HP Pavilion dv5z Review

the models we have both have the ATI 3200 IGP in them, so now i really cant tell. i'm looking at buying the Intel version myself, so i was really just looking at the case.

 

If it turns out that this laptop is not capable of Hybrid CrossFireX, it will be a great disappointment. And HP will have really dropped the ball - for themselves and (especially) for AMD.

I have one on the way, but if I cannot get it to perform with Hybrid CrossfireX, I will most likely be returning it and eagerly await some laptops that can make full use of AMD's Puma capabilities.

 

If it isnt capable of performing Crossfire then is it really necessary to upgrade to the 3450? Im hearing the 3200 is on the level with the 8400m gs.

 

what program did you play the DVD on, and was it included with your system?
thanks!

 

IMO, there had better be a way to enable crossfire. Because the 3450 alone doesn't sound terribly appetizing considering the extra hundred dollars it costs to get it, but it's certainly more tolerable if you can enjoy the added boost that comes with crossfire. It would be a huge waste to let that pretty IGP go to waste.

 

I used the HP QuickPlay software that came installed on the dv5z ... though I probably could have used Vista's Windows Media Center.

 

"During our tests, we were only able to get Hybrid CrossFire to work using ATI's Catalyst 8.1 driver. The more recent Catalyst 8.2 does not recognize the system's CrossFire capability." For those interested, this might be an explanation of why some laptops arent Crossfire ready. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-780g-chipset,1785-2.html

 

will the intel version of this laptop use the Nvidia Hybrid SLI?

 

That's interesting because I didn't think Hybrid CrossfireX was supported until Catalyst 8.3:

"As of Catalyst™ 8.3 Hybrid Graphics has been supported on the ATI Radeon™ HD 2400 Series and ATI Radeon™ HD 3400 Series for the Windows Vista operating system. Hybrid Graphics delivers a significant 3D performance boost for systems featuring an AMD 780G Hybrid CrossFire™ compatible integrated graphics motherboard and an ATI Radeon™ HD 2400 Series or ATI Radeon™ HD 3400 Series graphics accelerator. This provides support for up to four independent displays." -ATI's Catalyst release notes

We are at Catalyst 8.6 as of this writing.

 

sad that we still can't figure out if the x-fire works or not. seems like such a great machine...


fully blown dv5z for sale in canada (not on HP website) but at futureshop.ca

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10108006&logon=&langid=EN

bojan

 

I just saw that model at futureshop today... and i really like the design/build quality. It feels solid and not at all cheap (like the toshiba a300... ugh!). Also seems fingerprints won't be much of an issue on the interior as it was all silver/chrome, though of course the exterior will be a problem.

The salesguy wasn't much help. I asked him if other new HP dv5s (including the intel versions) would be available at Futureshop soon and he had no clue.

 

What is x-fire? If you mean CrossfireX, then say CrossfireX. That way you won't confuse other users who peruse the forum who then continue to pass along incorrect information.

 

xfire is an instant messaging client that allows gamers to talk to eachother while inside a game without alt tabbing. other features include automatic game updates, and VOIP. this obviously isnt what he was referring to, but in case you want to know more (it's pretty slick)
www.xfire.com

and, of course, xfire will run just fine on the dv5z. heh.

 

Very cool. I hadn't heard of it before. I'll definitely check it out. Thanks!

 

lool ok, sorry to everyone that got confused..

crossfirex it is

 

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10108006&logon=&langid=EN

This one weights 2.79 kg which is 6.15lbs!

-

Also, you are making a custom laptop from HP.com, do you need to upgrade the video card to 3450 in order to get HDMI?

 

That's a dead link for me; anyone able to see it?

 

Dead for me as well. There are actual dots in the middle of the url Instead of the hidden part of the url.

 

I think I fixed it (I copied the URL from a quote before).

I also have another question...is it important to get a higher resolution screen (1280 x 800 vs 1680 x 1050)? I am going to be watching movies...

 

That's a matter of personal preference. The larger resolution will yield more effective screen real estate at the expense of the size of objects. If you can easily discern smaller icons, text, etc, then go for the larger resolution (you can always adjust the DPI in the display properties, anyway). For movies, I doubt you'll notice much of a difference.

