*HP EliteBook 8540w Owners Lounge!*

Anyone read all 155 pages?
Long threads like this remind me of the game:"last person to post wins"

 

Yup, I have. If you think this is long then don't attempt the 8740w thread. Hint: Its more than twice as long.

 

I think this laptop is a great achievement. Having a 15 inch form factor to add to the 17 inch 8xxxw series is wonderfull. To any one wanting to go for the dreamcolor 2 I compleatly support and incourage you to with the 8540w. Remember 15.6 inch screens are big enough screens in there own right. Even if sometimes something may be to small for you scaling resoulutions hasnt been an issue with the dc2 so lowering the resolution for a few hours while doing something that needs your close attension wont hurt anything. If dell precision line would come out with a 15inch model they would compete a bit with HP's line but dell dont even have a 15 inch model to go with there m6500.

I like both hp 8xw series, but Id have to probubly go with the 8540w for its uniquess. Its almost like the alienware m11x for its class of notebooks. Remember the 8540w is a midsized notebook and is classed this way, on the other hand the 8740w is a desktop replacement. There are many many desktop replacemenets on the market today especially in the workstation sector. Intrigued buyers of a workstation, here is your chance to own a unique one of a kind midsized workstation that dont come around very often, let alone with a professional ips 30-bit sRGB led backlit panel. The laptop is perfect for the dreamcolor2 and any one that makes you think its not is in desktop replacement fanboy school.

 

What do you mean Dell doesn't have a 15" model? What's Precision M4500 then?

 

ya but there redesigned from each other, both the 8xxxw series HP elitebooks are the same.

 

Can anyone please post a picture of the Elitebook's 15.6" DreamColor 2 display just to get an idea of how the high resolution would look like on a display of such size (particularly the text)?

Someone posted pictures of the 8740w's DreamColor 2 display, but its still hard to visualize it on a 15.6" screen.

I would really appreciate it if someone posted pictures! (+rep for anyone who helps me).

 

I agree, it's high time someone made a review of 8540w with pics.

 

The picture was meant to compare the color response between the dreamcolor screens on both my 8540w and 8740w and may not be too much help in answering your resolution questions, but it may give you some comparison. It's attached to post #1466 on page 147. At a ppi in the 140s, resolution is very sharp and tight, making it quite readable from a normal laptop viewing distance. My 60 year old bi-focal corrected eyese don't have a problem with it at least. I do have to say though that viewing the same document on the 8740w requires a little less concentration, if you grasp what I mean.

I love my 8540w because of its portability compared to the 8740w. The 8740w is a great desktop replacement but I wouln't want it on my lap right now as I'm traveling while typing this (after a month, I'm finally catching up with my wife and will be meeting her in about an hour. We'll be a couple days finishing up here and then it's back to the lower Hudson Valley). My only recurring complaint about the 8540w remains the 16:9 screen. A smaller bezel and a 16:10 would have made me a happier camper.

 

I looked at your previous posts and apparently the only difference between the FHD+ and DreamColor displays is brightness (nits) and viewing angles? If the differences are so few, is the Dreamcolor display really worth the hefty premium?
I'm on a budget, but I'm willing to go for the better display at the cost of some other features.

It's still hard to tell whether or not I would be comfortable with a 1920x1080 resolution on a 15.6" display. Even with scaling, it would be hard to work with since not all programs recognize it. In addition, such a high resolution will be harder for the GPU to handle.

I would just settle for the FHD+display, but then I heard about its blueish tint, low brightness and overall "average" quality. This is making the whole decision-process such a hassle. If only they had these notebooks in retailer stores, just to see them in person before buying...

 

I have the FHD version and I think all your comments about it are true. It does have a blueish tint and when increasing the brightness near max the contrast kind of blows up and looks crappier. Somewhere between 30-80% brightness is fine though. I never really had a problem with how bright it needed to be. I never set it >80% or so. The viewing angles are crappier vs my 2408wfp at home though but since the screen can freely pivot 180degrees, you can find a good angle easily.

