*HP HDX DRAGON Owners Lounge, Part 1*

i have had less then 21 days but hp told me if i return it for the upgrade i will not be able to use the 30% coupon they had out there a few weeks back and i would indeed have to pay full price i get my computer for $2700 so i dont want to send it back and pay $4400 for a processor that cost $500 on ebay so i thought if it was possible to do it myself or just accept what they sent me and sell in june or sept when new platforms come out
i appreciate your input and answers

 

Clearly, one cannot make a good case with the retailer with your scenario. But if one was dissatisfied with a unit and its processing performance vis-à-vis an important application for which one purchased the unit and were mislead and told that the T9500 had ample processing power the on look would be in favor of the customer. Basically, the customer must make a case making the retailer understand that he wants out and to return the unit. At some point, the customer may need to speak to a supervisor. If the retailer, in this case, hpshopping, believes there is no way out – and they will believe it - it will want to accommodate the customer request and most definitely honor the 30% coupon. One must trust that one can accomplish this.

Good luck!

 

so threaten to return it unless they give me what i paid for

 

There is no such thing as returning since i got this laptop in Hong Kong and I am not located in the USA. When i called hp they said they dont support this model in canada, so i am stuck with the laptop. If someone got a set of recovery discs for a HDX that is willing to make me a copy that will be great.

 

You woud be calling hpshopping to return your unit because you are very dissatisfied with its performance. Hpshopping would (as would any retailer) want to understand why. Explain it like it is and as suggested. Ask to speak to a supervisor and tell him/her that you would like him/her to place a note in the system so that you may re-use that coupon because you would want to re-order the notebook with the X9000 and you know for a fact that it will definitely handle the application you have and its load far better.

Use your head from there on and DO NOT THREATEN. Be firm! Good strategy will serve you far better than threats would. You play that right and the supervisor more than likely will ask you to place the order right away and he/she will be glad to honor the 30% coupon that you used.

Good luck!

 

Hey, i know its been awhile since the last post sended, but i didn't want to make a new thread.
So, does someone already opend the hdx? I want to replace the cpu and i have no idea, how to get this nasty thing off the back...

Help would be great...

 

Start here: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01279508.pdf

Any other questions feel free to ask.

 

Can anyone tell me the HP part number for the 8800GTS MXM card for the HDX. I have found two but all they say is Nvidia not what they are.

454311-001
452322-001

cheers

 

Thanks, think this will work

But something else, it seems to be that one of the speakers are damaged or not well fixed, because if i hear a specific type of sound it's clattering just on the right side of the display, is this normal or should i call the service?

 

They both are. Probably different revisions. See link to manual above.

 

Could be distortion. Does it happen at all volume levels?

 

Hey guys,

I was searching for a desktop replacement laptop with best gaming card and HDX indeed does seem to be an excellent choice. Couple of questions if you don't mind:

- does included HDMI port support AC3 and DTS passthrough when using AC3Filter codec? Could you share some pictures of sound configuration util?
- can I configure this laptop for dual monitor display with primary being the laptop screen and secondary - external TV through the DVI output?
- are HP drivers for Vista 64-bit mature enough to take a bite or 32-bit is still better supported version?
- can I configure included Fingerprint sensor to work with Password manager in Firefox?
- how does included 1680x1050 screen fare in full sunshine? Is it subject to high glare?
- how would you rate included speakers for gaming - great/good/adequate/so-so?
- speaking of sound, does integrated audio chip handle movie or game soundtrack without noise, chirps or hiccups? does it support EAX?

Thanks a lot for your answers!

 

- no, the nv 8th gen doesn't support sound via hdmi
- yeah dual screen works
- well, think the drivers will work fine, but didn't test (but in about a week)
- ...
- it reflects much of the background, but the screen is really bright, so it's fine, if you stay inside...
- really good speakers for notebooks, much better than the typical display speakers




I was wrong. It wasn't the speaker, primary the problem with the cluttering is the enter key, it's too loose, so it begins moving at about 500hz. A known problem?

 

Thank you for this thread, and because of it i am now a proud owner of the HDX9250EA UK Spec

I've been playing a lot with the machine, I purchased it and I am on the whole very happy.

