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

Thats where i got mine from. Its just bizarre. Should i uninstall the old ones?

 

Well it looks like one of my CPU fans is making an odd noise. Anyone else experience this? It sounds like a vibrating issue. I opened it up to make sure nothing was rubbing against the blades, but it seems like it could be the ball bearing in the fan.

Great....

 

I had the same noise after 2 weeks. I ordered 2 envy's to compare screens, since I decided to keep the one (glossy screen) that was making noise I swapped the fan assemblies and now no noise

The really odd thing is that the other machine with the 'noisy' fan doesn't make any noise so I really don't know what was causing it to begin with. I definitely did not see anything rubbing the blades and bearings seens smooth etc... The only thing I did that may have dislodged something is blew compressed air on the blades so they spun up very fast, that may be worth a try....

 

Just on the i5-540 vs i7-720 stuff (comes up a lot)...

be careful quoting synthetic benches as a rule of thumb. The synthetic tests are REALLY well threaded by design. As a result, they arent so useful.

There is such a strange disparity between the i5 and i7 you actually have to truly analyze use cases (which sucks).

If you are doing a lot of heavily threaded work or serious multi-tasking (encoding, compiling, while doing other crap), the i7 clearly wins out.

But for gaming, I have to assume that the higher clock (MUCH higher) of the i5-540, coupled with the fact that game devs are still miserable when it comes to multi-threading (most games barely manage to split off a second thread and use two cores), the i5 seems like it would have to pull ahead.

So its quite possible that 3DMark scores would seem to really favor the i7 whereas real world game tests favor the i5.

One caveat, though, is that Intel really made this confusing. The i7 is 1333/1600 with 6MB cache pool whereas the i5 is 1066/2500 with 3MB cache pool. So the i7 has more cache AND a higher clocked memory interface. Of course this also assumes that you get 1333 as an option since I think most manufacturers load both with 1066 by default since it saves them money (i5 can do 800/1066 and i7 can do 1066/1333)

 

Thanks for the part number.

Can you verifiy something quite important?

the connectors shown here are from a single hdd envy.

and the connectors on a x18-m have a little tab protruding on one of the 2 connectors. here's a pic

My question is: do the connecting cables in the kit look like the first picture or second one?

 

looks like the second one, there is a space for a small vertical tab for a micro sata drive.

 

Well, I had my envy for not even half a day before I needed to send it in. Certain keys on the keyboard don't work and if they do they will type a couple of random letters. Anyone else have this? It most likely isnt software as they dont work even before I get to windows(recovery command prompt).

Back to the old trusty but huge m1710 for a while

 

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name...M-80GB-Mainstream-SATA-Solid-State-Drive&c=CJ

I am looking to buy the Envy with 320GB HDD and replace it with the above SSD (which I am getting for 219 not the 244 listed)

What I wanted to know was if thats the best SSD out there ( as I understand it, it is a Intel G2 which is the best right?) and if it is suitable for the Envy.

Thank you very much. Much appreciated.

 

Why not just order with single SSD which is cheaper in term of per GB.

 

That's not an option in the HP website.

Even if it was an option, it would be cheaper to upgrade it myself (Buying SSD yourself is cheaper than upgrading on website) and this way I get the 320 GB HD too right?

 

Thank you for all the info.

 

First, the item pictured is a G1 drive (balck color) but description has the G2 P/N, I'd call and get confirmation in writing that it is a G2 (siver color) before ordering.

Second, want to make sure your aware that you won't be able to fit both the 320 and 80 in the envy together, they are both 2.5" drives so there is only room for one of those. For dual drives they both need to be 1.8" versions.

Third, yejun is correct the HP SSD / HDD option is a much better deal per GB. You get the 160GB SSD (1.8") and a 250GB HDD all for an additional $320 when configured at HP.com. The 160GB (2.5") intel from the same site ( http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name...X25-M-160GB-Mainstream-SATA-Solid-State-Drive ) goes for $429 w/ coupon.

So why spend $220 more and end up with 80GB total space when, for an extra $100 you get a total of 410GB of storage, twice the SSD space, full warranty and it's all installed for you?

 

SSD upgrade is sometime cheaper than buying separately. HP's dual SSD only cost $550.

 

you're right, but some of us couldn't afford ssd at the time. so we look for the cheapest upgrade. for me it was the 250gb 1.8" with kit for $160 plus a 160GB 1.8" Intel G2 for WAY TOO MUCH MONEY ($450)

Also, wanted to add about the whinning, high pitch noise coming from the right side... after the ssd/hdd upgrade, don't seem to be able to hear it anymore.

 

Understood, but even at that price your paying ~$1.50 per GB for the upgrade (410GB's). The way 'redy' is doing it he is paying ~$2.86 per GB for only 80GB total vs. configuring it like what your upgrading to for ~$0.80 GB, for only an additional $100. I would find a way to come up with the extra $100.