I mildly regret not getting the DC2 but it does cost quite a bit. You do get what you pay for. I might ask about buying the LCD seperately with the larger power brick and installing it myself.

it is true higher res = more gpu power needed but in a laptop this size it wont make too much of a difference. I get around 4-5h on the standard battery wifi on with the i7-620 + 4gb.

As for resolution being small, yes it is a bit small. It is usable without much problems. I also previously had a sony P vaio that had 1600x768 on a 7" screen, now that is tiny and painful to look at.

 

Seconded. I would also like to know the true weight of the notebook and PSU.

 

I can understand your pain as I also am a person who does not like to "just settle." But I will say that when I first saw the FHD screen on the wrong machine sent to me, I thought it to be a very nice viewing experience. Note that it was in a room that was properly lit for viewing that particular kind of work I do. It wasn't till the next day that I tried to test its color critical capabilities and realized it couldn't be a 10 bit unit. But I do remember wondering how much nicer the DC could be. Maybe I just got a very good sample of the FHD.

As to the DC, yes it is expensive and that is always the problem for early adapters. But, yes, it is also impressive as has been noticed by everyone who has viewed it. Hopefully those viewers are appreciating my work and not just the screen. But I like that too, as any promotional edge is appreciated. And, yes, once again, I do as much as possible try to control the ambient light on site. I've been dealing with computers since my first days in a large data center in the early 70s and the things that became most important to me over the years, other than the technology, were ergonomics and how the screen looks. These are, after all, how we interact with our machines. On a side note, strange as it may seem, I think this laptop has more power than that entire center had.

What I suggest it comes down to is a practical matter of cost vs need. If what one does depends on the highest level of their tools, then cost is just that, the cost to get it done. It is many times also valid to get the latest technology available, as this can keep us with the curve if not ahead of it for the longest span of time. But what we can all understand and appreciate these days is the budget, as it is the great equalizer of our wants and needs. What I find, surprisingly, is that it often accurately defines our real needs.

I hope you are able to meet someone in your area, or maybe at a local graphics business or production company, that has the machines and you can see the difference directly. The only opinion that really counts is yours. Remember also, that HP has a 30 day policy that acts as a fallback.

 

Just remember there's no 30 days return policy if you customize your 8540w. That 30 days return policy only works if you order the pre-built ones. Although I didn't actually call HP and try to talk to some one about returning the 8540w that I customized. Maybe you still can if you call them.

 

If no one wants to make a review, how about we start one of those wiki's for the 8540w? Some thing like: HP EliteBook 8540w - ProductWiki unbiased product reviews

Or we should setup a wiki style web site, not just a page.

 

I assume you are in a country other then the US. In the US, CTO Elitebooks and CTO Probooks are 100% returnable, no questions asked (well, they'll probably be curious as to why) within 30 days, for a $15 return fee. I have been assured of this by my sales rep, customer service rep and (high level) tech support rep. Lucky for me though, we worked through any issues with my three machines before the thirty days were up and I did not have a reason to take this route.

 

HP's Small & Medium Business Store - SMB Sales Center Return Policy

Nope, I'm in the US. Just repeating what's on their (SMB) return policy page. Like I mentioned, I didn't try to call them. Nor did you actually try to return the item.

 

I tried using this Displayport -> HDMI adapter instead of the one mentioned by rockyjones48..

Newegg.com - BYTECC AP-DPHDMI-005 DisplayPort to HDMI Cable Adapter 0.5ft (6") w/IC

When I hook up my TV, Catalyst Control Center pops up the message "An HDMI to DVI display connection has been detected" and that I need a separate audio connection.

Is this the same problem others had with DP -> HDMI adapters that didn't pass audio?

 

Reading their online policy, I see your point, and the operating word here may be "defective". Yes, I was told by my sales rep that I had 30 days to return the machine, no questions asked, and there was no mention of the word "defective". That rep configured the CTOs with me.

Yes, I was told by customer service that I had . . . with no mention of "defective". We were working through the problems with the wrong machine sent, delays in shipping, etc. etc. and I was at one point talking about buying new tech sight unseen.

