DV3510nr / DV3Z - Questions

Thanks in advance, this is a fairly awesome board.

Ive been shopping for a laptop for a few months...i like to research.
alot. haha.

I was down to the DV3510NR (one of the BestBuy Blue Label series),
but i just noticed the refreshed DV3Z.



Can anyone give me any opinions on these laptops?
or which one is the better buy / value.

And, would it be possible to purchase the slot loading drive from the DV3Z, and put it in the DV3510NR ?


Thanks guys (and "gals").

Mel

 

I'd go for the dv3z and its ATI integrated graphics. There's a lot to be said for buying direct from hp.com, especially if you can find an applicable HP Laptop Coupon code.

http://partsurfer.hp.com/ is HP's parts website but their prices are usually insane. Standard slimline optical drives fit, unless they're using a thinner than normal drive in the dv3z that I don't know about. As a rule it's cheaper to buy the correct optical drive when you configure your notebook on hp.com rather than upgrade later.

 

Would it really be better to go with the intergrated GPU?
i plan on doing some light video editing / photoshoping / gaming on this machine, and outputting to a plasma tv.


And thanks for the link.

 

It's more a matter of not trusting NVIDIA after their defective chip fiasco. They're supposed to have things straightened out now, but...? The dedicated GeForce 9300M would be slightly faster than the integrated Radeon 3200. I do HDTV and Blu-ray (with external Blu-ray drive) playback to a 1920x1200 monitor over HDMI with my dv4z, no problems.

 

Im all for intergrated...but im liking the battery life on the 3510nr.

Are there any reasons to choose the dv3z over the 3510nr, minus the slot loading drive...haha.

also, if anyone owns either of these laptops and cares to give therte opinion...ive not seen tht many persons [on this site] with either laptop.


Thanks
mel

 

Don't own either one, but like you have been considering both.

The one issue with the dv3z is that you can only get an AMD processor for it, and they run hotter. I've seen several comments from owners. Some say its fine, no big deal. Others say they get hot and the fan runs full speed all the time when its on.

 

The dv3510nr being part of the best buy blue label badge should include 2 year warranty which if you get the dv3z is optional and costs extra. The dv3510nr looks like a better deal. But, be wary of the battery life times listed by any manufacturer since battery life varies quite a bit depending on usage and the way they actually test it. Sometimes it might be fairly accurate sometimes you wont ever reach that stated time. I would keep that as a max rather than expecting to last that long in real world use.

In any case, here's the owners lounge for the dv3500 series...
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=316940

 

Ok, I've actually owned one of these and here's what you need to know:

1. It's a fingerprint magnet! It's going to look terrible after a day of school/work so make sure you bring along a microfibre cloth to buff it throughout the day
2. The battery life is mediocre at best. I was hitting 2:45-3:15 hours on full charge and using power saver mode.
3. The fans runs non-stop and the laptop runs quite hot due to the Turion processor.
4. Build quality is pretty solid

Hope this helps.

 

It does,
Thanks for everyones comments.

 

Hey,
if i was interested in an extended battery / an extra battery, (for the 3510nr)
what would i buy?

and would it be safe to just throw in my messenger bag and carry around to swap out if the other ran low...?


Thanks again.
mel