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

Ok so I'm probably going to do a clean install today, and I was wondering if there is a list of all of the drivers I will need to install afterwards. A list with links to them would be even better. Thanks in advance!

 

This one has most of them: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-drivers-software-forum/426181-drivers-hp-envy-15-intel.html

Also make sure to copy the SWsetup folder to an external drive before you do the clean install, it has most of the drivers that come pre-installed by HP.

 

@MethodtotheMadness

How did it go?

 

@eight35pm Gah I never got around to it. Lots-o-crap I had to do today.

 

Does anyone know what the nVidia equivalent is to this 5830?

 

I would say it is maybe about 5-10% better then the Nvidia 360m

 

Actually it comes in abour 6% behind the GTS 360M and 2% behind the GTX 260M according to notebookcheck and they are normally spot on with their rankings. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5830 - Notebookcheck.net Tech

If the 5830 could use GDDR5 memory it would blow the Nvidia away but unfortunately ATI limits the 5830 to GDDR3 memory support. Note that all the 360M tests (AFAIK) in the above link are using GDDR5 memory, it appears no one is using GDDR3 with the 360M in current notebooks...

 

then how come in most of there benchmarks the 5830 takes the lead? just weird imo

for example: look at the pc mark vantage score... the 5830 out-places the 360m

 

How's the heat issue on the second generation with i7 cpu? Noticed you could get them at a nice price here and it would be much cheaper than what E14 with radiance cost.

Also would it be possible to swap the i7 to i5 without any problems?

 

Not sure what your looking at, there is no 5830 PC mark vantage score to compare to in that link. Also if you look the 360M even beats out the 5850 in some cases. The 360 with GDDR5 outperforms the 5830 with GDDR3, in all the benchmarks I see on notebookcheck.

 

Hello everyone.

I'd like to RAID two 1.8" SSDs in my Envy 15 CTO-1100 (2nd gen). It shipped with a single HDD but I know I can buy a caddy and a second micro SATA cable to accomodate the new drives.

Here's the problem: There is no visible RAID BIOS. I also don't see any options in the BIOS itself to configure/disable a RAID controller.

Does the RAID BIOS somehow automagically enable when more than one drive is connected? If not, is there a way to get this to work? Any ideas? Thanks.

 

IIRC you need to use 'ctrl' + rapid fire tapping of the 'I' key during POST screen. If that's not it then they have the RAID / un-RAID instructions in the user manual and on that SD card that came with the machine.

 

Interestingly, CTRL + I (repeatedly) doesn't work at POST. The BIOS is sparse with no options for disks or disk controllers.

Of course, the documentation says to use CTRL+I to setup or remove RAID arrays, but it also says "select models only". Do you suppose they purposefully disabled RAID on the CTO-1100 for some reason?

Something I thought was interesting though, is when I remove the HDD entirely and turn the system on, I can't even get into the BIOS. The laptop insists that a HDD must be connected first before it will do *anything*. hah.

 

An update to the "Stereo Mix unavailable problem" I posted earlier.

I learned about a program called Virtual Audio Cable that can emulate a "What U Hear" feature of Creative X-fi cards. You need configure it a bit (through trial-and-error in my case), but effectively I was able to input sound that is outputted by the sound card. The software is not free, but there is a 30-day trial evaluation period.

Later I updated my IDT High Definition Audio Codec drivers to 6.10.6300.0 (downloaded from http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-drivers-software-forum/426181-drivers-hp-envy-15-intel.html thread). Somehow I think this solved my problem because the Stereo Mix is now showing up as "Ready" instead of "Currently unavailable".

The Virtual Audio Cable software can be pretty useful though, especially to people who need to use more advance audio features or multiple input sources.

 

I just found out that the drive that was believed to be causing heat issues on the right palm area of my laptop is not an hitachi but a seagate. It is a 7200rpm drive if that makes a difference.

I bought a 7200 rpm Western Digital Drive in hopes that it would get rid of the heat problems on the right side of laptop. Since the drive is not an Hitachi (Which people here said gave off a lot of heat) like was originally presumed, I'm not sure what to do. Would the western digital give off less heat than the seagate?

Getting everything off this computer, potentially voiding my warranty (im guessing right?), reinstalling windows seems like a huge hassle. It would be worth it if it calmed some of the heat problems but I'm not sure now.

I could either install the WD drive into my laptop, install it into my PS3 if that is possible, or return it to newegg.

If anyone could give some advice I would really appreciate it.

 

You might be able to get the thermals on the drives, but you need to share the model numbers to make a decent guess on whether or not the WD will cooler.

Chances are, there is very little difference in heat. If it is a huge concern, you'd be much better off with an SSD (probably cost prohibitive) or a 5400RPM drive (probably an unattractive option).

Regardless of whether or not your change the drive out, the rest of the laptop also gets pretty hot too with or without the drive. I know that area of the palm rest gets pretty hot though, but personally, I believe the difference will be tiny.

 

@Trojita, I'm not sure whether there will be a reduction in the heat on the right palmrest by switching from Seagate to WD, but all of the reports of heat in that area have been from users with hard drives and AFAIK, no one with SSD has experienced increased heat in that area.

