*HP Envy 15 Owners Lounge! PART 1*

I think the adaptive lighting was doing that. If you disable it, in theory it works, but I have no idea how to do so, since I messed my webcam and still cant fix it...

EDIT: Why thank you. Doing what I can.

 

Another query...

I can't seem to see the 4830 temperature in HWMonitor.... I see core i7 threads, Hard drive, and something labelled "TZ01" under ACPI... Is the TZ01 the GPU?

If not, what are you guys using to monitor GPU temps?

Thanks

 

No, the GPU is not supported unfortunately.

For example, here the GPU is supported so you can see the temps:

 

Interesting note on our Envy laptops.

Crucial is reporting this:
Chipset: Intel PM57
Drive Form Factor: 1.8" or 2.5"
Drive Interface: SATA
Maximum Memory: 16384MB
Slots: 4 (2 banks of 2)
Standard Memory: 4096MB removable
USB Support: 2.x Compliant

PM57 means Arrandale with switchable graphics or Clarksfield, supports both, so my little assumption some time ago of the Envy getting an Arrandale could be truth after all...

 

Does anyone know what speed the DDR3 in the envy 15 is?
Also is the HP Envy 15 9-cell extended battery worth it?

 

1333MHz DDR3 RAM.

CPUZ reports PC10600 (667MHz) which is DDR3 1333MHz

 

Was comparing to scores in the first page, ie: other Envy 15's. Are you saying that potentially some Envy 15's are shipping with GDDR3 and others DDR3? I would think they would all be the same...

 

I am not sure.

First one posted are DDR3 too, and I see no reason for some being G and some other not being it...hmmm

Update the drivers, flash the BIOS, set performance to the max, and run the benchmark with no multitasking nor the Aero working.

 

Havent received mine yet. Have couple of questions about power adapters:

1) Does the machine ship with a 120W adapter? (I've seen discussions here about a 90W adapter, not sure what that's about).

2) I've seen posts from folks not very happy with the size/weight of the included adapter. I want to order an additional one for convenience reasons. What have folks gone with? The HP build configuration wizard showed a screen where I could add a:

* 120W Smart AC Adapter
* 180W Smart AC Adapter

Are those two good choices? Are they lighter/smaller? Is the 120W the same as what's shipped with the laptop?

Any other choices?

 

Hi,

the Envy comes with a 120W adapter (at least in Europe),

Dont know about the additional adapters you mention, but I am pleased with my adapter at least hehe.

 

Oh right... a few times now I have heard that high pitching noise from the HDD(?). Is there a solution that fix this out yet?

Just played Modern Warfare 2 on the Envy... runs like a greek god

 

Well, then why does the clickpad seem like it's a single click one, I mean there has got to be a way to get single click working as the above quote mentions..

 

Need some advice, I own the Envy 15 right now, would it be wise to exchange it for the studio XPS 16 w/leather accent and blu ray drive [2.8GHz processor w/6mb cache, 4 gigs ram, and BACKLIT keyboard]

 

Hi Serg,

Did you change anything software-wise, or is the only difference the upgrade of your BIOS from F.06 to F.07?

 

Hi guys,

I just received my Envy 15 on Monday look, feel and perform nice. Per 2k should be. Was reading this complete thread for two days to find out how have audio through Hdmi port.

How I fixed.

Go to device manger: under sound,video and game controller.
I uninstall Ati high definition audio device.
Then run scan for hardware changes.
Wait until it install the high definition audio device instead Ati high definition audio device.
Voila!!! sound through my tv speakers. Loud, clear and crispy audio!!!

I hope this help you man...

 

thanks Panicsoul for the guide.

The sound you hear is it the Beats audio or the normal audio?

When you play a sound file via the hdmi port press Fn and "B" does the audio change?

 

I got two 120w and one 180w (by mistake..), and the slice battery. I regret getting the 180w and it is currently just gathering dust. I do not see any need for the extra w's, and it is HUGE and HEAVY - my guess is twice the size in volume of the 120. The 120 that came included with the laptop and the extra is the same model. I was worried about the size of the standard adapter as some people has complained about the size and weight of it, but I think it is normal sized and not that heavy for this kind of laptop.

