HP Envy 13 BA1047WM 2022, Core i5-1135G7, 8GB, 512GB SSD, Natural Silver

The HP Envy 13 BA1047WM is a compact 13.3 inch laptop with a standout 400-nit 1080p display and premium aluminum build. It's great for everyday tasks like browsing, writing, and streaming, but the 8GB of RAM and older 11th gen Intel CPU hold it back. Buy it for the screen and portability, not for performance.

The Core i5-1135G7 is a 4-core, 8-thread chip that boosts up to 4.2GHz. In our database, this CPU lands in the 23rd percentile for laptops, which is rough. It's fine for web browsing, email, spreadsheets, and video calls. But anything that leans on sustained multi-core performance, like compiling code or batch editing photos, will feel sluggish compared to even mid-range current gen machines. The integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics sit right around the 49th percentile, so it's average for integrated graphics. You can play older or lighter games at low settings, but this is not a gaming laptop by any stretch. The gaming score of 5.8 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know there.

The 8GB of DDR4 RAM is the bigger bottleneck. It's soldered in most Envy 13 models, so you can't upgrade it later. With Windows 11 and a handful of browser tabs, you'll be hovering near the limit. The 512GB SSD is fine for everyday use, though it ranks in the 37th percentile, which reflects the fact that many competitors now ship 1TB drives. Boot times and app launches are quick thanks to the NVMe drive, but storage capacity is just okay. The 51Wh battery is rated for up to 10 hours, and in real-world use you'll likely see 6 to 8 hours depending on brightness and workload. That's decent for a 13 inch laptop, though not class-leading.

Against the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition, the Envy 13 loses on nearly every performance metric. The Surface has a newer ARM-based chip that's more efficient and faster in most tasks, plus better battery life. But the Envy 13's screen is brighter and more color accurate than the base Surface config, and the Envy has more ports, including USB-A, which the Surface drops entirely. If you live in Google Docs and need a USB-A port without a dongle, the Envy is actually more convenient.

Compared to the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, there's no contest on performance. Those are gaming and creator machines with discrete GPUs and high refresh rate displays. The Envy 13 is a fraction of the weight and price, but it's not playing in the same league. The MacBook Pro M4 Max is similarly irrelevant as a direct competitor, it costs several times more and targets professionals. The real comparison for the Envy 13 is other thin and light Windows laptops in the $500 to $800 range, and there it holds up on screen quality and portability but falls behind on RAM and CPU freshness.

Pricing on this specific config is a bit murky since it's sold through third-party sellers who open the box for upgrades and testing. That's worth keeping in mind. You're not getting a sealed retail unit, and the 12-month warranty comes from the seller, not HP. For the specs, the value depends heavily on what you pay. If you can find it under $500, it's a reasonable deal for a premium-feeling ultraportable with a great screen. If it's creeping toward $700 or more, you should look elsewhere. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition and even some current gen HP Pavilion or Acer Swift models offer newer CPUs and more RAM for similar money. The Envy 13's strongest selling point is that display and the build quality, not raw performance.

The HP Envy 13 BA1047WM sits in that crowded space of thin and light Windows laptops aimed at students and office workers who want something that looks nicer than a budget plastic clamshell. It's a 13.3 inch machine with an 11th gen Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The display is the real highlight here, a 1920x1080 IPS panel rated at 400 nits with 100% sRGB coverage, which is more than you typically get at this size and price bracket.

HP positions the Envy line as a step below the Spectre but above the Pavilion, and this config mostly delivers on that. You get a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader, Thunderbolt 4, and Wi-Fi 6. The chassis is aluminum and feels premium. But the specs are a mixed bag. 8GB of RAM in 2025 is tight, and the 11th gen Intel chip is a few generations old at this point. If you're mostly in a browser, writing docs, and streaming video, it'll keep up. If you're editing photos or running anything heavier, you'll feel the ceiling.

People searching for a compact laptop for school or travel will find the Envy 13 checks a lot of boxes. It's light, the screen is genuinely good, and the port selection is workable. But the RAM and aging CPU mean it's not a machine you'll grow into. It's a machine you buy for today's light workload and hope it holds up.

Skip the HP Envy 13 if you do any kind of creative work beyond light photo edits, if you keep dozens of browser tabs open, or if you want to play games. The 8GB of RAM and integrated graphics will frustrate you quickly. Also skip it if you need long-term reliability from a major manufacturer warranty, since this unit is sold by a third-party reseller who opens the box for upgrades. For a bit more money, look at the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition for better performance and battery life, or a current gen Acer Swift or ASUS Zenbook with 16GB of RAM. If you're on a tight budget and just need a premium-feeling machine for basic tasks, the Envy 13 makes more sense.

Should you buy the HP Envy 13 BA1047WM? If you need a compact, well-built laptop for writing, browsing, streaming, and light office work, and you can get it at a good price, it's a solid choice. The display is genuinely one of the best parts of this machine, and the keyboard and fingerprint reader make it pleasant to use daily. The port selection is practical, and Thunderbolt 4 gives you some future-proofing for docks and external displays.

But if you plan to keep this laptop for more than a couple of years, the 8GB of RAM and aging CPU are real concerns. Windows 11 already feels tight on 8GB, and that won't improve. If your budget stretches a bit higher, a current gen ultrabook with 16GB of RAM will age far better. This Envy 13 is a good laptop for a specific, light-use buyer. It's not a machine for anyone who wants to push their hardware.