*HP HDX18 Owners Lounge*

FYI: You can also get 2% cashback via Live.com

 

After seeing the posts looking for the 8gb ram upgrade I tried again today to search for available packages. Seems that most of the cheaper options (like the Gskill set I got off Newegg) have disappeared. Here was the lowest one I found today:

http://www.priceguidenetwork.com/cr...-sodimm-notebook-memory-ct2kit51264ac667.html

Can't believe how hard it is to find a deal on this, seemed like you could find it at several vendors not even a month ago.

 

My wife just got a brand new Macbook pro with similar specs to my HDX 18t - some things I noticed. Build quality on the mac is a bit better - obviously like with most mac stuff finish on everything is better including operating system, multi-touch, backups.... Running speed seems the same on hers and mine- graphics might be a bit better because of the two graphics cards. I believe the resolution is higher on the HDX 18t, the screen is much larger, and there is a blu ray player! I think dollar for dollar you are getting a much better deal with the HDX 18t. My wife is a designer - I'm a corporate guy. I paid a bit more than you did and got a much faster processor than she has and lots more bells and whistles - still way cheaper than hers. I love both computers, but they are very different.

 

Yes thanks...I figured it was better to have what is built with it. I will try the Pro Stick to and if turns out the built in works I can always sell the Pro Stick or keep for the Inspiron 1520. I guess it is looking more and more that this system is the one to go with. I was did some looking around about the Home vs Ulimate and being I had used it on my Studio I may not use all the extras but I like the dreamscape and the few games to waste time. Guess it is time to stop being a reader of the posts and become an owner. Thanks

 

That's a very good price indeed. I try to avoid Crucial having bad experience with them before, but that's a tempting offer.

 

You may want to consider the T9400 processor - 2.53 gHz. That's where the cache doubles from 3 MB to 6MB. (Only $85 with the stackable 15% coupon. )

Congrats on getting an HDX18!

 

Thanks for the Input! I'm kinda like you, I work at a corporate office but I'm a developer. Not to mention that Mac doesn't have physical damage warranty. I believe I made an investment, I may not have to buy another comp for a long time, just upgrade this beast of a machine.....Thanks a lot for the answer.

 

Thanks again for the reply, but I paid already though but I will be upgrading this thing. Just a side note specifically for gamers or media developers....

*Anyone who gets a 3gb ddr2 2dimm for 512 nvidia should think about it first. It would be worth the money to get my specs, a 4gb ddr3 2DIMM 1 gb nvidia.

Reasoning: If you got this laptop on sale might as well invest in it. HP HAS to use 2DIMMs or 2 slots( I checked w them), 512 for 2DIMM is actually splitting the 512 card into 2 pieces (256 or somthing). If you could get 512 for 1DIMM, that would leave an extra slot open, that to me is worth it. Then you could have an option to get a next Gen whatever Nvidia card when the price lowers. But since they said they HAVE to use 2DIMMs might as well grab 2 512(1gb). The 512 NVidia 9600 is $90 a piece on their website. HP Charges you $250. If you got the card from the Nvidia website keep in mind the tax and shipping which might run about $100 or so, then you have to pay someone to install it. You would then be losing money. It's better to let HP order and install this for you. 1gb only supports (according to HP custom specs) 4gb DDR3, for only an extra $50. DDR3 used to run over 200! So really you are paying HP to install everything for around 50 or 60bucks....

Hope that makes sense....unless I made a mistake

 

Does the HDX18t have a TPM chip?

 

Also, I've been looking for info on the screen, if its LED-backlit or not like the Sony AW-series. Can't find anything anywhere, so I assume it isn't?

 

It's a great screen, but not LED. Though, I'm not sure the premium on the Sony is worth the LED - you are only getting better picture not better battery life too, like you should. At least not in the reviews I've read. My wife has the Macbook Pro and the LED screen doesnt look any different to me.

 

Installed this caddy into the machine. It's a tight fit (which is good) but worked like a charm. The only thing I didn't like was the cable was a bit too chunky and made fixing in a bit too tight but considering it's a third the price of HP and available (especially to people outside of US) it's a true bargain.

 

Just checked...these are backordered. How long did it take to get?

Has ANYONE tried the optical drive bay Hard Drive tray they sell? Wondering if I could have 3 500GB drives in my system at once!

 

Is this the type of caddy you would use to install a SSD?

 

Hey jnickell - funny you should mention SSD. I just ordered 30GB SSD from newegg for $94 AR. It appears to be a standard 2.5" SATA HD form factor and should fit into the internal tray.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227359

$15 discount code expires TODAY: EMCABCKHH

Hoping this SSD PLUS 8GB RAM makes my HDX18t STUPID FAST!

