*HP EliteBook 8730w Owners Lounge*

Yes, this is a motherboard HW bug which is present on all motherboards for 8730w (could be that it is only there for motherboards for Core 2 Duo Extreme and Quads). I'm actually dissapointed at HP that they haven't communicated about this problem to all the technicians out there. Now HP is changing motherboards for no benefit at all. HP probably had a lot emergency meetings about this but keep the lid on which just cost them a lot of money.

Pete G, get a refund. HP should not be allowed getting away with this on such expensive model. Too bad for otherwise a good model, it could have been a hit but resulted in a failure.

 

New BIOS , F0B coming soon.
More information.

DETAILS OF CHANGE

• Enabled the F9 (Boot Options) and F12 (Network Boot) keys to be functional during system startup without first requiring the BIOS administrator password.
  
• Added the capability to customize the startup (boot) screen.
  NOTE: The ereplo08.exe utility is required to change the default HP logo to a customized logo.
• Fixed an issue where pressing the caps lock key inadvertently disables the fn+num lk function, even though the num lk light remains lit.
  
• Fixed an issue where the system takes a long time to boot when certain external USB hard drives are attached.
  
• Fixed an issue where the BIOS configuration utility failed to capture settings in F10 setup.
  
• Updated the Intel Manageability Engine (ME) firmware to version 1038 to fix an issue where the system hangs with a black screen after resuming from Standby.

 

Nothing about the battery drain problem. Could someone test this BIOS in order to find out if they have fixed the battery drain problem?

 

My system is configured with a T9800 (2.93GHz) processor and as I've mentioned before, I have the same battery draining problem. So I can tell you that this defect is NOT limited to the Core 2 Duo Extreme / or Quad processor motherboard. Apparently both versions of the system board are subject to this failure.

I have been suspicious that the source of the problem may be related to the DreamColor display. Please Help --> Can anyone reading this forum that owns an 8730w that is NOT configured with a DreamColor display, please report on their experience regarding the performance of the battery. I would be very grateful for your input to this discussion.

Thanks,
K

 

I have a T9600 (2x 2.80GHz) no Dreamcolor and my battery drains 1% in 24 hours, I find it normal for a battery few weeks old

Sotton

 

I cannot find the F.0B BIOS, only F.0A, where is the new version?

Sotton

 

Further, I have a special problem, maybe someone can help:

pressing the mute button or activating it with the control panel freezes the system (Windows XP SP3). I have the latest audio drivers and the conflict may come from the Firewall (Comodo CIS) because without CIS installed it works.

Any help?

Thanks.

Sotton

 

That is very interesting... Thank you. My suspicions may be correct that the DreamColor display is related to the battery drain proplem. That may explain why HP does not yet acknowledge the battery issue, since perhaps not all unit configurations are affected. Are there any other Non-DreamColor owners in this forum that can chime-in? Or, DreamColor owners that DO NOT have an issue with the battery draining. It would be a big help to all of us...

I had a similar problem which I chalked-up to being related to VMWare installation trouble I had early on. VMWare Workstation seems to not be compatible with HP ProtectTools. I disabled the ProtectTools, and now run VMWare without any problems. But before making that discovery regarding ProtectTools, I had many wierd issues trying to get VMWare installed, including problems of hanging the system if I pressed the sound mute button.

I have not seen any more of these troubles. In fact, the system runs pretty smooth, its very fast, the build seems to be solid, the keyboard is great, and the system is just about everything I was looking for: EXCEPT, I sure don't remember signing up for having my battery completely deplete in rapid, record time; and I also regret seeing the red-ish discoloration along the bottom of the DreamColor display.

-K

 

no, uninstalling ProtectTools did not help. The conflict seems to be audio drivers and Comodo CIS (Firewall, virus protection and security). Maybe something else but not the HP software. Of course, the main problem could be the Comodo software because it works without it, but I was hoping for something else because the recent update of the actual version did not solve the problem and I still want to use it (and of course the mute button)

Sotton

 

I am too in the club of the battery drain problem . After 40 hours from full battery i have only 57 % on switching on the laptop .
This is the only problem of my machine . Everything else is working perfectly and the Dreamcolor is without any problem . I think i was lucky with the dreamcolor until now . I don't know if the red or green or pink shadow will appear in future but for now the screen is perfect .
The first month is over . If something go wrong from now on , no replacement . Only repair from HP .
After all i have 1 ac power 150 w , 2 ac power 180w and 1 ac power travel combo and so everywhere i am i can easily go un AC power . I think it is not logic to repair o send it back only for the battery issue if everything else is working good .
Hope HP will do a bios update which include the drain problem .
I don't understand how the dreamcolor can drain battery power if everthing is closed .
Best regards
CHRIS

 

I just received my hard drive caddy from NewModeUS but I find it to be somewhat of a poor substitute for the HP Upgrade Bay HD. I was planning to use the HP one in my 8730w and the NewModeUS in my Advanced Docking Station.

