*HP EliteBook 8440p/w Owners Lounge*

Does the fan still constantly blowing with the VT being turned off ?

 

Hi,

I can't seem to find a definitive answer to this -

Will the 8440p/w models dock on the older HP docking stations, specifically the 2008 model KP080AA (for 6930p/8530p etc) and EN488AA (for 6910p/8510p etc)? Has anyone tried this?

Z

 

Hi,

Has any one tried to put 4GB module for 6GB total RAM ?
I was wondering if such configuration (mixing dimms) would work ok ...

regards
buster

 

What's the reliability on HP's Elitebooks? I'm highly interested in the 8440p, but HP's general lack of reliability keeps me at bay...

 

I had similar thoughts when I was looking at the elitebooks, but I've read on here that HP's business line of laptops are much better in terms of build quality and such than their consumer models and from my few weeks of experience I agree. The build quality of mine is really good, it feels very solid.

 

How about the thermal management in this machine ? does the fan blows non-stop even on a simple task like surfing the web ? I hv a few elitebooks in the past that has this overheat problem..... and I can almost the fan is turned on all the time, even if I am just browsing the internet.

 

When just surfing the web or doing similar light tasks there is some light noise, but I believe it is just the HDD humming and unless I'm in a completely silent room I don't notice it at all. I never had the fan always on issue as some reported here.

As for heat, it stays pretty cool, I've used it quite a bit on my lap and it just feels warm, not hot. It seems to just heat up when I'm either stressing the CPU or charging the battery and using it at the same time.

 

can i ask a perhaps silly question?

the 8440p is listed as 14.0 screen on the HP website yet the resolution is 1600x900 which I think it is a widescreen resolution?

Is there a type error on the website where the screen size should be 14.1 instead??

 

I don't believe so - it's a 16:9 format display, as opposed to the 16:10 format found in most business widescreens (and the common 14.1" size).

 

both 16:9 and 16:10 are widescreen formats though, no?

 

Just curious what the differences are between the 8440w and 8440p besides the graphics card? Is there a real performance difference between the Nvidia Quadro FX 380m and the Nvidia NVS 3100 both with 512mb?

I'd being spending most of my time processing RAW photos in Lightroom and working in After Effects and Premiere.

I was looking at getting an Envy 14 but I can't get the config I want in Canada so now I'm thinking about one of these setups:

EliteBook 8440p
i5-520
250gb 7200 HD
2gb ram
Nvidia NVS 3100 512mb
14.0" LED-backlit HD anti-glare screen @ 1366x768

- $1224.00 Canadian + tax (I'd put in another 2gb for $60 myself)

or

EliteBook 8440w
i7-620
320gb 7200 HD
4gb ram
Nvidia Quadro FX 380m 512mb
14.0" LED-backlit HD+ anti-glare screen @ 1600 x 900

- $1639 Canadian + tax

Thanks.

EDIT - Updated prices as the are cheaper once you try to purchase the laptops. Also, I think the 8440w is the version I would go for. If I can't find a way to get a Envy 14 BTO I think the EliteBook will be my next laptop.

 

Is anyone running linux on their 8440p? I'm thinking about dual booting with Windows7 and Linux, not sure about which distro to use though. Are there any problems with heat and battery life/noise?

 

Yes, but when you go to 16:9 the screen becomes 14.0". Here's a comparison between 14.1" 4:3 SXGA+, 14.1" 16:10 WXGA+, and 14.0" 16:9 HD+.

TV Calculator

 

Can any 8440w owners comment on how the laptop performs with media playback? I read a review that mentioned the laptop wasn't very good for multimedia playback which I find odd considering the specs. Most anything I want on my laptop now is either video podcasts from iTunes or DivX files.

Also, to any Canadian 8440w owners, does it ship with the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Pro?

Thanks. Really trying to figure out if I should go with the 8440w or Envy 14.

 

It's 32-bit, but I believe you can contact HP and they will send you a 64-bit disk if you need one, I just used a 64-bit copy of Windows 7 Professional that I already had.

 

So did you just reinstall Windows from the Win 7 64-bit disk HP sent you? I have a Win 7 Pro 64-bit upgrade disk but I'm not sure how much of a hassle that will be. Do you guys think I'd have any trouble requesting a Win 64-bit from HP if I bought from another reseller (they are listed as a business partner via HP's site)?

 

Basically, except it wasn't a disk from HP. It was just a plain Windows 7 Pro 64-bit disk from Microsoft that I had purchased a while ago for a different computer. You just need to use the activation key thats located on the bottom of the computer and you should be ok.

