*HP Envy 15 Owners Lounge! PART 2*

will have to install CPU-ID later but I have a i7 720 and it doesn't get very hot even when gaming, or using illustrator, photshop, dreamweaver, listening to npr online, with many tabs open. I will give you a temp when I can. I will say that it does make a good amount of fan noise when gaming.

 

I have to ask about the keyboard. I like the metal keys yet they are not as sturdy as a MB Pro. Does anyone find them to be fragile, I worry about them getting uneven from use, like the w,a,s,d keys or arrow keys.

 

Actually they are plastic keycaps not metal. The keyboard is held in from below with 60 miniature screws in most of the 3 and 4 way intersections between the keys. The keycaps are on a scissor lift type mechanism with 4 'pivot points'. The only problem I've had was when wiping down the keyboard with a cloth and it snagged under a keycap and popped it off, it broke a 'pivot point' and ended up having to use a bit of glue to hold it in place, this was luckily on a machine I returned. Needless to say, I am being careful cleaning the new keyboard... As of now there are no replacement keycaps to order only the full keyboard.

 

In addition the pivot points aren't really well made. Many Envy's come with some keys already sagging to a side. I just got mine sent in for readjustments for those keys and a creaky touchpad.

 

Actually I think the sagging keys are caused by certain screws that are not torqued the same as others. I have two machines side by side and they both have subtle misalignments but in different areas and all the keycaps seem to be fully seated on all 4 points.

Just to clarify, this is only visible if you look very closely from the side, not really noticable from above.

 

Well my laptop is kinda positioned on an angled cooling pad on my desk. It gets noticeable to me. I sent it in hoping it can get readjusted, especially that creaky touchpad that keeps bugging me.

BTW does anyone got a creaky touchpad? I often tap the lower half of it or do a scroll gesture and if it is in a quiet location, you can feel and hear a creak noise coming from it. Arrgh!

 

has anyone found a reason to keep the HP Support Assistant?

 

I did a fresh install...HP screwed up the best Windows to date.

 

Yeah, I really like the freaky 'clown' hands graphic that you see when it starts. LOL

The only thing I can't find in Windows is the 'battery calibration' feature of support assistant, but I have not looked that hard for it so maybe it buried in windows someplace....

You may want to take a look at my temperature comparisons of HP factory install vs a clean Win7 install on the 2nd Gen owners lounge, here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=450884&page=280

That should be enough of a reason to do a clean install, or at least a major decrapification.

 

I've never seen a Battery calib in Windows that wasn't 3rd party.

 

Kensington sells multiple models of the 120W PSU so that is where maybe the confusion comes from. I have the model #38004 which has the n30b tip included in the package. There is the one that comes with a Car charger plug which is a different model and package. You may have to do added research to ensure you get the right one.

 

sorry, wrong envy thread

 

Thanks. That helps. Yes, looks like the 38004 has the tips. However, it sells for $122 in Amazon (ouch). If anyone knows of a good deal on this please post.

 

Mine is model #33197. Came with a little pouch, 8 tips (incl. n30b) and a car adapter that you swap in place of the wall plug modular part. Hope it clarifies.

 

I think the actual Kensington Package is the Model #K33336US which includes the tips without the Car adapter. Tayeules model probably ues the same PSU model #.

 

Ok, after lots of blood sweat tears and time I got my SSD up and running. I am writing this post as a kind of step by step "diary" of my experience which so other people can learn from. Im also writing to ask you guys if I missed anything or if the information is incorrect.

1. create recovery disks upon first startup!

2. I swapped the HDD to the new SSD (intel X25-m 80gig) and booted from the recovery dvd.
First it did not work because later I learned that this is because my dvd drive was connected to the usb 3.0 ports. so at first, only use the usb 2.00 available, in the hdmi connection.
But still using the usb 2.0 connection it did not work.
This is because HP recovery does only work on the original hdd, or perhaps a hdd of the same size and with same partitioning.

3. I swapped back to the orignal hdd and Installed acronis true image, I wanted to create an image of the origninal hdd to a usb hdd as I had heard from others cloning the disk had been less succesfull.
So as I understood it I was to create a boot disk on the usb hdd and then create an image of c: on the same drive.
Then swap the hdd for the ssd in the laptop and boot from the usb hdd which booted with acronis software, from where I could clone the orinal C: to the ssd.

This did not work, acronis could not find the usb hdd, only a usb stick with to little memory to copy c: This was because my usb hdd was not a removable media, I went into disk manager where the usb hdd was listed as a normal hdd, a Basic Hdd. Rightclicking the drive (not the partition) you can convert it to a dynamic disc. But that did not work either. It did not work with any of my 2 other usb hdd on any of 3 laptops. Dont ask me...

4. So I thought, ok lets try cloning then. I bought a 25$ kit that made my ssd into a portable usb ssd and did a format. I choose 4000 something K as cluster size or whatevery they went on about since I read that was good. In the middle. At this point I could probably install new firmware? but did not since I almost had the newest one and could not be bothered. I should maybe allign it at this point to but that was supposed to be done automatically in windows 7...

