HP Pavilion dv9000t with Vista Review

<!-- Generated by XStandard version 1.7.1.0 on 2007-04-12T12:03:46 -->

The HP Pavilion dv9000t is HP’s flagship desktop replacement notebook PC with a nice crisp 17” screen, full 101-key alphanumeric keypad (with numpad), and various other entertainment options such as an optional webcam, Bluetooth, TV Tuner, and HD-DVD drive.

The HP Pavilion dv9000t Entertainment Notebook (view large image)

I first started looking around for a laptop around Feb 20^th when my previous HP dv4000 mysteriously died on me. While I could have gotten it fixed, I decided it was easier to upgrade to a more modern notebook. I had settled on getting a HP dv6000t until I saw the HP dv9000t. The glorious screen and video card at only 7.8lbs was irresistible. Most people would consider 7.8lbs too heavy to carry for a college notebook, but my previous dv4000 with a 12-cell weighed about the same, so I was set! I also considered the Dell Inspiron e1705, but the dv9000t was more affordable, plus I didn’t need the power (and heat) a 7900 GS would probably give off.

HP dv9000t specs:

• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
• Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T5200(1.60GHz/2MB L2Cache)
• 17.0&quot; WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
• 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7600
• HP Imprint Finish + Microphone + Webcam
• 512MB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• FREE Upgrade from 80GB 5400RPM to 120GB 5400RPM!!
• Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support
• Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network w/Bluetooth
• No TV Tuner w/remote control
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Works 8.0

$1256.08 after tax and APP (student) discount from HP Home &amp; Home Office store.

The dv9000t in my dorm room. If only I could hide those cords too… (view large image)

First Impressions:

The screen is huge and the notebook itself is very slim. Previous 17” laptops from HP were very bulky weighing 9.8lbs, but it’s nice to know that the dv9000t is easy to carry when needed. Believe it or not, I actually carry this thing around every day (some people would call me crazy), but it is manageable. The fingerprint finish is also a nice touch that HP has now put on desktops and laptops that really makes the laptop shine.

Top of dv9000t with HP Fingerprint Finish (view large image)

The top is also a fingerprint magnet. (view large image)

Design and Build:

HPs design on this laptop is a process I’ve seen evolve over the years to make a much better product. It looks like it’s worth more than you paid for it, especially with the suave imprint finish applied to the top. One thing to be weary of is that the latch requires 2 hands to open, and the hinges don’t seem as solid as my previous laptop. It looks great on a desk, but it’s not a ThinkPad in terms of durability so no one should treat it as such. I compared the dv9000t to my previous 15.4” dv4000 and found that it weights just as much with the 12-cell battery while being MUCH slimmer. That’s definitely an improvement in that area.

Only marginally longer (view large image)

But slimmer too (view large image)

The Screen:

The screen is amazing on this laptop. I opted for the 1680x1050 resolution for an extra $50 and it’s worth every penny. The only downside is that there is a bit of light leakage on the very bottom middle portion of the screen.  The good thing is that it’s not noticeable unless you want to stare at it. I guess not everything can be perfect.

Graphics

The system comes with a Geforce 7600 Go, with either 256MB or 512MB of video RAM. It should play today’s games decently at max resolution with some special effects off. I suggest getting the lower 1440x900 resolution if you intend on gaming a lot so the GPU doesn’t struggle too much. At the price point of $1200, I couldn’t find any other laptop with a much better GPU.

Sound

The built-in Altec-Lansing speakers sound great. Sound doesn’t distort at higher volumes and it retains clarity. The SP/DIF support also allows you to hook up your laptop to a surround sound system if needed.

Processor and Performance

I got the lowest Core 2 Duo possible (Intel T5200 at 1.6Ghz) so that I could upgrade myself later if I wanted. It runs fast enough for my needs of watching movies and general computer tasks.

Benchmarks

A note for the benchmarks, I upgraded my RAM to 2GB DDR2 533Mhz RAM and all scores reflect this.

3DMark06:

3DMark06 is a benchmarking tool that tests the graphical performance of a notebook, below is how the HP dv9000t with its nVidia Go 7600 stacked up to other notebooks.

