*HP EliteBook 8740w Owners Lounge - PART 2*

Even that was my assumption. But didn't do it. So followed this guide to make sure things are right for a SSD in windows 7.

 

FYI:

I've added some corrections to my M6500-8740w comparison post suggested by some users and of my own. Changes:

@Aikimox:
BTW, please add these questions to "the list"

- How can we remap the QuickLook button in order to launch our default mail client instead of the SoftPaq Installer (on Windows)?

- Will HP launch a Linux version of Display Mobile Assistant (for DreamColor owners)? Since the Quick Specs claim this system is SuSE Linux Enterprise 11 certified, I think this is a must.

 

Ahoy Matey!
By the Sea Devil it be done, or me and me lads are walking the plank, swabbies!
Fair Winds!

 

@Aikimox:

[ Offtopic ]
The Monkey Island saga rocks. Parts I and II are unforgettable :yes: Those years were the Golden Age of LucasArts company It's sad nowadays all adventure games are in 3D with "super-duper" graphics and cinematics. Where is the "magic" of "old-school" 2D graphics?

But Pirate LeChuck will come back some day (I hope in 2D, of course)!
[ /Offtopic ]

 

Aikimox... Shiver me'timbers. Ye'r gunna fer'sher be ready tuh cap'n da ship on ye date uv one score minus one.
Welcome to the Official site for Talk Like A Pirate Day - September 19

 

Yo ho! Aye ye old salt! Tuh day is nigh and Jolly Roger's up'n'high! Weigh anchor, ye sea dogs!

 

Ahoy Lads!

Here's tuh updated list of questions fer ye!

I came to conclusion that the fan thresholds should indeed be changed! It's ~85C for CPU and ~85C for GPU when the fan kicks in to the max burst. So, Regardless of the paste job and the ambient temps, when stressing the system, it will always get to 80C+.
IMO, the thresholds should be reduced to 75C for the max boost. That way, we'd never see above 80C when running demanding applications. Yes, it would of course make the system more noisy, but only under full load!

Looks like only HP can do it and they are reluctant thus far...

 

Thank you for this. I will take a look. It sounds like we should disable prefetch and ReadyBoost regardless with SSD?

 

OK, I've updated to F.08.

My FX3800M vBIOS has been updated, but I think there's a typo on the HP site.
The HP site says: 62.92.BC.00.09
Actual update: 62.92.C0.00.04

The original vBIOS was 62.92.B6.00.09

Also when you check with CPU-Z under mainboard tab, it now says KBC Version 33.2D (Original was 33.2C)

 

Bad news for me

It seems my order is stopped due to the lack of the spanish backlit keyboard. My rep offers me the English - US backlit keyboard or the normal spanish keyboard...
Please, is there anyone with a non-US backlit keyboard here?
I cannot understand this problem, since the spanish backlit keyboard is included in the spare parts list:

Thank you in advance

 

That is indeed bad for one who waited so long. . Is Backlit KB really really needed? If not, you can go with the regular one and get a backlit one later when available. Also if its listed in Parts Store, doesn't mean its really available in HP inventory. If you see the bigger picture, you are getting 8740W with DC2 which is more important backlit KB.

 

Yes, I've said it before, I mostly work at night in low-light conditions (in a living room with only a light from my kitchen).

I said that to my rep, he's still studying my case... There is a remote chance he'll be able to order the desired keyboard from a different wholesaler separately. That is, he could order the 8740w with the English backlit kb. and then replace that part with the other from this wholesaler.

Anyway, I suspect I'm the first client in Spain ordering that keyboard... Hence the lack of available information.

But I think if it's listed in the Parts Store, does it mean some day HP will manufacture it, right?

 

hi,

I got a 8740w with a screen. I got a hold of the DC2 dream screen(PP171WU8
). does anymore know the part number of the DC2 cable kit?

kong.

 

Where did you get the DC2 from?
You mean LP171WU8-TLB1?
Make sure it has TLB1 at the end. Otherwise, it's not the right one.

You'll have to ask one of the DC2 owners here to open the back panel to get the part#. The service manual only lists one cable and I think it's for the standard screen.

Does the DC2 display have dual connectors in the back?