Yeah, just realized I didn't figure in the drives that come with the base envy config but that should be a wash...

 

That's good to hear (well not hear I guess). So you think it was the (320GB?) HDD ?

Also I'd be interested to know what kind of read / write speeds you get from that 250GB 1.8" drive, if you get a chance.

 

Fair points actually. Just that this way I meet the budget of 1500$ for my laptop.

But I am reconsidering it now that you have explained. However 2 questions now:

1. What is the 160GB SSD that comes with it? Intel G2?

2. How would the 5400 rpm affect the whole thing?

 

You'll get an Intel drive but the version varies with apparently no rhyme or reason. Either one is extremely fast.

I would expect you'll get great performance, the 160GB models are faster than the 80GB versions, and you'll have all your OS and apps on the SSD, just like if you went with the 80, but you'll have a D: drive with 250GB of extra storage space that will be slower (normal HDD speeds) but won't impact the SSD performance.

 

Option 1:
80GB SSD upgrade @ $219 = $2.74/gb.
Sell the 320GB 7200rpm for $70 on Ebay and you're at $1.86/gb.
Result: Total of 80GB storage for $149.

Option2:
160GB SSD + 250GB 5400rpm upgrade @ $320 = $0.78/gb.
Result: Total of 410GB storage for $320.

Summary:
You would be paying $171 (just over 2x) extra for option 2 and you would gain just over 5x the total storage space (2x more SSD storage) - a great value equation. However, if you don't need the extra capacity, save yourself the $171 and go with Option 1.

BTW, no real downsides to 5400rpm for data storage.

 

And save you the trouble to open case and time spent on ebay.

 

Yep, I think I am going to go with the combo SSD 160GB + 250GB (5400rpm)

I am just slightly apprehensive about getting an Intel G1 instead of a G2.

 

Double Post. Sorry.

 

The whining has pretty much gone away on my system as well, and the hdd is still there. No correlation IMO.

 

i don't know why the whinning stopped, don't think the hd was making it per se, but its gone. and the 160gb gen 2 is blazing fast, and i will be keeping the 250gb hd, until i can buy a toshiba 320gb hd that is.

 

Could someone take pics of their 15" Envy for me? Some good, High Res Pics. Just a few.. Bottom, Sides, Open Closed, Back Front etc?

I only build PCs, and refuse to purchase a prebuild computer. And strictly stick with Apple laptops because of the asthetics. (They make the best looking Notebook, you would have to agree)

So This will be the first time for me Venturing out to buy an HP since 1999 when I bought the HP Pavilion 8490 (Pentium III 500MHz, 128MB Ram, 10GB HDD, Ati Rage Pro 4MB) - Awesomly horrible lol

 

You can actually see a bunch of pictures here: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-HP-Envy-15-Notebook.22272.0.html

Though many people are impressed by Envy's looks, the build is nowhere near the quality and/or feel of a unibody MBP, not even close. I've owned two MBPs before the envy. There are things on the envy that feel really cheap, like the keyboard, screen bezel, etc.

 

It looks cheaper in real than in those fancy photos. But I think I will probably keep my envy due to very high performance / weight ratio.

 

Thanks for the link. It does look nice. Its looks like one of the nicest PC notebooks I have ever seen.

I see in your signature you have the Envy I want. Quad i7-820QM, 5830 etc... how do you like it? How does it perform? Any driver issues or any crashes?

 

I am buying the Envy with following config for 1500$ (after 100$ student discount but before 100$ tax) I feel it is a bit expensive for what I am getting. Any ideas on how to get the price down anymore?Thanks.

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics - For i5 and i7-620M Processors
15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Anti-glare Widescreen Display (1920x1080)
External Tray Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support with 2 USB Ports

 

I don't think my Envy Beats looks or feels cheap, compared the plasticky average notebook. comparing it to a macbook pro is a tad unfair, it is far more powerful and its absolutely better looking than a macbook.

 

The Envy is a premium laptop. The GPU is a high-end one, and the CPU is middle to high, and then on top of that you have the high-res screen selected. That's not a bad price when you consider what kind of machine you're getting as far as power and looks. Now, if you're willing to spend extra money on looks as compared to something like the G51J, that's entirely up to you. Remember, you need to add a USB CD/DVD drive to the Envy for at least software installs, that's another $50+, and doesn't come with the mouse and the bag.

 

I usually put all my sw on thumb drives personally.

 

I agree it is a premium laptop and the price is probably fair, its just that I have read on here people using 300$ coupons to get their Envys. So I was looking at it getting it cheaper.

Anyway the reason I am taking this over the Asus G51JX is not coz of the looks but because I think its the best possible combination of performance/mobility/battery life (mainly due to i5 as I understand)

I am going to get it but just looking at possible decreases in pricing.

