*HP HDX18 Owners Lounge*

Yep, that's exactly how I configured it.

Since the coupon has been issued, the 3GB of RAM that I got for free is a $50 upgrade, and the 2 day shipping I got for free is a $39 upgrade. So I added both of those, and then applied the coupon to the retail price. The difference was $186 and some change. They gave me $120 after some bargaining. Honestly I think the lady was just too lazy to figure out the actual difference and hoped that was close enough to make me happy. And it was I guess

 

You cannot get the $100 gift card for free when you use the 30% coupon.

Also, it's none of my business, but I would really encourage you to not use a student loan to buy this computer for school. You can get plenty of computer for school for a lot less money. You are shooting yourself in the foot getting in more debt you'll be in plenty with school anyway - to much debt is a big part of what got our country in the mess its in right now -my 2 cents, take it or leave it - i have stepped off my soap box now

 

I agree with jnickell.

If you take a loan that means you can't afford it = you are borrowing the money, right. Nothing bad about it especially that you are investing in learning tool / pc equipment. But don't stretch your budget just because there is possibility to use a coupon. Less borrowed = less owned = more affordable payments = less headache. Check carefully what exact configuration you really need and what components you would really use. IMO There is no need to 1gb graphic card or quad for average use unless you want to built a gaming box.

Also remember that a lot of parts in this laptop is upgradable so why to pay premium for something is not even used at this time? or you will never use for your school?

For example, HP charges $1,175 for quad 2.53 Ghz upgrade while you can buy it for $688 or less, and save at least additional $400~500. By the time quad is really used, they will cost probably half

I know the urge of building top machine from the start but I learned my lesson in the past that majority of those premium functions are never or rarely put in use. With electronics / parts dropping values at that speed, there is a place to save way more over existing coupons.

Also if you read carefully you will find out how others saved serious money on various upgrades (like for example Vista Ultimate 64bit upgrade for $19, RAM or HDD upgrades)

just my 2¢

 

Quick question for you all - when you ordered your 18Ts (especially more recent ones), when did they actually build your laptop in comparison to the estimated build date?

I ordered mine on the 20th and it estimated it would be built on the 3rd of March. But as of yesterday they were still estimating the 3rd on new builds. So I wonder if they will ship it earlier, or if they build them in batches on lines with other notebooks or what.

Thanks!

 

My original estimate was 8 days. It was built and shipped in 4 days. The estimate time on the order status never changed - even after it shipped.

 

HP is known for playing safe with their ETAs. There is a basic marketing trick to give the customer ETA that extends actual delivery times to create illusion that service is faster than it really is. This way people are be happy that their new toy arrived before original ETA, but in reality those shorter delivery timelines are actual times needed to build and ship your product.

Just look at this board how many happy customers received their laptop before estimated date lol

I observed that in many cases Build date is actual ETA date.
If you live in big city close to transportation hub, you could even cut another day in shipping, and get it even faster.

I ordered DV6t for my wife with estimated shipping March 3rd, but I bet you that around March 4th I will have it on my desk

 

Excellent - thanks for the responses!

So even though the estimated build date never changed, the status changed to shipped with a tracking number right? And do they e-mail you?

Sorry for the elementary questions, this is my first order from HP.

Thanks!

 

Yes, just watch for the shipped email

 

Excellent, thanks!

This board is awesome. Can't wait to get my 18T!

 

Now you can hurry up - and wait

 

yes they do, but sometimes, delay between online status on their page and email could be 1~2 hours. After order is moved to factory, your updates will take place most likely during the night (I believe because time zone in Shanghai). Usual build time frame is 2 working days.

Shipping between Shanghai and Chicago via Alaska and Indiana hub took about 2 days.

 

Yeah, I know that it sounds overkill, but I am going to school for Computer Systems Security and this is my investment. My personal costs for my associates is covered all ready (books, tuition, etc). Also, I am going to be doing a lot of stuff that the Quad would be very useful for(i.e. VMware). Basically, I don't want to spend around $1,000 right now for something that I will need upgraded before I finish my degree. I don't plan on buying another computer until my associates degree is obtained.

As for saving money on the package, that's what I was asking for in my original post. Any advice like you just gave is great.

For example, maybe I don't need the 1g Video Card; that is something that is not probably going to be upgradable in the future on this machine. I am wondering if I will need it to hook up multiple monitors? Will the 512 suffice?

I am interested in how people are obtaining the Vista Ultimate 64 for $19. I defiantly am going to need Vista 64 and I was thinking of starting with 4g of RAM and then later upgrading it myself.

The HDD is another question I have. I want to get the cheapest 2 drive option HP has to offer. I can then later upgrade to the SSD of my choice.

Really, I could use advice in helping me decide the cheapest way to obtain @ least something similar to this. It seems that the AAP and the 30% would be the way to go. Would anybody care to advise me on that?

I just feel I will need the Quad, Vista 64, min 4g of RAM, and the real estate offered w/ the 18.4" screen for running virtual environments for the degree I am going into. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

Okay, I've went back and re-configured it with a Q9000, 512 Video, 4 gigs RAM, 2X250 HDD, and I've cut my cost to $2,581.98 (that does exclude the $200 rebate) and if I can get a 30% coupon my estimated cost would be $1,800.