And yes, when discussing with tech support an annoying minor problem with the interaction of certain enumerators in the driver software, my tech support rep told me I could return the machine within the 30 day period. Maybe this minor problem qualified as "defective". This was after a prior tech told me that HP's only response to fixing the problem was to reload the OS. Talk about swating a fly with a sledge hammer - to which the higher level agreed. But they still couldn't fix it and on day 29 he called me to ask if I wanted to return the machine. I told him no. We have talked a number of times about the intricacies of these machines. I call him, he calls me, we discuss. He figured I did the research, charted the inter-dependencies and came up with a fix. I have designed, written, QAed and put into production and supported enough software in my day. He knows this. The fix only took a couple of hours on my part. And now others will not have to be annoyed with this "defect".

In 2006, my last year before retirement in a corporate environment, $400 million in tech spend (yes, a considerable amount of that with HP) crossed my desk. Much of that was put together by word of mouth and a handshake (of course the lawyers got involved before the final signing) so I tend to trust people when making a deal. HP Sales, customer support and tech support know this about me. I have no doubt that if I wanted to return the machines, I would NOT have had a problem.

But I digress, thank you for pointing out HP's return policy to me.

 

The DP to HDMI adapter must be active and support DP 1.1a. You will see that the port on the side of the laptop has a "++" on it. Most, if not all the adapters in the $15 to $25 range do not meet these specs. What you can look at is model DP-HDMIF (Part # 26-655-01) from Extron Electronics in CA. This is the one I have and it works perfectly. See it here:

Extron Electronics

Extron does not sell directly to the public, but if you call their sales department and tell them it is for personal use, they will put you in contact with a reseller local to you. It is a bit pricey, but it does do the job.

One note of caution when using these devices with the blueray player on the laptop. Due to DRM, when playing a blueray, you must toggle off the laptop's display (fn f4) and only view the TV. Otherwise it thinks there's piracy going on. For all other applications, you can configure the screens any way you want.

 

The packaging claims it supports DP 1.1a, audio and is "Powered from DisplayPort source". Then again the packaging also has the typo "DispalyPort"...

I was hoping this one would work since the other adapter mentioned seemed to be similar. Unless the product's been replaced with something else, the Startech adapter is also passive.

 

The one I bought and mentioned in a previous post is still being sold by Amazon... Amazon.com: DisplayPort to HDMI Video Adapter Converter: Electronics

but the price has gone up a lot. I got it for 6.88. I see it is now 17.89. It does work well, however.

Joe

 

Didn't want to wait for shipping so I stopped by Microcenter and picked this up:

Micro Center - QVS DisplayPort to HDMI Digital A/V Adaptor DPHDMI-MF

and it's working with audio. The TV now properly shows up as an HDMI connection. The adapter also looks very different from the one in the picture.. it doesn't have the huge bump on the HDMI end.

 

Just got my WD930. Overall it's a great Notebook. But i have some trouble with the Gobi WWAN. In the Wireless Assistant it keeps telling me that no Sim Card installed and the device gets deactivated. I allready treid to install the assistants (Connectionmanager, Wireless A.) and driver of the Gobi again and again. The HP Support is not any more helpful than telling me to do these steps again (plus they want a lot of money for telling me this...). The Card shows up in Bios but not in the Windows Device Manager.
Anybody who has/had the same Problem?
Problem Solved; Gobi can only work with Batterypack installed

edit sgogeta4
weight of WD930 : 2.6kg+0,4kg default battery -> 3Kg

 

I just got a quote for the DC2 panel assembly. It is $2400 new lol.

 

^^ Nice price. You can sell your 8540w and buy a new one with DC2 for that price, hehe.

 

What is the center key on the click pad used for?

 

^^ scrolling.....

 

Where to? myn only goes up. 0.o

 

Just got my 8540W replaced by HP due to various problems with the original (i7-720, FHD, 16GB, FX880). I have to say the display of this replacement is a little bit sharper.

Question - In the HP Support Manager I can see two important updates related to Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver. Since this is under Important Actions it would seem wise to install. However i'm worried this may give rise to problems. Has anyone applied this update of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver and what was the result?