Notebook	3DMark 06 Results
HP dv9000t (1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, nVidia Go 7600 256MB)	1,847 3DMarks
Dell Precison M90 (2.16GHz Core Duo, nVidia Quadro FX 1500M )	3,926 3DMarks
Apple MacBook Pro (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB	1,528 3DMarks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	794 3DMarks
Compal HEL80 (2.0GHz Core Duo, nVidia Go 7600 256MB)	1,654 3DMarks
Alienware M7700 (AMD Athlon FX-60 Nvidia GeForce Go7800GTX)	4,085 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1710 (2.16 GHz Core Duo, nVidia 7900 GTX 512MB)	4,744 3D Marks

SuperPi Benchmark Results

Super Pi tests the speed of a processor, in our test we force Super Pi to calculate the number Pi to 2 million digits of accuracy:

Notebook	Time
HP dv9000t (1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, nVidia Go 7600 256MB)	1m 37s
MSI M677 (1.8 GHz Turion X2)	1m 53s
Fujitsu LifeBook N6420 (2.00GHz Core 2 Duo)	1m 02s
LG S1 (2.16 GHz Core Duo)	1m 11s
Dell Inspiron e1505 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 16s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s
Toshiba Satellite M100 (2.00GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s
Samsung X60 (1.66GHz Core Duo)	1m 29s
Sony VAIO FS680 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 53s

 

HDTune

HDTune measures hard drive performance, below is a screenshot of the results for HDTune when run on the dv9000t:

(view large image)

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard on the dv9000t is probably one of the better ones I’ve used. Each key is very springy, allowing for feedback, similar to desktop keyboards. The additional numberpad is also a big plus, as few laptops have them at all. One minor thing is that the right shift key is now half-sized, just like other keys to accommodate the closer position of the arrow keys. The touchpad itself is ok; not bad and not great. It does have an off switch, but the feel of the pad itself is rather slick. Sometimes there is just too much drag on the surface to use easily. I switched to an external mouse and keyboard to solve my problems.

Input and Output Ports

The clinching factor that really made me purchase this laptop is the bevy of ports available. It comes with 4 USB ports, a built-in memory card reader, an expansion slot, 2 headphone inputs, ExpressCard slot, and probably best of all, an HDMI port. The beautiful part about HP’s newer laptop series is that all of them include an expansion port that allows you to connect to a specific HP dock that replicates most of these ports so you can connect just 1 cable to your laptop. Pretty sweet, no?

USB Port, ExpressCard slot, DVD+/-RW Drive, USB Port, AC Adapter Jack (view large image)

S-Video port, VGA Port, Expansion Port (for HP QuickDock), Ethernet &amp; Modem Jacks, HDMI Port, 2 USB Ports, Firewire 4-pin Jack, Multimedia Card reader (with SD card inserted) (view large image)

BatteryLife

The 8-cell battery lasted around 2 hours before it died with medium brightness and Wifi. I suspect this probably has to do with the state of nVidia’s drivers for Vista that still need some work.

Heat and Noise

The notebook fans are usually on most of the time when on AC but there is no way to control them. Heat comes from the left hand side where the HD is, and from the back near the fan. It makes some noise when it’s quiet, but not enough to be annoying.

Wireless

No problems with the Intel 3945ABG. The wireless switch is very handy when want to quickly turn off WiFi and switch to Ethernet when I reconnect to my HP QuickDock.

Service and Support

HP’s service is moderate compared to other companies. It’s not the best and it’s not the worst but somewhere in between. Personally, online help was more receptive when I was exploring my options about my broken dv4000 compared to phone help so that avenue was much better. I haven’t dealt much with tech support at all before that, so I can’t make much of a decision.

Software:

HP has a LOT of software pre-installed on my notebook, some of it I quickly removed but others I did keep, most notably HPs Total Care Advisor. It’s a helpful program that keeps track of the state of your PC, advising you on certain updates for drivers, basic support, and browsing HP accessories. It was useful enough that I kept it. Be aware that HP uses a recovery partition as a “worst case” backup instead of discs, so you’ll need to make them yourself. One thing I dislike is that reinstalling Windows Vista from the recovery partition and discs installs all the other unnecessary software as well; I might just have to get a Vista RTM disc and install Home Premium myself. HP does easily offer all the downloads for installed drivers, so that is a huge plus.

Vista

Running Windows Vista Home Premium on this laptop has its ups and downs. As a whole, my PC runs smoothly but certain areas like copying large amounts of files needs a LOT of work. HP includes all the drivers in a folder called SwSetup, so if you ever install a bad driver, you can easily reinstall the old one without going online. I’d recommend at LEAST 1GB, preferably 2GB RAM in order to run Vista smoothly. There’s still a lot of minor things that need to be worked out, but on the whole, it’s a pretty good upgrade from Windows XP.

Conclusion

I’ve used this notebook for a few days and have no regrets purchasing it. Vista runs pretty well after a 2GB upgrade and has caused no trouble while using it. Most of my programs worked flawlessly when installed. It’s slim enough to be carried around for a desktop replacement and certainly wowed my friends. The screen is great, the keyboard works well, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I do wish there were more battery life, but it’s not possible to have everything!

