Pavilion laptops

Its time for me to get a new pc.. however, with certain changes in my life it looks like the best thing would be for me would be to get a laptop that would replace my desktop. I am, however, a bit of a gamer.. and whats more i know that i wont be able to afford a new laptop once ive purchased one for about 4 years.. so it'll have to last me that long..

I'm posting on this forum because i could use some advice. (im thinking of getting a HP Pavilion laptop because i have not yet encountered a more reliable laptop than a Pavilion.)

First of all:
*Does anyone know anything about the 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 320M?

Im busy comparing the dv8t quad with the dv7t quad and the dv6t quad.
The only difference (besides price) that i see between the dv6t and the dv7t is the size of the screen.. and as for the difference between the dv8t and the dv7t it only seems to be the screen, blu-ray burner/player and the 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 230M vs 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 320M. Putting aside the screen and player, (graphics card) how much of a difference is that going to make gaming wise?

Here's the info:
Dv8t Quad Edition series
$1,324.99 (w/o insurance) 936.568 EUR

-Operating system:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
-Processor:
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz FSB) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz
-Memory:
FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
-Hard drive:
FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
-Graphics card:
1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 230M
-Display:
18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
-Primary optical drive:
Lightscribe Blu-ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
-Personalization:
Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Espresso Black)
-Networking:
Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
($25 extra for bluetooth included thus in price)
-TV & entertainment experience:
No TV Tuner w/remote control
(the HDTV turner is $75 extra)
-Keyboard:
HP Color Matching Keyboard
-Primary battery:
8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
-Productivity software:
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0

-Notes:
No bag included.

Dv7t Quad Edition series
$1,189.99 (w/o insurance) 841.139 EUR

-Operating system:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
-Processor:
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz FSB) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz
-Memory:
FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
-Hard drive:
FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
-Graphics card:
1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 320M
-Display:
17.3" diagonal HD+ High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1600 x 900)
-Primary optical drive:
LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
-Personalization:
Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
(Costs an extra $25. Included)
-Networking:
Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
(costs an extra $25. Included)
-TV & entertainment experience:
No TV Tuner w/remote control
(again w/ costs an extra $75)
-Keyboard:
HP Color Matching Keyboard
-Primary battery:
8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
-Modem Port:
No Modem
-Productivity software:
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
-Carrying cases:
HP 17" Notebook Backpack, red
(included in price.)

-Notes:
No Blu-ray.


Dv6t Quad Edition series
$1,089.98 (w/o insurance) 770.508 EUR

-Operating system:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
-Processor:
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz FSB) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz
-Memory:
FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
-Hard drive:
FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
-Graphics card:
1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 320M - For i7 Processors
-Display:
15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768)
-Primary optical drive:
LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
-Personalization:
Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
-Networking:
Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
-TV & entertainment experience:
No TV Tuner w/remote control
(the HDTV turner is $75 extra)
-Keyboard:
HP Color Matching Keyboard
-Primary battery:
6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
-Modem Port:
No Modem
-Productivity software:
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
-Carrying cases:
HP 17" Notebook Backpack, red
(included in price.)

-Notes:
No blu-ray.

Your comments and thoughts are greatly appreciated!!

Hope to hear some response soon ^^

Thanks.

-----
Edit: over looked something that should be considered:
the dv8t also has 1gb more memory. However, for $40 you can get this in the dv7t and dv6t.

 

clear that up a bit..made my eyes go blur

i think the GT230M is more powerful than the GT320M. from what i know, naming convention for both Nvidia and ATI cards are like this:

First number (series) | 2nd number (power) | 3rd and/or 4th number (small differences in power)

if bluray is not a concern, i say the dv8t has the best stuff in it. you'll probably enjoy the bigger screen better. theres not much info on the GT320M.

 

Thanks for your reply

Hmm.. but what does it have thats so much better?

I mean.. As for the GT230M - its possible to get a dv6t quad with it, and get it with the 4gig memory..

I really dont care about having a blu-ray player/burner atm. external ones have already come down in price - and by the time i need one i think itll be cheaper for me in the end to get an external one then - then to pay the price of an internal one now. As for the screen size.. im not so sure about 15.6", need to check that out. But say its not too small (ive got a monitor ill be hooking my laptop up to at home anyways..) >>considering all that i just mentioned.. whats the point in getting the dv8t?

