*HP ENVY 17 & 17 3D (1XXX series) Owners Lounge*

Goodluck!!

 

The one I got today is probably from the same batch. No dead pixels here, so lets hope the same for you.

 

I also purchased the extended 2yr warranty with Harvey Norman when I bought the first 1006-tx. Big mistake - your actually covered under the consumer guarantees act that the product will stand up and not be defective for its entire life. I've learnt since that extended warranties are a watse of money.

Anywho, pretty much a bad batch of 1006-tx's were shipped to NZ.. clearly. So who knows how many wobbly ones were with the Harvey Norman shops in Auckland and around the country?

After I tried two I was fed up. Sounds like you're still dealing with the problem through the store as it's their extended warranty, Harvey Norman right? I was dealing with HP big-wigs in Wellington, as it was brand new and still under manurfactuers warranty. The Harvey Norman warranty kicks in once the one year standard HP warranty ends obviously, then any issues I would need to get in contact with the store.

So the difference between you and me is that your dealing with Harvey Norman's extended warranty - hence they will only replace it with something of the same or similar value. Obviously your dv7 from last year isn't sold anymore, so they're offering you the 1019-tx as a replacement which is currently the highest range Envy 17 we have in NZ. But like you, I wasn't happy with the downgrade from i7 820 to i7 720 in the models. In monetary terms that's nearly $600 worth of proccessing power taken off. The 1019-tx isn't being sold by Harvey Norman yet, and interestingly, the 1006-tx has been taken off the Noel Leeming website.

Harvey Norman may be able to get you a 1007-tx from Aussie but like I said they retail for AU$4,499 on the HP AUS website so that's over NZ$5,500, a cost which I doubt your dv7 comes close to? So they'd expect you to pay the difference I'd imagine if you wanted one of those.

 

finally got ubuntu running smooth, wireless & all. i just noticed this laptop doesn't have a numlock key. my keypad doesn't work ....

 

I read that if you can get a virtual keyboard showing, that might toggle numlock.

 

As a follow-up to my earlier post on calibrating the LCD, the settings that worked for me were:

BLUE
0.60 Gamma
-5 Brightness
100 Contrast

RED
0.75 Gamma
-5 Brightness
100 Contrast

GREEN
0.65 Gamma
-5 Brightness
100 Contrast

Comments (or reps) welcome.

 

For me, I used:
Blue .60
Red .95
Green .80

I didn't touch the brightness or contrast at all, so maybe I will test out yours later to see if it gives me any better results.

 

Hi Lennon,

Great news that yours does not have a wobble. My envy will arrive tomorrow... keeping my fingers crossed.

 

You can remap keyboard keys at the OS-level (or at least you can in windows). I assume Linux can do the same thing.

Myself, I remapped the "pg dn" to "num lock" and the "pg up" to "insert"

since I gave myself the numlock key, i can switch from numpad to arrowpad at will, just like it should be, and I use the normal, pgdn, pgup, home, end keys on the numeric pad.

I'm toying with the idea of remapping the "eject" key to "delete", since that would be a more natural seeming position than being in the vaguely-top-row-rightside position that it has now...

 

@ Sophie21
Harvey Norman will still have 1006-tx's, so if you want the i7 820 then you could settle for one of those. But then I had two with wobble, so it's a risk. And you want the BD-ROM (which the 1007-tx has) which the 1006-tx doesn't have.

Just a further note on the expensive 1007-tx model, it's not sold in Aussie retail stores as far as I know ( I did research), it's only avaliable through HP Australia directly - website store or phone:
HP ENVY 17-1007TX NB PC - HP Online Store
And there's no technical specs listed for it, the only way I knew it was a very high-end model was (other than the huge price) when HP emailed me the specs sheet. Once the customer relations manager in Wellington cleared it and signed off on the offer for replacement, one was shipped to me from the HP warehouse in Sydney

And it works marvellously, no wobble or anything. Heat is no problem. Got my SSD to work and it's super fast. Very happy now. It has the wicked 1920x1080 screen which is really nice. Not avaliable on any of the base Aus or NZ models.

Hope you get a good deal through Harvey Norman though!

 

I have just checked the HP UK website and Envy17 is available. At least you can add it to your shopping basket.

HP Laptops - HP Envy 17-1050ea

They show it will be delivered "normally" within 4 weeks on the product page, but in 2 weeks when on the shopping basket page. Shame on you HPUK.

 

Heh yeh just noticed that as well The best bit is they say its next day delivery and then right next to that - normally within 4 weeks

Hopefully they make more of an effort in build quality than they do in their website and telephone sales teams!

 

thanks...i'll have to pick a key i don't use to remap. what were they thinking when they designed the kb anyway ... ? no numlock key on a kb that's got a numeric keypad ...

 

Right, I've called them to clear this up. You're right, the sales team is terrible. They couldn't find envy in their system. Anyway they finally found it and said it's out of stock and would be available in 4 weeks.