I have run XP on the machine and it runs very well thanks to the drivers on this forum.

I have run vista 32 and 64 bit and they both work really well, 64bit drivers seem to be really stable, however the boot times are terrible, the laptop almost seems like its running in at a low cpu frequency, however i doubt it is.

The main reason for this post is that i cannot believe how well it is supported by linux, I've had a good few laptops but the hp is truely amazing under every distro i've tried.

The latest 2, Kubuntu 8.04 and Mandriva 2008.1 seemed to have every piece of hardware working 100%. The only thing that I have been unsuccessful with is the TV Tuner. Even the sound, which has been a problem under XP worked and used the main speakers. Bluetooth works, Webcam works, Wifi Works, Fingerprint Reader is detected as a scanner and could be made to work, IR works. Firewire works. I haven't tested HDMI out. Truely amazing support, probably totally unintentional from HP too!

I added this as it was one of my concerns when buying the machine and it was not covered in this thread.

Has anyone got the TV Card working under linux, i don't actually care too much as i live in the middle of nowhere and dont get a decent signal anyway. But as for showing off, um i mean demonstrating my machine it'd be nice to have it all under linux.

Just need adobe to release creative suite for linux and give me fireworks cs3 and i can get rid of vista and the appauling boot times. (which can be sort of avoided using hibernate but thats not the point)

Or maybe i'm doing something wrong with vista, i've done clean (from oem media) installs of 32bit and 64bit using official drivers, non official drivers, no drivers lol. Still crap booting...

Anyway thats enough of a ramble

Tom

 

That's pretty amazing that it runs Linux. Good news.

 

Hey Tom: It is good to know that it runs Linux. What is your boot time running Linux?

It would also be informative to post the amount of time HDX takes to boot (basically with the essentials) running Vista 32, Vista 64, Windows XP, and Linux.

 

It is VERY good to know it runs Linux!

I'll be purchasing an HDX sometime in mid-August. I've narrowed my selections down to the Sager NP9262 / Clevo D901C and the HDX -- Sager/Clevo and HP each decked out to the max (I'll be upgrading RAM, HDs on my own, though).

The screen is what has me sold on the HDX. My desktop PC has a 19" LCD that I love. If the Sager/Clevo came with at least a 19", then that would be the choice for me. 3 SATA2 bays and SLI are the kickers for me. But the HDX's screen... wow!

My current laptop is a Dell Inspiron 8000. P3-1GHz, 256megs RAM, 32meg ATI something-or-other. The screen on this laptop is why I haven't upgraded in the last seven or eight years. Native 1600x1200 resolution is very nice, if a bit harsh on the eyes.

Not to mention, my television was manufactured in September 1986. The shining feature on my television is the fact it is stereo. But it serves mainly for piping movies/tv shows through my laptop/playstation2 to the television.

Another thing that reallllllly is a showstopper for me on the Sager/Clevo (as stupid as this sounds) is the 10-key keypad. I MUST have the "-", "+", and "ENTER" on the far right column. I am a casual gamer. I no longer have the reflexes to play the games I used to play religiously (Half Life, Unreal, UT, Doom series, etc...) so I play non-reflexive games -- Wizardry 8, Dungeon Siege, Summoner, Morrowwind, and the likes.

Somebody on the "notebookreview.com" forums (I don't remember if it was the Sager/Clevo or this HP sub-forum) was joking about running Nethack through to a HD television.

Yeah, I do get the humor in that, but that is SPECIFICALLY one of the things that I WILL be doing with this (Angband specifically -- my own variants). I'm really looking forward to having multiple status windows open!

I've always stayed a few generations behind the times -- saves money and I can play the games that came out two or three years ago fairly swiftly (nothing I have now can even touch Oblivion, though). I figure with an HDX, maxxed out to the gills, I won't have to crack the case for ANYthing in the next few years (sans monthly cleanings -- I periodically dismantle all of my electronics for deep cleanings)

My Dell Inspiron 8000 has served me very well. The case is cracked and all banged up, the left-mouse button for the touchpad doesn't really work, all optical drives have long since failed, and just yesterday the left speaker went out.