 

Touchpad:
I am very close to buying an 8540w, and I read a review on "Notebook Check" web site - Notebookcheck: Review HP Elitebook 8540w Notebook - and the reviewer comments that the 8540W has only a basic touchpad with no advanced features, however – "HP doesn't provide any multi-touch functions, but they can be installed retroactively with an alternative driver from Synaptics".

I am coming from a Lenovo T61 with Synaptics software that gives the touchpad tapping and other advanced features. Those advanced features are very important to me. I'm wondering if anyone can verify this for me through actual experience – that I can indeed download the Synaptics software to this machine and use the touchpad tapping and other advanced features.

Thank you very much

 

I'm not sure what tapping features you're talking about, but I can enable and use the two-finger features: Pinch zoom and two-finger scrolling. I'm not sure what apps the "three-finger flick" can be used in so haven't tried it.

In my opinion the touchpad is a bit small (wide but short), but I came from a 17" Sager that had a bigger touchpad.

 

Thank you, John. I have since heard from HP that you can download the following free upgrade to the touchpad from Synaptics:

HP EliteBook 8540w Mobile Workstation- Synaptics TouchPad Driver - HP Business Support Center

I've used this touchpad software on my Lenovo T61, and it's very nice.

Do you (or anyone else) have any other comments or criticisms of the 8540W? I am about to buy it (over the Lenovo W510 and the Sony F1290X), so I welcome any feedback.

Thanks again!

 

Codethief -- Which did you end up buying, why, and are you happy with your decision? (I'm in the same dilema - which of the two to buy). Price is not an issue.

 

Say, you shouldn't need RealVNC Pro; just go download the "Manageability Developer Toolkit" and install it on a secondary PC. That already has tools to do IDE Redirection and Serial-Over-LAN (perfect for capturing kernel panics on Linux). I'd imagine the VNC feature should be usable with any VNC client, as long as you can find the right port number.

I'm curious about that out-of-band VNC capability. I would've assumed it would be for integrated-graphics models, only -- after all, how can Intel capture the output of someone else's hardware?

 

Hello, I ordered my 8540w on Aug 30th and if I check via the website to check on my order it still says estimated delivery date of Sep 8th. However, if I check via the link they sent upon credit verification, my delivery date estimate says Oct 4th. I called HP but they didn't really seem to know anything about the date - just saying that no date has shown up yet for delivery estimation on their system that they could see.
Do they just arbitrarily put a date out there a month in advance on the status page to start? When I called on the 30th for the order they said that it looked like the Sept 8th date should be good and that there were no backlog on the parts that I requested in the build.
I know that earlier in the year there were big delays but I was surprised to see such a big jump now when it sounded like Sept 8th was a good date. Just curious what others may have experienced as since my other pc completely died, I need my replacement ASAP.
I will post my some specs/benchmarks when I get my system.

 

Hi guys, I have managed to decode enhanced sensor info for HP 8740w and so add monitoring of various CPU and FAN values to HWiNFO32.
I can try the same for your model too, let me know if anyone is willing to help with that (send me some dumps + make testes).

 

Yes, they just put an estimate. Actual delivery date is not known, although most of the time, it's about 2 to 3 weeks after you place your order or your credit card is verified.

 

Sorry if this has been answered before (too many pages!), but is the idea that all 1080 screens are DC2? Or are there differences between those too? The 8540W is one elusive laptop, at least in western Europe i'm having a hard time getting the right specs and prices..