 

The 230m is the better card, but not by a whole lot, 48 unified shaders to 32, etc. A two year old 8800GTS smokes both of them, which is what makes HP sad, IMO, as the 8800 is in my HP HDX Dragon.

You mean to tell me that in two years, they can't improve on that tech? It's mainly because their machines aren't really geared toward the gaming crowd. That being said, I have 3 HP's in my house and they all serve their purpose well, and nary a problem.

However, given the $$ range you listed, and if you want a beefier GPU, albeit with no i7 cpu, then I would recommend this Asus at Bestbuy:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+...lack/9556125.p?id=1218124208054&skuId=9556125

A lot of positive reviews for it, and I would have bought it for my son if it was available in my store at Christmas. They had a demo and it was pretty sweet, but the manager wouldn't sell it. Anyway, just my 2 cents, but good luck.

 

Thanks for the advice

Link doesnt appear to be working tho.. alas.. could you retry plz? or tell me the name of the laptop? Im getting rather curious now xD

 

if ur willing to spend $300 more , there is the ASUS G73 which is a beast and there's nothing that can beat the price... For USD$1600 , u get a core i7 quad , ATI 5870 , fastest mobile card with DirectX 11 , full HD screen , 8GB RAM and Blue ray... nothing that hp offers can beat this... if ur going to game , this laptop will last way longer than the hp... Somemore i don't recommend hp pavilions as they overheat and overpriced for what they offer. Only problem with this ASUS is that u need to wait till middle to late feb for it to come out... u can only pre-order it now but its worth the wait.

 

For that price I would rather get an ASUS N61JQ-A1 ($1065)

It's a little cheaper, it has better specs, and it's not an HP - you can't beat that combination

 

ASUS G72GX, trying link again:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+...lack/9556125.p?id=1218124208054&skuId=9556125

 

!!!Warning!!! DO NOT BUY HP !!!Warning!!!

Had an HP pavillion 17", whose Nvidia 7600go GPU took a crap on me, 2 months after warranty expired. Come to find out, it was one of the imfamous defective gpu's. HP wanted close to $500 bucks to fix, with the same defective gpu ............I told them I'd rather spend that money on a real notebook, specs below !

HP Forums, GPU complaints link : http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Display-and-video/hp-dv9500-screen-problem/td-p/30856


You have been warned !!!

 

+1 for asus n61jq

 

i still say that ASUS G73 is better... gives way better performance although more expensive... u also get dual hard drive and way more..

 

WARNING II, WARNIG II
I will NEVER buy a HP product again. The hinge of my Pavillion 9085broke, which was even admitted to be a flaw in the product according to HP. Except mine broke 2 months too late... So I tried customer service but they denied everything and told me the extra warrenty??? (how can you give "extra" warrenty if your product has design error) for the specific problem had just expired. I had to pay more then $450/€300 to even adress the problem. IMO if the product has a design error, you should fix the problem, I had a near useless laptop after this issue! Hopefully you wouldn't buy a HP.

For the graphic card part; it's always interresting to know if your card is upgradable (MXM). This does not only makes it possible to expand your laptops lifespan but also contibutes to a healthier enviroment.

 

These anecdotes from individuals on various HP laptop defects don't really say much about their products, but for laptops you should consider a model that can keep cool. For gaming, a laptop with a cooling system designed for the powerful components that it will contain is an absolute must.

The major manufacturers like HP and Dell always do the bare minimum in terms of implementing an adequate cooling solution, often for the simple reason of cutting costs. Consider getting an Asus or Sager for your computing purposes.

 

Again..................WARNING!!! DO NOT BUY HP WARNING!!!

Here is the link, for HP's OWN forum, on nothing but complaints on their defective GPU's and disgruntled customers ! It will take awhile to load, don't think HP likes people looking at this particular forum and as you can see complaints started on 10/02/08 all the way through today ! Read just a few of these post and you will change your mind on purchasing any HP product !

http://forums13.itrc.hp.com/service...47627+1264634866849+28353475&threadId=1274587

!!! You have been warned again !!!

 

This problem was related to Nvidia's shortcomings when it came to responsibly outsourcing the manufacturing of their products, not HP's failure as a company. Every laptop with the 8th generation Nvidia series is suffering from the issue you're yelling about.

 

Yes, but what has HP done other than shut people down even though they are well aware of the defective GPU issue. Instead a company like ASUS not only has replaced the defective Nvidia GPU's, but at instances has completely replaced peoples older laptops with never generation systems to make up for the defect. There is a reason why ASUS is on the very top of the list for reliability and service while HP is on the bottom.

