HP Compaq 8710p User Review

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by Greg Ross

Introduction

The HP Compaq 8710p is HP’s premier business class notebook offering. Featuring a massive 17” screen, the Santa Rosa platform, and a top notch DX10 graphics card, there is no doubt this laptop is a beast. I’m sure you have questions about the power and portability of this machine, so come on in and read our full review!

Reasons for Buying

Well, I didn’t buy it…but I had a reason to acquire it! My previous HP Compaq notebook, the 15.4” HP nc8430, underwent so many repairs that it started to break on a bi-weekly basis. HP and I agreed that the notebook was a lemon, and within a week we had decided that my new 8710p would be an appropriate replacement.

Price &amp; Model Specifications

The 8710p starts out at a relatively low $1499, but the price can quickly ramp up by choosing more powerful technology such as a faster processor or a BluRay drive. The most powerful versions of this laptop top out at about $3000!

My review unit though, was configured as follows:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 Processor (Santa Rosa, 2.0GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Business
• 17.0” WSXGA+ Display (1680 x 1050)
• 512MB (256MB Dedicated) nVidia Quadro NVS 320M GPU
• 2GB DDR2 667MHz RAM (1x2GB Configuration and quickly upgraded to 4GB)
• 160GB 5400RPM Fujitsu 2.5” HDD
• DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
• 802.11a/b/g WiFi, Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
• 8-Cell 73Whr Battery
• 3 Year On-site Warranty
• Dimensions: 15.5” x 10.8” x 1.3” (at front)
• Weight: 7.7 lbs (Actual Measurement)

The exact model number of my HP 8710p (RM253UA) costs $2129 at HP.com, though at various sites one might find it for as low as $1999.

Build and Design

The HP Compaq 8710p is a business notebook. That implies it should have high quality construction and a flawless build. Does it deliver?

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The notebook shell is built mostly from hard plastic, but within that shell resides a magnesium alloy support structure that is common to almost all the HP Compaq business notebooks. As a result, the laptop feels very strong in most areas and there is no doubt as to the durability of such a notebook if one chooses to take it around. There is little to no flex in the base of the unit and I cannot twist it at all, and the screen does not flex nearly as much as I would have expected from such a large display. One of my complaints about my previous notebook (the nc8430) was that the screen was damaged several times as the LCD protection just was not as good as my initial impressions back then. Fortunately, the 8710p screen housing is much thicker compared to my old notebook and it seems HP has addressed my concerns. Only time will tell if the strength of the housing will protect this LCD. I would still caution users to not put this notebook in an overstuffed backpack. And make sure you get a protective case for it, just in case!

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Additionally, some of you may remember my nc8430 and 8510w reviews in which I bashed the construction of the bezel as I could pull it away and push it in a little bit. I did not like that at all! But the 8710p does not have this issue either, so it does seem to me that HP is making some steps in the right direction regarding the revisions of their notebooks.

However, the 8710p does not go without flaws. The number pad of the keyboard has some flex to it, as underneath there is about 1-2mm of open space between the keyboard base and the optical drive underneath. Also, the top of the palm rests have just a little flex to it…but you do not notice it unless you push really hard on the case.

Also, the notebook shipped with the screen just ever so slightly mis-aligned with the notebook chassis. This meant that I could not easily open and shut the notebook, and it was a pain to get the latches to clasp together correctly. Upon examining it, the screen was positioned wrong on the notebook by about 1mm. After opening up the case myself I was able to fix the issue and tighten up the hinges too. I’m disappointed that I had to do those corrections myself right out of the box, but at least the work was not difficult to perform.

Post hot-fix, the screen definitely does not wobble much at all. This is how a high quality business notebook should be, and the hinges on an 8710p should be very strong if aligned correctly and will satisfy any user.

The DVD drive is also problematic in that it is a very noisy drive during heavy use (like installing software), but is fine during normal use like playing CDs/DVDs or popping in a game CD to play. I might contact HP for a replacement drive soon, it is that annoying. In defense of HP however, I have seen this problem on quite a few notebooks and it should be fixable provided you get a replacement DVD drive.

On a positive note, the laptop also ships with HP 3D DriveGuard technology. That is just a fancy term for hard disk shock protection. But that protection does work well, and during my testing of the notebook that protection always kicked in when I started swinging my laptop around. It even triggers when I walk with the notebook, which is a definite plus as I will not have to worry about shutting it down if I have to quickly move.

After using the notebook for almost a month now, there is one thing I felt obligated to add into my review…how does this notebook feel compared to my previous 15.4” machine? For starters, I do feel the additional weight compared to my previous notebook when it is in my backpack. The 8710p is about 1.7lbs heavier than the nc8430, and that weight difference is typical of any machine. Even so, I can still carry around two binders and a book (maybe even two) in the backpack before it gets too heavy. Without any books, I can carry as many binders as my backpack can hold. Yes, the backpack is bulky and heavy…but it is not impossible to carry all that around. I do not enjoy carrying around this beast under those circumstances, but when I have to it is possible to do. If placed alone in a backpack or messenger bag the laptop is perfectly fine though.

Additionally, the size of the laptop is a little well…prohibitive. I find it difficult to use on student desks when on campus, but it is perfectly fine when you get to use a larger desk or a table. I have found some situations in which I can use the notebook within a class, but I tend to prefer a paper and pen over the computer during most classes. In between classes, when I connect with the outside world (from a workbench or table) the laptop is a joy to use. The screen is huge, yet portable, and the full sized keyboard with number pad is a big plus.

