Envy 14 with Core i7... Battery Life?

Does anyone have a real world test with the Corei7 CPU?

I notice HP keeps throwing around the battery life the laptop can take. The Project Manager of the Envy line had said the laptop could get up to 7 hrs (14hrs with the slice), but now their website says 3.75 hrs with wifi off and no battery slice.

When I called HP the rep who seemed very knowledgeable had said on his end the Battery Life of a Corei7 with a SSD showed to be 4.25 when the computer was using basic applications (not idle). He said getting a HDD would be about 30 minutes less battery life. So just under 3 hours.

I'm a bit confused and worried because I was hoping this laptop could get at least 3 hours (minimum)... looking more for 4-5 hours. I had a great Dell Studio XPS which had only 2 hours of battery life which was a buzz kill.

I really hope I am not disappointed with my purchase. =/

 

I don't think there have been any official reports yet but my gut tells me that estimate would be pushing it. The core i7's don't allow switchable graphics, so both the video card and the processor are going to be drawing power, even when on battery.

My guess is the i5's will probably get 4-5 hours with light use and the screen turned down.

 

The i7-x40QMs shouldn't get more than three hours out of the stock battery.

 

Bump, it was posted in another thread that the 820qm was getting 3.25 hours on battery... anybody else get a 720/740/820 that can give us more detail?

 

bump, im sure someone has one of these now that can do a solid review

 

Here is my first run on the Envy 14 battery. The specs are in my sig below.

Charged 12 hours overnight and ran exactly 3 hours on first battery charge. I'm currently charging it while off and using another notebook to write this. I ran it last night some while plugged in with WiFi off and the default HP plugged-in retina burning mode. Wow just like all those TVs at the local stores - horrible! I didn't notice glare as much because my eyes were burning but there is glare in a semi-bright room and not too annoying, for now. It took a whopping 3 hours and 3 minutes to create the Recovery media. Fast Web is annoying and somehow made itself the default to boot into instead of Windows. Lots of garbage installed on this thing. DVD is a bit noisy when loading and too mechanical (read: it sounds like it could break if used a lot due to lots of moving around)

- Used stock HP load with 73 processes running and using 1.34GB RAM
- Made the mistake of using the "Envy Theme" (read: stardock garbage) - Later turned it off along with "fences". The first candidate for extermination
- WiFi turned itself on and turned it off after 20 minutes
- The good thing is that retina burning mode was not on by default while on battery
- Changed low battery indicator to 10% with no actions
- Changed critical battery indicator to 2% with shutdown
- Changed suspend from default to 20 minutes along with display off
- Critical 2% triggered 14 minutes after 10% was triggered

I'm kind of disappointed at the initial battery life. I wanted at least 3 hours and I got it but I'm not sure I'll get much more with real "typical usage" after a few battery charge/discharge cycles.

I did what I normally do except I was NOT networked so there was no web usage. WiFi wasn't configured and I will do that later and check what Web usage (real usage) will do to the battery. Unplugged from charger after waking up and turned it on. Let it sit while making coffee and it booted into Fast Web Mode and noticed it after 10 minutes. Went into Windows and got breakfast going for myself and the little one. Noticed WiFi was turned on and turned it off after 20 minutes. Went back to look at notebook to prevent sleeping. Installed programs from USB flash drive. Reconfigured desktop and some settings (maybe 20% of what I normally do) because I despise default configurations. Ran a few minor programs and did some screen caps and annotated some configs. That's really it.

C: System 413GB Free of 449GB
D: Recovery 2.3GB Free of 15.9GB
E: HP Tools 92.4MB Free of 99MB
1.37GB was in the Recycle Bin

Trackpad in it's default mode is horrible if you only want mouse functionality and could care less to make it into a "touch screen" device. I mostly fixed the issues by Scrolling Disable hidden in the Synaptics settings. Unchecked:
Enable Vertical scrolling
Enable Horizontal scrolling
Pinch Zoom

Unfortunately it still doesn't feel like a normal track pad after initial tweaking. Touch typing can present a problem with hitting the pad too much. May have to turn it off to prevent this...something I never had to do with other notebooks.

Anyone know how to turn off the button areas as to NOT use it while moving the mouse around? I want real buttons.

Programs installed with system except for one web browser I installed.

 

Wow! Second discharge netted only 1 hour and 39 minutes of battery time!

It took about 2 hours to charge (not sure if fully) but I noticed the white light changed from amber after about 2 hours and 8 minutes. Charged for 4 hours and 26 minutes before shutting down and unplugging and then booting.

