DV6T or Envy14?

Hey Everyone,

Im looking at getting a new laptop soon, for moderate gaming and web design. My price range is around $1000, so I really like the dv6t and the envy14, so...

Which would you guys get if you were me?

Which will perform better at the $1000 price mark?

Which is sleeker?

Thanks for any input you guys can give me!

 

Hard to compare, the dv6 should outperform the Envy 14 base model by a large margin given a $1,000 budget.

Envy 14 will look sleeker.

 

That's a tough one and would depend on your primary uses.

For me, the lower resolution screen on the dv6 (compounded with the larger physical screen size) would be the deal breaker. I spend a lot of time working on huge excel files, processing large images, and creating poster size presentation boards so I love having the additional pixels. For the few games I play I'm also of the opinion that I'd rather have a higher resolution with less details then a lower resolution with more details, but that's obviously personal preference. I spend a big part of my day looking at the screen so I want it to be as nice as possible.

From a strict gaming point of view, you'd probably get more fps out of the dv6 if configured with the same graphics card (5650).

For sleekness it's definitely a matter of opinion. Some people love the envy while others have a strong aversion to the floral etched pattern or the plain jane casing.

 

I agree, its a tough one. They have similar specs. The envy 14 is just more premium in terms of materials and the screen resolution.

 

Might be worth waiting for the models to come out to compare heating and quality of build too.

 

Ive been waiting to pull the trigger on a DV6 for a while. I really like the new versions but why in the world don't they offer high resolution? Whats the deal with 1366x768, I know its good for video DVD but at least give a choice!

-K

 

Ah, i didnt even think about screen res. What will the envy come with standard?

So it sounds to me that the dv6t will perform better at the $1000 price mark?

on a side note, does anyone know where I can see a dv6t or an envy15 in person? I never go out to bestbuy, so im not sure what they have in the store. Also, does anyone know of any online reviews of the dv6t with high res pics? I cant find any!

 

Envy comes with 1600 by 900 resolution standard [at least that's what HP claims]

 

For $1000, dv6t definitely would perform better (but it was already said, resolution sucks for such a big screen), so if you are after moderate gaming get it, but even envy 14's specs are very decent and would perform well with source games.

You can see both (or at least envy) at fry's if you are in the US.

 

ive been to bestbuy often and ive never seen an envy. on the pavillion models. and from checking on best buy's site, they probably dont have those in stock yet either.

 

Your best bet would be Costco. Envy is an online only item from best buy, and we have yet to get the refreshed line up from HP

 

I have seen the Envy at Best Buy many times. It may only be at certain stores, but it's there.

I would say go for the new dv6se. I think the new updates make the model a very nice buy! 5650 graphics card, 4GB in ram, and an i5 processor for an amazing price. Don't forget 10% bing cashback.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I managed to see a dv6t today at bestbuy, and wasnt to impressed with the screen or the look of the laptop.

What about the envy 14 makes it not as good as a dv6t at the $1000 price mark? Doesnt the envy14 come with an i5 and 5650 for $1000? Thats just as good as a dv6t. Am I not getting something?

 

We are still waiting for the confirmation of what is standard and if it is actually $1000, but I would really recommend waiting. By looks and the screen alone envy 14 beats the dv6t (judging by envy 15 and 13).

 

Yea I am deffinitly going to wait, because this envy14 looks to be exactly what I am looking for.

On a side note, did the envy 13 and 15 come with the slice battery? if not, how much are they? Do you guys think the 14 will come with one?

 

Yes all of them HAVE the slice battery available but you have to pay extra for it. I paid $180 for my envy 15 which is a 9 cell battery ( bought it after i bought the laptop, believe its cheaper if you buy it with the laptop).
I believe envy 14 will also have it, and it will be a 6 cell battery, but of course it will be extra.

 

The 14 wont come with a slice. To make the Envy 14 a suitable all-around machine (ie. moderate gaming) I imagine you'll have to go at least $1,200 (screen, processor upgrade) and probably closer to $1,400 with the additional battery. Of course, this is speculation, but I don't see any other way.

You may want to consider the Envy 15 if you're working with a strict budget. They dipped sub-$1,000 with the $450 coupon and are near that amount if you catch a major Bing discount. The 15 seems like a better fit for someone who wants an excellent screen and moderate gaming at around $1,000.

 

Hmmm, thats an interesting idea Niber. What is this $450 coupon you speak of? And how does this bing cash stuff work anyways? Can those two things combine with a student discount?

 

The $450 coupon was offered a month back and I'm sure another similar deal will cycle through eventually. There's no telling how long before that happens tho.

Bing however frequently hits 25% off ( 5/17) but doesn't stack with any discounts including student rebates.

