*HP ENVY 14 SPECTRE (3XXX series) Owners Lounge*

Joined the owners club last week, first one had a patch on the left hand side on the screen that would distort the screen if you moved it at all, second one has been perfect so far. Definitely like it a lot, especially the screen. I was hoping to get the Samsung series 9 15 inch, but the screen on that one has got some bad reviews. I actually like the weight of it, compared to the Macbook Air I had, seems a little more stable sitting on your lap.

 

I just wanted to congratulate you on your great purchase and what sounds like all the right reasons for having made this decision. There are many "experts" out there questioning the value of the Spectre compared to $800-$1,000 ultrabooks with comparable specs. While I agree the Spectre is a "luxury," it is not purely a status symbol and not just about the aesthetic beauty - which I think is amazing! - but you get at minimum, compared to every other UB, MBA included:

1) Much better display
2) Better sound than all but Asus UX31 - about on par
3) many more useful ports (2 USBs, one of them USB3, ethernet, HDMI and mini displayport for 2 external monitors.
4) two mSata SSD slots, each of which will be able to hold as much as 256GB SSDs as the future brings the costs down - at least there is an expansion path, which no other UB has
5) User-intalled RAM expansion to 8GB, though I read that it is - mindbogglingly! - hard to get at the open DIMM slot; at least you can do it, which you cannot on any other UB to my knowledge
6) Backlit keyboard, which several of the other UBs lack, including - again, mindbogglingly! - the Asus Zenbook UX31, the next most high end alternative
7) Best battery life except HP's Foolio and if my funds were tight I would indeed save the $600 and go with that, but that doesn't make the Spectre overpriced, it just means that there exists a "budget" version that is functionally equivalent for basic tasks, but falls short for all of the reasons cited above except equivalent battery life

If you ascribe values to all of the above, I think it is easy to say the Spectre is worth $300-$400 more than any of the others, making it a better value than pretty much all the others. I do believe HP will start discounting it once sales start to slow or level off, but my guess is that their failure to do so yet suggests it is selling quite well, and it is classic microeconomics to keep prices relatively high while the "elasticity of demand" (tendency to lose many sales when prices are high) remains low.

Still and all, since I can afford to wait, I will do so for both the price to become discounted and for IB components to be substituted. If I didn't have a perfectly useful alternative, I would definitely buy this, at full price!

 

I plan on picking one up after ivy bridges become more widely available. My guess would be that by june or july HP will start putting them in their envy/spectre line (or at least offer it as an upgrade). Glad to hear the positive feedback, generally if a message board isn't blowing up with criticism it's been a smooth launch.

 

Wow, my experience with the Spectre has been extremely disappointing. After 2 replacements, I am still left with a less than perfect unit.

1. First unit - Backspace key stuck and became squeaky. Returned for replacement.
2. Second unit - Replacement unit has good keyboard, but the battery cover is slightly warped and has 2 scratches on the aluminum body. Returned for replacement.
3. Third unit - Deep scratch and dent on the aluminum body (on the corner).

It seems like HP just cannot get the CNC'ed aluminum enclosure right. Apple's unibody shell rarely comes with chips, scratches or dents and they are identical, so I don't know what HP's Inventec QC is looking at.

I really like the Spectre. It is a joy to use, great ergonomics and the display is terrific. I'm really hesitating trying another replacement as it gets pretty tiring after having to go through this for weeks.

 

I really do not think the case is Aluminium at all. I havent read any specific literature from HP stating this. Just a vague mention of aluminium in the generic Envy range description. Several reviews mention it being aluminium, but I now treat this with a grain of salt. Back in post #32 I mentioned a banged up display unit that I saw in a shop. The front edge beneath the trackpad was white in thee places where the Alloy colored rim had been gouged through.

The unibody is aluminium and Spectre top cover is something else made to look like aluminium and therefore more prone to scratching and dents. That's my bet. Happy to be proven wrong though.

Bad luck about all your returns. Mine is humming along perfectly.

 

I'm pretty sure I read that the rim is, well, painted plastic . That would explain the marred appearance. I too am sorry to hear you are having problems. Unfortunately HP has a pattern of very high return rates in the first 3-6 months of a new model, after which they get the quality under control.