I'll be using the HDX mainly for casual computer use, no game really heavier than "Oblivion" will be installed and played on it, and I'll be playing Everquest and World of Warcraft on it extensively (both only connecting to my personal server -- I REALLY hate dealing with other players online, I love the games, but I love having the entire game world to myself)

I'm really hoping that HP gets the HDX with the updated motherboard (forget what you folks called the new motherboard and chipset -- codenames get lost with me).

I'm coming into a situation where I can get a computer/laptop and to heck with cost. Get the best. After spending about three or so months now (downloading manuals, service manuals, reading reviews, forums, etc...) the HDX is what I've finally settled on.

I've not personally seen a single blu-ray movie in HD -- whether or not the thing can burn or only read blu-ray disks -- is it really worth it? I don't care about using the drive for storage, I've got stacks and stacks and stacks of 2.5" USB drives for that (looking forward to putting the eSATA connector to use!!) -- but simply for movies -- is that drive worth the $450 extra??? For that price, I may as well just get myself a Playstation 3.

I'm also VERY interested in the boot times (with the essentials) for Vista 32/64, Win XP, Linux, and how well DOS6.22/WFW3.11 behaves in a virtual session (I expect it to be uber-fast -- since it is on this Inspiron 8000)

Another thing -- I **MUST** have at LEAST 2 serial ports. Would USB -> Serial be the way to go? Or use that ExpressCard slot? I also remote control a couple of my HAM radios. This screen will be incredible for bandscopes!

Sorry for the long, disjointed ramblings. Especially for my first post here (after lurking for months). Just some of the thoughts and ideas swimming in my head right now.

The "new" HDX with the motherboard "refresh" should be out by August or September, right?

Also, many thanks to all of you folks on here for all of the advice and service you provide to the community.

 

Hate to reply to myself, but a quick eBay search shows that I'm going to be much better off with USB --> Serial adapters, as opposed to the ExpressCard serial ports (even though I can do two ports with an ExpressCard).

Pricewise -- just makes sense to get two USB --> Serial adapters for under $10USD w/ shipping.

 

Yeah, the HDX with the Montevina platform should be out by July, August the latest.

One thing, it will most probably have ATI Radeon Mobility 3870. That's significantly more powerful than the HD 2600 XT in the current version.

A word about boot times with Vista. Right after fresh install is the slowest. It speeds up with subsequent boots thanks to superfetch.

As to the Blu-ray, perhaps not worth it at this time and especially in your case. If you plan on storing data using USB drives, no point. Plus considering the consumer uptake of Blu-ray, it'll be quite a while before Blu-ray becomes the default standard with DVD going the way of VHS.

 

I have a question and don't know if I should start a new thread about this. First off, I'm indeed quite technically savvy, however, I'm a downright idiot when it comes to cable/satellite television/HDTV/HDMI/blah/blah stuff.

I tried searching for my answer to this, but I'm afraid I'm not exactly sure what I should be searching for...

I have digital cable television. I get basic analog channels, then a slew of "digital channels"(where BBC, Science Channel, Discovery International, etc... are located in the channel lineup. With digital cable, I also get "on demand" (either channel 999 or channel 001). I have a "digital cablebox" that I lease from the cable company. Plugging the cable straight into my television gives me only up to channel 73 or 74. With the built-in tuner, can I still get my "digital channels" as well as "on demand" by just plugging the coax into the HDX? Or should I skip that entire option and get a separate ExpressCard like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HP-Expresscard-DV9000-HDTV-Hybrid-DIGITAL-TV-Tuner_W0QQitemZ120251977881QQihZ002QQcategoryZ3761QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
(if I'm not supposed to link to ebay, I apologize -- just the first thing that came up in a search of "expresscard tuner")

Would that expresscard device be better for me? The HDX will be ***FAR*** superior than my current television (a 1986 19" RCA) and will certainly be a television replacement for me.

I know for certain that there are a LOT of OTA HD channels around me. For those in/around major cities -- do you just plug the antenna in and start scanning for channels? If a station is in HD, does the HDX automatically tune into the HD portion of the broadcast?

Would neither the built-in tuner nor the expresscard tuner work for me if I wanted to just plug in and watch National Geographic in HD -- would I still have to go through my "digital cablebox", keep the HDX on "Video 1" (or whatever it'll be called) and change channels via my cablebox (I'll deal with my cable provider in regards to subscribing to HD and getting a cablebox {if needed} at the right time).