 

Did you know Nvidia gave HP, Dell and others $$MILLIONS$$ of dollars because of the defective gpu's, that apparentely HP did not want to pass onto affected customers, via repairs ?

Did you know there is still a class action lawsuit going on against Nvidia.............HP and others, as we speak !

Did you know that even if I did pay HP almost $500.00 dollars to fix the problem, they would have replaced it with the same motherboard, using the same defective gpu ?

Did you know HP issued a BIOS update to make the fan run on high .................all the time, because of the defective GPU ?

Did you know that HP was ONLY repairing notebooks, that were out of warranty, IF they had an AMD cpu........................why?..................you tell me .....................HP couldn't !

So , yes every time HP is mentioned , I will voice my opinion about them, and as I'm the local tech guru for family and friends, I gladly steer them and anyone else, who mentions HP, away from any of their products.

So please don't tell me HP didn't have a hand in POOR customer service !!!

And if you notice below, I now own a real notebook ! No HP crap for me !

 

Second that. The Support is very POOR if you are having problems.
I went with Dell and it was much better, (Maybe because I bought a real laptop this time, without cheap crappy components).

 

Agreed here! Down with Hp , I'm nver buying it again! Go ASUS G73

 

Perhaps you guys are right about the Nvidia issue in particular.

 

I own a dv5 and im pretty satisfied with it, i game on it regularly and the processor doesn't pass 68 degrees C, the gpu doesn't go higher then 80. It doesn't really matter what brand does the notebook come from, as long as you take care of it. I undervolted it, i bought a notebook cooling pad and i clean the fans once at 3 months, some people are cleaning them more often. Mine is already 1 year old and its still like new, never had an issue with it.
There are certain things that i don't like about it, such as the fingerprint "magnet" and the need to keep a microfiber cloth handy, but in rest its doing it's job well. Im pretty sure it will last me 4 years at last, considering how much i stress it.
One thing that doesn't worth it, is usually the price, wich is pretty big considering the price/perfomance ratio, i bought this one cause it was the best deal i could get, it's refurbished, got it for ~800$ in very good condition, in the box and still in warranty. Other then that, its a really good notebook, and it really looks good.

 

You know they're not meant to last that long.

 

What do you mean? It should last, i take good care of it.

 

I should have used more careful phrasing; its not designed to last that long.

 

I believe any notebook, if taken care of properly , should last a minimum of 3 years, before a component failure !

 

Hey guys, sorry its taken me so long to reply again.

Wow.. there have been a lot of posts in the mean time!

Did those of you who got 'screwed' by HP buy extra warranty when you bought the laptop? Just curious. (Ive been reading up and the free warranty with any brand of laptop ive seen looks like it really sucks. Im not such a warranty freak, but im quite convinced that laptops are a good exception..)

I must say, that im not entirely convinced by these warnings.. no offence. Ive been using a pavilion laptop alot who's owner got it via his brother and has had it for something like 2 and half years. Its still one of the better laptops out there and it hasnt slowed down a bit. it runs incredibly smoothly. Which i've got to admit i havent yet experienced with other brand laptops.
(and im really hoping the laptop i get will last me about 4 years.. as i wont be able to afford a new one till then..)

So, before I'm blinded by this one great example - as well as lvnatic's - id really like to hear a bit more about how it went wrong from ThaDutchy and rdalev. (And ThaDutchy - please dont get me started on Dell.. im sooo incredibly pissed with Dell.. If there is one brand i will never get again its Dell. And i feel really sorry for those who've loved Alienware pcs, because thanks to Dell taking over they are already feeling a lot of pain.. lol.) Hmmm.. thinking of it that way i cant help but wonder if there is a single brand out there that hasnt received huge complaints!


After reviewing all your suggestions as well poking around on the interwebs.. i find myself going a bit soft for the HP 17.3" Pavilion dv7-3080us Entertainment Laptop.. xD
Intel Core i7-720QM : NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M : 6 GB-8GB : 500 GB :etc. (see http://www.laptopspec.net/2009/10/hp-pavilion-dv7-3080us-17-3-inch-laptop/ ) and definitely in my price range. Any comments? Last time i checked it was completely sold out.. so now is your chance to stop me xD

 

lol for that price , get Asus G73... u won't have blue ray but u might have the best gaming rig on the planet...the 5870 beats even GTX280M SLI when overclocked... That hp won't even come close... also it would certainly run cooler than the hp... ur choice really... i stick to my guns...

