*HP Envy 15 Owners Lounge! PART 1*

For that money you can just buy a PS3

 

in for one, $300 coupon was irresistable

 

I wonder if the i5 motherboard/design will make it so the regular dual hdd caddy won't work. I mean, maybe you need the caddy made for the i5 design and not the standard i7 one?

Kinda wish I'd gone with the i7 not just to be safe on that. I really want dual hdd's but I don't like HP's offerings. I'd rather install my own.

 

I finally dropped some money on the latest using the $300 Discount code configured with the core i7-720QM instead of the Core i5 because of the memory limitation. 4GB limit is definitely a show-stopper for a powerbox. Hopefully it also comes equipped with USB 3.0 by build date.

 

I think the i7 system can handle 8GB but they only sell 4GB to kinda force the performance geeks into getting i7. They i5 only has 2 dimm slots.

Any1 know how hard it is to access all ram slots in the old i7 version?

 

The drive 'bay' for lack of a better term is in the lower right corner and the motherboard is 'notched' around it (on the i7 version) I don't see this or the connector / wire harness / brackets / hardware changing at all with the i5 models. This would mean a whole new set of parts and hardware which would create havoc with the assembly and support of the product line.

Check out the 1st couple of pages of this forum, someone posted the step by step process of upgrading the HDD with pictures and I believe a youtube link. If nothing else it will give you a good look at the inside of the beast.

 

Nice. Do you know if accessing all four ram slots is very hard on the original i7? In other words, for someone that's used to taking computers apart, will it be difficult?

 

Just checked on 1st page -- youtube vid on changing out the HDD for a SSD is about 2/3 of the way down page (very long page).

The 2 built in ram slots are accessable but a pain to get to do to cable connectors for touch pad and keyboard etc. I thought you got the i5 version that is still an unknown regarding which 2 slots were kept.

I would suggest spending some time on the opening pages of this forum and the associated links. Most of your questions and more are addressed in great detail and most have 'visual aids' including the service manual drawings.....

 

Hi guys, add me to the club.

I am very seriously thinking about returning this thing though if it doesn't work as well as I hope it will. I really do need something like 3 hours of batter,y and if the i5 and switchable graphics don't cut it, it will go back and I will get either a Thinkpad T410 or a MBP 13.

With that coupon though, this thing was impossible to pass up, and I wanted HDMI which neither of the other two laptops had. I saw no reason to get either of those other two laptops however given that they weigh about as much as the Envy 15, but with smaller and much worse resolution displays.

Is Notebookreview affiliated in any way with Notebookforums? I used to be very active on NBF about 4 years ago when I bought my Inspiron 9300.

 

After following the Envy for a little while, the new i5 option along with the anti-glare made it a much more attractive option. Today when I saw the $300 coupon, it sealed the deal.

Ordered the i5-520M
* WAY better than the i7 for heat, battery life, with the only real tangible downside being restricted to 4GB (which I can live with). I think the chance that I would use all the cores on the i7 is slim to none (even over the next 3 years).
* Hopefully the i5 doesn't have the throttling issue that the i7 has on battery.
* From my calculations of published benchmarks, the i5-540M is at best about 7-10% faster than the i5-520 and perhaps the i5-540M produces more heat by going slightly faster). With speed or heat, it's probably not enough to even notice, so I decided to use the $75 toward the SSD drives...

Ordered dual SSD drives
* One of my biggest reasons is that the hard drive is located under the right wrist area and it puts out too much heat (and a bit of noise). The SSDs are of course silent and much cooler.
* I expect the speed to be amazing (really the one thing to splurge on to get an amazing experience - hard drive speed has been holding computers back for a long time), but I'm disappointed that I'll have to keep them in tip-top shape manually (no trim).

Ordered the anti-glare screen
* Wanting to do real work on the laptop, I don't want to be distracted with reflections. There's a reason that most business laptops have anti-glare screens! Reflections take you out of the flow...

Ordered the 9-cell slice
* It sounds like the connection issue has been fixed...

I decided I can live with the odd trackpad behavior (just have to get used to using 1 finger and perhaps turning it off when doing serious typing). And who knows - maybe it'll be way better once I'm used to it...

