P7805u NOT 1920X1200

First, greetings. I've lurked around here for quite a while but never really had a reason to post until now.

Just bought a P7805u from the local BB and much to my dismay, when I got it home it's native resolution is indeed, as advertised, 1440X900 and I'm rather disappointed to say the least.

So I guess this laptop is still a great deal for the price even with the lower res screen but I can't help but feel a bit underwhelmed.

Any suggestions as to how I may proceed? Can I go back and swap it for another unit? Will I get hit with a restocking fee? Does this mean that Gateway has "fixed" the problem and now I'm SOL? I have to image there are still units out there with the better screens just a matter of where and how I might find one.

Any replies / insights would be appreciated.

 

Not to say you don't know what you are doing, but are you sure? Did you check nvidia control panel and see if you can change the resolution hight?

 

I understand what you're saying and while I'm not an expert by any means I would say I'm definitely above average in the ability department.

I right click and get into the NVIDIA Control Panel where I immediately see the display resolution maxed out at 1440X900.

I tried creating a custom resolution in the 'manage custom resolutions' section but 1920X1200 'fails' the test and it resets to the original 1440X900.

Please by all means if I'm missing something, then let me know.

EDIT* further, when looking at the change flat panel scaling section it states "Native resolution: 1440X900, Current resolution: 1440X900"

 

Could you do control panel -> system -> device manager -> monitors -> double click on the monitor -> details -> drop down to "hardware ids", and post the monitor model listed?

 

Argh.. it's MONITOR\LPLA103

Here's to me, the ONE person in all of America to find the 1440X900 needle in this very large haystack. /sigh

 

Hi Rossman26. We feel your pain. I could suggest ebay or such but then again.

 

really sorry to hear....

 

Yea I appreciate that. Sucks.

Still would like to hear from any of the BB folks that are on here so if any of you come across this, give some of your insight would ya please?

I'll call BB in the morning but I can't imagine they're going to be too awful responsive considering the ed box says 1440X900. Can't really explain to them, 'well I know that's what it said but I was hoping to exploit a Gateway mess-up and since this one wasn't one of the mess-ups, could I get another and try again? paaahleeese?'

I'd gladly pay the restocking fee at this point if I could get the higher res screen.

 

Most likely you got the new shipment which I assume will be all WXGA.

 

yea that's what I assume and sitll, it's a good system. May call around and see if I can locate a different batch number. This one was a distinctly different number from the others I saw on here.

Thanks again.

 

I'd say go for it.

 

looks like it's time for me to go to bestbuy to grab one of these babies

 

You don't want WUXGA?

 

my local BBY still have the old stock... 5 pieces... was holding off purchase to make sure that it is not just a listing error... and also do you think it is wise to have 2 laptops? I really like my 7811 refurb at this point... no ghosting, white light leakage, just a buzzing ac adapter(I will get a new one from gateway). Warranty wise my refurb's warranty ends at 10/19/2009.. so there's more than 3 months..

 

If the BB where you purchased has a 7805 display model with 1920x1200 screen, you should be able to argue that you expected your system to have the same configuration as the display model. Since it does not, you should be entitled to a full refund with no restocking fee.

 

that's not a good thing....

I ordered one at 10pm EST. I was sold mainly for the screen resolution + graphics. Not quite sure if I have the old batch or not. It was available on the site for pickup at the best buy location I chosen (cambridge, massachusetts). But now, it says product unavailable so I am assuming I bought the last one...any possible way to find out if its WUXGA without opening the box? Will be picking it up tomorrow morning.

 

I agree. Check back and see if your BBY has the 1920x1200 res model. If it does you have a very valid argument to return your WXGA res computer. You can also ask your BBY salesperson if they can check other regional store stock for you. If you can find another BBY store that has the higher res model on display, take your computer back to that store and return it. Good luck!

 

Wow! My WUXGA+ 7805 just shot up in value and is now an official collector's item

As an aside, I actually removed the 7805 from my short list when I saw it on display this past Sunday. I saw the the misprinted resolution spec and didn't think twice. But the 9800GTS card got my attention and this is when I did research and found this forum. I had the 7805 in my hands 12 hours later...and I got the last one at that store.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Rossman26. I am sorry you didn't get one of the higher spec ones. Maybe you can return it and state that it was acting up and you want to exchange it. But do it at another store and check the Batch numbers before you take the new unit. You have nothing to lose.

 

No. Be sure to open the computer before you purchase it (or right after and while still in the store) and verify that the screen is 1920x1200. The manager/supervisor should allow you to do so if you have a valid concern about the true resolution and are very neat at opening the sticker on the box.

Also, be sure to check what type display it is... LG or AUO. I'd like to know if Gateway is still shipping the LG displays or not. (To check the monitor type go to control panel/system/device manager/monitors. then select the monitor and hit details.)