These were the changes made while plugged in and charging:
- Enabled Hardware VT in BIOS
- Disabled Fan Always On in BIOS
- Disabled Fast Charge Mode in BIOS
- Disabled Action Keys Mode in BIOS
- POST HotKey Delay 5 sec in BIOS
- Disabled HP QuickWeb in BIOS
- Disabled CD-ROM Boot in BIOS (Can't disable USB Key Boot!)
It's a pretty bare BIOS; expected for OEM

- Changed wireless transmit mode to medium from high default
- Using 802.11n WPA2/AES native 5GHz mode only (don't care for the limited settings in current driver)
- Disabled Bluetooth
- Disabled IPv6
- Updated bundled Norton (for testing purposes and will not use later) twice after configuring WiFi
- Installed last versions of SeaMonkey, Java, Shockwave, Flash (both AX and Mozilla verisions), Adobe Reader (oops I forgot DivX, RealPlayer and QuickTime - Next run)

Shutdown and unplugged from A/C and did the below:
(0% CPU and 1.47GB RAM usage at idle with Norton - still no OS tweaking)

- Ran Windows update and did 27 updates. HP Mobile Data Protection Sensor & Synaptics driver were available but didn't update them.
- Restarted and ran Windows update and did 2 more updates. Restarted even though I didn't have to. Logged on and was already at 75% battery (that was 25 minutes after initial power on) - RAM usage 1.32GB and 73 processes running
- Did some standard web browsing
- Did random streaming videos mostly at standard definitions for short clips and one "HD" for a few minutes
- Ran whole clip of Big Buck Bunny at 1080p full screen (1.83GB RAM and ~16% CPU) YouTube - Big Buck Bunny animation (1080p HD)
- At 42% battery (57 minutes!) fired up Slacker and streamed music 'till the juice was squeezed to 2% and shutdown
- Downloaded ISOs and went to several web sites during the last 42 minutes of battery life
- Downloaded and installed VMWare Workstation 7.1

Wireless was on the whole time because what good is a notebook if it's not on-line unless you're writing a paper or reading something off-line but then you could read a real book.

Still running with the HP recommended power settings and pretty much default install. Doing this as a typical user would probably do this.

Guess it's time to gather my OSes and get some VMs configured and running for the third discharge test and see what this thing does with this configuration (the reason I got it). I'll most likely be running it plugged into A/C power when I need the Horse Power.

And why didn't they continue the pattern to the front edge of the cover? It's not consistent and isn't a one piece cover.

 

Wow that sucks. On the I5 my first discharge lasted 4 hours and 40 minutes.
Guess the extra wattage and the discrete graphics do cut the overall battery by half.

 

720qm doesn't support Hardware VT, no need to enable it in BIOS

 

That's weird, someone in the Lounge got over 3 hours and he had an i7 840.

 

Yes it does.

 

I had issues with VMs and wasn't in the mood for configurations etc. so I decided to skip it for now. I wound up streaming Casino in HD (I picked it because it was almost 3 hours) via hbogo.com with 32-bit IE and it died one hour and 43 minutes later. I don't watch movies on computers (I put it off to the side and did something else) but for those who care...

Well, with tweaks I'd be lucky if I'd get an additional 15 minutes out of all my tests. So I'd say that with normal usage there would be between 2 - 3 hours of battery life on this thing and the heat and fan are pretty good with the loads.

My target was at least 3 hours so it's not quite there unless all I did was browse web sites and read e-mail. I didn't bother connecting via Ethernet because I want to be mobile. Disabling wireless should extend battery life. Some people aren't reporting how they're connecting and they may have better numbers because they're wired.

 

clarksfield does not have vt-d, look it up.

 

Intel® Core? i7-720QM Processor (6M Cache, 1.60 GHz) with SPEC Code(s) SLBLY

 

I did, and it does. Intel® Core? i7-720QM Processor (6M Cache, 1.60 GHz) with SPEC Code(s) SLBLY

Edit, beaten to it.

 

Do you mind doing a full charge and just letting it idle until it runs out of juice? Probably need to disable the screen turning off, disable sleep/hibernate/screensaver etc. Would be nice to have a baseline.

 

If I were a mac I would comply and produce a false result, but since I'm a PC and I like to work then the answer would be no. I actually don't have the time now either.

Honestly, that would prove nothing since there are other factors involved like running processes, network connection type etc. Realistically, why would someone want to have a notebook sitting idle and just let it run out of juice? Now if you want to know how long it would survive just running a honeypot on one charge or sniffing traffic, running MITM tools, Wardriving etc., then that's a different story.

I always run with the worst case scenario and when it's better than expected then I'm pleasantly surprised.

 

Your workload differs significantly from mine, and probably the rest of the majority. Therefore there is no easy translation from your numbers to what I could expect given the same device. However if you idle it to zero, we can at least get a baseline number that we know will be the maximum the battery can produce for your hardware configuration, and if that number is lower than our personal threshold for battery life then we can opt for a configuration with an i5/integrated graphics. Further this number can be directly compared against someone doing the exact same thing on an i3 or i5 unit, whereas nobody can duplicate your exact workload for a comparable number.