Lastly, hopefully I get lucky and don't get a screen with the lines issue, but if I do, I decided I can live with this too... I consider it a tradeoff for all of the other amazing qualities of this laptop. With the right mindset, I think I'll just consider it a quant quirk that makes some things look more "textured". Since it doesn't happen with white or black, it shouldn't be a huge issue when coding or surfing the internet (if I was working as a graphic designer in Photoshop, I would feel much differently).

As an aside on the horizontal lines problem, I think the issue varies in intensity on different screens. A screen at Best Buy had the problem, but it was really hard to see, whereas a screen at Fry's had a more striking line effect to the point where it would be annoying. I sent an email to HP's pre-sales support about the issue, but the agent just said that they *think* HP is working on the problem and that I could always return the product within 21 days if I was unhappy. I sort of expected this kind of response couched in uncertainty since they wouldn't want to admit, confirm or promise anything in a public written statement. In a way I don't blame HP - they probably got screwed by the screen manufacturer which put them in a terrible place when they wanted to launch this laptop for Christmas alongside Windows 7. They'll likely stomach the complaints/returns and silently get better screens in the future.

 

I mentioned above that I had an Insprion 9300 4 years ago. It too had a horizontal lines problem on the display.

Why is this still an issue 4 years later? Shouldn't this sort of problem be ancient history by now?

 

Yup, it should. lol

 

Yeah but Apple was vain enough to prioritize form before function - the E2E glass panels they use has no anti-reflective coating whatsoever. No wonder Mac owners complain.

The Envy 15 benefits from NOT having an E2E display, in that the panel has some degree of AR coating.

 

what audio chip is used in the envy 15?

Thanks

 

Can someone shed some light on the dual hard drives?

I read they're 1.8in drives? The SSD/HDD option... are they separate or are they put into raid?

 

The Envy line is dubbed with Beats by Dr. Dre audio, but ultimately its an ATI high def audio card which I believe is just onboard. Nothing too special. I find the audio on the Envy to be very underpowered when using the Beats mode.

 

congrats to all the new envy purchases. i've decided to use the wait and see approach. for one reason I want to make sure I get my 2000 dollar credit back for the first envy. and second, I want to see what everyone thinks of the new i5 config and what SSD's people are getting. I really hope they started using the G2 version of the intel drives as they support trim. I figure while I may miss out on this 300 dollar coupon, i'm sure by the time I am ready to buy, there will be similar offers anyways.

 

Anyone can confirm what are the SSD drive with this new model (ATI 5830)? It's the Intel g2?

 

I am also looking for a dual external display solution for this machine. There are a number of USB-to-VGA adapters out there but I don't know if they are any good.

Appreciate any recommendations for a solution on this.

 

Think it's going to take a couple of weeks before people get their new machines and we fully understand what's going on with this beast.

If people could post temps/battery figures when they get theirs....it would be fantastic!

 

i ordered mine on Jan 7th with an expected ship date of jan 18th.. I'll let everyone know how it goes.. I am curious too if I can upgrade to 2x4GB in the future..

Btw I came over from a returned XPS 1645, hope its a good switch

 

My buddy just ordered this thing with the anti-glare screen, external dvd and Norton security rolleyes: ) for $900.

He had a $300 coupon/gift-card from a verizon promo he signed up a while back. It was only suppose to work on netbooks but it worked on the Envy.

I can't believe he stole this from HP lol. I am so jelous right now.

Also, can anyone school me/us on the 5830, I would say I know videocards pretty well but since the 5830 is brand new there isn't much information. All I've heard is that it is crippled by a 128 bit bus using DDR3.

How would it run games like MW2? Thanks!

 

Seems in paper pretty much the same as the 4830HD I am using (curses that the Envy got refreshed so fast) but supports OpenCL, new OpenGL and DX11 which means tessellation and it is more "future proof", WARNING: games take a LONG time to embrace new DX standards normally.

