*HP Envy 15 Owners Lounge! PART 2*

I have seen several complaints of this issue, mostly on i7 systems. I've got both and the i5 never does this, only the i7. I agree with warp, it seems like a GPU issue to me.

 

I was wondering what everyone else's gaming performance is like. Has anyone ran 3dMark Vantage? What score did you get for the Performance preset???

I've also heard that several people are able to play ME2 at 1920x1080 with all graphics up just fine. Can anyone confirm exactly what settings you were using?

I think there is something wrong with my graphics card or the drivers. I got a

P4543 score in Vantage on the Performance preset. Before I re-installed windows I got around a 3,000 score in 3dMark 06. I can just barely run ME2 at 1200x768 with all the fancy effects turned off. (20-35fps)

DIRT 2 i also had to turn the settings down significantly to get it running. The best thing I can deduce is that the GPU is not ramping up the frequency when I launch a game. I have turned PowerPlay off in CCC and the computer is plugged in and on the high performance power setting.

I've tried this with both the HP image (de-bloatified) and recently with a fresh install of my own.

I will probably try to call a RRG later this evening and see what they say.

The re-install seems to have made the toachpad better actually and I like the computer a lot especially this beautiful screen but I really bought it for the gaming performance. If that's not there than I may as well save the $1200 and keep using my dv6000

Thanks to the community for your help!!!

Rob

 

I have been looking at several different laptops, the Envy 15 being one of them. I wanted to see one in person to make sure I liked it before dropping $2k on a laptop. As far as I know, the only place to do that is Best Buy. So, I went to BB but they didn't have any. They checked all other stores in the area and they didn't have any and the sales rep said that the Envy is marked as discontinued in their system. What gives with that?

 

Maybe you shouldn't disable powerplay.

 

That was the most recent thing I did to defeat the black screen of death.

 

I never changed any settings and still get the black screen. Tried factory install, clean install, updated drives (strag) etc. with no luck. IMO if the thing black screens with factory install from HP, there is a problem.

 

Hello everyone,

I have been an owner of the first generation envy 15 (i7 @ 1.6Ghz, 6GB 1333 RAM, 500GB HDD, 5100 AGN wireless) for a little over a month now. I like the envy for the most part but have some concerns and questions. I bought it from BestBuy for $1999.00. It seems they are now on sale. Has anyone done a price match or know even if I could do one? I am a little disappointed that I have the first generation considering I bought it at the very end of December. I would have liked to have the newer 5830 graphics and the 6200/6300 wireless adapter. After reading most of the previous posts I wonder if my envy suffers from the horizontal lines in the screen as I can see lines in the screen. It seems that some users have had hp repair theirs... I wonder if I should. My other major discontent is with the 9 cell slice. The locking/attachment mechanism is very lose and it often becomes unlocked from transporting the computer. Is the same issue that some of you have had and hp has replaced your slice? Another problem I had with my envy was that on occasion it would just shut off for no reason. I don't know why. It hasn't done that in awhile. I have also had some random BSDs but those are pretty rare. Has anyone else had these problems? Finally, I was wondering if anyone knows what flashing white and amber led (the battery/power input) means? I have had that led flash white and amber on two occasions.

Thanks,

-Derrick

 

Best Buy is getting rid of the 1st generation of Envy 15 systems (discounting them from $2000 to $1700 or $1600).

They might get the 2nd generation, but I somehow doubt it. I don't think they sold well in the store... Maybe that's why HP came out with cheaper models.

 

If the problem is with the GPU, will a driver update/software fix really work? If not, I'm going to return my current machine for one with </crosses fingers> no problems. And if I do return it, that means I have the opportunity to perhaps go to an i5 vs my current i7, especially if the i5s don't exhibit this behavior.

I don't mean to start a big argument, but could someone help me understand the main pros/cons between the i7 and i5 available in the Envy, other than cost.

 

I had that happen to me this morning. I opened up the lid and the screen stayed black. I thought the systemn was dead as it would seem to "wake-up". I finally did the hold in the power button till it shut down and then restart. I was running my gpu set at 540/1001 but that I thought was fairly modest.

Thx, if it happens again I'll try this. Hopefully its an isolated incident but this ones being replaced so maybe my next one will be perfect.

 

It seems disabling PowerPlay does not fix it. Looks like I am going to have to call HP.

 

I have the i5. It's a bet that it always hangs up within 30 seconds if I'm gaming.

New one comes in on the 12th.

 

Good question about the slice...I'd like to know too. What is the difference between the "new" slice battery and the old one? I got mine last week and it has posts that fit into holes on the bottom of the laptop and two slide lock mechanisms (on opposite sides of the battery).

 

My machine has black screened 3 times on me now and that's three times too many.

I just spent 41 minutes on the phone with HP to set up the return/replacement. They quoted me March 12th as well. What a bummer.

 

Well, that is plenty of time to backup the machine, test different drivers, and run it into the ground.

 

or find out how flammable magnesium is!

