*HP EliteBook 8740w Owners Lounge - PART 1*

Unfortunately I'm not up for that challenge. On the bright side, I was contacted by the guy who will be investigating these problems on my old unit. I'm sending it in today.

 

I heard back from HP support that they might be able to get me a pre-release version of the BIOS that fixes the fan issue -- they'll let me know soon. If you don't also get this from your support contact, let me know and I'll be happy to pass it along.

 

I could have tried it yesterday, but I would have needed to sign a NDA, that plus not having time to mess around yesterday led to decline. If you stop getting updates from me, it probably means I changed my mind about the NDA.

 

Don't worry about us, do what is best for you, m8.
We'll get the same updates/fixes/etc sooner or later

 

Doesn't work. It'll install other components, like the HDMI/Displayport audio driver, but not the actual display driver itself.

The Mobility Radeon 5000 drivers need to be hacked to add Firepro 7820 support. Another option is modifying and flashing the bios on the Firepro 7820, turning it into a Mobility 5870. Anyone up for this?

 

That's pretty much the exact same build I got, but with less RAM since i have a couple of extra sticks laying around. I'll do input lag tests when I get the laptop.

 

@ Koshinn,
You don't like your Envy17 anymore?

 

Build quality and heat issues made me return it barely a week after receiving it. I'll miss the bluray drive and second hdd but oh well.

 

Do you think that another HP system with a stronger GPU and CPU, generating much more heat will yield better results?
Assuming you don't need it for work, why not to go for a Clevo? Those should have the best cooling, IMHO.

 

Is there a certain after market RAM that HP Elitebook won't take? I'm got 2GB of RAM and plan to get all after market RAM to fill up the slots.

 

Yes actually. The envy 17 only had one cooling fan and isn't tested as thoroughly as the elitebook line. Clevos are ugly and don't have the durability of an elitebook, which I realize I'll need as I just went active duty. A smart card slot might work with my CAC card and lots of ram plus multicore CPU will let me run tons of vms for practice networking stuff. And I thought the M17x had a great cooling design. Mine ran cold with sli gtx260s.

 

I'm aware of that; that's why I'm interested in the difference - I know DC2 will be slower, and if it's too much slower, I'll stick with the boring old TN. (I have the same issue with trying to get a desktop screen - not only is 1920x1200 rare, the IPS ones for which I've seen figures have 30+ms lag *compared to similar TNs* (which has its own lag already, although small). I don't generally play fighting games (the total of 3+ frames can entirely miss action windows), but I do play CS and other FPSes . . . so I'm thinking that would be unpleasant.

Shouldn't be, although you want matched pairs. I got 4x4GB G.SKILL to replace my 2GB, will post results when the damn thing arrives. The RAM they're using is (appears to be, from one thing I found I'm-not-sure-where on some order page) DDR3-1333 PC-10600 (10600, 10660, and 10666 are some sort of marketing stupidity as they're all just rounding silliness and perform exactly the same; still, given the option I went with the same one. The one I bought is now out of stock, but newegg has the equivalent 10666 still in stock; shouldn't matter, especially if you use it in all slots.

 

8740w has a single fan as well and we no nothing of its long term stability. I agree regarding build quality but the rest unclear. A powerful CPU+GPU on a single fan looks kinda scary. So far the reports are very good, but the biggest tester is time, IMHO.

 

Thank you, that helps. I want to see the price of 8GB module that's supposedly coming out in July too, but most likely I'll get the G.SKILL that you linked. Some Clevo OEM are showing the 8GB on their order page, although that might be just for system builders.

 

Are you saying if you install the consumer HD 5870 drivers on a notebook the FirePro 7820 will not work? I thought it would just read the FirePro as its consumer part and disable the extra features that make it workstation certified.

 

FYI: I played Mass Effect for an hour straight today, no crashing. This thing is so weird.

 

Correct, the Catalyst drivers for Mobility 5xxx series will not work with the FirePro cards. It'll install other components like the HDMI audio driver, but not display drivers itself. I tried it again earlier tonight when I was doing a clean install of Windows 7 on my SSD.

