Envy 17 3D mini review

So is there that much of an advantage going from the 720 to the 740, and is the 840 worth the exta $400

 

I played with 2 Envy 17's with both 720 and 740 and perceived no cooling advantage over the other. Again, perceived not actual tests or benchmarks.

 

Got my 3d envy in. Will post up LOTS more stuff to come.

First impressions - the heat issues are NOT gone.

This thing is one HOT motherf*.

First thing I did was loaded the 3d demos and sitting on a wooden table, it shot up to 73C on all 4 cores.......wow

Putting it on a passive Xpad cooler - temps went down to 68C.

It's idling at 61C right now, which is not good.

Surfing the web it's at 68C and fans are kicking in. I'm using Realtemp so if anyone has other software they would recommend for monitoring.....

Getting WoW installed on here now.

 

armoured congradts on getting yours in. I'm curious as to how long you had it on idle before you noticed temps rise. When you said the first thing you did was load the 3D demos...was that after a bit of idle, or you literally mean as soon you turned on your Envy 3D you booted up the 3D demos and within minutes it shot up 73C??? Let us know, thanks....


KJ

 

Yes. Within minutes it shot up to 73C on a wooden table. After going through all those windows setup I let it sit for 15 sec max before turning on the 3D demos. Processor was only at 27% usage.

I'm playing with it right now, creating a restore image using HP's software, firefox, transferring over WoW and it's at 70C.......while on an Xpad AND a coolermaster U2......with both fans on......

The bottom left wrist area is burning hot, along with the top left.

.........There's no way I can play games with the bottom wrist this hot.

I'm seriously thinking about returning it.

Coming from a MBP that hits 72C and then a M11x that barely goes over 50C..........I like my laptops to run cool.

 

Holy mother of god. Playing WoW right now.......

There's a option for 60 hertz and 120 hertz..

The difference is astronomical. Playing at 120hertz I'm spinning around and there is NO tearing AT ALL.

THIS is what I bought the laptop for. Not 3D but the 120hertz screen.

I need to post up some pictures so you guys have an idea how freaking BRIGHT this screen is. I've never seen anything like it.

FPS wise,

Everything on ultra except shadows on fair...... 40FPS in northern barrens. Temps at 68-70C.

Dalaran Min FPS I saw was 26. Temps back up to 72C.

 

got the most recent bios version?
and drivers? especially chipset & gpu

 

I don't even know. Just got this laptop. Burning backup disks right now, and yeah 7 disks.

Update. Sitting here doing nothing but burning the disks - 58C all four cores.

Another update - first disk finished. Doing absolutely nothing = 53-54C. But this is on an xpad and a U2 with fans on. It's pretty elevated right now, about 4 inches.

 

super hot palmrest on the left side is why i returned my original envy 17 when they were first released. I was told the new bios updates helped with that issue, we will see. won't be happy if the heat is still an issue (literally can't type comfortably, can't keep your hand on the notebook for more than a few seconds). my belief is that the heat was actually generated more from the HDD directly under the left palm rest, not so much the CPU/GPU actually. I will remove the second drive and test for heat before and after.

 

armoured cool that its looking sweet and sharp. But I was thinking like you when you mentioned the heating....that you might consider return or exchange. I read here or other forums that the Envy 3D had "fixed" the previous heat issues of the Envy 17, well, at least that was what a few reviews said. If so, maybe you just have one that needs to be returned. Hope you sort it out. I suggest we all try to post our temps too for comaparison so we'll have a better idea of what the supposed "norm" temps are.

armoured or any other user, what program do we use to actually see what the core temps are? I never did that before, thanks.

KJ

 

Big update.

Playing wow in 3D mode - holy crap it doesn't lose 50% performance like how I thought it would.

In Dalaran 1080P every thing ultra except shadows on fair.

Min FPS = 23. Avg 28. Not choppy at all. No pauses/lag. AMAZING visuals, insane. Temps the same at 68-70C.

40 fps in northrend fighting mobs....never dips below 35 fps. This is seriously amazing at 1080p on ultra.......im astonished.

Moved the laptop to my basement where I normally play - its at 66C max with a cooler master U2, while playing WoW in 3D.

 

Uploading some photos. Sorry if they are annoying.









This is how bright this display is compared to a 2006 MBP, M11x R1.


Just so people don't doubt - the MBP is at 100% brightness

Viewing angles




Non 3d

3D -

 

WOW!!!!! I love the pics...yours are like the real first ever Envy 3D user pics aahhahah, not from some company, but a real user, thanks.

By the way, if you have a HD camera, please put some vids on YouTube, so far no one has any vids up there except of course some companies....and HP commercial.

KJ

 

Are you thinking about sending it back because of the heat?
Considering the earlier reviews by unpilot and nMIK-3, would you believe that your heat issue is a "random" occurrence?

EDIT: Also, did you purchase the base configuration?

 

Awesome.

Now if fedex would only get their act together maybe I would get mine.

Was supposed to be here since Tuesday and they keep delaying it due to "weather".

Funny... UPS had zero issues delivering to my street the last three days.

