EMERGENCY! I Need Help With Decision by 01/01/12 @10AM

I got lucky, well, sort of. I got in on the Best Buy HP Pavillion dv6-6117dx @ $429. I thought I hit the lotto! Brand new, never opened, had the HP tape on it, etc. I open the box, and the computer is not costmetically perfect by a long stretch, but I figure for $429, I can deal with that. I start setting it up, and am enjoyionf it when the flickering lines at the top of the screen appear, which I understand to be common. Chat with support, load new Catalyst, and all seems well, even if it was still flickering, I had decided as well to deal with it by using the oft used "turn monitior setting to never go off" setting which worked, so no worries, again, willing to accpet this minor flaw if it was a flaw. Now, I notice the computer base not only has gaps where it shouldn't, but it is also warped! When the lid/screen is closed, neither of the rubber antennas touch the base by about 16th". Also, the base bows in the center so much, it almost touches the surface it is sitting on, and the left round, rubber foot barely touches the surface. It doesn't rock back and forth, but it's about to if it gets worse. For me, the warp would have sent me back to the store, but I didn't notice it until these were long sold out.
Best buy, obviously, says I am being picky! lol I am will to accept a lot of flaws on this thing which others would have returned on first sight, but being one to wait things out, and see how they go, I didn't, so am now stuck with this until I trade up, or return for cash and go to HP, and order my own, both of which will set me back over $150 more than I had planned to spend as a stay at home daddy, and only my wifes check coming in.
My question, they have the dv6-6b47dx which Best Buy & HP both state has the 3500M chip in it, but it actually has the 3510MX chip, (I & many others have checked this) 640gb 5400rpm, 8GB Ram, standard 15.6 screen, Beats Audio, and all other accoutrements associated with the newer dv6 line. The manager offered me an exchange for this one when it was still $699, but only took $100 off which meant I'd have to come up with $129 more plus the $46 in tax. I didn't think the computer was worth $175 more out of pocket for 4 more GB's, another 140gb in HD space, and the next step up in CPU. However, it will be on sale tomorrow at $579, getting closer to what I had in mind, but not quite there yet compared to what I bought at $429. I still don't think the extras on this computer are worth $150 more, but I do like the iea of being able to take it home, return/exchenage it if any problems arise, etc. However, for $529, I can custom build the dv6z with 6gb's, 640gb HD, 1366x768 screen, 3510MX APU, and the 1gb radeon card for x/fire graphics which I will probably never use, but resale would be better, and I would rather overkill than underkill, though as I said, I doubt I will play anything on the computer that will take advantage of the extra graphics, but you just never know. Aany advice, and thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated, and look forward to gettin involved in the forums whichever I choose, oh, I hate to wait, I am a want it now guy unfortunately, but if I must wait, I must wait. Another option time might give me is getting the HD screen, but I have heard others complain about it? any thoughts on that would be great as well, but I, again, doubt I can afford that particular feature. I do have a full HD 10800 tele if that matters at all. Take care all, and thanks for any replies, suggestions, etc.

 

Don't have any help for your question, but you really need to stop creating new threads on the same issue. Especially within a span of an hour.

 

Where have you seen people complain about the 1080p screen? It is a great screen and I've seen people give nothing but praise for it. However the standard screen which came with the computer you got is garbage and everybody complains about that.

 

Well, I can see I won't be asking your advice for anything! I make one request for information, and you chastise before you know the facts. Get off your high horse, and say something constructive!
I am sorry for whatever multiple posts/threads may have occured while writing this lengthy question, but I can assure you, they were not of my doing! The site kept logging me out, changing pages on me etc. Not sure how I posted multiple threads. khetik, when you see multiple threads in the same place/forum, it's obviously a mistake or accident! What possible reason would I have for posting my question multiple times in the same forum? None! In fact, It brings out those who have nothing better to do than complain instead offering constructive advice.
To the forum admin, sorry for the multiple posts, but I certainly did not intentionally make these posts, and please, by all means, delete them. For my sake, and for those who don't seem to be able to detect site or user related errors which are not intentional!
The site did it again, I went to post this, and it said I wasn't logged in, so I logged in again, and it may have made another multiple post? I can't see them, All I see is one post? Am I doing something wrong? Is there a setting I must check etc? Never had this problem in any other forums, but have seen multiple posts one after the other which obviously are either site or user error. Any help on this matter would be nice, even from you khetik. Get to the root of the problem, instead of chastising me.

