Advice on buying a refurbished Envy 14 with Radiance

Hey guys, so here's my situation:

I currently have a dv6tqe, but I'm planning on returning it because I completely can't access my AMD card. I've been waiting to see if I should just get a replacement dv6t or get the SB Envy. The SB Envy is a huge disappointment, so that option is basically out. I really like the Envy aesthetics, and this is going to be a college laptop. I want the smaller size and better build quality. I might do some light gaming, but for anything intensive, I'll gladly just buy a console (and if the free Xbox deal works with a refurbished laptop, that's two birds with one stone ). That said, I just got the idea of buying a refurbished Envy 14 with the Radiance display. I've never considered getting a refurbished laptop, so I'm kinda curious about that. My return window on my dv6t is quickly coming, so I decided to post here and get a few questions answered.

How are refurbished laptops? Can you clearly tell they've been used? Where can I buy refurbished laptops? What is the running price for a refurbished Radiance Envy 14 (I guess I could figure that out myself once I figure out where I can buy them )?

Actually, now that I think about it, just having the BrightView screen wouldn't be a killer if the laptop is cheap.

Thanks guys! Hope you aren't in the same dilemma I am being incredibly disappointed in this year's Envy.

 

why is the sb envy a dissappointment? im thinking of getting one.

 

No Radiance, no GPU upgrade, CPU is pretty much the only upgrade this year.

 

yep, eafd is spot on. basically only a slight gpu upgrade (if you correct for time, it's actually worse than last year's), same screen, same design/build quality. sure, it'd be nice to get a better processor, but if i cared about power that much, i'd just replace my current dv6tqe. I just don't see the sb envy being worse $1k, so maybe a cheaper refurbished envy 14 would work for me. the main complaints were battery life and heat dissipation, and with the money i save, i can buy an extra battery and cooling pad and have money to spend.

 

Because of the high value people place on Radiance, you would be looking at ~1000 $ for a refurbished / well taken care of used one.

Just sold a radiance envy for about $20 more than I bought it for 4 months ago.

Definitely skip SB Envy refresh. The differences are not worth the price. It is a sold machine that should last a while.

 

Hey sorry to go off topic here, but how much do you guys think a well cared for Envy 14 i5-520 radiance could go for? It should be noted though that the warranty is expired.

 

I just bought a refurb for 950. So I imagine you could get 1,000 for yours.

I agree the radiance Envy is the way to go guys. I just checked the HP site and there isn't even an option to add an SSD???

 

okay, i know i started the thread, but here's a little sidebar of my own--how bad is the brightview screen? i think i can live with the resolution because the great resolution of my dv6tqe 1080p screen is even a little bit annoying to me. but resolution aside, how big of a difference is the brightview?

my issue with spending $900+ is that my dv6tqe was only $1070, and that's fully loaded--sb quad i7, 6770m gpu, fhd 1080p, 8gb ram, etc. i'm really only looking to spend like $700-800 on an envy.

edit: i'm also thinking about buying a new envy if i can't find a good deal on a radiance. how should i do that? hp's website doesn't show old gen envy's... so maybe amazon?

 

HP has not released the CTO envy yet, soon I would imagine. If you can, wait it out a while and you should be able to pick off a SB envy for a reasonable price.

 

Soon after HP offered the radiance for a couple days in february, a bunch of refurb radiance's showed up on ebay, NBR marketplace and HP's refurb outlet.
Some went for around $800. It appears the supplies have dwindled now, so the price may be higher now.

There are some on ebay but they are pricey, didnt see any on amazon.
Keep an eye on NBR marketplace , there are some there once in a while.

 

Skip it if you already own one you mean? I never owned an envy so I was thinking of geting one. Better processor and more battery life and less heat

 

Same. I'm thinking of getting the new Envy 14 now that it's refreshed. I can't think of any good alternatives besides the u41sv (not available in US), Sony Vaio SA (blu-ray player I don't need/expensive), or the Acer 3830tg (throttling, ugly (lol)).

Would you guys recommend the sandy bridge envy 14 to someone who has never owned an Envy or HP laptop for that matter?

 

not at all. for the price, a dv6tqe blows the sb envy out of the water. i got my dv6tqe back during the memorial day 25% off special, and a sb i7-2630qm, amd 6770m, 8gb ram, 1920x1080 screen, and 640gb 7200rpm hdd was $1070 with tax. the sb envy is base $999, so with tax, right around the same, and that's with a sb i5 something, amd 6630m, 4/6gb ram, 1366x768 screen, and 500gb 7200rpm hdd. the specs aren't even close. on top of that, the build quality of the envy, one of its pros, isn't all that much better than the dv6t. the design is subjective, but i personally do like the envy design.

the reason i'm returning my dv6t is because, for one, i have a malfunction, but also, i just don't need such a big and powerful laptop for college. so i'm planning on buying a first-gen envy 14, thus getting the build quality and more than enough power for school/some fun, for hopefully pretty cheap. hopefully, i can get a ps3 or something to fulfill my gaming needs, so that takes away the need for a powerhouse laptop, and should even leave me with some money to spare.