In my case, the right palm rest is always much cooler than the left side of the laptop, likely due to the SSD.

You won't void your warranty by replacing the hard drive. However, if there is a problem with the new drive, obviously, the HP warranty won't cover it. Also, I was advised by tech support to retain all original components just in case they are needed - sometimes when returning the laptop to HP for repairs they ask you to include the original hard drive and memory that came with the laptop.

And when you are not gaming or running demanding applications, I suggest to switch to "power saver" or "HP recommended" power options profile, this reduces the heat significantly.

 

I have the standard Hitachi HDD, and my right palmrest barely gets warm while browsing the internet and stuff like that. I don't mind at all. I think it gets hotter when gaming, but I'm not sure as I'm using a mouse so I'm not feeling the palmrest, so even if it is hot, it isn't a problem.


Anyways, is there a way to make the fans softer other than turning off "Fans Always On" in the BIOS (or whatever it is)? The fans are just a little too loud for my tastes while idling or on the internet.

 

Hi guys, I've recently got my 1100 CTO, and it's a great laptop.

Sadly, I'm already having some issues with it.

My wireless connection keeps dropping from time to time... It's kind of weird, because it's like the wireless adapter (Centrino 6200) was disabled from the notebook. (Can't find a single router)

Yes, I've checked the wireless button LED and it wasn't lit, so both Wireless and Bluetooth were on. (Windows 7 says "Wireless capability on this computer is turned off").

I have to manually disable / enable it on the Network Connections panel to get it to work again... =/

My drivers are up to date, so I have no idea how to fix this...

 

I would try a complete format.

 

I've installed some updates (including one for Intel Centrino 6200) with HP Support Assistant...

So far, the wireless adapter seems stable... I hope this update fixed my issue...

I'll post here if anything new happens.

Thanks.

 

@ unrena

the HP wireless assistant is crap (like most of the preinstalled HP software) and most likely causing your problems. i had issues with it, too. i did a fresh, non-HP, install of windows and use the win7 built-in wireless controls and i haven't had any problems since.

 

Hi, ive been having a graphic problem with my envy for months now:
When I play some games, the game suddenly tabs out to seemingly change resulution and then tabs and back in (or crash), taking about 10 -15 seconds. Sometime frequently sometimes seldom.
When I recently bought the laptop the problem froze my computer completely, so I thought I had the infamous "envy black screen crash" but probably after some driver update the problem changed to my current one instead. But maybe it could be connected to that problem?
Recently Ive been been playing starcraft 2 and civilization 5. Im not having this proble with all games.
Playing CIV 5 crashes the whole game when this problem is encountered, but playing it in dx9 mode instead of dx11 i dont have this problem.
Starcraft 2 tabs out and back in like I mentioned, but playing multiplayer (which is 80% of my gaming) I get dropped when problem reoccurs or sometime the game crashes completely. Playing at low setting (instead of high) makes the problem appear less.
So it seems my graphic card is overheated? but the problem occors in very random moments while gaming, watching a sc2 replay or just at start of a game. But its always while im in game and not in the menu.
The problem also sometimes occors in windows when installing a program and the safety question pops up: "you need administrative rights" or "are you sure..." or whatever they ask. the backround is supposed to go dark but before that its like the monitor is changing resolution.

I have the latest BIOS verson: F2.A
And lates ATI driver: 10.8


Lots of text and I hope someone took the time to read it
I just wanna know if there are other people who have experienced the same problem or if you know anything I might try to solve it?
( I have contacted HP support, awaiting reply)
// Cal

 

Can you give me temperature readouts for the card when idle and when it is on full load? Use a free program like HWMonitor and screenshot the status.

 

Actually, JJB is right - it is CTRL-I. You don't go into the BIOS to get there though (ie don't press ESC). The RAID BIOS is separate from the regular BIOS.

Just tap CTRL-I right when you see the HP logo until it disappears. The menu should come up.

 

shameless plug, selling my other black Envy Beats 15 on ebay. I'd post it here in the forums to sell but every time I do, even after following all the rules, it always gets pulled for some reason... anyway, linky below, lots of accessories to boot:

HP Envy 15 Limited Edition Beats 160GB SSD tons extras! - eBay (item 220685695557 end time Oct-23-10 12:47:45 PDT)

 

Here are the temp readouts. Playing on low decreases the stress on the graphic card quite alot, but the issue still remains. But importantly it is occuring less. But that still dont explain how it sometimes happen when I try to open a program, a window pop up asking for adminitrative rights and the problem happen. But I think its the same problem, it seems to change resolution but I might be mistaken.

temps.jpg

(sorry, dont know how to publish the picture right into the thread

 

why is the Envy 15 not listed on HP site... I am thinking of buying one.
Is there a refresh coming up?

 

No one is sure what HP is doing. They have taken down for now but hopefully they will refresh and put it back on the market.

 

Hi, may I ask how you ended up with two? I am new to Envies and will be receiving mine between Tuesday and Thursday next week. I didn't know the 15 even came in the Beats edition.