I would like to apologize as well if this post doesn't belong here. As I said, I know what I want to do, but don't know the terminology or anything with the cable television stuff.

So, to recap -- should I get the built-in tuner, or leave that out and get the expresscard tuner?

*EDIT* -- I should be able to hook up my playstation2 (with the right cables, of course) and play it on HDX, correct?

 

Built in tuner on the HDX currently is an ATSC tuner. That means it will pick up any analogue cable channel. However, most cable companies broadcast their HD channels in digital. For that you would need a QAM digital tuner. Hopefully the new HDX to be released this summer will come with a QAM tuner.

The other thing is that many cable companies will only broadcast what's called Clear QAM. These will be channels 2-13 and will not require a leased cable box. Any QAM tuner will be able to pick up these channels. To get above 2-13, a computer would need a cablecard port. You would then only need to lease a cablecard from your cable operator to get the rest of the channels.

As for using the HDX as an cable input (as on a TV) you will only be able to display SD (4:3) as digital HDTV requires either HDMI/DVI in or Component Video In or order to display HiDef (16:9).

 

xanlexian,
I'm no expert either but I've learned a lot in the last few months. I have a Home Theater PC using two Internal PCIe ATI Digital Cable Tuners. These cards let me watch digital cable without the cable box from the cable company. The coax comes from the wall and straight into the card. BUT, they required CABLECARDS with is a small card (Again, no expert) provided by the cable company that descrambles the signal instead of the bulky cable box. ATI also makes a digital tuner via usb that is external. You can check with your local cable company on CableCards. That is one option for you.

Another device that I've been trying is a place-shifter made by pinnacle systems called PCTV to GO. It wirelessly sends tv to your laptop via 802.11 and it has an IR blaster that can control the cable box. Quality is slightly degraded through compression though but the convenience is nice. I think slingbox makes the equivalent product as well. These are two options that can get digital tv into your laptop. They both work in Windows Media Center as well. Hope this helps.

 

My cable provider has two-way PCMCIA cablecards -- provided the "television" can take a cablecard.

With the HDX with the HD screen -- that certainly qualifies, doesn't it?

I'm sorry for the stupid questions -- when doing research on laptops, I never thought seriously about a tuner. Mainly looking at bus speeds, memory speeds and the likes.

 

Yowza... I've been out of the loop as far as television goes for quite a while. Just spent the last eight hours of solid researching on HDTVs, the technology, the connectors, the terminology, the entire slew of acronyms that accompany all such technology...

So, I've now come to THIS conclusion -- maybe the HDX ISN'T the right notebook (I use that term VERY loosely) and I should probably get a barebones Sager NP9262, spend what I'd save on a 42" - 47" HDTV with cablecard access, and output the NP9262 to the television.

What I was REALLY wanting was to do the entire reverse. Use the HDX as my SOLE HDTV (preferably without using my cablebox -- I don't subscribe to any "premium" channels. Just want the Discovery-type channels in full HD) -- I was under the impression that I could indeed do this with the HDX. Even after reading the service manual cover to cover... twice.

I now know more about HDTVs than I ever thought I'd know.

Thank you 2.0 and ChanceB for your kind, insightful, and non-condensending replies to me. Looks like I'm back to the Sager NP9262/Clevo D901C, upgrade to quadcore, SLI, a decent external keyboard (that STUPID design without the "-", "+", and "ENTER" on the far right column of the 10-key keypad) and getting an entirely seperate HDTV.

 

They were very good questions, though.

No TV's out there now with cablecard ports. None of the Sony's, Samsung's, Toshiba's or Panasonics have them (used too a few years ago). That'll probably come around again next summer.

 

Well booting vista it takes between 1.5 and 3 minutes to have all processes started and its been the same from clean install and after it had been installed for a while. That is why i said before it is the only thing i'm dissapointed with, as my old athlon 3200+ boots vista to a usable state quicker!

Linux, depending on distro ranged from 13 seconds to 1.5 minutes (opensuse).

Kubuntu is at a completly loaded usable desktop state in about 25 seconds.

It anyone wants to try it out i'd suggest wubi http://wubi-installer.org/.