The only hassle for me was installing the drivers after. My laptop didnt seem to sense the ethernet connection without any drivers so I had to download the drivers on a different pc, put them on a thumb drive and install them from there.

Also, I had to use Microsoft's automated phone thing to activate Windows.

Shouldn't be any trouble, just may take a little while for the disk to get to you.

 

Guys, I need some help/feedback.

I am thinking to buy 8440p. However I have a few questions which only owners can answer.

1) I heard that it gets hot. Is that correct?
2) The fan is noisy. Is it?
3) How is the screen/picture quality?


I would really appreciate if you can provide some guidance to me and let me know the pros and cons of this particular laptop. I am currently using Sony Vaio FZ210.

Would highly appreciate your help. Thanks

 

Placed my order for an 8440w today, hopefully it will arrive Friday. First thing to do is wipe the drive and install Windows 7 Pro 64-bit.

Any advice if I should use the Win Pro 7 upgrade disc I have or download the a full iso from MSDN (the legal links provided on this site)? My upgrade disc has it's own serial number so do I use that or the one on the bottom of the laptop? Would it matter for warranty with HP?

Thanks guys.

 

1) I find it really only gets hot when I am charging the battery and using the laptop at the same time. I have not done any gaming or stressed the CPU much, but under normal load (web browsing, watching a video on youtube, chatting on MSN etc.) it stays cool. When it does get hot its really only the bottom of the laptop that warms up. The touchpad and keyboard as well as the space beside the touchpad doesn't get very warm.

2) Its not super quiet, in a quiet room you will hear it, but I wouldn't call it loud. I don't notice it though if I have the TV on or if I am listening to some music.

3) I have the 8440w with the 1600x900 res screen and it is really good. The picture is sharp and the contrast is good. The colors are okay, but you can adjust those if you like. I think there are some settings a few pages back you can use in the control panel to improve it.

The only really bad thing about the screen is the viewing angles.

Assuming the serial number for the disk you have has already been used for a different computer, you will need to use the one on the bottom of the laptop.

 

Many Thanks....

 

I have never used the serial on the Win 7 Pro 64-bit upgrade disc. I was going to use it on my current laptop but never got around to it.

Also a question about drivers for the 8440w and Win 7 64-bit. The drivers on the recovery partition would be 32-bit drivers so my understanding is I will have to download 64-bit drivers from HP's web site.

 

Well, it may still be better to use the one of the bottom of the laptop since it's there. You'll always know that key belongs to that laptop and that laptop uses that key

I downloaded all of the drivers from HP. Just note that you may need to download them on a different computer and load them onto either a USB key or cd as I could not get the ethernet port or wireless to function on a fresh install.

 

Will do. Does that mean I can get rid of the recovery partition? I still plane on making the recovery DVDs as soon as I get the machine, but I'm guessing that those DVDs will still require that recovery partition people have mentioned in this forum.

 

So I just got my 8440w, surprised to see Windows XP on it by default, I though it shipped with an XP DVD to downgrade with. Any way there are two DVDs with the 8440w, one labelled Operating System DVD Windows 7 Professional and Application and Driver Recovery DVD (for Windows 7).

Does this mean I don't need to make recovery discs? I really don't care about Windows XP at all and want to install Windows 7 Pro 64-bit which I own and unused copy of.

Also, do I need to download the 64-bit drivers or can I use the ones provided on the Application and Driver Recovery DVD (for Windows 7)?

Thanks, the system is still going through its initial setup so I haven't had a chance to play with it yet but as for the hardware it all seems very nice. Looking forward to playing with it, err, I mean getting some work done!

 

Just put in an order for a 8440p, thanks for all the comments here.
My 7 year old Acer TM800 is still great, but doesn't cut it for processing video anymore.
Looking for something that would be portable, have some power, a decent screen, and decent battery life is hard! Also in Japan right now, so I'm having to use a shipping forward service. Lots of great systems here, but screen resolutions are usually 1366x768 and the Japanese keyboard layout has a spacebar that's too small.
Came down to being between the Sony Z and the 15" Unibody MBP. 18% off CTO orders really pushed it over the edge, along with a non-island-style keyboard and the build quality reputation. This Acer has lasted a while since I was always afraid to bring it anywhere.

Anyone have any battery life numbers for the 9-cell?
Looks like it'll take a while before it ships, and then even longer before it gets here, but at least the process has been initiated.

 

Just a note that I got Windows 7 Pro 64-bit on the 8440w without any issues, it actually took a lot less time then I was expecting. So far I am really digging this laptop. Like the look of it, love the keyboard, even the trackpad is nice IMO.