It is 128bit and DDR3, which indeed cripples the GPU to a 4670HD with GDDR3 level, a tad above...I was impressed with the low scores, but I am no gamer, so no complain mostly...I do get to play AoE III fully maxed out on 1080p with no hiccups and The Sims 3 same max settings, 1080p and I get an average of 30-60 depending on situation.

 

The 5830 is as high as you can go in a 15 incher that is not 5'' thick and 8lbs weight.

 

After debating back and forth over the Envy 15 since it came out, and lurking the Envy 15 forums here; I finally gave in and ordered one last night. I've been using a Dell XPS M1530 (I remember reading and posting about the M1530 here too! Love this place!) for 2 years and looking forward to a big upgrade. Here's my mini-PRE-review...

A few of the key things I'm looking forward to:

- Core i5: Switchable graphics + lower power consumption overall. I figure the cores/clock-speed tradeoff is fine since I might ever use the full capabilities maybe 5% of the life of the system. I know I can make use of the better battery life in easily 50% or more of the life of the system. Good tradeoff to me.

- High-res Matte Display: YES! I've always been frustrated by the consumer-market move to glossy displays. Perhaps contrast levels are better with glossy, but to me the reflections just negate all that benefit. I've dealt with it for 2 years on my M1530, but no more! Really looking forward to this.

- ATI 5830: This plus switchable integrated graphics means the power is there when you need it, and the option to turn it off when you don't. I love the flexibility. I want gaming-performance AND general-use in one system, and now I'll have it.

- Form-factor/Design: I loved the design from day-1. Looking forward to the nice keyboard too. The battery-slice option is just perfect. I'm used to swapping in my 9-cell battery on my M1530, but it makes the shape of the system odd; plus having 6-cell + 9-cell will be a boost to battery-life versus what I'm used to.

- No Optical Drive: I know this is a big negative point in most of the common reviews, but this is actually a plus to me! I use the optical drive for, what, maybe 30 minutes a week to rip a DVD or burn a disk? For those purposes I'm happy to wait until I can plug in the drive at my desk, and there is no need to carry that extra weight and power-consumption around the rest of the time. This also leaves yet another upgrade option down the road. Personally I think paying for Blu-ray right now is silly for me... But what about a few months down the road? Now I have the option! Plus I already have an external DVD-burner (powered by USB-only) so I saved a few bucks there.

My Concerns:

- I hope the 4GB limit on the i5's is false. 4GB is fine today, but if I keep this thing for 2 years like my M1530 I know I'm going to want to upgrade by the time Windows 8 or whatever comes out. Plus 4GB limits the number and performance of virtual-machines that I like to play with. I'm ok with only 2 slots, but hopefully we can throw 4GB in each one.

- Hoping for USB 3.0 but not holding my breath on that one.

- After-market upgrades to the Hard Drive: I would like to throw in dual SSD's sometime down the road when the price is right. I'm happy to tradeoff some storage capacity for performance. But critical to this point is the availability of enabling Raid-0 on my terms and being able to install the drive-bracket myself. Looking forward to some hands-on with the system to see what options I have.

- I'm putting a lot of eggs into the "better battery life" basket and trading off a few things. If it turns out not to be any better my tradeoff points above will be completely moot. In that case, I've got 21 days to return right?

Once I've had a chance to play around with the new system, maybe even take it apart and check out the insides(?), I'll post more about my above points in case anyone else feels the same way about them.

 

Announcement​

Ok, I have a request, please owners of the 4830HD version and 720QM version, benchmark your laptop.

I also need the weight of this thing and some accurate measures. I will compare to my result and get back to you, I am up to something.

 

here's some info

http://anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=3711

 

Will these new corei5 models have display port? The 5830 supports Eyefinity, and even on a single display, I might want to drive a 1440p display at some point and HDMI doesn't cut it.

 

Interesting information, worrying how low end and mid range get double the performance, while high-end is a very little up.

 

Intel's spec sheet says 8GB, and the memory controller is now embedded in the cpu with the Arrandale platform. HP tech support is perhaps confused, mislead, or being asked to hold off on 8GB configurations for some internal reason. I'd push up the tech support chain until I got a satisfactory answer.

http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=43544&processor=i5-540M&spec-codes=SLBPF,SLBPG

 

It should support more than 4GB, I see no reason to limiting it to 4GB only, when C2D can do 16GB too.