 

Moox, right, because I am sure you are refering to the post about how 720 are hotter than the 740 or 840 right? Well, still hope it gets sorted. Wonder if drivers alone can fix the heat issue, or this random heater has to be exchanged for another.

armoured, did you have to download the tridef drivers to play that 3D game or it was already in your computer?

KJ

 

After burning 7 dvds.......

It's stable now at 53C idle. I had to go to that website that verfies that you own a 3D envy, and downloaded the tri-def 3D thing in order to play WoW in 3D.

Hooked up to ethernet now and will be downloading some games through steam to check out more FPS.

I will not return the unit. I just freaked out when i first got it seeing it at 73C. Now that I have a cooler underneath it it wont go above 70C.......which is decent - I guess.

Gonna remove some bloatware now (hulu, bing, etc.), to see if it changes.

Other than that I'm pretty happy with the laptop - I mean i got $520 dollars off the thing, and it's superfast......can't tell the difference between my E8400 @ 4ghz and this thing......

The screen is the most amazing thing I've seen, worth it for the 120hertz alone. The 3D is just an added bonus.

P.S - unpilot and the other guy just based heat on how the laptop felt. They should download RealTemp and report the exact temperature to see if the internals are above 65C or not.

 

armoured thanks for giving us so much in terms of reviews/pics/etc. It means alot for those of us still waiting..lol, but you know how it is since you've waited a bit yourself. Anyway, I will download the RealTemp and report program to test my Envy when it gets here, In fact I think i will try it on this dv7 just to get an idea of a difference.

 

Re-stating unnecessary, but thanks anyway....

Awesome pics!

 

Just some information....

Wifi = Advanced-N 6200 AGN
Motherboard (cpu-z) = still HM55
Memory = pc3-10700 = 1333
GPU = 500/900 load 100/150 idle
My bios = F.1A

Downloaded GPU-z...........
........
.......HOLY CRAP playing WoW in 3D - 83C

 

Just got mine, setting it up.

3D seems finicky. The glasses shut off, I have to look away to my right for them to darken again and 3D to work, then it happens again a few seconds later.

What am I doing wrong?

 

Mine works absolutley perfect. Alt tab glasses cut off, tab back in 3D wow, glasses darken. It's pretty fast.

Can we get some temp readings svander?

 

armoured, did you buy the i7-720, or the 740?

 

savander, did you install the tridef 3D drivers before you started playing with the 3D features? Im just wondering if maybe that is the reason you get those issues...hmm

 

Moox, look at armoured's pic he uploaded, looks like the 720

 

Ah, you're right. Thanks.

 

I did not, but then again all I've done is watch the demos, nothing else. Do I still need that?

It seems to work but it's intermitent. Placing my index finger over the sensor in the middle of the glasses seems to make them stay on 3D mode (darkened).

Weird.

I'm thinking the glasses or the battery in them are defective.

 

I'm seriously bumming out about the 5850's temps......

I mean this is a seriously powerful card - however if it means running it at 83C-85C........I just can't do it. This machine just won't last.

I can do with 70C for the i7, but 83C constant is insane. I mean it's already underclocked by 50 mhz on core and 100 on memory......how much do we have to cripple the 5850 in order to run cool? All HP had to do was add another fan.......sigh.

 

Downloaded those drivers, it made no difference. The glasses work just fine (shut off when no 3D content is playing and turn back on when the demos are running in 3D mode) as long as the middle sensor above one's nose is covered.

I'll be calling HP on monday to request a replacement of the glasses.

 

armoured I hear ya.... I just downloaded the Real Temp GT 3.6 program. I was just fooling around with it...and noticed when I unziped the download the folder has several applications:
1. i7 Turbo GT - not sure at all what this does.
2. RealTemp - ok it shows me the info
3. RealTempGT - ok this also shows info, and looks the same as RealTemp, so does it matter which I really use?
4. Load Tester, ahah, should I even be playing with this?

So if you can give me a heads up which I should use. I am testing it on the dv7. Seems to run cool around high 40s on idle, when I play it on COD4 Modern Warfare for a couple minutes, and check, my dual core i5 about 81 and 78. So...it kinda sounds 80 is norm. my hand is just barely warm though.... I don't know, maybe its not blowing it out much, so the heat in yours is floating to the top where your hand feels it, but if everyone tests their laptops and reports back, perhaps the 80 temps are normal for 3D gaming and video....

KJ

 

svander, cool, I do hope its just the glasses. in the meantime...haha, enjoy that sucker for all its worth, Im so jealous!

KJ

 

Thanks. I really want this for a desktop replacement so I can finally say goodbye to my old P4 Vaio.

I hadn't invested in a new computer since 2005.

This is hopefully the end to a month long ordeal with HP and a defective Envy 17 they sent me in October.

 

Here are my temps after a 15min gaming session on BC2 in 3D.

Take a look at the max



GPU Max - 89C
CPU 84C

 

Well jeez. Now I'm dying to see some of the other buyers' temps.

 

I'd give this a shot but I don't really have any games to run on this. I could give it a nice photoshop rendering test though, but I have to install it first.

