*HP EliteBook 8740w Owners Lounge - PART 1*

FYI, the newest BIOS has been released as F.05 and is available for download on some of the public HP sites now. (I downloaded and installed it this morning. When I went back just now though, all I'll saw was F.03 again. I think it has something to do with how HP mirrors their servers.)

It seems to fix the fan ramp-up after sleep issue although that isn't mentioned in the release notes. I haven't noticed any other differences except some additional settings in BIOS menu.

 

I captured a video of the high frequency noise I'm hearing. You might need to be in a quiet environment and turn up your speakers a little, but it's definitely noticeable in this video:

• HP Elitebook 8740w Buzzing Noise‬‎ (YouTube)

I captured with fan on and off to prove it's not fan related. The buzzing/whine is intermittent throughout the video. I have SSD drive so there is no harddrive access noise.

I am having problems determining if the noise is significant and is fixable, or if it's just triggering my tinnitus and making it seem worse than it is. There are similar posts all over the Internet, but mostly with older dual core laptops. The problem is likely a combination of:

• Technical Issue - CPU frequency switching and/or capacitor resonance and/or charging circuits.
• Personal Bias - Not everyone works in a very quiet environment or is as susceptible to tinnitus type issues.
• Hearing Abilities - I don't think most older people will hear this.

There is an iphone app that generates high frequencies meant to test hearing abilities and annoy kids (who hear higher frequencies than adults). This noise reminds me of when my brother-in-law is playing with that app. It causes a constant ringing and pressure in my ear that is nearest to the laptop.

The noise is noticeable on AC or battery. Probably more so on battery. The CPU needs to be idling. I have an i7-620 (dual core) processor. I don't know if the quad cores might be different enough to never have this problem.

I'd be interested in hearing anyone's thoughts on this. It would be especially useful if someone with an 8740w could confirm conclusively that they do NOT have the issue, because then I would definitely be contacting HP support to try and resolve. I'd like to sort-of confirm the issue first though.

 

@kaliatech: I can tell you that my computer makes the exact same noise. What I can't tell is how loud yours is compared to mine. I can only hear mine if I put my ear right next to the vent in my current noisy classroom. In my home office I can just barely hear it if I'm doing nothing else late at night. It doesn't bother me much, but it is certainly there.

 

isn't that just the CPU which generates that noise? I guess it is normal with a lot of CPUs...

maybe you can avoid it if you disable a few power saving states of the CPU or wait for a BIOS update

(for another model, e.g. dv9000, this solution was available: HP EliteBook 8730w Mobile Workstation- HP Notebook PCs - High Pitched Noise Emanating from the Notebook PC - c00965412 - HP Business Support Center )

 

How old are you? I'm 30, and I'm hoping I've past the point where I'm no longer able to hear those high frequency noises.

 

thanks...makes my mid 30's self feel really nice...but yes...I can hear it...am just about to pull the trigger on this but dont need this CPU noise....I used to hear it in my acer long time ago...got rid of it..was annoying to hear all the time...

 

I can confirm that BIOS F.05 does not fix the RAM crashing issue. I think it fixed the fan-after-sleep issue, but it's been too noisy here to tell for certain. I'll check it out when I get home.

 

Thanks. It is relative. I can't hear it when I have any music on or air conditioner is running etc. But I can still feel the pressure in my ear.

I'm in my mid thirties too. I was sort-of joking about the age, but I was surprised out how different hearing ranges can be between people, especially as they age (on average). Regardless, the more I listen to this, I don't think the tone coming from the laptop is all that high of a frequency. However, it seems to trigger my tinnitus which is at a much higher frequency.

The laptop might not really be the issue here. It could be specific to the i7-620, just be a personal/mental issue I have, or some combination. I am going to have my wife listen to it for a while tonight to see if she notices it like I do. She already thinks I'm crazy, but should provide an objective point-of-view otherwise.

I believe it is the CPU. (The noise happens on or off AC power, and even with battery removed when on AC. Because of that, I don't think it's related to power or charging circuits. It seems coupled to CPU load.) I had read through the links you posted and elsewhere. I tried disabling power-off of all USB hubs but that hasn't made a difference. The only option I've seen mentioned that I have not tried is using RMClock or similar to prevent going in to the lowest CPU state. That's not something I want to do though (and I couldn't get RMClock to work anyways.)

I have an older dual core laptop that makes similar CPU noises when on battery, though at a slightly slower frequency and louder. It was always annoying, but didn't cause a sense of pressure in my ears. It's something about this particular frequency that is driving me crazy.

 

deleted

 

Did u mean F.04?

 

I think he meant F.05. It's on HP's support site. Went live July 30th.

