HP NC8430 review

I am planning on ordering a HP NC8430 at the end of this week...it sounds as though the ones you guys have purchased have a few hardware problems. Would you still recommend this computer? I am going to be using it mostly for games and word processing. So I have a few questions. The nc8430 has 3 buttons under each of the pointing devices which makes for smaller buttons as well as a large gap between right and left click; do any of you find that awkward or annoying. Is it easy to miss click? Also how are the hinges on the screen? are they strong?
I was originally considering a Dell D820, or the Dell Precision M65. But those all have CAD optimized video cards instead of the more game oriented X1600 which the HP has.
Should I look to a Dell instead? Their customer service has been great for me but the hardware broke down a lot on my current Latitude.
I have heard very mixed reviews about HP's customer service. What should I believe?

any advice would be greatly appreciated,

thanks

 

I currently own an NC8000 and an NX6125 and none of them are nearly as loud as this one.

But you are right, of course certain things can affect the speed of the fan.

Still, i ordered this machine to evaluate and see if we are gona order another 100 of the babies (not sure about that now though)
The machine is out of the box, standing on a wodden desk in my room where the temp is about 20 degrees celcius at the moment.
The bios dosn't offer much in fan controll maybe the os does ??

And the fan is not ratteling or anything, its just pushing alot of air...

And underclock the cpu and graphics adapter...
Wouldn't mind doing so if i had it at home and played around with 3rd party software, but in an office enviroment - No thanx..
(thanx anyway 4 the advice, good to know if i get another one for evaluation and decide to take this one home with me )

Don't get me wrong, i really love HP (compaq) stuff, and have always beed telling people to skip Dell for HP.
And i will prob still love HP even though cuz of the loud fan and somewhat crappy screen.

But after i tried my friends Dell 6400, i realized that build quality is the same if not even better than the HP, its cheaper and has a gorgeous screen.

The buttons isn't any worse than on other laptops, if u like using the glidepad or the other "stick" u will prob like it.
The 3 button feature, hmmm, don't use it actually....and its not disturbing in any way.
If i were u i would go for the Dell 9400 if 17" isn't a problem...

Still, i might have just got a "monday" version of the HP, will give the support a buzz 2moro 2 c what they have to say about it...

 

I suspect a fair bit of the heat would be generated by the video card. So you might want to compare the Dell 6400 to a notebook using a similar video card like the nc8440. Or if your office environment doesn't require powerful video cards perhaps going with something like the nx7400.

But please do let us know how it goes with HP.... I suspect if your looking at buying a lot of them then it'll be worth their while to fix the problem and I'm still leaning heavily toward this system as there just isn't a lot of 15.4" systems out there with good video cards.

 

I have had this baby for a good two weeks now and havent faced the fan problem. Most of the time the lappy idles at 50 C and stays there. I cant really hear the noise as such and the laptop is pretty cool most of the time. I really like the build on this laptop though. It feels pretty solid and after the upgrade to 1 GB of RAM its pretty snappy as well and I normally run the system underclocked as it increases battery time as well as less heat and u really dont need a blazing video card for most applications.

 

Phaedrus, can you please post some pictures.

 

Let me try and get a few pics of the system. My digi got stollen and havent gotten around to getting a new one as yet. So will have to borrow from a frnd so might take a bit of time. Btw, the empty RAM slot is the one at the bottom of the laptop and not beneath the keyboard on mine. So saved me some time getting to it

 

Air blows out the LEFT rear side of the unit. The intake vents are on the bottom near the center.

 

My nc8430 is a week old. It has the 15.4 WSXGA+ screen. It is much brighter than my previous nx6125 15.0" SXGA+. It is sharp and bright at native resolution. It only blurs when using lower than native resolutions, as is normal with LCD's.

 

I've had my 2.0 Ghz unit for a week. I have the video card perfomance set to max-battery life (in Catalyst Control Center) even when plugged in, so the video runs at minimum performance, which is fine for non-gaming.

I haven't noticed any fan noise, and the unit doesn't get overly warm even when using it for six hours straight.

 

Hi. Does it have S/PDIF port? All HP documents I have read doesnt mention it, but I haven't seen a laptop in this category without it ...