 

I have the standard screen now, and think it ok. It's certainly not the greatest screen, but very viewable when the settings are user controlled, and correctly set. I suspect a lot of users have not played with the settings on this screen as it is quite bright from the factory, and all settings must be changed before you get a nice contrasty brightness. Playing Angry Birds on factory settings is impossible. The screen is so bright, you are unable to see the bird trail so your next move must be made blind. Only those who have played Birds would understand this, but the screen has great brightness, in fact, too much! lol

 

Here is a worthy, constructive thread about the build quality mentioned in my question. http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-compaq/627479-any-tips-how-determine-if-laptop-defective.html This is the kind of information I can use, as well as others. Seems the Pavillion's quality control is spotty at best which begs the question I also asked about ordering a custom Pavillion, seems I may need to go through a long process of exchanges before I get one that looks perfect like the one on display at my local Best Buy. The dv6 series are beautiful when attention is paid to the cosmetic attributes of the laptop, but it seems maybe HP or it's manufacturers are lacking in this area; Which, also begs the question about reliability, a search on the internet, albeit a quick one, gives one the impression that HP's laptops are among the worst, reliability wise, and this would correlate well with the complaints about HP's build quality. Spending over $500 on a product, one expects a certain amount of usability without any problems, and this does not seem to be the case with laptops in general. Toshiba, and Asus have the best reliability ratings which I had already known from all the research I have done. I spent $1750 for the first laptop to come out with the AMD 64 bit cpu, it was an E-machines, and wasn't worth anywhere near what I paid. It lasted me about 4 years, but the hinges cracked at around the 3 month point, (these were notorious along with Gateway I think, for having bad hinge designs) the dvd player? what dvd player/recorder, it lasted about 5 months before it quit, and E-Machines would not send a new one out, though all that was required was a simple screw to replace, extremely simple. E-Machines wanted me to to cart the thing off to them for replacement, and be without a computer for an undetermined amount of time. I asked HP about it's guidelines if something like this should happen, and was told they would send one out, and expect a return of the defective unit. I Have had nothing but praise for HP's support since buying this laptop so I am leaning torward getting another HP, but after reading about Hp's reliability, and obvious, existing, quality control issues, one has to look at the whole picture, and only more research, and help from forum members is going to help in that area. I have to think twice before spending $700 in this economy on a machine that has dubious origins! My experience with HP's support is the only saving grace, and if I choose to stay with this brand after reading the reliability reports, I can only hope the fantastic HP support I have recieved remains so after my new purchase. There is another thought that just occured to me; there has been talk/rumors HP may get out of the computer business all together, especially after the Touchpad, tablet fiasco which, IMO, could have been solved by simply installing Android, and forgetting the HP's WebOS. That's it for now, stay tuned as I'm sure I'll find more pertinent info on HP, and post it here.

 

They decided that they are not going to get out of the computer business.
Besides, i think the Touchpad sale was a genius move.

 

Just a note: people will be more willing to help when you don't barrage a member with alibis. Just say alright and we'll be on with it! No one's looking for an argument.

But anyway, I own the exact same laptop as FixingMyDell, and I am pleased with it. I have yet to experience any cooling issues. My laptop feels sturdy, but I have not owned it long enough to support that. I bought this thing at MicroCenter for about $700. HP has amazing deals on their laptops and can give you the best components for the price. Also, I think it looks really nice cosmetically. I like the keyboard where the keys seem to 'pop' out from the actual surface. Plus the whole unit doesn't look like a block.

What I can suggest is: do not buy from Best Buy. Also, it may be worth exploring other brands. There are plenty others out there that have their own specialties. Lenovo's ThinkPads are built like monsters, and they are famed for their build quality and keyboards. Toshiba can offer good components for the money - but they have a noticeably shorter life than other laptops. HP is a brand where most people love it or hate it. They cannot be consistent too long, but those who have a good Pavilion are thoroughly pleased. E-Machines, and Gateway laptops are the cheapies.

If you can, there are many more options available online, if you can expand to that territory.

One thing I can say about reviews, most people that go on reviews are typically angry trolly folks that want to rant and rage about their laptop. They are the ones that commonly receive a bad unit that could be easily replaced from their manufacturer. This is not to say not all reviews are bloated information. There are legit haters and sincere lovers out there.

