*HP Envy 15 Owners Lounge! PART 1*

i've decided I will not be purchasing an envy if the i5 doesn't have switchable on the fly graphics options. furthermore, i find it kind of sad that backlit keyboard and e2e glass haven't been added as options.

 

E2E I can REALLY live without

The backlit keyboard would be very nice, but not an entire deal-breaker for me.

 

I think I'd prefer an i5 for longer battery life and cooler temps (if that's what it brings to the table). My primary reason for getting an Envy 15 is development and testing of multithreaded imaging software. I'm probably not the typical buyer though.

The 6/8 GB cache on the i7 over the 3 GB in the i5 might make a huge difference in some apps. I saw one benchmark where the i7-820 was 30% faster than the i7-720 due to 8MB over 6MB cache. It really depends on the app. I can imagine that for raw image processing more cache might be relevant.

I have to say that I'm really happy with the 1080p glossy screen. I've profiled it (i1 Pro, i1Match) and gamut is pretty good, pretty much matches sRGB. Static contrast at full brightness is over 500:1, which is a respectable number. A very close look reveals some temporal interpolation but it's hard to notice without a loupe. No lines whatsoever in any solid or gradient fields. Viewing angles are as good as they get on a TN panel, but of course nowhere near an IPS desktop panel. I just upgraded my desktop to an NEC 2490WUXi2 - what a great value for color-critical work.

I think temps is what bugs me the most. There's a hot spot right under the trackpad, that's where the chipset is located, or possibly it's power management, that spot gets hot when charging as well.

Does anybody have a good idea of how much power a 2GB SODIMM stick uses? I've plowed through some specs but it's not obvious to me.

I've set up a second boot with Win7 x86 for software testing, but the ATI driver install provided by Windows Update gives a blue screen at boot. HP hasn't posted any 32-bit driver.

 

so I guess there are conflicting reports on usb 3.0? i guess we need to wait until some one gets the new machine? is there a way to check whether the ports are usb 2 or usb 3?

 

After reading a detailed comparison test, of the i5 540m vs a P8700 (link below), last night I changed my replacement order to the i5 540m version. The results convinced me that this option should be able to meet my performance requirements while vastly improving battery life. The final results show a battery life of 4.5min per Wh if using the integrated graphics. This equates to roughly 3.5 hrs on the envy's built in battery with a 10% reserve, this assumes the envy's power draw will be similar Asus k42 that was the test machine. Even if I get 2.5 hrs the envy becomes truly 'light and portable' which is why I chose this model to begin with.

Some other info on the i5 integrated graphics I was not aware of:

Open GL 2.1 and DirectX 10 compatible

Full dvd and blu ray capable w/ HD audio (don't need 5830 for movies)

All power for graphics (integrated) comes from the i5's 35W TPD which will adjust which device gets more juice based on demand (details in test)

This should mean I can use the integrated graphics for mobile image editing in CS4 with reasonable performance and battery life while still having above average performance when plugged in. Givng up the i7 and extra memory was a tough choice but in reality this configuration should meet my needs for a portable platform better, time will tell.

In case you missed my earlier post HP tech support verified that graphics are switchable 'on the fly' via right click option (they actually tried it on an envy 15 - i5 sample unit)

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/mobile-core-i5-arrandale,2522.html

 

Forgot to mention in above post;

The i5-540m test computer used 4 GB 1333Mhz DDR3 -- with an FSB of 1066Mhz for the processor can the higher RAM speed make any difference in performance ?? (not sure what speed envy 15 i5 ships with)

Also has anyone seen any reason why more than 4GB (2GB x 2DIMM) can't work with the i5 option ??

HP says it is motherboard limited but all other platforms (i5) I have seen support 8GB (4GB x 2). Could this just be a marketing 'spec' to get buyers to upgrade to the i7 version?