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The four pictures above are provided to just give you some idea of how much larger this notebook is compared to 15.4” notebooks. The 17” notebook’s overall size is actually below average for 17” notebooks (especially with this much power). In each picture, the 8710p is the larger of the two notebooks and the nc8430 is the smaller of the two.

nc8430 left, 8710p right…(view large image)

Last but not least, how does the 8710p look? It is impressive. It looks good in both public and business environments, and I’ve already received quite a few compliments from passerby’s and friends. The notebook appearance consists of mostly shades of gray and black, sharp lines, and it certainly looks like it means business. The two-tone appearance of the notebook is seen on both the exterior and interior of the notebook, and it looks great.

Screen and Speakers

This particular model of the 8710p comes equipped with a 17.1” BrightView WSXGA+ display. Yes, you read that correctly: some models of the 8710p including this one ship with a glossy display instead of the matte screens business users are accustomed to.

At the slight expense of visibility in specific lighting conditions, the glossy screen on the 8710p looks great. At a resolution of 1680x1050, words and graphics are clear and crisp. They are not too small, nor too large. Colors and contrasts are excellent on this display as well, and I cannot complain much about the screen at all.

The brightness settings on the 8710p are staggeringly impressive as well. In part because of the glossy screen, the display is exceptionally bright. It is not too bright though! Typically, the HP business notebook screens are on the dimmer side of the scale…but this notebook is an exception. At the dimmest of settings the screen is just a hair too dark for standard office use, but is perfect for low light conditions where you do not want to strain your eyes or you are presenting and do not want to emit too much distracting light. At 50% brightness the screen is just about right for most indoor settings, and is my preferred setting when running on battery power. At the brightest settings one can easily see the screen and all the details in most lighting conditions. The only time I had a difficult time viewing the screen contents were when the sun light was shining from directly behind me and reflecting off of the screen, which is typical for glossy displays.

The screen itself claims to have a maximum brightness of 200 nits, which most of the time is too low. But the glossy screen definitely makes all the difference.

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The screen at the highest and lowest settings…

As mentioned, when viewing the screen up front and center I have no complaints. Pictures are crisp, graphics are clear. The screen on my 8710p was manufactured by LG Electronics, and their displays continue to receive my highest praises as this notebook screen is a winner.

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One thing that is definitely impressive about this LG screen is the incredible viewing angles. When trying to find the point from which the notebook screen is unreadable, I found that most of the screen reached the unreadable state not because of any distortion or discoloration. The screen became unreadable because I was viewing so off center I was basically looking at the side bezel with the screen only taking up a sliver of my eye’s view.

As you can see, the horizontal viewing angles are just plain impressive. The screen is readable all the way out to almost 90 degrees off center even if there is a little color distortion!

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Vertical viewing angles are not as extreme, but they are better than most laptops I have seen. Discoloration only starts to occur around 45 degrees off center (where most matte displays start having issues after 10-30 degrees), but even then it is readable. The screen only becomes unreadable at angles greater than about 60-70 degrees above center. When viewing from below, even with discoloration the screen is definitely legible.

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The two pictures to on the left are the screen at typical vertical viewing angles. Notice there is very little discoloration, and everything is readable. The two pictures on the right are the same views, but taken at extreme angles (80 degrees or more)…and the text/graphics are still viewable!

The only complaint I have about this screen is that it had one dead pixel on arrival. It is in the lower left corner so I almost never notice it…but still!

The speakers are located at the front of the notebook, and they sound good. Normally, I would expect notebook speakers to sound tinny but tolerable. But, HP again is on the right track with their design choices as these speakers as they sound good at any volume level and all but the deepest of frequencies. The highest volumes were definitely loud enough to be used in presentations in auditoriums, but the medium and low volume settings are perfect for personal use.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Compared to the preceding HP nx9420 (of which I have no personal experience), the keyboard layout appears unchanged. The travel distance for the keyboard is less than I prefer, but the keys on the keyboard are not as noisy as my previous nc8430’s keyboard. The clickety-clicks of this keyboard are very quiet, but low pitched so the sound carries just a little bit. The keys are flatter and seem to be slightly wider than the nc8430 keyboard, but my typing experience continues to improve as I get used to this keyboard.

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Above the keyboard also rests a series of media and functionality buttons that many people want one-touch access to. There is an Info, WiFi Toggle, Presentation Mode, and Mute touch buttons on this glossy strip. Additionally, next to the Mute button is a volume control slider that enables the user to raise and lower the volume by sliding their finger across that area. In the end, I prefer real buttons only because I would frequently fumble in the dark trying to control the touch-strip controls, but in normal (lighted) usage the touch-strip is definitely a nice feature to have. The only other negative about the touch strip is that it is a fingerprint magnet.

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The touchpad has not changed since the last refresh of this series and I assume that all HP Compaq share this part, and remains to be its snappy and smooth self. It is very responsive to my touch, and the three rubber mouse buttons are quiet and about the right size. There is also a secondary set of mouse buttons above the touchpad to work with the touch stick that comes with all 8710p’s and 8710w’s. But in the end, I just cannot and will not ever like the touch-stick for this keyboard. No amount of sensitivity changes can make this work for me, which is a disappointment.

Processor and Performance

Before any benchmarks were ran, a fresh copy of XP was loaded onto the machine (I consider it an upgrade from Vista), drivers updated, and the graphics drivers were modified to make the card appear to be a GeForce GPU rather than a Quadro GPU. This was done to provide maximum compatibility with all DirectX gaming applications and to also provide a better gaming experience overall. Finally, the notebook was also upgraded to a total of 4GB of RAM…of which XP can only see 3GB.

My 8710p comes equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 processor. It features a 2.0GHz core clock speed with a 800MHz Front Side Bus. The Santa Rosa platform also includes support for up to 667MHz DDR2 RAM which this notebook has. The platform also has support for 802.11a/b/g/n Intel WiFi cards and Intel Turbocache memory. My notebook comes with support for only 802.11a/b/g but it is upgradeable, and no 8710p will be found with Turbocache memory. The lack of TurboCache does not bother me as its performance benefits are, at this time, marginal at best.