It doesn't touch the partitioning of the machine nor the boot loader. If your not used to linux, then select Kubuntu (not KDE4).

Wubi asks, how much space do you want to take up, which version to install and user name you want under linux. It installs without touching anything, then you log into a fully working environment. It uses the windows boot loader. If you dont like it.... run wubi again and it'll remove it perfectly.

I know this isn't a linux thread but given that the machine has great support for it, its worth a try.

Tom

 

Tom on HDX and Linux: Informative - Good post!

 

Can anyone tell me if the HDX supports a 800Mhz memory bus and if so how do you enable it. I have pc6400 memory but it is only running at 667Mhz

 

Santa Rosa's FSB is 800Mhz, but its memory controller is spec'd to run at 533 or 667mhz only.

 

I was thinking about plugging my XBOX360 into this beast to use it as my display instead of my TV. Has anyone tried this or something similar and if so could you give me some ideas of what you did in order to make it work properly? I am assuming I would just buy a USB TV Tuner (make/model suggestions?) and then use DScaler to display the video without the lag. Is that right?

 

2 ways to do it. HDX already comes with a tuner. So you can plug it in there and set to channel 3 or 4. The other way is by using the S-video out on the Xbox connected to the S-Video In on the HDX.

 

do you think hp will finally step in the game and get the nvidia 8800gtx sli and a quad core in their 20in or even better 17in notebooks

 

When the quad core Penyrn debuts later in Q3, the HDX will be sure to get it.

8800GTX? Nope. Neither in SLI. Too much heat, too much watts. HP designs their notebooks to be sleek and not boxy which is what would be required to get proper air flow and cooling. Leave that to their overpriced Voodoo boutique.

However, the HDX will most probably get ATI's 3870. Not likely to get the 3870x2 though. Doubt they'd stick a 3870 into a 9x00 series (17"). They'll probably go with the 3650 on that line.

 

Im posting this for my bro

Hey all. I'm having a pretty big problem with my HP Pavilion HDX laptop... at random times during use, it tends to lag. I'll be watching a video, and the frame rate slows down, but the audio doesn't. Then I'll try to open Firefox or another application, and it will take forever... but the thing is, it's like my video will skip frames, and I won't get the full animation of a program opening. This seems to happen when I lay it on my stomach on top of a couple of pillows to prop it up, so I'm thinking it might be an overheating problem? I'm running Vista 64 bit edition if that helps.

Thanks in advance for any help.

It's been happening lately as the power cord accidentally disconnects from my laptop. Not sure if that would help or not, but I thought I'd add it anyways.

 

lol

I'm thinking that you need to ditch the pillows regardless of what is causing the problem. And I do think it is a distinct possibility that heat may be causing the problem, unless it happens when your HDX is sitting on a desk or table as well. If he insists on reclining and using pillows on his stomach, at least take a TV tray with the legs off and set it on top of the pillows. Something, anything but the pillows! This thing HAS TO BREATHE!!

What video drivers are being used. I have read reports of certain drivers causing hiccups and slowdowns after extended use.

 

Alright, so i'm heading off to college next year, and I will be buying an HDX to cover all my entertainment needs for my dorm room. However, I want to buy at the best time possible. Does hp has a specific time of year when they give the HDX a makeover? I'm looking for a better graphics card then the nvidia gts, a blu-ray burner, and a proccessor that reaches into the 3.0 Ghz, maybe a quad cord? I understand the montevina platform will be taking over the santa rosa platform on the HDX in July, any reason to wait even longer for something even faster? I don't want to buy past January though.

 

QX9xxx core 2 quad extreme will be out around August/September.

The ATI Radeon Mobility 3870 which will probably be used in the next HDX should be on par with the 8800M GTX.

4870 Mobility won't be out until perhaps January of next year.

 

thanks 2.0, any idea when the "next HDX" should come out?

 

Should be July/August. But, HP may wait for the quad core to become available. Should see leaks in the news in June though. And that'll firm up date speculation. There's also the possibility of HP just debuting the next iteration with Montevina's release and adding the quad-core later when it becomes available.

