DV5t second thoughts (advice needed)

IT'LL BE HERE FRIDAY:

- Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53 GHz)
- WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
- 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X4500
- 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
- Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN
- SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
- High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
$1005.63
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THINKING OF ORDERING:

- Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.4 GHz)
- WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050)
- 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X4500
- 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
- Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN
- SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
- High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
$926.72
--------------------------------------------

I elected to go with the T9400 on the first order. Now I've read that it's not that big of an improvement over the 8400 or 8600. Not to mention the apparent power savings. Now that I have to pay my own electricity....well. Which processor should I go with?

At one time I was used to having multiple windows on screen at once. That stopped once I let go of my desktop and then my 17" notebook. So when it came time to buy I was kind of used to the smaller ratio. Should I bump it back up?

Will I see a big bump in performace by going with the 160gb @7200rpm over a 5400rpm hard drive? Is it worth paying $50 bucks and losing 90gb in space?

I have never successfully burned a recovery disk from the partition on my hard drive. All I have to show are coasters. Does the dv5 have this partition? Should I pay $19 for a disk?

Thanks in advance.

 

If your are using your computer for basic tasks, the P8400 should suffice. The 10w isn't a whole lot to be worried about, the only thing that will suffer, will be your battery life. Overall, notebooks are built to consume low amounts of power, and 10w is maybe 10% of your notebook's total power consumption.

Typically, higher density hard drivers have been performing on-par or close to those of lower density, but higher speed (RPM). For the $50, I would go with he 250GB hard drive.

I wouldn't pay the $19 for a recovery disc, because all it is, is a compilation of your dv5t's drivers, which can be burned very easily in under 30 minutes.

What resolution you choose, can only be determined by what you feel is comfortable. Head out to bestbuy, and view some 15.4'' notebooks with WXGA, and WSXGA+ and see which one fits your needs.

 

That is with the coupon.

 

i just deleted my post haha, didnt notice you go the high capacity battery and the faster hd

 

tough decisions. I'd say that if you don't really need the 6mb cache, go with the 8600. I'm on it now and it runs everything I need pretty well. I've never tried a 7200rpm hdd on a laptop yet, so I can't really say anything about that. From what I hear it could be a good investment. And yeah, like stated above, don't buy that $19 recovery disc. GL with your purchase

 

1) CPU - By going with the 8600, you drop in L2 cache from 6 mb to 3 mb, as well as have a slightly better efficiency processor when you look at heat and battery if not by a little bit. The speed difference is negligible and would only be noticeable if you were using applications that were number crunching intensive. Normal day to day usage such as internet and email would not show any difference between the two processors.

2) I definitely recommend the higher resolution if you are planning to do any movie watching or game playing as it gives you more options for clarity and quality of image.

3) If it is still a free upgrade, I would recommend getting the 64 bit version of Vista as this will allow you the ability to upgrade the RAM up to the 8 GB down the road without any major software issues/re-installation. The 64 bit comes with a fully functioning 32 bit emulator, so there are no major software incompatibilities to my knowledge (I have it on my desktop and have yet to run into an issue yet). Plus, it seems the 64 bit version runs a little smoother comparatively to the 32 bit version of Vista according to what other NBR users have been reporting.

4) Hard Drive - Unless you are moving a lot of data constantly, I would go for the extra storage over the speed of the drive. While the 7200 RPM may give you slightly better performance, it also produces a bit more heat as well as is more energy hungry. Again, if you are using the notebook primarily for regular day to day usage things such as internet and email, then you won't see any difference at all. Hell, in my current desktop I can barely see the difference between my 7200 Seagate and my 10000 RPM Raptor.

5) There really isn't any reason in my opinion to purchase recovery media. All HPs come with the partition which is a great alternative and also give you a free software to make a copy on disc. If you are having trouble burning the backup discs, let me ask you this. Were the discs from the same pack/manufacturer? If so, try a different disc maker. I work for Staples as their store technician and I have had good luck with the HP brand discs as well as the Staples brand. I personally use Memorex and have never had problem there either. Sony, Altavista (Office Depot brand), and TDK have had all kinds of errors when burning when I tried using those brands, so you may want to steer clear from them. Another question would be if you were having the burning problem on a specific previous laptop/desktop, and, if so, would that system burn other discs without a problem. Sometimes the burning utility can get a corrupted file that causes it to mis-read and transmit the wrong data that causes the disc to either not work or cause the program to error. This is why the first thing I do to any system is make the discs. If it has an issue, I try again. If it fails a second time, I re-image the drive from the partition back to factory to fix any possible software issues and then try a third time.

BBGus

 

He typed everything I would've said.

 

remember u can always downclock ur cpu to save battery life
it will be so annoying when u decide to upgrade ur cpu later
the 7200m of 160gb hd will be similar fast as 5400m 250gb.
i think i saw this similar question in somewhere.

the suggestion is: buy 1gb ram or free upgrade 2gb ram, then buy 4gb ram separately, it will cost like 53 dollar something.

 

My new notebook showed up around 9:30. I was actually dissapointed in its looks until I plugged it up.

It seems like Visa installed better on my 6500t. I still haven't managed to download definition for Windows Defender for instance.

I also notice gaps in the chasis near the hdmi slot and burner. It also seems to be giving off an odor. I never noticed this with any of my other notebooks. I guess it's a good thing I'm sending it back.

I'd like to think everyone for their posts. Here's what I ended ordering.

- Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.4 GHz)
- WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050)
- 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X4500
- 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
- Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN
- SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
- High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
$912.32