With the NewModeUS one, its missing the metal attachment at the back of the unit which is present on the HP version. This is what the screw on the underside of the 8730w goes into to keep the caddy secured in place. The NewModeUS has a hole on the front that you have to attach a metal hook to in order to slide it out.


Also it dosent have the black finish that is advertised on the NewModeUS site. Its very shiny chrome type finish that stands out from the brushed aluminum color of the laptop or the black of the docking station.


The HP model has a black finish that matches the 8730w's and the one of the docking station:

 

It seems the NewMode one has the holes in the back for screws, so the metal part from the HP DVD drive can be taken and screwed on the NewMode. As for the front, the HP's is just a skin, a piece of plastic. Of course, the problem would be to find a similar plastic and place it on the NewMode.

Dragos

 

My 8730w finally arrived today: T9800, 4G, Vista Ultimate 32, Nvidia 3700M, DreamColor, 320G 7200 rpm drive. Here is my mini-review:

The Bad Highlights:

Out of the box it failed to properly install all security patches from Windows Update requiring a couple of hours of troubleshooting. Don't know if I should blame HP or Microsoft, but it feels like buying a new car and having to take it into the shop for a tuneup the day after you drive it home.

The DreamColor display is good but not great. This is still a TN panel like just about every other laptop on the market and suffers the same limitations. Thanks to the backlight, the gamut is huge giving you the option of extremely saturated colors, however off-axis viewing is terrible. Just a few inches up or down makes a big difference. I like to move around in my chair a bit throughout the day and I feel like i'm constantly trying to get my head centered so things look okay. This is definitely exacerbated given the large size of the display - text at the top is darker than text at the bottom no matter where your head is.

The HP Mobile Display Assistant is garbage. Switching color spaces sometimes causes the display to get messed up requiring a full power-down reboot to correct. It also causes your display to flash black bars when using it. This is on top of the other reported issues like extremely limited controls for calibration. I'd recommend picking a color space and then turning it off.

If I had it to do over again i'd pass on the DreamColor display. The improved gamut is only slightly useful given the terrible software HP provides, but in the end you're paying a lot of money for a glorified backlight since the panel itself is still nothing special.

The Good Highlights:

The keyboard is good. The on/off touch sensitive buttons work great (other than the volume slider which is useless). The fan(s) are relatively quiet. Overall performance seems great. There isn't too much crufty low quality pre-installed software to be removed.

 

The performance of this thing is great. The T9800 (2.93GHz) seems at least clock for clock as good as my desktop E6600 (2.4GHz), and in some tests quite a bit faster clock for clock. For example, hashing with SHA1 runs at ~350MB/sec on the T9800 vs. ~285MB/sec on the E6600. Running some other tests like Red Black Tree insert/search, which exercises the cache quite a bit more, is much faster clock for clock (about 25%).

It also turns out the fan is a little louder than I thought, but it does go back to quiet fairly rapidly when not under load

 

Thanks for your review and comments. What is your experience with the performance of the battery? After you use your new computer for a couple re-charge cycles, I'd be interested to hear if your experience is similar to mine and others on this thread.

By the way, I think agree with you that If I had it to do over, I probably would not order the DreamColor display and just go with the regular WUXGA - which reminds me, do you detect any of the red-ish discoloration along the bottom of the display or in the lower left corner as most of the rest of us DreamColor display owners have observed?

Thanks,
-K

 

I don't often run on battery, but i'll post my impressions when I get a chance.

As far as the reddish tint - yes i do have it - very slightly in the lower left corner, visible on light backgrounds, although FWIW in daily use I don't really notice it (e.g. on my unit at least its not visible over the vista taskbar).

