Customizing a 17" notebook for moderate performance and bearable touchpad/keyboard temps

Hi, guys. I consider purchasing a dv7t or a dv7z notebook and I wonder over the following questions:

-- how do the touchpad & keyboard feel with faster CPUs at normal load and at high load; in this regard, should I prefer AMD's Turion or any of Intel's T/P processors; performance is not critical;

-- is there a significant difference in performance between a 5400RPM HDD and a 7200RPM HDD;

-- should I choose a 6-cell battery or an 8-cell one; I guess they vary in weight and durability only, not in size or heat dissipation.

Thanks also for any other info that would help me decide on the customizations.

 

It really depends on what your intentions are. AMD processors have a WAY higher FSB and is therefore better with background processes and moderate multitasking. I like AMD a lot, but Intel has come out with a few shiny processors. Intel processors are the all out multitasking kings of the world for these laptops. They have a higher core clock and are optimal for gaming and heavy applications.

The hard drives would differ very slightly. I haven't noticed that much of a difference in the speed or transfer.

As for the exterior features, check out my review: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=284823

AMD is cheaper, so get that if you're on a budget. If you plan on getting an Intel processor, then grab the P8600. That provides more than enough performance for less power.

 

I just purchased a C2D P8400 DV7...

- The touch pad doesn't get hot, but the left palm rest gets fairly warm compared to the right side at idle...

- Things load faster with 7200RPM drives at the expense of power and a bit more heat... but don't expect it to be blazing fast though...

- Definitely take the 8-cell... you're not gonna last too long with the 6-cell...

 

why are u getting teo dv7ts with the same specs?

 

I'm like the ultimate HP geek.

 

I'm definitely not going to play games on this notebook. However, I might watch a movie from time to time or play some video. Most of the time, I'll probably do some programming, compiling (goes faster with a faster CPU, but is done rarely), debugging (hope I won't have to do that very often ). In sum, I won't need a very fast CPU. However, I would love to have a notebook that does not make me wait for applications such as Visual Studio, Internet Explorer, and Outlook to start. This is very annoying... I really dislike it.

Thanks for the reference!

Well, I cannot say I'm on a budget, but I would not like to spend more money just to have something that I'll make no use of.


By the way, does the dv7z series feature a subwoofer and a Gigabit Ethernet card (or just a 10/100 one)? What about a microphone?

 

The DV7Z does come with a subwoofer. I have seen microphones on certain models without webcams, but I have also seen models without both. It's hard to say, but the webcam always comes with a built-in microphone.

I cannot comment on the Ethernet port.

I shouldn't say AMD is for people on a budget, just more bang for the buck. It has a slower core clock, but the FSB makes up for that. I honestly prefer Intel, just rather not be biased. The AMD would be more than enough for what you need. If you plan on watching movies and want to reduce video stutter, grab something other than the base video card to be safe.

As for software load times, nowadays it's a factor of the chosen operating system. Dual Cores would have no problem running basic applications, the operating system tends to slow certain applications down. Vista for instance is a resource hog. Several applications run slower on a dual core with vista versus a single core with XP.

 

A webcam goes with a mike very well . So, it's great that HP also include mikes with the models that have webcams. It's just not mentioned on the site. Neither is the subwoofer in the dv7z series (only in the dv7t).

This could be another omission on the site.

I am, too, a big fan of Intel and 'cause of the price difference I'm now in such a hesitation... Do you, by any chance, have information about surface temperatures (palm rests, touchpad, keyboard, back cover) of the dv7z?

Won't the slowest video cards manage that just fine?! I'm not going to play HD films or something very high-tech, just avi, mpeg, probably mkv and stuff like that (if any at all).

I consider migrating Vista to XP/2003 as soon as possible...

 

The base card on the DV7z would be fine. It scored higher than the 9200m GS. I only mentioned for you to get something other than the base so that your notebook is a little bit more future proof. They might invent x ray-o-vision for the notebook one day and I am sure that would need a better graphics card.

Whenever I purchase a notebook, I intend on using it for more than 2-3 years. I assume you wish the same for yours.

I don't personally own a DV7z so I honestly cannot comment on the temperatures.

As for the XP migrating, that might be a little hard. I don't think they have gotten XP to fully work on the DV7 series notebook yet. Don't quote me on that.

Hope that helps!

 

And here's a question regarding the order. On the customization page I can see the following statement (under "Your runnint total"):

Estimated build date: October 13, 2008

If I choose the two-business day shipping, does it mean that the notebook should arrive on October 15?

 

Should... I wouldn't bet my life on it though. I don't recall how long my laptop took, but they ship from China and I wouldn't put too much stock in the build date. I would say that you would receive no later than the 17th of October.

 

I don't mean to derail this thread, but I have a brand new from HP dv7-1177 for sale. P7350, 4GB, 320GB, etc. PM me if you are interested.

 

DON'T GET THE TWO DAY SHIPPING!

On it's own it will come in about 2-3 days via FedEx. I've had many a HP notebooks shipped to me from their factory and they all average 2-3 day shipments. I've had a notebook shipped on Friday for it to come on Monday...basic shipping.

 

Well, I need a notebook sooner, so I'll probably go for a pre-built model, e.g. HP Pavilion dv7-1130us:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/...v7z_series/rts/4/computer_store/FS126UA%23ABA


By the way, are there any manufacturers that produce customized notebooks and ship to Europe?