 

Ah but see they won't send out a new one until you send that one back so a date of the 12th may get moved even further back while they wait for it to arrive so they can see if its fixable or they have to replace it. Sadly HP doesn't offer cross shipping.

 

anyone else have this problem? after using the envy 15 display for awhile every other display looks like crap?

i will be working on my laptop for a bit and then look up at my pioneer elite plasma which i use to think had an amazing picture but now it doesnt look very bright. Dang Envy ruined it for everything else

 

The screen is great. I'm still not used to the resolution though. I'm coming from a 19" non-ws 1280x1024 LCD monitor and it was great for doing work. 1080P will take some getting used to because of how small everything is.

One thing I love about the new resolution though, is that I can have two things open with each taking half the screen. It makes getting work done when I need to flip through docs/programs much faster.

 

Is that true even if you are within the 21 day return period?

 

Well, I'm in my 21 days and those were the only options I was given.

 

I agree!

My 24" Westinghouse monitor looksl ike absolute garbage compared to the nice dense pixels of my envy =D

 

I have been wishing for years that they would make desktop LCDs with the same pixel densities as laptop screens, but they never do. I haven't seen a single one that even comes close.

 

Have a look here if your not sure about the lines: http://h20435.www2.hp.com/t5/HP-Env...nes-Pixels-on-Envy-15-1080p-Screen/td-p/49987

 

the lines seem to be a problem with early first gen envy's my second gen matte envy does not have them. I have sent my first gen envy with the lines to hp engineering so that they can probe the problems...

 

i have a glossy 2nd gen. if you look super insanely close you can make out the lines still, but you literally have to put your face up to the screen adn look at an angle which is ridiculous to even worry about. it's definitely less obvious than my first machine, that's for sure.

 

Damn dude, I'm looking really close and I don't see any lines on mine.

 

the fact that i literally have to go way out of my way to see any kind of imperfection... makes me realize it's a non issue. i can't see them at all under normal use, and I never see the need to put my face right up to the screen anyways.

 

Play a dark movie. If you don't see them while watching, you're probably just talking about normal dot pitch. The screens with lines are very apparent... go check thenextbench forums for a pic.

 

i had a first gen with lines, so I know exactly what I am looking for... you're probably right that my 2nd display is fine and that it's dot pitch. even if it's not, this line situation on the 2nd display is such a minor issue. the first one I could see lines under most normal situations during regular use. the fact that I have to put my face literally an inch away on this display to see anything makes me realize this is a non issue.

 

Hi,

I have been waiting for buying a i7 Laptop(I made myself very clear on this) for about a month and half.I confess that I demand and abuse a lot with my software testing,really long computations from Cryptographic studies, Theoretical Physics etc.Also, I wanted the laptop to last for atleast 6-years,if possible.After that it would just take place as a back up com, at home.I know I would have hard drive issues, by then.

Heat issues are tolerated as long as the Laptop doesn't break down{ I had a notebook with T7400 (2.16Ghz, 667Mhz,4M Cache) with a 320 GB 5400rpm.A intel integrated graphics. I used to work on planetary simulations: I used to simulate and procure data for a minimum of 3 days straight and would go as far a week.What worsened the condition, I used to design a fairly good resolution false-colored thermal profiles around the planets while the above data procurement was going on.This laptop is already 1.5 year old, poor thing cannot survive my needs even when I tried over-clocking.)

I have no price concerns as long as the Laptop costs less than 3000$.And I prefer a Laptop over a desktop.

Now, that I willing to keep such high price, I expect it to game pretty well, and same goes with visual-based applications.

I am prejudiced against aleinware.I have considered the fully configured SXPS 16 as a suitable match.I have been following the throttling issue closely; waited for the fix as this is the only i7 Laptop available in India presently.However, I have found HP Envy on par (or is it even better?), but it is not yet released in India.

I would like to know your opinions regarding the following:

1)Taking a fully configured SXPS 16 as soon as this issue is fixed.

2)Waiting for HP Envy 15.(the 2+2+2+2 DIMM's does provide an advantage over 4+4 of SXPS ?)

I am aware of the fact that a really monstrous racing car picks it own driver.I believe that I can keep the amount of power these machines give to complete use.

Also I have a 1TB external,so I don't mind having a low size SSD on my rig.OR is it better to have a 7200rpm HDD? In addition, I may be buying a warranty for atleast 3 years if available.[This is outside the 3000$ cap]

All those other other rosy stuff like the displays, expandable battery(in case of HP envy) do matter to me.


And I am 18, and so sort of power freak.Kindly, give me your suggestion.

Excuse me if this post does not belong to this topic.I would be grateful if you can direct me to the right place.

Thanks in advance


Mahathey
Genius is born,not paid; but has its price.

 

Mahatney,
I think you have to be more specific when asking a question. People here tend to ignore loosely connected words and pay attention to numbered lists of questions.

Re RAM, obviously 4 sticks of 2GB memory is cheaper than 2 sticks of 4GB memory. You might want to bake that into your decision. Speed-wise there's no indication that there would be any difference.