One thing I do notice that is disconcerting is an unusual effect with light on dark images. Its like a rainbowish flash when shifting gaze. For example over a black screen with a white mouse pointer if I look from left to right on the screen (nothing on the screen itself moving) I see a trail of alternating red/blue/green mouse pointers, kind of like an after image. If you've ever seen the DLP rainbow effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DLP it is very similar. Perhaps something to do with the way the LED backlight works, or maybe some kind of temporal interpolation to get better than 6 bit per channel color out of a TN panel.

I have to say i'm overall happy with the laptop, and I'm at least adjusting somewhat to the not so great viewing angles and the resulting bad looking cleartype text in some situations.

I do applaud HP for trying to make a better laptop display, but in the end I think they fell quite a bit short in several ways, especially given the expectations most of us including myself had for such an expensive and heavily marketed option.

 

Here's something strange or is it a feature?

I recorded an audio stream from the internal stereo mix (other choice of recording input source would be microphone or line in).

The recording changed (to the better or normal) after plugging in a headphone and was getting worse again after taking out the headphone plug. Just the recording! So, plugging in the headphone plug not just mutes the speakers but also increases sound quality to the normal standard.

Is this a feature to optimize the sound for the internal speakers or just another sound driver bug? Not so nice anyway because for a good recording you always have to plug in a headphone.

Can anyone confirm or has a solution that the sound always sounds good (right)?

thanx
Sotton

 

in the morning it did not work, however, currently all is like it should, this must be some strange conflict

Since I have a lot audio programs and drivers installed (ASIO and so on) I guess this is a very isolated problem

Sotton

 

There are new drivers available, however, not from the driver download page of the 8730w (XP Pro):

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsuppor...321957&prodSeriesId=3781677&swItem=ob-68619-1

They are solving the problem with the mute button freezing


Still I have this strange sound change plugging in the headphones...

Maybe it is really intention to alter the sound for the internal speakers...

Sotton

 

Any news about the Battery Drain Problem?

 

The battery drain problem is everywhere .
No fix from HP .
Everyone which i know who changed motherboard or battery has the same drain . Hp has not found any solution . I am affraid that they don't care about us since we have spent a lot of money and there is no return .
Our model is out since november 08 and know we are almost 6 months later .
In another 6 months they will for sure change the model and so i think there is non need to do anything and they will not do anything .
In conclusion afterall these conversations i am the opinion that we paid to much and we got very little value of this product .
Too many problems , Dreamcolor problems , Battery drain problems and who knows what else .
I am very objective . I personally have only the Battery drain problem and i am very happy with my 8730w , but hearing about the problems of other friends i am very sad .

Best regards
Chris

 

Hello Evreybody
Thank You For This Important Discuss I Rade It ALL The Month I Waited For My Laptop
I Got My 8730w Last Week (the Most Powerfull One ) And I Really Need And Will Appreciate Youre Advice
The Good – No Red Point; I Love How It Look And Feel And It Work Fast And Quiet
But The Bad –well There Are Some:
1. The Battary Self Discharge Got My Battery Frome 100% To 20% In 48 Hourse.
2. I Have A Problem With My Keyboard And The Touchpad - They Bothe Freeze Almost Every Day And The Only Soloution Is To Press On The Start Button To Turne It Off – Am I The Only One Who Have That Kind Of Problem .??
3. On My Dreamcolor There Are Some Black Line That Once A While( For A Seconde) Are Blinking Through Him Upside And Down.
All Those Problem Especialy The Freezing Thing Gets Me Nut, And Frome What I Understood Frome The Technical Support they Are All Connected. And They Still Are Working On A Solution.

My Feelings Are That Just When All This Farce Will Go Public We Will Get Their Attention And A Good Solution.

I Know That I Can Returne The Laptop And Get My Mony Back But I Really Don’t Want To Do It Because There Is No Other Laptop In This Category That Will Suite Me (m6400; W700 Also Have Their Flawes ) I Want The Hp To Work It Out !!

What Do You Think Shall I Do ?

Best Regards
Gol

 

I too have this battery drain problem like FoxWhere told 1% hourly after shutdown, it too have the DreamColor bottom corner color distortion.
I think i made a mistake by buying this laptop. I should have gone with Lenova or Dell.

I think all those who have taken this DreamColor has the problem. A search in Google on ' HP 8730w battery drain' brings a lot of links. I think HP should solve this earliest, else no one will be trusting any of HP products ever bcoz this is the best model they boast they have.

