HP Compaq 6910p Full Review

I am running f.10, maybe the settings on the bios for the fan to be on always when on AC power has been re-enabled during the update? I don't got mine off since I am not bothered by the fan turned on always.

 

Nope its not reinabled.
Jkyamog, can you give me your idle temperatures?

 

I am running linux, i get 5 thermal zones.

cat /proc/acpi/thermal_zone/TZ*/* | grep temp
temperature: 50 C
temperature: 49 C
temperature: 52 C
temperature: 45 C
temperature: 37 C
temperature: 30 C

I think its TZ0 that is the cpu, which is 50 C. This is not too idle as I got a lot of browser and servers running, its about 1-5% cpu util. The fan is running, but at a very slow speed. I got my BIOS set to always turn on the fan on AC.

 

Idle I'm 44-45ish with AC power, speedstep on (800MHz core @ idle).
With load it goes to 60C, heavy load can get up to the 70's.
Fan always on with AC power disabled in BIOS

 

Hm okay guys, seems the same temperaturs for me.
jkyamog, what linux do you running? ive got alot of experience with ubuntu too, but until the 2.6-24 kernel is in packages, ill waiting with install again (because lid close problem).
As i said, undervolting not really possible anymore, it was possible to get under 1v, but not on f.10. Using Rm Clock. Could be an Rmclock thingie but ..
Another question, your fan does never stop? neither when its under 50°?

 

To whom it concerns..
(and sorry to interrupt this thread that had developed into a more linux oriented manner)

I am one of those who bought this machine – because of it solid build, good reputation and because of several reviews saying this notebook was - silent..

It was my plan to use it as a replacement for my stationary pc.
I am not a gamer type and only needed a stable office-machine with a sufficient solid build when using it away from home.

I am very concerned about noise and my stationary pc’s has always been upgraded to very silent parts.

Therefore I decided to live with the integrated X3100 graphics as it was my hope this would contribute to a even more silent and cold machine.

How disappointed I got when I received this machine..

First of all I have to say that I formatted the hard drive and installed good ole´ XP on it instead. I changed the SATA Device to ATA instead of ACHI to make XP able to find the hard disc – then the install went on painless.

I found every single HP supported drivers to XP from here:
http://tinyurl.com/yodzed (official HP site)

The fan is always on – I knew that from the reviews but what disappointed me were that the temperature in spite of that - still were between 50-60 degree without doing anything but idle !

This ‘always on fan’, is bearable but unsatisfying for a ‘silent-computing’ lover.
But worse to happen.. the fan continues to go up and down in rpm every now and then
- when idle..

Of course heavy burdens like mouse clicks, opening folders or e-mail programs pushes the machine into its knees so heat goes up and extra fan speed are required (sic!)

I experienced the same annoying sound from somewhere between the hard disc and the fan exhaust. The sound is similar to a metallic click like a thermostat or a little contact button.

In the beginning, and because of this thread, I thought that it had to do with the hard disc - maybe a fan underneath it.
Later on I developed a theory that it has something to do with the heat control of the machine as the fan often changed speed when this click sound occurred.
- but not always (of course)

I contacted HP about the parts in the machine and they gave me a superb link:
http://h20181.www2.hp.com/plmconten...377&MEID=53AD8A53-362C-4C55-8632-3A3FAA78E544

A very useful link when one needs to know how to change parts.
As you can see, there is no fan underneath the hard disc.

I continued my struggle and wanted to know how hot the cpu´s were expected to be in this machine. I did not get any answer to that – I suppose that it depends on to many personal preferences to give a clear answer to that one.

But I found an informative link which described the parts and other useful things:
http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/division/division.html#intro

Choose ‘Notebooks/Portables’ and find your machine.

I use my HP6910P in a HP dock without a battery in the machine.
In BIOS I had tried enable/disable the ‘fan always on when on AC’ feature but that did not seem to do any difference.

Someone in this thread mentioned the power management of the C2D and suggested that the annoying sounds could be because of that.

I tried to disable the DualCore support and now the annoying click sound disappeared and for the fan speed did not change constantly
- but only for a couple of reboots and hours.

I hope the problem can be solved with a BIOS upgrade from HP (I use the latest F10 – which actually helped on the resume from standby issue)

Does anyone have an opinion on whether a BIOS upgrade could solve the noise and fan speed/heat problems?
Does anyone have the mentioned problems when running Vista ?

I really hope that HP or someone manage to find a real solution -for the windows people as well.

Regards
Jastrau

 

what version of rmclock are you running? The latest beta version has support for the santa rosa chipset, which allows you to change the SLFM and IDA. This theoretically should allow you to run the proc at a lower voltage and frequency.

 

Hi fly3rman,

I am running Ubuntu 7.10 gutsy. I don't have a lid close problem. Normally you will just have to edit the acpi events for this. You can look at my blog post on how I got the 6910p running.

 

perhaps a bit a stupid question but how do I check which BIOS version I have?

 

It should appear somewhere on the left button side during bootup where you see the HP logo. If not try to press F10 to enter the bios, there should be a menu item called system information or something. HTH.