 

Hmm about those temps....did you do a clean install?
I have only played Crysis in 3d for like 30 minutes and while I could tell it was warmer than when it just sat there. The wrist pads never got too hot to touch.
I do not have the temp monitoring software but I will download it and check my temps later.

 

Playing WoW in 3D right now and it seems like there are two fan modes. High and then Jet engine.

I want HP to allow us to control our own fanspeed like how I can in my MBP, everytime I play something I put it at 5500rpm - max.

Right now on the Envy the maximum I'm seeing the fan speed it is 4000 rpm. If I am able to get it to 5500 rpm like I do in my MBP I will keep this laptop, however right now I'm most likely gonna play with it till Jan and return it using the extended holiday return.

Running way too hot for me.

 

Here are my temps after playing a few games of Supreme Commander 2.

Room temp 73 degrees.

 

Can you get temps of the 5850 also? Using GPU-z.

You screenshot shows a really good minimum temperature, but maximum temp are the same as mine. 84C.

 

I am still waiting on mine, but I want to buy the DVDs ahead of time. Which DVDs does the Envy 17 3D use? The DVD+R or the DVD-R? I heard it plays and records to both? One guy at Costco told me the new computers can do both, the issue was only with older comps a few years ago... any ideas?


KJ

 

whats so wrong about the high temperature? is it just the uncomfortableness or is it gonna do harm to cpu/gpu or other hardware?

 

sorry guys to ask again, but does it matter if we use DVD+R or DVD-R for copying stuff from the Blue Ray Drive on the E17-3D?


KJ

 

Seriously?

I used DVD+R to burn mine

 

Bought a 32gb usb drive for $49 ffom office depot for mine.

 

armoured thanks. Just to give you guys an idea of how "new" our product is.... I figured I'd just call HP tech support to ask and explain I want to be ready to make those OS disks when my Envy gets here. Well, first surpirse, I called the regular HP tech support number thinking I was going to get someone from India @ 800-474-6836 ....well, a lady speaking clear English (USA) answers, and on a Saturday! Wow...

Well, I ask her which DVD should I buy to make the OS bootable, DVD+R or DVD-R? She asked if I could hold for a minute so she can check. Best answer she had, when I get the computer, she said check by the Disk drive/slot what it says on it, lol....wait, why am I loling? I should be worried. Afterall, I did kindly ask her, why I got her *USA Live Tech Support* rather then someone from India. She said that line is not working right now, so I was transferred to the American HP tech support which she claims is/will support the Envy line.... Well...I basically asked her...what the deal was that she couldn't tell me a 100% sure reply, she said its still so new...wow!? Really, HP is selling us a product that the Tech support people who are specifically trained to support us Envy owners still have not been trained on a simple question as to what blank media to use to make the OS disks?

Maybe it isn't a big deal....it is a wonderfu product, but for a premium price I would like to know I will be getting support I paid for, as all of you guys. I hopd HP trains its specila tech team quick...... Afterall, many questions do arise early on.... guess we are the beta testers..hahaha.


KJ

 

not bad. Costco is selling them now until Sunday the 28th of November *aka Tomorrow* 16gb USB for $24.99

 

Man I was lucky, I got my Envy 17 3d with a $100 off coupon about 3 weeks ago, and it was supposed to ship on the 23rd but I got the dreaded dely email, and a 15% off my next purchace coupon, but I just spent 1623.74(after tax) on a laptop, im not buying anything for a while. So I deceid to call them up to see what they could do....well they ended up giving me back another $150 back but I wont recieve it until I recieve the laptop. Moral of the story is be nice and talk to them.....they want to please you.

 

Huh? I was asking a question legitimately......

now if any1 can try to explain to me why the heat is such a big problem? I don't mind the palmrest is hot but if it hurts the hardware then its another problem..

 

To answer your question noodle yes it does matter. Im not a expert on this by any means but i have read articles relating to this. This is a highly debatable topic.

The TJ max of the I7 is believed to be at 100 degrees C. This means that at 100 degrees the CPU will have to slow down to prevent damage.


In armoured's data he has a CPU max of 84 degrees. Most people prefer that their systems never go above 80 except on very rare occasions. However reaching 84 degrees wont harm your system but some people believe that it will cause your CPU to have a shorter life span. I have seen lots of people state that have their CPU go up to 90+ degrees C and their computer was fine. Still you should want your CPU to run as cool as possible

In terms of the GPU (the 5850) I heard one source state that the most it should go up to is 110 degrees C. Ive also seen some people state that their GPU has gone up to 99 degrees C when playing a demanding game and they had no problems. In armoureds case it goes up to 89 degrees C.


If im wrong someone please let me know im new to this

 

Iceblizzard, welcome. I am fairly new myself not more than a couple weeks.
Anyway, I'm no expert either, but I agree with you. The other issue is, there proper ventilation...I mean, I have a dv7 and it went up to 81 but the palm rest was not hot...just warm. So I will guess that 80 is not only safe, but common in hardcore graphic intesive games. The only issue is the heat going up from the cards to the palm of your hand, or is it blowing out proplerly through the exit slots? I think that is the real issue, not so much the heat.

KJ