What I can say is, return your laptoppy when you can and maybe save up a bit more, or look at some better options online. Under $500, you can't find that decent of laptop with your budget at retailers like Best Buy or Circuit City.

Hope I helped!

 

I'm not trying to 'chastise' you or instigate any sort of argument. Simply letting you know what NBR forum rules state. The reason you probably don't see them is because the mods cleaned up the HP forum. G'luck with your question.

 

I appologize KhetiK, I Am one of those people who hate to take blame, when no blame is due, and will defend myself to the inth degree. I also have no trouble taking ownership, if I in fact did something wrong. In this case, I'm not sure what happened, I have seen multiple posts before in other forums, but realized it was user or site error, and thought nothing about it. I've been into computers, building my own since the "Intel 286" days, 14" 60lb monitor, 1 mb ram, 40 mb hd, case, floppy, MB of course, $3000 Unbelievable what things cost in those days, my moms Appple cost $3000 also, but mine could do much more for the same money. lol Anyway, get off on a better footing here as Ritzy Cat said. I honestly did not do this on purpose, the multiple posts that is, and have no idea, well I do have a few actually. I am using the laptop wirelessy, something to do with the connection dropping maybe, screwing things up by touching the pad, I'm just not sure what happened, but when I would go to post, it said I was not logged on,, and I had been logged on when I started. I go to edit, and it happens again. This is my first wireless experience so I have to wonder if this is where the problem lay as I have never had a problem of multiple posts when hard-wired to the modem which entails the last 30 years or more. There is no reason to do multiple posts, even in different categories, it just P's/Off users, and you get no help, (BTW, Thanks Ritzy Cat, and DR.Bass) I usually find users who do this are tweens seeking a quick answer, like NOW! No patience, and I understand this so I don't really care unless it gets rediculous. Any thoughts on why I may be getting multiple posts would great as I really don't have a clue, except for the wireless end of it, which is, as I said, where I think the problem lay. I certainly don't want to get into this trouble on other sites, especially ones I have been on for years. lol Anyway, good to know HP is staying in the Puter business. That had me a little bothered, but I have pretty much decided to custome order one as my experience with HP's support can't be beat! Best I've had in years from a company, and that alone is worth more than anything else when buying something like this. I'm thinking the dv6z with AMD 3510mx, 6GB, 1 gig Radeon card, 640gb hd, 15.6, etc. for $629 if the coupons hold out. Hopefully they get a tad better, and I can squeeze in the 1080p monitor. I paid $429 for this one which was a steal so there is the option of just sending it in for a new case as I am happy with it other than the warping, and cosmetic problems. Hope all is straightened out, and we can move on, just hope I don't wind up with more multiple posts, maybe a mod can adivse if they run across this thread. May I'll post another to them or in a wirless forum because I have to believe this is the problem as in 30 years I have never been accused of making multiple posts, the only dif being the wireless? Anyway, take care all, and thanks for the info, I will check out Dell, I think it's the Vostro that is simular to the HP. Take care all.

 

No problem. It would be nice if you could split up that solid wall of text a bit. It gets hard to track quickly.
I have not had very good experiences with dell though. Barely lasted me a year.

 

Nobody has ever pointed that out to me before, and I can write some
lengthy posts. lol However, I can see where it could be hard to follow, what
line was I on, etc. I see your point, and will take heed.

I did check out the
Dell, and like what the XPS series has to offer, but It's out of my range, and
would need to hear one before I bought. Sound is very important, and the
HP at the $429 I paid for my Beats enabled dv6 was a steal. sounds
fantastic with good phones. That deal would be difficult to beat, they are
already selling out of the dv6-6b47dx, one store in my area has it when
yesterday they all had it. This is why I put Emergency in front of my post, I
knew it would sell out quickly. At $579, I didn't feel it was worth it because a custom ordered Pavillion with the same specs, but including the 1gb
Radeon card as well for $629 is a much better deal. But, I will have to
order, and hope it is worth the wait, and I get one that quality control paid at least a marginal bit of attention to, lol Thanks all, now I have time to spare I may be able to upgrade the screen also as most seem to think it wise, but $150? WHEW! that's alot for a 15.6 laptop screen! Full HD though on such a small screen, I bet it looks georgeous!