 

I've read a few things about the XPS 16 and the Envy. As far as I know both are really hot. The xps 16 has bad airflow because the screen blocks the fan when you open it. This is also the problem with the xps 13, about which I've seen pictures where the left bottom of the screen colours because of the bad cooling.
So basicly you bought yourself an overheating laptop and are asking wether you should trade it for an even hotter laptop.

If the xps 16 did not have the cooling problem and bad grafics for gaming, I would buy it.
If the envy didnt have the cooling problem and the fan problem due to stupid construction (its mentioned in the beginning of this thread) I would buy it.

You asked if its wise to exchange it for a studio xps, I hope you realise now that you should rather exchange it for something entirely else. I am also still waiting for a decent laptop to come out (since 2008 lol).

 

The hardware design of the Envy 15 WRT cooling is actually quite good - eliminating the ODD allowed for a proper heatpipe design with adequate fans for CPU as well as GPU. There are some issues with power management but this is more of a BIOS/OS/driver issue than hardware design flaw. I think it's reasonable to expect cooling to improve dramatically over the next few months as firware and software gets updated. If you're not in a hurry with your puchase then holding off on purchase decision is a win for you.

Dell OTOH did not start from scratch with the XPS 16 for Ci7, so there are some legacy problems that cannot be fixed. Exit vent placement is one of them; a generally crammed interior is another. The power envelope of Ci7 at full load does require more efficient cooling than dualcore designs.

 

Hi there!

120W standard, 90w optional

120W is the standard. It is relatively large compared to my old Dell 65W PSU, and I would have liked it to be smaller. It weights literally 1 kilo, so far I have not had any problems whatsoever.

Loved your greek god comparison. The HDD problems is the HDD design, if you have the high-pitched noise, you could swap HDD and presto! problem solved...I dont think firmwares will fix it...

I would not go for the Studio XPS 16 honestly. The cooling system is kind lacking with one fan for the i7 and the GPU versus the 2 fans for the i7 and 1 for the GPU on the Envy 15 (yes, 3 fans). The Envy is not an overheating machine, at least mine isnt.

BIOS flash to F.07, Revo'd all bloatware, updated all drivers. Those temps are when full idle. When doing regular stuff it will climb to 40-50 depending on tasks and 50-60 when getting serious. I have yet to hit 70. NOTE: Those temps are on C!

The cooling system on the Envy is adequate, it is quiet yet efficient. Albeit still audible 100% of the time, the music or background sounds mask it.

The SXPS 1645 had some redesigns done, but I think it is not fully polished the design...

 

serg-
As a novice...what are the best bench marking tools I should or can use for heat, GPU etc. I've followed the initial set up guide...backed up, update bios 7.0,removed all bloat, new drivers etc. the only issue is I'm not sure if all drivers have updated...when I use HP Assistant tools it shows older version of ATI graphics all though I followed to the "t" the instructions from the link herein that shows the new 9.9 driver update. Otherwise the computer has been the best. It is fast and seems to be operating perfectly, but until I have bench marks I can post, then I'm only really speculating.

 

Serg,

can you post a link to the bios f.07 on the OP

Great job on managing the thread.

thanks,

 

Use the windows update tool...it is better and shows all drivers available...

Im not sure what you mean with you question...the benchmark tools?

 

Luck has a little to do with it - I mean there is always the occaisional lemon. However, research has EVERYTHING to do with it.

By the way, 94 Celsius is 201 Fahrenheit. Google the text "94 Celsius in Fahrenheit" - it's a useful little tool.

Which Acer? My boss at work had one that used to get so ridiculously hot - he had to use an external keyboard & mouse because he just couldn't use the built in one. He put a drop of water on the palm rest and one on the desk, and the one on the palm rest was gone considerably faster - lol. Still, he found a new use for business card plastic containers - they were used to prop up the notebook at all four corners. Oh and the two elastic bands, one used to hold the power supply in place, the other the ethernet cable, just added to it's charm.