 

So, on a clean install (without touching the official HP drivers) the latest Catalyst (10.6) didn't install the driver at all?

 

@knight427, @kartik_subbarao and others who experience those crashes

Please keep us in touch with the crash issue. Will it be a new BIOS release (the best case scenario for all) or will it require a re-design and replacement of motherboard to get rid of this? We have to know when and how it will be resolved. In any case it's unacceptable for any computer, especially workstation like this one.

I've postponed my order just because of this problem. I can't invest any money into it until this very serious problem will be resolved by HP.

 

As I mentioned before, HP has someone on it and he's getting my old unit tomorrow (Thursday). From my conversations with him, he seemed to understand the severity of the problem. I'll keep you all up to date unless I get tempted into a NDA.

 

NDA? What NDA?

I'm sure that you don't know and don't want to know any HP internal secrets. But, as a consumer, you (and we all here) have all rights to know how the product which they sold you was actually fixed.

If they sold "a lemon" we have the right to know that. It can't be a company's secret, covered by any NDA. Don't agree on that. That sounds totally weird.

 

OK, weird question....is the CPU suppose make noise when it's working?
Am I imagining things?????

Here's the scenario;
- I plugged in the power supply to the laptop as usual, only this time I heard a very quick, light cracking sound.
- Didn't pay too much attention to it at first and proceeded to turn it on.
- However, this time I noticed two peculiar noises emanating from the laptop and no it's not the fan or the hard drives. You can tell those are different.
- First one is an constant humming sound the laptop has developed ever since the incident. It's noticeable the whole time the laptop is on.
- Second is a type of electronic/crackling sound coming from the CPU and power connector area. This crackling sound is only noticeable when the laptop is loading the OS and when you open any programs, browsers, etc. If it's just idling, there's no crackling.

I never noticed either one of these before that one particular time I plugged the power supply to it.

I checked with my 8730w and there seems to be a little bit of that same crackling noise coming from the CPU area as well, but nowhere nearly as noticeable.
As for the humming noise, the 8730w doesn't have that at all.

Guys do me a favor and start by turning the laptop on and keep your ear close to the CPU and power connector area during boot up process and see if you can hear that electronic crackling noise. Also, try opening browsers or programs, keeping your ear close to that area when you're doing it and see if you can hear any of the two noises.

Also, try this... with the laptop off, the power cord unplugged and the battery less than 100% charged (just enough to make the charging light turn on when you plug it in).
Connect the power plug to it (laptop still off) and see if you can hear a progressive humming sound coming from the power plug area right after you see the charge light turn on.

 

Okay.. here is my dilemma.. i am looking to have the following configuration:

i7-820, 16GB, 256GB SDD, ATI Fire Pro, DC2

Now.. if I put that config in, its goes to $5186.. now, I know the prices on the site for 16GB and SSD are excessive . Now, if I have also heard that you can get better/faster SSD and cheaper/better memory from vendors other than HP. Any information in that regard would be appreciated. If someone suggests for me to buy memory and SSD outside of HP, please let me know the brand and model of the SSD and the brand of Memory that I should get.

Thanks in advance

 

S***! This humming sound is really getting annoying.
I think there's definitely something wrong with the power connector on the laptop.
I've heard this type of humming noise before.

For example, sometimes when you have a bad capacitor in something like a power supply or a desktop monitor, you can hear a constant humming or high pitch sound coming from those devices. I think this is a similar problem.

I may need to have it exchanged. Too bad because other than that, it's been running like a champ. No crashes at all.

Guys let me know once you've checked your laptops for the noises I described on the previous post. I need confirmation.

 

my lap crashes again! after 3 weeks when I've installed the new BIOS. I have no idea what is going on. Its must be hardware...

 

@ RampageII,
I assure you that the CPU whine is normal as well as the Switch-Mode circuits produced sound (welcome to the latest Intel platform ).
But I'd keep an eye on the cracking sounds and if it gets worse - call HP.