P.S. I was logged in when I wrote this, but when I pressed quick reply, it stated I did not have permission, and was not logged in. The site said to refresh the page, (which deleted the message, but I saved it knowing it would) and logon again? so if a duplicate post is seen, it is not my fault as I did what the site asked me to do.

 

Water under the bridge.

The dv6z laptop you listed is a good buy in my opinion. A solid processor, good graphics card (i believe its the 6750m). The hdd is 5400rpm? What is the screen resolution for that laptop? The default I think is the 1366x768p which isn't a good option on a 15.6" screen tbh. A 900p is a minimum from my point of view. The only way to know the difference is by seeing it. I saw a massive difference on 768 (dell xps15) against my 1080p (M15x). But at the end of the day it comes down to personal choice and budget.

 

dv6 only has 1366x768 or 1920x1080 screens available. That's a big reason I went to the dv7, I wanted the 1600x900 screen.

 

From what i have been reading the 1600x900 screen is the worst choice you can possibly make.

 

FHD is what i want to get. (I am going to order a screen for mine soon actually)
And if sound is very important you might want to look into getting a DAC.

 

The 1600 x 900 screen I hear is bad quality. Settle on either the 1920x1080 (preferred if you like higher res) or the 1366x768.

For most users, 1920x1080 is fine but if you don't particularly care for high resolutions the 1366x768 is just fine.

 

I should have been more descriptive in my statement that some didn't like
the full HD 1080p. Like bryanw1995, the high screen resolution is not good
for gamers on an inexpensive laptop due to needing much more power to
run high end, cpu/gpu hungry games, and I think talk of how the games
graphics render on 1080p screens have been mentioned as not being
desirable as well. If I'm correct, bryanw1995 is a gamer because the
threads I read mention the resolution his machine has, the 17" 1600x900 as
being ideal. This is where on the dv6, the standard screen is preferred by
some as opposed to the much better 1080p screen which is great for
watching video etc. Like Bryan, some go for the 1600x900 if gaming is the
main requirement; but to get this on an HP, as Bryan said, you must go to
the dv7 line.

However, I seem to recall someone stating in everyday tasks,
they preferred the lower 720p (1366x768) screen as well for the same
reasons, how windows renders on full HD screens. Though they may have
been talking themselves out of the extra cash needed for the 1080p. I'd
have to see for myself before I would make that statement. In general, I'm
sure I would prefer the 1080p screen sight unseen as windows settings
allow custom profiles if you must have different settings for different needs
which begs the question why anyone would say it isn't preferable for this or
that, just change the settings/resolution. I doubt my budget is going to allow it anyway, and not sure I want to invest that much in a laptop that may last me a year or two, and if lucky, 3-4 years. The $429 I spent on this one was a steal, and I'm perfectly happy with it except for the aforementioned quirks, it works fine. I'm even considering, now they have pretty much sold out of the $579 model, keeping it. At the price, I can't go wrong; 1-2 years, it dies, I am not out much, but the one I order will be another $168 w/tax, this would buy a very nice External USB 3.0 Blu-Ray Writer. I actually, unlike some, love the glossy screens as they provide a more contrasty image, seemingly so anyway, and I am not concerned with reflections. My desktop 20" happens to be an HP as well, but 1600x900, and it also has the shiny screen which has never been a bother, well, maybe now and again, but not often.

If I were a diehard gamer, I would do it without a second thought, but see the end of my reply, and you get where I'm coming from. In gaming, the reasons may be valid for the 720p over the 1080p, assuming you can't
afford one of the better i7 cpu's combined with an Nvidia GT555m or better
which are way, way out of my budget, and purpose. A standard i7 is within
range, but I think overclocking the AMD 3510mx or 3530mx in combination
with it's X/Fire capabilities, would come close to that of the lower end i7 in
gaming, so I have read anyway, the poor man's gaming laptop. I think for
my purposes, I would prefer the 1080p screen because I am not so much a
gamer as I used to be, how 20 years makes a difference. lol I'd be much
more likely to watch video on it than play power hungry games. I will have
to go down to the local store, and see if I can take a peak at a 1080p
screen, I'm sure I'll be impressed. However, as I stated, I'm fairly
happy with the standard screen, and spending that extra money on an
external USB 3.0 Blu-Ray burner would serve dual purposes for me. I can
use this on the laptop for 720p videos which are very good as well, and
use the HDMI out to my tv for inexpensive entertainment, negating the
need to purchase a dedictated player for the tv.