Still worked though.........

 

Announcement​

OP updated with BIOS F07 available now.

 

Be very careful about drawing conclusions from so-called quality research, there is so much freedom to tilt the results (intentionally or not) that most studies like that are more or less useless. For example, was HP:s business line included in the study, or just the consumer line? What about the competition? How is quality measured? How are samples selected? Are professional users included or not? Did users pay for the equipment with their own money? Did users purchase extended warranty? Etc etc. All this affects user behavior and preception, and thus in the end tilts the results of the study.

I think it makes more sense to find quality estimates of specific product lines. For example, Dell has a pretty bad rep, but the Precision workstation series are among the best laptops on the market qualitywise. The same goes for HP's Elitebook workstation series.

So for a good quality estimate on the Envy 15, keep following this thread. And give Serg a pat on his shoulder from time to time.

 

If I replace the hard drive on the envy would the restore cds put back everything including the restore partition?

 

Question about the FN key behavior - is it possible to revert the FN keys back to the traditional use? I do a fair bit of gaming, for which those are important keys.

This is the one issue holding me back from buying this box Thanks in advance.

 

Yes, there's a toggle in the BIOS settings.

 

just would like to point out that my Microsoft cash back has been released and I have safely transferred it via pay pal and it's processing.

 

I agree. Though I was the one who posted one of those studies here on NBR some time after I pulled the trigger on the Envy, it is not as reliable as a source of info unless details are given.

Thanks for the pat on the shoulder...^^

BIOS should hold the option to do so.

 

I agree, Serg (as well as many others on this forum) deserve a pat on the back! because of all the information on here, I made the leap to get an Envy 15.

Does anyone here have the 410 GB HD config? Any insight on how it is set up? Hopefully to boot off of the SSD.

It should arrive next week...I will have to buy a dozen eggs to see if i can Pouch them on my palm rests

 

They are only slightly above room temp in my case...you feel them a tad warm but very comfortable.

It is working ok in theory the SSD+HDD config...Having the OS on the SSD.

 

For those that find their Envy to make too much noise, go into BIOS and set fan option "always on" to disabled.

Also change setting in power options (win) to passive cooling.

Much better noise handling.

Temps seem to stay roughly the same as with fan always on (when just browsing at least)


Also, I had no idea that flash heavy sites caused heat spikes ! Guess Adobe could optimize a few things with processor use there !

 

Adobe and flash is EXTREMELY CPU dependent. Only recently the 10.1 and 10.2 versions seem to use the GPU, while preparing for 11 which should be GPU bound...

 

Having owned a SXPS 16 (not the current version), I highly recommend the Envy 15 over it. I'm not sure if you have been tracking the Dell threads, but they have been having some pretty serious issues.

First of all, you will be lucky to get it within 3 weeks even though they've been selling it since late september (I waited over 2 months before I canceled my order).

Second of all, the cooling system is a terrible design on the Dell. Sure our systems get a tad hot, but at least it cools off incredibly quick. You can thank HP for a good cooling design despite the large amount of heat that these powerful components give off. yet, our systems are much thinner too. Dell only uses one heatsink for the CPU and the GPU. Then they only use one fan that blows out of one hole (which is 90% blocked by the screen when it's open). We have 2 fans one the heatsink for the CPU and one fan on the GPU's separate heatsink. They frequently have throttling problems due to heat during intense gaming too.

Additionally, the battery life isn't that great on the Dell either. They ship with a large 9 cell that is comparable to our 6 cell's battery life. But we can slap on a slice for double the fun.

The Dell is all plastic. Granted, it's not terribly cheap plastic, but it pales in comparision once you've had the Envy.

The Dell's screen has some very great colors...but they are very green and red dominant out of the box. And calibrating the colors doesn't work for every application from what I've read.

