HP Pavilion dv6700t Review

by Jerry Jackson

The HP Pavilion dv6700t replaces the dv6500t as HP's newest 15.4" consumer notebook offering cutting edge design and performance in a mobile package. With Intel Core 2 Duo processors, available LightScribe optical drive, available nVidia dedicated graphics, and a stylish yet tough design, the dv6700t might still be one of the best 15-inch notebooks on the market. Let's take a closer look.

The HP Pavilion dv6700t (starting at $649.99 after $100 instant savings) is available with a range of Core 2 Duo processors (from the Intel T5450 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo up to the T7500 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo). There is only one 15.4" screen offering, a 1280x800 WXGA glossy display.

The version of the dv6700t that we have in our office is actually the dv6780se special edition notebook available exclusively at Best Buy. It features a unique version of HP's Imprint finish called "Clay" which gives this notebook a distinctly different look than the rest of HP's lineup.

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Our review unit of the dv6700t (dv6780se) has the following specifications:

• Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
• Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5450 (1.66GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)
• 15.4" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
• 3GB DDR2 System Memory
• NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS (256MB dedicated memory)
• HP Imprint (Clay) Finish + Webcam + Microphone
• Integrated Altec Lansing stereo speakers
• Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection
• 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
• 12-Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Dimensions (with 12-cell battery, including feet): 14.1" (L) x 10.1" (W) x 0.75" (min H)/2.0" (max H)
• Weight: 6 lb 10 oz (6.625 lb)
• 65W AC adapter

Build and Design

The dv6700t is visually identical to its predecessor the dv6500t, which was virtually identical to the dv6000t ... and with good reason. The design of the dv6000t has been very successful for HP and it is still arguably one of the best designs on the market. By using the same external casing customers get an attractive notebook and HP saves on production costs. As the old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

HP's glossy "Imprint Finish" on the lid and palm rests remains one of the key design features of the dv6700t. HP's "Imprint Finish" isn't just paint, it's actually a complex process that starts with the molding of the plastics. The swirling design and glossy coat on the HP Imprint Finish is actually "inside" the plastic ... it isn't just a top layer that scratches off.

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Our dv6780se features the "Clay" Imprint Finish which looks like a combination of copper and silver. The copper lid is genuinely unique and gives this special edition notebook a steampunk appearance (almost as if it's something straight out of the video game Bioshock). I have to confess that I wasn't a fan of the "Clay" Imprint Finish at first glance: there's just something about the copper lid and silver palmrests that left me feeling unsettled. That said, after using the dv6780se for about an hour I found that the finish grew on me. At this point I'd have to say the dv6780se has one of the best Imprint Finishes we've seen on an HP notebook.

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The dv6700t lid does not have a latch to hold it closed, but the hinge mechanism works well and firmly holds the lid in place. There is almost no flex to the screen.

Performance and Benchmarks

The dv6700t has more than enough performance for a full range of multimedia entertainment needs thanks to the range of Core 2 Duo processors that are available. Even the entry-level 1.66GHz T5450 packs a powerful punch. The included nVidia 8400M GS dedicated graphics card with 256MB of RAM in our review unit provides plenty of power for games and streaming media over the web. While the 3DMark06 benchmark results might not be as impressive as what we saw in the new Dell XPS M1530, the dv6700t still provides more than enough power for average gaming needs.

Additionally, the 250GB hard drive in the dv6780se is more storage than most consumers are likely to need in a laptop. Sure, if you download tons of music, movies, and TV shows then you'll quickly fill the 250GB hard drive in a few months ... but that's what external hard drives are for.

With the basics out of the way, let's jump into the performance benchamrks.

wPrime is a program that forces the processor to do recursive mathematical calculations, the advantage of this program is that it is multi-threaded and can use both processor cores at once, thereby giving more accurate benchmarking measurements than Super Pi.