The only way I see it dropping much lower is sacrificing on the processor.

EDIT:
What is really killing me is the 2 year warranty for $250. That is ridiculous, this should come with at least a year's warranty standard!

 

It does come with a years standard. No accident protection though.

Btw its just my opinion, but if your going for a QUAD, you might as well go for the Q9100 instead of the Q9000. Its only $50 for more than a %10 increase in clock speed.

 

Nice, that saves $250! Thanks, I just didn't see it listed clearly.

I do agree w/ you on the Q100. That is what I picked in my original configuration.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth on the quad.

As far as the warranty - they make a ton on those - you get a year - unless your really hard on it I would stay away. Even if your really hard on it just get the one year. Odds are in your favor after that.

As far as the hard drives - you could just get a single and buy the caddy kit later - it will still have a space for it.

On the Vram - my understanding is there is no use for 1gig, but it does get you the DDR3 reg ram (Vram is still DDR2) DDR3 is only negligably better, but you cannot upgrade from DDR2 to DDR3 - so now or never. Personally I'd get the DDR3 with the intent to load it up with 8gb of better DDR3 down the line

 

Yea HP doesnt seem to clearly state that you get a basic warranty standard. Keep in mind the standard 1 year warranty is about as basic as you can get.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/shopping/pdf/ESP_Notebook_Tips.pdf

 

Yeah, I totally agree with you on the warranty. No way am I going to go for that.

I have been reading and it sounds like you guys are getting your caddy kits for $15, so that is good. Now, I have to figure out if it is worth the extra $100 to jump from a single 320g drive to the dual 250's.

As far as the Vram, I am still stuck on this. In one sense, the DDR3 isn't really getting the positive feedback to warrant an extra $250. In the other sense, having the 1g card may help me down the road while running multiple OS's on multiple monitors.

Having said that, would you still go with the 1g to get the DDR3?

 

if you go with Quad, why bother with low speeds? go with the fastest one 2.53Ghz ... you can get it for ~$650 instead of $1,175 and replace it. You will save that way $400~500 and stay within your spending limit.



1gb GPU is good if you plan to use apps with GPU support. I use Adobe collection and some apps take advantage of extra memory. Other than that is pointless to spend extra on 1Gb.

Get cheapest 2 HDD setup and replace your drives. A lot of people here sell their 250gb / 320 gb once they replaced with SSD.

 

The Quad you linked is something I will have to consider. Thanks for that link!!

Could you elaborate on what you mentioned earlier with people getting the Vista Ultimate for $14? I have made to page 400 of this thread, either I've missed it or maybe I've yet to get to it, I am not sure.

 

read page 115

also there is open bidding for Quad QX9300 without reserve

 

So it sounds like the CPU is easy to change? I was under the understanding that it was not changable?

 

Thanks!!

It even sounds like I could do upgrade my current HP DV6640US to the VU before selling it if I wanted. Very Nice!

 

Could somebody also comment on the speakers? How do they sound for music?

I have yet to hear a laptop with a sub built into it.

Thanks.

 

Luckily, CPU in HDX is socket mounted, so replace is fairly easy

Speakers are more than you even will need in laptop. Clear nice sound with descent base.

 

Thanks.

Now I am seriously considering getting the Core 2 Duo for now which would put me at about the $1,300 range then getting the Quad you linked to later once I am going to need it for classes/testing/etc.

If it's not till next winter semester, then the price will have come down immensely.

My current computer won't run linux inside Vista for crap though, and that is something I want to be able to do off the bat.

The HDX w/ CORE 2 Duo w/ 4 gigs of RAM, Vista 64 Ultimate and either the 512 or the 1g card might have a chance. Not sure.

Anybody tried it w/ a similar setup, that is, without the Quad?

 

I was under the same impression, that the CPU cannot be replaced on the 18t. Does anybody know for certain?

 

Link to a thread where the guy switched his HDX16's processor to a QX9100.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=356499

 

I am definitely interested in this answer also! I had until 2/26 to call in for a RMA on this notebook and I was hoping another 30% coupon would be released before then and my prayers have been answered.

The 2nd HDX I purchased seems to have some sound issues, when I scan my finger on the finger print reader and it is successful the noise it makes is very distorted and Tech Support has been unable to assist me and told me to do a system recovery. I asked them what is to stop it from happening again?

Anyways, they extended my return from 21 says to 36 days which will allow me to use this notebook until I receive my new one. I ordered this with the T9400 so this new 30% coupon will give me the ability to upgrade a few aspects of my system that I wish I would have done.

So with that, here is hoping my 3rd time is the keeper. The keyboard issues I had were better with my 2nd HDX but still very noticeable with the bowed keyboard.

I know that I have been going through alot with HP with returns and exchanges but it isn't costing me my time. I am in it this deep so I will give it 1 more shot.