 

Will do, going there first thing tomorrow morning (picking it up before going to work). Thanks for the tip also with checking the res, with MA being in the east coast as well, there is a slight chance I might be getting the new batch.

 

Greetings, echow187 from one Bostonian to another !

You really can't tell till you open up the box and boot it up. I got the last 7805 from the Braintree, MA store this Monday and it has the the WUXGA+ display. Perhaps the lower Batch Numbers indicate the more desirable screens. Mine was H366708. And they seem to be increasing as people buy them in succession. Check out the thread of Display Batch numbers below.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=338221

dsc888

 

i got mine today and its a 1920x1200 LG!

 

For some reason, I feel like we need a screen shot etc. First post with a bomb like this! Can you please send couple of pictures?

 

We had a report of a 1440x900 on ocforums, do you have the batch # from the sticker on the box so it can be added to the screen thread to be avoided?

 

@Alitunay.. I only wish I was just messing around with you... Here's a screen shot.. please note the circled portion that clearly states my lower native resolution.

 

I wish you were. Now I have to open the boxes and check them one by one. Can you give us the batch number? That may help.

 

seeing as im one of the fortunate ones with 1920x1200, dose this mean our lappys are now worth a million? vynle

 

On the plus side you can play you games on your screen's native resolution and max a lot of stuff. To some (matter of preference) that may look better, as displaying a lower resolution on a higher-res screen can look worse (theoretically it'd be preferable to view all material you see at the same native resolution as the screen you are viewing it from). :/ Not a res expert, but I was studying to be an ophthalmologist, so theoretically to me that makes sense (and holds true in some regards, an example being standard-def programs on an hdtv...though processing can help it look better, it still won't look as good blown up or displaying on a screen with a higher-resolution due to scaling issues with current display technology).


:/

Sorry though, trying to give you a bright-side if you don't return it.

 

I was thinking the exact same thing. If all 7805's from now on will have the lower resolution, can you imagine all the 1920x1200's that are going to show up on eBay in the next couple of days? They're already going for over $1200 in anticipation of the price increase at the end of the sale period.

 

I'm one of those who would prefer the 7805 with the 1440x900 resolution.

But that's just how I roll.

 

too bad the laptop isn't 1680x1050...1440x900 is pretty big for a mobile 17", but then again, I'm on a desktop 30" lcd @ 2560x1600

Just 6 more hours till Best Buy opens and I can go pick up my *unknown res* laptop.

 

Thats true about the WXGA might run games more clear rather than lowering WUXGA+. But right now this machine runs everything maxed at 1920x1200 besides GTAIV and Crysis. So in the future the WXGA might be better for gaming, but not right now.

 

it's worth about $100 to $150 more than the lower resolution version.

 

after reading this thread.

I will be picking my 2 up at Best Buy right away. this is crazy!

P.S. They are both paid for already and reserved for me with my name on them. Just have to take an hour drive to pick them up.

 

Are you in MA also and which bb did you get them at?

 

I got mine yesterday,LG panel but I wont be able to check what resolution I got for a couple of hour. Can anyone tell me what panel you got with your 1440x900?

 

yes.... i'm in MA

 

I picked up my 7805u at the Braintree BB location (Grossman Drive) last Monday. I think I got the last one though (I literally had to look at the stock in the cage to find it). No other BB's in the immediate area had them in stock.

Just looking really quick online, it looks like the Taunton MA, South Bay, and Landmark Center locations has some in stock. No idea if it's the 1920x1200 or the 1440x900 model.

 

As an FYI, I bought one of these last night from one of the local best buy stores (in st. louis, only a couple stores had them in stock). It is the 1920x1200, and it is a brand new shipment that just came in yesterday. So, dont know for sure, but at least this new shipment has the 1920x1200. Has a made date of 11.17 I think.

 

From the first page of this thread, it was an MONITOR\LPLA103, which is an LG Philips panel. So, at least they are using a better panel.

 

So if I got the lg panel,it's safe to assume I got the 1920x1200?

 

No, as I just stated the LG panel also being used for the lower resolution panel.

 

Even if you get the low res, which looks great too, you can always plug in a monitor to it and get 1680 x 150 on a 22", it looks awesome

 

You said Lg and philips unlike LG only on the 1920x. anyway the one I got is fortunately a 1920x1200. unfortunately I got it as a present for my brother and I decided I want to get one for myself too,but now the screen res is 1440x...

 

Hi there!