Notebook / CPU	wPrime 32M time
HP Pavilion dv6700t (Core 2 Duo T5450 @ 1.66GHz)	50.480s
Dell Inspiron 1525 (Core 2 Duo T7250 @ 2.0GHz)	43.569s
Dell XPS M1530 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz)	37.485s
Portable One SXS37 (Core 2 Duo T7250 @ 2.0GHz)	41.908s
Sony VAIO NR (Core 2 Duo T5250 @ 1.5GHz)	58.233s
Toshiba Tecra A9 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz)	38.343s
Toshiba Tecra M9 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz)	37.299s
HP Compaq 6910p (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2GHz)	40.965s
Sony VAIO TZ (Core 2 Duo U7600 @ 1.20GHz)	76.240s
Zepto 6024W (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2GHz)	42.385s
Lenovo T61 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz)	37.705s
Alienware M5750 (Core 2 Duo T7600 @ 2.33GHz)	38.327s
Hewlett Packard DV6000z (Turion X2 TL-60 @ 2.0GHz)	38.720s
Samsung Q70 (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2.0GHz)	42.218s
Acer Travelmate 8204WLMi (Core Duo T2500 @ 2.0GHz)	42.947s
Samsung X60plus (Core 2 Duo T7200 @ 2.0GHz)	44.922s
Zepto Znote 6224W (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2.0GHz)	45.788s
Samsung Q35 (Core 2 Duo T5600 @ 1.83GHz)	46.274s
Samsung R20 (Core Duo T2250 @ 1.73GHz)	47.563s

3DMark06 comparison results for graphics performance:

Notebook	3DMark06 Score
HP Pavilion dv6700t (1.66GHz Intel T5450, Nvidia 8400M GS 256MB)	1,556 3DMarks
Dell Inspiron 1525 (2.0GHz Intel T7250, Intel X3100)	545 3DMarks
Sony VAIO NR (1.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5250, Intel X3100)	504 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1530 (2.20GHz Intel T7500, Nvidia 8600M GT 256MB)	4,332 3DMarks
Dell Inspiron 1520 (2.0GHz Intel T7300, NVIDIA 8600M GT)	2,905 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB)	1,408 3DMarks
Samsung Q70 (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 and nVidia 8400M G GPU)	1,069 3DMarks
Asus F3sv-A1 (Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz, Nvidia 8600M GS 256MB)	2,344 3DMarks
Alienware Area 51 m5550 (2.33GHz Core 2 Duo, nVidia GeForce Go 7600 256MB	2,183 3DMarks
Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 1526 (1.66GHz Core Duo, nVidia 7600Go 256 MB)	2,144 3DMarks
Samsung X60plus (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7200, ATI X1700 256MB)	1,831 3DMarks
Asus A6J (1.83GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB)	1,819 3DMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	827 3DMarks

PCMark05 measures overall notebook performance:

Notebook	PCMark05 Score
HP Pavilion dv6700t (1.66GHz Intel T5450, Nvidia 8400M GS 256MB)	3,386 PCMarks
Dell Inspiron 1525 (2.0GHz Intel T7250, Intel X3100)	4,149 PCMarks
Dell XPS M1530 (2.20GHz Intel T7500, Nvidia 8600M GT 256MB)	5,412 PCMarks
Dell Inspiron 1520 (2.0GHz Intel T7300, NVIDIA 8600M GT)	4,616 PCMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS)	4,591 PCMarks
Sony VAIO NR (1.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5250, Intel X3100)	3,283 PCMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	4,153 PCMarks
Lenovo 3000 V200 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	3,987 PCMarks
Lenovo T60 Widescreen (2.0GHz Intel T7200, ATI X1400 128MB)	4,189 PCMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	4,234 PCMarks
Fujitsu N6410 (1.66GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400)	3,487 PCMarks
Alienware M7700 (AMD Athlon FX-60, Nvidia Go 7800GTX)	5,597 PCMarks
Sony VAIO SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	3,637 PCMarks
Asus V6J (1.86GHz Core Duo T2400, Nvidia Go 7400)	3,646 PCMarks

HDTune results:

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Screen

The 15.4" WXGA glossy screen on the dv6700t isn't ideal for HD video, but it does offer sharp contrast, excellent color, and reasonably even backlighting. Unlike many other 15.4" 1280x800 pixel displays the screen on the dv6700t doesn't suffer from "graininess." Horizontal viewing angles were excellent although vertical viewing angles were only average. The screen itself didn't suffer from ripples, stuck pixels, or any other problems.

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Keyboard, Touchpad and Other Input Buttons

The full-sized keyboard on the dv6700t has almost no flex. The keys have excellent cushion and response and were quiet during use. There are dedicated keys for home, end, page up, and page down. The f-keys also control a range of features (such as raising or lowering screen brightness) when they are pressed in combination with the function key.