Perhaps waiting for the IB refresh is the best strategy. Another HP pattern with new models is to start discounting after the rash of bad press about the quality issues starts to hit sales. The "sweet spot" appears to be about 6 months after introduction and it is just a happy coincidence that the IB upgrade will arrive in time.

I'm not HP-bashing; I love the brand and have had primarily good experiences with phone support. Having owned 6 or more models over the past two years, the cycle I describe has become quite predictable. I still crave this machine for its great looks and incomparable features and expansion path compared to the ultrabook segment.

 

Question:

- Is the fan always on. Yes or no.
- What is the keyboard like for typing... long term typing and fast

thanks all

 

No. Vast majority of the time while I am using my Spectre the fan is not running therefore it is dead silent. However Several of my apps use the CPU more intensively and therefore the core temp climbs up from its normal 40 degrees to over 50 and the fan kicks in.

Will let someone else who is a more serious typist than me answer this one. Other than to say it is in my opinion much better than the Zenbook keyboard because 1 it is larger, 2 it does not have the power button in the keyboard in place of delete key and 3 it has excellent adjustable back lighting.

 

It's not fake aluminum. It's just lower quality aluminum. Sillyyy.

 

Umm perhaps you could translate too English? Are you saying I am being silly, &/or are you saying plastic is a low quality imitation of Aluminium. Or are you saying it is Aluminium or perhaps you just have your tongue firmly planted in your cheek. Either way I am confused by your comment. In the mean time I will stand by my claim that the body is not Aluminium.

If you have a Spectre, close the screen, roll it over and look the edging about 1cm outboard of the hinges. On mine you can see paper thin stripes in the faux aluminium right at the start of the corner radius that looks a lot like you see in plastic moldings. Certainly not something I would expect to see in something that had been milled.

I reckon the black bezel of the screen is Alloy of some sort though. it is noticeably cooler to touch than the side of the body.

 

Interesting that newegg now has a corsair mSATA III 240gb drive. So tempted to try it but not sure of the sandforce reliability and if I would even notice any major differences besides transferring large files. I like how the spectre is modular with easily replacement components from hp parts. Only thing I don't like is im use to picking up the laptop from the back of the laptop but there is no support between the hinges.

 

8 GB and second mSATA SSD

Hi all,

could someone tell me if and how I could upgrade the Spectre to 8GB RAM ?
Which Module(s) ? Where to get ?

Also for the SSD - Which Model and where to get a second one ( As I understood it has two slots) - Here in germany if I go to the HP Spare parts Page - There is NOTHING for the Spectre ?

Thx

BR
Jan

 

I think the ram is supposed to be a nightmare to replace but I don't think it's nonstandard laptop ram. DDR 3 1600.

The ssd would probably be beneficial for space only. I don't know if the motherboard supports sata6 but unless you're doing some large database or media manipulation I can't see it providing much real speed on this CPU.

Unless you're like me and benchmark everything!


P.s. has anyone limited the CPU using power options to increase battery life? I'm guessing minimal gains due to main power draw from the screen but you never know.

 

Search for the maintenance manual.

Here it is:
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...oIT4CQ&usg=AFQjCNGkR4ae02rWymTaKxtPUp3O1laaew

It can't possibly be any more complicated as the Envy 13... You basically had to remove the motherboard to get at the damn ram

 

Can you add a 1TB HDD WD 2.5" to HP Spectre as slave drive?

 

Why not HDD together with SSD drive?

 

It's msata I believe.

 

Seriously... guys, just open the pdf linked above and you'll have all the drive information you need.

 

Well yes in the pdf I find the HP partnumber of the SSD - But as said I can nit order it in German/Europe from the HP part webstore...I only find it within the US HP partstore....

So I thought does someone know which mSata SSD could fit and where to buy in germany/Europe (Maybe I am the only one in germany who bought teh Spectre )

Also for the RAM Mpdule, well seem to be some act to replace it but anyone a partnumber of a 8GB Module which defenitely works ?

Other than that I am still verry happy with the Sepctre.. everything works very well and also the battery life really got better ove rthe 4 weeks now....with middle brightnes and just surfing/outlook usage...it lasts 7-7.5 hours.

Only an HP driver update last week via the HP Support agent for the wireless/bluetooth stuff somehow went wrong - it shows it failed....

Have fun

 

ENVY 14 Spectre - BIOS revision F.03 is now available!