 

in credential manager , look at bios . has all the info

 

thank you for the quick answer.

Is there anyway to undervolt this laptop.

I currently have an asus laptop and have undervolted it and slowed down the RPM of the fan?
Would like to try the same for this notebook and also see if I can do something about the fan which is always on

 

could all of you who are not bothered by the noise of the stock hard drive that came with your 6910p please post the model name of your hard drive. thank you!

 

does anybody test new bios F.12?
how about fan noise?

i reverted from F.10 to previous version because of constant cpu fan "on"

 

According to HP the BIOS has the following enhancements:

- Adds option in F10 Setup to enable or disable the modem. NOTE: Restore F10 Setup to the default setting after upgrading the system BIOS. - Adds support for new Intel Processors. - Adds a BIOS boot block update that eliminates a potential security vulnerability. NOTE: The previous version of the system BIOS cannot be reinstalled after system BIOS version F.12 has been installed.

I am not sure if the fan might be quiter as a side effect.

I am trying to learn to live with my dissapointment when it comes to the cooler

 

how about "notebook hardware control" ?
i can't configure it for 6910p

please, anybody help me!

 

NHC does not yet support the Santa Rosa chipset

 

ouch! thanks! i really broken my mind trying this...

do you know any alternatives for this program?

 

is the card reader able to read memory stick ? or just sd cards...

 

it's for sd\mmc only.

 

I got my 6910p today... first thing I did was ask for XP cds... HP is shipping them to me.

My first impression was that Lenovo T61 has a much better built quality, my dad has a T61 laptop and lenovo has done a great job with that...

quick buttons are not so responsive, volume up / down is very difficult to use !

there is no "turn off" monitor/touchpad/bluetooth button... and I use a lot that button on my acer laptop

trackpoint is nice, you can move mouse pointer and click ! that is great !

lcd is very nice, good bright, and the ambient sensor works fine !

laptop works very cold... there is no hot spot, and it doesnt make much noise ! almost inaudible.

I have two questions:

is there a way to easy turn off monitor ?

how the hell I remove multibay ?

 

Nice to see you are somewhat happy with the new buy
I never had a Lenovo to compare to, but to me the laptop is very solid.
To remove the multibay, you must first remove/unscrew the screw underneat the laptop for the MultiBay. Its got a little lock emblem and DVD disc emblem in the plastic. Remove this screw (it is used to keep the drive secure in shipping), and you simply push the DVD drive in (where there is the arrow on the drive itself) and it returns out (spring loaded).
To turn off the monitor when using an external, press the fn and f4 keys to cycle through both screens on, extended desktop and finally external only. If you mean off as in walking away from it, then simply adjust the power properties to make it go off after a certain amount of time of inactivity.
The volume slider is a bit annoying at times, but if you turn the onscreen volume display off, then I find its a lot more responsive.
You may notice that the wireless will create a hotspot - I've found that out!
Bluetooth can be controlled by HP's Wireless Assistant fairly easily. In Vista, press the HP Info touch button (left of wireless button), and click on HP Wireless Assistant. You can make it that Bluetooth and Wireless are on at the same time so when you press the wireless on touch button, both bluetooth and wireless go on/off at the same time if you want.

 

As I'll buy mine this week I can't help you with your questions, but maybe you could help me:

Which processor do you use? 2 GHz or 2,2 Ghz or faster?

 

can you replace the optical drive with an additional battery on this model or any of the HP business models? and when is the 2510p going to get the penryn treatment?

 

There is no multibay battery available for HP business notebooks anymore. Since HP went from 'Multibay' to 'Multibay II' they have solely used the travel battery as the extra battery. (and no, a multibay battery won't work in a Multibay II notebook )
I have no idea when HP will give the 2510p a Penryn.

 

The 2510p won't get Penryn until Montevina because there is no ULV Penryn chips for the Santa Rosa platform on which the 2510p is based.
The 6910p will get Penryn in the next few weeks as soon as the processor delays clear.

 

I don't think so... I think just optical drives and a dummy plastic to reduce laptop weight

2,2Ghz processor with integrated intel graphics, 2gb of ram and a fujitsu hard drive


I think my laptop has a problem.. when the laptop is off and I plug the battery the quicklaunch buttons' lights blink and the volume up light stays on until I power on the laptop and shutdown... so, If I shutdown the laptop with battery everything is OK, but If I plug the battery with the laptop off the volume up light stays on even while the laptop is off

did anyone have this problem ?

do the quicklaunch buttons' lights blinks when you plug the battery while the laptop is off ?



well... let me answer the question

I've found this on HP website

Actually my volume up LED stays on and not the power button. But...

I am not at home right now, but the first thing I am gonna do is to check my BIOS version and upgrade it to F10.

Have anyone made this process ? Is it as simple as they tell ? Just download the file and execute it in windows ? I hope this solves my problem... I've already started to like this laptop !

 

Mine does the same thing, the volume up light goes on when the power pack or battery is inserted when the laptop is off/in hibernation and there was no power prior to inserting the battery/ power pack.
Also, when inserting power/battery when there has not been battery/power in the notebook when the laptops off will cause the quick launch buttons to 'reset' which is why the all flash, so its normal.

