HP DV2 Initial Impressions (Pics 56K warning)

Speaking of Bluetooth, does anyone know where to get that module (it wasn't included on early DV2s)?

I replaced my HDD with an 80GB Intel X25M SSD and Windows 7 x64 and this little notebook really zips along now. Highly recommended.

As pointed out earlier there have been at least two BIOS updates for the DV2, both of which make changes to improve battery life.

 

FYI - Office Depot has the DV2-1030US on sale this week for $549 after mail-in rebate (I hate rebates).
LINK

 

hello all
I am french and I am going to buy the hp dv2 1110ef (a french version I think, white and black, very sexyyyy)

Battery in this model is a 4 cells one, and it worries me a lot because the autonomy is already low with a 6 cells so with a 4 cells I will get about 1h30 I think (with wifi and luminosity 50%)

Si I am hesitating to buy it or a samsung nc20 (its autonomy is very good but its features are not as strong as dv2)

help me taking my choice my friend

(has anyone got the dv2 with 4 cells battery and what is his opinion please? Thanks a lot)

 

and please could you tell me if you can desactivate bluetooth because I read that you can't disable bluetooth separately from wifi... thanks

 

I have the 6 cell battery, and getting over 3 hours on battery life.

 

ah you have luck to get 3h with a 6cells, all the comments I've read tell that it is about 2h (wifi enabled).
So 3h with the 6cells, I could expect 1h30/2h with a 4 cells is that right?

 

I think that would be a safe assumption. I would also recommend undervolting your DV2, this will help you get more battery life, and cut down on the heat.

Here is the DV2 undervolting thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=379050

 

Wazzup Goldorak!

Seriously, have you looked into getting the 6 cell as an add-on? 3 hours is really stretching it, especially on the 4GB + 3410radeon model with the 6 cell. less than 2 hours is likely on the 4 cell. The dv2 is a great laptop, but battery life is not it's strong suit.

There are people who have undervolted the CPU to add extra battery time.

 

I have the DV2-1030US version with 6 cells and no bluetooth. Just ran a test and mine shut down after about 2:25hrs. That was with CPU undervolted and the screen turned down as low as I could get it. I agree, battery life on this machine is not it's strong suit...

 

Is this with wifi on or off?
I get 2:25 in Ubuntu with stock voltages, so I guess Vista doesn't do much
better.

 

Sorry, forgot to mention that this was with wifi on and some light surfing but sitting idle much of the time.

 

I get about 3:30 with Wifi on, 20% brightness in Win7 RC and undervolting (min 0.6875v and max 0.85v).

Try to disable some visual effects (eg. disable transparency) to reduce the load on the CPU/GPU. Also make sure you tweak your startup problems and disable anything that you don't need. This will help keep the CPU running at the low end 4x 0.6875v more often. I use winpatrol to manage my startup programs and services.

 

I haven't really timed it, but I get close to 4 hours with wi-fi on, Screen at about 30%, CPU undervolted and locked at 4x on battery in Win7...

 

Anybody notice that flash websites really flog the CPU? I can play xvid or mpegs and the comp will stay cool, but 1 flash site and you see the battery going down!

 

Actarus: I've seen the white dv2-1110ef in FNAC. Very nice. One good thing about that version is that the 4-cell battery makes it weigh less: 1.64 kg according to HP. You should also remember that it comes with energy-efficient X1250 integrated graphics rather than the HD 3410 dedicated graphics that come with 6-cell versions, so even though it has less battery capacity (40.3 watt-hours versus 55), the battery will last okay.

It still won't be anywhere near as good as the Samsung NC20 for battery life, but it will be faster in both graphics and processor.

 

I just saw the Dv2 at walmart today.. and I've got to say it looks a lot bigger in person, but the thickness of the laptop was as thin as it looks online. I was really considering buying one, been checkin reviews and stuff, and one thing I was concerned about was the heat. There is a vent right under the left palm/keyboard side, and it is ridiculously HOT (Like keeping your hand directly on the vent)! The other parts of the keyboard/palm rests are cool, with no noticable heat though. Does anyone know what component is exactly under that spot? CPU, GPU? I still have my hopes though, I wonder if the x1250 IGP will make it run a little cooler (old 80nm tech).

