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

ah sims 3, my girlfriend loves that but not the most graphically requiring games are they

what is CATIA? is it anything like 3ds Max? more requirements? less?

i heard that some games (most likely not the ones you play) and some apps can cause the system to stutter and slow down

mind turning the music off to see if you can hear the fans?

 

Well, I know, the sims is not the most graphic intense game ever...and most women like it, but I find it rather fun sometimes...sorry lol and yes I'm a man

Fans are audible, yes. This place is fully silent right now and yoou can hear a whisper there. Granted the fridge makes more noise lol its not loud, and when at uni, I use it umplugged, and nobody is bothered by the noise. Now if you intend to meditate with this on, you might get distrcted by the sound.

Caita is Dassault Systemes' equivalent for AutoDesk. It is a 3d modeling software used by the big companies here, example Airbus. It is a very complex and heavy program. The Envy eats it alive normally. Though for renders it takes longer. A quick simple model render with the built in renderer takes 5 minutes. A fully complex reflecting metallic form takes 30 minutes...I haven't tried making it more complex yet...

3dsmax is cpu consuming, so I don't see any problems with the i7 if an old teacher of mine used it with a T3400 with no problems...

By the stutter you meant if the laptop struggles? Not so far. Obly get performance dips, but it doesn't struggle. The only time when I fouund it to be unusable was when rendering ans multitasking. Too slow for my taste with the cpu running at 100% load.

 

nothing wrong with that i like the sims as well

lol i dont do meditation so that wouldnt mind, sounds okay of course would expect some noise as long as it doesnt sound like a Jet flying over the house or anything

Okay cool. Any chance you will be getting any more graphically intense games any time soon?

 

Lol....jet engine mode is unde full load/stress which can be loud, I must be honest. There bot even music hides that lol.

I'm looking for a good gamr, but don't know whoich one to get...any suggestions?

No FPS plis...

 

have you had a NP9262? if so what sounds louder the Envy or the NP9262?
FM2010...so addictive if you dont know its Football Manager
others, do you like RPG? Fallout 3 maybe? or Supreme Commander for RTS
what kind of games do you like?

 

Rts games are fun. I've heard of that supreme commander, but no idea what is it about...

No, never owned a sager. But I can tell you, the sound can reach tje level of 2007's macbook white when stressed, a little less. Does that help?

 

its great you are a giant robot and build more units and attack others.
i made a skirmish map with a 8 team all against all with no limits on team size or anything, great fun

nope that doesnt help - never heard how loud the macbook white is

 

Anyone know how to convert iTunes purchased movies from the .m4v to .wmv format ?

The properties show the movies are mp4 / H.264 but the actual file extensions are .m4v and nothing I've tried seems to recognize the file type.

FYI; I have found that movie playback in windows media player (.wmv) allows ~25+% longer playback time vs playing same movie in iTunes (.m4v). Tested 'Star Trek HD digital copy' from bluray and the WMP version ran for 2:16 while the iTunes version died at 1:38, all setting the same.

I have several movies in my iTunes library, both 'digital copys' and purchased from itunes, that I would like to convert to .wmv to use on my Envy when travelling. I don't think DRM is an issue as I am the 'owner' and just want to convert for personal use.

 

You might give this app /link a try for converting:

http://www.m4v-converter.com/convert-m4v-to-wmv.html

I have a ton of convertion programs myself I use for different things. The guide in the link uses a free app from Daniusoft. I use another of their programs to deal with stuff I've bought that has DRM to remove it since some of my pmp's just don't get along with DRM.

 

Can you play .m4v in wmp? Someone also told me tunebite can remove drm, but I've never tried it.

 

Nope, at least not the Apple version, knowing Apple I bet they tweaked it somehow to not be compatible with WMP. The .m4v shows up as a valid file type in the defaults setup options but it still won't play the itunes version.

Thanks for the link, I downloaded it and it sort of works, lol. First the free version only lets you convert 1 minute of video, that's actually a good thing since it took 7 min. to convert the 1 min. and after all that the quality is terrible, even trying full HD settings. For some reason any setting I try it always converts to a 4:3 ratio from an original 16:9 or 2.35:1

What really sucks is I have all the original DVD / bluray discs with the digital copies I want, but they all seem to be a 1 shot deal, at least the ones I've tried to reload as .wmv's say the keycode is already used or invalid. Wish I had known that before loading into itunes.

 

Oh I know, pisses me off no end. I had several movies that way and when I did a reformat after Win7 released all my rights got lost and no matter how many emails I've sent to WB concerning the problem they can't even be bothered to reply with a "So sad, too bad" email let alone a fair solution. Heck even Pony, when they gave free Sony movies with thumbdrives would have you register and you could redownload or reauthorize the licences as long as you have the login email addy and pw. Really ticks me off how inconsiderate some of these companies are. They complain about ppl doing rips of their DVD's but won't help a person who has a legit digital copy to the point where one is forced to rip the DVD to put it on their pmp's.

