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

it is hardware. the software aspect just repackages the same eq and other audio settings that are available with the IDT audio chipset. there is a subwoofer (so-called) that needs to be driven. so long as the beats icon is in your taskbar, everything that outputs audio on your computer will use them to their potential. headphones are also included in the audio circuit.

on the 6-cell battery, impossible to play back a bd that's more than 1 hour long. this is because you need to set the power plan to high performance in order to get a dvd or blu-ray to playback correctly. with a dvd, i can see 1.5 hrs maybe.

 

Well, maybe it's both... since the RA3 sound works fine with the Microsoft audio driver, that tells me that the IDT driver is doing something different, and apparently RA3 is handling audio differently than most other games... maybe because it's a little bit older. I wish I could find a work around with the IDT drivers...

 

Yes well it would also seem to be something with the 'older' titles. I mean RA3 (2008) and Street Fighter 4 (2009) certainly aren't fossils, but as triplethreatlaptop? noticed bc2 and l4d2 (newer releases) both worked fine with the codec and external speakers. The next game I will get will be Civ5 - hope it runs perfectly!

Anyone else can report on dodgey sound coming through external speakers/not coming through while gaming or using any other software?

 

Did anyone have problems with the line out jack being extremely loud compared to the volume through speakers?

when i insert my headphones i have to turn the volume down to a minimum.

Since the volume is so loud i can hear static noise in the background

Any suggestions to a permanent solution og fix?

 

This should work for the Envy 17 right? Not just in terms of 120w but also, one of the tips should work?

Kensington 120-Watt Ultraportable Wall Notebook PC Power Adapter (K33336US) Amazon.com: Kensington 120-Watt Ultraportable Wall Notebook PC Power Adapter (K33336US): Electronics

Also, how about this cooler?
Amazon.com: Cooler Master Notepal U2 Notebook Cooler with Two Fans R9-NBC-8PBK-GP: Electronics

It's actually too small, only 14.5" or so wide (Envy 17 is 16.5"ish iirc), but it has the two fans you place yourself. So I'm thinking, put one directly below the one intake, and the other as close to the left as possible just to move air onto the metal there. Does that make sense?

Also, this thread has referenced how using the 9 cell battery lifts the end up and improves the heat situation. Putting the E17 with the standard battery on top of this should accomplish the same function, right? Since it's got holes all over it? I'm not real up to speed on thermodynamics lol.

Anyway I like this cooler because it's nice and simple and not tanklike like the Thermaltakes and NZXTs. It's also dirt cheap lol, like $20.

 

Taetertot, you might want to wait for the 17 inch version of that cooler master notepal. Cooler Master NotePal U3

 

Oh sweet thanks man, +rep for you. If I can that is, I only just got here. Funny thing is when I clicked the link the first thing I saw is the image for "HAF 912 Plus" which looks like this



so I was all wut?! lol.

So here is the U3:



Basically a bigger U2 with three fans. Where would you put the fans for best result? I think there's one intake vent under the unit, so one there; and then stack the other two as far left as possible where the metal gets superhot?

I also wonder if I could get by with the U2, which is intended for a 15"er. It's smaller and lighter. I wonder if the elevation and plenty of ventilation plus the two fans might not be enough.

 

the most effective cooling solution would be getting the bottom of the laptop elevated about 1" from a table surface. every time i have a look at these usb powered coolers i shrivel up thinking about ugly, bulky, complicated. this U3 would be perfect without the fans, since there's plenty of holes for airflow.

 

I finally got around to doing a clean install my girlfriend's HP Envy 17. I can tell you that even with stock 320GB SATA drivers. This thing is so much faster now after doing a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate.

 

Finally after a lot of jumping between envy 14 and envy 17, i have decided that envy 17 it is for me because after using a dv9000 for 3 years, 14.5 seems too small for use.

Moving to US next week so needed a quick ship model, have finalised the 1010 NR ( i5, 6 gigs of ram) from amazon as hp online works out really expensive with taxes.

Strange that amazon mentions only about 1 battery whereas hp says it comes with 6 cell +9 cell, customer care also didnt clear my doubt. What is the battery estimate i can expect on light browsing - 2-2.5 on 6 cell?

Portability goes for a toss with 17 but heck am not gonna carry it daily to my flight school anyways.

 

Coolboy, I got the 1010 NR from Amazon. It does indeed come with both the 6 cell and 9 cell.

 

Thanks a lot for that update, those 2 batteries should give pretty respectable time for a 17 incher combined.

Just saw that the 1299$ model by amazon got sold out , hope its available next week, 250$ extra for hp online would hurt.
Hows the performance of the laptop? Any heating or wobbling issues as mentioned by some members on this thread.

How long does your 6 cell and 9 cell battery survive if you did any tests

 

The 6-cell battery itself gives me 2 hours on power saving. The 9-cell gives me around 2.5-3 hours.