Pros:

• Large screen
• Number pad
• HDMI output
• Touchpad on/off switch
• Slim profile give the laptop size

Cons:

• Fingerprint magnet (cloth included however)
• Touchpad has some drag
• Right Shift key is smaller
• Media keys make noise (turn off in BIOS)
• Fans run quite often
• Notebook lid is a bit flimsy when closed

 

Great review and timely as well! I too recently purchased the DV9 series but from CompUSA when they had a sale with $400 in rebates off. This notebook is for my cousin and the only differences are the screen res (1440 x 900) and it came with HP's TV Tuner and remote and had 1GB of ram.

I agree this thing is a fingerprint, or just about any smudge, magnet including dust and hair! The included cloth is useful as was having an HDMI output. Mine came with a set of cheap but decent earphones as well.

A few other experiences: I notice some flex on the upper right side of the keypad, which is a plus compared to my e1705. Also, opening and closing the lid is not as smooth as I hoped, I think 1 of the 2 teeth that holds the lid close is getting picky! Fans do run often but it does not get as warm as my e1705 for some reason even during gaming. One other plus I would add is the built in webcam - it adjusts the background lighting pretty well.

 

I'll say you're brave for lugging that sized notebook around campus! It is quite thin for the size though, so it has that going for it.

Can't argue too much with the price, that's not bad at all. Interesting choice in going for the low end Core 2 Duo but highest end graphics offering. I see a lot of people doing that though, very few are paying top dollar for the top of the range Core 2 Duo.

 

I think at this point people feel like a Core 2 is still a Core 2 no matter what the clock speed. It's still a pretty strong performer, and people are finally getting used to the idea that clock speed doesn't mean everything when it comes to processor performance anymore. Besides, for modern games, the GPU/RAM is more limiting than the CPU, especially when the games are multi-threaded and you have a dual-core processor.

I personally am having serious regrets on purchasing a 17" laptop for school. Sometime later in the year, after Santa Rosa and hopefully some fresh models, I'm going to be looking for something smaller like a 13.3" or a 14". The HP does look nice though.

 

It runs pretty smoothly after sticking in a 2GB SD card.

 

Good review! Thanks, man.

 

Nie review! The Super Pi score seems a bit odd though.

 

Somethings wrong with the harddrive. 47% cpu usage?!?!?
(nothing is wrong with super pi score btw its a t5200 not t5500).

 

Don't think it's the HD - I think it's more like Vista. The CPU and RAM are constantly floating around 4-60% even when you're just surfing.

 

I also have this laptop. If you want your disk problems to go away, remove Norton Antivirus. It seriously hurts the disk performance. I have not yet tried it on this laptop, but something like AVG Free can replace it and might not cause such a huge problem (Most Norton products today cause more trouble than they are worth).

 

Thanks for your review..i just ordered one.. its should be here friday.. however.. i decided later to get the display of 1680x1050(gotta wait till next week...for the upgrade ...aaaaaaaah)

quick question is it possible to install a broadband card.. because i depend on the the neighbors wifi.. and i am working with dialup.. on my dinosaur pc at this point..

If not what are my other options.

 

Great review!
I hope you like yours as much as I do mine. My favorite computer to date. It has everything bundled in a very attractive, but affordable package. HP did good on this one.

 

I just bought this laptop. My configuration was:
vista home premium
core 2 duo 2.0ghz
17" 1680x1050
256 GeForce Go 7600
2GB memory
160GB hard drive
lightscribe super multi drive

I really like how it looks and it's pretty fast. The screen is big (almost too big) and nice. I do have some complaints, hopefully which I can get fixed.
-My CD/DVD drive seems to be screwed up. It works fine with a couple of my movies, but the other 90%, my computer freezes and makes a loud noise (from the drive) when trying to read it. The same thing happens with some games (halo and starcraft: brood war). I guess it could be incompatibility problems with vista, but I doubt it. After reinstalling vista (and the drivers), if it still doesn't work, I'll put my warranty (accidental coverage, at that) to use.
-The case sometimes makes an annoying vibrating sound when I type on the keyboard.
-The opening/closing latch doesn't work smoothly.
-And this isn't really the notebook's fault, but vista just sucks right now.

I also bought an HP analog/digital TV tuner for my expresscard slot (mainly for the purpose of playing my PS3 on the screen). I'm a bit disappointed with the S-video input quality (has some lag and some horizontal bar problems), but I guess it will be useful when I go to college and watch tv on here.
*also the tv tuner card doesn't lock into expresscard slot....just a minor gripe though

Overall I'm pleased and am glad I got this. Finding a nice case (backpack, not messenger style) is the hard part. I think I'm going to get a booq python xl backpack with a sumdex impactguard sleeve. It's not cheap, but hopefully it will be the only backpack I'll ever need.