While I am debating on the T9600 or going to a QUAD, know if the cpu is upgradable from T9600 to QUAD by ordering it from another resource is something I am very interested in doing. I have experience taking apart HP's computers when I had to replace parts in my previous notebook so I am comfortable with doing that.

Thanks! And yes to those who have said this, the forums here are a gold mine of valuable information and incredible people willing to help!

 

Hi All,
I just recently purchased an HDX-18t laptop and I'm inquiring to see if anyone has had issues with their integrated TV Tuner after a Windows Vista clean install. Despite installing the drivers associated and the programs alternative to windows media center, I'm still getting a "card not found" error. Any help offered would be greatly appreciated

 

I didn't try Linux on it, but 2.8ghz with 1gb Nvidia, 4Gb ram and Vista Ultimate 64 runs like a charm. No problems even when using DVR, chat and Photoshop at the same time. Max CPU usage is around 75~85%

 

There is also another guy on this board with upgraded CPU on his hdx18t.

 

Hey I just installed these drivers and my 3dMark score dropped 200 points. Are there better/newer drivers out there? Did I do something wrong?

I downloaded the drivers, uninstalled the 179 nvidia display drivers, installed the optimized 182.05s, installed physx from laptopvideo2go, and then ran 3dMark. Somehow I got 200 less.

 

wow... odd!
i suppose you could give the 182.06 drivers a shot if you like but I can't really tell you why you dropped in score.

Are you overclocking your GPU?

Guess this just comes down to the fact that not all GPU's perform exactly the same.. 200 points is a fair drop though... have you tried comparing your performance in games? 3dMark is usually pretty good but i've dropped scores in that before and ended up with better gaming performance.

 

Actually I was able to overclock the GPU higher than when I was on the stock 179s. Im going to try the 182.06 and see what happens though. I actually havent tried to run any games yet. I've just been using RTHDRIBL, and from what I've noticed, it appears that my FPS actually dropped. I cant be %100 sure about that though.

Ill check out the 182.06s and post my results.

 

wow really?

what speeds could you achieve with 179 drivers?

and out of curiosity. what did you have to lower them to with 182.05?

 

Guys

One question since this is my first HP laptop.....I know with Dell, most of the time, they ship out the laptop well BEFORE the 'scheduled' ship date.

Does HP do the same? I ordered the HDX18 using the 30% coupon yesterday and my order was processed on the same day. Ship date says March 3rd.

Just wondering how accurate this date will be ............

 

Most of the HDX18t's I've ordered didn't ship until their ship date. YMMV.

Good luck!

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=4561229&postcount=4306

 

I really don't know the exact numbers for the Core and Shader with the 179s, but when I tried to up the Memory to 600 my laptop froze and I had to manually shut down. I didnt try OCing again until I installed the optimized 182.05 and with that I got the Memory up to 600 no problem.

 

Can somebody tell me if the current 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT on this laptop are either GDDR2 or GDDR3.

 

512 is DDR2, 1GB is DDR3

 

Hmm I see... Can the 512 9600M GT be overclocked? Is the 1GB version worth getting? Wanna play Crysis on this laptop once I buy it the CPU will be T9600 2.80GHz if it matters.

 

Yes & Yes, read earlier posts on the matter.

 

Hey everybody, I've been searching constantly through this thread to see if anyone has found an aftermarket connection for the secondary hard drive slot. I know that HP charges a fortune for the second caddy, blue cushions and sata wiring, but if anyone can help for any of the parts it would really be appreciated.

 

Both are GDDR2 - only the regular ram is upgraded to DDR3 when you move up to the 1gb of Vram for the 9600M

A few of us confirmed this a few pages back, and there are some pictures to prove.

HP does lead you to believe that both are DDR3 even though they are not.

 

You can play Crysis - obviously not on the highest settings. You will see no improvement and some have even seen it marginally worse with the 1gb of VRAM - google it - the research points to no improvement. Only reason to even consider it with HP is so that your regular ram gets the DDR3 upgrade

 

I just got my laptop last week and yesterday was the first day I actually got to play with it in more depth. The sound is great and that is compared to the Dell Studio 17 which sounded like garbage. The only think I get is a bit of a buzz when I swipe the fingerprint reader from the bass but to really enjoy the bass you need to raise the laptop of the surface as it is bottom firing but even on the table with the bass adjusted down a bit it sound great. It does crank to if you turn it up. I played a few different types of music from Rock to country and they all sound great. Kudos to Altec Lansing on great laptop speakers. If you want top of the line sound then you would need to hook up external as these are small speakers but I think you would be happy with the sound.

 

Mine to makes a distorted sound as if the speaker is being overdriven and bounce back from the sub underneath but after that all is good. I find that a minor problem, so far everthing else is working.

 

I am running Duo Core 4gb, Vista 64 Home Prem with 512 and it seems to move along fine. Unless you are into heavy gaming why spend the extra $$ unless you get a deal on it. Using wifi, tv tuner and internet stuff my runs great and I want to say my wei is 5.5 only low mark was on the 3d but I can not see a difference and I don't play a lot of heavy 3d games.