 

I just ordered one:
HP ENVY 15 customizable Notebook PC

* • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* • Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06 GHz
* • 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* • 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* • 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics - For i5 Processors
* • 15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Anti-glare Widescreen Display (1920x1080)
* • Webcam Only
* • Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
* • Envy Instant On Solution, Corel VideoStudio Pro X2, Corel Paintshop Pro X2, Stardock My Colors
* • HP Color Matching Keyboard
* • One 6 Cell Lithium Ion Polymer Battery + One 9 Cell HP Envy Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery
* • No Productivity Software

Estimated build date: January 19, 2010

Total cost, shipped: $1430

Y'all might want to look at this $300 off coupon: http://www.logicbuy.com/deals/hp-envy-15-core-i7-laptop/14729.aspx

I was in the same boat as you, smckdwn989, but for $300 less? I'll deal with it if it doesn't. But given that the 5830 selection has to be different for the i7's versus the i5's, I am almost certain that it will have switchable graphics.

 

Unless the number of RAM slots have been reduced I can understand not supporting 16gb, but 8gb seems like an odd omission. Even the previous chipsets supported it so there's no reason other than firmware I would think holding it back. The current intel arrandale chipset should support it based on what every other manufacturer is putting out so far at CES.

Does anyone know how to find/how much external blu-ray drives are? I'm debating whether it's even worth getting one for the envy 15 direct through HP since $200 seems a bit pricey.

Also someone mentioned a firmware update to correct the core idling, shouldn't this help improve battery life by a noticeable margin? I know for my old envy that was quite the issue sometimes in addition to other problems. Also does anyone who got the envy more recently know how the driver updates have been? I bought mine with the first wave and had some issues with that, just want to know if that's improved any.

Any word on a confirmation of USB 3.0? I posted something earlier indicating that support is there or upcoming, so just curious if there's been any word on that. Sorry for all the questions, I've been busy for a while and don't get much free time to come on.

 

Hi everybody. I just bought an Envy 15 as well, so far I love it, but am bothered by the fact that I'm already out of date. Oh well, on to the topic at hand.

How hot should these things get? It only seems like there are a few people complaining about the temps getting to 90+. I just prime 95'd mine for 10 mintues and the core temps got up to 91 and the machine sounded like it was going to take off, not to mention the fact that you can't rest your palms on the case. Idle temps are good, though, usually around 40. It's also winter here so ambient is a lot lower than it's going to be in the summer (ambient around 20-25, summer gets 30-35).

I will call HP as well but I'm really more wondering what a good temperature number is.

 

The current Envy 15 is configurable with 16GB on HP's site... it's got 4 DDR3 slots. I'm thinking I might pay $100 for 4GB more RAM in the future here, but it's nice knowing that I can just buy it and plug it in, not have to replace what's in there when I order it.

You can get an Asus USB Blu-Ray drive with good reviews from Newegg for $89.99. That's what I'm doing. I don't need all the design to match, especially since I won't use the drive a whole lot

 

I do believe that the new low-end spec is mostly a marketing ploy to make the starting price look lower. After you add all the old bells and whistles back, you end up within $150 of the old price.

I am torn on whether getting the exchange is worth the hassle. DirectX 11 is nice, but based on many years of observing revisions of graphics standards, two facts have almost always been true.

1) It takes a while for games to actually take advantage of the new stuff in a meaningful way.

2) By the time they do, first gen video cards are often underpowered for the job. This is doubly true for laptop cards. So you end up with little gains.

Regarding heat, that is a tempting one, but unless they revolutionized cooling (doubtful) the same amount of heat will have to be dissipated. If they really stop using the chassis as heat sink, that would likely mean more fan noise. Since my chassis does not get uncomfortably hot, I am not sure that's a tradeoff I would want.

 

well said mate.

well actually I am convincing myself with this as they wouldn't offer replacement in hong kong even I regretted my spec anyway...

 

Yeah I was wondering if the slot number changed with configurations with the i5 processors since it was not giving an option for more than 4gb earlier. Not sure if that got fixed. Yeah I'm sticking to 4gb base this time and stepping up down the road like you to 8gb.

Do you know if the read speed on this is different than the HP model? I remember some issues with early 1st gen external blu-ray drives because of slow read speeds.

Any word on USB 3.0?

 

Sorry to inform you that the i5 versions have a new motherboard that only includes 2 DIMM slots not 4 slots as on the i7 version -- confirmed this twice with HP envy tech support. I am still waiting for an answere from them as to which 2 slots were removed since 2 were buried inside the case (had to remove case & keyboard assy for access) I'm hoping they kept the 2 accessable slots.

