HP Envy 13.3" Touch Laptop: 1080p, i5-8265U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Expired

Build quality/footprint
This one is about 1/4 lb lighter, smaller footprint (13.3" display vs 14" display and slimmer bezels to boot).

Better build quality on this one- metal body vs plastic, display bezels have nicer finish, and it has the more modern squared HP logo reserved for their premium lines.


Display
Display on this one is touchscreen and brighter, and probably just higher quality. The Costco one is an IPS display non-touchscreen and definitely bright enough to use comfortably. So "Good" for the Costco one and "Superior" for this one on a scale from "bad" to "best" for the display quality. 13.3" on the Envy vs 14" on the Costco. For some people the extra screen real estate matters, for others it doesn't.


USB-C port capabilities
This one has USB-C charging and DisplayPort + HDMI output via the USB-C port, the Costco one does not (data only for USB-C). The Costco one has a built-in HDMI port while this Envy 13 does not- will need a $15 dongle.


Fingerprint reader & camera privacy
This one has a fingerprint reader as well as a button to cut power to the camera. Costco one does not have these two features.


Keyboard
Both have backlit keyboards. I've used both and they have the same layout and I find them fairly comparable in terms of typing comfort and speed.


Memory upgrade
This one has 8GB soldered RAM that can't be upgraded. The Costco one has two SODIMM slots for upgrading memory- it comes with a single 4GB SODIMM that can be removed, and an empty slot. Another 4GB SODIMM will cost $12-$30 and it's usually recommended to upgrade to at least 8GB.


SSD upgrade
SSD hard drive upgradable on both. This one comes with a 256GB M.2 NVMe, the Costco one comes with a 128GB M.2 SATA drive (slower, smaller capacity). For some people 256GB isn't enough, for others 128GB is plenty.


CPU & integrated graphics
This Envy has an 8th gen i5 CPU that is ~18 months old with famously poor performing integrated graphics. The reason this one is at this price is because it's on clearance, as they have already rolled out Envys with 10th-gen processors. The $280 Costco laptop has a just-released 10th gen i5 CPU with mid-tier integrated graphics using a new and improved architecture that's superior to even the 10th gen CPU+graphics in the latest $800+ Envys. This matters to people doing more processor+graphics-intensive work, but if you're mainly using it for web browsing, office apps, and streaming video there's probably not much difference in real-world use. None of these is a gaming laptop.

Benchmark comparison of the two processors:
https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i5-8265U-vs-Intel-Core-i5-1035G4/m566107vsm921077


Battery & Charging
The Envy has a 53Wh battery compared to the Costco one at 41Wh. The Envy has a smaller screen, but the Envy screen is also brighter and is a touchscreen whereas the Costco one is not. The added brightness and touchscreen do consume more battery.

The Costco one comes with a 45 W AC adapter, while the Envy's is 65 W. The Envy's charger will charge the laptop faster. You can buy a third party 65 W charger for the Costco one for $15-$30.


Opening the case and upgrading
Both laptops can be opened, and there are guides for opening both. I've opened up the Costco one and haven't opened this one up. This one uses some Torx T6 screws while the Costco one uses only philips screws. Reportedly neither is super hard to open if you prepare by watching videos and take your time, but both can be intimidating to open if you've never done it before because you do have to use a plastic tool on both to pry the back cover off after removing the screws. Incidentally, a few prominent laptop reviewers who usually open up laptops for their reviews decided to skip opening the Envy 13. They both mentioned that HP advised them against it.


Price difference
$500 (or $460 if you have the Chase Ink offer) for this one vs $280 for the Costco one, plus maybe the cost of a $15 HDMI dongle for this one and a $15 RAM upgrade for the Costco to make the comparison more apples-to-apples. So a $165-$220 difference in price, depending on whether you have the Chase Ink offer and/or need an HDMI dongle for this one, and assuming you buy another 4GB RAM for the Costco one. Don't forget though that the Costco one is only $280. Even at about $300 including an extra 4GB or memory, the $200 difference is a lot more money in terms of percentage (67% premium to buy the Envy).


Availability, support, and returns
The Costco one is available in warehouses, but you have to check at merchandise pickup to see if they still have the i5 version in stock. There's a label on the side of the box that will tell you. Some (many?) warehouses are now restocking with the slower i3 CPU, and I'm guessing if you manage to place an online order (it's been marked as out of stock online) you'll probably get the i3 one at this point. The Envy can just be ordered online.

The Envy has a 1 year warranty. Costco laptop comes with a 2 year warranty (1st year by HP, 2nd year by Costco). If you buy with the Costco Visa card you get another 2 years on top of that, so 4 years total warranty.

The Envy if purchased now has free returns through January 31, 2020. Costco has a 90 day return policy on laptops.


Decisions, decisions...
If you are value-conscious or on a budget, the Costco one is an excellent laptop for the price. It has a good display, Microsoft precision touchpad, 2x2 wifi, backlit keyboard, and good build quality for its class. It's certainly a nice laptop and not junky or substandard, but it's not sleek and sexy like the Envy.

If you need to upgrade RAM and have better graphics performance for things like Photoshop or VMs, then the Costco one is also a better choice.

If you want superior build quality with a metal body, brighter touchscreen display, USB-C charging, a bit lighter weight and smaller footprint, and a fingerprint reader and you don't mind the slightly older processor+graphics, the slightly smaller screen, or spending the extra ~$200, the Envy in this deal is well-priced and well-spec'd.

This is an unbelievably good deal, best deal I've seen on an ultrabook of this caliber to date. Excellent build quality, gorilla glass covered touch screen and usb-c charging to boot. In for 1 and repped! Thanks op!

Nope. I checked everywhere online and called the Microsoft store and they had a tech verify it. There is a 16GB option from HP.com but MSFT only sells this model.