HP Envy 15? i7 meets 4830+15" screen!

Yeah, it never even occurred to me that I wouldn't be using a notebook cooler on a machine like this. The Antec cooler I've been using transforms my old HP from piping hot (when gaming, etc.) to room temperature.

 

Hahaha.. I know my friend. I was not angry hence the wink*wink. Did you end up deciding on one?.. what config did you get?

 

Keep this in mind. Unless you want gaming, you are not really going to find any I7's that are not going to be prone to being a bit on the warm side. At least, that is what I am starting to notice. Since the macbook pro has been mentioned on here, I will use it as a comparison for heat, when running windows on boot camp, the macbook also gets pretty warm to the touch, but still runs pretty awesome with Windows. As of right now, lets not worry about the overheating, as both websites that did the reviews were using pre-production units. Maybe HP has already addressed the issue. I would hate to think they would tout this laptop as the world's first thinnest quad core laptop, just for it to start having heating issues. I think they are treating this as one of their flagship products. Hope this helps.

 

Yeah. what you said is exactly what my thought process has been too.

Though after lots of reading and research it's still unnerving to finally have a laptop on order. Especially because this one was such a leap of faith, since there aren't any reviews out or anything. So now we're just left to wait and see.

Though could someone answer my question about the warranty? If I refund a laptop I also get the warranty refunded automatically too right?

 

Do you guys think the 8GB RAM (4 dims) for $100 is a rip off? Would it be better to get the 6GB and add your own 2GB stick? Or is it not worth it.

 

Not yet, unfortunately. I am waiting until I can see some reviews on it before taking the plunge, though that 25% Bing Cashback is tempting... I will probably wait till around Thanksgiving/Black Friday and see if they have the 40% Bing Cashback like last year or Xmas.

I am also waiting to see if HP is going to offer a SSD option, those laser etching options they touted early on and Windows 7 Ultimate (which is strangely absent from the configuration pages). Jumping from 6GB of ram to 8GB (4 2GB sticks) adds $100 to the price. Do you think its worth it compared to installing the 2GB stick after the fact?

 

I suppose it would depend on how much it would cost you to go on the internet and buy that 2GB stick that is compatible with the Envy 15. If it is less than a hundred dollars (after the original cost, tax and shipping) then yes. If its cheaper to upgrade to 8GB through HP's website, then no.

Its all dependent on how much it would cost you for that extra 2GB stick.

Now, the upgrade to 8GB by using two 4GB sticks is a rip off IMO.

 

Hey don't feel bad, this is a leap of faith for a few others on here as well...myself including! Yes, if you buy a computer with warranty, they have to return the warranty on the product. They do that at dell as well, since it is part of your "package".

an extra 8 for $100 is a bit much especially in 2 gig increments, but at the same time, we do not know how easy it is to switch out the ram on this puppy. So, if you are comfortable with dismantling, then get the ram elsewhere, if not, get it configured with the 4 gigs.

I know their black Friday sales are insane. I am truly bummed out about the SSD, I would have gotten that in raid in a heartbeat. Well, I do have that 21 day return policy!

 

The bottom is magnesium right? If you're feeling heat, to me that's a good thing because it means it's being dissipated by the chassis.

 

BTW since most people won't even use 6gb, is there any kind of dual channel advantage to doing 8gb instead of 6gb?

 

Another good point. Yes, magnesium/aluminum chasis. Reason why unibody macbook pros can run warm.

 

Not sure if the new intel architecture even supports more speed with dual channel anymore. Good question. I would love to know the answer to this as well.

I know the base config of the Alienware M15x starts at 3 gigs. Kind of the reason why I was thinking there is no benefits from the new chipsets.


Edit.. Or wait.. maybe it is triple channeled now!!!... dun dun dun!!!...hehe

 

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ho/WF02a/321957-321957-3995709.html

Finally! Envy 15 is listed, £1199. Haven't delved into the options yet

EDIT: Wow...the UK versions are cack. Don't even get to customise anything at this precise moment. Either basic model or the top model.

 

it's me I've sent them an urging email couple hours ago, I guess they finally woke up.

