Mirroring the general contraction of the desktop PC market, all-in-one fashions with built-in screens trailed off in reputation for a few years. However now, the proliferation of work-from-home setups has introduced them roaring again. HP is likely one of the few PC producers left that persistently debuts new AIO designs, and its HP Envy 34 (begins at $1,999.99; $2,709.99 as examined) is likely one of the finest that is ever graced its secure. A dream for inventive professionals—and nonetheless a strong system for everybody else—it is bought a 34-inch 5K show, a movable digicam, and snappy efficiency. Like-priced conventional desktops can supply extra energy (significantly on the GPU entrance), however for what’s included right here, the Envy 34 is a good worth and simply cops our Editors’ Alternative advice for high-end Home windows AIO PCs.
An Envy-Inducing Design
The design on this AIO is easy, however generally simplicity is finest. The Envy 34 seems sharp and understated, letting its large display seize a lot of the consideration. The stand is clear and minimal, a modest base connected to a plain column. There isn’t lots to say concerning the design right here, apart from that it’ll mix into nearly any workplace or home-office setting. It is also a bit cleaner throughout than the smaller however comparable HP Envy 32 we reviewed two years in the past.
That massive show is, in fact, the draw. The 34-inch panel will catch the eyes of enterprise and artistic professionals alike: It’s specified by a 21:9 facet ratio and sports activities a razor-sharp 5K decision (5,210 by 2,160 pixels). It’s as good as its specs counsel, too, with brightness rated at 500 nits and robust image high quality.
That decision places it on the extent of the 27-inch Apple iMac, and the show is prepared for a similar sort of labor you’d affiliate with Cupertino’s well-known all-in-one. There’s loads of room for lengthy video edit timelines, picture matching, and massive spreadsheets. HP’s included Palette software program—a toolkit that features options for picture looking out, telephone connectivity, and wi-fi sharing—additionally helps ease your workflow. The show removes the necessity for 2 displays, and naturally makes the acquisition even simpler by wrapping all of it collectively.
The opposite standout design characteristic, moreover the show, is the digicam. We’ll get to its image high quality in a second, however visually it’s onerous to overlook. HP opted for a separate USB webcam design, in contrast to most of the pop-up or laptop-style embedded webcams that the majority AIOs use.
All shouldn’t be because it seems, although. There may be another excuse for this design past a larger-sensor system leading to higher high quality: The digicam is magnetically removable, permitting you to maneuver it to any fringe of the system to seize your finest angle. You may even level it downward at your desk, to indicate supplies or objects to these on the opposite finish of the video name. Not everybody would have a use for this, certainly, however versatility for area of interest professional customers is at all times a plus.
Dell confirmed us a prototype just like this concept at CES 2022, although that smaller digicam can connect to the show immediately, the place it might block a few of your view. And let’s not neglect the considerably controversial introduction of Apple’s webcam notch within the new MacBook Professional. HP’s digicam ought to show much less controversial, because it clings magnetically to the borders of the display, and gained’t get in the best way whereas offering a few of the identical versatility.
The opposite excellent news is that the digicam high quality is above common, too. It is a full HD digicam with a 16MP sensor, greater than you’ll sometimes see in a PC, and it exhibits within the image. Video is particularly crisp, a lot nearer to the nicer USB webcams obtainable to plug into a conventional desktop than the standard of most laptop computer or different AIO webcams. I personally use the Razer Kiyo at residence, and the Envy’s shooter is pretty much as good high quality if not higher, minus the ring mild.
I examined HP’s cam in low mild, too, as a result of many home-office setups aren’t precisely ideally lit. Naturally, the video feed wasn’t fairly as sharp as in regular lighting, however the digicam compensated properly, and saved me brightened and clear sufficient for my dimmer setting.
Any skilled can even be involved concerning the connectivity choices, and the Envy 34 delivers on this entrance. You get extra ports than many AIOs supply, largely constructed into the again of the monitor. There you’ll discover 4 USB 3.zero ports, two USB Sort-C ports with Thunderbolt Four assist, an HDMI connection, and an Ethernet jack.