 

Flash is processor intensive, all the rendering is done by the CPU. That's area where i notice the dv2's limited power. YouTube HD will max out the cpu and b barley run.

Apparently there are projects in the works to move flash decoding to the GPU, that would make a huge difference.

 

Why is flash so CPU intensive? I remember being able to play divx files much larger than youtube videos at higher resolution and fullscreen on old Athlon XP with a Radeon 7000 that has NO hardware acceleration.

 

you weren't playing Divx HD on there. But yeah Flash is more demanding even at lower resolutions for whatever reason.

MS's Silverlight (Netflix uses this) just went to version 3 and uses some GPU processing. I think it's primarily hardware-assisted scaling.

 

I got a question.

I bought the 1024CA from futureshop 2 weeks ago and I'm impressed with the unit. My question is the wwan slot. Does your laptop have a WWAN card or is the slot empty? (The wwan card location is where the ram slot is... The right is the ram, the left is the wwan) Can you guys take a quick peek and tell me if yours has one cuz mine didn't. Only reason i'm asking is ive been told mine should have one but nobody (not even HP) can confirm that it should.

 

I was actually looking to replace my first-gen Asus EEEPC. Now that I look back, I can hardly believe I endured 2 years typing on its tiny keyboard and all the terrible scrolling!
This ultra-portable looks to be an amazing bargain with its discrete graphics; Ive never owned a laptop (or desktop for that matter - my last Acer notebook had an intergrated ATI xPress x1200) with dedicated graphics, so this will be a real treat I hope as I plan on playing some casual games.
About the battery life, ~3 hours should be fine as it will stay plugged in 80% of the time. Heat problems, Im used to them by now so it wont be enough to turn me away from this laptop.
The included external optical drive sealed the bargain with me; I very much miss having an optical drive after using my EEEPC for such a long time (with out having to buy one too).
Looking at the futureshop website, they are selling the athlon neo/ati HD3140 model for $799CAN.

What Im wondering is whether it qualifies for the Windows 7 free upgrade in the fall? It includes Windows Vista Premium doesnt it? Best Buy specifically indicates which models qualify for the upgrade, but Futureshop didnt bother.

 

Wait, did your integrated ATI x1200 (on your acer) happen to be the x1250 that's an option on HP's website? Could you tell me if it could encode HD on youtube smoothly, or was it choppy and studdery (struggling to playback)? The 3410 gpu option is what drains the battery the most, i figure you could get more juice out of the x1250.

 

I might have made a mistake Im sorry. I cant remember the exact Ati IGP, but looking back at this old review, it might have been the x1100. Anyway, I was more than impressed with its performance back then - not too sure about youtbe HQ though.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3091

 

I took apart my dv2 to find what clock generator chip it uses and found that it's a Realtek RTM880N-796.

Unfortunately the SetFSB author believes that this chip can not have its clock altered by software. We couldn't find a datasheet for it either.

 

It does, HP has already confirmed my upgrade will b in the mail, once windows 7 is released.

Here is a link to the upgrade site(IE only :-( ):

https://www.hpwindows7upgrade.arvato.com/north_america/Endcustomer/

 

Does anyone know how to get an Official Owners Lounge started?

It would be nice to have one for the DV2 and maybe the DV2z

 

I'd like to see this too. Other's have them, so why not the DV2?

 

hi

im interested in DV2 with NEO X2 (dualcore).

will this lappie ran this games sufficiently ? or are there thread about DV2 gaming compatibility / performance ?