The biggest problem that pluages those guys, the very nice and slim power supply that comes with the Dell is not enough for the system. It was fine for the original SXPS 16 (with the ATI 3670 and C2D). But they eventually figured out that their performance was being severely hindered because the power brick couldn't give it enough juice. So if you want full performance from that Dell, you better buy a separate power supply too.

And don't even get me started on Dell's customer support. I pray for anyone who has a problem with their systems and needs to talk with their CS.

The only thing going for it is the backlit keyboard and the screen. Considering I love the keyboard on the Envy (much more so than the Dell), I can live without the Backlit keyboard. And the screen on the Envy is still exceptionally good. I was worried about this when buying this machine, but the screen is so vibrant with great viewing angles, that I don't miss the SXPS screen at all. In fact, I like it a tad better since the colors are accurate on the HP. I just wish the Envy screen would recline back a bit further.


Moral of the story, if you don't care for your Envy, then you'll absolutely hate the Dell.

Great info that I'm sure will make some people happy in here (someone was having problems with it a while ago).

 

Hi thebranded,

I just was checking that and unfortunately I'm not having the Beats audio through my hdmi port!!! :'(

I honestly tried everything to had audio through hdmi port with the ATI High Definition Audio Device drive version 5.0.7000.4 but still no audio!!!

Any others suggestions guys I'd like to have the beats through the hdmi port???

I'll using the normal audio until a update version for the driver before mentioned release...

thanks in advance for any solution!!!

 

Hello everyone and thanks for all the great info here.

I pulled the trigger for the Envy 15 on 12/7 (recommended config + 8GB and W7 Pro) and got an estimated build date of today. When I just checked on my order status I was very suprised to see that my Envy shipped on 12/11 and should be delivered this afternoon! Well done HP!

I have been searching for the Post of bloatware to delete as well as the link Serg posted for a Freeware uninstaller program -- can't seem to find it -- could someone please post the thread # or location?

Will give an update after I have things up and running, to include:

Bios version installed from factory
Screen condition (hoping for no lines)
Initial Temps out of the box

Let me know if there is anything else anybody wants info on about the most current factory fresh Envy 15.

JJB

 

Hi there JJB! And welcome to the NBR Forums and to the Envy 15 Owners Lounge.

First off, congrats on your purchase.

Here you go:
The HP Out-of-the-Box Guide http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=432564
And the program I used called Revo Uninstaller http://www.revouninstaller.com/

I suggest using HWMonitor for the temps.

The BIOS new link is on the OP (first page) and I suggest using Windows Update instead of HP's.

 

Originally I was looking at this laptop, but was disappointed about dual 1.8 HDs (no SSD option initially), very hot temperatures and anemic battery life. It sounds like latest bios updates and new HP options resolved some of my gripes about the laptop. So, here are a few questions on the Envy, if you gents don't mind answering.

1. How are the external temperatures. Serg's postings are very promising for internal temps, but what about outside? I checked out several models in BestBuy (different stores) when the system just came out and all were very hot.
2. What is the battery life you guys are getting without the slice and with the slice? Say one for web browsing, one for office tasks and third type of activities like DVD playback.
3. Are the SSD drives the new Intel ones wit TRIM for Windows 7?
4. How is the touchpad? Did it improve with newer drivers? It was a bit off initially.
5. Is there a RAID controller onboard? Can the 2 x160GB SSD config be setup with RAID-0? I do wish HP offered 2.5" 250GB SSD option ala Dell.
6. Any other comments?

I got myself Studio 17 with i820 and ATI 4650, but if HP resolved a lot of issues with the Envy, I may just send it back. It will cost me extra $600-700 to get the decent config on the Envy and that with slower CPU, but what the heck, hopefully GPU would be better. Anyone try to Overclock the 4830?

 

I think much of the screen criticism comes from the TERRIBLE default adaptive lighting. The screen looked extremely dull when I first booted it up. As soon as I turned off adaptive lighting the screen became much, much better.