 

@ash

The envy is NOT louder than a microwave. Is that any help? Lol

 

No...I dont use microwave

 

Then I have no idea to what I can compare it...

Anyways, shoot me a PM or post here if there is anything I can help you with.

 

Could i ask again about the heat, i keep hearing about heat problems, have you had any?
Have you had any other problems with it - heard about HP having high fault rates

 

I might be a little non-sensitive because my Envy is warm when gaming, obviosuly. Mostly it stays at arround 30ish degrees the body. What you can feel. The underneath is somewhat higher at 40ish 50ish depending on the surface. As mine is resting on my stomach most of the time, or on a pillow, it tends to get warm. I've gotten it to be hot under full load on the bed. Yeah I know it is a bad idea, but I was comfortable lol

Gpu idles at mid-high 30s and reaches 40s. Under load it goes to 70 and I've yet to see it go higher than that, with the fun at full blow. The cpu idles minimum at low 30s. Normally at mid-high 30s. On usage mid 40s to 50. Gaming around 60-70 and under full load and stress twice I've hit 90 with fans at full blow and all 8 threads at 1.73ghz.

To my touch it is ok. Granted my last Dell Vostro used to be quite warm, and sometimes warmer (others colder) than my Envy.

 

the envy 15 does not have a high fail rate. the people whose envy fail on them tend to be vocal is all. i would say that the 13" macbooks this past year have had a higher fail rate (vertical bands on the screens) this year than the envy. I've had 4 friends all who bought macbooks this year need to have theirs repaired or replaced. Don't personally know anyone who has an envy that has had problems with it, except the posters in these forums. Not being an HP fanboy or anything, but I think the envy is a very well designed machine.

 

Its just human nature. When things work ppl don't really talk. I see it all the time, especially when it comes to tech stuff. They replced my first one due to issues and admittedly was vocal, hehe. However this replcement works great and I'm happy.

 

Same here. My replacement works great!!!! <3<3<3<3<3312adsk;l32~!

 

FYI

Coupon Code: NBTY34983

Off $200.00 bucks on HP Envy 15.

$1,894.99
- 200.00 coupon
========
$1,694.99

Hmm not too bad. Better than 7% discount EPP gives (1,762.34). They answer might be somewhere in this thread, but I'll ask anyway. How's the SSD that comes with HP? I wonder if this combo HD + SSD is worth it. Don't want to bother taking it apart after I get it.

If no interesting announcement this week at Cebit, Envy 15 with this coupon does make a very good case to buy

# 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)
# • 410GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (SSD 160GB + 250GB 5400RPM)
# • 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics - For i5 and i7-620M Processors
# • 15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display (1920x1080)
# • Webcam Only
# • Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
# • HP QuickWeb, Corel VideoStudio Pro X2, Corel Paintshop Pro X2, Stardock My Colors
# • HP Color Matching Keyboard
# • 6 Cell Lithium Ion Polymer Battery
# • No Productivity Software

 

yeah, but my beats envy was less than $1,500

 

I hate you. I wish your beats stop beating.

 

lol. the intel 160gb ssd is nice (both gen1 and gen2 are super fast), but i had to upgrade later and bought a gen2 and installed it myself. word of caution for people thinking of upgrading the HDD to 2xSSD or something later: the mounting kit is not available at hp parts right now. Hopefully will be back, but don't buy a 1.8" drive or drives until you know you can install them. honestly you don't need the drive mounting kit, but the 2 cables it comes with are essential.

 

The beats edition, i think looks nice, i prefer the black look rather then the normal version. of course the logo isnt the best but that could be covered by a new logo if it isnt etched in or anything.

What do you think of your Beats Edition? had any problems or heat issues?
do you think that it was worth the money that it cost?
how did you manage to get it for such a low price?

 

$400 off with 2 coupons, plus a shipping error, and they gave me $120 to "keep it" after I complained about wanting to swap it out for a different screen. This was back when the Envy Beats was $1999 at base price. I also upgraded the notebook myself later: 1080p screen, i7-820, SS/HDD combo, all swapped out by me.

I like the beats edition better. If the Envy was a solid metalic color, might have bought it that way though. But I also wanted the noise-cancelling headphones, and the DJ kit was a nice bonus. Haven't had any overheating problems or black screens, but it gets mighty hot, as do the standard editions. Dont waste your time changing thermal paste on the CPU/GPU, made 1-2 degree difference, not worth the effort.

 

My one month old Envy 15, 4gig, 500hd, i7-720, 1900x1080 has been a blast but... my right button in the lower right corner of the keyboard is mushy and sticking. Is there a fix? PS I spent 1200 with sgipping and NY 8.625 tax.