I selected the orignial hdd to clone to my usb ssd in acronis. It told me to restart and before windows it started cloning. But somewhere in the late stages the screen went blank and I had to force restart wich the disk only being partially cloned.
I tried norton ghost to clone it. It didnt need to restart and the cloning went fine. Finally.
So I swapped the the hdd to the ssd once again and booted up quickly followed by a error message telling me I needed to reinstall windows. Great.
So I swapped the ssd back to hdd and amazing, the same thing! So I had to use the recovery dvds. This is when I learned you need the usb 2.0 port.

5. At this point I was giving up hope. But calling the store I bought it and a friend they both told me that cloning software such as acronis can be confused by usb hdd and do not work. So I need to get hold of a big computer and clone it there, with both hdd and ssd connected with sata. Great, who has a desktop computer? noone I know...

6. Fu** it, The only way out as I saw it was to acuire a new windows copy, HP forced me to that since the legal windows I bought from them does not work with other hardware and is faulty. I tried to find a way to download a fresh windows with my key but found nothing, If you know give a shout!
So I got another windows (wich can cost you quite alot depending on how you get it, full price, student price, versions etc etc etc...)
And then no problems. Just copy the c:/sources/driver folder and install them upon first boot up. (all the stuff in c:/sources seem to be bloatware from hp, but might be good to keep, have not tested my laptop fully yet so who knows)


I read by someone here that their envy 15 ran 5 to 10degrees cooler on a fresh windows install rather the hp´s.
I just wish I would have given up on HP earlier and just installed a clean fresh install right away.

OK, so thats my story Hope it can help someone!

 

Thanks for posting. So it seems so far we have three potential model #s that include the "envy" tip: 38004, 33197, 33336 (EDIT: not sure about 33336, needs confirmation).

 

Do you have that 33336 model? I ask because some models seem to come with several tips, but not the one needed for the envy. This model sells for about $50 on Amazon, but I couldn't find what tips are included searching the web.

 

@ bigcat this is where I got mine from http://www.cty.ca/productdetails.asp?pid=3587

 

Thanks for posting your info. You could have just gotten a windows 7 ISO from digitalriver (microsoft) and leave it unactivated for 30 days or until you bought yourself a new license but in any case it would have let you experiment freely.

Here's an article about getting the isos. http://www.itechnobuzz.com/tips-and...-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links-leaked/

 

Sup Envy'ers,
Does anyone have an air flow chart for the Envy? I want to cool it down but I might get creative and make my own cooler. Or can some one just tell me the way the air flows? Is it the 2 bottom vents go in and the 2 side vents go out? I just dont know what the 2 front vents do, in or out? Thanks

 

Front and bottom grills are intakes and larger side grills are exhaust.

EDIT: Here's a link to a full interior photo I posted earlier, should give you an idea of cooling system;

http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=44288&d=1265052480

 

LMAO! Thats great.

 

Thanks much. I'll just order the same.

 

Is that the interior picture of Gen 1? I wonder how does Gen 2 picture differ?

 

That is a i5 540M gen2, same config as my signature, before adding the RAM.

 

With the current HP coupon deals, I can get this at $1430 shipped:

HP ENVY 15 customizable Notebook PC

NX369AV


* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
* 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 and i7-620M Processors
* 15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Anti-glare Widescreen Display (1920x1080)
* External Tray Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support with 2 USB Ports
* Webcam Only
* Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
* HP QuickWeb, Corel VideoStudio Pro X2, Corel Paintshop Pro X2, Stardock My Colors
* HP Color Matching Keyboard
* 6 Cell Lithium Ion Polymer Battery
* No Productivity Software
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

March 23rd is my estimated build date.

Go for it? Also, I am toying with the HP DV7T Quad at only $1107 delivered.
(i7-720, 640gb (320x2), GT 320M, 1600x900 res.

I think the 5830 is worth the extra, but is it worth that much extra? Also, the "Help me decide" shows the Envy has two 250GB drives to equal 500, is this actually correct?

 

That looks great guys, thanks. Has anyone come up with a creative way to push air through the front vents? I'd love to push that air away from the cpu since i no longer enjoy cooking bacon on my Envy's palm rest.

 

BigCat are those really your Envy's specs? They give me a boner!

 

I am a fan of keyboards that doesn't have a "stiff" or "retaliating" rebounce - Think Thinkpad keyboard=bad and Vaio keyboard=good (ie. mushy ftw).

Should I go for the ENVY 15 ...?

 

Is that the Envy 15? Cause I though both hdd's were stacked? Could it be the envy 17?

 

That is my envy 15 i5 540M, link to original photo a few pages back. The SSD's are the normal 1.8" intels, they fit in the same base bracket as the single 2.5" HDD's

 

And it is possible to see one reason for the GPU crapping itself. The CPU has plenty of ventilation, but the GPU is blocked by the drives whether they be SSD or HDD.

The drives would be better located more to the left of their current location - at least then, the air vents would not be blocked by the drives.

 

How long does the Envy build process take? I've been waiting for my replacement Envy for awhile now and its still in production according to the online status.