The screen is taking some time to get use to, but that's because I'm trying to get my older Dell 20" LCD to match the HP. It's also taking some tome to get use to the matte screen which I do like.

First impressions are very positive. Fast, built very well, not loud at all (compared to my Asus G1S), even stays fairly cool. Glad I went with it, all I still want to do is get an SSD drive in here but that may not happen for a few months.

 

hey i have a random question - i just did a clean install of windows 7 professional x64 on my 8440p and am not sure about whether or not to install software like hp protect tools, 3d driveguard, etc. Which of these do you guys find useful?

 

I setup an HP 8440w for a customer, and went with a Patriot Inferno SSD.
Did that thing rock...amazing speeds. Anyone else using a Patriot Inferno SSD?

Sorry, no stats to backup my claim, but after installing W7 x32, and Office 2010, autocad, etc...it really screams.
Just had to make sure to turn off defrag in scheduling.

 

I just got my shipping notice from HP for my 8440p. I cannot wait!

How long does it usually take with standard shipping from the time of the notice?

 

8440W owners-I have a couple of quick questions:
1) does your 8440 travel easily? if you travel with yours often do you find it portable enough
2) If you were to choose from an 8440W, Panasonic F9, or Lenovo T 410s (or just 410) which would you choose.

I have a thread in the which notebook to buy forum; however, since posting that, I have really narrowed things down and am liking the 8440w quite a bit.

I am looking for something to use every night for 2-3 hours at home for web surfing, emails, word and other office composition. Additionally, this will travel with me most mornings into the office and on location for data collection, analysis, database management, etc. The nightly usage has me wanting at least a 14 inch screen, the daily commuting has me looking for portable and durable options.

Any feedback would be GREATLY appreciated

 

I'll reply to myself -- the estimated arrival date was 8/10 from the time of ordering, and then on the shipment notice it said expected delivery is 8/6... and then it showed up a day early on 8/5!

First impressions are very good!

Things I like so far: keyboard, display, overall build.

Things I need to get used to: small trackpad, but I'm 90% accustomed to it after just an hour of using it. It is far better than the Envy 14's misplaced, overly sensitive, oversized touchpad.

Things I need to get used to THAT ARE COMPLETELY MY OWN ISSUE: My last four notebooks over the past 12 years were a Dell Insprion 8000 (?), Thinkpad T41, Dell Inspiron E1505, and Dell Latitude D630 -- the PgUp/PgDn/Home/End/Ins/Del were arranged the same way on all of them. Now... computer manufacturers are putting them in a column down the right edge of the keyboard.


Overall, this notebook is exacty what I expected it to be. After years of Dell and IBM/Lenovo, HP is a big change for me but the first impressions are very, very good. The impressions are so good that I will consider HP desktops for my company now...

 

Hi PsychProf,
To your questions:
1) I am carrying it outside only from time to time. This will change as soon I begin to travel. It feels really light.
2) I already made my choice. On my list I had the sony vaio z (newest version), the dell (m2400) and the elitebook (8440w). I own the hp 8440w (pre configured version) since July 20th after 2 months waiting time! I think I made the right choice. The only three negative issues according to me are: poor vertical viewing angle, small trackpad and good but not great GPU. I can live very well with these issues knowing that all other aspects are simply world class. About the panasonic F9 I was really impressed by the weight. I guess with the config-option you could get an i7 processor too. By the way if you do not take advantage of the quadro GPU, the faster processor and the larger Battery you could be happy with the less expensive 8440p which is very impressive too. Have a nice day.

 

Congrats on getting your new Elitebook! After you have gotten to spend some time with it, I'd be interested to hear how the build quality compares to the IBM/Lenovos you've had in the past.

 

Thanks for your feedback James. I am glad to hear the 8440 feels light. I know that if I bought one, it would be lighter than my current notebooks; however, it weighs in a bit 1-1.5lbs heavier than the other ones I was considering.

At the same time, I think the styling of the Elitebooks in general (and the 8440W in particular) are great and the tradeoff of a bit more weight for a seriously tough laptop is probably worth it for most.

 

I spent all of last night copying files over (waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much music in my collection) and surfing the web, then doing some spreadsheet work.

Here are some examples of the build quality, after using the laptop for a few days.

1. Hinges. There is virtually ZERO "play" with the display -- it doesn't move at all back/forth when it is open. I'm going to check on this periodically to see how long it stays that way.

2. Solid feel. There is virtually no keyboard flex, such as holding the base while it is open and carrying it (hand cupped on side of notebook).