 

Afaik there are only a few Panels, not all 1080s are DC2! see service manual as reference: http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c02196457/c02196457.pdf

For use in model 8540w:
39.6-cm (15.6-in) LED, HD, AntiGlare for use in computers without a webcam 600756-001
39.6-cm (15.6-in) LED, HD, AntiGlare for use in computers with a webcam 600757-001
39.6-cm (15.6-in) LED, HD+ WVA for use in computers without a webcam 600760-001
39.6-cm (15.6-in) LED, HD+ WVA for use in computers with a webcam 600761-001
39.6-cm (15.6-in) LED, FHD for use in computers without a webcam 600758-001
39.6-cm (15.6-in) LED, FHD for use in computers with a webcam 600759-001
39.6-cm (15.6-in) LED, FHD, DreamColor for use in computers without a webcam 606979-001
39.6-cm (15.6-in) LED, FHD, DreamColor for use in computers with a webcam 606980-001

 

After several trials I succeed to get video and audio over DisplayPort.
Solution: I bought this DP-HDMI adapter (supports DisplayPort version 1.1a):
ACCELL Cables - Audio, Video, Speaker, Computer Cables and Interconnects


Tks to NotebookGrail!!!


PS: My config is : 8540w WD930EA (with Nvidia Quadro FX 1800m)

 

I'm awaiting my order for my 8540w and I got the ATI card with Eyefinity. Would I be able to hook up 4 monitors to this (or would it be limited to 3 since it is a notebook version of that technology)? Also, if I could hook up 4 monitors, could I hook them all up through dvi (via the docking station), or would the monitors all need the display port as a feature on the monitor to work? If a display port is needed for more than 2 monitors, can I hook 2 up with a display port and the other two up via the dvi connections (I have two monitors that don't have display ports and was hoping to use them in the total setup)? My goal is to get a 3 -4 screen setup for giant spreadsheets, visual studio programming and other items like that where I could see it all at the same time. Thanks for any feedback.

 

I just got my
It wiped it and installed our clean Windows 7 64Bit.

8540W
FN095UA
i7-620M,4G Ram, FX 880.

Looking at CPU-Z. At high preformance, even running the most demanding task its only running at 3Ghz with x23~x22 @ 2.9Ghz ?!?
My buddy just got the same identical laptop and it runs at 3.3Ghz with x24 multipler.

Is there a magical hidden setting?

 

^^ Shouldn't be. Run wPrime or Prime 95 and see if it hits the 3.3. Maybe you're not stressing it hard enough
Also, try other monitoring tools (HWinfo32, Everest, HWMonitor)

 

AHHHH!!!! I knew it felt slower!!!

Running HWinfo32. Windows 7 64bit set on High preformance
3058Mhz @ 21.0X
Run wPrime 1024M
CPU DOWNCLOCKS to 19-20 !!! 2.6~2.8Ghz

Do I have a BAD processor?



The Turbo mode is locked?

 

Does your friend have a 8540w?
You could try to update/ re-flash the BIOS.
I doubt it's a CPU.

BTW, mine says the same thing - [locked]. 840QM here. I think it means the CPU isn't extreme and can't be pushed beyond 3.3GHZ.
Also, you can't run @3.3GHZ with both cores.

 

He has an Identical 8540W. It just hasn't flushed the HD and put in our own image.

I run cpu-z and I see 3.33Ghz running when I set it to high performance. I run Starcraft 2 side by side and his loads much quicker... Also boot time is much quicker.

same identical laptop...what gives??

 

I just ran Prime95 and kept CPU-Z open.
When running all 8 threads the cores would only reach 1.87GHZ (as they should)
After stopping 4 threads the max frequency on the cores was ~ 2.5/2.7GHz (as it should be when only 2 cores /4 threads are utilized)
After stopping 2 more threads the frequency was hitting 3GHZ (1 core 2 threads)
After leaving a single thread running the CPU hit 3.2GHZ (as it should when a single thread is running)

Try it and see if you can get to the max turbo.

 

Maybe he has a SSD and you got a regular HDD?
Also, if he has a good/optimized image with min HP bloatware, it could give some performance boost.
Check if you have the latest drivers/BIOS, etc.

 

Same identical hardware.
Processor, Battery, Memory, Harddrive etc etc

I tried prime95, 1 thread or 2 threads processor still fluctuating like crazy never hitting above 3059mhz. usualy stuck at 2600 or 2793....

 

That's weird.
It should fluctuate, but would occasionally hit above 3GHZ. In your case - 3.3.
Try reflashing the BIOS to the latest version.