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

I know you can't stack BCB with the student discount or any other coupons. But, can you stack the 50 dollar coupon mention above with the student discount?

 

The price of the extended battery slice is disappointing. I wonder how long it will be before third party vendors offer a compatible battery, because I don't think I'm willing to spend an extra $200 for it.

 

How long do we think the standard 8-cell will last?

 

5 hours MAYBE with just basic stuff, word processing, youtube videos, maybe some light gaming

 

Bought one. Estimated Build Date is July 7th. Configuration is base plus the 1 DIMM 4G memory upgrade.

I wouldn't fuss too much about the differences between the Core i3 370M, Core i5 430M, 450M, and 520M. Most users aren't going to see a difference between the four processors so you are better off going with the 2.4 Ghz 370M and spending the extra money on a good SSD drive like the Intel X-25M.

Keep in mind, turbo boost isn't like traditional overclocking. The processor only will overclock if it detects that it is below thermal minimums, i.e. you are using only 1 core. I'd be willing to bet then that the Core i3 370M will actually come out ahead of the i5 430M in multi-tasking.

 

A humble attempt at a comprehensive buying guide. I'll try to keep each component's summary in conjunction with HP's customization feature.

OS:
If you consider that HP is charging $120.00 for Professional, Home Premium costs around $80.00 from HP as the base OS.
Ultimate features a 700MB language pack and BitLocker to justify the $80.00 price hike. Alternatives to BitLocker exist for less than $80.00, so the only reason to upgrade to Ultimate is to get the language pack.

I'd go with Home Premium and upgrade to Professional after-market. Why? Professional can be bought with student and business discounts. I bought it for $30.00 as a university employee. XP compatibility and a simplified way to bind to a domain make Professional invaluable to some.

CPU:
I'd say only two choices really exist: the base i3-370M and the i5-520M. Buying the i3 means you can save some cash to upgrade the CPU to a i5-540M or i7-620M after-market. The i5-520M is a decent choice as far as processing power, power consumption and price compared to HP's overpriced quad-core options. The quad-cores will consume your battery like a Pez and run hotter.

RAM:
I can see no reason not to get 1 DIMM of 4GB DDR3 1066MHZ RAM. It's an extra $25.00, but this leaves a slot open for an after-market upgrade in the future! The future, I say!

HDD:
Well, a 320GB 7200 RPM HDD is $50.00 at Newegg.com; a 160 GB SSD is $400.00 at Newegg.com. Which, in a very round-about way means that buying HP's 160GB SSD option saves the user $35.00. In my opinion: go with the base model and upgrade to a Momentus XT or SSD when the prices go down OR go with the 160GB SSD now to save that $35.00.

No options exist between the HDD and the Battery except for a WWAN card. Grab the WWAN card if you have the cash for the data plan or want the option-- I guess.

Battery:
My opinion is to pass on an additional battery. Wait a few months for the Envy 14's Slice to go down in price. I'm sure it will.

Things not covered:
Extra software, trinkets and doodads. HP has some sweet discounts on printers and wireless routers, though.

I hope this is a valuable FAQ for some, and I also hope it isn't too wordy nor opinionated. I'm sharing these thoughts from the perspective of a cash-conscience penny-pincher.

 

yeah I've mentioned this twice now in the thread. Surprised people are still complaining about the i3 considering how many people were debating "A 430m will do everything a 520m can do" or "if 430m isn't enough for you a 520m won't be either" "it's just a $100 overclock" blah blah when the i3 is clocked at 2.4Ghz as well with 2core/4threads.. shrugs..

 

yeah. that i3 is pretty good.

The closest thing it compares to really is the 450m.

Compare Intel® Products,

both are Q3 chips.

both have 4.8 GT/s

main difference is a slower video graphics max dynamic graphics frequency and no turbo mode.

 

Thank you for this breakdown. I appreciate the reasoning behind each. +rep

 

I think the base options are the best value. If you have a student discount or EPP $989 + tax for this configuration is awesome! I am very impressed with HP bringing this sort of value to the market.

 

Is there any reason I couldn't cannibalize RAM from an old system if I get the 1 DIMM option?

 

how old of a system?

 

HP ENVY 14 customizable Notebook PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-430M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz ($25 upgrade, has faster integrated graphics than the i3)
• 4GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm) ($125ish for another 4GB DDR3 SO-DIMM on Newegg. 8GB FTW?)
• 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics - For Dual Core Processors
• 14.5" diagonal HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display (1600x900)
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam + Dual Digital Integrated Microphones
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• Corel(R) PaintShop Photo(TM) Pro X3 + Corel(R) VideoStudio(R) Pro X3
• Full-size island-style backlit keyboard
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Estimated build date: July 7, 2010 (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HP don't put me through the 1 month delay fiasco that you did with my Envy 15 order)

 

Hey, buys, can I ask if there are any good discounts out there? Does the student discount work with the Envy 14?

1315 - 92.05 = 1222.95

Fat discount, perfect for making it my price range if you can get it.

Bing cash back is only 5% now T,T

Any suggestions // coupons?

 

Nobody else is going for the Core i7 840, like I am? ULTIMATE POWER?!

Also, is the $200 "8 cell battery + 6 cell battery" option the "slice" option or is that something else?

I'd order immediately but I can't seem to find a Bing cashback promo for 20 or 25 like I did with the first Envy. Anyone have any idea bout this, or a top-of-the-line coupon that takes like $400-600 off as there was for older Envy models?

 

2 Years old

 

You can never be too rich, too good looking or have too much power.