 

could someone who installed more memory onto their nc8430 please post some pictures showing how easy it is to access the memory slots, as i have never done a laptop mem upgrade bfore. Thx

 

HP keeps service manuals on their website (at least for business class products) that show how to replace just about anything. Might want to start looking there.

 

I'm thinking about getting NC8430 for graphics mostly (AfterEffects, Painting, 2D Animation). While I like a lot the spec and the build quality (based on users
feedback), nobody really says anything good about the screen. Obviously it's
not that great.. am I right ?
Can somebody comment on screen quality ?
Brightness ? Color fidelity (hmmm) and quality ?

 

i'm also intrestet in hp's nc8430. on hp.com it says, that the display is 180nits bright. is that enough to work outdoor?

i have found two models of the 8430 with 2 GHz. the ES591EA has a 100 GB HDD and a DVD-RW/CD-RW bruner but just 1 year warranty. the EY686AW has a 80 GB HDD and just a DVD/CD-RW cobo drive but 3 years warranty. which offer is better? (here in switzerland the two cost nearly the same. approximately 2350.- CHF.)

ismi

 

Just ordered a NC8430 EY688AA this morning...I'll let you guys know how it is when I get it.

 

i ordered a NC8430 ES591EA here in Germany. I hope to get it soon (today) and also let you how it is then.

 

I have already had two nc8430s in my possession and they both suffered from the same problem. The keyboard looks a little warped in the middle. Has anyone else noticed this flaw? It's as though the keys on the right side (J,K,L) are a little lower than the keys on the left side (D,F,G). It's driving me mad....how hard is it to get them flat? Moreover, a couple of the cursor support keys were rattling? I'm wondering if this is a design flaw or a production flaw. As I'm waiting on my SECOND replacement, I hope it's resolved or I'll have to find an alternative.

 

How is the build quality of the 8430 compared to ... say Thinkpad T60 (or the other laptop that I was thinking about S96J)

Thanks

 

In my opinion ES591EA is better choice (because of DVD burner).. and You can always extend warranty by HP Care Pack
I´ve also ordered nc 8430 (yesterday), configured by HP Top Config - I think its available not only in my Country (Czech Republic). So I´m looking forward CTD 2500, 80GB HDD (7200 rpm), 1GB 667MHz RAM (1 DIMM), DWD RW and 4y extended warranty - let You know about it as soon as I get it

 

i got my 8430 yesterday. It is a very nice machine with very good build quality and a excellent display IMHO (at least compared to my old Acer 804 ;-)).
I think the build quality is very close to the thinkpads, but keep in mind that a comparable T60 ot T60p has a much higher price than the HP.
I use this Laptop as Desktop replacement most time in the office in the Docking Station. Docking station is very important for me, and there is only HP, DELL, Lenovo and Sony which offer good docking stations for business. And i think the 8230 and Dell d820 are the most valuable Core Duo machines in the 15.4" class.

 

Can all of you, who owns 8430, comment on it's display quality, pleeeease!
Dark corners, leaking etc... Thank you very much!

 

I am using an nc8430 right now and the lighting seems fairly uniform to me....I'm coming from an NEC FP912SB CRT and to be honest I really don't miss it all that much (and I loved that monitor). Nothing is wrong with the display that I can tell....I dled an LCD test app and couldn't find any dead pixels or anything like that. Video looks nice enough, I've watched a few DVD scenes from ronin and bad boys 2 to test it out and also a couple eps of entourage.

I have played FEAR, BF2, and nfs hot pursuit 2 (all at native res, this machine is powerful!) and the screen has been great. The ambient light sensor can be disabled easily (Fn + F11, there is an icon) and then the display really brightens up. I also appreciate the native res of 1680x1050 - you can up the DPI if you want but the text looks fine. The screen real estate is great...I was just at compusa and looked at a few 1280x800 screens and just thought yuck..boy did I dodge a bullet

Personally I doubt that anyone would hate the screen...it doesn't seem any worse than the macbook pro screens I saw at the store. Color richness could be improved at max brightness but so could most matte LCD's. Really to overcome that you would need a glare. I'd say go for one and return it if you don't like it (I doubt you will..). BTW you can press against the back of the screen with both hands and you won't get any effect unless you push REALLY hard...and if you do actually only a small part of the screen gets distorted...it's cool lol

 

What settings did u manage to play at with BF2? and what fps did u get? thx

 

answers anyone???