It’s slightly tough to achieve all the best way round this PC’s giant panel to get to those ports, however they’re not your solely possibility. The appropriate-hand aspect of the stand holds two extra USB 3.zero ports, a USB-C connection, and an SD card slot. This array doesn’t embrace every thing you’ll want, however it’s a pleasant quick-access location for some generally used connections. The system additionally comes with a fundamental Bluetooth mouse and keyboard—nothing particular, however higher than making you purchase new ones in the event you do not already personal a wi-fi set.
Contained in the Envy 34: The Part Rundown
Our mannequin isn’t loaded out to the max, however it’s nonetheless very capably geared up. The Envy 34 begins at $1,999.99, whereas our configuration is priced at $2,709.99 on HP’s web site. It consists of an Intel Core i7-11700 processor, 32GB of reminiscence, a GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, and a 1TB SSD. Our unit additionally features a $70 bump-up to Home windows 11 Professional somewhat than House.
It’s essential to notice that the GPU is the laptop computer model of the 3060—there may be in fact not sufficient room for a full-size desktop graphics card on this design. So far as configuration choices, our Core i7/RTX 3060 unit is kind of HP’s middle-tier mannequin: You may soar to a Core i9 processor and the RTX 3080 laptop computer GPU, or right down to a Core i5 and a GTX 1650.
The identical goes for storage and reminiscence capability. If you happen to change your thoughts concerning the bought configuration afterward, it’s also possible to simply improve the reminiscence and storage (by eradicating the again panel) to a most of 128GB and 2TB, respectively. As you may see above, you get easy entry beneath the panel to 2 SO-DIMM DDR4 slots, and a pair of M.2 SSD slots.
Testing the Envy 34: Cores The place It Counts
We put our Envy 34 AIO configuration to the check with our regular suite of benchmark checks, and in contrast them to related rival desktops. You may see the names and specs of rivals within the following desk…
AIO releases are pretty few and much between, and we’ve considerably just lately up to date our benchmark suite. Between these components, we don’t have a lot in the best way of outcomes for current AIOs, so a few of the rivals listed here are equally geared up and/or equally priced non-AIO desktops of assorted sizes.
It’s essential to remember the fact that the value of an AIO features a show, some distinctive design wants, and normally some additional options, so a decrease portion of the fee goes immediately towards efficiency than conventional towers. The all-inclusive design alone could also be value it for some buyers, which is why you’re taking a look at that sort of system within the first place! Simply preserve that in thoughts when viewing benchmark outcomes.
To that finish, the NZXT H1 Mini Plus is just a few hundred {dollars} lower than the Envy 34 however options comparable elements, representing a compact PC tower. On the flip aspect, the HP Z2 G8 Tower is an expert system, configured right here to be costlier than the Envy 34, however within the course of giving an concept of what a pro-grade system can do when emphasizing energy. There’s additionally the small-but-mighty Intel NUC 11 Excessive Package (‘Beast Canyon’), a shoebox-size desktop PC (with a full-size GPU) that may do a little bit of every thing.
One Home windows AIO we simply examined is the Acer Aspire C27, which is a 27-inch mainstream mannequin that is available in round $1,300. (It makes use of a laptop-style cellular Core i7 CPU, although, versus the desktop-strength Core i7-11700 within the Envy 34.) And one other AIO is current within the type of the 24-inch Apple iMac. Sure, Apple’s 27-inch iMac mannequin is a more in-depth measurement comparability, however our overview configuration got here in at $4,499, and the 24-inch mannequin is far nearer to the Envy at $2,028. It additionally options Apple’s M1 chip, which is rather more related for Apple merchandise going ahead. Simply be aware that the iMac cannot run a few of the Home windows-based checks, so it is absent from just a few of the charts under.
Productiveness Assessments
The principle benchmark of UL’s PCMark 10 simulates quite a lot of real-world productiveness and content-creation workflows to measure total efficiency for office-centric duties corresponding to phrase processing, spreadsheeting, net searching, and videoconferencing. We additionally run PCMark 10’s Full System Drive check to evaluate the load time and throughput of a desktop’s storage.
