Confused: HP Envy 14 vs HP dv6t Select Edition

Where would one buy an HD screen to replace the 1366x768 that comes with the dv6t SE? Is it fairly straightforward?

 

There's a maintenance and service manual available on HP's website that tells you how to do it. It can be difficult. As for getting a screen, there's plenty of vendors, even eBay. Prices I've seen for compatible 1080p panels are about 150 to 200. Again there's no guarantee that this works so it is risky.

 

i wonder if theres anyone out there who has done this. how new is the dv6tse?

 

I think it came out in May? Also, for those you who are going to be using this laptop for college, do you have any suggestions for docking? I'm planning to have a whole "desktop setup" with my external monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, sound, etc. but would REALLY hate to have to plug and unplug each of them when I come back/leave. I've seen those makeshift "docks" from HP that connect everything through a USB port but I've heard they have problems with video quality and I can imagine why considering they send every imaginable I/O through one USB port... Any ideas?

 

Hey Guys,

I too was uncertain which model to buy so i ended up getting both! DV6TSE for me and envy14 for the wife.

Right now there is a HP coupon code that gets you $300 off the purchase of a DV6TSE if it at least $1400. Combine that with bings 5% cash back and you can get a pretty good deal on the DV6TSE.

My order came out to $950 before bing cash back. After Bing cash back should be about $900
i5-450
6 gigs of ram
500 gig hdd
radeon 5650 switchable
backlit island style keyboard
touch screen
6 cell and 9 cell battery

As for the envy14, pretty much the same except only 4gigs of ram and no touchscreen.

In terms of replacing the screen, its pretty easy. There are plenty of videos on how to do it for firs time DIY'ers. I'm planning to replace the screen to something higher resolution if I am not overly satisfy with it.

 

bcb will cancel the 5% back after 20-40 days 'cause you used a coupon.

but besides that nice

 

HP USB Media Docking Station | HP® Official Store

 

Just ordered the following for $949.99, after using a posted $300 coupon, and also chose the Bill Me Later which included a 5% cash back link on their website.

HP Pavilion dv6t Select Edition

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Quad Core processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz
• FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• FREE Upgrade to 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 Graphics + HDMI and VGA ports - For Quad Core Processors
• 15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768)
• No TouchScreen (includes HP TrueVision Webcam)
• LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• Full-size island-style backlit keyboard with HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
• 50% OFF! One 6 Cell (standard) and One 9 Cell (over-sized) Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

@lazyworm: That's the dock I said I didn't want to use because of the USB connection.

 

Im not sure about compatability but you would probably want something similar to: HP Notebook QuickDock Port replicator - PC

 

right, that's not the one i meant. what you need to look up for is xb4 media docking statn

 

The envy is all about the screen and backlit keyboard and nice alu-mg chassis. If you don't care about those, there shouldnt be anything wrong with the dv6t, ehh?

 

The dv6t with touch screen looks damn good too, but I wonder if touchscreen is that useful if the screen lid can't be turned like a tablet. At least it must be cool as hell to show off to your friends ahah.

 

The dv6 has the aluminum chassis and backlit keyboard as well.

 

Screen and .3 lbs and .2" of thickness.. and floral pattern?

 

dv6tSE pictures HERE

Gorgeous laptop.

 

Tex those pics are awesome! You're like a pro or something - either way those pics just increased my excitement about the laptop haha

 

I went back and forth with the same decision of an envy14 or the dv6t se. Ultimately the $450 in rebates won me over and I ended up going with the build below:

HP Pavilion dv6t Select Edition customizable Notebook PC

* • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* • Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-450M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)with Turbo Boost up to 2.66 GHz
* • FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* • 160GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)
* • 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics
* • 15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768)
* • TouchScreen with HP TouchSmart's intuitive multi-touch applications (includes HP TrueVision Webcam)
* • LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
* • Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
* • Full-size island-style backlit keyboard with HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
* • High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
* • Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
* • $1! SAVE NOW!! Norton Internet Security(TM) 2010 - 15 Month Subscription (activation required)
* • HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Estimated build date: July 13, 2010

Instant discounts you received:
$300.00 Coupon
$150.00 Notebook instant rebate
Unit Price: $1,630.99 Extended Price: $1,180.99

 

Very nice! You'll have to let us all know how you enjoy it when you get it! I definitely approve of your configuration

 

also one nice thing about the dv6 and the dm4 is... no ugly paisley flower dot pattern on the lid and palm rest.