That's another aspect of my needs I didn't mention; I don't need absolute portability so not having the Blu-Ray built in would not decrease my enjoyment of the laptop in general, and I have had very bad luck with these laptop DVD/CD burners. I can't imagine a built-in Blu-Ray would be any more reliable, and in fact, would more than likely be very unreliable. In fact, the drive in this laptop has trouble writing to Verbatim DVD-r's. When making the restore disks, it made 8 coasters for me before finishing. lol Hp was great about it, and sent me restore disks free of charge. These Verbatims are very good, Imgburn states they are capable of 18x, not 16x as they are rated. Anyway, again, thanks for all the input, I have until the 20th I think to return this laptop giving me plenty of time to think it over. I always want the best, but being poor for the last 5 years has taught me the Rolling Stones had it right, you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find, you get what you need. lol take care all, and thanks again.

 

Are you trying to write a book here?
And you might want to look into something called display settings -> Make items bigger or smaller. besides, The 1080p screen is gorgeous from what i have heard.

 

This is not to say the 1080p is useless.

Thing is : you can't have the 1600 x 900 screen. It sucks.

1080p is pretty and regardless, you can tone down the resolution if you want to. Use 1080p when not gaming. Use lower when you are.

It is also within your range. I don't see why not you wouldn't jump for it.

 

Yeah. I can get a little wordy at times, and if you had read my entire post (I realise many don't have the want or need to read lengthy posts, DR. Bass lol) I did mention the fact about changing the resolution or even setting up seperate profiles for each aspect of their needs, movies, windows, games etc. I wouldn't hesitate to get the 1080p screen if money didn't play a role in my decission making, but that goes to show how terrible I am with money as I already have a tele capabale of 1080p which I watch movies on so don't really need it on a laptop, though I would get it, no matter the cost if I were in the cash as I have been many times in the past, but this is a low ebb for me, and the money can be spent better elsewhere as I am happy with this screen.

I have the oppertunity to exchange this one for the dv-66b47dx which is basically the same, but has 8GB's ram (Mine has 4GB), 640gb HD (mine has 500GB HD), The dv6-6b47dx also has an unadvertised 3510MX APU as both Best Buy's, and HP's site state it has the 3500M which is widely known throughout the online forums, and the reason I knew this computer would sell out fast. I was waiting for the sell out, and went in last night offering to buy the floor model, and the manager offered it to me for $50 more, The 3510MX APU is capable of handling 1600mhz ram verses 1333 mhz ram for the 3510M APU. Of course, all this matters only should I have the need for speed as they say, which I doubt I will, but the option would be there nonetheless.

I think it a good deal at $479, with the full HP 1 year warranty of course, but I don't know much about buying floor models, how long they normally sit on the floor, being turned on for long periods of time, etc. The cosmetics seem perfect so it couldn't have been sitting there long. Doesn't seem to be a scratch on it. The options it offers over mine is certainly worth $50 more, but I was willing to go $100 more (than mine at $429) before it went on sale, but the manager said he couldn't do it. I felt the upgrades from the dv6-6117 were worth $100, but not any more, I still don't think it worth the $579, but $479, yes! Again, thanks for your input, and Ritzy Cat, remember, I am poor, and lucky to have been able to purchase this in the first place, had I the money, I be on HP's site right now geting a full blown DV6Z with everything for about $700 with the coupon code NBW4973.

dark umber
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
AMD Quad-Core A8-3510MX Accelerated Processor (2.5GHz/1.8GHz, 4MB L2 Cache)
1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD 6750M Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
FREE UPGRADE to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
FREE UPGRADE to 640GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
No Additional Office Software
No additional security software
6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
15.6" Full HD HP Anti-glare LED (1920 x 1080)
Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

This is a great deal, but I can't wallet this one, maybe someone here can, but you must use the code NBW4973 after adding to cart for a total of $703, plus the unfotunate tax. This is still $75 less than last week when I was perusing around. BTW, FatWallet.com has some great deals others have found, this is where I found this HP DV6Z deal.

Hope someone can get some use out of it, great deal! Take care all, and any thoughts on buying a floor model would be appreciated.

Another book for you DR. Bass! lol However, I do hope someone can take advantage of that HP deal above, great deal!

 

It would be helpful if you could line up the laptops you've considered so far and we can make a decision. I lost all of the other information in your lengthy articles.

