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

pics. I demands them.

 

I would be really surprised if it did. I've never once seen a company (HP, Asus, Acer, or even Alienware) throw in a spare brackets or connectors. = (
It would be great if HP did though. Would save us all the hassle of trying to order spare parts.

Didn't the Envy 15 support raid? Or was it just software raid? And also the second drive's speed seems irrelevant with your SSD's drive. Hell, I use a 80gb ssd and I have half of it left after I've installed all the softwares I use and a couple games.

 

Well, I officially hate you all. You all made me buy an Envy 17. God I really hate you guys!


HP Envy 17
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-820QM Quad Core Processor (1.73GHz, 8MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to3.06GHz
• 4GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5850 Graphics
• 17.3" diagonal Full HD HP Ultra BrightView Infinity LED Display (1920x1080)
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• Full-size island-style backlit keyboard
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
• No Productivity Software
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
$2046.36

Missed the BCB. Used EPP for instant 10% discount rather than wait 2 months for the current 10% BCB. You can't have both, so rather save now than probably save later.

SSD is too pricey for me. Going to wait on getting an SSD. However, I decided that the 820QM was worth the extra $250 over the 720QM. Definitely need quad core for running the Excel solver for 10K+ cells, SolidWorks, Matlab simulations, music/video encoding, and some gaming. By the way, I am a heavy multitasker.

 

It was firmware RAID, part of the chipset. The Envy17's chipset does not support firmware RAID. AFAIK, no laptop ever supported hardware RAID. You can still software RAID it. In RAID 0 or 1 across only 2 drives, software RAID may even be faster than hardware or firmware RAID. There are difficulties with software RAID though, like dual-booting I want to say is impossible?

 

Well at least when one hard drive bombs they don't both lose their data if you don't raid -_-;;;

Man so we lost firmware RAID with HM55? Hope we got integrated GPU at least.....

 

This is what i don't understand why downgrade us from the PM55 to the HM55 if they aren't going to give us integrated graphics?

 

Does the Envy 17 have spdif output? Didn't see it mentioned when I ordered.

 

Not according to my specs sheet, just headphones out, headphones/mic combo out, hdmi.

And delivery company rang to say it will be delivered tomorrow...

 

Depends on the RAID setting. The only RAID setting where that's true is RAID0, the rest of them are made for data redundancy.

 

a lot of people including me will be tuning in tomorrow for pics/hopefully a detailed review .

 

jaxxy, if you have the capabilities, then please stream us live coverage of your reception and unboxing- I'll be tuning in tomorrow from my phone haha.

 

About the gpu-

I'm aware that most gpu are built into the mobo, but have the gpus for the Envy line been built in as well or are they detachable? It's a slow night, and I'm just curious since I never dared opening up my old Envy 15..

 

The Service Guide for the Envy 15 demonstrates how to remove/replace the CPU as well as the GPU fan/heat sink assembly but it does not mention removing the GPU. Good indication it is not replaceable.

 

Amazon.com: HP ENVY 17-1011NR 17.3-Inch Laptop: Electronics

available now on amazon, through with a wait. still no indication of screen res.

 

Are the HDD bays big enough to take the 12.5mm 1TB drives?

 

It's been there for three weeks. At least they finally got the dimensions and weight correct.

 

According to the Envy 17 Service Guide, it supports 2x1TB-12.5 mm drives, altho this option is not yet offered for sale.

 

I second that. Can't wait to see.

Plus let us know (above all) how do the speakers sound?

 

Or if you want to wait a short while, the 1.5TB HDDs will be released soon. Making your total HDD capacity 3TB!

 

Yes, in their press release they mentioned 2TB - but then it's not available to buy? Why??

Sweet! Gotta link ...... and a price?!

 

Here's the link. I think prices will be relative to the current 1TB offerings.

Toshiba 750GB & 1.5TB 2.5-inch HDDs announced - SlashGear

"the MKxx59GSM drives should show up in Q2 2010, while the MK7559GSXP is expected to follow on in Q3 2010."

 

Btw, I purchased my Envy with only the 160GB SSD drive leaving the secondary drive empty as I wanted to put in my own 1TB HDD. I am almost certain that HP would not provide the HDD bracket and cable for the other empty HDD compartment.

When I looked into the manual, and called in to the HP Spare parts department for the kit for the HDDs, they currently only sell the kit that contains the hardware for 2 HDDs.

- Spare part number 603772-001 Hard Drive Hardware Kit (includes primary hard drive bracket and cable and secondary hard drive
bracket and cable)

I am not sure when the kit containing only the parts for 1 HDD will become available. As such, is anyone interested in purchasing the extra HDD harware mounting parts from me if I bought the kit with the double parts? I will most likely put the extra HDD mounting hardware up on Ebay for sale for easier and safer transaction proceedings.