 

lol, wouldn't it be easier to just check yourself, instead of asking several times?
You do know where to check for HP drivers right?

Yes, it's F.05.... lol

 

It's F.05, they skipped right over F.04. It is dated July 30, but those dates are usually behind. kaliatech was the first to spot (and report) it this morning.

 

is the bios working? anyone brick their computer?

 

I'm about to smash a brick on my computer if the crashing doesn't get fixed soon, but the BIOS seems to work fine. The fan/sleep issue is gone. Other than that, I noticed a battery/plug-in graphic was added to the HP splash screen during boot up...not sure why.

 

Lol..i am blaming it on my router for the 'page cannot be displayed'.

Can't believe they jumped from F.03 to F.05, while they were giving out beta F.04. I am sure it didn't come out on 30th Jul

 

It's no surprise.... all the BIOS releases for the 8740w have been odd numbered.
That's probably why f04 was never released publicly. It was just a beta.

 

Updated the BIOS to F.05 and the FAN speed ramp-up after sleep has been resolved 99%. The remaining 1 % is the fan does ramps up to mild speed for about a min or so and then stops.

I took the risk as i am getting mine replaced with a new one coming monday .

 

Mine does that sometimes too, not sure it is really a problem of any kind though.

 

Can you tell if the noise is coming through the speaker or just through the main part of the unit above the CPU? The reason that I ask is that it sounds a lot like the same type of situation as with GSM phones sitting next to speakers, causing them to "stutter" if data is being sent.

FYI - I've heard it on many machines myself too in the past. I just don't have any that are doing it at the moment to test this theory...

 

I let my wife listen to it last night. She said she could definitely hear the high pitched noises. She also said it wouldn't bother her...but she only listened to it for a minute or so. It didn't seem to affect her as much as it does me...but only recently did she really the notice the difference between HDTV and standard too, so...

That's a really good point. I hadn't considered the speakers. It's really hard to pinpoint the sound. I've been trying to for past 15 minutes. What I am doing is putting my ear directly above the keyboard, next to the fan, and then directly in front of each speaker. The noise seems more prominent in front of the speakers, but it is hard to tell.

The only idea I can come up with to pinpoint for certain is to take laptop apart and disconnect the speakers. Per review of the service manual, that looks to be a significant task though. Any other ideas?

I don't have a GSM phone. I've carried the laptop to different areas of the house and office. The noise remains the same everywhere, so I think whatever it is, is internal to the laptop. The noise does seems to stutter and be sporadic. But so is the known CPU buzzing noise with my older laptop. The only other thing I notice, that or might not be related, is that my hard-drive light blinks constantly at the rate of once per second.

I could learn to live with this noise IF I knew I had to. I'm trying to determine if that's just the way it is for most of these laptops, something specific to the dual cores, or if it's an issue with my laptop specifically. Ideally I could get HP to send me another 8740w laptop so that I could compare them side-by-side. I doubt that will happen though. I've considered ordering one and then returning, but that seems like an expense hassle. I will say I did not have the noise issue with the 8540w I was using previously. (It had an i5-520 in it.)

For those on the fence about this laptop, I'd have to say I still highly recommend it. Most any laptop will have some issues these days due to the tight tolerances. HP's elitebooks seem to be in a different class as compared to their consumer machines, IMO. Only time will truly tell though. With the recent BIOS update, and excepting the noise I keep harping on about, I'd have say this laptop is easily the least problematic laptop I've ever owned. It has not crashed a single time in the ~3 weeks I've owned it...and that is definitely a first for me. The performance is superb. The only trade-off I've had to make for my "perfect laptop wishlist" is that the fan runs constantly. It's not loud though so I can deal with it.

 

Yeah... if anybody is having second thoughts about buying the 8740w due to this forum and the list of issues, head over the the Precision m4400 forum or the Envy 17 forum.

Their issues list makes the Elitebook look like JesusBook.

 

Wow, all w-series models (8740w, 8540w) have been removed from some european HP websites, such as UK, France, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Croatia, Germany and Spain since Monday.

May the reason be material shortage or quality issues? Anyone have a clue on this?

 

I guess they are only removed from that overview, you can still find them by typing 8740w or something like that (and I guess this means nothing, only they are just updating something on their web page not their line up)

 

With the new bios, all current issues with the 8740w should be solved, except maybe the high pitched sound, but I can't hear it. As for the crashes on 4 dimms, recent shipments, post dream color 2, no longer have that issue.

 

I think the backlit keyboard bump is still an issue as well, right?

 

Sigh... just discovered that my estimated arrival date of 8/13 was... well... a place holder. HP rep says the typical build time for a custom config is 2 to 3 weeks. So, at best, I'll have it by the 20th, but more likely by the 26th.