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Clearly, with a PCMark05 score of 5088, this processor can perform. My 2.16GHz T7400 in the nc8430 was not capable of scoring this high, so we are definitely seeing some performance improvement from more RAM and also a faster FSB coupled with the processor.

On a secondary note, the processor intensive SuperPI benchmark was run to give us a small indication of how powerful each core in the processor is. It is not the latest or greatest application, but it does give some indication of how a relatively small application would perform on this PC or others. It forces a single core to calculate 2M digits of PI, a feat that is accomplished in 1 minute flat.

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The hard drive that was included with the 8710p was a Fujitsu 160GB 5400RPM Hard Drive. The performance for this drive is about par with what is expected from 5400RPM drives at this capacity.

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Nothing against Fujitsu, but I prefer to use Seagate and Hitachi hard drives. I try to avoid using other drives as my main drives, thus I swapped in a Hitachi 160GB 5400RPM drive. Its performance benchmark can be seen here, but what is very interesting to note is that I can only view HDD temperature data on the Seagate drive. Temperature information was not available on the Fujitsu drive.

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So far, the 8710p has proved to be superior to my previous notebook.

Gaming

The 8710p features one of nVidia’s latest GPUs.  The Quadro NVS 320M comes equipped with 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 memory on a 128bit dual-rank bus, with another 256MB of shared memory available from system RAM.  The GPU runs on a 575MHz Core clock, with a 700MHz Memory clock as measured via the nVidia Control Panel.  It is very clear that this card is a copy-cat of the 8700GT, and our benchmarks prove it!

3dMark05 and 3dMark06 are the latest in graphics benchmarking programs that stress the GPU to the max.  This card basically laughs at both programs, and benches some very nice performance numbers.  3dMark05 was running at 1024x768, and 3dMark06 at 1280x1024.  For all gaming tests, the laptop was set to the ‘Always ON’ power profile with no overclocking and it was also plugged into the AC adapter.

Additionally, the graphics drivers installed were the nVidia 162.50 drivers from LaptopVideo2Go.  The modified INF file was further modified to make the GPU appear not as an NVS 320M, but rather an 8700GT in order to install the ‘normal’ drivers that provide maximum compatibility for content rendering (games, 3dMark benches, etc).  Workstation drivers provide the best compatibility for content creation programs (CAD, Maya, 3DS-Max, etc).  In all likelihood, either driver suite should prove suitable so use whichever performs best for your individual needs.

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Wow!

Under Windows Vista with the Quadro drivers, my 3dMark05 score was about 8600.  After installing the GeForce drivers in Vista, my score increased to about 8900.  After taking it a step further and installing XP over Vista, my score jumped to 9334 3dMark05 points regardless of if I was using GeForce or Quadro drivers!

Oblivion

Resolution: 1680x1050

Settings: 0xAA, 8xAF, Large Texture Size, Tree &amp; Action &amp; Item &amp; Object Fade at 100%, Grass Distance 100%, View Distance 100%, Distant Land &amp; Trees ON, Interior and Exterior Shadows at 50%, Self Shadows and Shadows on Grass OFF, Tree Canopy Shadows ON, High Shadow Filtering, 50% Specular Distance, HDR ON, High Water Detail with Reflections and Ripples ON, Window Reflections ON, High Blood Detail.

One important note:

Grass really kills performance in this game.  Each blade has about 20 polygons, which is ridiculous and it slows the system down to the point you cannot play at more than 15-18FPS outdoors in heavy grass areas on this card.  Thus, before running these benchmarks I installed a LowPolyGrass modification that reduces the number of polygons from 20 to about 8 per blade of grass.  The performance difference was astounding from such a small mod.

Average Indoor FPS: 48

Average Outdoor (City) FPS: 45

Average Outdoor FPS: 31

Need For Speed: Most Wanted

Resolution: 1280x1024

Settings: AA at 50%, Texture Filtering &amp; World Detail &amp; Road Reflection &amp; Shadow Detail: 100%, Car Geometry &amp; Reflections: High, Car Reflection Update Rate: 100%, Rain Effects and HDR: ON, Visual Treatment: High

Average FPS: 24

This might seem a little low, but almost all the settings for NFS were completely max’ed out.  Shadow detail really steals a lot of FPS, as does AA and the reflection update rate.  Basically this card can handle anything this game asks for, and 24 FPS averages are definitely playable!  If you want higher FPS, turn down the AA and Shadow Detail.

Lost Planet DX9 Demo

Resolution: 1280x800

Settings: No AA, Medium HDR, 4xAF Texture Filter, Medium Texture Resolution, High Model Quality, Medium Shadow Quality, Medium Shadow Resolution, Medium Motion Blur Quality, High Effect Resolution, High Effect Volume, Medium Lighting Quality.

Average (Snow) FPS: 21

Average (Cave) FPS: 31

Most of the time, Lost Planet was definitely playable but not at the highest resolutions I would have preferred.  But, Lost Planet is a poorly coded console port so any PC is going to have problems at this point.

 

Star Wars: Battlefield II

Resolution: 1680x1050

Settings: All settings max, including 8xAA.

Extra Info: Maximum (64) number of units were on the battlefield to stress the CPU during gaming.

Level: Death Star (Indoors) – Average FPS: 29

Level: Yavin (Space Outdoors) – Average FPS: 38

This game was always smooth playing at even the most demanding of graphics settings.  Yes, the game is a little older but it gives users a good idea of what to expect from anything that isn’t exactly brand new.

