*HP Envy 15 (11XX / 12XX series) Owners Lounge!*

Hmm...I've been looking at getting the Envy 15 for the last couple weeks. I've just been sitting on the sideline waiting to see if any deals will come down soon, or if there's any info on a Gen 3.

Anyway, today I went to the the HP website to see if they changed anything...and sure enough they did. Now, for some strange reason, they only give me the option of 4 GB of RAM. Also...they only give me the option of i5 DUAL core processors. All the i7 Quads are gone. I'm completely puzzled by this. Why are they gimping the options so badly all of a sudden on the Envy 15? Sad thing is, it's really not any cheaper than the version I built last week with an i7 Quad and 6 GB of ram. The Envy 14 still has quad core and up to 8 GB of RAM options. Can someone explain the reasoning behind this?

I just hope they bring back the Quad core and expanded RAM (more than 4 GB) options.

 

Hi,

So I've been looking at laptops for the past 2 months and I think I'm finally gonna pull the trigger on the Envy 15. Problem is that I live in Canada where I can't customize, something I want to do, plus US prices are cheaper (we get ripped off over here). Anyways, I am going to be visit New York at the end of the month and was thinking I could time it to deliver to the hotel when I'm there. Does anyone know how the payment options and creating an account would work? I seem to need a US billing addrees. In terms of payment options, would a Canadian paypal work or would I need a US credit card or should Canadian versions be ok?

Thanks, Lawliett

 

This has been the case for at least a month now.

 

No..just last week I had a customized model built with an i7 processor in it and 6 GB of ram. Had it stored in my shopping cart..hoping to run into a good coupon or deal for it.

I was using HP's EPP website for the US Armed Forces, so maybe it was different than HP's non-EPP website until now? Either way, that sucks if they are no longer going to offer the Quad core processors for the Envy 15.

 

Well, I can tell you for sure on there regular site that they have not had it for at least a month. I have been hoping and waiting for the 540-m processor for a while now but gave up and just got the 520-m processor. Maybe it showed you it still was available because you had it stored in your cart.

 

Does anyone know if HP has external battery chargers for the Envy line? Or of any universal variant that works with the Envy?

I found these but they don't seem to be compatible with the Envy 15 battery...

Standalone-External Laptop Battery Charger for HP Battery

 

So I've noticed that the orange LED on the top left corner of the trackpad of my Envy 15 is on all the time. From what I remember from before it should only be on when the trackpad is off. The trackpad is definitely on though. I tried double tapping in the corner and it does nothing. Any ideas?

 

update to the latest bios F.2A and get the update synaptics drivers

 

In case anyone's looking for a sleeve/case for their envy, I just picked up a Crumpler School Hymn 15" for the macbook pro and my envy fits in it fine.

I wanted something a bit unique and would protect my envy in backpacks, messenger bags, and book bags that don't offer laptop protection. I think this will work just fine as the exterior is pretty sturdy and durable, and the interior padding surrounds the entire laptop when zippered.

(Yes, it comes in other colors )

 

I have a issue that has stumped me... I did a clean install of my friends envy and all drivers and required programs are in place. I explained to him if your going to be taking your laptop with you around class instead of shutting down u can hibernate it and he was shocked lol. So I hibernated his machine to show him and when i turned it back on the machine is stuck at a black screen with a underline symbol in the top left of the machine... It wont boot to windows and no matter how many times I shutdown and restart the machine it will not boot and stays at the blinking underline....

 

Whats the diff between Envy 15 and Envy 14

 

This has happened to me. Try hitting esc on boot to get to the boot options, pick to boot from hard drive. That fixed it for me.

 

my next question is...is it a hardware issue causing this or a software

 

Well that's kind of a tricky one. It's software in the sense that it can be fixed from within the computer, but it's likely some sort of hardware configuration that caused the issue in the first place. I would say it's mostly software though.

 

I'm looking to purchase the Envy 15 right now, but unfortunately, I won't have a US-based credit/debit card until a few weeks down the road. Does anyone know how to get around this and place an order using an international credit card?

 

Found a fix for my hibernation issue if anyone is wondering.... aprently my mbr was jacked up so I booted into windows repair partition and pick command prompt then ran the 2 commands

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot

then issue was fixed!

 

Nice! Fix confirmed on my machine.

rep'd

 

hey guys


question..


so in control panel Display - text size this laptop is set at 125% is that normal?

i ask because some fonts on the system look really big

and also because


some icons by the clock look deformed not crisp, even msn smilies etc

i attached a pic not sure if it's noticeable.


thanks!

 

Out-of-the-box, the text size on mine was set at 125% also. I'm assuming you have the 1080p screen? If so, try setting the text size to 100%. To me, that size is just right, not too small; the fonts and graphics are all nice and crisp. Your preference may differ.