They're really testing my patience.

 

If someone else made a magnesium laptop with quad core i7, dd3, usb3 and 1080p that looked as good as a macbook pro - I'd give up with HP but it seems its a very niche market

Would even buy a macbook pro but the specs are rubbish compared to the envy

 

Is there a (comfortable) way to find out where in Europe the Envy17 is available (at least where it's on the HP website, not necessarily ready to ship)?
Besides going to every country specific site and checking manually, of course.

 

Dont think so sorry mate

Even HP's internal teams don't seem to know the correct details!

Might be worth ringing up your local HP pre-sales team and asking them to check for you - they'll probably need the product code (envy 17xxxx-xx) and then still wont know what it is but its worth a try!

 

Thanks. These settings work for me as well.

 

Yeah, I spent a while comparing some images on it to ones on my desktop, so I think it looks pretty good.

 

would hp replace the display on my laptop due to a dead pixel ? i used dead pixel buddy, there is one pixel that is always black when i cycle thru all the colors.

 

Thanks for the calibration... i didnt touch the brightness but now it looks a lot better =)

On a side note..
I got my Envy 17-1000 July 16 and ive been loving it since...
Been using a Asus G73 for the past 3 weeks while waiting for the Envy to ship.... even though my envy is only the i5-450 2x320gb 4gb 1920x19080

Compared to the Asus it feels about the same speed.... Windows take a bit longer to load ...

The only major PLUS for the Asus was the HEAT.... it ran really cool (except for exhaust (like it every computer)) other then that I really like my Envy 17 even with a dual core...

Also the screen is made of glass instead of plastic.. and for desktop use the 9cell batter ROCKS.... O and the Web cam on the Envy is SOOOO Much better haha.... screen angle is really good too....

Sooo since i got 25% BIng CB i decided to go with the Envy 17... i ordered it when the new i5 chips just came in right before they discontinued those customization.... i know its a better deal now to order but i dont think i need that much power and the trade off for the computer running a bit cooler to the touch is nice =)

 

General question: is 4GB considered nearly a bottle neck in the days of the core-i family of processors and discrete graphics?

Muchos thankos for the monitor calibration, I won't be home for a few days but I can't wait to try it out! That factory setting is blue as $%*.

 

I think 4GB is fine (if not more than enough) for everyday tasks. Heavier work, such as hi-res image/video editing, graphics-intensive games, etc... are going to be okay, but I think you'll be safer with 6. I still think 8 is over the top.

 

I got my HP Envy 17 today from Amazon.

The build is good (I don't see any gaps), no wobble and no dead pixel!

Yahooo!!!!

 

I haven't seen any Envy 17 benchmarks with Modern Warfare 2. How is this running MW2 at 1080p? I can run MW2 with all settings off except ragdoll on my Envy 15 5830 overclocked at constant 90 FPS (except when there is smoke). Can the Envy 17 run it with AA on + all the settings turned on?

Thanks!

 

Thanks for that, I wish I had more energy to put up more fight. I don't think I should go with the Envy17-1006tx as they have taken the i7-820qm processor out of all the Envy's now and replaced it with i7-740QM or i7-840QMs which has addressed the over heating problems. Neither is available in nz. I think I will stick with some reluctance with the dv7-4035tx. I'm abit worried about the quality of the graphics card and also speed. My original notebook is 2.8GHz. Not sure how much speed I'll loose with the Quad core. Also the ATI 5850 is much better that the ATI 5650. The core speed of the 5650 is only 450. My current graphics card is ATI 4650 with 550 core speed.

 

I paid $3500 NZ for my DV7, same as what you paid for your Envy. Also it is HP that are replacing my DV7 not Harvey Normans at present. But Harvey Norman said they will not cover any model that isn't available to them to purchase.

 

Do you have the phone number and name of the Wellington HP manager?

 

How do you know that the i7-740qm and i7-840qm do not have the same issues heat issue?

 

I'd rather have my 820QM than a newer 740QM. Has the same speed, but more L3 cache. And my 820 runs cool as, the four cores are in the low-60's with light usage. The left palm and ASDW keyboard area is warm but never hot. There's no warping around the top-left vent either.

I'm looking forward to Civ5 in September. It has Dx11 which will be awesome

 

Was your 820QM also running cool in the Envy-1006tx or just in the new notebook?

 

HP has redesigned them to process more efficiently.

 

Yes, my previous two wobbly 1006-tx's ran cool. No heat problems like the ones reported by some of the members with CTO's with 720QM configurations.

PM me your email address and I can try and help you with some information, this doesn't apply to the forum anymore.

 

Was your 820QM running as cool in the Envy-1006tx or just in your last Envy-1007tx?
I have someone from HP phoning me back because as you can see I spent the same money nz$3500 on my dv7 as the Envy-1006tx costs.

 

Good! Are you sure there are no gaps? Also, can you check the wireless card for me, please?

 

Mine just came today! I love it! I'm in Canada and ordered it on Monday from Amazon.