I find it strange that the eBay vendor who supposedly has this DC2 panels for sale has a warning saying that the DC2 is not to be used in the non DC2-equipped HP laptops because they "there is no special Color chipset for both standard version".
I seriously doubt HP has yet another board that is specific to DC2 panels.

They use to charge $450 for them, until I asked them to verify for me that they indeed had the right part# for HP.
The next day they bumped up the price to a ridiculous amount.
I guess they didn't have the right ones after all.:laugh:

 

Seriously. I was able to pick up 2x2gb of DDR3 1333 for $56 shipped from the FS/T forums over at Anandtech. They were OEM memory pulls from an Asus G73, but it works beautifully in my system

 

Here's the best deal on DDR3 1333 sodimm that I have ever seen:
Amazon.com: Patriot Signature 4 GB PC3-10600 (1333 MHz) DDR3 SODIMM Notebook Memory PSD34G13332S: Gateway

Don't hesitate. This price won't last long.

 

RampageII,

The panel that I got is the LP171WU8-TLB1 panel, and it does have 2 connector. I just need the cable to test. The tech manual only reference 1 cable. Where did i get the panel? I got a couple of them from a friend.

kong.

 

Great. You have the right one then.
If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for each display?

Regarding the cable, you might want to check to see if there's anything else that needs replacing to make the proper upgrade.
The display and cable are the main thing of course. But for ex. on the 8730w, you also needed to replace the light sensor.
As I said before, DC2 owners can provide the part#, but it requires removing the back panel. The other option would be to call HP tech. and see if they're willing to provide you with the specific part#.

Indeed, $70 is very good.
That's actually how much I paid for each 4GB stick of HP OEM RAM I have. Except that I didn't have to mess with rebates.

Too bad the rebate is only valid on one stick.

 

RampageII,

I got $160.00/each for them. I will call hp to get the parts number for the Cable.

kong.

 

How did you manage that?

 

If that's the correct panel+price - terrific news! In that case, I might get one for the M17X and mod the connectors to fit.

 

Nice.

Does your friend have anymore of those LP171WU8-TLB1 DC2 panels? Do they have the same matte finish?
I'd be interested in buying one as well.

Calling HP to get the part# is probably your best bet.
I doubt anyone in here would be willing to open up the back of the panel any time soon.

Except for Aikimox.

 

I got lucky!

 

That's definitely a great price.

So does he have anymore displays?
If your friend gets any more displays, or if you want to sell the other one you have, let me know.

 

I just got my Tom Bihn Cache Sleeve and its great! I'm usually not a big fan of Tom Bihn's designs, but you can't go wrong with charcoal and black.





As you can see by the pictures, It fits the 8740w very well without being too snug.

I like the simple flap design, which allows me to remove the laptop easily from my hiking backpack without taking everything out.

 

Hi, all

may i know if its advisable to fresh re-install this notebook? default comes with so many HP partitions.. and i need to dual boot this baby.

Thanks in advance..

 

RampageII,

I was mistaken. I got a U8 and 2 (LP171WU5). What is the the U5 for? I call HP on the cable of the DC2, and the only cable that they have is the 596040-001.

 

The WU5 is the DC1 display used on the 8730w.

If it's the same part# from the service manual, then they probably just gave you the one used on the standard displays.

 

Hi all,

I've been a bit of a long time lurker in this thread, first, just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post about their experiences with the 8740, esp. Aikimox - nice review...

I've noticed there are a few people here (m80?) who seem to be pretty keen photographers, and I was hoping someone might be able to help me with a couple of questions - all about the DC2.

Earlier this year I bought (and returned) an M6500 with RGBLED. I couldn't believe that a "professional" quality display had such crazy delta-E when profiled at gamma 2.2 which is, uh, basically *the* standard - (see the anandtech "precision strike on bling" review). Also, the SRGB mode was so atrocious as to be a joke. Wide gamut is great and all, but I don't want to be working in fluoro-colour-land whenever an app isn't colour managed (and that's 99% of applications).