Bronsky

 

then nope, won't have ddr3

 

The i7 840 is going to destroy your batteries so quickly, plus in a benchmarking test by notebookcheck (which I highly recommend for things such as comparing graphics) they conclude via bench marking that the strain caused by quadruple processing makes the increased speed hardly exist.

Notebookcheck: Review Intel Core i3/i5/i7 Processors ?Arrandale?

It wouldn't be worth the cash, extra speed, or battery drain.

(I'm a rook though, this is all just to my understanding)

 

I agree. You'll lose switchable graphics capabilities if you go to the Core i7 quads. This will absolutely kill your battery life.

If you need a quad core, go with the Envy 17.

 

I'm seeing 10% for hp direct when I am on the bing page.. and it is saying 10-25% when I click on it.

Is there a way to know what the discount is before placing the order?

 

Where are you seeing this? Still shows 315.00 to me. I ordered with the SSD last night so if its actually 275.00 now I want to call them and get my price fixed + maybe go to the 520M.

 

Halp XD

 

Anyone know who makes, and the specs on the 256GB SSD? I know the 160 is an Intel...but I'm thinking about the bigger one if it's decent.

 

if you go to the list of all the bing stores an click hp direct it says 10-25%, but does anyone know if the hp envy will give 10 or 25?

 

Once you click on the BCB and the next window opens up, it says either 10, or 25 percent. Personally I BCB is crashing for me so I cannot confirm what it is.

I wish there were reviews for this, I'd buy it right now -_-

 

How do you get student discounts for professional? I mean I have a 32-bit key but...I'd like a 64-bit OS.

 

If I'm reading that benchmark set correctly, no modern Quad Cores are compared.. Only Dual cores up to the Core i7-620, when Quads are the i7-720/740QM, 820/840QM, and 9xx Extreme editions. It shows that the differences are smaller once you reach the i5-5xx series ascending up the scale, certainly but nothing about quads.

 

Windows 7 (and I believe Vista) keys are not dependent on if the copy you're trying to install is 32-bit or 64-bit. If you have a key, it's a key.

 

True. Only depends on the version("flavor"). I.e. Pro key can install pro 32 or 64bit, but not home Premium or Ultimate.

 

...well then. I know what I'm gonna try

edit: my dad got the xp downgrade and free 7 pro upgrade from dell last year when he got his lattitude. that's how I have the 7 key....and well he's never wanted to install it.

 

Bing Shopping

Go to H and select HP - I got 10% off the price using the above link.

 

When is it coming to Canada?

 

Why is Corel Paintshop bundled into this?...

 

But on the bing site when you click hp direct, it says 10-25%. So you just used it and its only 10% for the hp envy?

EDIT: ***** in like literally 3 minutes, it went from saying 10-25% to now just 10%, no one could confirm it being 25%

 

*shrugs* hp felt like it?

same reason why norton internet security 15 month subscription version is $1

 

It would make my decision easier if I knew where the discount was going to fall in that range.

 

gunna just have to roll the dice.

or wait awhile

 

Yup back to 10%

 

Nah its only 10% now, same as academy, it basically changed from that range, to only 10% in like a few minutes ago.

 

just give us [mod edit] like 150-200 stackable coupon that works with academy, and ILL BUYY ITTTTT

 

I need this thing now. So, if they decide to screw early adopters by releasing a big coupon in the next few weeks...I'll just buy another...and decide I don't really need two and send one back

 

520m and the 1 Dimm of RAM are the only real upgrades I'm gonna get.

Waiting for a coupon right now. I'm gonna go right and ask my Dad what his employee discount is. But I'm correct in saying that coupons CAN be used with the EDU discount, but NOT with the employee discount?

 

It depends, sometimes hp likes to be a[mod edit] and make coupons not compatible with friends family, hp academy, and employee stuff. So then you have to pick whats the bigger savings.

 

I don't really need a laptop right now - my 3 year old dv9500 is still going strong I am intrigued with the 14 but have concerns over potential flaws/issues after the envy 17.

That said a good coupon or BCB 25% and I will buy before reviews otherwise I'm gonna be patient.

 

Yes! ULTIMATE POWER!
(To say that is basically the only reason why I finally registered for this site, although I have been stalking since around the Gen 1 ENVY 15 release)

But seriously, I had no idea they were going to offer the 840QM in such a small package! To hell with the battery! (There are plugs just about everywhere, right?) And to some degree, what's the point carrying around the slice, when the charger is approx the same size. BTW, has anyone confirmed that the charger is not the super huge one that came with the 15?

I am a tad concerned with heat tho, but I bet I can find some sort of cooling solution. In the wintertime, the heat wont be a problem. I'll just take it outside into the snow with me; sometimes I even take my laptops into bed to keep me warm. (Yay core i series space heaters!) But now in the summertime, even my netbook gets too hot... (I really don't want to use this stupid tiny computer for any more huge excel spreadsheets and Photoshop anymore!!! That and my Alienware is like carrying around a sack of bricks and is still only a single core processor )

ENVY 14 here I come!!! (...as soon as I can get together the $$)

 

whoever was that guy that bet me to get banned if the envy 14 didnt have a i7 620 well told you do it doesnt even have a 540 so that guy has to get banned he said it himself

 

If anyone finds a decent coupon that stacks with academy, or if its like 200+ that doesnt stack. Or jsut any WORKING coupon at all. Please post here and help fellow forum mates out.

 

Is there any hard concrete evidene of these cpu's being soldered. I want to buy an i3 and upgrade it to an i7 620

 

I think when we started discussing embedded options, people started getting scared that they're going to be soldered in.

There's no solid evidence, I guess, but there's no way in hell HP bothered with an embedded processor in these laptops. It wouldn't make sense