 

Has anyone done any gaming benchmarks for the 17? Even basic comments would be interesting. If not, I can post some things tomorrow on the following games (if anyone is interested, just tell me what games): Alien Swarm, Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 1/2, Crysis, Metro 2033, STALKER Chernobyl and Pripyat, Anno 1404.

 

Can you do benchmarks on Alien Swarm, TF2, and L4D2? And if you have several monitors, would you mind benching with Eyefinity? Thanks.

 

Can anyone tell me how to use the webcam? I don't see anywhere to turn it on.

 

jetai, I'll check those games for you.

I can't do multiple monitors, but I can hook it up to my HDTV if you're interested in that. Not sure how that will affect performance, if at all.

 

Just curious, would this be a clean install still because it seems like all HP stuff has been reinstalled. Would this be any different than just the out-of-the-box config? Also, did anyone get the Turbo Boost to install with an i7?

If a clean install isn't necessary, I could just delete the recovery partition and merge it with the main partition.

 

use the HP webcam software that came with the machine. Should be on your quick launch bar as HP media software or something. It will pop up a bunch of options for dvd, webcam, tv etc.

 

The TURBO BOOST driver doesn't apply to the Envy 17. It is a mistake on HP's part. I've already told them about this twice. It is a mistake. The driver does not at all apply to the Envy 17 at this time because the Envy 17 does not support switchable graphics. Even if you have the core i5, the driver still does not apply.

On another note, you do not need drivers for Turbo Boost. Turbo Boost is a built-in function of the processor. It is handled by the processor and BIOS together. There is no driver needed for this.

 

Metril,

Out of the bolded HP software in my post, which should I install? Thanks for the info about the Turbo Boost.

 

@yellojello

You don't need any of those. None of those that are bolded are required. The UEFI has already been handled at the factory.

I've tested the HP made programs and found memory leaks. If you want the pop up images for volume and brightness, then you'll need to install the HP MediaSmart SmartMenu and one of the HP MediaSmart programs. Honestly, the pop up images are badly coded. It causes games and other fullscreen programs to minimize. With games, I found it to cause stuttering and even game crashing when volume/brightness was controlled. You can probably live without them.

 

@metril

Sorry, one last question. Is the UEFI one of the partitions? Because I was going to kill all partitions and merge into one. I believe Windows 7 automatically makes SYSTEM when you do install it. RECOVERY I could dump out after I make Recovery Discs. HP_TOOLS is UEFI?

4 Partitions:
SYSTEM 199 MB
OS (C 278.87 GB
RECOVERY (E 18.93 GB
HP_TOOLS 103 MB

 

I am just curious where you are getting your info. It would be nice if you provide proof of you statements.
Or that state they are you conjecture or opinion only.

 

The wireless card information is already on the first page of this thread.

No Gaps or wobble.

I'll be swapping out the 320gb SATA with a Intel 160SSD this weekend and do a clean install of Windows 7.

 

@yellojello

HP_TOOLS isn't at all needed. I never kept it since I did a clean install with my own copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. If I remember correctly, HP_TOOLS is part of the HP assistant program. Don't quote me on it cause I may be wrong. I get my new Envy in 12 hours, so I'll post back with some more concrete information.

@sophie21

HP has not done anything to the processors. On another note, welcome to the forums.



The reason why the 840QM, 820QM, and 740QM run cooler than the 720QM is because they are higher binned parts. When processors are made, they are cut from a large die. The die contains several thousand processors. Cut the large die and you get smaller dies, which are the actual processors.

Remember that the 720QM, 740QM, 820QM, and 840QM are all architecturally the same. So what makes them different?

In the binning process, each processor is tested against a set of standards. Out of each batch, several processors are tested. If they can meet the requirements for the 720QM, but do not meet the 740QM requirements, then the batch is labeled for distribution as the 720QM. If the batch meets the requirements for the 820QM, but not the 840QM, then it is distributed and sold as the 820QM.

The 720QM, 740QM, 820QM, and 840QM all have the same TDP of 45 Watts. This means that when all 4 cores of the processor run at the base speed (1.6GHz, 1.73GHz, 1.86GHz), then the thermal output is equivalent to about 45 Watts. When 1 core is turbo boosted to the highest possible speed that it has been rated for (2.8GHz, 2.93GHz, 3.06GHz, 3.2GHz) the thermal output is equivalent to about 45 Watts.

Now why is the 740QM run cooler than the 720QM? Why is the 840QM run cooler than the 820QM?

The 740QM and 840QM run cooler than the 720QM and 840QM respectively because for the same thermal output, the processors are able to achieve a larger frequency. Thus, the thermal output, which is function of the frequency, number of cores, and processor voltage, is lower for the 840QM when it runs at the same frequency as the 820QM. The ratio of thermal output to frequency is smaller for the 840QM than for that of the 820QM. The same applies for the 740QM versus the 720QM.

Edited: No more paper stuff.