 

It doesn't have display port in the pictures that I've seen. Only 2 USB, 1 eSATA, HDMI, ethernet, audio and power port.

On a side note, I was regretting ordering the glossy display after reading everyone talking about how much they hated the reflections, but after using a 13" MBP in person and watching videos between the glossy vs matte (and previously owning a T42 matte display) I think I can deal with a glossy.

Does anyone know if they made any changes to the trackpad with the update?

Can anyone that has previously ordered the envy from HP care to comment on what the turn-around time is for a custom order? My build date is 1/19/2010. Is that accurate or does HP routinely ship earlier than that? The only thing I changed on my build was the upgraded glossy display.

 

Trackpad has a learning curve, other than that it is really easy to use.

2 finger scrolling is a blessing...

EDIT: for gaming I HIGHLY suggest a mouse.

 

I thought the trackpad issues were resolved?

I know most review units had issues, but recent reviews of the system said the traclkpad was ok.

 

I would like to know this as well....

 

How much does the laptop weight? Please.

 

I saw a picture of a preproduction model that had display port instead of HDMI. thats why I asked.

I heard someone say you can get dual link DVI with an HDMI adapter though,right?

 

There are new drivers for the touchpad updated today on the "Latest Drivers: Envy 15 (INTEL)" thread.

 

I didn't know that. If the trackpad randomly jumping around and clicking on its own is resolved then I can't think of anything else to complain about. Can't wait to get the laptop delivered.

 

It has never done that before with mine Arctic Fox.

I am trying to make it jump and nothing, just remember it is a larger surface than normal, so that people can touch it by accident, and maybe that is what others are getting as randomly moving or clicking.

 

Can anybody confirm that the Envy now ships with USB 3.0 ports? The website is still not updated for some reason...

 

@laug

Source with video: http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10428132-269.html

 

Woot!

Hope that's true

 

Just saw that article too. But a confirmation from an HP source would be nice...

 

Serg;

Benchmarks from my i7 720 (same config as yours but 8GB)

PCMark Vantage 06: 6424 (64bit default settings)

3DMark05 : 14069 (default settings)
: 15453 ( w/ gpu O.C. @ 425Mhz / 800mhz )

3DMark06 : 7100 (average @ default)
: 7813 (best w/ OC @ default)

Can't get wieght because it's on the way back to HP.

Not sure if you noticed that the GPU clock speeds for the first units that shipped were at 425Mhz / 800Mhz (see O.P. screenshots). My unit which shipped Dec. 7/09 came clocked at 400Mhz / 700Mhz. My thinking was that hp detuned the GPU do to the initial heat issues.

I tried boosting the speeds to see if I could replicate the significantly higher benchmark scores (mid 8000's 3D06) reported in the initially reviews -- without any luck as you can see.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks, I too found low scores, and I am impressed so far...i thought it would be better, but nothing...

 

Weight is 5.18lbs...

 

Yes they are available for cheap ( under $10 ) but the question is did HP feed the proper signals from the GPU to the HDMI for higher res and / or multi display outputs (AMD specs it with a (*) as vendor configurable output options)-- I have this question asked via 'trouble ticket' with tech support for the i7 machine I just returned -- now I guess we need it asked about the 5830 also.

I'm definately holding off on ordering a 2560 x 1600 external display until HP confirms in writing that the envy will support full resolution via HDMI out with adapter...

 

This is the whole reason why I am holding off on buying USB gadgets such as the external blu-ray or flash drive. USB 3.0 will become more prominent and I will be willing to invest in the better speeds later. Especially with the external disk drive, the 3.0 USB will be heckuva lot faster than USB 2.0. USB 3.0 external drives are on the way.

 

Just reordered with the i5. I'm guessing the battery issue wont be a factor with this one. I had the i7 with a slice, but it made the laptop more thick and heavier than I cared for. Are you guys getting the slice with the i5? I wish there was a way I could charge the slice somewhere else and then just throw it in my bag and slap it on only when I travel with it.