*HP ENVY 14 & ENVY 14 Beats (1XXX series) Owners Lounge, Part III*

Fair warning: I spent an hour tearing down my Envy 14 for this purpose only to find that one of the screws on the fan assembly was so tight that it stripped my cheap screwdriver (you read that right, not the other way around). I got nothing but headaches for zero payoff in the end. It's good to repaste, especially because it gives you a great chance to clean the whole assembly out as well, but make sure your tools are up to the task if you run into a tight, threadlocked screw.

 

Haha, agreed. Luckily my cheap tools stood up for those last screws. The thing that sucks is that taking off the fan screws is the last part (after disassembling the whole thing).

 

Yeah, I did the disassembling the whole thing part but not the taking off the fan screws part that time. It wasn't a happy evening. Fortunately, a 500 ml. can of Bear Beer strong lager (Dutch beer, apparently brewed in Germany according to the Chinese stick-on label, sold at Walmart in Wuhan, China) helped smooth things out until bedtime that night.

 

Anyone else have issues when using the webcam? It seems that any slight adjustment of the screens angle kicks the webcam off.. usually making another adjustment will cause it to come back. Other time it ends up causing issues that makes the computer thing something else is using my webcam, so I have to restart the computer.

 

If a screen adjustment causes a webcam disconnect, I would open it up and make sure all of the cables are properly connected and in good shape. Not sure about the issue where the computer treats the webcam as if it's being utilized by another program though. Have you tried uninstalling it as a device and then reinstalling the latest drivers?

 

I have an Envy 14 with switchable graphics and I want to upgrade to windows 8 but I'm worried about driver issues since I installed new drivers(12.4) for the ATI gpu (5650) which don't officially support switchable graphics. Anyone who installed Win8 had any issues? Is there something I should be aware of?

Thanks,

 

If you read the last five or so pages of this thread, there's a decent bit of anecdotal information. I think there's a separate thread in this forum as well.

 

You can start reading about midway on the page I linked in this forum topic. It is about the time people started installing Windows 8 and what they did to get the switchable graphics working. I haven't updated graphics driver since I got the Envy nor have I installed Windows 8 because I don't want to risk losing the switchable graphics or messing things up. Several people have done what you are asking and have had success. Just takes some time to read through the posts.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/582545-drivers-ati-5650-6630-hp-envy-14-a-36.html

 

Thanks for the replies, but it seems there are some driver issues. I wanted to install windows 8 for the performance improvements, but reducing reliability doesn't cut it. Anyways, I have 4GBs (1066mhz) and wanted to upgrade. I only found 1333 mhz sticks of ram to buy. Is it okay to install ram with a higher clockspeed? And is it better to buy 1x8GB or 2x4GB?

I'm after a noticeable performance boost.

 

I can't guarantee that anything you do will give you a "noticeable performance boost" since I don't know what you'll notice and how your machine is currently set up. Ensuring that your laptop has the optimal drivers for every piece of hardware makes a difference, as does reducing unnecessary background processes and cleaning the registry (or using a fresh install of Windows). If you're using a hard disk drive, upgrading to an SSD will be your biggest upgrade. If your CPU isn't up to scratch for your use, upgrading to a faster processor would make a difference. I think i7-640M is the fastest dual-core processor that will work in the first-gen Envy 14, anything quad-core will break switchable graphics so your battery life will suck. If you upgrade to 8GB of RAM, get two identical 4GB sticks (1333mhz is fine, though they'll run at a lower speed) so they run in dual-channel mode. Another common problem with older laptops slowing down is dust buildup - the fans get a thick layer of dust (almost like felt at this point) built up around the heatsink vents and they can't move hot air away fast enough, so the CPU slows down in order to avoid overheating. If your machine is dusty inside, a good cleaning could make worlds of difference in its speed.