Make sense?

This also assumes that the machines services and processes have not been significantly altered from the stock configuration otherwise numbers may not be comparable across devices.

 

Here ya go:



I powered up the notebook (unplugged after a 3 hour charge) and got exactly 4 hours from a stock Envy 14 before it died at 2%. I did nothing during this time on the notebook, as requested by someone, for this test. I made the following adjustments prior to the test.

- I changed Power Plan to "Power Saver" and tweaked the following
* Display set to 80% brightness because I could not see anything on the screen below that setting due to flourecenst lighting in the room and glare
* Disabled Sleep and Suspend modes
* Disabled Screen Saver
* Disabled Display Dimming and turning Off
* Enabled Always On for HDD


Wireless was disabled but the notbook was connected to an active Ethernet network.

 

Great, thanks!

 

-=deleted=-

 

Good to know that is is possible to achieve 4 hrs with a core i7. Realistically, i hope to achieve at least 3... I am going to order an E14 with core i7 and a 500 GB HDD which i will upgrade to a SSD when i have the money.

 

I played 45 minutes of Supreme Commander Forged Alliance with all settings and resolution set to max and 60% of the battery was sucked dry. I was using the Power Saver setting and there was noticeable stuttering in the audio and sometimes during game play of the 1v1 skirmish. I couldn't take any more on battery with that profile and had no problems with 2v2 skirmish on AC power. I had WiFi off and used a cordless mouse because playing with any touch pad is just suicide.

You'll probably have to play with a performance profile if you're planning on gaming while on battery. Good luck getting 1.5 hours. You better get the slice if you have a short (<3 hour) flight and plan on playing. It does get warm but on the right and top edges where the exhausts are but not where your hands are. I didn't have any issues with heat while mousing.

 

Gaming while on battery... hahahahah... sorry I just couldn't resist But thanks for giving it a go and reporting back.

 

Thanks for this! Scfa is one of the games I'm looking forward to. Did you use the multi core program? I think it's called core optimizer.

 

I have not and didn't know it had something to to optimize for multicores. Will have to check it out.

 

Do you have a link to this?

Also just cross posting for relevancy, my experience with an i7-840qm and battery life: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/501066-envy-14-battery-life-log-9.html#post6539435

 

So I ordered an ENVY 14 wit the i7 1.6Ghz (low end i7 option) the other day. I actually called to switch it to an i5 for fear...But they said they couldn't change it and simply try it and return within 21 days if no good. Sounded logical since I kinda do want the faster processor. 90% of the time my laptop sits on my desk and I will virtualize and run multiple OS. I use primarily Linux for web development, sometimes I need the Windows apps and I don't want to restart. Also, sometimes I run things like Palm webOS in Virtualbox to test and develop for that.

So... When I purchased the computer that's where my head was. I figured the quad core and 6M cache, yea that's the faster option. Can't imagine it wouldn't be. The question is...Can I get away with the i5?? This computer is going to be my all in one. Light gaming (notably SC2 and Diablo3 just for kicks, but I play my games on Xbox really). Development, photoshop, etc.

The ONLY reason I was concerned was that I will take trips cross country and those flights are 5hrs give or take. So I would love to be able to work on the computer the whole flight. Granted that's not the full 5hrs by the time they let you use the computer so say 4hrs to 4.5hrs and I'll be a happy boy.

Is it possible to get 4-4.5 hrs on the i7? How about underclocking?
I know I won't have the switchable video card so that video card is going to be running full time soaking up power...But with wifi off, dim screen... Any thoughts? How about Linux? It should be better on power right? That is unless the kernel hasn't caught up with all the speedstep stuff I imagine right?


Can I undervolt/underclock the i7 and/or the GPU to get up to the 4-4.5hr range?

I know a $400 netbook solves the issue and my HP mini 1000 would but the battery life sucks really bad. It is definitely more comfortable to type on a plane with that small netbook though. I wouldn't even care and would bring that along for plane use if it lasted more than 3hrs. Stupid HP mini. grr.

Ideas? Thoughts? Am I silly if 90% (ok 97%) of the time this machine is sitting on my desk?

 

My I5-580 gets right at 4 hours with just wifi on browsing the web and not doing much more.

 

Then I guess if I can't get the battery life I want even with the i5, what the hell? Why not go for the i7 (stick with it and not return it, when it comes)? Right now I have an older HP that has a core duo 1.5Ghz in it. That thing only ever got like 3hrs anyway. So I'm used to it. I suppose I can invest in a second battery if I fly enough.

Is the i5 + switchable video really saving people that much battery? Or is is just an hour possibly two? Doesn't sound worth it for the horsepower trade off. Maybe I'm wrong though, maybe there isn't a lot of horsepower difference. Was only a $50 upgrade...