 

At 2GB there isn't a cost difference between 1066/1333 of ddr 3 laptop memory. It ranges between $40-50. I don't recall if the i7 require 1333, but hope HP used that.

6GB should be plently for consumer level stuff for a while to come.

DDR3 4GB sticks are currently $200-350. DDR2 is half that price and should be where DDR3 gets to eventually.

 

Still no sign of a Canadian release...

Its probably for the best. I'm going to wait and see if the reviews for this bad boy come up positive.

Funny though... if HP has released in Canada this weekend, i would have definately bought an Envy 15 even without the Bing Cashback... which we canucks are not eligable for.

 

i don't see the slice battery on the picture of the envy under the battery section in the usa online hp shop.
Is the One 9 Cell HP Envy Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery really the thin slice battery?

 

Yes, that's the slice.

There are no triple channel memory for notebooks, only on the first generation desktop i7s. Any odd combination would be 1GB and 2GB or 4GB sticks. Dual channel is better than single channel, but when you already have 3 sticks (at 6GB), the difference going to 8GB is minimal (in terms of bandwidth).

 

Hey guys been lurking for a while but I decided and got the Envy 15 because of the 25% bing cash back.

I got a call today from HP to "confirm and verify my order" They asked me a bunch of security and questions and wanted the last 4 digits of my social security number. I don't recall them asking the security questions when I set up my hp account. I checked the number that called and it was an HP help center. Should I feel safe?

Oh when I asked what order they are verifying she could only say Customized notebook. Didn't say it was the ENVY.

number was 2812577820 anyone else get that call?

 

What do we know about the Envy 15 cooling?

2 traditional fan based heatsink/heatpipes to cool CPU, GPU that probably exhaust out the side vents (one on each side). Intake vents on the bottom in upper left and upper right for these coolers? Envy 15 bottom i believe: http://www.notebookcheck.net/typo3temp/pics/b43a7f2023.jpg.

2 large vents on the front, for? Passively cool hard drives/general area?

No cooling along the back (back is mostly the hinge of the screen).


Anyone have experience with various laptop coolers?

I have a cheap plastic fan based USB laptop cooler currently cooling a receiver in my entertainment stand. The fans started out decently silent on 'low', but have grown much louder over time. They cool the receiver very well, but the top of it is almost all vents. The cooler i got sucks air in and pushes it out the back (sits upside down on receiver).

There are small vents at the upper corners of the Envy 15, so not sure traditional fan based coolers will help much to move heat. I have also heard the USB coolers can and have damaged the USB ports of the laptop they run on. Anyone know more about this?

Probably need something that would act more like a heat sink and make contact with the bottom of the laptop. I did some searches on cooling the powerbook/macbook as I recall the unibody models of them don't have vents on the bottom and might provide some useful experience.

I found the ThermaPak got decent reviews and cooled 4+ degrees Celsius on most laptops. Some said once the pad turned liquid the cooling diminished and deformed a little leading to complaints of it blocking the vents on the bottom (for reviewers with vents on bottom), which shouldn't be a major problem on the Envy with its vent locations. The thermapaks are sold under ThermaPak, Thermaltake, and Targus brands (all appear to be the same cooling pads). http://www.thermapak.com/products.php?category=heat-shift-pad

Powerbook/macbook owners also mentioned the i-lap, but the only numbers I could find on that showed a 2 degree Celsius difference. The i-lap was basically just an aluminum laptop stand with pads on the bottom so you could put it on your lap. The aluminum in the stand helped to passively dissipate the heat just from being close to the laptop.

I bookmarked this just for laughs: http://orgazzle.com/gaming/orca/#topic/Custom-build-laptop-Cooling-system.htm. Don't think I would go that far...

I didn't save the bookmark, but saw a small laptop cooler from someone that was a simple blower based fan that hooked onto the side vents on a laptop.

 

Oh I know, I was just being silly about the triple channel for laptops ...but I was not sure if you could notice a difference between single and double based on the amount of ram...thanks for explaining that..

 

Heh, the Envy 13 is out in Denmark it seems, but no E15 yet.