 

I received my HP HDX 18 last week. These are the specs I ordered it with:

HP HDX18t Premium Series customizable Notebook PC

* • $50 OFF! Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
* • Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.4 GHz)
* • 18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
* • 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) - For 1GB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics
* • 1GB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
* • 500GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (250GB x 2) with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* • Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Fluid)
* • HP Color Matching Keyboard
* • Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
* • Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
* • No TV Tuner w/remote control
* • 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* • No Productivity Software
* • HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

The total price was $2,047.99.

To install an SSD just replace the HDD currently in the caddy with the SSD. You will need to reinstall Windows or use software such as Norton Ghost to copy the drives. The HP Recovery Disks you burned will not work (I know from experience!) because they can tell the different disk sizes.

The first thing I did once I got this notebook was to replace the C: drive with a 128GB OCZ Core Series SSD. I also replaced the D: drive with a 500GB Samsung Spinpoint M6 HDD. After struggling for a few days to get Vista reinstalled, I finally just burned a copy of the OS I downloaded off the torrents and entered my Activation Key on the bottom of the HDX. This notebook is amazing and has an absolutely gorgeous screen. I still need to install Halo 2 and Crysis and see how they play though.

Also, does anyone know what media player software I need to output LPCM decoded Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD MA tracks over HDMI using this laptop?

 

I've read some bad reviews on many of the current SSD drives - except the intel and the samsung. It looks like the new stuff is going to be great, but until then in many cases a fast 7,200 is just as good or better.

Does anyone know what the stock 7,200 is on the 18t? Whats the fastest non-SSD that you guys have used?

 

Anyone add any Intel Turbo memory to their system - any use for it?

 

The caddy can be used with the SSD. I installed a 128Gb SSD drive. Out of the box, the system was dog slow with Vista. However I followed the instructions here:
http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47212

And now it's sh*t off the shovel quick.

Actually, follow those instructions for normal HDD and it'll improve vista no end.

 

Within 2 working days.

 

There is now a $500 coupon, if you get the full $500, without them deducting their $200 off they are offering, it is $217 cheaper than what I got with the 30% off. Does the price matching include coupons?

 

Does the HP HDX18 battery compartment come with a cover or does the battery itself act as one?
I plan on using my hdx18 in one place (connected to the wall outlet) and not installing
the battery so I guess I could end up with a big gaping hole in the bottom rear of the laptop.

 

The battery is the cover.

 

The battery is the cover, you will have a large open space if you run without the battery. Plus if you have a power outage, your computer will turn off.

 

anyone had any luck getting the $500 coupon to stack with the 15% off.

I cant get it to work even though its supposed to.

 

Thanks. Is there any way to disable the battery's charging cycle if I do decide to leave it in the laptop?

 

I've made them stack (sort of), but just for an extra $50 ish price reduction using first the $500 off coupon - you should notice the automatic $200 rebate banishes when you enter that coupon, so if your system had a price tag of $2200 and $2000 after the instant rebate, using the $500 will make the price go down to $1700, not 1500 which is $2000 - $500, I wish) and then the 15% off coupon. Hey, 50$ off is better than nothing after $300 already off.

What do you mean? Sorry, I might not be able to answer your question but I would like a little more info on this. Thanks.

 

Well I got the G.Skill Titan 256GB installed today. I found out Norton Ghost 14.0 isn't worth the disc it's written on. After the installation it wouldn't write the recovery CD to the BD ROM drive. I ran Liveupdate and got a Windows installation failure message. That removed the BD ROM drive from my system. One driver wouldn't load. I ran System Restore to get the drive back and tried it again with the same result. I ran System Restore again to get the drive back and remove Ghost. I bought and downloaded Acronis True Image Home 2009 and it ran flawlessly. After the backup I tweaked the system settings and this drive flys. It gets a little hot though, the bottom is very warm. There's a plus to this though. I'll be saving some money on my heating bill.

 

I am looking to put my order in today for a HDX18t..My question is 5400rpm vs 7200rpm 500gb drive. If I go with the 5400 it will save me 100.00. Do you think I am going to see a major difference between the two if I went with the lower rpm. I will be running – Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
– Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9600 (2.80GHz)
– 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) - For 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics
– 500GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (250GB x 2) with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
– 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
– 18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
– Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
– Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Fluid)
– Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
– HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner
– HP Color Matching Keyboard
– 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
– No Productivity Software
– HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Thanks

 

Do we even know what brand the drive is?

 

I would suggest getting the FREE 250GB drive and SAVE the $200. Then take $100 of that and buy a 500GB drive from newegg.com. That leaves you with $100 left over. Now that you have the same HD space and $100 left, you can either save it for the future or buy another 500GB and spend an additional $40 for a HD tray. Now you have 1TB of space for $40 more bucks!

Seriously think about Vista Ultimate - I have it and don't use ANY FEATURES over Home Premium. What feature is worth $160????

This system is CLOSE to my specs they are building right now. I also went with 2GB RAM. Saved $100, using that $100 to buy 8GB for an additional $400. Your ULTIMATE could pay for HALF OF THAT!