3. Keyboard. Quiet, and seems durable. I had a few detaching keys in the past on Dells and even the Thinkpad.

4. Plastics. They seem a little more durable than the Dell Latitude.

It feels as solid, or more solid, than a Thinkpad but with a lot more style. To me, the consistently bad reviews of the Thinkpad display is what swayed me to HP's EliteBook.

When it comes to an 8440p vs. 8440w, is the only difference the GPU and the color of the case?

 

Tyler-
Thanks for the first impressions of the unit. Sounds like a well-built machine for sure.

I have mostly been comparing preconfigured units so the differences have included other upgrades that could be done to 8440p but are already built in to the 8440w I have been looking at.

 

You are welcome,
I agree 100% with you. The EliteBook-design is awesome. I think only the vaio z look as good as the EliteBook (I cannot say the same about lenovo) From your post I see you are really concerned about the weight, then to be honest with you the hp 8440w in particular may not be your ideal notebook even though I said it feels light. I named the vaio z because this is the most portable laptop I had the chance to use (at the shop). Did you take a look at the newest Elitebooks with smaller screen size (12,1") too? The configurable versions feature the same 8440w - high end processors starting at only 3.80 lb. According to me portability is very important but my ideal screen size begin at 13" being 14" the limit. I really hope the laptop you choose will meet all your expectations. All the best to you.

 

I just got the docking station (90W) and it seems more/less the same as my old D-series docking station that I used with my Latitude D630. Big bonus: always-on USB, so it will charge my iPhone without the computer being on.

I like the compact size of this docking station, but I'm leaning towards swapping it for the advanced one because it will have 6 USB ports instead of the usual 4 USB ports. The tradeoff is size... the advanced can take an add-in card, which I really don't see the need for, unless I got a high-end video card.

 

I am seriously thinking of making this my next laptop, I have a couple of questions:

1. As I understand it this computer has two DIMM memory slots that will each accomodate up to 4 GB of RAM. I also am quite certain that the 8440W comes with with only one memory module up to 4GB. Does this chipset not suppport dual channel memory operation?

2. For those owners with the 1600 x 900 screen, how good would you rate it?

3. I'm thinking of buying the preconfigured model with the I7-620, 4GB of RAM and the 1600 x 900 display. Only owners of this model care to comment pro or con.

Thanks in advance!

 

Has anyone faced any problems with the backlight, when the screen is turned off by the os and then comes back the backlight is flickering a little!

Also how is your battery life, in my 8440p with i7 620 its very short, around 2,5 hours.

 

I have the i5 CPU, so I can only comment on the screen. I really enjoy having 1600 x 900 in a 14" notebook, and those are harder and harder to find these days.

The vertical viewing angle is a bit more limited than other laptops, but overall I find the display to be very good.

Above all, I am finding the *keyboard* to be one of its strongest points, though. It's very quiet and I can type extremely fast on it.

 

Thanks Tylerw!

 

milesc3,

I'm not an owner myself. but you might wanna check out the review of the 8440w over at Anandtech. Bottom line is they find the display is ****.

 

Just wanting to way in on the 8440w.

First thing I'll mention is the screen. I will say that it does not have the best viewing angles, or rather has a very limited range. There's a sweet spot dead centre, move off it and colours start to shift almost instantly. That's the bad. The good is that it's a matte screen, is high res and is very sharp. Another con, form e was that the screen really needs to be calibrated. I used Color Eyes Display Pro and it made a huge difference. By default the my screen was too blue. It may not matter to most depending on what it is you are using the laptop for but I use it for photography so it mattered to me.

So is the screen terrible? No. It's not the best screen by any means and I will admit it the biggest con against the 8440w. But with most other laptops only offering 1366x768, even in the 15" range I was finding there wasn't a lot of good choices.

Battery life has been surprisingly good, especially compared to my now sold Asus G1S, which the 8440w replaced. I mainly leave mine plugged in but do hook it up to my HDTV to stream flash video online or watch some divx files and I can easily get 4 hours in that situation. For example, there have been a few times where my wife and I have watched a missed episode of Big Brother streaming online via the broadcasters site (so about one hour of streaming) and then I'll put on an episode of Top Gear (can say for tat!) which is sourced from a divx file, also 1 hour in length. The few times that I have done this the battery was fully charged, and when I went to move the laptop and disconnect it from the tv I still had 3.5 hours of battery left. So 2 hours of viewing video with one hour of constant wifi streaming all being pumped out to an HDTV at 1920x1080 via HDMI (via the displayport) and I still had a few hours of use left over.

I also want to add that I also digg the keyboard. Wish it was backlit but the lamp solution works well, and may actually be better for the eyes. Build quality is amazing. People can scoff all they want when I mention I bought an HP laptop but I have no issues or even concerns about build quality. Makes my old Asus feel like a toy.