 

F.E.A.R. Combat Multiplayer

Resolution: 1400x1050

Settings: All CPU and GPU Settings to Maximum

Average FPS: 46

I do believe it goes without saying…this graphics card is going to be able to handle anything F.E.A.R. asks of it.  No exceptions.

 

What is the deal with these Quadro/GeForce cards?

Many of you are probably crying foul right now, because I used GeForce drivers and made the GPU look like a 8700GT before running these tests.  Guess what: the NVS 320M is the 8700GT!  Those cards just use different drivers, and ONE hardware ID (aka two bytes in the GPU BIOS) is different.  That is just about it as far as consumers are concerned.

While the gaming benchmarks were performed with GeForce drivers, as evidenced by the nearly identical Quadro and GeForce 3dMark05 scores under XP the laptop will perform almost equally in all gaming scenarios.

For the complete reference guide on the differences between Quadro and GeForce cards, please visit this thread.

Heat and Noise

Despite the fact that this laptop has only a single fan to cool the entire computer, the laptop stays incredibly cool during regular operation.  During gaming, one does feel the somewhat-warm exhaust, but it is by no means unbearable!

HP really stepped up to correct the design flaws of the previous generation of HP Compaq business notebooks here.  The two hottest components of the laptop, the GPU and CPU, are completely separated, and each has its own dedicated heat-sink.  Each heat-sink leads to its own exhaust vent, and only the fan is shared.  The fan is certainly capable of pushing a lot of air, but most of the time it does not need to push out much.  Only when gaming!  Even then, there are two exhaust vents at the side and back of the notebook, as well as an additional vent on the bottom of the notebook.

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Additionally, it is very clear that the GPU is of the modular breed.  I do not know if this is MXM technology in the notebook, but the potential possibilities for upgrading the GPU are definitely interesting.

Overall, these design changes definitely help the thermals of the notebook as you can see in the chart below.  CPU, HDD, and GPU temperatures were obtained via Everest.  Unless gaming, the GPU was always at minimum clocks.

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The palm rests and keyboard only get somewhat hot when playing games, and during normal usage the temperatures are relatively cool.  However, when using the laptop on a lap it does get a little warm even in the most power conservative settings after twenty or thirty minutes.  If the notebook is resting directly on the skin of your legs, you will feel the heat.  If the notebook has some fabric (like a pair of pants or longer shorts) between in and you, the laptop-on-the-lap experience will be fine.

On a final note, I will say that I have seen cooler hard drives in the past.  This specific drive ran several degrees cooler in my nc8430.  However, these temperatures are safe for a hard drive…they are just a little higher than I am used to.

Input and Output Ports, Wireless, and Battery

The 8710p features a decent battery of ports available, so here’s the tour…

 
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On the left we see the AC adapter port (strange place to put it too) next to the side cooling vent, the HDMI port, VGA out, 2x USB 2.0 ports, IEEE 1394a (Firewire), PCMCIA Slot, and SmartCard slots.  A major disappointment is the lack of a ExpressCard slot.  A few 15.4” machines have both an EC and PCMCIA slot, so why can a 17” not have both?  One EC slot is available via the HP Advanced Docking Station (not reviewed) which costs an additional $229 USD, but this slot should really be included with the notebook and not require a separate purchase.  Seriously, get with the times HP!

8710p bottom, nc8430 top… (view large image)

The front of the notebook features only the 5-in-1 media card reader that is capable of reading the SD, MS, MS-Pro, MMC, and XD card formats.  Also, to each side you can see the notebook’s speakers.

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Here, we see the audio-in jack, headphone jack, 4x USB 2.0 ports (!), DVD+/-RW drive, Modem phone port, and 10/100/1000 (GigE) network Ethernet port.

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The back features only the lonely rear cooling vent and battery.

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On the bottom are mostly access panels to the HDD, BT Card, and one RAM slot (the other being accessible by removing the keyboard).  But here are also the docking connector and secondary battery bay port.

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Additionally, the 8710p also features an integrated microphone that is held within the LCD bezel.  It is in a very good location, and the microphone has ‘holes’ on BOTH sides of the bezel to maximize the recording ability.  Testing indicated that this microphone would be useful for recording small business meetings and as a microphone for IP communications, but probably isn’t very effective for larger meeting rooms (20-30 people) nor for lecture halls.

The 8710p features the Intel 4965 WiFi card that supports a/b/g networks; it does not support draft-n networking, but upgrade options should be available.  I recommend waiting until the final 802.11n spec is ratified.  During my usage of several WiFi networks, there were no issues with the WiFi card and it worked as expected.  The notebook is also equipped with Bluetooth, but I have no devices to test it with so I’ll have to assume it is working fine.

The battery life on the 8710p was definitely surprising.  During my stress test of the battery life the notebook was set to the ‘Always ON’ power profile (with maximum CPU clock) and the LCD brightness at maximum.  While running my battery test the notebook was constantly playing music, ripping an ISO of my Oblivion game CD (just to keep the drive active mind you), and downloading the F.E.A.R. Combat installer (1.77GB!).  What is more is that once the battery life reached 40% remaining, I turned off PowerMizer so that the GPU was running at maximum Core and Memory clocks.

The notebook lasted a total time of 2 hours and 15 minutes, with all this going on.  All-in-all, after testing the battery several times under a few scenarios one should expect the roughly the following battery lives under an average workload:

• Always ON, WiFi/BT ON, Max Brightness, Lowest GPU Clocks: 2 hours 45 minutes
• Always ON, WiFi/BT ON, Max Brightness, Highest GPU Clocks: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Maximum Battery, WiFi/BT Mostly OFF, Min Brightness, Lowest GPU Clocks: 4 hours 15 minutes

Options for secondary batteries are available as well at HP.com, so in theory the battery life could be doubled or more with the right batteries!  My initial testing with the secondary 8-cell travel battery indicated the laptop should easily be able to attain about 6 hours and 30 minutes when using the standard and travel batteries at the same time.