 

Thats pretty decent i think when you have both batteries charged, so we keep swapping the batteries for charging?

Excited about my envy 17 now, hope its a trouble free laptop just like my dv9000.

 

Anyone happen to know what tip the Envy 17 takes (for universal power adapters)?

Also, here are the specs for a nice Kensington universal adapter that does wall/auto/air in one slim unit. Please tell me this will work with Envy 17!

Wall/Auto/Air Ultra Portable Notebook Power Adapter - K33197US - Kensington

 

They should get some in stock. They actually sold out the day before I was planning to buy mine, but got like 4 in stock the next day.

The performance is amazing. The 5850 spanks pretty much anything I throw at it. The build quality is amazing. No gap issue, no wobble. Very nice screen. The left palm rest does get hot, but it's really that bad. It's due mainly to the hdd spinning, if I'm correct. Nothing to worry about, imo.

No tests on the batteries just yet, plugged in all the time so far.

 

Need some help - I forgot to backup the HP Power Scheme - could someone please make a backup?

here are the instructions on how to backup the HP Recommended Power Scheme
How to Configure, Rename, Backup, Restore Power Plans in Windows 7 | The Windows Club

 

See http://forum.notebookreview.com/6582247-post3410.html for my post to another person looking for the same thing.

The link points to an outside vendor of right angle adapters. This vendor offers good images and measurements for the tip that is used by the Envy 17.

Do note that the generic adapter (from ebay) considered by the other person did not work for him. I don't remember the reason, but you could search his posts for that.

You will need the full 120 watts found with the Envy 17 adapter to play a DVD or use the graphics chip to the fullest.

 

Quickplay media buttons:

So, one of the features I most miss about... well, every laptop I've used prior to this one are dedicated Play, Stop, skip etc. buttons that I can hit in whatever application I'm in, in order to control my music. Is it here somewhere and I'm missing it? Or is there some other decent way for me to get it?

Also, I'm finding that when I'm typing quickly, my spacebar has a slight screeching noise to it - anybody else have that issue?

 

My keys screech too. It's like scratching a chalkboard.

 

I'm a little confused. To use a universal ac adapter, I need not only the correct tip, but also an angled converter for it? That L shaped thing is $10 alone, plus whatever shipping costs. If the tip is also not one of the three standard HP sizes Kensington includes, that adds to the cost too. I may as well go the $80 for the official HP part. HP 120W Smart AC Adapter | HP® Official Store

Btw why is it so freakin difficult to get info on what tip sizes fit what notebooks? You'd think there'd be a database somewhere that's updated constantly. I called HP btw, they won't say, they just tell you to buy a replacement part off HP. I found that total bs but what can I do.

 

what's stopping you from getting the OEM charger for this laptop ?

if you want right angle, i'm sure there's adapters out there, just get the laptop in your possession first and figure out which one you'll need.

the sizes should be standardized, i know my wife's dv6 has a smaller connector than the envy. my previous m1730 had a larger one.

the envy's looks to be about .30" in diameter, i have not measured this, just by eye.

 

It's so big lol. I don't want the just as big Targus 180w, I'd just buy the HP part, but the Kensington is a slim unit and it packs wall + air + car in one. I'm still inclined to do it but I'm confused as to what I even need to buy lol.

 

Hi - just dropped into this forum to let you know that I've taken delivery of my Envy 17 and thought I'd write a review since there seemed to be a complete lack of detailed reviews on the web when I was researching.

If I've missed any details or you'd like me to run specific benchmarks, just leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.

HP Envy 17 review.

 

have you ever seen the power supply for the xbox 360 ? that's how big my xps m1730 charger was, and had to carry it around when i took the laptop places.

i'm actually thankful the envy's ps is as small as it is, together with the envy 17 in a computer bag accounts for about 10 lbs., which is better than 20+ lbs of my outgoing laptop ...

 

Nice. I couldn't find any reviews when I was shopping around and was a bit nervous ordering the Envy 17. BTW, I've had mine for a couple of weeks with zero problems.

Dave

 

You can find several good reviews on the first page of this thread.

 

@ad901xx

You couldn't find any reviews? You're kidding right? I mean the first post of this thread as a bunch of reviews listed.

 

There appears to be several updates via the HP Support Assistant.



Do not install the IDT Audio Driver!!! - After installing this update, the sound from my movies would no longer play. I had to go into safe mode and do a system restore point.

HP really sucks!

 

I'm thinking about getting a Envy 17, but one thing I've come to understand is that it gets very very hot. Now you will have to forgive me that I havent read all 300+ pages, but I would like to know whether this is considered to be a serious problem by people who have first hand experience with the laptop. Because to me, it seems to be, and I would think it limits to laptop's lifetime, but maybe thats wrong thinking.

 

Look at the first post you will see detailed reviews with heat sensor readings.

You decided if it is just hot - or scorching.