What are typical order-to-delivery times for you guys?

 

I've had too freezes with the new F.05 BIOS.
First one(yesterday): Screen just froze while I was typing. Gave it sometime to see if it recovered but it didn't. I had to perform a hard shutdown.
Second one (today): While watching a video, screen went completely black, but audio was still working. Then there was audio stuttering followed by BSOD.
After restarting on its own, a BIOS error message was displayed. Restarted again and system is working again.

My system has been running like clockwork until BIOS update.
Damn it. I knew I should have trusted my instincts and just left the original BIOS.

Anyone else experiencing issues after BIOS update?

If it happens again I'm going back to F.03

 

3 weeks normal

 

Don't go so fast. First, ask HP Support if you can downgrade your BIOS version. Some time ago, I've read on the HP support page that once you have updated your BIOS, you cannot go back to a previous version without leaving your computer unusable. This warning was specifically for the F.04 BIOS update. So be careful!

@ThinkFr33ly:
Yes, about 3 weeks, 4 weeks at the most (in the worst case). I'm talking about delivery times in Europe (Spain). I see delivery times in U.S. are almost equal to here.

 

I'm thinking of placing an order on one of these guys. Any recommendations on the setup? Any configs to avoid? I will want 6+ GB memory so any recommendations on good packs from Newegg or elsewhere?

 

Ok,
After almost 3 weeks of messing with the system, stressing, gaming, - positively surprised! No stability or any other issues. I didn't mess with any drivers (except for letting the HP assistant do its worst ), didn't update the BIOS, haven't reinstalled the OS, etc. Everything is stock and perfectly functional. No crashes, freezes or slowdowns observed. Absolutely love the regular keyboard - it's better (IMHO) than that of Lenovo W510 and on par with my old R40'.
Things to wish for -
1) Backlit Keyboard ( same quality as the regular one)
2) Fan triggering thresholds reduction ( the max boost at 85C is too late!)


@Klezmer41,
Skip the backlit keyboard for now. The rest is up to you.
If you don't need CUDA or any Nvidia "preferred" applications - go for M7820.

 

@klezmer41: I respectfully disagree with Aikimox regarding the keyboard. I do agree that the BL keyboard is somewhat flawed (in several but not all cases here in this forum). However, for me, the flaws are worth the BL. It depends on your use, background and preferences. I work most nights and my eyes prefer dim lighting. Add this to my inept typing skills plus no experience with a Thinkpad keyboard and my BL keyboard has become an irreplaceable feature FOR ME. Even my father, who still owns a desktop and no laptop decided his next computer (his first laptop) needs to have a BL keyboard after using mine for an hour.

Regarding best prices: I think nearly every US user in this thread ordered through HP (please correct me if I'm wrong). If a pre-config fits your needs perfectly, they generally priced well, but you can get 28% off List price for a CTO. Send me a PM of you want my rep's info. Note however that I haven't shopped around for months, so looking outside HP could be worthwhile and I just don't know it.

 

What are the places that are good for pre-configs? I live in California so tax is awful sometimes, but a CTO discount probably makes it worth going through HP.

 

I totally understand your point and am longing for the BL KB. For a time being, I'm typing this message with all the lights in our apartment off and reduced to 90nits brightness.
I can perfectly see all the keys just from the screen backlight... when the background is white. Otherwise it would be difficult to impossible to see the white markings.
Hopefully, HP fixes the problem soon and we can get the proper quality replacements.

@Klezmer41,

Go through HP 100%, configure your system w/o compromise and with the 28% discount you won't regret it

 

A few questions...

The bump in the BL keyboard, does it bump enough to rub/scratch the panel when the notebook is closed and in-transit?

On the quads (720, 740, 820 and 840) the 7s both have 6MB cache and the 8s have 8MB cache. What kind of performance difference does that translate to?

And for upgrading RAM, if I start with HP's 2GB and add 2x4, for a total of 10GB, would I be taking a performance hit? I've heard something about it being better if you have the same size in each slot, so they run in dual channel mode or something.

 

Hi everyone! I enjoy reading this thread about 8740w.

Could you please tell me wheather the standart 1650x1050 screen is fine to work with? - you talked a lot about the dc2 screen, and I liked the photos, but such computers are too expensive in the place where I live (Russia), thats why a minimum configuration is acceptable.

And the second question is - what do you recommend - the silver body or black one of the botebook - I read that they are in these 2 colours - and I was lucky to find only pictures with silver ones.

Thank you in advance

 

I am not experiencing bumps unless i see it at 180 degree flat for evenness. Its not like a bump that will hit the screen. Its a minor one and isn't noticeable on a regular use (unless you are constantly thinking about it). I didn't even notice it until Aikimox pointed it out.

