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

I think someone messed up.. I ordered a 9 cell battery and here is my confirmation email.

HP 9-cell Battery for HP ENVY 15 (NS09)
No tracking number available VL841AA#ABB 1$27.99$27.99

Order subtotal$27.99
Shipping
(5-7 Business Days)FREE
TX Tax$0.00
Grand total< $27.99 >

 

wow, that's an impressive score with the ASUS G73JH, but battery life and size make me glad I stuck with my Envy beats.

 

just called HP. the CSR confirmed that my order (played on the 8th) will be shipped out tomorrow via Fedex.

 

$28 for a battery?? Wow thats hell of deal

 

Anyone else think Asus makes some of the ugliest notebook computers?
I'm not sure which is worse, their G50/51 series ugly front lid or the "stealth" look of their G73JH.


Surely they must realize that their visual design is fairly polarizing. Whose idea was it to take a laptop as chunky as the G73JH and then make it even chunkier looking with the "stealth" look? Its hard to believe the G72 is almost exactly the same size and weight. The G73JH just looks so much bigger to me. I suppose they take inspiration from Alienware's gaudy appearance.

 

I wouldn't think that the size of the firmware for the HM55 would have any bearing on the issue other than its hardware requirements for implementing switcheable graphics.

Making switcheable i5 graphics work would most probably require rerouting of the actual signals to the HDMI connector. For the original i7 design it's most probably handled directly by the discrete ATI graphics card only... but I'm not so sure how the i5 switcheable graphics would rather the HDMI port be handled... if it's still through the discrete card, then it wouldn't be as good power savings wise since the discrete card still needs to be powered up. It would make sense that the actual HDMI/DVI/VGA output be on the motherboard and be switcheable between the IGP and the Discrete part.... but it's all speculation on my part since I've not seen an actual implementation or detailed hardware description of how the switcheable graphics on an i5 / discrete graphics device works. But what makes things a bit murky for the Envy 15 is that the "discrete" graphics is built right into the "motherboard" and the fact that there's a "special version" of the i5 motherboard that only supports two sticks of DDR3.

It really depends on how forward thinking the HP/voodoo engineers were when they designed the Envy 15, V1. Did they take into account the integrated graphics that would be available for the i5? If they did, it would be trivial to "switch it on", but if they didn't, then it would probably take a lot more time and effort (read $$$$ to redesign the mobo) to implement.

 

i will be amazed if it has an HM55 chipset. Since my Envy 15 Beats with the i5 is a PM55.

 

We Hope that they are not just saying it just to please you/us.

 

HM55/PM55, oww my head hurts. Which is the one I want to have/hope for when mine shows up?

 

Well, to make you even more confused you want the opposite version that the i5 people are hoping to receive.

http://www.intel.com/products/laptop/chipsets/index.htm

i7 people want the PM55 since it is part of Intel's performance line. i5 customers shouldn't care either unless battery life is a concern.

 

Okay well my order is for the I7 820 so I want/hope for PM55, right?

 

On that note...if we have the PM55 does this mean we can upgrade to RAID later on? Is the capability built into the BIOS or do we need something else? I bought mine with the 320GB HD.

Am I misunderstanding something? Or wouldn't the HM55 keep the dual SSD option off limits for i5 owners?

---------------------------------------------------------

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) 1,3 With additional hard drives added, Intel® RST provides quicker access to digital photo, video and data files with RAID 0, 5, and 10, and greater data protection against a hard disk drive failure with RAID 1, 5, and 102. Support for external SATA (eSATA) enables the full SATA interface speed outside the chassis, up to 3 Gb/s.
------------------------------------------

 

Remember, it's not what you *want* that matters, it's what HP *provides* that is the limiting factor.

BTW you'd want the QS57, QM57, or HM57, then if not, then the HM55 will do, but ONLY if the rest of the hardware in the laptop supports switcheable graphics, else even if the chipset supports it, it won't work.

However it looks like the PM55 is what you'll get in the current i5 Envy 15's, which *CANNOT* support switcheable graphics, at least for this revision of the Envy 15... we'll know for sure once we get the "delayed" shipments if there are some surprise design changes between them and johnnobts' Beats i5 which has the PM55. But I wouldn't hold my breath...