 

After planning to purchase an Envy 14 for 2 months, I went to Best Buy to see their HP laptops. They didn't have any Envys in stock, but they did have the dv6tse and dm4t, and I must say, they look MUCH better in real life. Other than for the higher res screen, I wanted the Envy for its look and build quality, but the dv6tse and dm4t look great!After seeing it in person, I now think the dv6tse actually looks BETTER than the Envy and its "flower" pattern.

So, I decided to purchase a higher spec dv6tse at a lower cost instead of the higher priced, lower spec Envy 14. I would recommend the same to anyone else, especially if you're like me: a college student on a budget who already has a higher resolution monitor.

 

I'm thinking the same, meaning dv6tse, with the Blu-ray deal going on now though it is not a deciding factor at all.

However, reading the HP owner threads, HP including E14 has some serious realiability issues as well as other concerns. So what are the major ***consistent*** problems that people are having with the Dv6?

Asking owners or the HP notebook experts to post their real life issues.

 

I don't know if there are any real consistant problems with the DV6tse. I got mine today and besides the amazing amount of crap HP can put on it, I had absolutely no problem with it so far. Im just deleting the crap now, and it's taking awhile. I'm not sure how long this will last for, but i'm hoping for the most. Costco has a 2 year full warranty including accidental for 100 dollars. I'm looking into it.

 

HP's direct Warrenty is also 2yr manufacture and right now you can add 2yr Accidental for $125

Problem is that the $200 off coupon expired due to uses today so if you want a decent price you have to call in and say you want to use the coupon, when they finally tell you its expired then you go into how you needed the discount to buy it till they give you the "Beyond Maximum" coupon for $150 off and an additional charge back of $50 to your Credit card after the purchase is made (maybe a week later you should see the credit) and boom, still $200 off

 

Whoa, didn't follow that too well. I thought the HP warranty was 1 year?

 

These are the two builds I'm considering. One is here and one on the way.

 

I have to agree with you - I think the dm3, dm4 and dv6 product lines are more appealing visually. Despite the fact that they are less expensive, these all have a solid feel, quality brushed metal that does not feel cheap in any way. The brushed aluminum style is more minimalist, less busy than the paisley dot pattern on the Envy line.

Having seen now several different brands jumping on the metal chassis bandwagon, I think we will see many changes and improvements in laptop design and quality of materials within the next 6 months - 1 year, in terms of what is available from most manufacturers.

 

Im considering both laptops...
Configurations:
Envy 14-1050CA
core i5-430m
6gb ddr3 ram
mobility radeon 5650 1gb with switchable
640GB hard drive 5400rpm

DV6-3054CA
core i5-430m
4gb ddr3 ram
mobility radeon 5650 1gb with switchable
750gb hard drive 5200rpm

I want to know about the battery life of both laptops with light office work and wlan on.
I also want to know about the build quality of both laptops.

Which laptop should i buy (HDD capacity is of no concern, performance is)?

Thank you in advance to all who reply.

 

You definitely want to avoid the Amazon configuration of the Envy. It's got a lower res screen. Every model that ships from HP has the higher res screen, and its gorgeous.

I don't know anything about the dvt's battery time, but the E14 seems to get about 3.5-5 hours on a charge, with wireless and light use. Some guy got it to last about 7 hours on idle running VMWare/Linux. See the E14 battery thread for more info.