A related issue is that Tech support claims that 4GB (2 x 2) is the max supported by this motherboard. I may try a 4gig module to see if that is factual or just a 'marketing' spec. to push buyers toward the i7 version.

Could someone else please call Envy Tech support (1-866-408-5408) and re-confirm that 2GB x 2 is the max memory supported. It has been my experience that sometimes you get different answers depending on who you talk to.

 

I can almost guarantee that 8GB will work just fine.

HP just wants to charge folks extra and isn't offering 4GB DIMMS for the 2 slot configuration (i5).

Simply Business Marketing 101

 

The machine is configurable online with 4x4GB and an i5, at least in their online configurator. I would actually trust the site more than I would the tech support, especially since the site is configured to complain if you select the wrong CPU with the wrong GPU. I'm sure they'd do the same for the RAM if it was an issue. I'll open the case and dig around a bit when I get it, post what I find. It's supposed to be built by the 19th, and ship in 5-7 days.

2 slots isn't the end of the world. I can deal with "only" 4GB if I have to

 

I would tend to agree except the actual specific answer I got the second time I called (after a long wait while they checked) was that the motherboard was configured to recognize a maximum of 4GB of ram and even if you install 8GB it will only show (and use) 4GB installed. This almost sounds like the old issue with win XP not recognizing more than 3.25 GB w/ 4GB installed.

Not sure how the board could cause this, wouldn't it be more of a firmaware or BIOS issue ?? or like you said 'marketing 101'

 

The issue with 32 bit operating systems not recognizing more than 3.x GB of RAM has to do with the fact that there is one 4GB address space, and the video memory gets mapped into it. It should be a non-factor on 64 bit machines. Maybe the tech support guy thought the i5 is a 32 bit processor?

 

It'd be a marketing issue if anything. I can't see Intel crippling that for any reason. And like I said, the site lets you configure 16GB of RAM with an i5... I can't imagine they'll have many happy people if that's the case. I'm gonna stay with my "don't trust the tech monkey" train of thought and trust the website... front line techies rarely actually know anything, and usually ask the wrong question of someone who actually does know because they misunderstand it. Even more so with brand-new hardware.

 

If you actually try to select any other amount of RAM in the configurator it 'red flags' you and you have to change back to the 4GB option or select the i7.

That is why I called to confirm if I could upgrade later to 8GB and found out about the above issues / changes ....

 

* CAN SOMEONE HELP ME *

Does the SDD + HDD option put them in Raid 0? I DON'T WANT RAID. I don't want them to be combined, I want them to be separate drives, one for OS, and one for Storage. Is that how it's setup by default??

Someone please answer quick....

 

I believe it comes RAID 0, but you can disable this yourself in the BIOS settings, the manual even has directions.

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

I think I read some guy saying he couldn't disable it. Can't seem to find the post anymore though. Can any1 confirm this? Thx

Also, do you think the jump from i5 to i7 is worth it for $150?

 

Depends. Are you going for portability or desktop-replacement?
Also, I read here that you can press "Ctrl + i" to disable it.
But if u call hp I think they would do it for you before shipping it I'm sure.

 

Ok, hopefully the disable raid will work. I want it mostly for desktop replacement. I wish they'd offer 1600x900 res. 1080p is too small for me. Guess I'll have to deal with halfass dpi and zoom.

 

I think the problem was actually getting the right BIOS setting page to open while pressing the 'control + i' during bootup. I remember someone saying they had to hold down control and use rapid fire 'shooting' style tapping on the 'i' key to make it work.

I just ordered an i5 version as a replacement for an i7 version that was returned. Am gambling a little here that the i5 will improve battery performance enough to offset the loss of performance.

Look back a couple pages, I posted a link and info regarding an i5 540M comparison test to a P8700 -- not apples and apples but it's the best info I've seen on an i5 notebook with actual benchmarks etc...

 

Mine came set-up with separate drives as default: SSD with the OS on and HDD for data - no RAID

 

Thanks for that man! This thread is the best on this site I've visited yet!