WORLD OF WARCRAFT
FALLOUT 3
MASSEFFECT
BIOSHOCK
LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE
OBLIVION ELDER SCROLL
SACRED 2
LAST REMNANT
DRAKENSANG

 

Just ordered one:

HP Pavilion dv2z Entertainment PC
• Espresso Black
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
• AMD Turion(TM) Neo X2 Dual-Core Mobile L625 Processor (1.6GHz, 1MB L2 Cache)
• 50% OFF!! 4GB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm) from 2GB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• FREE Upgrade to 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 50% OFF!! 512MB ATI Radeon(TM) HD Premium Graphics 3410 - For L625 Processor and Vista Premium
• 12.1" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
• Webcam Only
• Wireless-N Card
• HP Color Matching Keyboard
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Estimated build date: August 25, 2009

I CAN NOT wait to get my hands on this!

 

Does anyone know if the DV2-1043CA sold in Costco (Canada) has a dual-core processor?

 

anyone successfuly played FALLOUT 3 or OBLIVION in DV2 ??

can we overclock the processor to 2ghz ?

whats the battery life like when we play 3d games ?

 

Single core.

 

Damn, too bad...
Anyone know of a retail store in Canada that sells the dual core edition?
Hmm, I wonder if Costco will drop the price of the single core one soon...

 

I've been looking for a dual core in Canada too, so far no luck. Doubt Costco will drop the price soon. It's already $100 less then any other comparable model.

 

Sigh... I guess I'll grab the one from Costco and just return it if dual core version comes out. (Gotta love Costco for their awesome return policy.)

 

Hopefully, I'll be getting ahole of an HP DV2 1116AX tomorrow (the dual core version that I couldn't find in Canada) and I'll be writing up my initial impressions soon.

The specifications:

AMD Athlon™ Neo X2 1.60 GHz, 512 KB L2 cache
2048 MB DDR2 533 MHz RAM
320 GB 5400 RPM HDD
12.1" WXGA HP LED BrightView
LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±RW external UDB drive

Should I be opting for a 4GB RAM upgrade or will that just kill my battery life? All this should cost around $820 CAD. However, it must be said that the lowest I've been able to negotiate is around $784.87 CAD.

 

How are you getting that in Canada ? Making a Trip to the States ?

 

Why don't you guys try eBay? Wouldn't you get better laptop deals there?

 

hi

just want to ask if the dual core (NEO X2) DV2 is better or worse in battery life ?

anyone tested World of Warcraft or other MMORPG with DV2 ?

thxx

 

Hmm... I just bought the DV2-1043CA from Costco and it came with a 250GB hard drive... I could have sworn that the sheet in Costco said it came with a 320GB hard drive. Can anyone confirm? And if it was an error think they will honor it or something?

EDIT: Also the fan seems to be making a fairly loud buzzing noise (doesn't sound like a normal fan that's for sure), this concerns me when I've heard that the fan is almost silent.
...Wonder if I should return it and grab another...

 

Return it and grab another one... that's what I did.

the first unit i got was also making a buzzing sound...

 

Yeah, thanks I'll do that.

 

I had the opportunity to test the dual core version and it seems to be much of what I was expecting. Even with only 2 gigs of RAM, it ran youtube HD videos flawlessly in the Recommended power setting. After removing the original HP junk, it seems to be reasonably quick in Vista (though I won't guarantee it will be still as fast after a few months usage). I was able to run Left 4 Dead at 1200x800, but realistically, it would be ideal to run it at 800x600 for a smoother gameplay. I was about to run CS fairly well in full resolution as well. As for battery life, I'll be testing that tomorrow. More on the notebook later.

ps - The machine was bought in HK because I am current vacationing there.