Three benchmarks deal with the CPU, utilizing all obtainable cores and threads, to fee a PC’s suitability for processor-intensive workloads. Maxon’s Cinebench R23 makes use of that firm’s Cinema 4D engine to render a posh scene, whereas Primate Labs’ Geekbench 5.Four Professional simulates well-liked apps starting from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine studying. Lastly, we use the open-source video transcoder HandBrake 1.Four to transform a 12-minute video clip from 4K to 1080p decision (decrease instances are higher).
Our ultimate productiveness check is workstation maker Puget Programs’ PugetBench for Photoshop, which makes use of the Inventive Cloud model 22 of Adobe’s picture editor to fee a PC’s efficiency for content material creation and multimedia functions. It is an automatic extension that executes quite a lot of normal and GPU-accelerated Photoshop duties starting from opening, rotating, resizing, and saving a picture to making use of masks, gradient fills, and filters.
The Envy 34 isn’t the quickest system on any of those benchmarks, normally ending towards the again of the pack. That’s to be anticipated for the explanations defined above, however a few of the rating margins are larger than others. The numerous-threaded processors within the HP and NUC 11 are monsters on Cinebench and Geekbench, and our AIO does commerce blows with the (inexpensive, compact) NZXT construct. It edges out the M1 iMac, too, and dominates the Acer C27. Total, the outcomes present a loads competent skilled PC.
For pure information crunchers, media editors, animators, and different professionals who want uncooked horsepower, one of many conventional desktop techniques (or a devoted workstation) is a greater guess on the efficiency entrance. All-in-ones carry seamless design, massive built-in shows, and good extras just like the digicam, which can be sufficient for many professionals, however the design makes them tough to place toe-to-toe with well-outfitted tower PCs.
If you happen to’re in that second camp and would love the show, design, and wish solely above-average processing, the efficiency chops proven listed here are greater than sufficient. Let’s verify in on the graphics efficiency, too.
Graphics Assessments
We check Home windows PCs’ graphics with two DirectX 12 gaming simulations from UL’s 3DMark: Evening Raid (extra modest, appropriate for PCs with built-in graphics) and Time Spy (extra demanding, appropriate for gaming rigs with discrete GPUs). Sadly, Time Spy wouldn’t full its run on the Envy 34 (a battle with the check, not any deficiency), so we solely have Evening Raid outcomes for it, however I left Time Spy leads to the chart under anyway, for context on the opposite techniques.
With out first evaluating to the opposite desktops, the Envy’s mobile-class RTX 3060 can put out strong 3D efficiency for average workloads and a few midrange gaming. That’s what we’ve come to count on from this GPU, and it normally offers a superb worth when seen in gaming laptops. Although not one of many high-end RTX GPUs, nor an expert Quadro card, it’s a far cry above built-in graphics seen in finances PCs.
In contrast with the others on this group, the efficiency hole is rather more pronounced than on the productiveness checks, and that’s not shocking contemplating the cellular RTX 3060. Pretty much as good as laptop computer GPUs have change into, there’s no outrunning thermodynamics, and the chip merely can’t compete with the foot-long graphics playing cards utilized in most full-size desktop towers.
A Quick and Elegant AIO Possibility
The HP Envy 34 AIO does precisely what it units out to do, and does it properly. Sure, on a pure dollar-to-performance foundation, a normal tower with high-end elements will probably be superior. However that’s not why you purchase an AIO. Inventive professionals particularly could make nice use of a plug-and-go system with an enormous, sensible display, loads of helpful connectivity, and usually quick efficiency. And multiwindow multitaskers will go bug-eyed with delight at this mannequin’s obtainable side-to-side display actual property.
We have not seen very many revolutionary new AIOs on the market of late, so by delivering excellence within the display, the place it issues most, and making the digicam and CPU as sturdy as potential, the HP Envy 34 is much more interesting. It is our new high decide for high-end all-in-one desktop PCs.