Any comments will be helpful?

 

It took 3 weeks for my i7 custom order. Hope that helps, shipping direct from China.

 

I don't understand your comments?

The GPU has plenty of ventilation since the drives do not come all the way to the 'top' of the palmrest the air flows over them to the GPU. The GPU also has it's own dedicated heat sink and high quality cooling fan (with an air intake below it). I have never had my GPU exceed 70C with max stable OC's and it is designed to operate up to 100C, so I don't believe heat is an issue that may cause it to 'crap itself' as you put it.

 

So the 1.8" SSD's aren't stacked on top of each other from factory? Do you think there's anyway to fit in two 2.5" drives?

 

Don't think 2 stacked would fit due to the added thickness of the 2.5" drives. I guess you could always cut a hole in the palmrest to make room...

 

In case anyone was wondering, the NZXT notebook cooler cut about 5-8C from CPU and GPU temps while playing Borderlands.

I used to use it for my XPS when I cared about the whole melting video card thing, but i'd like to get something significantly thinner for the Envy. Any suggestions?

 

Yes. The key response is soft. I'd prefer a little more bounce, actually, but that's me.

 

Is there any way to do a clean windows 7 install with what comes in the box? Obviously, I'd prefer to just use the license the laptop comes with, but if it's as loaded with junk as it sounds (nearly every reviewer mentions it) and the only included media are restore discs that put all the cruft back, I might have to buy an extra copy.

Alternatively, how much effort is it to get the crapware uninstalled? Does anybody have a good checklist to run through to clean things up?

 

I found out after 2 re-installs that you're much better off installing from a clean windows oem disk and setup your drivers afterwards. There's just too much crap coming with the hp software and I very suspicious of that windows "distribution" anyways. Plus that doesnt mean you dont use the laptop's included license.

 

From what I have been reading, can't we just download Windows 7 and re-install Windows 7 using our key? and then install the drivers?

 

I don't think the Envy comes with that much junk. I actually did things the opposite way and have no issues:

- Create recovery CD upon delivery
- Remove anything you don't want
- Enjoy

 

The man has gotten to you.

Your totally wrong in my opinion. Crapware like hp MediaSmart, Norton, etcetera give Windows a bad name. If I was Microsoft I will put a ban on such manipulations. Why would one need, or even spend money developing programs like HP MediaSmart, when WMC/WMP have become such amazing programs. The fact that HP made MediaSmart the default program for media is outrageous, some people don't know how to change this and therefore is a disservice to the customer. I have had to help uncountable friends who don't know why their new $1,000+ laptop runs slow, by installing a fresh copy of Windows. Windows 7 doesn't need help being a better operating system.

 

I agree 100% with 'thedankone'.

In case your not aware, just about every hp program slows down windows and in turn your experience, especially the media smart apps which in most cases are actually the Windows program with HP clothing. An example is the HP picture viewer which is actually 'Windows photo viewer' customized with HP graphics, the HP version is so slow it's almost criminal, the windows version responds instantaniously.

Maybe you're not aware of how slow the HP crap is because you have not experienced how fast windows 7 is by itself...

 

As I stated before, i uninstalled much of that stuff. That being said, my fonts look reasonable since the screen came from the factory at 125% as default and I actually reinstalled Norton Security Suite since Comcast provides a free subscription (and it seems pretty good).

I'm just saying a clean install isn't necessary and don't think HP Envy has as much junk as some other products. With Adobe Lightroom & CS4 I have no need to use the HP or Windows picture viewer. I paid $20 to upgrade Videostudio X3 and trying it out...not sure if Premiere Elements 9 will be better (7 & 8 sucks for AVCHD). For now using LR 3 and MS Office 2010 beta and both seem pretty good.

 

Agreed. All I did was spend 25 minutes or so with Revo Uninstaller, then cleaned the registry.

And I was just marveling yesterday at how ridiculously fast this thing is. I was working simultaneously with my video editor, audio editor, paint.net, Word, Firefox, & Thunderbird, and the system behaves the same as it does if you're just playing minesweeper.

 

@yasted

I use CS4, LR2 and office 07 etc. The 'picture viewer' statement was an example of how outdated and slow the HP stuff is, If you still have it installed, open a folder of high res pics in the HP program and scroll through them, then try windows version, you'll be amazed at how HP ruined a perfectly good app.

FYI, I tested battery life on two identical i5 540m envy's, Clean install vs. stock HP software. All settings the same, the clean install gets 25 - 30 min longer run time. This was with all my 33GB of apps installed on the clean install machine. The factory machine as far as I could tell would never let the CPU idle, task manager always showed 3 - 6% activity, this is my guess as to the cause of lower battery life. Also the factory version has over 78 processes running right out of the box, my current 'clean' system with all apps has only 51 processes running. Startup time is 29 seconds vs. 1 min 30 sec with HP software (I have SSD's).

I'm not sure what HP backround bloat is keeping the CPU from idling but you may want to check your system to make sure it drops to full idle. My clean system drops to 0% CPU in about 2 sec after completing any task.