 

I just bought the Athlon Neo/4GB RAM/dedicated ATI 3410/250GB HDD/6-cell model for $750CAN from Futureshop. Suprisingly after opening the box, I had the Moonlight White model and not the Expresso Black I had originally wanted. However, after taking a look at how easily dust specs and fingerprints were visible on the inner black portion of the lid and battery, I was glad that I recieved this model - even mistakingly. BTW, isnt HP selling the the white model for $50 more than the black one on their site?
This is just what Ive noticed so far.
The wireless signal doesnt seem to be as strong as what Im used to on even my Asus EeePC 701. I updated the drivers and everything but I dont get the same reception I usually get from my normal desk position. The signal seems to flucuate a lot as well.
The fan was as expected - constantly on, but not too distracting. Strange thing was that when first switched on, there was a sort of buzzing sound coming out from the bottom, but after a while, the sound disappeared and only the normal fan noise could be heard. I still hear this sound every now and then; not sure what the source is.
The Neo processor is terrible at multitasking - and I mean terrible. My Sempron was probably a lot better than it, and coming from using a Turion X2 on my Acer Aspire, Ive got to learn to be a lot, lot more patient. My advice would be to opt for the Turion X2.
The ATI Radeon 3140 graphics are amazing - well at least to me, since Ive never owned a system with dedicated graphics before. My last model had integrated Xpress X1100. I was able to run my copy of BF2142 at the preset medium settings at 1280x800 as opposed to low 1024x768 on the Acer. Things were pretty smooth for the most part except when the action started to get a bit too intense ie. 2 walkers spamming shots at each other with airstrike support all over the place.
So yeah, basically its a great little system for the price. Nice form factor, decent graphics (for once), nice screen, plenty of space, and the external optical drive (something I can leave at home when not needed in order to reduce weight).

 

I have had no issues with multitasking. Of course, I'm using Ubuntu, not Vista.

 

The Neo is basically an Atom on steriods. But at this lower performance, this does make a big difference, but it is no Turion or mainstream Athlon. If I was going to get this form factor, I would wait and get the dual core. Personally, I would go a little larger (and heavier) 14" laptop and get a full functional CPU (QL or RM)

 

I just ordered the following on Sunday and can't wait to get it:

HP dv2z:
-Moonlight White
-Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
-AMD Turion Neo X2 Dual-Core L625 (1.6GHz, 1MB) with 512MB ATI Radeon Graphics 3410
-4GB DDR2 System Memory
-320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
-12.1" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display
-Wireless-N Card
-Extra 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

Total purchase price was $869.99 plus tax. However, I just happened to be on another computer and used Bing to search and they (aka Microsoft) offered 25% CASH BACK on my purchase! I'm no Bing fan but wasn't about to pass up $200+ dollars. I think this was only for my first HP purchase through them (now it shows I get 10% off) but this took my almost $1000 purchase (with tax and a carry pouch) down to something like $750 which is a great deal IMO. I just have to wait 60 days to get my money back, also this was on top of the ~$150 in instant rebates HP offered. As an aside, pretty funny that they have to pay people to use Bing.

I was looking for a multimedia laptop with some power but also wanted an ultraportable and found this was the perfect balance between price, performance and portability. This is also my first AMD product ever so we'll see how it goes.

One thing I didn't fully think through and am a little worried about now is that I didn't opt for the external optical drive because I figured I could just share my desktop's over my home network. Sorry if this is a dumb question but am I going to be able to burn images of game disks and virtually mount them on the dv2 to play? Or do most games have features that don't allow you to do this?

If I can't, I guess I can always just buy an external drive but it kind of craps on the whole idea of mobile gaming if I have to lug an external drive around. I will post my initial impressions once I get the thing in the next couple weeks, I can't wait!

 

Not quite true. The Neo is much like an underclocked single core Turion. It is an out of order execution CPU, unlike the Atom which is an in order execution CPU. A very different animal.

 

Hey all, I've been following this thread and reading every post in delicious anticipation of my new dv2z (turion neo, radeon 3410). Well it's finally here!
This thing rocks my old ati xpress1000 series.... Play oblivion MUCH better than I'd ever dreamed (try native resolution on high).

Anyways, I wrote up a review gameplay type thingy with pics if anyone wants to check it out: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=414872

 

Just curious, but has anyone taken apart their DV2 yet to get to the insides? I tried to get the bottom panel off for a good and complete dusting(that and to see what it looked like in there), but couldn't seem to get the bottom off.