So, I've read a lot of subjective opinions about the sRGB and aRGB modes offered with the DC2 + HP MDA, and I was wondering

a) if someone with a profiler (Spyder/Munki/Huey etc.) could post plots of the DC2 sRGB/aRGB modes as available from the HP Display Assistant? This would show how "close" these modes are to the real thing.

b) also, if anyone has tried to profile their DC2 screen, how do the profiles generated by third party tools like a Spyder interact with the presets in the HP Display Assistant? Can you just select a preset in the MDA, then profile with your own hardware, load the profile into the LUT and get accurate results in both sRGB and aRGB colour spaces?

This information would be invaluable to any other folks keen on using this system for colour managed workflows, as well as more "normal" non-managed use. Try as I might, I cannot find any concrete information on this out there.

I've been tearing my hair out trying to get a business focussed laptop which has some serious grunt (i.e. not alienware or apple) and also has a nice screen. If someone made a laptop with accurate sRGB (i.e. not 70%, or 140%, which is what we seem to be stuck with apart from some rare exceptions) I'd be all over it.

If the screen works as well as people have been suggesting, then all I need to do is swallow the insane pricetag for a CTO 8740 here in the UK :-( ...

Cheers,

Johan

 

great thread, gentlemen.

so have all the quirks been ironed out yet?

 

Not only that, thanks to Mumak, we have now the way to force the fan @max speed! Here's another 3DMark06 run @ambient temps of 24C:
Look at the max temps!!!
Gamers! Rejoice!!!

<<<< Here's the 1 hr of King's Bounty - The Legend. The ambient is 26C now, but the system is slightly elevated to balance with previous run.
Previous 3DMark06 and King's Bounty temps can be found in the review section - the first post.
I see a constant difference of 10-15C across the board

 

@colvilj:

I don't have the thing yet, but look at this page with a review of the HP LP2480zx monitor. According to a HP DreamColor specialist, Mr. Greg Staten, the DreamColor screen uses the same engine as the LP2480zx. On that page, you'll notice the sRGB emulation is stunning, with very low deltaE values (less than 2 except the white point). If you're wondering if the sRGB emulation is better than the M6500's... YES! it's way better for sure If you didn't know, the M6500 must be calibrated at 1.8 gamma for color critical work (used by the Mac OS). In other words, in sRGB mode, the DC2 you'll look like a standard (non-wide gamut) monitor (well, if you're not very picky, emulation is not perfect, but very close)

Welcome to the club! My CTO machine costed to me 4041€ (~ 3426GBP)!! (see my sig.) It's insane, there is no doubt. And it's unfair, when US folks can buy this system for less than 4K USD

Have you seen the pre-configured models in your country?. The theory is HP sells the pre-configured models cheaper than the CTO's. But it's only the theory I advise you to find a 'preferred partner' (aka 'reseller') in your country. You can with this web form. Many times resellers can sell the same machine for much less because they buy the components to wholesalers and they have access to special discounts. I did.

I hope this helps

 

OK, I am a new 8740w owner (as of 9/10). I did not spring for the DC2 display, like it seems so many here have. I mainly will be using it for 3D CAD with Inventor Professional, AutoCAD Electrical and industrial control system programming (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, GE, etc). So far, compared to my main laptop (Dell Precision M90) that I am still using until I get all my software loaded, I am happy with the WUXVA+ display. I will definitely say it does not look as good as the pictures posted in this forum of the DC2 (I can only imagine what is looks like in person). Anyway, I would not hesitate to recommend this display for CAD and general engineering work.

I have a slightly different question related to the above from "Burgerlim". I bought an after market hard drive for the laptop since the HP upgrade was too pricey. Will the recovery disk that came from HP recreate all the HP partitions automatically and reload the HP tools? Are the HP tools worth all the trouble to recreate a new hard drive the same as the original?

Just a general note, so far I am having good luck with the after market RAM I installed. I used this Newegg.com - OCZ 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Laptop Memory Model OCZ3M13338GK from NewEgg. Bought two 8GB kits, so all 4 slots are filled. This is nice to have an affordable laptop with 16GB of RAM.

Thanks for any answers related to reloading the OS and tools on a new drive.

Darren

 

hi Dash68

I am about in the same situation as you, i use this primarily for Visualization, Autocad, Max.. and Photoshop... usually I reformat whole system and install only what is needed and think so it usually runs faster.

now with this new lappy, it seems a little complicated now and not too sure with this great specs, if that worth all the efforts.