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp57001-57500/sp57075.exe

Information is also available in the ENVY BIOS release thread.

 

That's great new about the new BIOS addressing the fan. Unfortunately the link does not work. Perhaps they have pulled it for some reason?

Edit .. Seem it was pulled briefly and reposted in the past hour. Several new files with todays date added. Something to do with "This package contains drivers and Intel "My WiFi" for the supported Intel Wireless LAN adapters."

Flashed the new BIOS and will see how it goes.

 

Which mSata: Probably ANY mSata drive available today. It's a new ish machine so it'll be a try it and see. I was going to go for a Samsung but they're not really available yet.
Which ram: Get yourself over to crucial or match the memory type from HP?? Again it's a new machine and people won't have bothered to upgrade the ram

Contact these guys for ram:
eBay My World - global-memory
I fitted 32Gb into an 8760w and 16Gb into an 8460p with no issues and they pretty much all use the same Intel HD3000 int GPU & chipset.


mSata reviews:
http://thessdreview.com/category/our-reviews/msata-our-reviews/

 

The Samsung 128GB is available because that is was is already fitted and HP are selling the same Samsung MPA1280/OH1 as a spare.


BIOS update

I did the BIOS update last night. Disappointed to see the Fan still runs at times when I only have a couple of browser windows open. Hard to tell if it runs less frequently. OTOH the fan often does not run at all, so it can at times remain silent which is the same as before.

 

is anyone experiencing a high-pitched noise coming from their spectre at all times? it almost sounds like theres feedback

 

Has anyone else installed the new BIOS revision F.03?

I cannot notice any difference in the fan noise and I am intrigued by this supposed enhancement:

Provides improved fan acoustics while system is in idle mode.

Given that my Fan never ran when in idle mode even before this update was applied, I cannot see how it can be improving a system that is already silent!
Where is need the improvement is when the unit is not at idle, is under load and the fan is running. Then the fan runs, can be very noisy and is annoying. Fix that HP.


@backtothebeat is anyone experiencing a high-pitched noise coming from their spectre at all times? Nope. If the fan is not running mine is silent.
Check in you BIOS to make sure "run fan continuously" is not checked.

 

This can also be due to what's called processor whine. Maybe your ears are good at hearing high pitched noises. I have had this on a couple of devices,the previous envy 14 was one.

Does it go away when the CPU is under load? If so then it could be that.

 

I have expirienced a very strange behaviour with the spectre. . .
My Samsung Galaxy SII (i9100) is not being discovered at all.
It's not listed in the device manager.
As well, tried it with Linux (Fedora 16) and it's not listed under the USB devices at all.

On my desktop everything works.

Would be interested if anyone else has this issue?
Can't explain why it is not working.
The sgs2 is charged, but can't mount it.
Tried some Kies versions, cleaning up the registry. Different other usb drivers, but the issue is that it isn't listed at all in the device manager.
And before someone asks, debugging is enabled

 

Is debugging enabled?

Seriously tho, I would say it might be improperly configured in the registry and device manager. Try to see if it shows in device manager when it is set to display installed devices that it thinks are not present. If it is there uninstall it and start again.

Do this..

Orb > in [Search prog & files] box type "CMD" & press Ctrl-shift-Enter to get a control prompt with admin privileges.

At the command prompt type
set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 & press enter, then
start devmgmt.msc & press enter to open Dev MGR
click View > Show hidden devices..

Now see if your Galaxy or something that could be it shows up in there under disk drives and uninstall it.

 

haha

Thanks for the detailed explanation (only tried show hidden devices previously)

Result:
1.) No Galaxy Device in any catagory
2.) Deleted all disk drivers (expect the Samsung SSD )
3.) Searched multiple times in the process for changed/modified hardware, but nothing...

Again booted to linux to verify that no USB device is listed.

So it's not an OS problem I would say. . . Just strange that the only thing which is working is the charging of the device

This is the list before and after connecting the SGS2:

Code:

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0781:540e SanDisk Corp. Cruzer Contour Flash Drive
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:b832 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 04cc:2533 ST-Ericsson NFC device (PN533)
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 04f2:b2e5 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 8086:0189 Intel Corp. 

Any other suggestions are appreciated.

 

To troubleshoot, try connecting a different model of phone, try a different USB lead as well.
The fact that you the phone cannot be seen from two different OS's & you are not reporting issues with the Spectre USB using other devices makes me think the Galaxy is the culprit.
No wanting to state the obvious but have you power cycled your phone? This is often overlooked as a fix.