 

1680*1050 is close to 1080 horizontal lines, which is almost Full HD. 1280*800 is HD Ready resolution.

So if you are planning on watc
hing Bluray/HD movies it makes sense.

You will need to sit close though and pay attention to notice the difference.

 

Any update on the CrossfireX situation?

 

Full HD in height, but certainly not width. I'd still go for the higher resolution, but its not really that close to full hd res (thats 1920x1080, with 1920x1200 screens fitting HD with small black bars on top and bottom).

The videos will need to scale down to fit the screen res in either case (WXGA or WSXGA+), so I'd go for the higher res to lose less video quality due to less compression needed to fit the video to the screen.

 

First of all, very helpful review Jerry, thank you.

I'm going to be a freshman in college this fall and I've been looking around for a cheap, but decent laptop for the past month or so and I think this is the one I'm going to go with but I had a few simple questions...

First, is the processor going to make a noticeable difference? I'm not planning on playing any hardcore games or using any demanding program. On HP's site they offer
AMD Athlon(TM) X2 Dual-Core Processor for Notebook PCs QL-60 (1.9GHz)
AMD Turion(TM) X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor RM-70 (2.0GHz)
AMD Turion(TM) X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-80 (2.1 GHz)
AMD Turion(TM) X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-82 (2.2GHz)
Would any of these be beneficial considering the increase in cost?

On the monitor/screens, what is the difference between the BrightView Widescreen Display and the BrightView Infinity Widescreen Display?

Would it be smart to spend the extra $50 to upgrade to 3gb of ram from the standard 2 gbs?

Does the "High Capacity" 6-Cell Battery bulge out of the frame like many of the 12-Cell ones do?

Lastly,
Is the fingerprint reader actually effective yet practical? I have a feeling that it would be much more annoying that it would be useful.

Thanks again.

 

CPU will not really make a difference, but a good rule of thumb is to go for the lowest end of the highest end, if your budget can handle it. In this case, the ZM-80.

The Infinity adds a panel of thin, chemically hardened glass over the whole screen/bezel combination, so it will be completely flat (no panel gap between the screen and bezel) and will look absolutely brilliant. However, there will be a lot of glare on the screen due to the glossiness of the glass panel. Considering its free, and will not allow dust into the notebook from the screen, I'd go for it.

2GB should be enough for most uses, and 3GB is the max that Windows 32bit can address. It really depends on your budget, but personally I would go for it.

The high capacity 6 cell will not bulge out, and is probably a must have option, considering the rather poor battery life of the notebook on the standard 6 cell.

FP readers I have found are rather gimmicky items that are not worth the hassle, but some people really like the convenience of them. It certainly wouldn't hurt to get it, since you don't need to use it, but its not in my opinion an option that really adds any value to the notebook.

Good luck in university.

 

It looks like Redline already answered your question, but I'll chime in. The processor choice here will make little practical/real world difference, but I would recommend the ZM-80 because it is the cheapest of the "current generation" processors.

The "Infinity" screens use an additional glossy layer over (in front of) the actual display. This looks cool and helps with contrast a bit but also magnifies reflections and creates reflections on a separate focal plane in front of the actual screen. If you are sensitive to headaches caused by close focus this is a problem because your eyes will naturally "jump" back and forth from focusing in the images being projected on the display and the reflections on the glossy protective surface in front of the display.

Many people don't have problems with screens like this, but at least two of our editorial staff members get SEVERE headaches from using screens like the "Infinity" screens I just described. HP isn't the only notebook manufacturer that is using these new screens with a second glossy protective layer in front of the actual display: Lenovo and Dell are also doing this with some new notebooks, and we'll probably see even more companies offering these screens because some marketing moron thinks "consumers like shiny things."

If you don't get headaches from displays that have the second glossy protective layer in front of the screen then these screens are fine, but if you are sensitive to reflections these types of screens are the worst! I suggest you go to a brick and mortar store to see these screens for yourself before you buy, or chose the non-Infinity version of the screen.

RAM is up to you. I prefer to put as much RAM in my computers as possible. That said, I usually buy my RAM from Crucial.com or NewEgg.com since it's cheaper.