 

I agree that it's important to remove NAV and install an alternative ISS. I installed Trend Micro and it has proven to be a smart move. Also, I've disabled/remove some of the other bloatware during startup (HP's advisor etc..) though I will turn it back on when I have to hand this beauty to my cousin

 

I'm pretty sure this beast has a wireless broadband card built into it. Leeching off the neighbors shouldn't be a problem.

 

Yes, mine has the Intel a/b/g wireless card - you'll have to download the latest update to fix the 3 bar only signal strength issue though.

 

No, it's just that I ran HD Tune right after copying some files. Vista takes it's sweet time to index files.

 

how did u cleanly remove norton antivirus? if i uninstalled norton and reformat my hardrive using recovery cd/partition to install windows will norton be reinstalled?

 

Yes norton will be back again if u use the recovery partition or discs because it is part of the bloatware HP offers.

 

Unfortunately HP doesn't provide a way to cleanly install Vista and then software with discs. You can use the Windows Anytime Upgrade disc to install Vista using the key on the bottom of your computer MAKING SURE YOU'VE BURNED THE SWSETUP FOLDER FOR DRIVERS. That's in all caps because it is 100% imperative that you do this before reinstalling. Also, make sure to burn a set of recovery discs regardless. the backup partition cannot start on its own from what I understand; you need to have at least disc one of the recovery set to initialize recovery from a hard drive (you have a choice between the disc or a recovery partition).

Other than that, just remove Norton from the Programs menu in the Control Panel. Another thing is that your PC will seem a bit sluggish while Vista is indexing files for the first time. It usually takes about 1-2 days in terms of background time to complete (or just leave the PC on overnight or something, I guess).

 

where do you find the latest update to fix the "3 bar issue"? Cause mine has 3 bars all the time...

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=114747

 

Just a note on the Broadband card. Most of the new notebooks are coming out with the new Express Cards and not the old PCMIA cards which are used by Cingular and Sprint aicards presently. Their is a company that has a express that Cingular and Sprint will sell but it's not out yet and I don't know when it will be. I had a friend that bought a machine at Best Buy and he asked the salesman if it machine would work with his Cingular aircard and he said yes. When he returned the notebook they wanted to charge him a restock fee. Finally after stressing he bought because their employee told him it would work they gave him refund and he found a notebook with the old PCMIA card.

 

Forgive me im a laptop newb.. and i have been working with dialup for years now...So what you are saying is that the HP Dv9000t cant take a express card. that gives broadband service.. and im wont be hamstrung by the pre-installed wireless card...?

thanks for your insight.. im anxiously.. waiting for my new laptop..looking at my tracking everyhour lol.. seems like im doing more research on my laptop after the order was made now that its coming..

 

Verizon currently offers an express card option - if you are using their wireless PC card plan:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/...t&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=2407

If you have a DSL line from Verizon, ATT or cable broadband like Comcast then you should have no problem going online wirelessly since there's a built in wireless card inside and of course you can always be hooked up directly to the modem.

The DV9 ONLY takes an express card and does not take the older PCMCIA versions.

 

Thanks jujube, Also a big thanks to everyone else that has been a big help..in easing my anxiety, and kickin a little of their insight in my direction. I will most def come back with my first impressions of my laptop.

 

is removing Norton enough? do u need to do a clean install?

because usually norton doesn't uninstall properly and leave a mess behind. do they fix that now?

 

I'm not sure how to completely and cleanly uninstall norton, though I'd like to know. I definitely plan on getting rid of it and switching to the zone alarm security suite for vista once the beta testing is done.

 

Just got my laptop 9 days after i made my order.. pretty good turn around....but the one i want is not coming till the 17 with the wsxga display...should i return this now.. or rip open the box..and rev this joint up.. im taking an non-scientific poll here..

 

You seem to pretty knowledgeable about reinstalling vista with this machine. Maybe you could help me out?
I need to reinstall vista (to test if the drivers for my DVD drive have gone bad). I think this is what you're saying I need to do (correct me if I'm wrong).

First off, I should copy this folder to somewhere safe: SWSETUP.
Then I have a couple of options for reinstalling vista:
1) using the vista anytime upgrade dvd with the serial that came with this notebook
2) using the backup partition that came with this notebook
*with this option, I have to first burn some sort of boot-cd so that the process can start up
3) [you didn't mention this, but I thought it would still work] using the system recovery dvd that was an optional buy (do you know if this is just a boot cd that requires the partition, or is it a full fledged installer?)