Expansion options via the ports is also good. Not sure why it's so hard to find a laptop with both eSATA and a digital video out option either via HDMI or display/mini displayport. Not to mention expresscard, firewire and my model even has a sim slot, although not sure if it's functional or even how to make use of it.

Another thing worth mentioning is the 3 year warranty. That's pretty good, on paper at least. If I need to make use of it here's hoping HP's support is as good as Asus'. Although I hope to never test this.

Over all I was finding that most laptops out there now required a major sacrifice one way or another. For me the 8440w was the best fit for my needs, especially for the price range. The Sony Viao Z was another option but for it's price it was missing some key features for me. Dell had some good options in the 14" workstation range but priced much higher, and totally lacking in design and style areas. The real alternative for me was the Envy 14. But I live in Canada and trying to get a decently spec'd Envy 14 here is not an option without jumping through hoops and I don't have the time to do so.

So far I've had this for a few weeks and have been very happy with it.

 

I think you are right James. I had the chance to spend a little time with my Wife's Compaq 6910q (I think it was) which is basically the exact same dimensions of the 8440w. Even though she has had this laptop for a few years I have never really spent any time with it.

I liked the 14.1 inch size of her computer and the layout of the keyboard with the trackpoint was nice. However, it is relatively heavy as you suggest the 8440w might be. The biggest selling point for me and the Elitebook is how much you get for your money and the availability of ports for upgrades down the road. The option for a 720p screen and the chance to add an upgraded battery for marathon sessions on the road are great, but come at a price of some hefty weight.

The Panasonic is great because it sheds the weight down to 3.6lbs; however, it does not have quite versatility of the 8440w from the standpoint of customization and upgrades. It is pretty straightforward. You either get the fingerprint reader or not-that's it. You are going to get a solid, durable, and reliable computer in a small footprint and with average battery life.

The Sony Z is one that comes and goes on my list. You are right when you say that it is the most portable full performance computer option out there. It is stylish and can be configured to be an absolute beast! You get all the current hardware upgrades (or at least a lot of them) including full HD, SSD, i7, backlit keyboard, HDMI out, etc. My only concerns with the Z are short battery life for a portable computer, maybe too small screen for me to get used to, and questions about the longevity of build quality compared to the Elitebook and certainly the Panasonic.

Screen quality of the Lenovos has lead me to rule them out for the time being.

I hope to order my computer on Monday-so I have some last minute deciding to do!

Thanks again to all those 8440 users who have taken the time to post their experiences here-it is a big help.

 

Took the plunge, ordered an 8440w tonight!

 

If I'm buying a preconfigured 8440 P/W is there any reason not to purchase it from a certified HP partner/retailer. In many cases you can save some $$$. Unfortunately ordering the preconfigured model from HP I get a build date just as if I were customizing one. Surprised HP doesn't keep an inventory in the US for rapid sale, but I guess that's what partner/retailers are for. Thanks in advance!

 

Hello milesc3,

to 1: The chipset does support dual channel memory operation. To my knowledge the computer is shipped with 2x2 modules (because of the lower price). I would have preferred the 4X1 option for a future upgrade, so I will gradually update my RAM to 6GB and then to 8GB by replacing the 2GB modules within the next two years. For windows 7 (even 64 bits) 4GB RAM are more than enough. In fact with 3GB you have zero delay. Believe me, I saw it on other notebooks.
to 2: I am still calibrating it. Currently I would rate it 7/10.
to 3: I was configuring my laptop only to get an sdd. After long research I came to the conclusion the advantages are not amazing compared to the hdd. The finite read/write cycles on sdd´s disappointed me a lot, so I ordered the preconfigured model (FN093UT). By the way only this one offers the fingerprint sensor* I am really more than happy with my choice. The configuration is ideal.

I hope my information was helpful. Have a nice day.

*EDIT: According to an hp-sales-representative, the cto-version had no fingerprintsensor, so this option was not listed on the website. Meanwhile this great feature has been added to the cto-version (NU547AV) too.

 

Hello again milesc3,
I guess a person living in the US could answer your question better. The only thing I would like to comment is: I placed my order on the US hp-shopping website (small and medium business store) where you get a detailed list about your order and you are right you get a date as if they are customizing a unit for you. In some way I think they are really doing this because the estimated ship date you get seems to be science fiction. Right now the estimated ship date for the workstation is: 9/5/2010. Well hp seemed to realize that one week waiting time was unreal. In my case it took five weeks to leave the factory (wherever it is located) because of a material shortage. That would be different coming from another retailer that already have the notebooks ready to be shipped. Bye.