 

4 hours is much better than 1.5. i actually changed mine during production from the i7 to i5. they offered me $200 to keep the i7 but i said no. If you're going to keep it anyway might as well act like you aren't and call them and get the discount.

 

aw they didn't offer me a discount. but i also wasn't firm in saying i want to downgrade. it's on la $50 downgrade anyway. and i did use a coupon code to get $100 off. i think i missed a sweet $300 for cyber monday though... dobule

i think my solution honestly is to get a $44 6cell extended battery for my hp mini. i mean here's the thing. my current 14" HP laptop is awkward in an airplane. the hp mini is everything i want in a portable computer for the most part. i know there's faster now but i'm not going to buy a new netbook. that's wasteful. going to conferences and meetings and what not. perfect. why carry around bulk? I know the ENVY 14 is still a 14" which is small, but I know exactly what it's like, I have a 14".

So IF the extended battery for $44 gets me up to potentially 6hrs...Or more... I'll be happy. I think $44 is a good way to get the power I need. I'm not really expecting to do any heavy lifting while not at a desk. Browse the internet, maybe a little light programming...Whatever. Note taking. So as disappointed as I am, I think I'll give the i7 a whirl. The lady did make a good point on the phone, there's 21 days to return it. Weird they let you change during production, I ordered yesterday and they totally said I couldn't change it while under construction. I would have to completely cancel I guess.

Really stinks though if I'm gonna end up with 1.5hrs... I'd be happy with 2.5-3. I'm hoping Linux power management will save my butt on this one...But those CPU benchmark scores...That i7 is so beastly.

Thanks for the input. I'll post back with what I end up doing I guess if I return it and go for the i5. I wish they had the i7 dual core option that the Macbook Pros have so the switchable graphics were possible.

 

Last i checked the slice was $123 using hpa (they don't check if you're in school) that is an option.

I didn't ask if i could change i told them i was changing and i told them for like 2 hours but it worked.

isn't the dual i7 just a step up from the i5-580 that many consider to be overkill?

I thought when i ordered the i7 that i'd be plugged in and it wouldn't matter but i'm so happy i changed to the i5. 4 hours goes by really quick.

 

So... what you're saying is the laptop will discharge before you get off the phone with HP?

I saw the passmark numbers were much higher for the i7. The argument is how it performs with the turboboost and "normal" use. Notably gaming which many games don't take advantage of all cores.

In my special case, I run Virtualbox and it's terrible on my current computer. Doable, but annoying...I have to close all my other programs...All to avoid a reboot (I'm dual booting Win/Linux). So the computer upgrade...i5, i7 or even i3 is going to resolve a lot of that. Especially with 8GB of RAM. However. I keep a TON of browser windows open and run a bunch of tools for web development. Even Photoshop or Gimp on occassion...Which now will work better under Windows in the VM. Add to that if I'm building a mobile application, another guest OS in the VM (yea it won't be as demanding of course). Add on to all that the fact that I run a web server locally almost 24/7 and a database like MongoDB (or sometimes two now since I still unfortunately have to use MySQL for older sites).

I know exactly what a quad core CPU is good for and why web servers love them. I will benefit in SOME of the same ways but I MAY be able to get away with an i5. I just have to weigh that out and if I'm never getting the 6hrs life that they claim...I'm not sure it's worth it to me. I could be wrong though. If I get this computer and it ends up being an hour and a half or less and I keep taking a lot of business trips, I might get super frustrated. I don't think that it's that I NEED the i7, it's just a nice thing to have based on what I use the computer for and my use case - 8hrs+ a day I'm at the desk.

edit: note...when I say I run a web server, I don't mean anyone but myself accesses it

 

The good thing is if you don't like it you can always return it and get the other one. I think they are still extending the 21 day deal to jan 15 for holiday buyers which is cool. Its all based on what works best for you. I hope it works out and i know whichever one you go with you'll be happy with it. This computer is so nice.

 

I hope so, it's a big purchase Crossing my fingers and I'll post my experience here in a few weeks.

I have this weird thought in the back of my head that maybe I can be clever and turn off 2 (or even 3) of the cores and make some other tweaks along with running Linux (things like powertop will allow me to turn USB down to a "powersave" type mode where it's checked less often, etc.) and maybe I can figure out how to squeeze just enough power out of it for a plane trip. I don't need it all day. I just need a few hours. That would be perfect...I'll keep my fingers crossed =) I really do (have) to believe that there's a way to tune it down. Linux can on the fly turn off/on cores so there has to be a purpose in that. Why even bother writing software to do that if there's no benefit? Even adding an hour of time is acceptable. Well, here's to hoping.

Thanks for all the info. I just wanted to make sure that I didn't make some huge huge mistake. If you think I'll be happy with it and you're happy with yours and the ENVY 14 is a good computer, then my mind is mostly at ease. Thanks.