I have mine on a cooler all the time. When I take the laptop to the bathroom, it gets extremely hot.

 

The screen brightness keys (F2,F3) on my Envy 17 regularly stop working and require a reboot before they will alter the screen brightness again. Does anybody know how to fix this?

 

What version of the IDT drivers is that? I downloaded 6.20.6289.0 off the NBR drivers page. http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...3-dv7-gen-4-select-edition-envy-17-intel.html

Do you also know off-hand if I'm better off with the ATI package on that same drivers page, or the 10.8 off the ATI site? I've read 10.8 will give you around +5% perf on a lot of current games.

 

What is your bios version? Did you install the latest ATI Video Drivers?

 

I don't know which version the Hp Assistant was trying to load. It took a restore point to bring back my audio in working order.

I don't really play games, but I am a heavy graphics user. I recommend upgrading to the ATI mobility driver. I've been using it without any problems.

 

Let me restate what I meant to say: Until I found this site, I couldn't find any reviews...

 

Ever since updating the drivers has the cooling issue been resolved?

 

WARNING TO ALL ENVY 17 USERS!

DO NOT UPDATE THE DRIVERS THROUGH HP SUPPORT ASSISTANT!

Problem 1: The IDT driver does not work with Beats Audio. Furthermore, it isn't even meant for the Envy 17. The Support Assistant does not differentiate between the audio chipset in the Envy series and the chipset in HP's other laptops.

Problem 2: The Support Assistant wants to update all the drivers at once. This should not be done when you update the IRST driver. You should always update this separately, reboot, let your system load again, reboot when it asks you again, and then install the other drivers. Otherwise you run the risk of data corruption.

Problem 3: HP has not listed any of the drivers shown in Support Assistant on the Envy 17 support pages.

 

hey guys! i know this may be a problem that has been discussed somewhere in the forums; however, i didnt really feel like filtering threw the tons of posts...so, im hoping some one may be able to answer this question. is it normal for a power brick to emit some type of buzzing noise. my last envys i had never had that with the power brick...at least i dont believe they did. is anyone else experiencing this issue. i called hp and they are replacing my AC adapter at no cost. you guys think its safe to still use the adapter. my laptop does seem to make a loud but faint whine sound with it plugged in.,. = (

 

I wouldn't use it. Same thing happened to me. Personally, I wouldn't continue to use it unless the new one died and you had to wait over 2 days for a replacement.

 

I wonder if the Windows default Balanced Power Scheme is any different than the HP Recommended one? I did a clean install and didn't save the HP plan either--I figured that "HP Recommended" was just HP's way of adding some additional branding.

 

thank you metril! youre probably right in just not using it...i dont want to ruin my computer bc this one i got finally seems to be near perfect as you phrased it. like you, i went throu many envys....3 actually...and this fourth one finally seems to do the trick! its amazing how each envy may differ from each other. the previous envy i had that i sent back used to get incredibly hot. even when it was just sitting there doing nothing with windows fully loaded! and now this new one runs incredibly cool!! its quite miraculous! lol but hey the main thing is we have solid units now. although, do you experience i whining sound from time to time...is there a fix? i hear it every so often

 

my guess is it's an optimized plan for the hardware. i did a clean install as well ... i mostly use balanced when i'm not doing something 'heavy' like watching a movie or gaming.

 

I don't know if you got a reply. My unit is arriving tomorrow. Assuming it's not doa lol I'll export the file and keep a copy handy, let me know if you want me to email it to you.

What else do I need to save, anyone chip in?

 

Hi Taetertot

I was able to retrieve the power management configuration from HP Tech Support.

Thank you for the thought.

 

If you updated your Audio Driver via the Hp Assistant - in order to get your sound back, re install the IDT High Definition Audio drivers.

 

If you have done a clean install you will notice when you right click on the "My Computer" and select "properties" many of the custom information is now gone.

I've created a regfile for those who have the 1011NR model , restoring the branding and link to the drivers download page at HP.




http://www.mediafire.com/file/1l3ml7jk0re4o0t/OEM.rar -> You can edit the reg file using a text editor to modify to your own taste.

Clicking the online support will take you to - http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...3&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&sw_lang=&product=4229850 - the direct link to the latest
drivers to the Hp Envy 17 1011NR model.

To Install:

1. Download the RAR file.
2. Extract the OEM.reg file
3. Double Click to install.
4. Go to My Computer
5. Right Click and select Properties
6. You should see the update

 

Newegg won't get new envy 17's until sometime October. I just RMA'd mine so I'm out of a laptop for a while.

Hopefully they get better quality envys this time. Good thing someone bought out all the bad batches of envys.

 

Actually, I believe this might be normal. My Envy's doesn't make one that I've noticed so far, but every other laptop I've ever owned did. It's weird, and I don't know the cause, but I don't think it's harmful.

 

BIOS: F.08 07/08/2010
ATI, driver packaging version: 8.712-100302b-096821c-HP