 

Strangely,the same thing happened with my galaxy nexus. I'm not sure how I fixed it but a couple of possibly related events happened.

I replaced the USB cable.
I installed android sdk
I upgraded the spectre bios.
I'm using the USB 3 slot.

I think it was phone specific. Like enabling USB debugging and then giving it a power cycle, but I honestly can't recall. I'll post back if I narrow it down. Seems related to your issue.

 

All,

Would love your opinion. I am about to take the plunge on picking this laptop up. A couple of questions I have in regards to spec, performance and clearing space for laptop.
1) This is going to be my first ultrabook and I am willing to upgrade to i7 and 256gb HD. Since I am wiling to drop close to $2k on this, do you think this can last me for at least 3yrs? Most of what I do is normal browsing, MS Office, VPN, RDP, Music ripping, a little of movies, maybe some pic and movie editing.
2) How is the performance of the Intel 3000 gpu? Is it good for HD movies?
3) I see alot of complaints of the recovery, fast start etc.. partition taking up alot of space. Can I delete those partitions and if I need to restore, restore from a USB drive?

Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks!

 

@Grandon:

It was 100% the cable I was using.

Tmobile branded cable works for charging in either port but will not register on the system. Windows(Devices) or Linux(lsusb).

Using an old Nokia microUSB cable it comes up properly.

Looking at the pins:

the micro male end seems to have a more dramatic raise on pins 1 and 5 for the Nokia. But I haven't checked a microUSB reference sheet.

Could also have something to do with the voltage on the spectre.

It's a somewhat interesting problem, but really just getting a new/better cable is a much easier solution.

Anyone care to explore this more?


@Nutzzer. I'm a huge fan of this laptop but I do have slight disappointments and hope that it helps you decide.

Ivy bridge is out for laptops and the HM65 isn't up-gradable so you'll be buying last season's processor and iGPU.
Which may not matter as much seeing as there won't be many performance differences over the course of 3 years.

I have noticed some sluggish Aero rendering using the iGPU, but only when using 3rd party productivity tools (read: eye candy).

The partitioning doesn't bother me, and I only have the 128 gig. I'm comforted by the fact that mSata hard drives are readily available on amazon and costs fractions less than HP's upgrade options.

I never noticed a big difference between the i7 and i5 options in any of 3 laptops and their iX equivalents.

Bottom line: You're getting the best of the Sandy Bridge Ubooks. Sandy bridge (soon)is last generation. Everything(really everything) else is amazing.

 

Thanks konceptz,

I have put that into consideration in regards to Ivy Bridge. But I'm thinking it won't hit the Envy 14 probably until late summer/end of year.
Maybe I should just get the i7, keep the 128ssd and upgrade to 256ssd later. Since what really is preventing me from pulling the trigger is the 256ssd upgrade jacks up the price by $300 bringing the final price close to $2k.

 

Upgrade it to 256GB yourself like I did. Cost's under $100 for the HP part and it will only take you a few minutes to install.
I really like my Spectre although here are four things that disappoint me:

1) Love the the gorilla glass screen and palm rest, but in retrospect I wish the back of the screen was NOT gorilla glass. A finger print magnet, I worry about cracking and when you pick the closed unit up midway across the rear edge you feel the screen & glass flex. eeek.

2) Fan when it runs is too noisy. OTOH mine rarely runs so it is not a big issue.

3) The HP implementation of "Intel instant on" is a gimmick. As soon as the unit has been left for a few hours it seemingly writes the system state to SSD. Opening the screen does not bring it back to life and you must press the power button and wait about 5 to 10 seconds until it flashes back on.
OTOH if you disable "Intel instant on" in the BIOS, you do indeed get a near instant start upon screen open when the unit has been left for an extended period. But at the expense of batter life. So you are really no better of than with a regular laptop. Of course you could do full shutdowns and reboot. This is indeed relatively quick, with Win7 opening up in about 30 seconds.

4) Sound quality is tinny from the speakers & no where near as nice as the Zenbooks.

Apart from these four points, the rest is GREAT.

 

Sound like you're just super critical.... Which is great!

Though I really don't know how the sound from the speakers can be talked about as anything but nice.