I will look into purchasing this item in the next few days after it is confirmed by people who receive their laptops that HP did not provide HDD mounting parts for the secondary HDD.

Thanks!

 

I've ordered my Envy the same as you have with the 160GB SSD. I'll buy your extra mounting hardware because I was gonna install my own extra HDD also. Just let me know how much and when you get it in.

 

I am interested in this laptop.

However the HP Envy 15 ran way too hot.
I am a haevy video encoder .

So what about the Envy 17 regarding internal temp recorded of CPU and graphic card during heavy use for long period of time ??

Also, how does the LCD full HD (1920 x 1080) look like, in term of brightness and contrast?

 

No one has received the machine and reported on it yet. Maybe first receipt today in Australia.

 

What was their quote on the kit pricing?

 

It was quite steep. $88 for the double kit. $11.25 for shipping..so it works out to be about $50 for the hardware mounting kit for 1 HDD.

I managed to obtain the part number for the single kit that was not printed in the manual. I am not sure if this part number can be used for end-user purchase or just for internal reference. It is not currently available for sale.

Spare-Part number: 604773-001

Also, I am assuming that the brackets and cables for both the primary and secondary hdd should be identical. If anybody thinks otherwise, just feel free to correct me.

Hope the info helps.

 

I will let you know when I decide to place the order. Should be soon. Thanks for your interest!

 

Mother effers- that's quite expensive for two brackets, cables, and screws...

I can just buy multiple esata enclosures for that price! I think I'll just wait and see if they'll release the single kit; even that, I'm pretty sure they'll charge at least 60% of the double kit price..

 

Does anyone know of Best Buy will be selling the HP Envy 17?

 

Pretty sure Best Buy if carry the Envy 17, but it'll probably be another 2 months before they do. They'll probably carry the basic package that costs $1399. Best Buy will probably charge around $1800 (based off of their current lineup).

 

2 Upgrade path questions:

1) Since I purchased the Envy with only 4GB RAM as I did not want to pay the steep HP RAM upgrade price, which RAM would people recommend to get for it? By G.Skill, Corsiar or some others? example links below:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231266

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148344



2) Choosing the Windows 7 Pro as the OS upgrade would have cost $130 but the default OS thrown in is Windows Home Premium. Won't it make more sense to get the default home premium system, and than purchase the Anytime upgrade Key for +$80 to unlock the Professional version which is already built-in to the OS?

 

yea I know its been there for weeks obviously. I was just mentioning it was finally available for order, and not pre order.

 

The difference between pre-order and order seems to be that the estimated shipping is now 2-4 weeks instead of 3-5 weeks.

 

Almost 100 bucks (maybe more after tax?) for two caddy, cables and a few screws? Might be better off just buying aftermarket no brand caddies and modifying them.....


jaxx did you get your envy yet? Man, the wait is killing me XD

 

It's killing YOU!! How do you think I'm feeling!

I am jumping out of my seat every time a truck or a van drives past lol. It should be here some time in the next 7 hours.

 

Fair enough it's killing US

It's only like 10 in Australia right? What do you plan on doing first after you unbox? Fresh install? benchmarks? Take pictures?

 

Post the very first YouTube Envy 17 Unboxing Video!

 

jaxxy, I'm soo excited even though it's Your Envy. Take your time and give your 17 a thorough examination (when it arrives), but don't forget about US

 

Jaxxy, I sincerely apologize. You will not be getting your Envy. I somehow managed to fly 10,000 miles and just happened to parachute into the delivery truck. Your Envy is now in my possession.

I will enjoy it on your behalf and I hope you wish me the best of luck and a bright future with a machine that would have been yours, but now isn't.

My other Envy will be arriving in two weeks.

-Thank you,
Metril

 

The envy 17 has been avaliable in Auckland, New Zealand since May 3. That's when the local distributor received the first ones in from Australia. We use the same model as what JAXX will receive, 1006TX, which is for this region - Aust and NZ. There is no option for HP Direct in NZ, you can only purchase the pre-built systems that ship from Australia. Currently, they only retailer selling the Envy 17 is Noel Leeming, who are getting their stock from Australia. But like I said, the local HP distributor here in Auckland had Envy 17's in the warehouse since May 3.

 

^Even so, I think most of us are just waiting for material proof from an actual customer and their first-hand review. Release dates and such are a different matter now.

