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    Envy 15 dilemma!!! PLEASE, URGENT HELP NEEDED!!!!

    Discussion in 'HP' started by chichagof, Dec 26, 2011.

  1. chichagof

    chichagof Notebook Enthusiast

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    Update:

    I dropped off the Envy 15 @ FedEx and have about 2 weeks before I can have my new Envy, hopefully defect free!!

    Now my issue is deciding between the 15 and 17.

    I loved the display on the 15, but it had the 750gb HDD.

    If I get the 17, I can get the SSD for my OS and games and stuff, and the HDD for music and movies etc...

    the only downside is losing the IPS display.

    I hear that the SSD, if you constantly write data to it, can fail fairly quickly.

    Any suggestions?





     
    chichagof, Dec 26, 2011
    #1
  2. lockdown571

    lockdown571 Notebook Enthusiast

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    It just depends on how portable you want it to be. Are you going to be traveling with your laptop a lot? I personally thing 15 is already pushing the limits of portability. The blu-ray and especially the ssd will be nice to have on the 17. The screen will be superior on the 15 though.

    As for the trackpad, you should check out the custom drivers posted on this forum. They're suppose to improve the trackpad dramatically.
     
    lockdown571, Dec 26, 2011
    #2
  3. chichagof

    chichagof Notebook Enthusiast

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    it's mostly that there are no dedicated click buttons, you click on the pad. i'm just not used to it... at all. portability means nothing to me,i can carry a 17" laptop around no problem, it's mostly comes down to me wanting click buttons, also backlit keyboards, ssd being better and with the envy 17 i can get more storage than the dv7tqe, but they both have great speakers. this is way too hard for me to choose. BAHHHHH
     
    chichagof, Dec 26, 2011
    #3
  4. thelittledog258012

    thelittledog258012 Notebook Guru

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    Suggest you choose Envy17 if you not travel frequently.
     
    thelittledog258012, Dec 26, 2011
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  5. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Notebook Evangelist

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    If you plan on hauling it to class, go with the 15. If you plan on plugging it in near your desk and leaving it there, or if you are really a stickler on having a full-size keyboard and keypad, go with the 17.

    I have a 2nd gen 15 that does everything I need it to but I only really use it when traveling. A 17 is much more of a bear when traveling but I'd be able to 'go down to the coffee shop' and work a little more on a 17 since I like the extra screen real estate when coding.

    However, the SSD in the 17 will make a big difference. I'd consider the 15 with an SSD and then get an external drive if you need more storage. SSD = huge improvement.
     
    Aquitaine, Dec 27, 2011
    #5
  6. ajaidev

    ajaidev Notebook Consultant

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    7690m is same as 7690m-XT in terms of shaders so in gaming if you OC the 7690m you will get similar performance. The real question is portability but a 15inch laptop is pretty good. I have a MBP which is 15inch and its a very good mix of all things dear.
     
    ajaidev, Dec 27, 2011
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  7. CompUG

    CompUG Notebook Evangelist

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    I would say go with the 15inch, ENVY looks a lot more sexier than the dv7 and I find the 17inch too big..
     
    CompUG, Dec 27, 2011
    #7
  8. chichagof

    chichagof Notebook Enthusiast

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    Update:

    I dropped off the Envy 15 @ FedEx and have about 2 weeks before I can have my new Envy, hopefully defect free!!

    Now my issue is deciding between the 15 and 17.

    I loved the display on the 15, but it had the 750gb HDD.

    If I get the 17, I can get the SSD for my OS and games and stuff, and the HDD for music and movies etc...

    the only downside is losing the IPS display.

    I hear that the SSD, if you constantly write data to it, can fail fairly quickly.

    Any suggestions?
     
    chichagof, Dec 27, 2011
    #8
  9. pongalong

    pongalong Notebook Consultant

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    I prefer the 15". Even around the house I like to use the laptop on the couch and 17" can get tiresome. To fix the storage issue replace the DVD drive with a second HDD in the Envy 15. I did the same for my Envy 14 and it works great - I just use an external bluray for the extremely rare times I need it.
     
    pongalong, Dec 28, 2011
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  10. cam121

    cam121 Notebook Evangelist

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    Unlike rotational media where MTBF is a function of duty cycle and average time to failure of the head or motor, SSD's don't have these parts. However, over time SSD cells can become "tired" and thus no longer hold a bit value.

    Similar to having bad blocks on a rotational drive, your SSD will develop these bad cells over time. The internals to the SSD will contain a small cache to remap those bad cells so that you never know anything is wrong. Eventually you will run out of this cache of extra cells and then your SSD will start to die (ie. you'll start to lose usable space). This process can take years (possibly a decade) under normal use. I doubt you will have a problem with SSD degradation as most users don't push their hardware to the limit 24/7.
     
    cam121, Dec 28, 2011
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  11. 2.0

    2.0 Former NBR Macro-Mod®

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    Exactly. Nothing to worry about SSD-wise. If you write the entire capacity of the drive daily, expect it to last around 2500 days. As a basic example. There are other factors like write amplification that will reduce that figure by up to 20%. Still comes out to years anyway.
     
    2.0, Dec 28, 2011
    #11