 

My Envy 15 flies through AutoCAD 2010 and Corel 15.
As soon as hp has a Bluray usb 3.0 I will be truely happy.
I could also use a car adapter.

 

kensingtom 120w slim comes with a car adapter plug, can find them for under $30 too. just make sure it comes with an N30B power tip adapter.

 

Over the weekend, I just received my new replacement Envy 15.

Pros:
can overclock and stable at 620/1100
Cons:
Still Intel SSD G1 (not too bad, since G1 have a trim software atm)
Still runs very warm at the palm rest (due to i7 720QM)

By replacing the cpu from i7 720QM to i7 620M, I found out another interesting fact:
HP Bios disable the USB 3.0 ports upon a i5/i7 duo core CPU. which leaves only 1 usb 2.0 available. - I have no idea why did they do that.

So now, I'm probably going to sell my i7 620M CPU on eBay. If anyone is interested in purchasing it before eBay, just PM me. asking 250+free shipping

 

i wish they had the beats version in the uk
do you think the heat could be a problem?
what about gaming? does it play games well at good settings and fps?

 

620/1100 is impressive!

 

what problems?

 

howd you get the coupon to work? whenever i put it in it says

The coupon entered does not apply to the items in your shopping cart. Please review the coupon for products included in this offer.

 

I just tried the coupon and it works on the i5 model, make sure to use all caps. I also found the Bing 20% CB for HP and not sure if that shows in the HP 'cart' (I saw no metion of CB) but if it works that's like $500 off total.

 

Since you used the coupon the BCB is going to get rejected. I tried it when I ordered my Envy back in Jan.

 

When is this 2nd gen laptop due to be released in the UK?

There's nothing on the Internet reporting a release date. Just came home from work and HP's offices are closed for the evening. Incredibly frustrating.

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ho/WF06a/321957-321957-3329744-3995710-3995710-4075902.html]Link from UK website

 

Given the whole issue with 20% off last Nov, I would rather risk and use $200 off than Bing Cash Back with HP

 

If I only had the money, I would definitely go for it. I am also jealous of your 5830's overclocking potential. My crashes at 600/1100. No Envy is made equal.

 

Does envy 15 gen 2 have switchable graphic function? thanks

 

What was the issue?

I just ordered my Envy like 3-4 days ago with an APP discount. Now this coupon is out and so is the 20% BCB.

I am considering cancelling that order and re-ordering with this coupon or BCB. Or would talking to HP get me anything?

Any suggestions/ideas/advice?\

Thanks.

 

must cancel and re order

do not use coupon if you want bcb

 

nope switchable is not possible with the PM55 chip used

 

Thanks !

Is it still running loud? I owned first gen before, the fan never stop (I knew I can disable it) and it runs loud

 

I'm considering getting the HP Envy 15-1110ea, which is the 2nd gen model available in the UK. I had a couple of questions and was wondering if any of you guys might know the answers:

• I remember reading that the Envy 15 had issues with the sata controller, especially with 4k random read/writes, has this been resolved? Also since the 15-1110ea use the HM55 chipset would this mean it would not be affected?
• Has anyone used the envy 15 with the Belkin Laptop Cooling Lounge? Does the cooling lounge block the front vents on the Envy 15?
• Are the shortcut keys on the left of the keyboard really annoying and is it possible to disable them?

Thanks for any help

 

If you use coupon, they won't give you BCB. If you have EPP, you can't use Coupon and they won't give you BCB.

There were also issue where they don't honor BCB regardless of coupon or not.

So for me right now, EPP 7% discount vs $200 bucks off, the latter gives me an additional 60 bucks saving....

Hmm The coupon expires tomorrow and Cebit just started..dang...decision decision.

 

To be honest, they don't phase me. Seen others who don't like em but maybe since this is my 1st laptop I'm not set in my ways so I just don't notice em as much.

 

Does the envy i5 comes with usb 3.0?I tried to search here but could not find any info.Also ,the Hd led is the one to get for games right?Thank's in advance!!!

 

The APP with 7% discount gave me a discount of around 107$. so thats almost a savings of 100$ with this coupon.

I called hp and asked them about this coupon and are crediting me with 100$ when I receive the laptop. ( Is that to make sure I don't cancel the order?)

 

USB 3.0 Controller from NEC is only available on models that you ordered with a Core i7 Quad. The popular screen option is the FHD 1080p (1920x1080) in either matte of glossy, even though natively gaming on it with the 5830 might have some difficulties. I stuck with the 1366x768 option due to the latter point.

I do know the the LED is on the 1920x1080 options. I DON'T know if the 1366x768 ones are (my doesn't appear very bright like a LED personally).

CORRECTION: All resolution options are LED. Confirmed on the options list via HP's website.