Also, if your budget is around $430-450, it is a great idea to step up to $500. Save the money some how, Rob a bank, get 50 more dollars. At $500, you open up a whole new library of options for laptops, as the ones that have more decent components, everything. But if you are situated on getting a laptop NOW, it is well worth considering the fact that you will have this laptop for a long time, so you might as well get a good one.

Another thing: 1600 x 900 is bloody terrible! It is awful! You may not notice it at first, but the screen has odd colors, weird contrast and it is made out of crappy materials. It would take a bit to notice it, but you will want to burn your screen once you see it. Hell, get the 1366x768 resolution. 1920x1080, which is a resolution within your budget, is preferred and accessible without sacrificing too much of the quality of the other components, but not necessary. There is a reason that you generally hear about 720p and 1080p. But do you ever hear about 900p? Not that often.

But anyway, I'm really losing track of everything you're saying. Please cut down on the lengths of your post so I don't have to dig through it and pick out the important stuff so I can forget it the next time I post.

 

Dr. (In training) bass? I dont really mind reading it.
Personally i would not even consider getting a AMD CPU.
Its kinda doubtable you will need 8gb of RAM though. And unless you are torrenting movie packs you are not really going to need the bigger HD. And if you are, i recommend just getting a 1-3tb external.

 

Well, I waited until my store was sold out of the dv6-6b47dx @ $579 on sale due to the fact I knew they would sell out quick. I go to Best Buy with the decision to buy the demo for $50 more as the manager agreed, and walked out with the demo for a total of $519 which is $105 less than buying a new one. This one, again, has flaws, though not as noticeable as the other Pavillion. It's rating is 5.9 versus the dv6-6117dx at 4.5 so it's definately better performance-wise, but I do have a few worries, the screen at the bottom right has like 5 half inch circles that stay ghosty/lit when turning the computer off, but doesn't seem to affect the computer usability as the only time I see it is when shutting down. Not sure if this is foretelling of a future failure, but will ask HP, and look around as I have heard of this anomaly with these 1366x768 screens. However, unlike the Pavillion 6117dx, the 6b47dx burned the recovery discs without a hitch. Hmm, I then read users having trouble with the drive in this Pavillion reading or not reading in the drive they were written from, or not reading at all in the HP drive, but reading fine in another. lol Seemingly endless amounts of controversy with the Hp dv6 line. Me thinks, as I am not particularly stupid, HP is selling this line out, and will bring in another more consistant, quality controlled line to replace it. People will accept a lot of nuisances as long as they are nuisances, and not defects, but I think, from my experiences, what I have read, what I see happening in the stores as regards to the dv6 Pavillion line, HP is selling the entire line at a discount to use up what stock of parts still exist, and a new line will take it's place. With the base on the dv6 being very attractive in my view, but having many flaws, fit & finish this new one has one line where the scuffing machine went a little to far, making it seem there may be a crack in the top. No crack, and you can only see it when looking straight down on it, but it is a cosmetic defect nonetheless, and is by far not the only one on this particular computer, just less noticable than the defects were on the dv6-6117 which were glaringly obvious. It seems the entire dv6 line is full of these defects, whether serious or not. I will most likely just keep this one after checking the warranty is 1 year as stated, and deal with any problems that may arise through HP. They have been great for the most part so no complaints there. I may have to recognise, I will not get this much computer if I go to another manufacturer's line, but I will look around in the next 11 days (my last day to return) and see what I can see compared to what I have. Graphics, Speed, (especially when overclocking & undervolting or over volting whichever the case may be) and AMD give extreme bang for the buck whith my machine overclocked matching, and even surpassing the Intel i7 low end chips at around $500, and graphics Intel can't even begin to compete with at this range, HP has made a wonderfull snafu contracting these dv6's, and then realizing they are not up to par, hence all the deals. Of which, I got one, but I just hope the snafus on mine are limited to cosmetcis, and not design or mechanical flaws. Take care all, gain, didn't mean for this to be that long, but get thinking, nd it spills out on the paper/screen. sorry, but take care, and thanks for all the advice.
P.S. I may, It's doubtful, try to buy that $703 HP above I ran across, that is a steal, and also tells of the woes HP is having with this line, and why I expect it to be gone by the first quarter, and whatever they are showcasing at the 2012 CES will be seeing the light of day, but not for the money I paid. lol Take care all

 

Alright, but remember you will probably experience similiar issues on discounted items on most other brands. Some are better at it, but you have the overall general chance to get a bad unit for each time. Regardless, those are your woes from buying laptops from the Best Buy who just wants your dollar.