 

bing cash back is a discount service similar to HPA. u can go to bing.com and... bing it (variation on google it? lol) the difference is u get dicounts withmore online stores than HPA. i believe tigerdirect is one of the included. your most likely better off sticking with the HPA discount though. i think its little more or about the same. however bing does occasionally have 25% of savings. for ur second question. no u cant combine them. I dont want to say all, but the majority of HP deals are cannot be combined with the student discount and sometimes they will even void the instant rebate. so do ur homework!

 

The 14 will have a slice but you will need to buy it separately.

 

Has the Dv6t always had the free Bluray ROM upgrade? Just noticed that, and it makes it even sweeter a deal.

 

My goodness. Core i5, switchable 5650, and blu-ray for $900. HP is going to sell a lot of these.

 

I think HP just pulled me away from the Sony Vaio I was looking at. Really just depends on how much I need that battery life and better graphics. Hmmm..

 

$200 coupon out there from buylogic for systems customized over $1199.99. HP is already offering $150 off instant savings.

I just configured this for $849 out the door.

Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edit
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-430M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz edit
Memory 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Hard drive 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection edit
Graphics card 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics edit
Display 15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768) edit
Touchscreen No TouchScreen edit
Primary optical drive Lightscribe Blu-ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support edit
Networking Intel Wireless-N Card edit
Keyboard Full-size island-style backlit keyboard with HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader edit
Primary battery 50% OFF! One 6 Cell (standard) and One 9 Cell (over-sized) Lithium Ion Battery edit
Productivity software Microsoft(R) Works 9.0 edit

Could of gone to the 520m processor but for $100, it's not worth the price to upgrade, so I stuck with the 430m. Went with the Lightscribe BDROM drive, for $15 upgrade, and the double battery.

 

Is HPs total care worth the money? Or Should I purchase the laptop from Costco and get the two year warranty from them (only 100 dollars for 2 year accidental w/ lojack)

Edit: Got off the phone with Costco. you can purchase the two year ADH w/ lojack from them for 100 dollars! (even if you buy the laptop from HP )
Link

 

how does the lo jack work exactly?
say i buy direct from hp, then i buy the 2 year warranty from costco, what is the next step to enable lojack protection? do i just install some software? do i have to take it in or ship it to costco so they can install lojack hardware?

 

I'm not entirely sure to be honest. They might include something to install that installs straight to the bios dunno.

 

i just ordered this system for 1,463.64 with hp discount.

HP Pavilion dv6t Select Edition customizable Notebook PC

* • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* • Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
* • 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* • 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* • 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics
* • 15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768)
* • No TouchScreen
* • Lightscribe Blu-ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* • Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
* • Full-size island-style backlit keyboard with HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
* • High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
* • Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
* • HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

i think its a pretty good deal for

 

I think if I were to do this I'd keep 4gb of ram and get an SSD instead... best thing to do for laptops these days.

 

-- Uh no.... IMO what a waste. I'm not going to be spending the next 2+ years with that resolution. I have a dv1600 14.1"inch doing 1280x768 back in 2006; and 4 years later were back to 1366x768 on a bigger physical screen? 80 more pixels horizontally after 4 years??

 

i thought about that, but i need the storage space and external drives are a big turn off for me. the 8gb ram is the one item i spent the most time thinking about. honestly, right now i really dont need it but i want to have this laptop for the next 6 years as my main computer and have it working for at least 4 years after as a back-up. plus i want to take engineering as a major so i want to be ready for whatever programs they throw at me.

 

Save yourself the money, and go with the 4gb. As you need the 8gb over the next 6 years, upgrade it yourself for a fraction of the price. It's not worth it to have them upgrade it for you right now. Same as it's not worth the $100 to go from the i5 430, to the i5 520.

 

I'm curious if HP, in the future, will allow another choice for DV6 resolution.
I'm running 1280x800 on my old ZV6000 from 5 yrs ago. I realize 1366x768 is kind of the inverse but give us the option to choose wide or tall screen!
I don't understand why they cant offer an upgrade like they do with the Envy series.
Aside from the usual heat and reliability concerns of any system the resolution is the only thing that has stopped my purchase of this computer.

Really looking forward to reading some reviews on the new models. I get the feeling HP is trying to alter course in a positive way. Time will tell.

-K

 

To me the smaller resolution is a plus. While I would certainly enjoy more real estate, I'm thinking the 5650 will fare better in games with a smaller resolution towards the end of my notebook's lifespan.

 

well i wish i wouldve posted this earlier.. either way the order has already been dropped to factory so i dont think i can cacel it now. this is my first laptop and my budget was a little loose so i guess i got a little grab happy

 

You still got an awesome machine man. Don't feel bad. It's just a little different than I would have gotten.

 

thanks man. I've read somewhere that windows 7 gets a little too cache happy due to the superfetch feature. I'm not sure hoe this would work in a laptop in power saver mode since the article i saw used a desktop.