 

come on guys!!!! pretty please!!

EDIT: with a cherry on top!!

 

I'm not sure what settings it is set at but it is very detailed (moreso then on my desktop) with shadows and realistic glass...it is running smoothly too so even if it isn't at max I bet it could go higher. I'll check the actual settings sometime, I really have to get to sleep!

 

Bump. Would just like to hear more user experiences.

 

This notebook has quality written all over it-the keyboard is solid, no flexing anywhere, the hinges are solid-everything feels so well put together, but I would expect nothing less from a 'business-class' notebook. What I do find very dissapointing is the quality of the speakers, or should that be lack of. They are crap. Also the touchpad isn't widescreen aspect but this is a minor niggle compared to the speakers, which is imo is the machine's only major downfall. The screen is superb, very clear, no dead pixels and as I mentioned elsewhere impressive horizontal viewing angles. At its max setting, the brightness is ideal. Performance is head and shoulders above what I had before (1.6Ghz Athlon pos, 240Mb you know the drill)). Multi-tasking is child's play. My first run of Super-Pi was 1:15 . Oblivion is handled very nicely with the game automatically setting 'high quality' on installation. The left side does get quite warm though but this is natural during intense usage. Under regular use the notebook is very quite and remain cool.

Hope that helped

 

Thanks for your mini review. Did you get a chance to test the battery life or fingerprint scanner?

 

All notebook speakers tend to be crap. Are you saying they are crap in reference to regular speakers, or in comparison to other notebook speakers? Other reviewers have said positive comments about the speakers.

Do they distort, sound tinny, or just lack bass?

Anyone else feel free to comment. I'm trying to decide between the T60 and nc8430.

 

Is anybody using the nc8430 with WXGA (1280x800) display? From the specs, uit doesn't look very nice...but I still prefer this resolution.

Thanks,
Petr

 

In comparison to regular speakers (that is just the standard cheapo ones that come with PC's) the ones on the nc8430 are pretty dire. Although I haven't had much experience with notebooks prior to owning this one, I reckon that these are up to par either, but don't quote me on that.

The sound is as you describe it, but they don't distort. Music sounds horrible on this notebook, but I workaround that with my Sennheiser HD 595

 

To be honest, the speakers on this machine are just fine. They are far better than the speakers on the HP Pavilion 4000, and are up to par with other notebooks. My only gripe, although understandable, is the lack of base found in the music.

Battery life ranges from 2hrs to over 5hrs depending on what you are using it for.

 

Can't think the speakers are any worse then my Dell 6000. I think as a whole, notebook speakers suck with the exception of some 17" high-end media centers.

 

Zdravim krajana z Ceska!
(little bit of Czech language )

Where have you bought the nc8430 using the HP Top Config? It's little bit OT, so could you please write me on petr (zavinac) veit.cz ?

Thanks,
Petr

 

My model doesn't come with the fingerprint scanner-it's an optional feature. I couldn't afford the higher spec models

Haven't tested the battery life yet.

 

Hi,

Are the 3DMark05 scores with the latest Omega drivers? It seems a little bit lower compared to a similar spec Acer 8204?

 

It's hard to say, the scores for both machines are a little scattered. I will check out the stock memory/core speeds in the next few days.

However, I won't touch the 8200 to save my soul. I have heard stores ranging from a very dim screen to heat problems to poor battery life. The build quality isn't in HP's category either. To stack that on top of an almost 300 dollars difference in price? No thanks.

 

Got my a couple of weeks ago. Specs are the same as the one ordered by HomeSkillet, except I ordered a bit too early for the rebate <grumble><grumble>

GPU Clock is set to 425/378 while on main.

3dMark 05 = 3765
3dMark 06 = 1693

Drivers were the stock ones that came with the system -- 8.223.4.