 

NICE!!!! I'm getting amped. Plus I also read somewhere else that you can install an ssd by replacing it with the cd/dvd rom.

 

No idea what kind.

 

Thanks I will look into I did not really want to rip it aprt to replace but it might be a better route. Thanks again

 

You should read my quote about the specs you want a couple'a pages back. but they really only apply to developers and gamers.
Link = http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=300221&page=391

 

Hold down the Shift and Ctrl keys and press S. Select Hard Drives in the left panel. You should see your hard drives and their brands listed.

 

I don't have my unit right now - had to send it in for repair. Anyone else mind checking if you have the 320gb 7,200rpm?

 

Mine came with Hitachi 320GB 7200rpm Hitachi drives, but that doesn't mean they all come with this brand. You need to check for yourself when you get your system

 

Man I'm depressed. My X18 with 128Gb SDD and 500Gb HDD and 4Gb RAM runs a bucket load quicker than my development box at work, but I'm not allowed to connect my X18 to the network. So here I sit waiting for the compiler to finish and dreaming of the X18 that could do it in half the time. Sigh.

 

Do you guys recommend setting up a RAMDisk as described in the OCZ instructions here: http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=318866&postcount=4? I have the 128GB OCZ Core Series SSD with the 4GB RAM option from the HP site. What does a RAMDisk even do exactly? Also, how much faster is Vista when you disable search indexing on the SSD? I tried disabling it but my searches were very slow so I enabled it again. Any advice?

 

Well I like what I hear but I do not want to open and replace parts or deal with formatting a new drive and readding Vista etc. I did think about the Ultimate and I had Ultimate and I guess the bit locker and the connection stuff if it was not set up when I got the Dell I would not know that I was even missing it. I did change the system and for the laptop, J6480 Printer and a Migration cable it will run 1968.00
– Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
– Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9600 (2.80GHz)
– 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) - For 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics
– 500GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (250GB x 2) with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
– 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
– 18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
– Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
– Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Fluid)
– Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
– HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner
– HP Color Matching Keyboard
– 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
– No Productivity Software
– System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit)
– HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Estimated build date: February 16, 2009
HP Officejet J6480 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier

I also dropped down the hd to 5400rpm which I am use to so I guess the savings buys my printer and cable. I am not really familar with the inner works of the laptop, I have done stuff on desktops. I just want the big screen, blu ray and the ability to play tunes, iTunes, download movies, music play a few games watch tv an so on. Great info and help from all on here. So let me know what you think of the revised system and if the 7200rpm or 5400rpm hd is the way to go. I fig I saved 160 for Vista and once this is set up I am just going to use it and not play in the guts till it is out of warranty. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks

 

Interesting info in that forum. I wonder if all those reviews that deemed SSD's to be roughly the same speed as a good 7,200 did this. Although, I also wonder how much of this could be done with a regular hard drive to improve performance. Some of the tips seem like normal tweaks to improve system speed with or without SSD.

 

I'm running BIOS F.13 and there's no option to select my 2nd HD in the boot order list. (2nd HD does show up in the diagnostics.) Can anyone clue me in as to how to boot from the second drive? I have VU x64 installed on both HDs and want to occasionally boot from the second drive without physically moving it from bay 2 to bay 1. Thanks.

 

For what you want to use it for your specs and the money you'll save you seem fine.
BTW the warranty offer is wierd. It's 110 (covers everything + physical damage) for 1 year, it's 260 for 2 years, but you can renew warranties atthe end of the year? That doesn't make sense. Why would you get a 2 year warranty when you can a 1 year and save 40bucks and just renew at the end of the year?

 

I know the sales rep I spoke was pushing the warranty, the standard that come with the purchase does no carry the spills, drops etc you have to pay 156.00 to add it. I was going to wait on the extended warranty. I may get it cheaper via square deals/trade as I paid 14.00 to cover my ipod and happens to they will repair or most likely replace it. So kayel you don't think I need to up the hdd to a 7200? I forgot to mention I use paltalk vid conf but I know the drive has no effect on that. I do notice on my320gb in my inspiron if I have a lot of songs or movies it slows down so that was my thinking for a larger hdd. Any advise is alwys welcome. I hoping to make my mind up with a little help from you kind people today and get it ordered.

 

What is a good free software for testing the speed of my HDD vs SSD?

 

I just heard back from www.newmodus.com. They said system would be able to see ALL 3 DRIVES! WOW! Ordering 2nd bay AND optical bay trays as soon as done this post!

 

I always see results from HDtach...
http://www.simplisoftware.com/Public/index.php?request=HdTach

 

Windows 7 were built to handle SSD's, not vista, hence all the configuration.

 

Can anyone tell me what the pci data acquisition and signal processing controller is? Its the only thing listed in device manager with a yellow exclamation mark by it