In the end, though, it's important to recognize that a three year old laptop is three years old; it's not going to feel as fast as it did when it was new and it's not going to run as fast as a new machine. If your expectations are within its capabilities, the above tweaks, upgrades, and alterations can give you a much better experience with your laptop, but if you want a Mazda to drive like a Maserati, you're out of luck.

 

I bought my envy14(1210nr) late 2011 and I am generally careful with it. It still feels as snappy as new but it slows down a bit when there are too many programs open and I wanted a bit more gaming performance. Won't more RAM make a diference? Aside from the GPU drivers, the drivers I have installed are all from the HP website and I guess outdated since most of them are from 2010.

I don't know if I'm being unrealistic to be expecting 2-3 more years of a good experience out of this laptop.

I want to install an SSD but they are still expensive and the drivers seem to have issues.

 

When you bought it has a limited impact on its capacity for performance - there might be less wear on the parts, but they're still only capable of so much in comparison to modern components. It's still a mid-2010 machine even if it was in its box until late 2011.

I don't think you're unrealistic expecting 2-3 more years of "good experience" with this laptop. It'll be a perfectly usable laptop for the duration of that period as long as you keep it well-maintained and you don't run into any component failures.

For drivers, I always use this thread; justinkw1 is awesome about keeping it updated with the most recent compatible drivers, with the exception of GPU drivers which are a bit trickier with switchable graphics (he keeps the latest compatible HP driver packages updated but HP doesn't keep up with AMD's latest drivers).

Slowdowns with too many programs running are pretty much standard - try closing the ones that aren't necessary. If battery life isn't a concern, you could try upgrading to a quad-core processor like the i7-840m, but I don't know whether or not that would be possible without a motherboard swap. If the slowdown is more memory related than processor related (keep an eye on the utilization of both in Task Manager or a third-party widget), more memory would definitely help. If you're not pushing the limits of your RAM capacity regularly, though, an SSD is still your most effective upgrade. I'm not sure what driver problems you've heard about, but I've never had any trouble with an SSD in either of my machines.

 

Thanks for the insight, I've decided to go ahead with the ram upgrade and update all drivers. I`ll keep an eye on SSD prices and upgrade when feasible.

 

With the upgrades to my Envy I feel that it still flies with any task that I give it. The SSD gave me a big boost in responsiveness but it wasn't as much as I would have hoped. On paper it was nearly a 140% increase in performance even over my hybrid drive. As for the RAM, I've never had an issue. Running CS6 programs and having 8 tabs in Chrome open have yet to really slow anything down. I don't game a lot to comment about the graphics but for 1080p movies w/DTS it works great. When I move into my apartment I'll be using this as a desktop mainly. With it hooked into a 1900x1200 monitor, studio monitors (speakers), and other peripherals it should work great. The audio chip in this is still far more powerful than even the Envy 4's and 6's out now. Beats is a gimmick but when it comes to the actual sound card in this it's still one of the best out there.

I'm one who always looks for the next best things and honestly nothing out there now is even tempting me away from my Envy. Once the next Intel Tock occurs (Haswell is another tick in my eyes) I'll start looking. 1080p+ screen, Thunderbolt (for eGPU purposes), USB 3.0 10gbps, and HDMI 2.0 w/4k 60hz support will be my dream machine. Until then everything else out there is just a minor update. Nothing revolutionary.

Windows 8 isn't worth the hassle on these machines nor is the performance boost noticeable. I can bear waiting a few extra minutes on USB 2.0 transfers. I can handle lowering my graphics settings and plugging in an extra cable for gaming. My slice battery still gets me around 5 hours of battery.

Again, coming from someone who wants to have the best in technology I'm content. I still recommend Sandy Bridge Envy 14's to people who can find them for under $450 online. These frames can take a beating and will last for years to come.