Operating System and Software

The 8710p comes equipped with Vista Business as the OS of choice, but there are options for XP Pro on various models of the laptop.

There was little to no bloatware, but the system does come with a few preinstalled applications.  As far as junkware goes the notebook had Norton 2007, the HP ProtectTools Suite, and a few Google applications preinstalled on the system.  Some useful applications included were PDFComplete, WinDVD, and the basic Sonic MyDVD v9.0 program.  Some of these applications are installed by default, while others can be installed by finding the executable from within the C:/SwSetup directory.  HP used to ship their computers with the full version Sonic MyDVD program, so shame on them.

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When a new 8710p boots up for the first time, the HP software setup utility asks you if you want to install either the 32bit or 64bit version of Vista Business.  Choices are very good, and having the option to choose your bit-ness without having to pay for another Vista license is definitely appreciated.  For the record, I choose Vista Business x64…but I will not be using Vista until it is a stable OS with little to no problems (read below).

Personally, I do not like Vista.  I am one of the users that encountered so many problems with the OS that I avoid it no matter what for the time being.  So I installed a fresh copy of XP Pro on the system and installed Norton 2008 (much better than 2007), Foxit Reader Pro, WinDVD, and the full version of MyDVD v7.0 on the system.

The notebook also comes equipped with an HP Backup and Recovery Utility that allows you to create your own backup discs and do regular backups of the OS and data.  Personally, I prefer Acronis but it is nice that something came shipped with the system.

Customer Support

During my time with my previous notebook, HP Customer Service and Technical Support were almost always professional and pleasant to deal with.  Parts were always sent out quickly to fix my ailing nc8430, but in my experience the technicians HP send are of mixed quality.  Many technicians are great, but others actually make the problem worse.  I’m not kidding: the 2^nd to last technician was only instructed to replace my LCD but somehow managed to break the motherboard of my nc8430 and leave several screws lying out on the table after the notebook was assembled.

Lesson learned: if you are not comfortable with a particular technician, tell that person (politely) that you do not want them working on your laptop and that you will contact HP to reschedule.  It may sound rude, but it is your laptop and not theirs.  I also encourage users to purchase a warranty that has ‘at-home’ or ‘on-site’ support so that you can personally supervise any repairs to ensure your satisfaction.

The refurbished replacement motherboard that was sent out for the nc8430 did not have functional Bluetooth and the keyboard/touchstick did not work properly either.  Several USB ports did not work either.  Given that the motherboard also had old thermal paste still on it and it was not cleaned at all, I was not happy.  However, all but one of my replacement screens and all but two of my replacement optical drives were of excellent quality.  Refurb replacement parts are hit-and-miss with HP, so do not be afraid to ask for another replacement part if you are unhappy with what you received.

Anyway, I will have to say that at least HP backs their lemon policy in their warranty.  After so many repairs on the nc8430, they were very willing to just replace the laptop.  It only took about 14 days to have a replacement in my hands after my replacement request was made.  So even if you get a bad technician, or a bad replacement part, you can count on HP’s replacement policy if they really screw up.  Overall, I think I just had bad luck with my old unit.

I must stress however that dealing with HP employees on the phone and chat lines have almost ALWAYS been a pleasurable experience.  Regardless of if it is a question or a problem, they always seem to be able to help me solve the issue.  They were quick to respond, parts shipped out quickly, and they were always willing to listen to any complaints or suggestions that I had regarding the care of my notebooks.

Conclusion

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At 7.7lbs the 8710p is amongst the lightest of all 17” machines.  It is portable, it is powerful, and it is built to impress.  There is a huge amount of power in this case, yet most of the time the laptop keeps itself fairly cool and quiet.  Given that only SLI DX10 notebooks will be more powerful than the NVS 320M/8700GT, the notebook packs quite a gaming punch as well.  Definitely a nice notebook and I would say it is a steal at the price point this is listed for.

Despite the problems with my old notebook, I still stick by HP and their ability to deliver some excellent products and to stand behind their products if severe problems crop up.  This notebook is no exception.

Pros

• Strong, business class frame.
• Latest CPUs available, strongest DX10 card currently available.  Overall great gaming performance.
• LCD frame stronger than previous generation.
• Hard drive shock protection.
• Incredible screen, way above average horizontal and vertical viewing angles, excellent brightness and control.
• Above average speakers, better keyboard that I thought it would have been.
• Improved cooling design.
• Large array of ports available, including 6 USB ports!
• Surprisingly long battery life.

Cons

• LCD screen was slightly mis-aligned, easily fixed though.
• Hard drive sometimes runs just a little warm.
• Fan is occasionally loud, only during intensive applications.
• 4 USB ports are bunched together right in front of the DVD drive.

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Those viewing angles are quite amazing !!

 

Awesome review! Great detail Couple of people I work with in IT at my University have the smaller 15.4" sibling and they love it just as well.

 

Great notebook! I can see why HP is on a roll these days with notebook computers.

 

Greg: the one I can afford has the anti-glare WXGA+ option only and stepping up is just too expensive.
Do you think that the $1500 pre-configured model with anti-glare WXGA+ (hope it's LG) can match the quality of your screen (glossy WSXGA+)?

 

is Anti-Glare screen more expensive?

 

Anti-Glare is I think a fancier name for matte, anyone correct me if I'm wrong.
I would like a glossy myself but it's not in my price range.

 

see, yeah its a preference... (i prefer matte screen over) glossy is really hard to see for me..
btw.. about the budget, is it $1500 USD? is really bargaining. cos..here this model is very expensive.. ~2600 USD (converted)..