 

Aight, I had a long thinking process on what laptop to get. At first I was going to go with the Sager NP5165 for gaming, because I cared about bf3 (to me it is now going to be a joke game, sorry) then I thought to myself to scale down a bit, get some portability in and power. Went over to the sony SA or SB which turned out to blow. Not because of the resolution but the screen itself. Then I was stuck again, and the great Eafd provided me a lot of info on the Envy and this is what I got to:

Its portable just like the MBP
Its very powerful, and it will get some mild gaming
The set up I will be going for will have 6gigs, i7 2630qm,750GB 7200, and (2) 8 cell batteries. All for $1175 (student discount) + an xbox and I already have a buyer for that, so thats $975, for a 2nd gen SB envy?...yes please.

Also, not trying to be a party pooper, but the dv6t is one reason that I never looked into the HP line up ever (it was by accident I found the envy). The build quality on the dv6t(for me) is such trash. People just recommend it for the price, and what you get in it. But dont look at the over all quality

 

yeah, to each his own i guess. the build quality of the dv6t isn't great, but i think it passes by my standards. i've already explained why i'm not looking at the sb envy, so that's that. maybe you could fit a radiance display into the new envy? not sure about dimensions, but that'd be pretty sick. price... eh, i'd be a little iffy, but hey, it'd be one crazy machine.

 

theres one on NBR at the moment, but it seems sale is pending :

http://forum.notebookreview.com/not...90147-fs-hp-envy-14-radiance-w-120gb-ssd.html

they go quick ...

 

Not a bad idea bro , but It would require a lot of work ;(

 

Some people tried, and apparently it's not possible.

 

That's really a bummer. I've been looking all over for this information too. Where did you hear this?

 

I asked and eafd said it doesnt work, its somewhere in this forum

 

It doesnt work on the beats edition but what about the regular one? I don't think anyone has actually tried although I asked eafd before and he said its possible unless of course HP were cheap and didn't put the connector on the mobo to allow hookup for radiance and brightview. If that is the case then yeah its not possible.

 

It's most likely not possible on the new Envy.

Hard to tell though, because only a few have it and practically nobody has a spare radiance laying around.

The radiance is NOT compatible with the BV display cable in the old Envy. The radiance is not physically compatible either, but that can be fixed.

If HP kept the same screen in the new envy, then most likely it won't work.

 

Won't it work with cables from the BV Envys then? If anyone is interested in trying this I have a spare radiance.

 

If you have a spare radiance that is IN the cover, it'll work just fine.

If you have a spare radiance that is JUST the panel (not in the display assembly), then the BV cable isn't long enough and also the BV cable doesn't have enough pins hooked up to the mobo. The BV cable results in every other vertical line on the display being white, so you can't really read anything.

 

can the whole lid be swapped between old envy and the SB envy ? (it was possible for old envy)

 

Maybe, but only if HP decides not to change:

The connector pinout and/or its position on the mobo
Mounting positions for the display's hinges
Physical size of envy
Display type/type of display communication.

I think right now the display is using LVDS to communicate, but if HP decides to use the newer DisplayPort for the refresh then it won't be possible. Also if HP uses a different webcam or microphone, it might warrant a change in the proprietary connector pinout, which would also mean it won't work.

I'm pretty sure the size of the envy is still the same, though

 

Okay, so I'm now having doubts about buying a refurbished laptop--I guess I'm just too paranoid to buy something this pricey that's been used. Now, I'm thinking of just trying to find a cheap NEW first-gen Envy with the BrightView screen, and I have a few questions:

1) Just how bad is the BV screen? It gets bagged on so much, and I'm sure that's warranted for a "premium," $1k laptop, but price aside, how is it? I may do some gaming, but gaming is definitely not a priority, and I have access to a PS3 and TV if I need to game.

2) Where can I buy new first-gen Envy's? I'm kicking myself for not taking advantage of the huge deal HP had for them the week or so before the SB Envy dropped. Now, the HP website only shows the new SB Envy's, so do I have no way to buy a new first-gen Envy anymore?

 

eBay has some good options if you're willing to look.

 

The gaming isnt the huge issue with it, its the real estate that you get for normal browsing and desktop usage that makes a huge difference.

 

1) Assuming the BrightView hasn't changed from the 1st gen and 2nd gen... about as bad as a cheap $300 Acer netbook My opinion is that a screen's quality is not subjective (just look at the numbers) and people that think the BrightView is good, just don't know any better.

Envy BV:
avg brightness = 177.9 cd/m
contrast = 164:1

Acer Aspire One 772:
avg brightness = 203.6 cd/m
contrast = 164:1


Notebookcheck.net on the Envy 14 Brightview...

"The screen has lost all advantages. The contrast is low (164:1), just like the luminosity. Everything that our meters can readout and everything that we see (viewing angles) doesn't exceed a run of the mill office screen."

"The color spectrum is far away from the Radiance Infinity Display. Not even sRGB (t) comes close to being covered"

"The brightness is just as poor. We determine an average brightness of merely 178 cd/m2. This is sufficient for indoors, but bright surroundings and dazzling sunlight are a no-go."