Cheers to this great machine! :thumbsup:

 

Great post. I too love my Envy 14 today as much as the day I bought it and, in practice, find that it does everything but gaming and booting up just as fast as my desktop. If Haswell or Richland/Kaveri can offer a smaller machine that will push all my buttons I'll probably upgrade on my annual trip stateside this year because I'd like to get a smaller machine and pass the Envy on to my girlfriend to replace her six year-old bargain-bin Acer, but the Envy 14 itself is great.

 

Bought mine summer of 2010 and upgraded to an SSD at the end of 2011. This thing is still going hardcore... I'm actually quite shocked at how well it still performs. All on 4gb of ram and a 120gb SSD with an i5 2.4ghz.

I just came here to see if anyone has used this AC adapter from Amazon: Amazon.com: Intocircuit™ Ultra-Slim Ac Adapter Battery Charger For HP Envy 14-1000 15-1000 15-3000 17-1000 17-3000 dv7-7200 m6-1100;HP Pavilion dm1-3000 dm1-4XXX dm4-1000 2000 3000: Computers & Accessories

It's $14.00 after shipping and seems like a well made product. It doesn't have any reviews but I looked up other adapters from the same brand and they all had fairly good reviews. I was relatively shocked by the low price so I bought one. Has anyone else seen/used this?

 

I can't speak for that particular unit but I always have a smaller unit in my backpack. Part number 519330-003. It's a much smaller 90w charger and I have had no problems with it.
eBay has one for $20 ( Genuine 90W HP Smart Pin AC Adapter dv5 dv3t 519330 003 Laptop Notebook Charger | eBay)

Just make sure it's one with -003 or else the tip won't be the correct diameter.

 

Hey guys,

I'm a noob here and in general with computers,

and I guess here is where ppl like me come and get as much knowledge as they can and leave. And your doing an amazing job for ppl like me . Thank you .


My problem is that I recently wiped my computer completely clean and reinstalled with the original copy of windows 7. Now after doing so, my computer doesn't take up the wifi driver provided on the hp support drivers website . I've tried all of them in there but none of them seem to work. My WAN component (hardware) is Broadcom BCM943224HMS ... If anyone can help me get the right driver I would be really glad. Thank you so so much.

Cheers

Ralph

 

My HP Envy 14 stopped working all of a sudden . There is no charging no leds or anything . Any suggestions , common problems

 

Your best bet is to look in justinkw1's driver thread for this model. Here it is. When I last did a fresh installation of Windows, I dug every driver I needed out of that thread - some of them are yanked from other models support pages, one or two (at least historically) have even been linked from different manufacturers' sites, so you know you're getting the most recent known drivers.

If the Broadcom WiFi driver in that thread won't install, try safe mode. I occasionally find that certain devices that haven't had their drivers installed are only recognized in safe mode.

The primary three things that come to mind are all power supply problems: your power supply could have broken down with age and use, the power cable might be bad, or the charging port on the laptop could have gotten disconnected from the rest of the system. In the first case, you get a new PSU, in the second, you get a new cable, and in the third, you need to get the port soldered to its connections. You can test the first two by going to an electronics store with a no-questions-asked return policy and buying a universal laptop adapter. If the Envy 14 works with the universal adapter, you can either keep it or buy a new Envy adapter and return the universal when you get it. If it doesn't, you probably have to take it into a shop.

I guess it's probably also possible that your motherboard died a very complete death, but I think you'd usually have at least some responsiveness with a dead motherboard.

 

The trick is to install hp wireless assistant first , switch on the Wi-Fi card and then install the drivers from the Justin s Thad

 

I removed all the HP bloatware when I first got the computer, and I've never let it come back. Maybe it's different because I have an Intel card, though. If it's all about turning on the WiFi card, why not try fn+f10 instead?

 

Nice to see this forum not absolutely dead still! I'm running my Envy 14 with an external monitor (1080p) and was thinking about getting another. Does anyone have experience with running 2 monitors with the Envy 14? I was wondering if it would lag when running 2 monitors such as when playing videos or when playing games. I'm not really a hardcore gamer, but just play pretty light things like league of legends from time to time but don't want it to be a horrid experience.