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

I'm expecting a PM55 with no support for switcheable IGP graphics when I receive my i5 Envy 15, and will be evaluating if it'll last long enough on batteries with the slice to meet my personal requirements.

Edit: I didn't see that you have the i7 820QM on order. You don't care about switcheable graphics anyways, so unless you need the antitheft feature, the PM55 should be fine. Most of the concern about the chipset is from the people who ordered i5's since they have integrated graphics (IGP's) built in. The i7 820QM does not have integrated graphics on the same package.

 

Yes. We will be able to upgrade to dual 1.8" drives with our i5 version machines. It's in the BIOS (really EFI) and hardware

bbf: The HM55 has a limited number of PCIe and USB lanes as compared to all the other versions. I don't know if it'd be enough to run the 5830 properly. I'm thinking that it'd have to be HM57 or higher if anything.

 

Actually I did go ahead and order the lowjack deal. I figured it wouldn't necessarily stop anyone but it might at least make them think about it.

 

Hadn't thought about this. I have the i5-540m with dual 160 SSD's on order so I guess it will be the PM55 chipset.....

 

Which one gives switchable graphics???

 

The one that does not support swichable graphics is the PM55

 

Hopefully it'll be the HM57 Best of both worlds, and it'd only cost HP another $10 or so per chip in bulk. I'll pay them $50 more on my order right now if they did it.

 

Ohy Vay, I went back and looked at the spec's of the 2 chips so now my head really hurts, LOL. I see antitheft listed for the lower HM55 and the higher QS57, QM57 but not on the PM55. Seems odd that Intel would put the feature on the lower end chip and not the better one. I do know that apparently Lowjack will either work via bios or sw if the bios doesn't support it. Maybe since I order lowjack I'll get lucky with either a QS57 or QM57. I guess Ill just cross my fingers and hope to get lucky as it sounds like the HM55 isn't a good pairing with the 5830.

Its gonna be a long wait for friday. Oh and joy of joy's also just learned I'm having to do an exchange on my Care pack. They sent me and told me by phone that the one they sent would work for my 15 but it turns out the one they sent is for the Pavillion models so their now doing an exchange so that I get the right ADP pkg. I sure hope TS is more with it than CS has been. At least they are going to ship the new ADP out overnight shipping at no charge to me as soon as FedEx picks up the return so thats something at least.

 

I don't even understand hte need to do all this bull. The difference in price between them is essentially 0, and each has the potential to seriously degrade performance.

 

Intel has to cut costs. In business, 3% is a big difference. It can either make or break your profit margin.

It's not Intel's fault. It's HP's fault for using the wrong chipset. HP should have used the HM55 on the i5 ones and PM55 on the i7 ones.

 

Intel went overboard here though. In fact, the whole linup of CPUs and chipsets is a confusing mess.

 

I doubt that the laptop "lojack" needs the advanced anti-theft chipset support, since it's been offered for a long time before the introduction of the new for Q1-2010 chipsets.

Remember, the PM55 is the *OLDEST* chipset of all the ones listed in that table. So that's why "lower" spec'd chipsets can support features that a "higher" level chipset doesn't.

Don't worry about it. The PM55 is *FINE* for your i7 820QM based Envy 15.

 

I'm trying to be paitent. My only concern was that someone had mentioned that perhaps the HM55 wouldn't give the 5830 graphics all it wants.

Its the curse of OCD. My mind starts worrying about things and won't let go hehe

 

The HM55 only has 6 PCIe lanes. The HM57 has 8, just like the PM55. I'd love to see the HM57. If it's not the HM57, I'd want it to have the PM55.

 

I know you guys are generally still waiting for your laptops, so maybe it'll be a bit before this is answered. But anyway, I'm thinking of getting an ENVY 15, and the only issue I have at the moment is the puny opening angle of the screen. I tried it at a store, but unfortunately the laptop was off, so I couldn't test it in use.
Has this bothered anyone who actually has an ENVY?

 

Actually, could anyone provide a photo with the screen open to the max angle?

