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Whereas the standard Envy 14 sports an Intel Core i5 processor, the Beats Edition boasts a Core i7 720QM. Not only does this boast Intel's latest hyper threading and turbo boost technologies (for maximum multitasking and power efficiency), but the processor has four cores, providing some serious power.
This combined with the 4GB of memory helped the Envy 14 Beats Edition breeze through all our benchmarking tests, and there's no doubt this is one of the most powerful 14-inch notebooks we've come across.
Similarly, the ATi Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics card is very high-end. There's 1GB of dedicated video memory also included, and this gives the Envy 14 Beats edition the sort of graphical firepower we'd expect from a large multimedia desktop replacement system such as the Acer Aspire Ethos.
As a result you'll have no problem playing the latest gaming titles, and will be able to carry out resource-intensive multimedia tasks, including photo and HD video editing, with no problem at all. Considering the small form factor of the Envy 14 Beats Edition, this makes the notebook a very powerful and versatile option.
A 500GB hard drive is included to home all your files and folders and, unless you have a serious appetite for movie, music and photo libraries, should provide plenty of storage for a good few years.
It's also worth noting that the drive spins at 7200 rpm, rather than the standard 5400rpm. This allows the processor especially quick access to your data, enhancing performance.
The Envy 14 Beats Edition features a Tri-Format DVD dual layer reader and writer for reading or backing up data but, unlike many HP drives, doesn't feature LightScribe technology, which lets you burn labels onto the surface of a disk.
With the wealth of powerful components on board you'd think the Envy 14 Beats Edition would offer terrible portability, but that's not the case. The 209-minute battery life is perfectly serviceable and will last you the commute, while the 2.6kg makes this a notebook that's no trouble to carry around all day long.
The notebook features the standard one-year collect and return warranty, with a range of options available for upgrading or extending the service from HP direct.