EDIT: 2910 $ for the Envy 13.......

 

Hmmm interesting picture, I wonder how that is affected when you add the 9 cell slice battery. Maybe those aren't fans, but more means of heat escaping? Those would be covered up with the battery. I guess we will find out soon enough.

 

You can see from the slice battery that there is an indent on the battery so that it has like a 2mm space for air to move there. so it's possible that those are fans. Check the link and the slice is right next to the laptop.

 

I plan to buy a 2gb stick from newegg. Its around 30-40 USD, so definitely cheaper than HP's $100 upgrade option. I just need to find out what speed the Envy makes use of and thus, RAM compatibility. I'm hoping it is at least 1333.

 

Based on this shot:
http://www.engadget.com/photos/envy-13-and-15-hands-on-1/2283524/

There appears to be a good sized recessed area where the vents would be with the slice on. I imagine it would run hotter with the slice on, but the slice also appears to be metal and appears to sit flush with the bottom (other than around the vent area), so there should be some heat transfer from the laptop to the slice.

The Envy 13 slice on the other hand is all flat since there are no vents on the its bottom:
http://www.engadget.com/photos/envy-13-and-15-hands-on-1/2283538/

So have to think the recessed area on the 15 slice is there for a reason.

 

You're still using a optical drive to watch your DVDs? ....FAIL

lol, I'm just kidding, but seriously Amazon video, Netflix, and Hulu are great ways to watch movies without an optical drive.

 

You are correct, the Front Side Bus is 1333 MHz according to page 2 of an earlier posted link of the Envy 15's specs.

DinTuscAl

 

Thanks for the battery info guys... I never noticed that. I hope it is enough to allow a good amount of airflow, but that is a nice design for the battery. I am hoping at least 3-4hrs+ on the batteries. (sorry I segwayed into a different topic)

 

If using the laptop at it's home desk with AC power and no plans to need the extra long battery time for the day, I would leave the battery slice off for 2 reasons:
1. Maximum cooling from the fans, won't strain to pull air in
2. Extend the life of the slice

For cooling, one of these cooling pads with fans will be virtually useless if the slice is left on, since the air from the pad's fans won't have a path into the fans on the underside of the Envy with the slice attached.

I admit #2 depends on how the batteries are dischared: 6-cell internal then slice, or slice first then internal 6-cell (I would think), or both equally (until internal runs out before the slice). Anyone know?

 

Ok everyone who ordered an Envy: I too just got a phone call from HP at my home number (message was relayed to me at work). They were just letting me know that they had processed the charge on my MasterCard. My credit card bank did call me yesterday within an hour of placing my order, making sure the charge was legit and that the card was still in my possession.

So just a heads up, you too may get a phone call from HP about your Envy order. Oh, and BTW, I asked about the October 28 build date, this rep said that was the lastest date that it would ship, they hope to get it out sooner!!

 

Whilst the UK site does only have the base spec machine, it's not a bad price at all really. Very impressed HP. I am going to wait for better spec machines before I punch it, but believe me I am going to. The only major downside I can see is that there is no option at all for the higher resolution display. 1366x768 is simply not high enough for me.

Yes I expect the battery slice will not exactly aid heat consumption, but honestly, you'll only need the battery slice when you want long life, in which case everything is likely to be turned into power saving mode, which means less heat is generated anyway.

I don't care about how well the GPU performs in gaming really. It's like buying a Sony VAIO; it's not the performance, it's the style. Yes, I can be vain, but heck, it's my money, I can spend it how I like

 

I have not gotten a call, but I agree that i believe they will start shipping them early, I say maybe on Thursday 10/22. My order already says "order dropped to factory". I guess we shall see.

 

HP Sweden had a press release out on 10/13 saying both 13 and 15 models will ship towards end of October.

Retail prices were quoted as 19990 SEK for the 13, and 16990 SEK for the 15, including sales tax. 25% sales tax here, so in yankeebucks that would translate to $2308 plus tax for the 13 and $1962 plus tax for the 15.

No 15 configs listed yet, just general specs. The 13 config listed at SEK 19990 includes slice, 3GB, SL9400, lower-res (1366x768) screen.