Also, I remember pick up some where W7 has some networking (i need alot of file sharing) issue with XP? / XP64?..is that true? would be glad if someone could point me to the right direction..

appreciate all feedback.. Thanks in advance.

 

Well, as I still can't reliably reboot, and as our 2D performance is slower then my several year old CPUs with integrated graphics, no, not everything's been ironed out.

colvilj, can only write a quick resp. But in regards to calibration w/o using HP's branded calibrator, you may have a look @ this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...515591-elitebook-8740w-w-dc2-calibration.html where someone did that.
I'm entering a period of high expenses, but I will still be buying the calibrators one of these months. I'll only be able to answer questions regarding the base profiles after that.

 

Hey all. I've done some research on my memory issues that I wanted to share with you.

First off, to reiterate, my system (with W7 64 bit) has 4x2GB dimms installed. It shows 8.00GB of RAM installed but only 3.93GB usable. For some reason, the other 4GB is "hardware reserved". That's what the resource manager says. I'm unable to figure out why it's reserved! This is driving me nuts!

Please go check your system properties and make sure you don't have the same problem I do. If you have any idea about how I can fix this, please let me know. Thanks!

 

Go to Task Manager -> Performance : make a screenshot and post here, please. I think, there's a chance that you don't have a problem...

 

Windows 7 properties: 8.00GB (3.93GB usable)
Task Manager: 4023 available
Sandra: Only bank 0 and bank 1 recognized, one channel running @ 64bit. Elsewhere, Sandra shows all four DIMMS running fine.

The Dimms have passed memory tests multiple times and I've rearranged them all sorts of ways......

What do we make of this?

 

Manual Fan Control:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-.../519840-hp-notebook-fan-control-hwinfo32.html

 

I do not have the problem, but I'm using a 620M with 2x4GB so not a great comparison. Random ideas:

• Are all 4 of your sticks exactly the same? Were they matched pairs? What are they? (brand/timing).
  
  
• There's an idea posted here about a setting to double-check in msconfig: Windows 7 marking extra RAM "hardware reserved" (should be unchecked)
  
  
• Interesting write-up on how to determine what is using reserved memory: Limits of Windows: Physical Memory. (This utility makes it easier to see: Meminfo)

If confident of your memory and all other config, then I then I would guess hardware build issue requiring motherboard replacement. If possible, I would first test with different memory sticks though.

 

FYI:

Some guys were in doubt if the HP 3D DriveGuard technology protects (or not) the drive installed in the upgrade bay. Well, we have the definitive confirmation about this. In short: YES (100%), as stated by the user manual. On page 82, it's claimed that:

So this enigma is definitely solved

 

There's a secret option in HWinfo32 (latest ver) for those who wish to manually control the fan

Now, we can talk about 940XM and OC'ing

 

Hp 3d driveguard is just software that interacts with the freefall sensor and the hard drive. Theres no real hard ware that would preclude additional hdds from the program.

 

@HiddenUser

thanks for the reply... I had seen the 2480zx review and read Mr Staten's comments on it sharing the "same engine" as the 8740 DC2 - I'm still a bit sceptical though as the 2480 is about 2000GBP alone (from a very quick check!). Anyway, the feedback here on the sRGB mode is very favourable, so it sounds quite promising (pretty much everyone on the M6500 forums unanimously agreed the M6500 sRGB was cr*p). I only really need a tolerably accurate sRGB anyway, just so day-to-day stuff doesn't "flouresce" under the higher aRGB gamut. BTW, I think even Mac OS is standardised on gamma 2.2 these days

Yeah, these things are insanely expensive here. Unfortunately I want the ATI with Dreamcolour option, which isn't possible from the list of models being offered direct from HP. I'll be getting in touch with one of our HP resellers I deal with at work, hopefully he can do me a favour and rustle up a CTO with a small discount...