One important item of note with the dv6780se version of this notebook is that the keys have a durable coating which makes the keyboard look and feel better when typing. The slight glossy texture of the keys won't develop the typical "shine" that begins to show up on keys after extended use.

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The touchpad is nice and large and features a durable and responsive surface that is also covered in the HP Imprint Finish. The marked vertical scroll section is likewise accurate and responsive. The touchpad buttons have deep feedback and produce quiet, cushioned clicks. One of the nice features found on HP touchpads is the touchpad on/off button. If you press the small button above the touchpad you can disable it ... perfect for people using an external mouse. Although the touchpad is quite nice I would have liked to see the same style of touchpad that HP started using on the tx1000z and HDX notebooks ... perhaps on next year's notebooks?

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HP also includes a Media Center remote that fits inside the notebook's ExpressCard slot. The remote is perfect for controlling movies, music, photo slide shows, and presentations. The dv6700t also features dedicated touch-sensitive media buttons above the keyboard and beneath the speakers. The media buttons make watching DVDs or listening to music files as easy as using a DVD or CD player. These media buttons have blue LED backlights that are always on.

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Input and Output Ports

There is a reasonable selection of ports on the dv6700t including an HDMI out port for connecting the notebook to your HDTV and an expansion port for connection to HP's xb3000 expansion base/docking station. The complete list of ports includes:

• ExpressCard/54 slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
• Three USB 2.0
• HDMI out
• IEEE 1394 Firewire
• Expansion port 3
• TV out (S-video)
• Integrated Consumer IR (remote control receiver)
• 5-in-1 digital media card reader
• microphone in
• RJ-11 (modem)
• RJ-45 (LAN/Ethernet)
• VGA out

Let's take a quick tour around the port offerings of the dv6700t:

Front side: LED status lights, wireless on/off switch, IR receiver, microphone port and dual headphone ports. (view large image)

Back side: Nothing here but hinges and a heat vent. (view large image)

Left side: Lock slot, S-video out, VGA out, expansion port 3, Ethernet, modem, HDMI, two USB 2.0 ports, Firewire, and 5-in-1 card reader. ( view large image)

Right side: ExpressCard slot (with included media remote), optical drive, USB, and DC power jack. (view large image)

Although it's somewhat sad to see there are only three USB ports on the dv6700t you do get an HDMI port and docking station expansion port which are two ports you don't often find on 15.4" notebooks from other manufacturers. If you configure the dv6700t with integrated Intel graphics you will get a fourth USB port instead of the HDMI port.

Audio

The Altec Lansing stereo speakers located above the keyboard are quite impressive. While the built-in speakers didn't produce as much range as notebooks that are also equipped with a subwoofer, the speakers did have impressive clarity and loudness with excellent highs and midtones. The dv6700t also features dual headphone jacks located on the front side so that you and a partner can listen to movies or music on a plane. Although it's nice to have the headphone jacks located at the front it is a less than ideal location for people who like to plug in external speakers.

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Heat and Noise

The dv6700t runs extremely quiet but not particularly cool. The fan remained on most of the time when the notebook was plugged in and turned on frequently while the notebook was on battery power. Although there was minimal warmth coming from the top of the hard drive (left palm rest) the most significant heat came from the hard drive area on the underside of the dv6700t. The heat coming from the hard drive was roughly as intense as the heat coming from the heat exhaust for the fan. This is enough to make the notebook uncomfortable on the lap after extended use. If heat is an issue that concerns you then I would recommend using an external notebook cooler/fan with this notebook.

Below are images with the temperature readings listed in degrees Fahrenheit:

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Battery

The dv6700t is available with the standard 6-cell battery and a 12-cell battery for extended life. Our dv6780se came with the 12-cell extended-life battery which raised the back of the notebook. This has the added benefit of improving the angle of the keyboard which makes typing much more enjoyable. However, the 12-cell does increase the overall size and weight of the notebook. With the screen brightness set to about half, wireless on, and Vista power settings set to "Balanced," the dv6700t powered down after 6 hours and 2 minutes. Clearly the 12-cell extended-life battery will provide enough power for most travel situations and the standard 6-cell should be fine for casual use.