 

Yeah, your Envy is operating on a high temperature. My idles around 43-45C. Yours is idling on the level of me playing CoH on Ultra for 3 hours already. However, the GPU should still operating at around 81C fine (even though it doesn't sound normal). Maybe you need to reapply thermal paste to the HSF and also check the integrity of the chip itself.

 

Dear Envy-Enthusiasts and Owners,

I'm from Germany and for weeks now I'm trying to find and buy the right envy for me. Now I know exactly which specifications would fit perfectly for me:

ENVY 15 2nd. Gen: i5 1920x1080 ATI 5650

These four features are important for me: 15 inch; Core i5; Resolution: 1920x1080 in ONE Laptop ;-)

The problem is that I can find no shop in the whole world which would sell this machine! In Germany I found ONE shop which sells a 15-1130 which would be fine, but has the i7-Core which is too hot and battery wasting for my liking.

My questions are:
1. Can anybody help me with a online-shop, where you can order the i5-Envy with 1920x1080 and 5650? That would be so great!
2. Is there a possibility to downgrade a i7 to a i5 core via HP? How much would it probably cost?

Thanks a lot. I really would appreciate it if anyone of you could give me some hints!

 

stupid question from my side... isn't the i7 CPU faster/better than a i5 one?

 

yes its faster. but it consumes more power, is getting much hotter and is more battery "sucking".

 

btw the envy 15 comes with the 5830 (gen 2) or the 4830 (gen 1)

the 5650 comes with the envy 14.

Have you tried in every retail stores? I can point you to one in Brazil, but you are going to pay dearly, since its 8000 Reais, basically 3.433,47 euros, cheap, huh!?

 

yes that is not so cheap

of course I meant the 5830, sorry for the mistake!

The envy 15-1130 costs 1200 Euro in Germany..

 

wow really? I guess Ill add that info to the HP support cause i dont think I should need to do that stuff with a computer thats half a year old. Thanks alot for your help, youve been very helpful

 

It seems that the crashes occur even at as low gpu temperatues as 70 -75´ which sounds weird, from what I know of laptop gpu the heat is only starting to be dangerous at 90´ and up (and my one tops at 85-90´). Is it possible that my GPU is damaged due to heat exposure?

 

So, very recently my screen displays a weird shade with red being more dominant than other colors. It's like there are little red dots everywhere on the screen, but very small so it gives it a red tint. Some whites are blueish. This happens even on startup, as the HP and windows7 startup logo have a red glow effect. It first happened in class, and when I got home it went away. Now it's back again. I suspect hardware failure, as this would not likely be a driver problem. Anyone else experience this ever?

Edit: I'm gonna hook it up to a external display to see if it's a screen problem or a gfx/hardware problem. This kinda sucks since I'm in the middle of a term taking Electrical Engineering/Computer Science classes...

 

Sounds like the monitor cable inside could be loose... Might be worth taking a look at

 

I got home from the library last night and it went away before I could test it. It seems that it only happens when I leave my laptop in my car for a while. Maybe it gets too cold? It's probably just coincidence. I doubt that it's a GFX problem now, as permanent hardware like that usually doesn't just 'fix' itself. Should I send it in, or just replace the cable myself? Where could I get said cable? It's still under warranty, as I bought it in January.

 

You should check out HP's refurbished computers at their business outlet, where there are several E15's with i5's still available.

Refurbished business products

 

So you don't have problems with the Envy 15 not charging while using it?
Also do you know if you're able to output via HDMI while charging too?

 

Well I had my first issue today. Got my 2 Gen Envy back in August and now my S key likes to randomly pop off. I called HP today and they are sending me out a box to ship it in for repair.

- I love my Envy, it has been a great machine so far.
- HP customer service seems to be very helpful. None the less it still worries me to ship my Envy to them.

Crossing fingers for a speedy and accurate repair. I am in the middle of school and it is a sham they could not just send me a replacement key so I can try and rectify the problem.

Oh well,

Will keep you updated.

 

If anyone's interested, I'm in the market for a Gen 2 Envy 15 with an i7 (any), 5830, 1920 display and the 2x 160gb SSD. All of those are required, not optional. Thanks.

 

Maybe you could try this before sending the laptop: hp envy replacement key - Bing

 

Thank you for the pointer!

 

695 pages is hard to search through, so can anyone tell me if some Envy users have had issues with their Envy LCD (1080p one) failing along with many internal components?

Purchased my Envy in February. In September, my LCD failed (blank screen when starting up) and was replaced. Now only one month later, have had another LCD screen fail on me.

Not only that, but this time also the motherboard has failed (not sure exactly what/how), the touch pad cable needed replacing, and the hard drive became inaccessible and I lost data that hadn't been backed up. The parts are being replaced, but it may as well be a new laptop itself!!

A little concerned when my warranty ends, as new parts for the Envy would cost a lot to replace I imagine! Shouldn't have two LCD failures in 8 months (with one only lasting 1 month) along with the other failures so soon..

edit - is an Envy 15, think the gen with the CPU under the left palm rest..

 

Have you updated to the latest bios? It actually might be a gpu issue which a bios update should fix

 

I think both generations have the CPU under the left palm rest.
The major difference to hardware that should be easy to differentiate between the two is the video card (4830 vs 5830).