I think there is a circuitary leak inside it. Who knows it may cause fire or danger to us.

HP Business Support web site has a link too with the complaint of battery drain problem.

http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service...47626+1237212415539+28353475&threadId=1321010

Let's all those with battery drain shall post in that HP Business Support site together so they can't move away with our hard earned money.

Like fritz40 said, they should be working on new model to be launched in another 5 months without solving our problems.

I was very worried, i only have the problem this site is helpful for all of us to know each other of the seriousness of the problem.

 

Good morning, 8730W owners.

First, I should preface my comments by saying that I am not nearly as computer savvy as most of the folks who have contributed to this thread. That said, I apologize in advance for any ignorance I may display.

For the last two years I’ve been using (with a high degree of satisfaction) the HP NX9420 (Core 2 Duo 2.0s, upgraded to 2 GB RAM). It came to me as a warranty replacement for an HP Pavillion 17” Notebook (single core 3.0, 1 GB RAM) that was unequivocally the single biggest piece of computing turd I have ever owned. Within ten minutes of powering it up for the first time, it blue-screened. Not to mention that in six months it fried five hard drives. Finally, HP admitted that the system had serious issues and sent me the NX9420 as placation (It took months of ‘animated’ persuasion before at last they took ethical action).

While I am very happy with my NX9420, it is has proven incapable of handling what I ask of it when I use it in support of my hobby. This has lead me to look at the 8730W. I imagine my intended use for the system is somewhat different than most. I am a stormchaser who travels to the Plains (Tornado Alley) every spring for a month of documenting severe storms and tornadoes. I need a notebook able to handle 7-10 resource hog applications running simultaneously. Most notably, I run a three-dimensional volumetric algorithm that actively creates a layered anatomy of developing and in-progress thunderstorms. My NX 9420 can barely run this application, even when no other applications are running. I had thought that perhaps the 8730W--with the QX9300, Quadro FX 3700M , and 8 GB Ram--would be a viable solution for me. I have also looked at similarly outfitted versions of the Lenovo W700 and the Dell M6400, but both are obese compared to the 8730W. In the vehicle, the notebook sits on a Jotto desk that appreciates a trimmer machine. Of the three, the 8730W is by far the leanest and the most compact

But the concerns expressed here have really given me reason for pause. It sounds to me as though the 8730W is far too vastly flawed for such a high ticket item. Would any experienced 8730W users care to weigh in with input as to:

- Whether the 8730W would be a good fit for my purpose.

- If the problems encountered with the system will cause me more headaches than those I’m hoping the system will eliminate?

When operating in and around a severe and/or tornadic storm, chasers rely very heavily on up-to-the-minute data and radar imagery to be successful and safe. I’d very much appreciate knowing if, as an owner and user of the 8730w, you would/would not recommend it for an application of crucial reliance.

Thank you very much for the feedback.

--David

 

The 8730w has terrible design flaw, this is the worst ever laptop i ever had. I would have taken any other Dell or Lenova, i trusted HP products, but never thought they will release their best one to market with multiple manufacturing defects. You take any other model, but dont ever go for this one. This has battery drain, lcd issues freezing and all..i dont know which other problems are doing to surface in future.Lost all tust in HP. The battery drain is causing more problems. Also the lcd lower corner color distortion is getting noticed more day by day.

 

Sorry for only a brief comment; my schedule is pretty tight right now.

I would stay clear of the DreamColor display. I believe my problems with the 8730w are all related to the display unit. Otherwise, the 8730w would be an excellent choice for rugged and hard taxing applications and environments. I'm pleased with my system for its computing ability. But VERY displeased with the trouble I have related to battery drain, and the imperfections in the DreamColor RGB LED display. As I've previously stated, although I do not have hard evidence, I belive the battery draining problem is related to the display system. I don't know about the performance of the QX9300, but my system with a T9800 performs very well, and is very stable. (Just wish I hadn't ordered the DreamColor display.)