 

And I'm a firm believer that an individual can spend his money ,any way he see's fit.................even if it's foolishly !

Did you even take the time to view the link I provided earlier concerning HP's customer service ? I'll give it to you one last time !

http://go.notebookreview.com/?id=52...and-video/hp-dv9500-screen-problem/td-p/30856

 

Okay guys.. before you get too excited please note that the only reason why i can afford that laptop is because i know how to get it for about $400 cheaper than that link i posted said it was worth. xD

yeh been reading the forum from that link, but please tell me: did you just have the free warranty? Or did you buy warranty too? Because if you only had the free stuff then i can really understand the $300-400.. as terrible as I can imagine the experience was for you.
if you were still on bought warranty then that really really sucks and i should definitely make note of it and do some more research on HP customer service, cuz that doesnt sound good at all..

 

how much is that Asus?

 

Some things you need to understand. No, I did not purchase the extended warranty. IMO, any electronic appliance should last a minimum of 3 years before a component breaks down.

The component that broke down in my dv9000 was an Nvidia "SELF-DESCRIBED" defective gpu ! HP knew about this problem because they issued a bios up-date that would keep the fans running on high, which they're NOT suppose to do, so as to hopefully prolong the life of the defective gpu, until after the customers standard warrnaty was up ! Then they can burn the customer for another $500 to "Temporarily" fix the problem !

Nvidia gave $$ MILLIONS $$ of dollars to HP, Dell and other affected manufacturers to fix the "Defective GPU" issue, which apparentely HP decided to put in the bank, issue a temporary fix, bios update, then charge customers to replace the defective GPU with guess what..................the same defective GPU.

Now you can look at it any way you want to, but HP knew about the problem, tried to hide it via the constant fan on high update, took Nvidia's money for repairs and never passed it on to affected customers....................in my book, that's known as "-POOR" customer service !

In closing, I've owned 4 notebooks HP, Gateway, Dell and now Sager...............guess which one takes the bottom spot on my "Best-Of" list !

BTW...........that old saying is true..............."You get what you pay for!"

 

I think only dell and apple offered extended warranty for nvidia gpu. Lenovo and Hp didn't.

 

A few of Lenovo's T61 laptops suffered from that problem in using the G84 core (Quadro 140M), but the thermal design was so much better in that model. The result is that the rate of video failure was much, much lower among Lenovo's laptops. Apple's computers offered the same story.

In my opinion, the Nvidia fabrication defect was further exacerbated by the poor thermal design and general quality of HP and Dell notebooks.

 

I own a dv8t and have owned and loved Asus. Here is the breakdown.
I ended up paying under 1k for my dv8t shipped after taxed on cyber Monday.
The 230m thus-far has worked great to game on (Aion,ME2,MW2, and a few older games).

The reason i went with the HP over the Asus (at the time) was the price.
You just couldn't get a i7, blue-ray, 1900x1080, two hard drive bays (tossed a ssd in one bay). And it performs great.

for the same price (1k), you could get a c2d machine that would kill it in gaming, but no dual bays, a smaller screen,and a lower resolution screen i think..

I really wanted the i7m ..

All the problems that I have seen with this machine has occurred when I decided to mess with or update something. But the machine out of the box worked flawless..

It just comes down to how much you want to spend. Does hp customer care suck. yes. does it suck that they don't seem to test their driver updates.. yes... but, for me it came down to what was cheapest.

If my uses were 100% gaming.. id go with Asus.
Because I only game only 20% of the time, i went with HP.... and used the left over money to buy a new gps, tint the wife's car, and fund a trip to Vegas...

So, my advise is figure-out 1. figure out how much you want to spend. 2. decide what you use the computer for. 3. figure out exactly what features you need. once you have done that, make a list and pick one

Someone pointed out to me, that I could have build a desktop for gaming and gotten a lesser laptop for less then the 1500 that i was planning on spending on a Asus gaming laptop. That was what originally made me reevaluate my plan

 

It $1400 for the base X1 model but that seems to have a lot of problems... personally , i would get the A1 model which is $1600... Comes with Core i7 720qm quad , ATI 5870 , Blue ray , 2X500GB hard drives etc... the X1 has a single 320GB hard drive and normal DVD drive... but it seems to have problems.. A1 or A2 is the version u want to get...