 

Hi,

Any hints where to order 8430 from ?

 

Depends which model you want.

You can buy the higher end models online from HP

But the lowest end model can be found at amazon.com for $1399

 

thanks Celondil. The Acer 8204 seems able to post 4100+ on 3dMark05. I'm just curious, as the specs seem similar. Any ideas why this is so, anyone?

I'm leaning towards HP for its superb build, but I will be gaming, so would just like to know where the 8430 stands.

Thanks!

 

The nc8430 has lower 3dmark scores because it is underclocked. This is actually a good thing. It saves valuable battery life and creates less heat. You won't see much difference in gaming.

 

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?threadId=1041766 here is some interesting info about the nc8430 fan bug. Anybody has the same symphtoms?

 

Mine isn't always on, but its on most of the time but its so quiet anyway you'll never notice unless you're purposely listening for it. This is whilst plugged in.

 

The memory and core is set much higher on the 8204 (472/468), so that alone should account for the difference.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=49111&page=3

I haven't measured internal temperatures yet, but the surface temps at least seem quite low. So there may be some good potential for overclocking.

 

NC8430 (EY688AA) Review

Over all I like the NC8430. The build quality rivals the IBM/Lenova T's and the features (hardware) are nice. I bought mine for $1650 and got the 3year on site next day warranty for $100 (I have a friend that’s an HP service tech and he'll just hand me the replacement parts at Business Computing Network.
So far I have been unable to really bog it down (unintentionally), I've run videos and multiple programs at once, dvds, WoW (sigh yes I'm a WoW junky) with alt tabbing and music and internet with no problems. Playing WoW with settings mostly max and no problems, this is when it does tend to get warmer on the left and left lower sides.
My previous experience with laptops include: Dell Inspiron 8100, IBM 20+s, 30+'s, and 40+'s. I have to say I like the NC8430 the most for both build and features (hardware).

THE SCREEN
I was very impressed with the clarity and crispness of it for the matte finish very nice.
The brightness is all right not great but bright enough to work fine and the light sensitivity hardware does work but I don't like it or use it.
The build quality for the screen is great; hard to get ripples from the backside and when you do they are very localized.
S-VIDEO/AUDIO
AHH! Again like most other systems the s-video is on the far end from the audio port.
KEYBOARD/BUTTONS
The inset of the keyboard does take some getting used to but after that its comfortable and the buttons seem useful and placed well.
(sorry haven't had any problems with a warped keyboard)
FAN/HEAT
The fan is quiet and blows a fair amount of air. The system stays fairly cool under normal use. When working the system gets quite warm on the left side and on the bottom left, the top doesn't really heat up much. When working the fan is audible but not loud.
BATTERY
First-CHECK THE OTHER REVIEWS
From my normal use it will last me 3-3.5 hours when on battery, that's with video or audio off and on, cd or dvd part of the time, some gaming, lots of sleep mode, and some WIFI/Bluetooth here and there.
DVD Drive
Works fine but I have a problem with it not sliding smoothly, it feels a little sticky. Its not a problem with being able to open it but just not smooth.
SPEAKERS
There’s no way around it, they suck. They seem about average for laptops but like I said they suck.

I bought this because of its hardware, understand that it doesn't come with ANYTHING as far as software goes. But hey you can download Intervideo WinDVD player from the support website. It has S-Video (T60+s don't), it has card readers (T60+s don't), it has DVD writer DL, Bluetooth, WIFI, LAN, a great video card, and Duel Core. Those are why I bought this system.
Decide your features and requirements before you buy, I am very happy with this but I also spent 3.5 months researching first too.
My plans:
Partition to C: 17gb, D: 17gb, E: remainder
Dual boot C: primary work, D: vista beta and general testing, E:data/backup


Biggest complaint, no software disks. You have to create them (2DVDs or 9CDs and about 4 hours of your life and laptop time). It also eats up about 5gb of your hard drive with its recovery partition.

Brian

 

F***! just found a dead pixel...

 

Does the DVD burner have lightscribe?

 

Woopty-effin-do now I've found a stuck red pixel. The 'honeymoon' period is definitely over