With what options do I need to recopy the swsetup folder back? And one more question...how do I burn the recovery discs for initiating the partition backup or just for complete backup by themselves?

I know this is long and kind of out of place, but it does relate somewhat to my new dv9000t. I'd be really thankful for any help.

 

Great review.. I just got a dv9231 @1.83GHz and you entered into territory that interests me... this is my first laptop.. I have CPUd up my MB on my errr MPX2 from amd's mp1600+ to2600+ and live to tell the tale.. but these lil' flat thingys.
You mention upping from the 1.6 2c2,, and this is what I want to do.. if possible.
Can I jam in a 2.33GHz into this?? maybe?? would there be BIOS to support, are both 64s?... inquiring minds want to tinker... and thank God for 'code' names.. HP would burn my warranty just hearing me talk of such things...

 

Great review.. I just got a dv9231 @1.83GHz and you entered into territory that interests me... this is my first laptop.. I have CPUd up my MB on my errr MPX2 from amd's mp1600+ to2600+ and live to tell the tale.. but these lil' flat thingys.
You mention upping from the 1.6 2c2,, and this is what I want to do.. if possible.
Can I jam in a 2.33GHz into this?? maybe?? would there be BIOS to support, are both 64s?... inquiring minds want to tinker... and thank God for 'code' names.. HP would burn my warranty just hearing me talk of such things...

 

Thanks jujube...it worked like a charm!

 

Just wondering...why is the touchpad not in the center of the notebook? haha it's weird and I don't see the reason for it being towards the left side. If anything it should be on the right, because most people are right-handed. Or maybe there is a good reason for its placement. Anyone know?

 

It's because the number pad on the right side makes the main keyboard offset to the left. When you are typing on the main keyboard, the touchpad is right in the middle of where your hands are. It would be strange if it were in the middle of the whole laptop.

PS. just because you are right handed doesn't mean everything should bend to your will!

 

Here, Here OREV...fellow southpaw!

 

I see. Good point. Totally makes sense now.

 

At that point, you have to start worrying about thermal issues. A 2.33Ghz Core 2 Duo was not designed to be put in the dv9000t, and usually for a good reason besides price. Taking care of high temps requires a much better and larger cooling system than HP puts in its notebooks, which is probably a good reason why their laptops are thinner than what Dell offers (which do have processor options that go that high).

However, it could technically work, but your warranty goes out the windows when you open it. My hard rule of thumb is that if you're asking if you should do it, you probably shouldn't anyway.

 

You guys are talking about overclocking, right? I never understood that stuff. And to be honest, I'm a little scared of it.

 

Greate reviews guys!

Anyone know what interface is the hard drive using? I am planning to add an additional harddrive to mine.

Jeff

 

Someone could please confirm if this notebook has a more intense brightness at the bottom of the screen? Mine seems to have a problem because its lightness is not regular, it's a kind of gradient of light, with a normal brightness at the top and a very intense bright at the bottom (the Taskbar becomes hard to read due to this).

It's not a driver or OS issue because this difference between screen regions is visible since the boot (actually, the BIOS screen already shows it). Technical support asks for me to send the notebook to HP, which may take a long time because I don't live in US. So, I'd like to know from other users if this is a problem or a special effect from the UltraBrite HP uses on this series.

 

My dv9500t has a little bit of a brightness at the bottom of the screen, and it goes up a few millimeters. It's nothing like what you describe. I would call HP or take it in to a computer store and get a second opinion. My guess is something is wrong.

 

Thinking of buying one, however there seem to be some build quality issues...those of you who've had one for a while....what do you think now?

Thanks in advance.

 

You guys please can paste your temperatures? I need to know what are the normal temperatures to control it when my pavilion got fixed (have overheating problems). My current temperatures:
CPU around 50 to 62C,
HDD 55 to 65,
GPU (nvidia 7600) from 80 to 92C (only using vista and monitors).

Im using EVEREST and nTune to test the temperatures:

nTune
http://www.nvidia.com/object/ntune_5.05.38.00.html

Everest
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=4181&file=10&evp=0da1e17dee7b6e8a3cc13fc5b7062019

 

Hi, I decided to turn off some miscellaneous services that were not needed on my brother's HP dv9000t (he is using this primarily for games and music). Well, I somehow manged to disable the top volume controller (the blue lights are also not on). I restarted all services to see if this was the problem and it seems it's not. The volume can still be controlled via the windows desktop volume panel. Any help will be appreciated, thanks.