-K

 

Thanks very much for the feedback. It's appreciated. I actually spoke to an HP 'specialist' about the 8730w today. When I mentioned the various, and in some cases universal, issues that folks have been experiencing with the 8730w, the rep predictably disavowed every concern I raised about potential problems with the system. Particular vehemence was assigned denial of the battery drain issue. In fact, the rep went so far as to imply that these allegations may, and probably are, driven by some unscrupulous and conspiratorial agenda. I teed off rather mercilessly on the rep for the arrogance of that notion, which quickly shut him down and had him scurrying to pilot the conversation in another direction. Can you guess the direction to which I'm referring? Yes, he was impressively swift at sweeping my concerns, and the tongue-lashing he received, right beneath a convenient guise of concern that I purchase the 8730w before the latest promotion expires. Thanks, pal. Can you feel the love?

The net result: he offered me an 18% off coupon if I configure the system rather than take a pre-configured one. Oh, and the 18% wouldn't apply if I choose to purchase the 8730w through my company's EEP. Of course.

Seems, as others have relayed, that HP is unwilling to acknowledge that the 8730w is in need of some serious QC, which was apparently forgotten somewhere along the way. They are living high up on Mount Delusion. Because Disney, Pixar, etc. are 'using the 8730 exclusively', it is obviously a work of perfection and above reproach.

If I do end up taking a chance, I think I will abide by tellc's advice and go with the standard display. At 1900 X 1200, how bad could it be?

 

I have the normal WUXGA which is OK if you use normal applications but has some light leakage and that could be a problem viewing movies and so on. It still is better than my old one (nw8240, 15 inch) and so for me it is an improvement

Currently I am happy (T9600 BTW) because all my problems are solved (never had the battery problem) except one (the sound is altered before it reaches the speakers using the included audio drivers, other alternative drivers do not do that )

And of course not all is perfect here and there, but it runs most of the time very quiet and I would buy it again, however, even the cheaper WUXGA models are not cheap if you ask me.

Sotton

 

One of the HP internal tech confirmed that there is battery drain issue and HP is aware of it but that has no solution nw, HP is not sure if they can solve in future, i think i made the biggest blunder taking this laptop but really this is a good laptop if the defects are removed bcoz none comes close to it. i dont want to move with a defective one so i claimed return and will be going for refund.

 

There are 11 pre configured models available in Europe (at least), 5 with Dreamcolor and I am not sure but there seems to be only a few available in the online stores, most of them are not available.

I wonder how many are already sold and if they are still selling them or wait for a solution (new motherboard)?

1-2% are sold with Dreamcolor or is this not a good estimation?

In the end it could be a problem of cheap parts of a subcontractor...

Sotton

 

Hi, I have an 8730w with the Dreamcolor display but I'm not really happy with the laptop.

I have read the forums and it seems that many of you have the same problems as me.

1, The Dreamcolor display is difficult to calibrate and the HP display assistant don't provide the options for calibrating that I need.

1:2 Right click on desktop is delayed almost 2 sec when HP Display assistant is installed.

2, Battery drain problem. 20-25% / 24h when powered off.

Is there any way of getting the desktop version of Display assistant to work?

/Johan Sweden

 

And now, the BIOS F.0B is available on the download page.

 

What kind of battery life will this get with a 2700FX, T9550 CPU, dreamcolor WUXGA LCD, wireless off, brightness at 40% ; and standard typing & compiling (low GPU load) ?

 

How bad is the red rectangle on the bottom of the dreamcolor displays ?
If your running XP, the Start button is where the rectangle is --- is it still noticeable with the start button there ?

 

I get about 2.5 hours with intense surfing, chatting, Skype VoIp'íng, wrieless On. (See sig for specs)
Mind you, this is a portable workstation, so if you are looking for longer battery life you probably should look at some lower spec machine.

 

i just calibrated my 8730w also. it seems at native is 4900k!! rather than 6500k! i gave up on the display assistant, i just uninstalled it and relied on my trusty e1 display2 to do the job. I guess i have to stick to 4900k until i can find a alternative setting.

as for the QX9300, anyone knows how to adjust the multiplier? I am thinking of upping the multiplier to 10x. it's just wacked that a QX9300 CPU and i cant even adjust the multiplier. I am thinking of porting my OCing tools from desktop to this laptop and see what happens.

 

sigh. after docking it in, now the 8730w says the docking station doesnt have enough sufficient power. and i only find out that the docking station is 120ws and the original adapter is 135ws!!! dammit, do i have to change the docking station too??????


for those with dreamcolor, what is the adapter power?

 

I have a DreamColor display and it requires the 150W AC adapter/charger.