One other item of note regarding the battery is that both the 6-cell and 12-cell batteries fit snug inside the notebook and firmly lock into place. In recent months we've seen dozens of notebooks with loose batteries from other companies. We're glad to see that HP still cares about the "fit and finish" on their notebooks.

Conclusion

The HP Pavilion dv6700t is an impressive notebook for 2008, despite the fact that the basic shape hasn't changed at all since the dv6000t. The combination of performance, stylish design, extremely durable construction/finish, and a wide array of media controls makes the dv6700t one of the best notebook choices for average consumers among 15.4" systems.

After close comparison to Dell's new Inspiron 1525 the only thing Dell really offers over this HP notebook is an extra USB port and a slightly lower starting price. That said, the dv6700t is still the better choice since it offers the option of dedicated graphics (as seen in the dv6780se).

Bottom line, although the overall design hasn't changed in two years the HP dv6700t delivers modern day performance and plenty of multimedia extras with style and an affordable price tag. Overall the dv6700t is one of the best notebooks available for everyday consumers, and the dv6780se available at Best Buy is perhaps that nicest looking version of the notebook yet.

Pros

• Your choice of Core 2 Duo processors
• Solid dedicated graphics option for occasional gamers
• Still one of the best designs on the market (see below)
• Excellent build quality
• Great keyboard and touchpad
• Responsive media buttons and nice remote

Cons

• Glossy Imprint finish is a magnet for fingerprints
• Only three USB ports with dedicated graphics option
• Overall design is starting to look dated after two years
• Did HP really need to put eight stickers on the palm rests?

 

great review as always!!

 

Nice review and yeah too many stickers on the palmrest. Asus tends to do that but now HP...LOL

Personally I don't like the "Clay" Imprint Finish as it seems doesn't match with silvery interior and keyboard. They should give us option for higher resolutio though.

 

Thanks for the review.

That's an interesting colour - this computer won't get lost in a crowd.

While the 6 hours of battery time is welcome, the weight and that big lump sticking out of the bottom are not. It will be an awkward shape to pack in a bag.

John

 

yes i too agree with skywalker about the higher resolution screen an option to upgrade at will wouldve been great
well i personally like the design looks like its much more youth oriented
i would get it in an heartbeat over the ""regular"" pavilions
nice review as usual thanks!!
yes 8 stickers are unnecesary

 

Good review! I too think it is time for a redesign with new superior graphics options because they are losing a lot of sales from the lack of a middle ranged graphics card like the Vostro 1500.

 

During my conversations with HP they indicated that they're reserving "superior graphics options" for the HDX and the Voodoo line of notebooks. The problem with that strategy is that the starting price for a Voodoo notebook is $2,500 and the base price for the giant HDX is $2,000.

Time will tell if that strategy is good or not. Personally, I think the lack of higher-end graphics card options in their 15" and 17" Pavilion notebooks just leaves HP with a HUGE hole in their product line ... a hole that competitors can take advantage of.

 

Thanks for the review Jerry. Stickers galore!

 

I just love the look of this notebook, maybe if you see it in person it's more striking, but the images here do it justice. Notice the vines you see imprinted in the "Clay" and then how they carry over to the touchpad, that's just nice design integration and shows that HP really puts thinking into the design.

I agree that this notebook is easy to recommend to a mainstream buyer, it performs well and it looks nice. HP support is pretty good too (although of course individual experiences do vary).

 

To everyday consumers, which is obviously the target of this line of laptops, most of them can't care less about dedicated graphics. But yeah, it does create a sort of "market hole", a gap in they market they ought to cover. They'd be alienating the more tech-savvy customers if they only offer their more powerful solutions in their HDX and Voodoo lines. Look at Dell -- although Alienware caters to the "enthusiasts" on the market, they still have the XPS lines to cover for the sort of "budget enthusiasts" -- people who will settle for "higher mid-range" systems. For HP, it's either lower-end consumer or higher-end enthusiasts.

As for the "time will tell" part, I think the results are already showing a bit. Dell has recently regained #1 in the US, right? That seems to be a telltale sign.

Anyway, back to the notebook, I kinda like the case. HP has always impressed me with their use of glossy cases. The "Clay" lid looks quite nice and classy, although I have to agree it doesn't quite match with the silver/grey-ish interior. Also, I do agree that those stickers are overkill. lol. But overall, I find the "HP look" quite appealing.

If I were in the market for a basic 15" laptop, I'd definitely choose this over the 1525.

 

I like this design too. But then I have a dv6500t. This one is the best looking do date on the dv6000 case design IMO. There are two facts that might force HP to change their mind about offering more GPU options on the pavilion line:

1: Dell going to retail.. their market share is increasing

2: The 1530 price points. A fairly loaded 1530 with 8600 gt for under 1500.

The HP dv6700t offers more for the consumer then the Dell 1525. I saw a 1525 up close at staples and the media buttons/ speaker grill look really cheap compared to HP's design. But it will sell well since it has a lower price point. The HP has absolutely nothing to compete with Dells 1530 price point. Most people will go with Dell and save 500 + dollars. HP will have to rethink their position because notebooks are commodities and price is everything. Dell will continue to gain market share with their price points and GPU offerings.

I also have a feeling that the multiple colors that Dell offers is a huge attraction. HP may have to copy Dell and offer more design colors as well. They can keep the imprint finishes to differentiate them selfs from dell. Just add more colors like this new copper design.

 

The low resolution and lowly graphics card spoil what is otherwise a mature tried&tested well-designed laptop... i.e. less pieces falling off. However... what's changed at all since the previous version?!

Personally I think the 12-cell battery is not useful. For the occasional long-haul flight, a spare 6-cell battery in the bag would be enough at the same weight. Anyone travelling for some 9 hours wouldn't have the time to use them up before his back snaps in two ... with the extra battery that's ~7lb, simply too much.

 

I've only skimmed through the review, but it looks like a good review!

I really don't like the mix of the copper "clay" color of the lid with the silver/black colors of the base unit; they really clash with each other. I personally would've liked to have had eiterh that white dv6000 series notebook they used to have, or a dv6000 version of the Verve.

In any case, this is a nice, tired and true design, but they really need to update it. The looks aren't so bad, but they really need a better GPU and a higher resolution display. I agree, now that Dell has gone retail, HP is going to have a tough time competing with the XPS M1530, which looks much more appealing to me right now, if I had to choose between the two. And yeah, 8 stickers? Jeez, I though my nw8440 had a bunch of stickers, but it only has three...

Also, Xmas, I don't think 7Lbs is too much. My laptop+ AC Adapter + Mouse is almost 7 lbs, and that's not including all the textbooks I have to carry with me!

 

Instead of the copper lid, i really liked the ceramic white 6700tse as the ceramic white is both on the lid and inside around the keyboard area, it competes with Apple laptops and is also not prone to finger prints.
Its on display in microcenter stores, incase you want to get a feel of it. I sent my 2500t back and planning to get a 6700tse if i can get a decent coupon.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...v1=Entertainment&series_name=dv6700tse_series

 

I agree. Although I like that "cray" color by itself, it doesn't mesh well with silver and black. I wish if they coordinated overall colors like with Sony CR. Nevertheless, it still look and feel much better than Dell 1500/Acer Gemstone, and looks somewhat better than 15inch Toshiba, IMO. MBP and Vaio FZ looks better than this, but that is to be expected.

I don't think that many people want GPU above 8400GS outside this website, but I do think that it is bit silly that there is no performance difference between their 15.4inch and 14.1 inch models.

 

I don't get it. What kind of notebook is this?
Multimedia? Then why that much RAM and an WXGA screen?
Gaming? Note quite, since the 8400 GS is pretty weak.
It's neither "thin and light", nor powerful.
Personally, I've never been interested in HP's consumer line. Dell's Vostro and Inspiron are inexpensive, quite bulky and heavy, but they offer good GPU at a reasonable price. HP, well, their Pavilion looks nice, but that's pretty much everything about it.

 

Is this the first laptop with a 12-cell battery?

 

It's only a matter of time before HP comes out with a line to compete with Dell's XPS. Perhaps something like "Pavillion Elite series." They won't have to do all that much to their Pavillions as the styling is arguably on par if not better than Dell's XPS M1330 & M1530. They only need to add LED backlighting, GPU's then end in "T" instead of "S," and perhaps coloring that isn't just on the back of the LCD lid.