 

It really depends on how you're doing things:

I've only done dual-monitor setups with mine (Radiance display + 1080p TV via HDMI). If you're talking about running two externals without the Envy's internal display, my experience will be similar to what you're planning. If you plan on three screens total, it will require a bit more power.

Cloning multiple displays has never slowed me down. Running two displays in side-by-side mode and playing a game on one has never slowed me down much, but you would benefit by turning off Windows Aero in order to minimize the GPU draw of the second monitor. If, however, you're watching a 1080p video on one monitor while playing a game on the other, you're going to experience significant slowdown because they both draw on the GPU.

Note that my experience doesn't extend to running two external screens with the Envy 14, so I make no guarantees that there won't be any secondary issues (such as conflicts between the different video connections). I'm just sharing my experience, which is only halfway relevant to what you're considering.

 

That actually helps a lot I forgot to even consider using the laptop itself to see how performance would hold up. I'm not looking for a triple monitor setup because I have the Envy in a place where I can't see it. I'm not looking to do anything like gaming and watching videos simultaneously either, just want to prevent from having to alt-tab all the time while doing research etc. Thanks for the tips!

 

Do you have a plan for how to navigate between the game and the non-game screen? I ask because my little experience was that fullscreen games don't want to run on the secondary screen - they only want to run on the primary screen (whichever screen you set as primary, so at the very least the non-gaming screen lacks the taskbar and start buttons, as well as any icons and apps you keep on your main desktop. The other issue is that I didn't have much luck switching input between the game and the desktop - it was pretty much an either-or thing, so I could maybe set a browser window on the secondary screen, but once I needed to scroll I had to alt-tab anyway.

Don't get me wrong, there are probably well-known workarounds for multitasking gamers. I just don't know them myself, and those are the obstacles I encountered when I tried out a similar (but still different) setup.

 

I never considered using the non-game screen to game on because I would most likely set it to the side. As for multitasking while gaming my friend also runs into that obstacle where he is forced to alt-tab if he wants to browse the web while gaming. The thing he did about it was to use the full screen windowed mode for games that support it so the game window would still be open while he was doing other stuff on the non-game screen.

 

Has anyone tried an mSATA ssd with Envy14-1xxx placed just under the primary harddisk ... is it mini PCIe or msata?

 

It's mSATA. I'm not sure if one can be installed though. You might have to open it up and see if there is a connector there, and if there is then maybe try it out (if you have an mSATA drive available).

Here's the link to the service manual. http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c02878045.pdf

 

I currently have my computer hooked up through HDMI because my screen broke and I was wondering if there is anyway to get the bios to show up on my monitor? any help would be appreciated!

 

Hm..not really sure if that's even possible. The external monitor is something that Windows supports and usually the BIOS doesn't have the functionality built in. I could be wrong though. Try pressing random FN + F1, F2, etc combinations after you enter the BIOS?

 

It didn't work form me. I also have no audio device detected and get no sound now. =(

 

Got the new 4X game Star Drive and after about 15 mins of playing, the screen goes black (like it shuts down the gpu) and I have to force shutdown the laptop. I haven't really been playing with my Envy 14, but haven't had this happen with a few other games I've tried. Anyone got any tips on what to do? Is the GPU overheating?

 

When this sort of thing happened to me, it was a bad GPU. I don't think it was a heat issue, the GPU die itself was failing. I had the motherboard replaced under warranty in that case. When our Envy 14's started coming in and we discovered that we had underclocked 5650m's, speculation was rampant that HP had cut costs by buying and using the bottom-binned, the least-capable 5650m chips for use in the Envy 14. I still haven't seen much strong evidence against that speculation. Unfortunately, one problem with low-quality silicon is that it's more prone to failure. You might be out of luck.

The hopeful prospect is that you can do some heating reflow by repasting the *PU's and cleaning out your system, but that kind of freeze is typically indicative of a GPU failure rather than a system overheating.