I bought mine 01/06/2009 at a local bb store in seattle.
the batch number was I002930. the guy at bb said they had 8 units left.

when I got home I opened it up and the screen was an AUO1088.

kind of made me sad, but what really started to make me even more sad where two issues that I found on the unit that I bought.

the screen if looked at it from right to left had a vertical discolored line (about an inch wide) that ran from top to bottom of the screen.

the other issue was a constant clenching of the HD's heads on the HD's plate. really annoyng but that also made me think: maybe the noise indicates this device will soon stop working.

so I ran a few applications and games to test the machine anyways, and despite the annoyances the PC was running just fine. cpu temps were really low compared to my 7811fx. gpu temps were a little higher but also on my 7811fx the gpu's fan would start to kick in as soon as the temps would reach 46 and then would bring it down to 36. personally, I didn't have an issue with that and also BIOS 9c.12 fixed the loud fan noises on my 7811.

I was afraid of exchangin the 7805u I just bought, cause I remember that I had to change my 7811 twice for REAL issues like BIG TIME crashes and other random things. so, since this one was working well I thought that if I would have exchanged it I could have gotten a defective one for REAL, or even worse, to get one with the 1440x900 screen. BTW, I feel really sorry for who got it. I understand your pain, but the reason I am writing this message is becasue maybe I have good news for those living in washington state, or let's say, just in the seattle area and sourroundings.

first I'll finish telling my experience.

so I checked the batch number and found the I002930 on the tag and wrote down the number. the next day I went to work and when I got back home I took the 7805u to the same bb local store (BTW was the one in the seattle northgate area) and explained the kind of issues I was experiencing to the customer support people. one guy took a look at it and he aggreed to let me have a new one.

only one full day had passed and there were left 2units only out of the 8 that I found the former day (excluding the one the I got).

these deals run fast!!

the new unit had the same batch number so I didn't bother asking the guy to take the ladder again and check for the last unit. I thought it might have been the same batch number. considering that I bought it on the 6th of this month I'm sure any one who came before that date must have looked for the LG screen.

so this time I asked if I could have opened it in front of them and check if the screen had the sme issue the other pc had. they allowed me to do so and the screen was fine this time. maybe a little bit of non uniform areas but definitely nothing like the previous unit. also I didn't hear any clenching of the HD and I decided to take it home with me.

the following day I called at a bb store in bellvue WA and asked if they had any units available. the person said yes, "14 UNITS LEFT". at first I thought she said 4 so I had to ask her again, but I did hear right the first time. so I asked her if someone could tell me the batch number casue I wanted to exchange my unit with one that possibly had the LG screen. the guy who took the ladder to check the 7805u's batch numbers said he wasn't gonna check them all, only two of them. I thought that was reasonable and thanked him for the trouble. so with my surprise the two units had the same batch number my pc has (and the one I exchanged as well) I002930.

the reason I am writing is becasue maybe for anyone out there thinking that they missed the deal becasue of the new units coming up soon, you could give it a try and call the bb store in bellvue and ask for the units with the I002930 batch number.

it won't have an LG screen on it, but at this point who cares. I am just happy I didn't exchange it for a 1440x900 one.

so go ahead and check out if they had any left. I called on thursday and they had 14 units left. maybe they all are I002930.

I figured that trying to be too greedy doesn't lead anywhere. so I am rather happy with this new one.

I am still testing it for stability. everything is good so far.

I will give my 7811fx to my father for his birthday as a present.

I hope this helped anyone out there.

oh, one very last thing. I know that the quality of the LG screen is better than the AUO ones, but for those looking to get the same kind of brightness (I've seen one at a bb store on display), you can try to fake it by just changing the gamma value in the nvidia display properties from 50+ (default) to 56+, anything higher than 56+ will make you lose some unnoticeable color tone, but you can notice it if looking at it from bottom to top of the screen as you change the values. again, you won't have LG's screen quality but certainly you'll have a nice increase in luminosity. don't mess up with the brightness vaule, becasue you loose noticeable color tone by just increments of 2+ (not worth it).

 

Happy ending to my story at least..

Went to another BB about 20 minutes away that had one display left. My hunch being that if it was their display it may have been there a while and still be one of the 1920X1200's.. Long story short, it was and I promptly returned my 1440X900 model for that one.

They didn't charge me the restocking fee but this display model was "optimized" and had a recovery CD made so they charged me for that 'service' which still cost $60. Lame but a small price to pay for getting the higher res screen.

For what it's worth it has an LG screen as well.

Good luck to any others who may be in the same situation. Call around and do a little homework.. as the pickings get slimmer I'll be willing to wager the floor models will soon become a prime source for the better monitors.

Thanks for everyone's advice and words of encouragement. I appreciate it.

Now I'm off to redo everything I did to it last night.

 

Congrats! Rossman26.... pretty nice how things turn out for you!

 

LG and LG Philips are the same. I used LG Philips to help explain the "LPL" in the hardware device ID...that's all....

 

What exactly does Best Buy do to "Optimize" your computer? I am just curios, do they follow the NBR steps?

 

Congarts Rossman26