The HDX is very nice. I'm considering it now that it's getting a worthwhile GPU and 1900x1200 res. The dual lamps is a plus.

But I'm going to be prudent and wait until Montevina is out later this summer before actually pulling the trigger on any system. Who knows what HP and Dell will be up to by then...

 

Fantastic Review!
Is that the HP "Clay" Design Wallpaper on the review images? Could anyone kindly upload it

Thanks

 

someone wanna update? new T9300 are out...

Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T9300 (2.50 GHz, 6 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)

 

The interior isn't really silver - its more of an olive greenish colour that actually does go very well with the Copper lid. I love the design, absolutely adore the specs (save for the 12 cell battery...), and its got a brilliant price. This thing joins the dv2700se Verve as my automatic notebook recommendation to friends. Simply brilliant.

Overstickered though, dear god. Take all of them off - blemishes ruining the otherwise perfect shape of this thing. Dated it may be, however, nobody else has come close to this design in the intended market, so theres no real reason to change it.

 

This looks like a very nice laptop, something I'm definitely considering buying. Right now its a choice between this, the XPS1530, or the T61. The looks is what's probably going to sell me on the dv6700t though. I've recently priced out via. HP's online website, and (with several accessories such as the web cam, fingerprint reader, Intel dual core processor 2.0, with 250GB) price was around $990, which included tax, and shipping. So, between my three choices, the HP will def. be the cheapest.

Update,
Well, after a long process of reviewing different computers, spec's, etc. I've finally decided to go with the HP DV6700T. I ordered one today (1-28-08) so we'll see when I will get it. I can't wait ! Hopefully I will like this better then the Dell (even though there is nothing wrong with the Dell at all). To me the HP simply looked the best out of all the one's I've reviewed. The IBM to me looks too out of date, but also the spec.'s on the T61 are second to none as far as build quality, the added roll cage, etc. The Dell M1530 was out of the question for me due to the screen issue, so the HP fit me just right. I will update as soon as I get it !
Thank you for a great review, which, in essence, helped me greatly with my new purchase.

 

I was really interested in buying this computer till I saw the screen resolution...it's just weak. I mean its not atrocious or anything but its definitely not something I'd prefer...I'd definitely buy it if they bumped the screen res to 1440x900 or 1680 x 1050...the 1680 one being the prefered one since I do photography and also since I think that videos and movies would look better on it. Key word being I think...I'm not sure but I know I don't like the 1280 res. after seeing it.

 

Exellent review, this laptop is everything written in the review and more. I mean, it has 3GB of RAM, if you're using Vista 32 bits, that's as far as you can go with RAM(I mean, without getting in the nasty mem limit set by the os and the memory mapped IO reservations). So you don't have to think about upgrading it.

I would recommend doing a clean install of your OS of choice, and don't even bother installing any HP Software, I don't have anything against it, but let's be logical, you want your laptop to be as fast as it can right?

One more thing, it's a request actually, if anyone has the Clay Imprint wallpaper, please post it or let me know.

 

I had this one with a white ceramic and have to say the fan noise is noticable. I really annoy with the noise and thinking get something else

 

I had the DV6775us with outstanding Specs. However, this Laptop has a HUGE HUGE Fan noise Problem. I sent my notebook twice to the factory, but still not fixed. Then I had a HP Case manager call me. She offered me a replacement PC. Lets see how that goes. Otherwise, I'll have to go with the HP Buy Back option in which I would get a pro rated amount anywhere from 50 - 100%.

But Yes, if you like fan noise, this laptop is it otherwise go with other manufacturers.

 

What a horribly ugly machine. One would imagine HP would take some money from its whizbang "Making computers human" marketing campaigns and hire a decent designer or two!

 

When I bought this laptop at best buy 3 months ago, I talked to the sales lady there and she said this had the best graphics card than any of the other laptops there, I wanted a good graphics card because I like to start play graphical games. I fell in love with this computer because of the hard drive space and the 3gb of ram. Also the way it looked, The other great thing it was on sale for 999 dollars. I thought it was perfect. Only complaints is that I had a compaq before and it had great speakers but this one I think it is hard to hear even on high volume when you there is a fan in the background I was very disappointed in that feature. I thought it would have great sound with altec lansing speakers. Also it does get extremely hot at the bottom of the machine. I got a targus cool pad but it was so little it kept slipping off and didn't stay on the cooling pad very well. Also the battery is very bulky when I take it out of my backpack the battery always catches on to the top of the back. Other than that I loved it. If anyone can give me any suggestion on how to hear the speakers better I would much appreciate it. You can email me or reply to this message. [email protected]

 

I think this design and color are beautiful, artistic and outstanding!!! I love the way it looks it is very unique look!!!