 

I wouldn't mind a matte screen although I prefer glossy. But I'm afraid the matte might not be LG.

 

Awesome review Greg. This is, IMO, the best 17" laptop on the market right now.

 

Well...there's also the Sager 5791 & HP 8710W .

 

An excellent review and those vertical viewing angles are the best I have seen.

John

 

Wow! This review is one of the best, most well-written reviews I have ever seen on NBR! I just love how detailed and in-depth the review is, along with how critical the review can get sometimes, which is good. Yet no matter how critical the reviews try to be, it appears that the HP Compaq 8710 series will always pass with flying colors.

That kind of performance with that kind of battery life... WOW. The build quality, AMAZING. The look... It's not for everyone, but I'm personally a big fan of the understated black/charcoal gray style of the HP Compaq business notebooks.

I was surprised to see just how much bigger the 8710p was over the nc8430, though. Maybe when I'm ready to get a new notebook, I'll stick to a 15.4". But if I had to choose a 17" model right now, it would be the HP Compaq 8710 series notebook (not sure whether to get the p or the w version, though).

 

Anyone know where i could get the HP wallpaper in the first pic?
google gets me the older HP wallpapers.

thanks in advance.

 

Tell me about it! Now, don't forget there is some color discoloration though...but it is still very useable.

You mean the 8510w? I reviewed that one as well, here:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3862

Yeah, sometimes they're good and other times they aren't . I was definitely lucky to have received this one rather than continue to fight with my nc8430, but then again I did have to get a little 'firm' with a tech and a manager before they forwarded me to customer service for the replacement . But I think everyone at HP agreed it was time to replace my nc8430 after I told them all that happed

It is possible, but it really depends on who makes it. I honestly have no idea who sources that panel.

Well, in a sense it is because the only model that has the matte WSXGA+ is the $2799 version. BUT, the WXGA+ matte screen is available on both $1499 models.

Yes, matte = anti-glare. The glossy screen is listed as the 'BrightView' screen and is available starting at $1999 on the RM253UA (this model). Which, by the way, the price was lowered from $2179 to $1999 now. Makes this even sweeter.

Yes, all my prices are listed in $USD.

Sorry, but I don't know about that. HP might though if you call them.

Well, it is certainly the lightest I know of...and the thinnest. Not sure about the price though, but in any event I think the 'portability' and power is worth it.

Funny you say that. The 8710w is the same as the 8710p; the only difference is the GPU which has different info stored in the BIOS. Gaming wise, they are equivalent.

Oh, and Chaz reviewed our 8710w here:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3864

Comments about the 8710w will apply to this notebook as well.

Thanks to everyone who likes the review!

Blush...

The battery life is definitely good, but don't expect to game with that life . The GPU underclocks itself to save on life. I'll have to look up the clocks later tonight.

Ask, and ye shall receive ...
Actually, you receive three times what you ask for!

Just FYI, but the PDF file is actually a JPEG.
Change the file extension to get the picture.

 

Ordered 8710w last night, but I guess I should cancel and buy 8710p instead. Gonna use it for gaming, and I guess it's not worth paying that much more for a quicker HDD and a bit better processor? Would it even be noticeable?

From the benchmarks on notebookcheck.net the graphic cards seems pretty similar, but this one seems to score better in 3dmark6

Thanks

 

Yeah, the cards are basically the same. I'm 100% positive of it.

You won't notice a difference because of the 'slower' processor, and the slower HDD will only slightly affect loading times of games.

Oh, and the reason notebookcheck's review has a lower 3dMark score is because the screen resolution is so high (WUXGA) that the benchmark runs at the next highest possible setting for 3dMark. So the score was less. If they had the WSXGA+ screen, or I had the WUXGA screen...our scores would be pretty close.

 

Much appreciated sir!

 

The Macbook Pro 17" is thinner and lighter (1" thick and 5.4 lbs), but it only comes with an 8600M GT rather than the 8700M GT. Of course, it also has an option of the Intel Extreme x7800, so I guess it depends on what you need more.

Of course, when you look at price, things begin to change. There certainly aren't any $1499 or even $1999 versions of the 17" MBP.

 

What is the difference between the 320M in the 8710p and the FX1500M in the 8710w?

 

NVS is more geared towards professional 2D applications, while Quadros are optimized and certified for professional 3D applications. Read more here

 

Also, I'm pretty sure the 8710w uses the Quadro FX 1600M, not the 1500M. The 1500M was used in the previous nw9440 and was based off the GeForce 7900GS card.

 

Great review, though only 24fps in NFS Most Wanted? Which I play at 1920x1200 all details maxed 8xAF, no AA and I average 30 fps on my 7800GTX.

 

That's likely because of the 128bit bus. It's starved for more memory bandwith. OC it to hell and you'll get better results at higher resolutions (it OC's well).

 

Greg, the 8710W does have it's advantage after all: WUXGA screen. That's the real difference.

 

Very good review. It seems that HP uses the same notebook casing for many notebooks. This looks the same as my nx9420. But inside this machine rocks. Nice review.

Cheers,

Ivan

 

Hi Greg

I agree with most everyone else -- this is an excellent review! I'm trying to decide between the 8710p and 8710w, and battery life is the main driver behind my decision. It looks like from reading the other review for the 8710w, battery life is significantly less (because it was tested on minimized settings apparently). Can anybody verify if battery life on the 8710w is less, maybe by doing a similar intense battery test that Greg did?

Anyway, thanks for a thorough review!

Rayt

 

The 8710W that was tested there had the WUXGA screen and this may be the reason for the battery life difference.

 

Just curious if there are directions for the screen hinge hotfix anywhere (e.g. on the HP site)? I think my 8510p hinges might be a tad loose, and would like to tighten them up!

