HP DV8210CA Specs...

http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?CatIds=88,89,90,4692&webid=643303&affixedcode=WW

Hi,

I'm interested in this notebook for work and play, but I haven't bought a laptop in ages and aren't really up with the technology. My current laptop has an integrated Intel graphics chip which is pretty pathetic in games. How does the Radeon Xpress 200M compare? I'm not looking to run FEAR or similarly spec'd games, but the question is, would it run? It will be primarily for graphics work but modest gaming duties on the side if possible would really be gravy.

I have more specific questions regarding this model and will modify when time permits, so thanks in advance.

 

Depends on which Intel GPU you have, but it's about 3 times faster than the current popular Intel GMA GPU. It's still a weak GPU but it does do DX9 in hardware and will run current games, even if you have to cut the resolution back to get acceptable framerates.

 

I have the us version of yours, see sig, that your looking at and I really like mine.

 

Thanks Brian, and Jack. I am prepared to forego the gaming thing completely because I'm deadset, _DEADSET_ on this laptop for many reasons.

It's priced very good for a 17" desktop replacement. Looks great and I'm not completely in the dark in terms of what to expect as I also own a DV1010CA. Looking around, I've noticed ML37 Turion versions are $300, but that starts to creep into the buffer of "not great value" anymore; and when I start to think that, I rationalize how for another $300 more, I can get a 1.66 Dual core, 200GB, 1GB memory, etc plus a gaming GPU.

Sorry for the rant, but with the more I read and research, the more versions I'm discovering and seemingly more complicated the decision becomes.


P.S What processor do you guys think have a better shelf life, Turion or Intel's dual core?
The only gripe is I haven't found any models equipped with the 1650x1050 resolution. Very disappointing.

 

If you want dual core, wait until May 9th to see if HP releases the Turion X2 as is rumored. Intel's Core Duo is 32-bit-only, so its shelf life is going to be limited.

 

The one thing I would caution you about the dv8120ca is examining the specs and particular one you get. Prior to this month, the dv8120ca came with dual hard drives (2 x 80 GB), a larger cache (1 MB), and a faster chip (ML-37 = 2.0 GHz). That is the model I have that was marketed as the 8210ca, and right now, Future Shop has it as the DV8220 model. If you do pick up a dv8210ca, an unknowing store associate might give you the old or new dv8210ca.

Asided from that, I'd look at what your needs really are. If gaming will be the priority on this laptop, then I'd probably suggest getting a better graphics card.

 

Thanks. I really appreciate the feedback, Brian.

It's not so much that I want an X2 processor, but the thinking behind it is that dual cores is the future and upgradability on laptops is pretty few and far between. An X2 Turion sounds nice, but also sounds like it will come at a price. I'm trying to avoid that, if possible.

Thanks SVT for your feedback as well. The DV8210CA as per the Futureshop website states that it has 80GB drive and 1.8Ghz Turion for $1,199. For that price you get a very good value machine already. Capable processor, nice screen and decent amount of memory, though with Vista on the way, it does present some concerns. Definately need an upgrade.

The DV8220CA, AFAIK (please correct me if I'm wrong) is $300 more with the only obvious difference being an additional 80GB *HD housing* with the ML-37 Turion; but those niceties I can live without (save the hassle of ordering the HD housing).

Ultimately the 8230 (Intel dualcore) seems like it has more of the features I'm after, but considering the price of $1,799 I'm really disappointed they didn't at least give it the Ultra 1680x1050 resolution screen. Not being able to run Vista is going to be a real bummer as well (no 32bit emulation planned?). That's the leading option right now. Option 2 is to go with the 8210CA and upgrade the memory/hd (painful and costly) myself to accommodate Vista but play games at less than desired settings, if even that!

Thanks for reading my ramblings, I really do appreciate the feedback as it helps to make sense of it all.

 

There will be one 32-bit legacy edition of Vista but all the other editions will be 64-bit.

"HD housing"?

The Turion X2's require new motherboards, which means that we should see new features... so that could be interesting. I just don't have solid information about the release date though, just the rumor. Like you said, it's likely to be much more expensive than the current singlecore models.

 

hi,

the only things which i am a little doubtful about are the 512KB cache and the slower RAM. are they an important factor? and are there any other cons of this model which i shud know about?

also, if someone already owning the dv8210, how is its performance and build quality, especially w.r.t. cpu performance, heating and battery life? and would you still advise someone to go for it?

thanks

 

The cache is just fine for the processor. AMD processors have integrated memory controllers which work at the same speed as the processor instead of being placed on the chipset and running at the slower FSB speeds. This helps the processor to have faster access to the main RAM. Also larger the cache higher is the latencies(slower), these processors are also known to work better with lower latency(faster) caches. So, there is no need for a huge cache, although having big fast cache is ideal, but 512K/1MB is the ideal for a balance between power consumption/ battery life and price.

HP for some reason use DDR333 memory instead of DDR400 which is supported by the processor. But memory is again easily replacable and shouldnt be a too big an issue.

The review for the dv8000 series might help...Other than the configurable specifications, the notebook is the same...
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2881
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2681