 

1. The external temperatures are fine. The top is never more than lukewarm even during gaming. The cooling system is very efficient, there is a lot of hot air coming out of the vents.

2. I didn't get the slice. Battery life is not great with this machine. I haven't really tested it yet.

3. They are still G1's without trim.

4. Touchpad is working fine now.

5. The dual SSD option comes raided by default.

6. I wish they gave it a sexy power brick like Apple does. The magnetic connection is very useful when using the laptop on the coffee table where there is risk of people tripping over the power cord.

 

hi, i will try to answer with my personal experience.

1. i have the 820 processor and it does get warm, but I really think everyone is over exaggerating about cooking eggs. I just did a batch render with 3dsMax and had illustrator, photoshop and acrobat writer open, oh and google chrome which maxed out my processors and it cooled off really quick. as i am typing this, it is about warm to my hand.

2. battery life is non existant for me, i dont have a slice and it basically goes really quick. dont expect much from it.

4. touchpad works fine for me, i did update the drivers and like the ability to zoom and zoom out with 2 fingers.

6. all i can say is this machine is fast! its very fast and thats what i love about it. aside from the other things, i can live with it. plus i got my bing 25% cashback today!!!

 

the adaptive lighting drove me crazy. i was working with a light source behind my head and as i tilted my head the screen got brighter and darker as i moved my head.

 

1) The outside is barely warm...I must say the GPU side feels warmer than the CPU, but HWMonitor does not support our GPU still...so no idea on real temps so far...I might download ATITools and check there...and it didnt work...the 4830HD is so new it is not supported...grrr

2) Battery life is enough for me with the 6 cell...I might be getting something above 2 hours...will haev to check back with Battery Eater later today.

3) AFAIK and IIRC no

4) I love it. It does take some time getting used to it, but once you get the trick it is a pleasure to use. I tap rather than click.

5) I think it is possible, but I am not sure...I have a single HDD.

6) This thing is VERY fast. I love it, the screen is beautiful. I am very pleased with my purchase. I do recommend it, if you are willing to uninstall all the bloat, run some utilities and get it done. It is a very ncie machine, not to mention beautiful

 

For you that have the pitching/whiny noise from your Envy.

Did a bit of reseach and found out that it probably is the CPU that is making the noise. It appears when the processor is switching powerstates from hard C4 to all the other powerstates.

Found this page that offers a solution but haven't tried it yet. I have only experienced the noise a couple of times so It doesn't really bother me that much but it could be something to try to you guys that have the same problem and finds it irritating.

Its an old thread but it seems to help people years after the first post so i think it could be worth looking into.

http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/showthread.php?t=3516

 

Hey, thats what i thought too cause my original C2D did this. But i;m pretty sure it's the disk, because once it access something the whine goes away. well does anyone with SSD have a whine?

 

Does anyone have the problem that it takes a very long time to startup from hibernate? That is, it takes 55 seconds for the "Resuming Windows" screen to appear, then another 35 seconds for the desktop/apps to be ready; a total of 1:30 (one minute and thirty seconds) to be ready to go.

Here's what happens:

0:00 Press on/off button/fan starts
0:15 Fan off after decreasing in speed
0:17 Fan loud again
0:25 No signal indication appears on external display (I'm using external display, mouse, keyboard
0:30 HP & Intel logos screen appears (once I saw this appear twice by now)
0:35 Fan loud again
0:40 No signal indication appears again on external display
0:55 Resuming Windows screen appears
1:12 Screen all black
1:30 Desktop appears/ready (another time I tested this appeared at 1:15)

I recall in a well-used Windows XP, even on a slow, old machine, Resuming Windows appeared right away, as opposed to this.

Finally, is there any reason to actually use Hibernate? Is it just as well to use Sleep? I use my Envy throughout the day/evening and want to give it a rest overnight, so that's when I've been using Hibernate and otherwise use Sleep. (I reboot maybe once every two weeks unless I need to for some reason.)

Thanks very much!

Larry

 

I do find sleep taking longer than a full shut down here...I think it is a Win7 thing