I've heard zenbooks, albeit never having owned one or played with it for extended periods of time, and I find the sound to be one of the redeeming qualities of this laptop.

Also, smeagle, have you upgraded the ram? I read it was a nightmare.

I'm wondering about an 8 gig swap using 1600 or higher ram.

 

No I haven't upgraded my RAM, I see no need for my use. However I did read (earlier in this very thread) that is difficult. Far more dis-assembly required as compared to the SSD which merely requires unscrewing the battery.

I owned Zenbook x31 for few weeks but could not live with the screen so I sold it. Loved the sound though. To me the Spectre sound is rich but tinny whereas the Zenbook's was outstanding.

 

Looks like we have been replaced.

HP just revealed a new line of envy spectre. anadtech post

And seems like they are no longer using the glass or the 14" display, favoring a 13.3 and all metal case.

I'm so happy to hear this as our envy spectres will both hold good resale value and continue being stand out machines.

The article says they are targeting the Samsung series 9, which is smart. Still I'm so glad the spectre 14 glass is not getting an under the hood overhaul in this design.

 

I wonder when they will refresh the Envy 14 Spectre with Ivy Bridge?

 

Speaking of which: I've read your tutorial - thanks for that!

I ended up ordering a 128gb replacement kit as well. As it turns out, however, it's much easier to get the SSD than it is to find a PM2.0x2.0 screw. To make it short: I simply can't find one here in Switzerland. Only HP seems to be using this type of screw and they're not selling them. Do you happen to know what's the next best thing to PM2.0x2.0? Will anything else fit?

zipro

 

Something like this would probably work
M2 x 2.5mm Waferhead Laptop Computer Screws
The screw I used came from a Toshiba laptop that I currently have in pieces and was at least a mm longer than the original screw. So you will be able to get away with a longer screw than 2mm as there is space for it fit.

 

Question for the crowd. Does anyone use the Zune software? My trackpad won't two finger scroll in Zune. Apparently it's some sort of driver issue. Any ideas?

 

Thanks! The 2.5mm variant is available here - I'll order a package of those.

regards,

Peter

 

Finger scroll doesn't work for me (on my dm3t) using the Zune software.

 

Good Morning Switzerland! ;-)

As a fellow Swiss and kind of itchy to get the Spectre, I'm presented with three choices really:
1. Order from the Swiss store which offers no upgrades, however a juicy 15% newsletter rebate (~ 1'440 US$);
2. Order from the US store with the Core i7 upgrade, yet US tax and Borderlinx shipping/tax applies (I estimate 200 US$ on top of the ~ 1'620 price for the machine);
3. Wait for the Ivy Bridge ULV/Intel HD 4000 update and or the inclusion in discounts.

What is to be expected from Ivy Bridge ultra low voltage chips/boards?
And does the Core i7 Sandwich, I mean Sandy Bridge upgrade justify an import performance wise? (Laptop wise coming from an HP ProBook 4520s, had the HP Mini 2133 before, hehe what a cutie!)

 

Crap - i just received my Spectre. I love this thing to pieces - nicest notebook I've ever seen. However, mine seems to be having a nasty problem with the screen: on the left side of the screen, near the bezel, there's a clearly visible ripple on the panel whenever the notebook is moved (even slightly - e.g. when typing). The ripple is more visible on dark backgrounds and is made worse when pushing against the panel from the back of the screen.

is anyone else seeing this?

 

EXACTLY the same problem I have on mine, even down to the location of the rippling. It does it when I bump the desk, set my elbows down somewhat hard, or (on certain colored backgrounds) type or click the mouse. I've been debating on whether or not I should send it in. It doesn't really concern me from an annoyance perspective, as much as it concerns me for future failure in this area of the LCD.

 

my thoughts exactly - I don't believe the LCD is going to take this kind of abuse over the long-haul without taking damage :-( I had to wait forever for mine to arrive - and I don't have another computer, so sending it in right now is a no-go. I'll take it back on Friday (tomorrow's a public holiday here) and will try to get it exchanged.

I'm just glad I didn't see the problem until I had literally just finished installing all my applications and moving all my data on it :-/

 

Yeah you should definitely exchange it. Its not normal

 

I've had one in my hand recently. The screen's wobbliness in particuar. It made me want to go down the Folio 13 route, if there just was an option to upgrade its screen!