We didn't get a high-capacity battery so I can't say for sure, but I suspect the 6-cell high capacity is the same physical size as the regular 6-cell battery ... it just has higher rated cells inside.

Some people love fingerprint readers (particularly IT managers who are responsible for securing company data on laptops) but I personally find it easier to just type in my password than to use the fingerprint reader. It's totally a matter of personal preference.

 

Man, there's only 3 things keeping me from buying this outright.
Lack of firewire, mediocre battery and HP bloatware (in that order of importance). Otherwise, I must say I'm impressed with the 3200, and it would be perfect for me.

 

I've been looking at the HP/Compaq 6735b instead. It's got all the right *options* but unfortunately, it only comes preconfigured and none of the available packages has the set of options I want.

 

Are both of the memory modules located under that access panel in the back or is one of them located under the keyboard?

I was looking to buy it and then upgrade the RAM later on if I felt like it, but some people say that one of the modules may be located under the keyboard is is extremely annoying to replace.

 

Both are located underneath the laptop and can be accessed through the door/bay. This pic shows the RAM slots(you can see the seond slot in the backgrpund) clearly...
http://www.notebookreview.com/picture.asp?f=34694

 

Ok, thank you very much for answering my question. I wasn't 100% that was the second RAM slot, or if that was just another card (ie wireless) that was sitting under it.

So I would be able to take out both sticks and replace them both if needed/wanted?

 

Yes, here's the service manual(just the memory upgrade part) explaining the upgrade process...
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01493673.pdf

 

Yes, I've read that already. It didn't mention the second one being under it either, which kind of made me a little more confused. I imagine removing the second stick is the same as removing the first?

 

Yeah, they are just stacked on top of each other.

 

Ok. Someone earlier said that the 3450 and 3200's almost perform at equally. Is it even worth it to spend the $100 to upgrade? Is Hybrid Crossfire enabled on it? Becuase if it is, then that would be great!

 

I have a DV5Z but don't have the HD3450 but from what I understand teh Hybrid crossfire does not work.

 

That stinks that the Hybrid Crossfire doesn't work. HP really didn't do a good job taking full advantage of the Puma platform. Any idea whether the HD3450 is worth paying $100 extra for?

 

No it is not worth getting the HD3450 unless someone can confirm CrossfireX can be enabled...

 

Ok, thanks.

 

I purchased this laptop from HP, CTO. It did have an active Firewire port.

 

Any word on the Crossfire?

 

No. I'm thinking if HP had intended to support it, then they would have marketed the laptop as being capable of such.

 

Where is the port? Looking at the photos in this review, there's none on the chassis.

 

The one they got may have been a review sample; I don't know. What I do know is that I had firewire in my Dv5z. It was under the left wrist rest, next to the expresscard port.

 

That's great news and I hope that other users get that feature as well. It didn't make any sense why our notebook didn't have it when the dv5t does ... and that's the same notebook just with an Intel processor and either Intel or NVIDIA graphics.

 

I just bought the notebook and so far really like it (after 3 hours of poking around ). In the beginning I was skeptical about its design, preferring the older models, but this one quickly won me over.

the HD3200 is definitely very good but the screen and overall feel of the notebook are just incredible.

thanks for the review! it really helped make my decision. I haven't had a problem with the battery life (should take me to 3 hours i reckon) but maybe thats a processor thing...I'm running the Athlon. This turns out to be the only negative of my system I think. Not sure if it makes a huge difference or if it generates extra heat but I wish I'd gone with a Turion. All in all a good system and well worth the price.

 

Jerry, can you confirm through your contacts that it does indeed have a firewire port, and maybe update the review?
Checking the specs at hp.com, it says:

So no mention of firewire anywhere.

I wonder if that's the ESata port.
EDIT: Looking at the pic on the review, that does look like a firewire port.

 

look at the review picture that has the express card spot - and then look right next to it. You can clearly see where the firewire port is supposed to be on the model, so it looks it should come with the laptop. Maybe it only comes if the laptop is upgraded to the 3450?

 

Does anyone know if DV5t with Intel Core 2 Duo has a better battery life?

 

I just recently read a dv5t review, stating that they got well over three
hours during their battery life tests. This is definitely better than the
results posted on this site for the dv5z.

Rob