 

having trouble getting my esata port to work on my envy for some reason. did a fresh reinstall with my new ssd and everything runs much faster (5.9 hd rating to 7.7!) any advice on getting the esata to work again?

 

Here is a screen shot of my Device manager with the only mention of E SATA that I see listed. It's under 'storage controlers' so I don't think it has anything to do with esata port but see if you show the same thing on your freshh install. I also opened the USB 'tree' so you can see if yours looks the same.



I know my esata port works as a USB 2.0 after clean install but I don't have an esata device to test.

EDIT: never mind, I just realized that is the RAID controller that you may not have since you didn't have a RAID0 configiuration from the factory. not sure if that is on all envy's or just RAID optons.

 

has anybody figured out a way to fix the webcam? i'm getting purplish colors. i think other people are having the same problem.

 

got esata working, it was just a bad cable.

 

I have changed my mind about getting a combo ssd and HDD. As you said I don't think I need 160GB of SSD. 80 GB of SSD should be fine and use the 100-150$ saved to buy a 1 TB external storage drive.

Thanks for the math.

 

I'd disagree. Overall build quality, though probably not quite MBP level, is very close and indeed solid. The keyboard feels high quality to me. 0 flex, works good, keys are easy to type on. The plastic shiny screen bezel is nowhere near as "high-end" as edge to edge glass, but it doesn't feel "cheap" to me either.

 

well i finally got my way with HP. they wanted to charge me 2305 dollars for my replacement laptop when the laptop it was replacing was 1881 dollars - 120 credit (they gave me a credit to keep me happy after they delayed both of my builds). At first they claimed they didn't have to honor the pricematch. The they said they would match to 1881, and I still refused as I shouldn't be penalized by their incompetence. I said either they match the 1761 price or I return and they lose a lifetime customer. They put me on hold to talk to a supervisor and come back and do the credit.

So basically i scored my envy 15 with dual ssd's, slice, 1080p, i5 system for 1761. And Microsoft gave me cashback for the first build (480 bucks that hp says i get to keep!). So yes, I did well. Even if the ssd's are g1's since I am raiding them, i'll have to use tonytrim every now and then to keep them fast

still i am unsure if it was worth all of the aggravation!

 

If there is a "cheap" aspect to the Envy, for me it would be the rather large gap that's seen when the lid is completely shut. When I carry it around in my hand, I don't like the feeling of the gap compressing in relation to the base (if that makes sense). Could be that the rubber bumpers on the bezel are too tall and too soft. I'm also pretty sure that the gap is not perfectly even left-to-right.

It's details like that (and beautiful E2E glass) which set the MBP apart - but for about twice the price of the Envy for equal performance, and Mac OS vs. Windows 7, I'm not sure it's worth it.

 

Equal performance? The only Macbook you can buy right now is eaten alive by the performance of the Envy. And if you boot the Macbook into Windows, it's even more in favor of the Envy because you no longer have the massive battery life that OS X is tuned to give you.

 

Trust me, the 8 month old MBP will be refreshed soon and the performance will be the same. For me, the decision was a matter of buying the Envy for $1100 (see my sig for specs) or wait around for a refreshed MBP at maybe double the price for my performance.

 

Nice.

Always good to keep the numbers in perpective. Good thinking on using the savings on external storage.

 

How can you be so sure about that. In terms of performance for price value, the only thing the MBP refresh will have over the envy is battery life; OS X isn't for everybody. The MBP would most likely get an NVIDIA card like the GT330M(Apple seems to disregard GPU quality), Envy's ATI 5830 will definitely edge that. But what gets to me is that people do not place them side to side to see the price differentials. Everywhere people complain about envy's price tag while the MBP 15 is 1699-2200 preconfigured; Jobs is a technician with marketing and anticipation.I 'm not bashing the MBP, it's a great piece of engineering.

 

OSX is a big reason the macbooks get the battery life they get. put windows 7 on a macbook and you won't get the battery performance that you would get in osx....

 

I got my replacement Envy last night. It has a G1.

It also has one of the exact same problems that the first one had. The lower left rubber stopper near the screen was popped out and tipped sideways. Does anyone else have this problem? It'd be pretty amazing if it was a rare problem and I got 2 Envys with the problem.

I'll post some crappy iPhone pics later.

 

My i5 came like that.

 

annoying thing about the intel G2 and my Envy: can't update the firmware using the Envy, b/c can't adjust Bios settings. Will have to remove the SSD and update the firmware from my desktop, which means I will need to buy a micro sata to sata adapter... unless intel or Hp offer a different firmware update solution or a bios update.

 

http://www.shopaddonics.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=AA4PMSAPC only thing ive found so far but would like to see the same with usb and usb power connectors instead... still looking.