 

It would be very cool if you knew of any sites that had reviews, impressions, benchmarks or anything along those lines. That's what like 80% of us are waiting for (the other 20% have already ordered)

 

OK guys, here is the moment you have all been waiting for. First pix of the Envy 17. I will give a quick and dirty review, just some dot points.

Box is very attractive, simple and elegant design. Not much content in the box other than power supply and a 2GB SD Card which has manuals on it.

The notebook is pretty heavy, I'm using it as a DTR so it doesn't bother me, but I would not want to be carrying this on any regular basis.

The metal finish is quite nice but one criticism here is the edge below the touchpad is not totally smooth. If you run your hand from the top downwards it's OK, but the other way around it is almost sharp. My arms/wrists aren't irritated at this point, but it may become an issue with long sessions.

The screen is bright and clear, pictures look good. I haven't tested movies yet but will comment once I do. The keys are nice and bouncy and typing is easy. But there does seem to be a bit of lag.

HEAT! The heat is very high, it all comes out of the top left vent, it will come in handy in winter that's for sure The top of the vent (next to the power button) gets warm too, but so far, the area where your wrists rest for typing is not too bad. I think I will have to get a cooler of some sort pretty soon.

I have burnt the recovery discs and it needed 5 DVDs! The slot load is nice and convenient.

EDIT: Adding more info:

There is no numlock key so if you were thinking of using the arrows on the number pad to get around the tiny arrow keys issue, you're out of luck.

The backlit keyboard is good at night, during the day you can hardly tell if it's on or off. It is not overly bright but just bright enough to allow you to see every key.

The power button to turn the unit on is only accessible if you open the lid, so for those planning on using it as a DTR with an external monitor, you will have to open it up each time you want to power it on.

It is possible to power the unit using only the AC adaptor, the battery does not have to be plugged in at all.

The bluetooth picked up my Nokia 5800 and I was presented with a menu to dial numbers from the computer with audio connected so I can talk handsfree using the computer's speakers. You can also connect to the audio and listen to music coming from the phone.

I disabled the one-touch function keys on the top row of the keyboard as I prefer to using my F1, F2 keys instead, this can only be done through the BIOS. To access the BIOS you press ESC during boot up.

The panel appears to be an LG brand, with Monitor ID LGD027B.


That's about all I can think of right now, on with the pictures:

 

Congrats on being the first one on NBR to receive your ENVY 17 laptop!

Jaxxy, thanks for your quick and dirty first picture impressions review.

Regarding the high heat, I am assuming that you are referring to the air that is coming out of the vent, and I think that is normal. Any performance laptop will have high heated air coming out of the vents. It's how they distribute the heat management across the body and palmrest area that is important. As long as the palmrests area do not get unbearably warm, that is fine for me.

Did you get yours with the single or dual HDD configuration? If it was a single HDD configuration, could you do us a favor and let us know if HP provided the secondary HDD mounting bracket and cable inside the other empty HDD compartment?

Also, where you able to see the brand and specifications that came for your RAM memory? This is for those of us who want to upgrade our RAM memory and trying to find the most compatible one to look for.

Also, the previous ENVY 15s had the dreaded purple webcam issue, and I was curious if you would try it out, and see if the colors in it turn out fine.

Thanks alot!

 

Thanks for the pictures!!! How is the overall durability of the laptop? Also, is the screen HD worthy? or is it more like a "normal" screen?

 

I've had the thing powered on for around 5 hours now and the heat under the wristrest is fine.

I got two hdds so I can't help you there. I will attempt to open it up to check the RAM later, when the kids are asleep.

I have no idea how to test the webcam, please advise on what app to use.

I played a 1080p video and it looked pretty sweet, the sound is also very good for laptop speakers, not tinny like most. There is a subwoofer but it's not really much to get excited about.

I have disabled the HP "quickweb", can't see the point of it. I would like to enter the BIOS to disable the one-touch quick keys on the top row, how do I enter?

@sinafl
The overall build quality is definitely solid, it body is strong and doesn't bend at all. The screen does flex a bit, but one shouldn't really touch this too often.

I can't really comment on the resolution, as this is the highest resolution notebook I've owned, I've never seen a 1920x1080. But watching a 1080p movie was pretty damn nice.

 

Hey good work jaxxy +1 Rep,

Agreed about the sound. Its not that exciting. For all those who asked.

Good info about the heat. Must have been a bad display unit I tested.

Type webcam into the start menu bud and you'll find the webcam button. (its a real pain to find I struggled myself) - the search bar no one ever uses.

 

thanks! do you know how many fans are in the laptop? So the heating issue is hopefully resolved? How superb is the audio as well? Thanks

 

A review of the touchpad would be really nice! It may figure into how well the Envy 14 fares!