The quad core will be a $900-$1000 option because the first one to be released will be an extreme chip. (which you won't be able to overclock as per HP's way of doing things.) Subsequent one(s) to be released towards the end of the year will be normal type with more reasonable pricing.

You can buy the faster dual core and maybe later next year buy a quad core and swap it in yourself. That is if you're inclined to taking apart your rig.

 

yeah, I'm totally cool with swapping out processors, iv done that before. But, how is that going to be possible to swap from a dual-core to a quad-core? Isn't their only going to be two slots on the mother board if i buy a dual-core? (i'v only swap out a computer with a single celeron proccessor before)

 

Quad cores fit the same single socket P like their Penryn dual core siblings. The "Q" series is just 2 "T" series dual cores on a single chip. Plus the HDX is designed to handle the increased wattage (TDW 45 watts) of a quad core so you won't have to worry about that either.

Just plug and play.

 

Hey guys. I've become quite interested in this monstrous laptop.

What I am looking for is a desktop replacement, since I will to 95% be using the computer at home. I do not want a computer that genereates a lot of heat and sound (like my gaming desktop). What I will be doing on the computer except for normal Internet use is playing the new MMORPG's that are coming this year and are more demanding, like Age of Conan and Aeon. I will also playback alot of h264 720P/1080P material, with High Quality RGB32 conversion (demanding on the CPU). Of course with the computer connected to my HDTV with HDMI, and reciever with SPDIF.

Will the HDX be enough for my demands?

The best version attainable in Sweden is the HDX9350, which they have degraded RAM and CPU and included blu-ray ROM instead of HD-DVD. I am quite irritated over that. The specs are:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8100 2,1ghz (Penryn 45nm)
3gb of RAM (1+2)
NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800M GTS
20,1" WSXGA+ High-Definition HP Ultra BrightView (1680x1050)
2x250GB SATA 5400 RPM
Blu-ray-ROM with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW

And then it is the normal stuff I guess.

The thing that is keeping me from completly wanting it is simply the lack of 4GB RAM and the T8100 CPU, when I would rather want the new T9 CPU. T9300 for example.

Anyone know anything about a new HDX model being released soon? I guess not since the HDX9350 are pretty new.

It pretty much stands between the HP HDX9350 and the ASUS G2SG (17" WXGA+ screen, 8700M GT 512MB, T9300 2.5GHz etc).

Do you think the 2,1 ghz CPU can handle the playback of a h264 encoded 1080P video in a .mkv container? Normal playback I am sure it can, but I want the high quality conversion to RGB32 that can be used in ffdshow's video codecs.

My Core 2 Duo E6600 2,4ghz are having problems with that sometimes when it is very demanding videos visually.

 

Can you please explain this a bit more... I mean what type of connection is on the tuner and what is the highest resolution you can get?

Another thing I want to ask is do you need to boot windows in order to use the display with an external device and also for watching TV?

 

Connection to tuner is an RF coaxial cable adapter. The same you would find on a TV. It can display up to 1080i. But as far as an XBOX 360 goes, it only outputs HD (720p,1080i/p) via component out (Red/Gree/Blue) cable. So there's no way to get Xbox's HD output into the HDX (unless you buy an expresscard that allows Component video in). But you can get the Xbox's S-Video out into the HDX's S-Video in. Resolution would be 480i or 576i via S-video.

If you go the S-video route, you'll need to buy a RCA stereo to 1/8 stereo jack for sound. There's a audio line in jack on the back of the HDX next to the S-Video jack for just that reason.

As for needing to boot windows in order to watch TV, technically no. HP's QuickPlay is supposed to take care of that - that is when it works. Works for a lot of people but some have reported problems.

 

There's no SPDIF output from the HDX. All digital audio is carried along the HDMI. Not the end of the world though. There's adapters available I suppose.

You can buy a better Penryn CPU at a later date and install it yourself. They're all socket P. Even the quad cores that will be avail later this year and beginning of next.

In any event, the 8800M GTS does most of the decoding work. But that depends if the software being used is PureVideo capable.

It's a shame that HP reserves all the juicy specs for the USA models only. But if I had to choose between the models you listed, I'd choose the HDX. Superior sound (4 speakers plus, subwoofer), superior screen (brighter, more vivid and higher res), better GPU. Among other things.