Go for the 840M as it is the sweet-spot for performance and money. To an extent, 740=820, 840=920 performance wise.

 

@Alexey25, welcome to the forum. If you haven't seen the 1920x1200 screen and if you are coming from a 1280x800 screen, you will love/like the 1650x1050. If its otherwise, then you might not like it. Since i have a DC2 with 1920x1200, i tried setting it to 1650 and can't stand it after using 1920.

Do you have a linky or pic or part# of that different color 8740W? What we have is a brushed metal Grey.

 

only the predecessor 8730w is available in silver

there is also a standard LED WUXGA screen and the cheapest model with it should be about the price of the 1650x1050 and if your eyes are good enough I would go for the extra pixels because you have more space

 

That's not a supported configuration. You can have 1 DIMM, 2 DIMMs, or 4 DIMMs. Not 3 DIMMs.

So your possible configurations are 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 12GB, and 16GB.

The service manual (link on the first page of this thread) has all the comobs you can use in terms of DIMM size.

 

I think I confirmed and found a partial fix for the high pitched buzzing/whine that's been bothering me! I filed a support case yesterday with HP to get things rolling as I became more and more convinced that the noise was a real issue. As part of the standard support procedure protocol I reverted everything back to stock (which meant removing my SSD and installing Win7 on the original harddrive).

Although I'm not positive, it seemed to me that the noise only started (or at least become more noticeable) right after I installed the IDT audio drivers. I then uninstalled them but the noise remained. At this point I had already started suspecting the noise was primarily coming from the speakers. So, I reverted back my SSD and my full Win7 install and started playing with settings. To keep a (very) long story short:

The noise is somehow related to the integrated Mic and audio. After trying a multitude of configurations and settings, what I've finally come up with to remove the noise is this:

• In Sound control panel dialog, go to the "Recording" tab.
• Right click on the integrated mic (or click properties).
• On the "Listen" tab, check the "Listen to this device" setting.

AudioScreenShot-20100812 by kaliatech, on Flickr

That's mostly it. Once I do this, I also have to set the Mic level way down or I get a lot of static from the speakers. I changed a number of other settings while troubleshooting, so there could be more to it, but the noise consistently starts/stops depending on whether or not I apply this setting.

Also interesting, while debugging this I noticed that the noise would immediately go off if I simply clicked the "recording" tab of the sound dialog. It would immediately start again if I clicked back to the "General" tab even if I made no other changes. (Keep this in mind if testing this yourself..once you unclick the "Listen to this device" setting, you have to close the dialog and click off the "Recording" tab to hear the noise again.)

I don't know if this is something affecting all 8740w laptops or just a few, if it's a hardware design flaw, a software driver problem, etc. I'll forward this same information on to my support case to see what they think. As is, the sound is mostly gone, but I'm not sure my integrated Mic is useable (because I have to set the level way down to avoid static.)

The noise is not entirely gone and I can still hear a very high pitched whine if I put my ear up to the speakers, but it's nothing like it was.

If anyone else can weigh in on whether or not they notice same thing it would be helpful. I'd be especially interested in hearing if anyone else's integrated mic generates a lot of static when playback is selected and levels are up because that seems like a potential electrical issue to me.

Regardless, I am very pleased to have at least reduced the noise.

 

In the US, there is only one color, but it is neither silver nor black. They are gun metal gray, which is darker than silver. However, if you step away from the laptop, the color appears to get darker and looks almost black at certain angles. Perhaps that has led to some confusion on the color as people view non-professional photographs.

 

have you tried putting in a headphone ? this disables the speakers on my 8730w and maybe you can narrow the problem. Also, I know the 8730w is different and I am using XP, I have to select the stereomix in the control panel for recording and not microphone if I want to lower the noise of the audio output (speakers and headphones)
(no, I am not using any recording function at all, just during playback)

 

Yes, that disables the laptop speakers and automatically switches to whatever is plugged-in, but it does not stop the noise. (I typically have external speakers plugged-in.)

 

strange, then the microphone cannot record background noise and put it out on the speakers and I guess you always hear the noise even when in BIOS configuration after power on ?

 

No, I never hear the noise until after Windows 7 has booted. I think it is somehow triggered or caused by the IDT audio drivers.

 

So what if I get 2x2GB to start with, and then add 2x4GB later filling up 4 DIMMs? Will that slow memory down at all because the sticks are not all the same size?

 

No you won't notice the difference. It will be very small if there's any at all, AFAIK.

 

But I could live with 8GB just fine. Under normal circumstances I would never need 12GB. So if there is a disadvantage to having different sized sticks in there I would rather just go with 2x4GB.