Does anyone have opinions on the matt display? Do you guys think the colors will look vibrant? I like the colors on the glossy, but just don't like the mirror effect lol.

 

what ssd did it come with? Intel?

 

Does this laptop have any known big issues? I don't want to get into another throttle issue or something.

 

There was 1 person on the forum who actually had his set up as Raid 0. He went through quite abit of hassle with tech support to resolve it. I think he actually ended up buying a version of Windows 7 himself and re-installed the OS himself.

 

Thanks guys. I could reinstall if needed.

Now I just wonder if there are any major issues with the laptop. Otherwise, I'm in.

 

Did the poor SSD performance get fixed? Or is that only for dual ssds?

 

The issue I know of that I hope gets resolved is the laptop is locked on a 7X multiplier when on battery.

 

I would also like to know which SSD's have been shipping with the recent Envy 15 builds (just ordered dual 160's)?? And what size are they 1.8" or 2.5"??

Looked on parts page but typical HP only has there own number without details. Everything listed is "1.8inch" including the 500GB HDD which I know is a 2.5".

One odd listing was a 320GB single SSD that I have not seen offered yet, hmmm....more upgrades coming?

 

I got an Intel G1 160GB 1.8" and my build date was around 11/23

 

i'm close to pulling the trigger on ordering another envy. i know i said i would hold out, but I can't help it.

* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-520M processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.93 GHz
* 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 320GB Dual Solid State Drive Flash Modules (SSD 160GB + SSD 160GB)
* 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics - For i5 Processors
* 15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display (1920x1080)
* Webcam Only
* Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
* Envy Instant On Solution, Corel VideoStudio Pro X2, Corel Paintshop Pro X2, Stardock My Colors
* HP Color Matching Keyboard
* One 6 Cell Lithium Ion Polymer Battery + One 9 Cell HP Envy Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery
* No Productivity Software
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

i only need to know whether or not the dual SSD's come in Raid 0 and if this would be the recommended configuration (not sure if this hurts the health of the drives). also wish i had more info on the drives and if they support trim.

 

The drives shipped before the refresh were G1s without trim in a raid 0 (note that trim cannot be used in a raid anyway). HP has said that G2s are still a while off so I doubt this refresh has them.

There are means to restore the drives such as "tony trim", so lack of it is not that big of a deal.

 

Already got updated? Dang...I am hvery happy with mine.

 

i was happy with mine until i realized the lines issue. it drove me nuts!

 

Did both the anti-glare and ultra brightview have this problem?

 

I still have my review pending, but after benchmarking mine I feel disappointed, graphics wise.

For example, at native 1080p, everything maxed-out, The Sims 3 World Adventures gets around 30-60 FPS only...and it can dip to 15 (when switching views fast)

 

Really Serg? Glad to hear you are keeping it and like it.

I just ordered with the matt screen and i720qm. Do you think I should have gotten the i5?

 

The 5830HD seems like a 4830 with DX11 and OpenGL 3.2 and I guess EyeFinity and Tessellation included (must admit that Tessellation alone is tempting)

 

Depends on your usages. So far I can say that the 8 cores have never seen full action together. Not once. I get to stress the physical cores but never the virtual ones together, or virtual and physical but never all of it.

Max I have hit running orthos was 50% CPU usage, my suggestion is save the money. Unless you are going to use the full 8 threads, there is no point on the 720 or 820.

 

I see. What about buying for future proofing though? Is that pointless? By the time I need the power of the 720, maybe they'll have a much better Envy out then.

I could call and cancel right now before it's too late...

 

Did you order already?

How long you want to keep the laptop?

For future proof, indeed 8 threads might come in handy, but when we actually use them all and profit of this, the 720QM will be on its way out at this rate.

If you ordered already, and you dont mind, keep it, but I think the i5-540M bears more advantages, especially the IGC which would greatly help battery life in theory

 

32nm i5's are the way to go for now, IMO.

 

Less consumption, IGC, switchable graphics, 32nm, I second what sleey0 is saying.

 

Hrmm... I already ordered it. But, I can put another order in real quick and cancel the first. Think I should try it?