@m80, thank you for the reply. I had seen the thread you are referring to there, in that case I think the HP MDA was set to "native" before using a Spyder to generate a profile. I had been hoping to be able to first reign in the gamut by setting sRGB or aRGB in the MDA, then profile with a spyder to make minor adjustments. I don't know how the MDA makes it's adjustments though - the quality solution would be something in the panel controller I guess, but I was worried it might be more like the M6500 control panel which I'm sure is just a software tweak. At any rate, if I'm going to splash out over 3500GBP for this thing I don't want to be fighting it all the way to get good sRGB/aRGB profiles!!

I look forward to your results, maybe I'll have my own by then and can share more , if anyone else has anything they can add to this topic I'd sure like to hear it.

Cheers,

Johan

 

If you're worried about this issue... well, don't worry anymore

See the Aikimox's review for the 8740w... Pictures are simply awesome. No oversaturation can be noticed. And Aikimox already said a couple of times that he's very happy with the sRGB mode of the DC2. In fact, he owns the Alienware (aka Dell) M17x "beast" too, with a "super brilliant" wide gamut RGB LCD panel (burning his eyes, literally from him). Even he said that he cannot "see" the M17x anymore since he has got used to the DC2...

And don't forget this beast simply has the BEST laptop screen ever made. Period. Hands down to IPS technology (I have 2 NEC IPS professional desktop monitors and I cannot see a TN anymore). You'll be able to benefit from a true 10 bit mode in Adobe Photoshop to create images with rich details never seen in a laptop (more than 1,000M of simultaneous colors). Even 10-bit mode is very restricted to high end desktop machines (you need a combination of an expensive professional graphics card + professional monitor, both they must be able to manage 10 bit for success). So judge yourself

 

^^ second that

 

Hi,

I am about to place an order, but before I do I need to understand what are the issues with FirePro M7820 that are occasionally mentioned in the posts.

On paper ATI GPU should be more advanced than NVidia ones (DX11, OpenCL...), and cheaper. I am therefore not surprised that majority of owners appear to have opted for ATI, which is also my preference.

However, forum posts have mentioned issues with poor 2D performance and unavailable or inadequate/obsolete drivers. I have checked the ATI site and no driver appears to be available there. The only one seems to be on HP site, posted in August.

What is exactly the issue here?

My work is mostly on MicroStation with occasional use of AutoCAD. How relevant are the above issues for me?

Regards

 

Guys,

Ok, so I get my new 8740 and all is good. I have the backlit keyboard. I ordered 2 4GB DIMMS from NewEgg. They arrived today.

So tnite I check the service manuals and the online video on how to remove the keyboard to access the free DIMM slot under the keyboard. Looks easy enough.

Well, to my suprise and aggravation, the backlit models have 3 ribbon cables -there is an additional cable to provide power to the LED's for the backlit keyboard, which HP has placed in in between the heat sink and the DIMM slots. The guidance, which nowhere indicates that this could be problematic, indicates to pull the keyboard from the top near the function keys, upwards, and lay the keyboard flat on the palm rest. Easy enough right? Wrong.

So in removing the keyboard (with care), I now I have the ribbon cable, detached from the small plastic pressure connector, and am unable to figure out how to put it back. The ribbon cable is dangling from the keyboard, with the tiny pressure connector thing still attached to the pins on the mobo. Good times.

It doesn't even seem possible the remove the backlit keyboard without detaching this cable, as it prevents they keyboard from moving upwards beyond the reach of the slack in the ribbon cable.

So I call HP and they are sending a replacement keyboard. I hope it has the pressue connector attached to the ribbon cable.

My question to you all - has anyone dealt with this? What is the process to get the tiny cable back in the small connector? How is one to remove the keyboard without this occuring? Am i just that stupid?

Any help would be MUCH appreciated ....

 

I was also a bit confused from seeing the video. First time i didn't even bother removing the cable. Just tweaked my way to pull/insert RAM. The second time i had swap the KB between 2 8740W - so i just paid attention to how the connectors are placed , then removed it and put it back. Its kind of scary if one is nervous in handling this tiny thingy. As long as you can remove the ribbon that is sticked from the KB back, you will be fine (even if you don't remove the connector).

Edit: Noticed that you already removed the ribbon from the connector. Now remove the white latch upward(so its loose), insert the thin ribbon in the connector slot and press the latch down.

 

Update on 10 Bit:
The ATI Ramp.psd file to test the 10-bit is being sent to HP engineering to find a solution.