 

that sucks ! because when I am at home I always use my laptop without battery just the power adapter, and then a insert the battery just before put my laptop in my backpack !

which bios version are you using ?

mine is F0B which is actually not available for download at hp's website, so I think this version has problems anyway...

maybe a bios upgrade solves the problem, I am gonna try that tonight !

 

How do you turn off the onscreen volumedisplay?

 

just upgrade my bios version to F10 (last available), now my volume down goes on when I insert battery or plug the power adapter... I gonna call support and ask for a bios revision

 

First off, to turn off the onscreen display for volume/brightness, go to HP Quick Launch Buttons (in control panel or in your task bar), go to the preferences tab, and then uncheck "Display HP Quick Launch Buttons Display Notification."

The latest BIOS is F12, available under the Vista drivers page (for somereason not the XP page). I use both Vista and XP and had zero problems with either using F12, although I've not noticed anything different, the light still goes on, but I don't worry about it. Just pop the battery in whilst the power is still in the notebook

 

My laptop has a slight hump starting near the wireless button up to power button in front of left hinge, I think it is an assembly issue.

Is this normal or should I complain about that ?

 

how about cpu fan noise with F12 bios ?
i've decide to downgrade from F10 to F0C just because on f10 i have cpu fan always ON...

 

you can check this in the BIOS, there is an option to keep fan always on when in AC mode.

 

F12 fan noise is the same. Temps are the same. Remember, if the fans not on, your temps go up! I'd rather have the fan slowly spinning in the back ground as opposed to the laptop running 50C+ idle.

 

i'm pro in cpu overclock on desktop pc's but i can't control the fan on notebook.
i know about an option "always on when on ac power", but my fan is very noise also on battery power. there is no such problem on f0c bios.

so f12 noise is the same with what ? F0C or F10 ?

problems with fan noise on f10 is the common i think.

 

I've never had a problem with my fan. Check that everythings working (ie is heatsink atatched properly, no dust build up in exhaust, vents not blocked).
My idle temp is mid 40s, although playing a game will put it up to 80C.
I don't think you can manipulate the fan speeds. If you're using a power plan like max performance then it probably will always be on because of the heat.

 

Hello, I bought 6910p two weeks ago!
14.1"
2.0 core2duo
2GB ram
160GB 5400
x2300 128 MB

Everything works fine, but I can hear a little and quiet bzzzzcccc noise, like a mosquito noise when I put my ear close to keyboard. It's close to the SPACE button. I think it is HDD or CPU. Is that ok or something is wrong?

Thanks, and this is a good thread

 

I dont have this bzzzz noise... but some guys have. I dont know exactly what it is.

Do you have any problems inserting the battery or pluggin the ac adapter when the laptop is off ?

all my leds blink and the volume led remains on until I turn on my laptop. The sales guy told me that this is normal and it is related to HP quicklook, but HP support guy (everyone I have talked) tells me that this behavior is not normal and I should request a new laptop.

 

No, I dont have that kind of problems. All works pretty fine almost perfect. My friend was today at my place, he has an old one HP (2 years) and his notebook has the same bzzzzzz noise and he says it is CPU and that is just normal.

 

The lights blink as that is the buttons 'resetting.' At one point my buttons stopped working because I had left the battery in for so long (so is my theory anyway), and so had to take out the power and battery, then re-insert power to reset (and they started working again).
As to the light staying on, mine does that too when you insert battery/power when none was in before.
Ignore it, its a minimal amount of power and it doesn't do anything bad.

 

Do you have any problems with sound I was talking about?

 

Maybe, not that I care . Sometimes I hear a very high pitched wine, but sometimes I hear a very high pitched wine from the TV, so as you can tell I'm not fussed, and I believe its to do with SpeedStep and the changing of voltages etc. Some people can hear it, some can't, so just wait until you're old and you won't be able to hear it anymore

Overall I'm glad I bought this laptop, as its fast, gives good battery and is silent in lecture theatres, plus it has a great keyboard (personal opinion) and I've grown to like Vista as well

 

I am surprised to and I'm glad I bought this laptop!
- it's quite
- pretty cold
- vista is runing almost perferct
- I played some older games, no problems
- mobility is great, solid quality.
- keyboard is great...

For now, I am very happy user

 

Lots of new updates for 2008 drivers.

Anyone tried the 2008 BIOS? Any improvements?

Will download them tonight.

Cheers.

 

have the 6910p the whining core 2 duo bug/feature?

 

Depends how sensitive your hearing is. I can hear it sometimes, sometimes on my old laptop, sometimes from the TV. Just wait untill you're older and you won't hear it. Its not HP's fault, its Intel, and really don't make such a big issue about it

I have the latest BIOS installed (F13) which basically seams the same as every other, just addresses a potential security issue in the BIOS, and adds Penryn support, so Penryn can't be too far away from the 6910p.

 

is there a way to fix video memory as low as possible ? I dont like to provide almost 400M for video memory... 64M is enough for my needs

 

Aaah Penryn support...cool !!