Some people have had problems with their Envy build quality, but some of it is overblown, too (I spazzed about keyboard flex in my Envy, but it isn't bad at all). My machine came with no real defects; I would say build quality is fantastic.

I'm biased, but go for the Envy!

 

The representative on the phone, said it is a standard 2 yr warranty, I have heard that it is 1yr from other sources so I cannot say for sure, which is correct. Guess i'll check again next time I call in.

 

Thank You Very Much Thanatos!

I am deciding to go for the Envy 14 (I have to get the amazon/best buy canada model though, Hp hates Canada sometimes) even with the 1366x768 screen .

I am sold on the build quality of the envy 14. I went into best buy and futureshop and played around with the envy and dv6 respectively for a while.
I don't know if it was a dud system or what, but the Dv6 flexed an OBSCENE amount.

Considering all the hate I've been hearing about the Envy, the best buy model was amazing and had pretty much no flex (like half a millimeter max) . Also, the whole magnesium/aluminium thing is awesome and the slot-load DVD drive is the bomb (pardon my retarded use of english)!

I'm pretty happy about the Envy 14 and personally I'm thinking that it is a perfect (ok maybe not exactly but...) second choice to the mbp 15" i7 (which i can't buy because it is $2249 in Canada).

 

some guy on here posted that he saw the 14 at a bb in canada with the higher res screen.

 

They're already out in stores? What?

 

That's what I thought...

Post#1275

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-pavilion-notebooks/492831-official-hp-dv6t-select-edition-owners-lounge-128.html#post6475432

http://forum.notebookreview.com/6475432-post1275.html

 

how many fans does the dv6t se has for cooling.

 

one 10char

 

Just curious, why would anyone buy the dv6t:se and then spend $150-200 to upgrade the screen? For that much you might as well get the Envy and save yourself the hassle? I imagine replacing the screen would void your warranty, which I feel like is a bad idea for an HP laptop...

 

One reason to get the DV6t se besides the better screen in the ENVY 14 is that the GPU in the ENVY seems to be undervolted. So you end up with a 3dMark of about 6500 in the Envy and about 8500 or 9000 in the DV6t.

 

Please tell me that's a lie!!! PLEASE TELL ME THAT'S A LIE!!!!!!!!!!!
btw, the only canadian model is the one with a brightview infinty display (1366x768) or the envy 14-1050CA (i have no amerifriends).

 

no...it's the truth..........
(whole world comes crashing down around him as he walks though lonely alley)
dv6tse or something better when it comes out...it is...
(loses faith in envy line of products.......)

 

Undervolted? Do you mean underclocked?

Where is the 3dmark of 8500-9000 for the DV6T? These at stock clocks?

5650's on stock clocks have almost all run at 7000 or so @ default/standard 3dmark06 settings.

 

Here is a little more background on the problem:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/503246-hp-envy-14-gpu-clock-undervoltage-poll.html

 

Well, I am steering away from the Envy 14 because of the GPU fiasco. I'd rather go with dv6t's faster CPU and GPU for a cheaper price and sacrifice the pretty screen.

 

That's the wrong reason - realize that the screen is something that you use with the laptop ALL THE TIME. The GPU is something that you use less than ALL THE TIME. Other than anecdotal evidence to the contrary, I'd wait for an actual review by a professional organization before making any judgements on that.

The single most important things that you need to look at when buying a laptop is the components that you use all the time - the screen, keyboard and "mouse".

Remember, also, that the usable life of the laptop (outside of gaming) is a lot longer than the usable life of the laptop for gaming. For that entire rest of its life, the screen is what you're going to be looking at.

I suppose you could also then make the argument that if the only thing that is important is the screen, then why bother with a discrete GPU at all? Well, I'm not actually saying that. Just make sure you understand that you stare at the screen a lot more than you use the machine for gaming (unless you exclusively use the machine for gaming...)