Core i7 CPU, QHD+ display and 512 GB of storage, y'all'll exist looking at spending $1,299.

It should be noted that there are no options to add in more RAM, and as the RAM is soldered onto the mainboard, you cannot simply disassemble the Envy 13 and add in more RAM. This is crucially important if you buy the limited 4 GB model; if you want more RAM, buy the viii GB variant.

And so how does the Cadre i3 CPU and 4 GB of RAM stack up? Well, for everyday tasks similar web browsing and document editing, I didn't really notice any operation differences between the Envy 13 and something more powerful like Microsoft'south Surface Book. The Envy boots up quickly, opens apps apace, and didn't seem to become bogged down even when using Chrome with a handful of tabs open.

Where the system struggles is in more than creative tasks similar editing photos in Photoshop. The Core i3 CPU doesn't seem to be the result here, rather the express amount of RAM that can seriously limit the operation of the system during a long session of Lightroom photograph editing. When dealing with large photos (or 1080p videos) in particular, 4 GB of RAM simply doesn't cut information technology. Throw in some multi-tasking with Chrome and you'll be begging for 8 GB of RAM.

And this is where the trade-off lies. If you want a PC for web browsing, document editing, and other light tasks, the entry-level Envy xiii with a Core i3 and 4 GB of RAM volition exist fine. But if you program on using other, more intensive applications, I'd recommend spending the actress cash on the Cadre i5/8GB model.

How does the Core i3-6100U stack up in benchmarks? Let'southward accept a look:

In PCMark, the Cadre i3 Envy 13 sits only behind other Skylake U-series based laptops on average. The Envy comes in well behind the Surface Book and XPS xiii in the Creative suite in particular, which doesn't surprise due to hardware limitations.

There is a sizable gap in performance between the Core i3 Envy xiii and the Core i7 Surface Book in encoding benchmarks, although this can be attributed to the large difference in clock speeds (3.4 GHz Turbo versus 2.7 GHz). The Cadre i3 also sits just marginally behind the Broadwell Core i5-5200U while encoding.