 

I never do anything without the TV on or music on or headphones on. Even when I work on the deck I have music on. I'll never hear that.

 

My W510 whined, but only while idle. When it was doing something, it stopped making the chirping noise.

 

False alarm guys.

Upon closer inspection, the 8730w sounds the same.
Although the crackling sound the CPU makes when it's working is definitely more noticeable on the Ci7 than the C2D.

As for the humming, looks like it's the HDs. I do have two of them after all.
I may switch to a single HD later.

Funny I hadn't noticed any of these noises before.
That sudden pop I heard when I plugged the power supply must have alerted my spidey senses. :laugh:

The thing is, I was trying my other power supply which is also an HP, except it's 180W. It was an extra from my old 8710w.
All these HP Smart Power Supplies are interchangeable so there shouldn't be any problems.
Hell, I've heard of people using a 90W/180W instead of the 120W/135W on the old 8710w. Some people just like using the 90W because it's much smaller and convenient.
If anything, you might get a message saying "power is not sufficient". For example, when running the FX3600M and the system is under load. But it's not going to damage anything.

In my case, there's no size advantage since the 180W and 200W are exactly the same size. I simply wanted to have one permanently set at home and the other in my backpack. That way I don't have to keep taking the same PS in and out all the time.

Still, that slight popping noise I heard when i first connected it to the laptop was a bit strange.

Any thoughts?....

 

Calmanervin?
Considering the money you paid and the delivery swiftness - you worry to much, my friend.

 

I get that on my Dell sometimes (and I think IBM too) It's from a surge of current being drawn by the laptop as you are plugging in and connector and it is at the edge of contact, where it's connected one slight fraction of a second, and not connected the other fraction of a second, repeat a few times, all within the course of the time it takes to push the plug in far enough to make a solid unbroken connection. At the slight fractions of a second the plug is disconnected the current flow arcs/sparks in the air, making that noise. ...at least that's what I get w/my laptops at least once a week if not more.

 

Well, it's good to hear that

While HP 8740w still unexpectedly crashes (and I can't order it now because of that), I'm reading the parallel thread about Dell M6500 ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...-m6500-discussion-thread-386.html#post6257313). And there is interesting observation:

It concurs with your point that power supply could be smaller. And particularly if your laptop uses ATI Firepro M7820, and not NVidia Quadro FX 3800M (which is considerably more power hungry). It's very reasonable if you carry it with you, while you travel. The double power may be needed when you rapidly charge the battery and, at the same time, use notebook at full power though... (including gaming video and using all your disks simultaneously) But in most cases it could be avoided. So buying a second power supply (90W) to use it in carrying bag sounds quite reasonable.

In his post there is one more interesting thought:

(he's complaining that fans start working at aroung 50°C)
What experience do you guys have with 8740w with this respect? Do you feel the same?

 

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I guess all this talk about crashes and fans ramping up has me on the lookout for any nuance that may indicate a problem.

I need to tone down my spidey senses.

This puppy has been running like a champ so far.

 

This is what we like to see!

 

Exactly, hence the reason why my 180W PS should be sufficient.

I disabled the "fan always on" feature on mine, but it always runs at low speed. Until the system is more active, then it begins to speed up.

 

So you can't turn it off completely? Wow!

With M6500 it's possible to manually adjust temperature thresholds for starting fans. Look at this post.

Is there a chance that HP 8740w supports the same feature?

 

IMHO, this feature should be disabled. Most users aren't that experienced to safely manipulate the thresholds and mistakes there can lead to system destruction or lifespan shortening at the very least.

 

Turn off the fan completely?
Is that even a good idea?
Like I said, when idling or doing light work, it spins at low speed.
It's probably has more due with the CPU than the GPU temps.
When idling or doing light work, my 720QM is always between 55-63C, while the GPU within 46-50C.

AFAIK, these HPs don't have that feature.