 

You could also send it to the depot (or if you have on-site warranty get someone from HP to do it).

 

They're basically the same card, but the drivers are optimized for different things. That's all. GeForce is optimized for power and DirectX/OpenGL games, Quadro NVS optimized for stability at the (slight) cost to power, and Quadro FX optimized for professional industrial applications.

Confirmed, the 8710w uses the FX1600...which is also based on the 8700GT.

Don't forget though, I had AA on to a degree. Since I did not use any hacks to up the resolution, I instead upped the settings until I maximized the eye-candy while maintaining enough frames per second.

AA was at 50%, which I assume either means 4x or 8x as far as NFS goes.

If you'd guide me to a hack that does 1920x1200 I'd be happy to test it at your settings (using an external WUXGA monitor of course) to give you a good measure. Don't forget that this laptop does really well with many other games, including Crysis (I tested the game, but I didn't have results until after I submitted the review).

The 128bit is also 'dual-rank', which some of the moderators (myself included) think that is something akin to the basic concept behind dual-channel DDR and DDR2 RAM. Back in the old days, having dual-channel RAM definitely improved performance...and I suspect a similar phenomenon with this card.

There is no single hot fix, but I can tell you what to do:
1) Flip the notebook over
2) Remove battery, remove 3 or 4 screws under the battery.
3) Flip open again, open the notebook to 180 degrees (all flat that is).
4) Gently pry off the top bezel part above the keyboard (the one with the power button and all), recommended to use a very small flathead screw driver. There are some 'clasps' that open as you pull the thing off, so you will hear a few pops.
5) Now with the cover off, you'll see either 2 or 4 screws (I think 4) anchoring the bezel down. Tighten until you reach the desired firmness of the screen.

If you really are not sure what you are doing, find your Maintenance and Service Guide and HP and look up how to change the LCD screen. Follow about the first 1/2 of that guide to get to the screws you need (which will be the same steps I outlined).

 

impressive review for an impressive notebook! sensational

 

Thank you Greg! Excellent Review! Enjoyed it very much!

I liked how you took pictures of the viewing angles, than rather just describing, many just don't take enough pictures . So thank you for the bountiful amount of pictures.

I like your analysis of the noise and heat, and thumbs up to HP Compaq for separating the GPU and CPU to improve cooling. I am surprised that this laptop only needs 1 FAN, and it is using the latest Nvidia graphics, and is quite powerful!

Who wouldn't be impressed with that battery life! Simply amazing! I still believe this battery life was achieved due to excellent cooling solution. This laptop appears to have decent temperature while idle and doing light tasks, but even in gaming your temperature are lower than most, if not all ASUS laptops.

I don't see how the hard drive is a cons, being a little warm, 35 degrees is very good, look at those temps for the Asus G1, they are hot.

Yah i do see how the 4 USB ports clustered like that is a problem, oh well, hehe.

I like how this laptop has HDMI, making this notebook an all round notebook, can be used for multi-media, presentations, business (work - dark colour chassis), and gaming with that excellent video card. Plus if any student willing to use a 17" notebook for school purposes, the battery life is excellent!

The only con not listed, but stated in the review is the lack of the express card.

In my opinion, all we need to see is a 15.4" version of this laptop, that performs just as well, and man everyone would be jumping for it.

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

There is, it's called the 8510p/w.

 

I often forget about that slot, but yes that is a little bit of a con. The only other thing I just discovered, but very very few will care about, is that there is no serial port on the notebook (my old nc8430 had one). I use that port regularly but most will not.

However, there are options to get a serial port and an ExpressCard slot in the docking station solutions.

 

Nice review! I see you also noticed/were annoyed by the USB ports bunched around the DVD drive and the extra fan noise under load. Seeing your benchmarks makes me jealous though! I still kind of wish the 8510p came with the 8600 GT GDDR3 but ah well Sooner or later we'll crack HP and o/c the HD 2600...

Edit: Hey Greg, does your fan stay on all the time?

 

No (regarding the fan), but don't forget the HP business machines have an option in BIOS to force the fan to always stay on when plugged in.

 

Yeah...that was the first thing I checked when I noticed my fan is always on. It's disabled I did some googling and apparently this issue was a problem with some nc8430s that HP never resolved. It looks to have carried over to the next gen models.

 

I think the problem was related to two incidents I heard about, both of which I experienced:

1) When plugged in, the processor does not go into as low of a power save mode. HP did this because of a recommendation from Intel, supposedly.
2) Also, if an external monitor is plugged in the ATI X1600 in the nc8430 did not underclock as much. I don't know if our nVidia equipped notebooks do the same thing.

 

Nod. I've fiddled around with the power settings in Vista and I never really noticed my CPU clocking down either. Maybe that's how I avoid the C2D whine? I dunno.

 

One question I have regarding blu-ray videos is video quality on a WSXGA+ screen. Is it just a sharp as on a WUXGA screen? Has anyone had experience viewing on both type screens, and can you actually tell the difference?

Thanks!
Rayt

 

Greag, do you have any chance to compare 8710p's screen to the MBP one? I am wondering what is the best laptop screen on the market.