"We venture a step outside and experience an intensely impaired view caused by reflections. Thus, outdoor use next summer will have to be cancelled. Low brightness and reflections add up to a dreadful mixture."

"The last criterion for the display is the given viewing angle stability. Thumbs down here. The angles are just as narrow and limiting as in our 299 euro Compaq Pressario CQ56 test device."


2) 99.99% positive that you're out of luck finding a brand new 1st gen Envy 14, especially with Radiance. If you don't care THAT much about screen quality or screen resolution, just get the SB Envy 14. If you do care, SB Envy 14 shouldn't even be in consideration and buy a refurbished Envy 14 w/ Radiance from HP's outlet (if they have any). Although I personally haven't had the greatest luck from my 1 time experience, the service was absolutely top notch. If you find any problems with it within 21 days (or was it 30?), HP will gladly take it back and refund. If you are happy, buy extended warranty if you need the peace of mind.

 

In perfect conditions, it's not nearly as bad as it seems with the right color profile.

However, the viewing angles and brightness are horrible. Don't get the BV unless you are absolutely POSITIVE that you won't be using it anywhere outside.

 

thanks for the input guys! but i'm still pretty uncertain of what to do--i understand that it's basically impossible to get a brand new envy with radiance, so would you suggest getting a refurbished radiance envy or a new bv envy?

in regards to the radiance/bv debate, i've read that the difference in quality between the bv and radiance isn't that substantial, and that it's more just the difference in resolution that makes a big difference. in other words, if the radiance display were 1366x768, the differences between the radiance and bv displays would be negligible. i would find a direct quote, but i've been on so many threads these past few weeks that it'd be pretty hard to find .

 

Your screen may as well be off if you're using it outside. It's just that bad outdoors, so I never bring my Envy out.

The resolution isn't that bad, and the pixel density is around 110 dpi, but the Radiance is closer to 130 dpi, a big difference. Things can get a little cramped on the BV, but I can still fit 2 pages side by side in word.

Try and get a last-gen Radiance refurb if you can for cheap. It'll last a while, especially considering the latest SB envy has pretty much an identical GPU but better CPU.

The i5-2410M is comparable to the i7-720QM, so the CPUs have gotten a large boost in speed. Everything else is pretty much the same.

 

Did you not read my response to your post?

Look at the numbers and review of the Envy 14 with BrightView. Now read this review from the same source with Radiance.
Review HP Envy 14-1010eg Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

If you're only using the Envy in perfect conditions (indoors in a dimly lit room) with office programs, and don't use multiple documents side-by-side... then sure, the BrightView might appear to be just as good Whoever said that is sorely mistaken... it is not only the resolution that's differentiates the 2 screens.

 

I actually have both screens...

Brightness sucks, viewing angles suck, and resolution is meh at best. Everything else is surprisingly similar.

 

Try and find a cheap used Envy with BV for around $550. Yes they're out there. I searched the U.S. on Craigslist and even found a couple people willing to do $500. Then buy a Radiance display and adapter for around $300.

This is if you can't find a radiance model.

 

again, thanks for the input! my threads usually die within like 2 days, but this one is going strong!

anyways, what are your experiences with used/refurbished laptops? i'm not very knowledgeable with laptops, so i'm afraid that the internals may be damaged (especially considering the envy's heat issues) even if there are no cosmetic damages. also, i'll be using the laptop in college, so i'm pretty wary about buying used and it dying, and thus being without a laptop down the road. i have to admit, the deals are pretty good. $500 for a good quality bv envy is great. i guess with a few discounts here or there and the xbox deal, buying new wouldn't be so expensive, so i guess that's another thing to consider.

i'm leaning more toward buying a first-gen envy. the sb refresh isn't a big improvement, so if i can find a cheap new first-gen, then i'll definitely pull the trigger (again, the xbox deal plays a role in this). as pjd2011 said, if the bv screen just doesn't do it for me, i'll still have the option to upgrade to a radiance.

but then i guess i could wait for the sb beats edition to come out.. maybe that'll come with some more customizations? meh, i hate the waiting game for laptops...

 

Refurb means that the internals will be guaranteed working (replace bad components), but the exterior may have some blemishes.

 

oh, okay, gotcha. thanks for the clarification. where would you suggest buying a refurbished laptop? just the hp outlet or where? and again, have you had any experiences with used/refurbished laptops?

 

The only experience I've had is when I bought a nice refurb with great specs for cheap and the FedEx guy stole it.

Good thing I got a refund, and I suggest either ebay, the HP store, or here on the NBR forums. I think the HP store has a column for condition, but most of them might only have a small ding or a scratch or two.

 

yeah, it's stuff like that that has me worried about buying used/refurb lol. i guess i won't rule it out, though. i just wish there was a way to get a cheap new first-gen envy... if they still had that 30% or whatever discount they had earlier, i'd be all over that. does anyone know if hp has any good back-to-school discounts? i may just wait for that.