 

i hope they havent tried to call me. i am in iraq. they will get voice mail. if they do i hope they dont cancel my order because of it.

anybody else gonna add an ssd? if so a walk through would be greatly appreciated. never really done anything like that with a laptop before.

why in other counties they are charging more for the 13?

 

It's kind of a shame they don't offer the envy 15 with a C2D for those of us who love the style/build/screen/battery slice/video card but don't need the quad core processor. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to put up with having a raging bull in my 1" notebook... lol

 

If they were going to throw a dual-core in there they'd likely at least wait until arrandale so that you'd get a dual-core+the ability to switch to integrated graphics to extend the battery life even longer. I don't know if they'd actually add that in though to begin with, since the mobile i7 is currently a big selling point for the envy 15.

 

I just happened to notice that there is no modem in this thing. Not a dealbreaker for me personally, just happened to pick that up while looking at the specs on HP's site. So if you want Internet access, you'll have to do wired or wireless broadband, no RJ-11 hookup.

 

True the i7 is a big selling point for the Envy 15, but it would be an even bigger selling point if it could do low-voltage processors, C2D processors, and the i7 all in the same gorgeous case. I would love to have a SU7300 in that beautiful 15.6" 1080P chasis for ultimate battery life, but then again, I won't mind the i7 + 4830 as long as they can downclock really well so that it doesn't burn battery (or my hands) when I'm taking notes in class.

I'm really hoping that the standard battery could last for 4+ hours with lowest brightness and wifi+bluetooth off--that's what I'll need it to last to get through a typical day of classes. What do you guys think, is that going to be possible?

 

Judging by the battery life of the m15x I would expect closer to 3 hours without the slice

 

Well I just got an e-mail not long after I called them back with the subject line "Your HP Order Confirmation -- ....", so perhaps my order was held up due to my credit card company blocking the charge yesterday, even though I called them and they removed the hold. This e-mail included the specs of what I ordered, whereas the first e-mail I received yesterday with the subject line "Order being processed" had the order number only, no specs.

 

See if you get another e-mail from them with your order number and the specs as well. I got 1 e-mail yesterday with just the order number, no specs. The e-mail that included the specs came after that phone call today, I think the charge was just held up and HP wanted to try again.

So if you don't have the "Your HP Order Confirmation -- H...." e-mail by the end of the day (or for you, in the morning), try to contact HP Customer Service. There is a "Live Assistance" link in the upper right of this page:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/help.do

It might work for you if you cannot call them toll free.

 

Yeah I'm really hoping it can at least go 3hrs with some agressive power-saving because I'd love to be able to actually bring it to my classes and know it'll last through them without having to scramble for an outlet.

 

Yeah I got a call today, and they said they will go ahead and verify for me after asking a bunch of security questions. But my order on Hp still says " Order being verified" I hope it gets done faster I WANT MY LAP TOP!

 

1366x768 !?

I saw on amazon.co.uk that it has 1920x1080. But if thats a typo and the screen is only 1366x768 then they can suck my balls. No way would I buy a premium laptop with such a lousy resolution. They must think their customers are idiots - I wouldn't be happy with that res on a £600 laptop, let alone a bloody £1200 machine. Bye bye HP, i'll take my money elsewhere...

 

Just to clear it up. It is 1920x1080. 1366 x 768 was a downgrade option. The standard default is 1920 x 1080.

 

Last time I looked, that downgrade cost $799! I guess they don't want anyone deviating from the models they apparently have ready to go.

 

I can't believe how much messed up HP can be. In US their envy goes with 1080p screen with a stupid downgrade price, in UK the screen is only 768p with no upgrade. Have they split themselves in two timezones - retarded and more retarded?

 

It's probably a supply thing.

 

so has anyone here figured out what is going on with these customization options and the screwy prices?

i just pulled up hp's site and now most all of the options are gone.

only the ones that made sense like the extra $400 for the 820 core i7 and the ram upgrades are still up.

so maybe we will be able to spec cheaper versions if they update the site again to include the downgrade options as price-reducers. logical?