Today, and historically, a "gamer" laptop is not the lightest and nimblest machine on the market. Gamers tend to use whatever horsepower is available, so a nible design is never fastest due to power and cooling constraints. This has been true for a long time and still is.

 

Sorry for the inadequacy of the previous post; but, I have given as many details as possible...

I have decided for i7 processor.

Rest goes as follows:

I compile simulations for Thermal maps, fluid motions around objects etc., and other computational physics areas.All these make heavy use of color variations along with the associated data-profiles. The data used is also obtained by running a different simulation that doesn't use visuals.

Along side, I either watch a College lecture video with the iTunes, a web browser, and few PDF's open. I in addition tend to improve on my algorithms at the same time and test them.

I intend to play the latest games with a decent fps in multiplayer.In short, I would be happy if it is a all-in-one of sorts


If I haven't made myself clear, please excuse me as I have just used a system that was already there rather than investigate into necessary configs.

I would like a minimum of 2.8GHz(preferring i7 over C2D),1GB GPU, 6GB or above RAM(well I need it badly, I have my own reasons.)A good display... An almost all-in-one package in a Laptop... little childish though... pardon me...

Weight, heat for this performance come last...Well, I am not heavy gamer, I don't know if I will be... But I do play COD4 etc. mildly. Most of the time I run my simulations parallel with other and get live data feed on the lan... Fun projects...

Yes, I am aware of the 4 DIMM / 2 DIMM difference:The difference is negligible...but can you provide me a site where I can study about the differences between the two....

The price does matter!

Envy can go as high as 16 GB if required... Dell hasn't given such an option. That is one concern.

Envy is close to my likes... But does it get unmanageably hot?

Will SXPS 16 with RGBLED suffice or is ENVY worth the wait?

 

Envy is slightly better. Worth the wait? Probably not.

 

The i7 is a 1.6 or 1.7ghz.

I think you will be better off with a desktop. You can build a very nice 3+ ghz quad core for about $600. Then buy a thin n light laptop for another $600.

Laptops aren't really designed for running simulations on for hours.

Theo ones that are are like the Dell Precision 6500, which is extremely expensive.

 

Well I know were off on a completely different subject right now, but;

I have my 2nd gen Envy coming
500GB HD
i7-920 1.6 Ghz
4GB ddr3
1920x1080 Glossy
5830
blah blah

Anyone with a similar setup have some gaming benchmarks, i couldn't find any (at least 2nd gen and close to this config)

Also, GPU under load temps? Thanks

PS- ordered yesterday, build date is the 22nd!! ill be old an grey. is that an overshot estimate to cover themselves in a worst case scenario? or does it really take them half a month to get this out the door. ;/

 

Well, I move between 3 Universities a lot. I need a laptop for sure....Precision etc... are business I plan to take such high ends when I am around 23

Moreover, I think I cant game on a Precision.Can I?

 

Graphics
NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M, 1.0GB Discrete

game away

 

Oh sorry I didn't notice that...Well then I will certainly look into it.
But what about the options at hand between SXPS 16 and Envy?

Is ENVY worth the wait till its launched.? Or maxxed out SXPS 16 suffice?

 

SXPS has a mobility 4670, a class 2 mobility card. the Envy would definitely make it look foolish.

5830 > 4670

 

There is a new thread with benchmarks on the Envy 15's:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=453084

 

Can someone who has both the glossy and matte compare or give some details on color vibrancy, etc.?

 

Let us know how your temps are with that i7 920... sizzzle

 

haha im an idiot, 720

been reading about i7 all day ;x

 

Thanks for some of your thoughts. I guess I will be calling HP and see what they say.

-Derrick

 

Good times, I dropped the battery to install the ram and it bent the metal cover at a corner so watch out, its really soft metal and I squeezed it back in place with my fingers.

 

I recieved my glossy replacement for my envy with the lines... The lines are no longer visible with the replacement so that is good. It does look like the new glossy is not as good as the old glossy though. when side my side the new glossy looks much like the matte in terms of color and clarity. I did get a bluray drive with the new system though

now I just need to find a place to order the 320gb drives to give each laptop a 160+320 combo.

 

Hello everyone,
I have been reading the threads (previous one and this) regarding Envy since 4 days. I have strange sort of problem and need assistance.

My relative in Qatar purchased HP Envy 15 and sent it to me (obviously overpriced it was); Now I am in Pakistan with Envy 15 but the problem is that it has 1366 res where as I want full 1080p on it and also there is no slice battery and lcd shows some noise all over screen from certain angles. So basic question of mine is what is my best bet if I want to replace it with newer model ?

Current config is this.
i7 720 CPU
ATI Radeon 4830 (I so want 5830 HD)
8 GB Ram
500GB 7200rpm


Warranty is direct from HP.

Thanks for your assistance in advance

 

So would you say it's better to get the matte since you don't get much better colors/vibrancy from the glossy anyway?

 

Are you in the UK or europe somewhere? I really would of prefered the Bluray but its not offered as an option