 

I received my Laptop from Repair today. They changed Battery and Display but the Battery Drain Problem and the red color on the lower left corner is still present. What a shame

 

I agree. It is a shame. If it weren't for those two things, I'd be extremely pleased with mine. It's fast, it's smooth, quiet, doen't get hot, almost perfect in everyway for what I needed mine for.

But unfortunately, especially with the battery problem, I feel very let down. I do a workaround by disconnecting the battery everytime I turn it off. When I pack it around with me, I unplug the battery and put it in a compartment in my backpack to take with me. My battery charge lasts a long time that way, but man-o-man, what a pain to live with. Often, I don't even bother connecting the battery when I use it. I just drag out the ac adapter and run it from ac power without the battery - but that sure gets to be old after awhile too.

 

anyone tried these batteries yet? i am thinking of getting one for my max spec'd 8730w

http://www.batterygeek.net/product-p/spps-19-444_batterygeek.htm

it's a 444wh Li-ion battery. that battery alone should last 15hrs without the internal battery

 

I'm wondering since you went through the trouble of sending it in to them for service, do you plan to complain back to them that the battery and display are still not fixed and ask why they would send it back to you and not even test it?

If you do decide to followup with them, would you mind letting us know what kind of response you get?

I'd sure like to know what they have to say for themselves. It's like, do they just expect these problems are acceptable to the customer - especially on a return from service? Just thinking about it, I start getting angry. I try not to think about it too much; its a sore subject and very irritating. Aarrgghh!

Anyway, thanks for the post, and good luck...
-K

 

i'm not sure how HP service centre works overseas, but here in singapore, if you drive over to the service centre, they will get it done within 2hrs. i remember once with my nw8240, i told them that the screen is too dark, after they swapped i told them it's still dark. they said they will call me when the next shipment arrive and they will try to hunt for the brightest screen for me. and within 1 month, they called me to say they found the brightest screen just for me. and damn it was bright.

that aside i havent found a need to pop down the service centre to do anything with my 8730w yet.

althou i am thinking of replacing the thermal paste with something like AS5 or MX2

 

I will write them again, maybe i can post their response next weekend (I'm in the army atm so i have only internet on the weekend).

 

Yes, the HP service througout Asia-Pacific is excellent. In fact, they have the highest satisfaction rate in AP markets. Many of this can be attributed to the excellent parts supply and logistics that HP maintains in its Singaporean regional headquarters. I'd go so far to even say that HP's parts sourced from Singapore are consistently of a higher quality (HP maintains a production facility in SG and caters mostly to AU/NZ/SEA markets).

 

well, the only thing i dont like about HP products is the battery. when i had the nw8240, i swapped by battery almost every 6 months. cuz it would always stop charging at 7-10%. when compared to other brands. their batteries would last at least 2 years. My internal battery wouldn't last even near that. it's almost as if the circuitry inside the battery is program to reduce 1% from total with every charge.

at the end of 3 years with nw8240, i have changed a total of 6 internal batteries and 3 extended batteries. ( I have 2 internal ( each changed 3 times) and 2 extend and 1 ultra capacity)
the only HP battery that seems to last is the ultra capacity. the extended and the internal battery seem to suffer the same problem.

that said. my laptop is ridiculously overpriced in singapore.. i bought it from ebay @ USD$4k, and the singapore equilvalent sells it for USD$6k.
luckily HP warranty is international, unlike nikon/canon where warranty is only honored at the country of purchase.

on top of that, I'm the type that charge my batteries only when the next day has a photoshoot. so when each time the batteries dies it would have gone thru less than 100 charges.

I am still wondering how to increase battery life. the only thing i wish would be possible on my 8730w is everything fully spec'd except the GPU with and ATI or 2700. i dont need a fast GPU with lightroom and CS4 when I am shooting in field. yeah. my laptop is solely for photoshoots camera tethering, otherwise it's always off. so basically 95% of the time i am working off the batteries. the 5% is when i am charging the batteries then the laptop connects to AC. the battery docking chargers are too damn expensive.

 

strange, I also have a nw8240 but never experienced any abnormal battery problems. All seems to be fine, charged only if it drops below 96% or so to keep the charging cycles low during the little self discharging and so on.

And the 8730w also seems to handle the battery like expected...

Sotton

 

anyone using any programs to undervolt the CPU?

 

anyone knows where to download ereplo08.exe?

 

They offered me on-site service but because thats not possible in the barracks atm i told them. Now they replied: