Could I get some feedback on this purchase please?

From futureshop for $1200 cdn

HP Pavilion DV6874CA 15.4' 1280 x 800

Intel Core 2 Duo T5850
4GB DDR2 2 Dimm Max
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
320GB 5400RPM
Blu-Ray w/ SuperMulti DVD±R/RW DL


I have a few questions:

Is that GPU good enough to run source games? (Counterstrike, Team fortress 2...)

Will the blu-ray drive ever be useful?

Are the 6800's good laptops? I couldn't find a review here.

Thanks.

 

thats a good deal.

 

The 6800 is the latest in the dv6000 series so you can check for the reviews for dv6000 to find them. The one thing you should be aware of is the 8400M GS video card is not a super video card, it will run games but expect them to be set on the lower settings. If you look at the dv9000 you can get a slightly better video card, the 8600M GS, which would run games a bit better. Overall the 8400M GS would do ok but if you are buying this laptop as a gaming platform I'd suggest against it.

Do you really need a bluray player? They are fairly expensive still and you may be better off to put your money towards the graphics card or a faster processor. Don't forget to check the deals section on the forums for discounts, I know they have a few active coupons right now.

Cheers,

-Reby

 

The T5850 is an older chip with a FSB of 667 MT/s. If you want to spend $1200 I would buy direct and get a much better processor.

You can get a comparably configured machine from HP direct for much less or a much better machine for the same price. I bought a new HP recently and did extensive shopping. Buying direct from HP with a coupon will give you the best price hands down. And the $500 coupon is their best discount. It runs intermittently. You have to be patient and look for it.

Google "HP coupons" for several sites and go to the HP website and customize the dv6700t or dv6700tse. The coupon code is entered during checkout. Look for the reviews on this model (it is the same as yours) there are are plenty. I have made several extensive posts on this topic. Do a search here on my name if you want more details.

 

Reby is right.

I bought the dv6700tse and then returned it for the 17 inch dv9700t because I wanted a bigger screen and better specs. For the same money I was able to get a class 3 instead of a class 2 graphics card (as rated by NotebookCheck.com), a 7200 instead of a 5400 rpm hard drive, and a higer resolution (WSXGA 1680 x 1050) and better picture quality (IMO) display. Overall, I am much happier with this model. I want to make clear that the dv6700tse worked fine while I had it. There were no problems. I just think the dv9700t is a better value and offers more. The screen for the 17 inch model is 31% larger than the 15.4 inch and the weight difference isn't that much. It all depends on how portable you want the laptop to be and if you want a bigger screen. If you watch a lot of movies and spend a lot of time reading on the computer it will make a big difference.

 

i agree with reby...
use the money to buy something that can't be upgraded later (you can always buy a new drive and replace the current one)