 

So my trackpad light is always on. Now normally it should only be on when the trackpad is off but the trackpad is on. If you double tap the trackpad it wont turn off now either. Is this a driver issue? Can't figure it out

 

I was having the same issue with my touchpad. I updated the driver to this one that I got from user Jtvgeo (post 6167 of this forum)



Now when my touchpad is on the light is off and vice versa.
The only issue I am having is that in the Synaptics control panel the option to have the button to turn on/off the touchpad is dimmed out and can not be changed.

sorry the link was supposed to show up.

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49242.exe

Apparently, with the newest drivers, if you have the option checked to disable the touchpad when an external mouse is connected, then that disables the ability to use the "double tap to disable" feature of the touchpad. So, try the newest drivers.

 

Sorry if I missing this but I can't find any info as to the exact thickness that is added to the laptop when the Slice Battery is on. Does anyone have that measurement?

Thanks

Chad

 

it adds about a half of an inch to the bottom of the laptop... but it also adds about 2ish more pounds to it too

 

Not at all worried about the weight. Just worried about the exact dimensions because I am looking for a good bag at the moment.

Thanks

Chad

 

On the subject of the slice battery, does it have adverse effects on internal temperatures considering it blocks the vents? Can anyone tell me the difference in temps between running with the slice versus without?

 

It doesnt really block the vents all that much since the vents are on the front...
When im charging my slice while i am gaming i do notice that the laptop does get about 1-2c hotter but honestly it is not enough to justify not useing it

 

Thanks for the answer. The vents I was referring to are the ones right underneath the fans.

Was this temperature increase whilst on load (playing a game etc..) or idle?

 

It should not really matter if he is saying 1-2c. Unless you are riding 99c often.

 

When I bought my Envy 15, I noticed that I couldn't combine any of the coupon deals with my EPP discount. Curiously, I could apply a discount coupon (the coupon was $300 when I bought it) for the laptop, then separately bought an "extended" warranty using the EPP deal. So I saved about another 30 dollars give or take.

In fact, once I had already logged in with the EPP site, I couldn't figure out how to log out of the site, so I could never use any coupons with that machine (until I cleared cookies, as it turns out) and browser again.

Curiously, I'd have bought an elitebook 8540w with the FirePro 5800 had I gotten a "proper" customization discount with the EPP deal (which was discontinued for my company's EPP).

 

I'd have to say that the extended battery wound up being pretty nice - I used to put the laptop on a "desk" (just a really large picture book my nephew gave me) when I was using it on my lap so as to not block the cooling vents. The battery also prevents me from blocking the vents when using the laptop on my lap. Plus, I get more than double the usable battery life out of the laptop. Nice for watching Netflix Streaming while in bed...

 

It actually has a bit of a "gap" that's designed around the vents so the air still gets through. It still gets hotter than no battery, but it's nothing I've had an issue with. And it's actually more comfortable running on your lap with the extended battery.

 

Are your Temp increases consistent with Texanman's increases of 1-2C? I'd be concerned if temperatures went up 5C or more.

 

Ok got a few questions before I go and purchase my 15...

Is there any way to do dual HDDs/SSDs without having to order the addons? I'd rather put that money toward HDDs and Memory.

With the dual HDD/SSD, is it hardware or software Raid, and do you get the option of running without Raid (1 drive for boot, 1 for files, etc)?

What model are the SSDs and are they replaceable (I know they are sata, but are they correct size?)?

Will 12.5mm HDDs fit (WD 1TB Caviar Blue for example)?

The 15s are capable of 16GB ram?

Whats the difference between the HD Anti-Glare display and the HD Brightview display?

Is there a difference between the webcam on the Envy 14 and the Envy 15?

When I get my Envy, do I just remove the bloatware, or do I just reinstall? I noticed there are some special notes for the 14; does the same exist for the 15?

And last but not least - heat: I know the 2nd Gen isnt as bad as the 1st, but I know its still going to be an issue... is there anything I need to know to keep temps as low as they can be?

edit - just wondering, why was the post moved??

 

What are the runtimes with the slice on an i5? Max settings, light surfing and heavy usage.
If it can manage 4-6 hrs on light surfing then I'm sold.

 

Similar. I see pretty much the same GPU temps. 1-2C is within a slightly different room temperature swing The slice really is well designed. I use mine on airplanes all the time.

 

Anyone know the brightness and contrast ratio for either the 1080p anti-glare or glossy screens?

 

That's good to know. I think I am going to invest in a slice battery as the best time I have seen playing Dragon Age on the standard battery was 1:20; And that was with headphones and the GPU on battery saver. The battery was also set to 2% critical level. I saw a report of 3 hours in Dragon Age with both batteries which sounds really good. In-fact, I don't know a single other laptop that can get that kind of battery life with a good GPU. I guess the battery does add weight but at a little over 7 pounds its still lighter than most.

 

The i7's have returned to hp's envy page now and I'm taking another look. I have 2 questions, does the i5 envy not support more than 4 GB of memory (it won't allow 6 GB with the i5-520)? And, how much does the i7 reduce the battery life/increase the heat? Does anybody have the dual drive configuration (HD+SSD)? $300 is pricey, is it actually worth it? You can get a lot of other upgrades for $300. Ok, that was 3 questions, sorry.