 

@Aikimox
Users buying the expensive workstation (HP 8740w, Dell M6500, Lenovo W701) could be experienced and know well what they're doing. Otherwise they'd go for a cheaper notebooks... And BTW, those who are not experienced - will probably not use the feature at all.

Some users will never edit Windows registry (I do it all the time) - it doesn't mean that Windows should remove <TT>regedt32.exe</TT> from its installation.

 

Key phrase being "could be experienced" but most probably aren't.

Just because someone has enough money to buy an expensive items it doesn't mean they know to work on it or even know how to use it properly.

I mean, look at all those people who buy exotic cars and end up crashing because they don't know how to drive them properly. :laugh:

The majority of business man who buy these laptops probably only know how to turn them on and use the software for their particular needs.

 

I need a tool, not an expensive toy to play with (or to brag about it with my peers).

Dumbing down a workstation for those who can afford expensive laptop, but don't know how to handle it, is never a good idea. It will turn out customers who actually need the "work-station".

 

Exactly my point. :yes:
Most people just need something that works and is reliable.
Having custom fan profiles or overclocking options is not exactly a necessity for the average businessman.

On the other hand, a gamer or notebook enthusiast may find those features appealing.
Which is why you're more likely to find those feature in gaming laptops than business laptops.

But of course, there are always exceptions.

 

^^ Exactly!

@ nbr99,
Those buying a business workstation, need it for work with CAD,DCC,etc and they usually get support from their company's IT personnel, they don't ever need to know how to load Regedit or how to change the fan's control settings.
Personally, I'd love to have this feature in every high-end machine, but I have to understand that only a tiny percentage of users can and will really handle it safely.

 

Or they may not want to have to dive into their system internals every time something goes wrong. That's why I don't use Linux. I may be a gamer, IT professional, and computer enthusiast, but I don't feel the need to compile my own OS and tweak every little setting, at least at home.

There are a few things it might be better if users can't modify without a lot of expertise... anything to do with the BIOS or tdp. So essentially, anything that could physically kill your computer. Fan control is definitely one of them.

 

@ Aikimox and Koshinn.

There you go.

You're both on point. :yes:

 

@RampageII

How about this - if you don't need it, don't use it.

Why the feature made for advanced users bothers you so much?

 

It doesn't bother me, but I can understand why vendors keep it out of the reach.
Regardless of your experience level, what if you accidentally enter the wrong value and rush into 8hr gaming session? Will you pay for the replacement or call HP and use the warranty?

 

If I accidentally enter wrong value and rush into 8hr gaming session - it's mine problem. I don't need a baby-sitter.

If a computer component could be destroyed by a wrong value setting - that's the manufacturer's problem and he needs a better design.

As a consumer I'm looking for features that they offer me for my bucks. Dell seems got it right and users can adjust fan strategies as they do need. And that looks attractive to me. I hoped to see something similar in HP 8740w as well...

 

At the same time Dell disabled all such features for the AW products, the segment where you can find the most experienced users - gamers and enthusiasts. We asked Dell reps many times to let us change the fan settings... Not a chance. You know why? Because it's too critical, during gaming you can ruin the system within 2 minutes with the turned off fans (or locked at low RPM).
Clevo used to unlock this feature in their gaming line. It's locked now and no amount off petitioning can help.
The reasons are clear.

 

Well, Aikimox and Koshinn certainly understood my point, but it sounds like you misunderstood.
Where exactly did I you get the idea that I have a problem with "advanced features"?
If I had a problem with "advanced features" I wouldn't have a Rampage II Extreme motherboard in my desktop and I wouldn't be messing around with my laptops.
Certainly I would not be rebuilding my own engine for forced induction purposes if I had a problem with "advanced features for advanced users". :laugh:


Hell, even you said it yourself....

So what do you need to have custom fan profiles for? :laugh:


You asked if the 8740w had custom fan profiles and I told you it didn't. I explained to you that the average businessman or professional does not have a need for those features,hence the reason why most business laptops don't have those features.