HP HDX performance

I'm interested in the updated HP HDX, but I'm note sure about its performance.

My first concern is gaming performance. I'm still confused why HP put built the HDX with the 8800 GTS instead of the GTX, maybe to keep the starting price under $2,000. How mould the HDX perform in next-gen HD games if it had, the X7900, 4GB RAM, and 8800GTS?

Secondly, how loud/hot does the HDX run, if it was at max performance, say, while playing Crysis.

Third, how good is the sound quality. Do I need to get external speakers, or are the built in ones good enough.

Lastly, how good is the reception and quality of the TV tuner? How close do you have to be to a cable source to get a signal?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

Well i have a dv9500t so i can't answer all your questions but heres a try...

1.) With 4gb RAM, X7900, 8800GTS you should be able to run all modern and up coming games great. Crysis might give you some trouble.

2.) I doubt it will get to hot probably around 70ish C, hp test's, and builds these things so they don't over heat.

3.) It depends on what you consider good quality sound, i mean theres only 2 speakers. It isn't like doby digit 5.1 surround sound but it will get the job done.

 

1: The GTX is better than the GTS. But the GTS is still a great and powerful card and will easily play crysis.

2: Well, the dv9700t and dv6500t both run quiet and cool, so i can imagine the same.

sound is great.

 

sounds pretty cool would buy one but getting sager 5793 so much better

 

According to the HP website, the HDX has 4 speakers.

 

Considering that it uses the X7900 instead of the X9000 (Penryn), and only a single 8800M GTS instead of GTX, will the HDX be phased out pretty soon, with the coming of the Nvidia 9 series, and Intel's Montevina.

 

I won't be phased out for awhile. Although if your really into games then it might be a good idea to get a sager. What do you intend to do on it???

 

game/multimedia, some word processing.

 

1. It seems a taboo for HP to put Nvidia's top cards in. But not ATI's. Lots of theories why but none confirmed.

As far as x7900, do not waste the money. Will not have any meaningful impact on performance in games especially at higher resolutions. Benchmarks and games FPS tend to be two different things. A 2.5GHZ Penryn is sufficient.

2. All reviews of the current iteration of the HDX claim it to be quiet during just about everything. During gaming however, it wouldn't matter. You wouldn't hear the fans over the speaker volume unless it's a quiet scene. Where as the Sager is a very loud notebook while doing ordinary tasks. Even with its fan speed control bios update. Sager's/Clevo's goal is raw performance at the expense of finesse. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Just beware of that fact.

3. Sound quality of the HDX is said to be the among the best of all notebooks. Sager's sound quality is on the low to average side. Be aware of that.

4. As far as the TV tuner, it works fine but it's not a Clear QAM tuner so it cannot receive digital cable. It's an ATSC/NTSC tuner. Hopefully a Clear QAM tuner will be an option later this year.

5. The X9000 is on its way. It's listed in the HDX's manual under product description. As far as the next iteration of the HDX which will probably debut this summer with Montevina's launch, (as opposed to it being phased out) they'll most likely put ATI's 3870 Radeon Mobility in it. Expect performance to be somewhat on par with the 8800M GTX. But they probably won't phase out the 8800M GTS. They know that there are Nvidia fanbois out there that won't consider a unit without something from Nvidia. And rightfully so. Interest in the HDX has picked up markedly since they offered the 8800M GTS. But ATI is looking to regain their crown that they enjoyed in notebook graphics that they lost two years or so ago.

 

Another thing that I dont like is the HD. In the HDX the biggest 7200rpm HD you can get is 240GB (2 x 120GB). The others 320GB, and 500GB are both 5400rpm. Is that too slow, will the be a performance difference?

 

The reality is, it depends on the manufacturer and model of the HD. Some 7200 RPM drives are only a little faster than a 5400RPM drive of another manufacturer. What's more, 7200RPM drives tend to be anywhere from 5% - 15% faster in real world average usage than a 5400 RPM drive of the same size. All depends on the file size. Manufacturer claims go as high as 33% faster than 5400 RPM.

However, tests show that a larger 5400RPM HD than a 7200RPM narrows the gap on performance because the 5400 drive's data would be denser than the 7200's.

 

For the HDX, will the 320GB 5400rpm HD be noticeably slower than the 240GB 7200rpm, especially in gaming?

 

You mean will the 160GB 5400RPM be noticeably slower then 120GB 7200 RPM? Depends on the model and manufacturers of each, but generally nothing dramatic. As for gaming, the only part a HD plays in the gaming equation is game initial load and level loading. So you might have to wait a few seconds more with a 5400 RPM. But HD speed does not affect actual gameplay. GPU, RAM, and CPU affect game play. Too little ram, bad. Too much RAM, waste. Underpowered CPU bottlenecks a powerful GPU. Underpowered GPU, game over. A perfectly fine combination is a 2.2GHz CPU coupled with 3GB RAM and a 8800M GTS. Plays all games including the poorly programmed resource hog known as Crysis on Medium settings at a decent mid range resolution. Don't expect to play Crysis @ native res. Many desktops struggle with it. All other games run very well. Older games (1 year old and older) will run @ native res if the game allows that choice.

4GB RAM is a waste on 2 levels. (1), gaming is better compatibility-wise on 32bit Vista home premium than it is for 64bit ultimate. (2), 32bit Vista can only address around 3.2GB RAM minus the equivalent amount of RAM of your video card. Keep that in mind.

The thing about a 5400RPM drive v. 7200RPM is Vista boot time. If you want to shave off a few seconds, go 7200.

One last thing about 7200RPM drives, they tend to generate more heat and make more noise than a 5400 RPM drive.

With notebooks, you want to balance performance with price. You're not going to pay an increased price that is commensurate with the increased performance. That equation is almost always out of line.

 

So, getting back on topic. Will the HDX still have enough bang to play (30+ FPS, at least 1440 x 900) next-gen game at high+ settings, after the release of Montevina and Nvidia 9 series?

 

if someone would let me know the HDX's performance on oblivion with 1920 resolution and 8800 that would be great.

 

Yes up to about a year from now for many games. Thereafter, you'll probably have to drop a setting here or there. But it would be better to wait until Montevina is released given what likely performance increases the Cantiga chipset will offer.