 

Has anyone had issues with the DVD drive? Recently I've tried to play a couple DVDs and even a W7 installation disk and although I can hear the disk being loaded and spinning, it then stops and my computer doesn't recognize that there is something in the drive. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the driver and the problem persists. I even ran the diagnostic tool that MSFT came out with and it claims that my DVD is an unrecognized media format even though it is a DVD. What are some other things I should try before I throw in the towel and get a new DVD drive?

By the way, thanks for all the posts regarding fixes/patches/drivers/updates for the Envy 14. This forum has been my main source of information ever since I got my Envy 14-1000CTO back in 2010. Aside from the poorly designed placement of the vents (it keeps blowing dust on my screen), this computer has been very good and even functions with W8. If only HP could release newer drivers for the Envy 14...

 

I gave up on notebook DVD drives long before I bought my Envy 14 - the two laptops I owned before the Envy 14 were both horrible for recognizing discs, and the Envy is no better. I don't really know what to say; if there's a magical solution, I'd love to hear it.

For drivers, I assume you follow justinkw1's driver thread in the appropriate subforum here? Most of those drivers by now are not from HP's Envy 14-1xxx driver page, but from other sources, some of which are more recent HP notebooks. It's pretty standard for manufacturers to stop updating drivers for a model within about a year of it going out of production. Many of the drivers they offer still work with the machine, but actively updating the driver page for an old computer encourages customers that the computer might be viable for long-term use, and they can't have that because that means you won't be buying a new one anytime soon.

 

Just for the log

I figured out the problem with my dead envy http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/713120-hp-envy14-dead-all-sudden.html

 

Hello im getting my hd envy 14 first gen , very soon have a few questions through.

I know hd 5650m is downclocked , so i hope for at least 500 core or so , as i was happy how the card performed in my friends packard bell at 1600x900 , through his was not downclocked.

I saw some guys could overclock there non extreme cpu's in the laptop , can anybody provide me with a link how to do it? i think used setfsb or something for my asus g51vx.

I will only be getting i3 model , should i grab i7 740qm , as they quite cheap or i5 540m , the i5 seems to be more expensive , through i7 will my battery life , i could live with that.

 

Are you getting a used machine? Since this is a three year old computer, you probably don't want to pay too much for it. If you get an i7-xxxQM version, you get no switchable graphics, meaning poor battery life. There's no way I would go for that, but maybe you don't need to worry about battery life.

My first 5650m GPU couldn't overclock for a hill of beans, and it died after only a few months. I still don't know whether or not the overclock attempt was at all culpable for the GPU failure. The replacement hasn't been pushed because I'd rather not find out (out of warranty) whether or not an overclock will kill it before its time. I don't know about overclocking the CPU either - do you have a legitimate reason to do so, or are you mostly just curious? Even a first-generation mobile i3 should offer adequate processing power for most tasks, so an overclock might just be an unnecessary risk.

 

yeah i sometimes just overclock for the fun , thinking i will leave it at stock , before i break it!!
Now that i think off it i3 will probably be fine for the job will see how it handles , otherwise get me a i5.
Was looking ta i5 460m , seems to be going for 45 dollars on ebay ,will be my first choice

Hmmm might leave gpu stock as well , through i will love if it does 500mhz on the core!!

Yep will be used machine , buying it from this forum.

I chose this laptop because i wanted a "pocket rocket".
I need something thats not to heavy , but not to slow.
But i dont want cheap 1366x768 display , i really dislike it.

This machine comes with radiance display and 256gb ssd for 450 dollars so i could not say no

 

Hi All,

Blu Ray.

I removed the standard CD/DVD combo drive.
Put in a Pioneer BDR-US01 Blu ray burner/player reads and writes also CDs and DVDs.
Windows sees the drive, has all the drive info, but the drive is not working.

