DV8000 Is there a graphics upgrade in the works? + a Processor question

All the reviews I have read suggest the DV8000 is an excellent all around machine with the exception that it has a weak graphics set up. The 128MB ATI RADEON(R) XPRESS 200M w/Hypermemory generally receives weak marks.

Does anyone have any insight as to whether or when HP will be upgrading the graphics card or offering an option?

My understanding is once you get an integrated card you are stuck. That there is no work around like a an external graphics card with a USB connection.

Except for hard-core gaming and CAD does the graphics package offered matter much? I am a reformed vidiot but would like to keep my options open.

Also, any reason to upgrade (for $165.00) from a AMD Turion 64 ML-40 (2.2GHz/1MB L2 Cache) to AMD's Turion 64 ML-44 (2.4GHz/1MB L2 Cache) ? Is there a noticeable difference in typical real world usage?

My most demanding use will be some editing of home digital video of the family.

Thank you.

 

Unless you're doing heavy 3D work (games, 3D CAD), anything better than the 200M won't matter. Video counts as 2D. There is no known timetable for when HP will correct their rectal-cranial inversion and start offering decent GPUs with their AMD notebooks.

The GPU is soldered to the motherboard. Not upgradable.

For your purposes the 200M should be fine. You need a nice big screen, a fast CPU for video encoding, lots of RAM, and ideally two HDs (one dedicated to raw video, encode to the other one)... and video codecs REALLY like AMD64 mode, so you'll get a nice performance boost when 64-bit Windows Vista is ready. The extra $165 for the ML44 is tough to justify. I would buy a pair of these. (Or spend the extra money to buy 2GB RAM from HP so they won't harass you if the notebook ever needs servicing, tough call.) Buy 5400RPM HDs, you'll want the speed.

 

I agree, it looks to me that the 200M will suit you just fine, it shouldn't bog you down with what you are doing.

 

I just started a thread on the new HP Pavilion dv8000t and dv5000t notebooks. They will have core duo intel pentium processors and Nvidia GeForce® Go 7400 graphics cards with 128MB of dedicated video memory. Of course the pricing starts $300 over the AMD turion version, but it might be what you're looking for. Can't place an order yet - just high level specs shown at the hp site.

Chris

 

I don't think the ML-44 is worth the upgrade when you can get more memory to improve the performance. Why am I getting it? Bragging rights! :amd64: (We need a Turion 64 smilie...)

 

Agree with you on HP offering a dedicated GPU with AMD turion processor. I just ordered the dv8000z and plan to use it for home video editing and dvd burning too, so I'm interested in you comments above. Glad you all think the 200m will handle video editing - was the last question I had to overcome before ordering the notebook. On the dual HDs, I plan on using an external 7200 rpm USB HD for the video compiling. Being an external USB drive, will I suffer any speed issues vs dual internal HDs, though HP doesn't offer 7200 rpm HDs with their laptops? I did order the 80 gig 5400 HD for the main.

 

I play over-the-air HDTV video on my dv8000z without difficulty and on my zv5000z prior to that (64MB GeForce 440 Go, even weaker than the 200M). Editing your usual DVD-res video is a trivial task for a GPU in comparison.

I don't think you'll notice any speed difference with an external drive, certainly not a negative one. I'm sure you'll appreciate having all that space for raw video. It would be nice to have the faster access times of 7200RPM drives vs. 5400RPM but it's not as important as avoiding those pokey 4200RPM drives that HP likes to inflict on us. Normally I recommend ordering a two-drive dv8000z configuration just to get the mounting bracket for the second drive but you might be able to hack something together if you decide to add a second drive later.

 

For what it is worth, I asked an HP telephone rep. whether a graphics upgrade was in the works. He did not know but volunteered that "they hear about the weak graphics set up a lot".

 

Maybe we should make a petition. We could post it on the ZV6000/R4000/ZD8000/DV1000 forums and here. We could add a persuasive letter to go along with it.

Oh, I thank you for calling HP. Few people these days actually do something about what they want to be changed: they just wait for someone to do it for them.