I believe the newer Pavilion line is much better, it is worth considering. But what I can tell you is you should avoid Best Buy if possible. For some reason, their computers have plenty of HDD, and memory, but everything else about them sucks. Guess they upgrade the cheap parts to make specs look nice.

Anyway, good luck in your future. HP does offer the best bang for your buck and such a minimal price range, but maybe you'll find another steal somewhere else!

 

Thanks Ritzy Cat. I like to buy from brick & mortar stores due to easy returns, love Costco, but they rarely have anything desirable in store unless it's upwards of $1000. Then again, mail order with Costco also gives you 90 days to play, and see if what you bought fits your needs. I will checck them out, and see what is available. However, the deal I posted above with the 1080p screen is a great deal, and anyone is unlikely to find a better one as I made a mistake in the pricing. It is, or was, still $703 plus tax, but I stated it was $75 less than the week before when it was actually $150 less. I forgot the blu-ray player which I don't care about in that small form factor, (It's gonna break in the first year, I'd bet the house on it) but it's required to get the deal. Tried the same code on The Pavillion I wanted to order at $629, and it wouldn't work. At the time, $629 got you the standard Pavillion dv6 w/6gb/500-640gb hd/1gb radeon card/1366 screen/dvd/etc. This new deal includes what I stated above, and is basically the same machine with the 1080p $150 option, and blu-ray which is a $75 option so add that to my $629, and you have $855. At $703, It's a steal! Just need to talk my wife into it? lol Someone please take advantage of that deal if it is still avaiable. Oh Lord, I can't wait to go back to work, this would be no problem, but we agreed one would stay with our child until school, and it just happened after 18 years of supporting her, she had the better job, benefits, and was supporting me. lol

 

It's gone! No more deal, and in fact, HP has deleted the option for the 3510MX, and is now offering only the A6 series or A8-3520m @$50 & the
A8 3550MX @ $70 option. Both of these were just released in December where the 3510MX was released in June along with the A8-3500M. Not sure if the June released processors are no longer made or if HP has just decided to offer the newest "more expensive" AMD A8 series. lol, I can't win, today is payday, and it's our free check (no rent, that came out last check) so could swing the $703 if My wife gives the go ahead which I am sure she would though there are other items we need more, but I agree with Ritzy Cat, get what you want as it will be in your lap for a long time to come, hopefully. I'll Call HP or maybe try the "Expert Chat" Hp is offering today, and tomorrow online. All you HP owners, if you have questions, now is the time to express them, just go to HP's site, not sure how it works, but I have questions about this dv6-6b47dx as it seems to be a lone child out here on the net as nobody seems to know the true specs of this machine, not even HP has the correct specifications for it.

 

If you have 703 it would be far better to get a intel i5/i7. I havn't heard much good about AMD's new chips from the people who have tried them.

 

Yeah, I have always bought Intel when building my own desktops, (I can add a video card) but in a laptop, tests show the AMD to be more power efficient, and substantially more overclockable, and even when overclocked the voltage can be set much lower than it comes set from the factory. I'm certainly not an expert in this area, just what I have read, anyone thinking of getting an AMD chip, do your own/more research to answer any questions you may have. This is just my opinion from what I have read. This APU as AMD now calls their cpu's will reach levels comparable to the lower end Intel i7 processors, and will trounce anything intel has to offer graphics-wise. It's a bargain basement chip for sure, but seems to run great, and gamers especially love this chip as it will run direct X 11 where Intels HD3000 won't. If one likes games or has need of top teer graphics, and is poor, this is the audience AMD is aiming at. If I could afford a quad i7, and a seperate graphics card, I agree, better solution, but for us poor folk, the AMD 3510MX or the new 3550MX offer capabilities on a cost level that Intel just can't compete in. I hope Intel ups the anti in Ivybridge's graphics, and if I could wait for Ivybridge I would as I think Intels onboard graphics will be substantially increased, though I doubt to the level of these new AMD APU's, but good enough for average users like myself, and at least direct X 11 capable.

 

P.S. Forgot to mention the Windows Experience Index if this matters, but on my lapto with the AMD 3510MX APU it's 5.9, and I havn't overclocked or anything yet.