 

I am waiting on my replacement envy so can't take a photo but I did measure the angle on my first unit at 119 degrees max., so it opens 19 degrees back from vertical. I personally had no problem with the angle while using in my lap or on a desktop.

Hope that helps.

 

I hope I get my shipment notice tomorrow. I would be really grateful if it arrives by the end of this week.

 

Thanks JJB, I think the main issue people are worried about is when using it on your lap, and on a laptop cooler.

If I were to buy a Zalman cooler, or some cooler which is angled down, is there going to be enough screen movement to be able to see it properly?

 

+1

My question as well.

 

I use a zalman nc1000 with my Envy, it is not angeld so sharply that it affects my viewing the screen (at least not on my desk)

 

Well unfortunately I can't answer that due to all the variables a cooler, your height and your 'lap' angle add to the mix.....

One other thing that may help is that I would consider the vertical viewing angle to be quite good for a TN notebook LCD. I would guess you have another 10 to 15 degrees viewing angle without any significant loss of image quality

 

I think he was referring to the incline....

 

Thats what I'm trying to give you an idea about. The screen tilts back 19 degrees and you can add 10 to 15 degrees to that if you figure in the usable viewing angle. The angle of the cooler and your lap are variables that you'll have to figure out....

 

Speaking of chipsets, I went to BB to see some laptops and there was a Toshiba that had nVidia discrete Geforce 310m and a core i3-330m with the HM55 chipset. I didn't see any switchable graphics utility or button on the notebook.

I also saw a Dell Studio XPS 16 core i5 with discrete Radeon 4670 that used the PM55 chipset. Most the others were Core i5/i3s using the IGP with the HM55 chipset and a few that used the PM55 chipset for whatever reason.

There was a Sony that had a Core i5 that used a either a HM57 or QM57 chipset with only IGP (most likely QM57 since it was using the Centrino branding with the Intel Wifi 6200). It looked like a 14" notebook 1" thin premium notebook.

 

So you're saying that even with the HM55, there might not be switchable graphics?

 

you mean 29 degrees past vertical?

119 - 90 = 29 :]

 

Two questions about memory:

1. Do we know for certain the max memory allowable for the i5 motherboard?

2. Are there any issues with having one slot have 4MB and the other 2MB? (Or does each occupied slot have to have the same size?)

 

Ooops..... well whats 10 degrees among friends . I'll blame my mistake on global warming

 

I don't own my Envy yet (should ship this week). That being said, the Envy Maintenance manual makes me feel pretty good about the vertical viewing angle.

Viewing angle ±40° horizontal, +120°/-40° vertical (typical)

 

Could anyone apply the 50 dollar coupon to a DVD after they purchased the HP envy 15? i was going to be charged 47.50 for the external player. even with the coupon because you can only order when you 'order the laptop'

 

Yes. You need the hm55 chipset to enable intels igp, but for switchable graphics you'll also need support for it from ati or nvidia's drivers, as well as from hp in the bios. There isn't an i5 notebook with switchable graphics available yet.

 

The Intel "anti-theft" feature will not prevent someone from stealing your laptop, nor will it get it back for you once lost or stolen. All it does (if enabled and you're paying for the service) is check with an administrator computer every time you log on, and if you report it stolen to the administrator it will poison your laptop (render it useless) the next time it logs on and checks with the administrator computer. It's only useful if you have sensitive data on your laptop (are using it for critical work functions.)

 

Eh, I kind of figure if someone truly dishonest really wants to steal it they will. However if someone is just tempted then seeing the warning sticker might make them hesitate. I realize its no grantee that someone wouldn't try to steal it but as it was only $49 for 4 years of the service I decided it was an acceptable cost vs possible benefit for me.

 

Looks like you have lojack, not the intel anti-theft feature. Lojack is different but I'm not very familiar with it.

 

My bad. I made the assumption that it was the same thing sorry. Yeah they offered 4 yrs of Lowjack for $49 bucks so I figured was a worthwhile investment. If it deters even just one person from trying to swipe my goodie then its paid for itself by protecting my investment.

At the same time I'm not foolish enough to think it will stop everyone, just like DRM and DVD encryption doesn't stop those that set their minds to ripping, copying and cracking.

 

HP dv4i for one.

 

Man i thought i caught that first!