 

I have some question
I think am going to buy a 8710p but i also still think about a toshiba x200/205

1. One thing i hated with my current Hp zd7000 was the low light it emitted compared to my 7 years old stationary monitor Philips 150P "15" TFT Flatscreen.
I mean i put the hp zd7000 side by side and the philips one shine as a sun.
(yea i know i shouldnt compare stationary with laptop screen but i dont want it too dim)

So the question is: Do the Compaq 8710p shine brighter than Hp zd7000?
And what Screen option should i choose to have a Bright screen
i know can choose screen quality with personal configuration upon buying
I dont want a screen that is so low in brightness as the Zd7000.
(the one i had with zd7000 was gloss not sure if that is dimmer)

2. If i go for Compaq 8710p for games over Toshiba X200
should i install drivers to convert graphic card to work as a 8700
or is it not so much difference?
i believe the most graphic game i be playing is Gta sa and Halo
and some other more unknown games (rig n roll and Ms train sim 2)

3. is a 8600 DDR3 graphic card better for games
than the 8700-alike card that comes with 8710p the "NVS320M " ?
if so what other laptop is better than 8710p but has a 17screen and a numeric keypad (preferable of the brands Toshiba or HP/compaq)
i probaly have dificult getting it but i can always atempt

4. Is it realy worth it to get the 4gb upon buying 8710p
i mean i have never used 64-bit but remember the usual fuzz of incompatible
drivers for 64.
what is the difference of 32-bit and 64-bit anyway
is it double as the number say or just slightly improved and unstable?
i dont want unstable machine.

5. Should i go for matte screen over glossy
i mean with zd7000 i hit the brightness button to max always
and wanted it to go higher but it didnt
is the quality better in matte screen ?
I realy loved the brightness of 7 years old TFT screen over the glossy
that came with zd7000 because of brightness

6. Does p8710 get hotter or as hot as zd7000 or is it much betteR?
I hated zd7000 got so hot the keys was like an owen

Ok... hope you can answer this question
i am most worried about the "gaming" (since people keep teeling me 8710p is not a gaming laptop) and about the Screen brightness (too low on zd7000)

 

I just want to thank Greg for a sensational review. I read up on the 8710p and while a couple of other reviews give similar conclusions, I really appreciated the indepth review. It definitely made a difference in the final decision I made to go with a 8710p. The pictures you took were great too.

I'm a newbie at games and still don't know much about computer technology. However, reading some threads Google found for me, I learned some important things reading threads here as I was trying to learn enough to make a good decision with respect to my new laptop. So thanks to all those who helped me without knowing it too!

 

just a reminder to the mods that this isnt in the review section of the site. should be there.

 

Thanks for the review Greg. Great write up.

Now it has confused me choosing either that model or DV9500T.

Why should I choose this model over DV9500T? I know the video card is better but by how much? And is there anything else better about this notebook?

Thanks!

 

I've seen 17" screens with both resolutions, and personally think the difference is minimal with video play. HD video will scale down a little bit and will be effectively 1050i/p (down from 1080i/p) which is not a big deal.

My local Best Buy has some Apple notebooks now...if I find the time over the next week or so I'll try to report back...but no guarantees as I've got a lot to do right now.

Strange you mention it...I owned the zd7000...about 2.5 years ago. This might be slightly inaccurate since it has been a while, but if memory serves me correctly the 8710p is either the same brightness or better to my eyes. But hands down the 8710p is a better (and sharper) LCD.

As noted in my review there really is no difference performance wise between the two. If you have problems, then switch to the other type of driver. But either way you really cannot go wrong. Right now, I'm using GeForce drivers that are tweaked for Crysis (which the notebook does quite well with!).

Any 8600 card is going to fall to any 8700 card. Seriously!

There is a link in the review to Dreamer's list of 8x00 equivalent cards that you should read. Performance differences between those cards and their GeForce equivalents are not noticeable at all.

4GB for Vista is definitely worth it as games use a LOT of RAM. 2GB is okay for XP, but I'd still recommend 4GB for power-users (you'll only get about 3GB but it is still worth it).

Plus, if you read the RAM Deals thread you'll see 4GB is quite inexpensive now!

Given my personal experience, I'd recommend the glossy screen (which is surprising as I usually prefer matte). The screen specs make it sound like it is dim, but the glossy screen is actually quite bright. It was definitely brighter than my nc8430's matte screen and I think their specs listed the same 'nit' rating. Glossy definitely impacts brightness I think.

Again, from personal experience: the 8710p is definitely cooler. The zd7000 has a egg-roasting P4, and the Core 2 processors are SOOOO much better than that! The GPU is more power efficient too, and HP has definitely learned a lot about making cooler notebooks in the last year or two.

It isn't "meant" for gaming because it is a Quadro GPU...but those people need to realize that this card is equivalent (indeed...identical) to a GDDR3 8700GT graphics card. Ready for Oblivion, Crysis, everything! If they still have questions, point them to the gaming section of this very review.

Glad you liked the review, and I hope you like the notebook as much as I have!

The GPU in the 9500 is the 8600GS if I remember correctly. I'm ESTIMATING that the 8710p's 8700GT will probably be at least 50-75% faster than the 9500. But I could be wrong as I have never actually used a 8600GS.

Other than just the GPU: 8710p is built with better materials, has business level support rather than the consumer support, and warranty service seems to be much better. Screen is as good or better, and you can also get XP with the 8710p. Granted, you can install XP on a 9500...but you have to buy that extra license.

 

Thanks Greg.

Only thing I am noticing is that the unit is not so low priced. Can anyone help me to somewhere which sells this unit cheap with decent specs? I am from Australia but will import if its a global warranty.

You wouldnt want to sell your unit, would you Greg?

My other gripe with this unit is the absence of express card slot, which would of been handy for wimax or 802.11n upgrades (I think).

I will be chucking my Seagate 7200rpm as it has my XP on it, I dont wish to use Vista. dv9500t doesnt work with XP I think also?

The unit looks nicer than the dv9500t.

 

I had the chance to check out an australian model in the shops here today of this model.

I noticed that there is no mouse in the middle of the keyboard, the little blue thing. Anyone know why this may of taken out for our version?

 

The preconfigured models don't have the trackpoint in Australia.
You should either get an 8710w or configure a unit with one. You can customise a unit, just quote the product number "RL886AV", which is for "HP IDS 8710P BASE NB PC".