 

I can answer the memory question. All i5 envy's max at 8GB ram, i7's at 16.

 

Kinda have the same question as Valdis above me..

Can you get a i5 Envy 15 with more then 4Gb ram? I noticed that the configuration will only allow 2 dimms on the i5, and 3 or 4 Dimms on the i7. Do the i5 motherboards have the 4Dimm sockets or just the 2?

I'm getting a 15 but I need to know this before I do anything.. I would love to have the dual core i5 w/ the hybrid graphics, but I want the ram as well...


Also, whats the differences between the screen options for the 15?

 

The max RAM for i5 Envy 15 is 8 gb (using 2 4gb sticks). The HP Ultra Brightview display is brighter and has better color accuracy, but the Anti-Glare despite its obvious difference is still a very good display compared to other laptops.

 

The i5 does support more than 4GB of memory (see my sig), but you cannot get it from HP that way. You have to buy the memory separately.

As for the dual drive, no, I don't have it. But it seems like a pretty good idea IMHO, as long as you install software to the SSD and keep media and such on the HDD. Check the pricing of SSDs, and see if it's worth it to you. The performance over a standard hard drive is night and day. But I wouldn't sacrifice the screen upgrade for it.

The i5 Envy only has 2 DIMM slots, while the i7 has 4. The i5 will also NOT do the hybrid graphics. So erase that from your mind. The difference between the i7 and i5 versions are basically:

i7: 4x RAM slots, USB3, lower battery life
i5: 2x RAM slots, longer battery life

If you want hybrid graphics, you have to go to the Envy 14 with the 5650.

 

I think the trade-off for me right now is whether to get 4 GB of memory and the SSD/HD or get 8 GB of memory and the 7200 rpm HD. My understanding of the Envy is that its relatively difficult to replace the hard drive, but adding memory is as simple as any other laptop. So the SSD/HD seems preferable.

As long as the envy gets over an hour of battery life with the i7 (which hopefully it does?), that should be ok, I'd rather have the USB 3.0 than the battery life.

 

How many hrs are you getting with the slice? Your setup is pretty much exactly what I want if it can easily get 5 hrs on light wifi usage.

Hmm..nevermind, there's no more 540m option. Why is HP being so ridiculous with their offerings?

 

Anyone if these works on the HP i5?

Newegg.com - AllComponents 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Laptop Memory Model AC3/SO1066X64/4096

It is only $89.00 per 4GB module!

AllComponents 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Laptop Memory Model AC3/SO1066X64/4096

Here are some others...a few $99 bucks
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...06178 600000445 600000399&IsNodeId=1&name=4GB

 

I get 1:30 of battery life with my Envy doing normal things (browsing, music, youtube, office, etc.) using the 6-cell battery. If you want more battery life, I would recommend getting an additional 6-cell battery instead of the slice. The 6-cells are only 0.3 lb and very slim.

 

So I just got my envy 15 today, very sleek. I also got the slice battery, but how do I know that it is actually using it? I've heard things about not getting a good connection so how do you know if its actually plugged in correctly?

 

Unless you will be working with huge files in several creative suite apps with multiple windows open simultaneously, or if you render motion graphics or something that takes the computer a long time to process, you probably won't see too much improvement in day-to-day tasks going from 4GB to 8GB.

However, going from HDD to SSD you definitely will see significant improvement in bootup, shutdown, application load times and I also noticed significant improvement in loading huge files in creative suite and video editing applications.

Even when absolutely taxing the computer to the max I still get at least 90 min. if I adjust the settings, dial down the brightness and shut off bluetooth it lasts almost 4 hours doing simple word processing, emails and web surfing. I have gotten over five hours if I adjust the setting to go to sleep after one min if I am not typing anything. If you use the slice battery you should get almost triple whatever you get with the normal battery.

 

just click on the battery icon and it will tell you the remaining battery life of your primary and secondary battery.

I made a mistake when I first got mine and forgot to take off the little black sticker protecting the connectors for the slice on the bottom of the laptop. unless you do that it won't connect.

 

No clue about HPs internal stuff. The 520M is actually a much better deal than the 540M. I just got the 540M because I wanted relative bragging rights, and I do a lot of transcoding on this machine. With the slice, I get 2-3 hours of playing Civ4, 4 or 5 hours of watching movies, and longer just goofing around on wifi. It's insane how long the battery lasts. Longer than I actually want to use it in most cases I haven't done any actual tests though, this is just going off of my admittedly shoddy memory.

Sure, it's nice getting another 6-cell and lighter. But you have to shut down to swap batteries. I personally don't like having to do that. I don't hibernate since I have an SSD, so it would require me to shut down and restart everything I was doing. I find I'd rather have the little bit extra weight and just keep running the whole time. Who wants to stop playing Civ to swap batteries?