One quote from a knowlegable source "One of the users was 3DMark'ing his A8+6750m a decent bit higher then the i7+6770m due to the locked down nature of the Intel chipset. It wont beat it in SuperPi, but in gaming they are more then formidable.

 

I don't know what that means but my i7/6770m works plenty fine for me. If you're curious, I can play Civ5 on High (which is a CPU intensive game), Left 4 Dead 2 on max.

I think the i7 is better, AMD cpus in laptops with amd gpus have the notoriety to heat up. i7 is cool. But all in all, if those specs are the same it is more worth looking at its other stuff (HDD, Memory, Resolution) because the difference between 6770/6750 isn't that big of a deal.

 

I agree Ritzy Cat, I was just pointing out the benefits of the AMD specifically
for gamers on a bugdet, and those like me, who want it all in a budget package. Beats audio, USB 3.0, Fantastic graphics even without the addition of the seperate 1gb graphics card, etc. I know AMD is making strides in their drivers to allow crossfire grafics in an AMD APU equiped computer, but like I said, these are my opinions, I think it a great chip on a budget, but do your own research, and if doing heavy duty spreadsheets, running multiple programs, etc, more of a business user, then get the Intel for sure, but if just an average user on a budget, AMD is a good choice, and will trounce Intels HD3000 graphics, and allow you to play games you would otherwise not be able to play. That is, unless you add an additional graphics card to the Intel chip, but this will cost more than the AMD choice. For the average person, like me, I have never, not been able to play a game on my desktop machine, and the graphics on it are less than what the Intel HD3000 offers. So, for me it's more about the acoutrements I am getting for $520 which is what I paid for this machine, but it is a demo. That deal I posted for $703 was a steal, and I am going to call and see if I can't still order one, but if I add an Intel cpu into the picture, the price goes up. I would also prefer Intel, but This isn't a business machine or even a gaming machine, if anything, i am more into movies, and my number one concern is music. Plug headphones into Beats, and it's great. However, I, like many others, have to wonder will I ever have need of those graphics? I might, so I would add the graphics card, lol just in case.

 

There's wayyyy too much to read in this thread, but Im just curious, if the machine was still under warranty from HP (and why wouldn't it be?), why not just call HP and get them to fix it? They either replace the defective parts, or the entire machine. Until you get one that is in perfect working order and new physical condition.

I've had amazing experiences with the HP warranty department here in Canada... everything was so easy and painless.

 

Yeah, I know, as I said, I get wordy; Like to write, what can I say. lol sorry. I did keep the laptop though it does have a very slight hinge creaking sound on the left. I read this is common on the dv6 line? Again, anoth quirk, evidently they used one screw on the left side instead of two as on the right? lol All this is crazy, but I do have the 1 year warranty so am not worried bout it. I can't worry any more, it's driving me nuts! I did come across another $350 to get a better unit, but it seems just about anything I would want, was sold out. Mainly looking at Asus's with Intel i7 2670QM, 1080p, and a GTX 550 or 560 graphocs card. Way overkill for my needs, but very nice indeed; especially at $800 or so, even saw one at Fry's for $570 that had 1080p, and 1GB GT 540, unbelievable but of course, sold out. I learned from this experience. Start shopping in October, have that Visa ready in hand, and scour the web every day, and you will get an excellent bargain. In the end, I have a very nice lappy, not top of the line, but I have so much going on I couldn't justify spending another $500 to get what I would have bought had I been in a better position financially. I agree Dezzo, I have had fairly good experiences with HP so far, and for that matter, Best Buy. I must disagree with Ritzy Cat on that one, Best Buy has been great. Not sure if I mentioned it, but this lappy's specifications listed it as having the same battery, and AC adaptor as the one I traded in so I was alowed to keep these as I knew they were brand new. Come to find out, through constant popups, this computer required a 90 watt power supply, went to Best Buy, and the manager didn't blink when I told him the problem. I was immediately given a brand new adaptor, off the shelf. He just handed me a $70 adaptor; now that is customer service. Iknow, I know, I can get it on amazon for $35 or less shipped, but still, very easy, and very customer oriented. Take care all, and I do have another question on this one, but will start a new thread, maybe one devoted to this particular model as this is a lone duck, one with misrepresented specs on both HP's, and Best Buy's sites. No telling what is actually in here. lol