 

I'm afraid there are not too many good DXVA codecs available up to date, but I might be able to make use of the 8800M for decoding yes.

And are you sure about SPDIF? I've read at many places that there are one. There isn't always a special SPDIF jack you know, it is often combined with mic input and stuff like that. And therefore it isn't optical or coaxial, but a regular 3,5mm ministereo jack. I am quite sure that it must have a digital I/O jack, considering it is aimed towards home entertainment.

I believe it is the first jack to the right:



Oh, and a question I would very much like to have an answer on. What kind of RAM is there in the HDX? I believe it is regular DDR2 PC5300 667mhz but I am not 100% sure. And does the HDX support dual channel?
I am not 100% certain how dual channel works in practice, but I just need the same kind of memory and not the same brand right? Does the latency of RAM affect anything?

http://www.webhallen.com/list.php?avd=3&konsol=13&genre=2456&chr=&sort=1 Feel free to recommend me a RAM stick from this site, it is in Swedish but the name of the RAM is the same of course.

 

Argh, I am getting quite frustrated. Can anyone with a HDX please confirm for me if there is SPDIF Out or not on it? The reviews says there is a SPDIF, but not if there is output. There is of course not coaxial or TOSLINK/optical out, but there should be a regular electric 3,5mm for it. Which you use a 3,5 - Coaxial with to get digital out.

This is vital, since I will never buy a computer that don't have such a basic thing. It would be impossible for me to use it as a HTPC then since I can't get audio to my reciever. HDMI is no way, since then the audio card would have to decode the sound...

 

I have a problem with my HDX9160EA waking up from Sleep unexpectadly.

I am currently on Vista Home Premium SP1 with HP BOIS F13 and the latest Intel ProWireless Drivers. When I enter sleep, the screen switches off but all the lights remain lit and sometimes you see the HDD activity flicker. After about 20 minutes the screen lights again and I am prompted for a vista login password. Why is this happening I am not moving the mouse or touching anything.

Administrator event logs are showing "Kernel-Power" entering "Away" state when I put the laptop in to sleep mode. approximately 20 minutres later I see VSS (Volume Shadow Service) starting.

Previously when on the original F6 BIOS that came with the laptop at time of purchase, all lights would switch off and only the power light would flash until I touched the keyboard/trackpad to wake the machine.

I have updated from F6 to F13 on HPs recommendation as I had the laptop switch off on me randomly when playing games, as well as updating the ATI graphics driver from their website. All appeared well so then I upgraded to F.35E when this became available and that's when my troubles started.

After doing this, the PC would not shut down or restart without having to press the Power button for 5 seconds, so I downgraded the BIOS back to F13. The laptop will now properly shutdown/restart but will wake from sleep unexpectadly.

I have a Microsoft Laser 6000 USB wireless mouse. Will this have an impact on Sleep behaviour?

Any clues on where to go from here would be great.

Mike

 

It outputs SPDIF through HDMI only. Alternatively, the picture you posted shows 4 jacks on the rear right. They are in order (from left to right):

Left/Right audio out,
Rear Left/Right audio out,
Center and Subwoofer channel Out,
Front Left/Right Audio out.

If your receiver has those inputs then you will have 7.1 channel audio via those analog jacks.

The 2 front headphone jacks only output stereo. There is no other digital audio output except through the HDMI.

As for RAM, yes, it's 667 dual channel. 3GB will run in dual channel asynchronous mode. Extremely slight degrade in performance that can only be detected using a benchmark program. In real world performance, you wouldn't know the difference.

The HDX as well as all Santa Rosa notebooks can only support 533Mhz or 667mhz RAM. They cannot utilize 800mhz RAM which would run at 667 if you installed it.

 

I do of course have analog multichannel inputs on my reciever, but it is and old way with lots of flaws and can't be compared to my reciever doing the job.

Can you passthrough the SPDIF signal entirely through HDMI? I do not want the audiocard and software touching anything on the signal, I just want it to be sent straight to my reciever so it can do its job.
In that case I can sacrifice my PS3 or 360 and have them use optical instead and let the computer take one of the recievers HDMI inputs.

And btw, aren't there supposed to be two headphone outputs on the HDX? And aren't one of them SPDIF?