In 3DMark, the Core i3-6100U falls behind the faster U-series Skylake parts mostly because of CPU speed limitations. Cloud Gate does include a physics test, and it’s here that the Core i3 falls behind more powerful Core i5 and Core i7 systems. In Sky Diver, a more intensive test, we’re starting to see the RAM limitations come into play, as the 4 GB Envy 13 records a disappointing score well behind other Skylake systems.
Performance from the Envy 13’s 128 GB SSD is disappointing, particularly in random read and writes where the system falls behind nearly every other SSD-based laptop I’ve reviewed recently. Sequential performance is decent, falling in the 450 GB/s range for read speeds, but it’s random performance that tends to matter the most, and it’s here where the Envy 13 fails to stack up.