 

whats a clean install? Im getting one with vista home premium, isnt it already download to the laptop. And its the fan nosie really bad?

 

Hey Ghost08,

First, there is absolutely NO fan noise.
Second, a "Clean Install" is formatting your hard drive, and installing Vista from a "Clean" DVD, as in, no HP bloatware. Of course you will need a DVD of Vista(it doesn't matter the edition, they are all the same). The thing is, that by not having so much unnecessary software, your laptop will run faster. Here is a link that can help you: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120228

 

I'd take it if it had bluetooth.
I'll have to wait for a good sale on a CT0 from HP.com so I can configure one with bluetooth.

 

I have a dv6870us and the keyboard was replaced by HP due to defective key.
The new keyboard is visually the same as the original.
Key action lacks cusion and is noisy (clicky) when typing.
Original keyboard was better IMO than the replacement as it had better cushion and travel and was much quieter when typing as the keys did not click when typing.

Questions-
1. For dv6700 series owners, how is your keyboard?

2. Do you think HP would replace the keyboard with one that is not equal to the original? PN is 441427-001 for the original. I have not disassembled the notebook to check the part number on this keyboard so I do not know what the PN for the replacement is.

3. Is it possible that there is a wide variance in keyboard quality/action within a series?

4. Is there a way to check the part number w/o disassembly of the notebook?

 

Do not respond here to my question.
I realized the HP section was the appropriate place for my question and posted it there.

thanks

 

I believed Overkillica and now I wish I didn't. There is most definitely fan noise if you're in a quiet room. It's not as bad as the old ASUS M5, but the fan is always on medium and can be very annoying if you hate fan noise. I'm considering returning this laptop, which is a shame because it's otherwise a beautiful machine.

It seems like HP has gone out of their way to keep us from playing wiht the fan speeds. Speedfan and NHC don't work, and there is no setting in the BIOS. I tried to modify the DSDT table following
http://avkrok.net/nw8240/windows.html
and
http://eddietse.blogspot.com/2008/03/patching-dsdt-table-for-8510p-to-reduce.html
but was unable to; the binary pulled from the registry was corrupt and couldn't be disassembled. I finally extracted the table from the BIOS flash download from HP, and now I'm trying to decipher the assembly language, and kind of stuck.
If anyone would like to take a crack at it, post here and I'll upload it to somewhere.

 

Hello all,

I am looking to get a laptop in the range of about $1000 and am leaning towards this one. A few questions about specs:

-Graphics Card:
Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 vs. 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
The latter is $34 more. What sort of difference would it make with watching movies or editing pictures in photoshop? How much of a different would it make in playing games?

-Processors:
How much of a difference is there between processors and how much better are they than my current Pentium 4 - 3 GHz processor?

-Memory:
I like to have multiple windows open and run memory-intensive programs like audio recording software and photoshop. Should I go with 3 or 4GB RAM for $100 more?

-Networking:
How much of a difference is there between the options:
.....802.11b/g WLAN
.....Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
.....Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection
.....Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM)
The best option is $65 more.

Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

 

Currently HP.com has a coupon to bring this model down another $200 so that can save you money, just search slickdeals or fatwallet. The new processor will be lightyears ahead of your old P4, especially since it's dual core. If you're not afraid of upgrading ram yourself, you can buy it pretty cheap nowadays. Also you would need the 64-bit verison of windows to see all four gb of ram, otherwise I wouldn't spend the extra cash for 4 gb. For the graphics card, I went with the 8400, for just 30 dollars, better to be safe than sorry. And for the wifi card, you need to ask yourself if you're use bluetooth or not, and if your router or network you'll be using it on has wireless n. Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for your response. That websites sites were very helpful.

Does anyone know the difference between this laptop and the special edition version besides color?

 

The better graphics card is now $84 more, so I have to think about it. Can someone tell me if it would help for watching movies, and if so, by how much?