Couple of questions about Envy v2

I have a couple of questions about the Envy v2. I'm certain the answers are somewhere in the massive owner's thread but it's way too long to want to go through at this point.

My questions are:

1) Audio quality of external speakers. Is there enough bass in them? Do they sound "tin-y"?

2) Noise from the fan when the GPU is in high use. How loud is the fan? Has anyone put a decibel meter to it?

3) Temp of the GPU. My Studio 15 is hitting a high of 70c when running and was wondering how the newer ATI is.

Thanks a ton.

 

1. speakers are really high quality. like them more than my m15x speakers, which were also excellent.

2. gpu fans are relatively quiet, the cpu fans tend to be louder actually. when running simple programs or web-browsing, fan noise is negligible, but when you game you can definitely hear the cpu fans kick in. Again, GPU fans never seem to get all that loud.

3. GPU temps stay well below 70c, but CPU temps will go up, up, up. My i7 820QM temps max out at 79 degrees when gaming. regularly CPU temps are about 52-55 degrees. idles at 46. get an i5 or i7-620m if you want cooler temps.

 

To build upon this...

If you get the SSD, what will the temps be? I'm looking at getting one of these too, but I have never seen one. I currently have a Dell SXPS 1640 (love it), but with my gf's machine crapping out, I can upgrade. The Envy 15 seems to have the majority of features I want...but I'm still unsure.

 

I don't know if it's just me, but I find the external speakers of the Envy 15 to be pretty quiet. Like, I have volume on max, but it's no where near as loud as I would have expected. Maybe I'm missing something on the settings... anything you guys suggest I do or check?

(like, on external speakers, I turn volume to loud, and hear stuff at low-normal volume... versus when i use headphones, i need to turn volume to somewhere between low-medium for normal volume)

 

Quick one folks..... there seems to be a bit of negativity about the Envy on this forum and others although plenty seem very happy. What is the overall satisfaction on your Gen 2 Envy please includng

• Build quality
• Speed (i7)
• Screen
• Heat & noise
• Overall performance

I have a 15-1110ea (UK) on order but maybe I am being paranoid so appreciate the views of those with hands on time please

P

 

Forums will always focus on the negative.

- Build quality is better than average and looks like a premium laptop.

- Intel i7 and ATI 5830 guarantees performance near the top of the class (especially in this form factor).

- I have the 1080P screen and it is better than average. 60% RGB color gamut. There are a few potentially better options, but nothing at this price point

- Heat is under control and cooling system is nicely designed. Palmrests can get warm, but not uncomfortable. I bought a lapdesk which I have used since new. Even though it has fans I generally use it turned off.

- Overall, probably the best value for the money in the premium class. I cross shopped the Dell XPS16, Sony Vaio F Series, and Lenovo W510. No regrets. Depending on coupons or actual street prices any of these seem like worthy options.