Where do I go wrong........

regards,

Ger

 

Could be that there's a whitelist for drives on that connection and your Blu-Ray drive isn't on it? There was a lot of discussion about upgrading to Blu-Ray when our Envys were new, but there was no drive that would have fit, so you might be one of the first to actually try to put Blu-Ray in an Envy 14. Unfortunately that means that you might have a hard time finding workable advice from Envy Owners. It doesn't help that my last three laptops have all been very poor at recognizing optical discs, so I'm personally just ready to chalk it up to mobile ODD's in general. I would suggest you post in the Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades forum - you'll probably have a better shot there.

Edit: Another idea. If it's not working as in not playing Blu-Rays, it might be as simple as installing software with Blu-Ray codecs, since that's not built into Windows.

 

Envy14's have poor overclocking capability , i wont recommend it . In general ATI 5series laptop cards dont give a considerable performance bump even when overclocked .

I still love my envy 1x over any latest laptops . I got into problem with hardware only once but i use it mostly on integrated graphics

 

Try hooking the drive directly to an esata port , you can buy cable from ebay which connects optical slimline to esata . Also report back your findings

 

So it finally came today !

So far very impressed , does not get to hot , gpu max 74c bf3.( mush better then my dv6 with amd phenom)

bf3 plays low 900p , 25fps or so , think i must tweak it a bit to get some more fps.

Gpu hates OCing , so leaving stock.

I must say i love this display!!!

The ssd make the lappy very snappy and fast

 

Glad the Envy arrived in good shape and you are pleased with it. That Radiance screen really makes the machine for me. Haven't seen anything else in the almost three years since I got my Envy that tickles my fancy--at least nothing in the Envy 14 price range. And I do love being able to switch the graphics manually. So many of the later machines have gone to an auto-switching system. I paid for a dedicated graphics card and if I want to use it 24/7 on anything I look at, so be it. Don't need the machine making that decision for me. The 14.5 screen on the Envy is just about the right size and the weight and size of the machine are just about perfect. I have thought about selling/giving away my Envy to someone who would actually use it but I hate to give it up with nothing else of interest on the horizon for now. Guess we saw the end of the Radiance screen with the Envy and really the end of quality laptops from HP at least for a while. The newer models don't excite. Take care of that machine!

 

Will take good care of it ! I have the original sleeve and laptop bag , so im good to go for traveling!

I see hp only offers the radiance display on the envy 14 ultrabook now , which means your stuck with onboard hd-4000!

Yeah not sure how long hd 5650m will last me , luckily its mainly for lans and surfing at home , so lans will be dota 2, LOL and cod series which it easily plays.

 

It's a different screen as far as I know - Radiance is an HP marketing term. Not sure how good the Envy 14 Spectre's Radiance display is.

 

Since installing Windows 8 on my Envy 14 1020ed I've had network problems. Both wireless (Broadcom 43224AGN) and wired (Realtek PCIe GBE) have issues. Everytime I change network it is able to connect to wireless for instance but won't have an internet connection. Only after disable/enabling the adapter and waiting for a while it will have internet connectivity again. Wired usually works after running the network troubleshoot tool.
I've installed all the latest drivers from justin's thread without result. Any clues on what's going on?
Another symptom is that the wireless, when connected, is always slow (1Mbit up max).

When fixing the wired connection through the windows network diagnostics it says: "the default gateway is not available". Probably because it was holding an old IP address from the previous network it was connected to. Any idea why it is not refreshing DHCP values?

just found out that doing a ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew fixes the problem temporarily.

 

Just another reason I will not be putting Windows 8 on my Envy despite an overwhelming desire to.

In other news, the updated Envy 14 should be interesting. 3200x1800 may be the first reason to switch away from my Radiance panel. I'll be in the market for a new laptop once the back to school sales start and I have my internship's final pay check. I may need a little more oomph in the graphics department, though, as I'm getting a 27" 1440p monitor soon (I'll post about how our ENVY performs when I get it).