HP Spectre x360

Yeah.It should come if through the spectre Speakers too.

I look everyday too if there is something new. Dont use is the hp alert.

 

If you are on F.12, it probably won't show as an option. Try going back as far as you can, then go back again. You should eventually get to a BIOS version that will let you go back to F.04.

Good luck, Jim

 

Hibernate shouldn't use any power whatsoever. The machine is in an off state.

 

Pretty sure its been shown that the speakers are the same as the original version that came with 8.1.

 

I had my first x360 do it. I found event viewer messages where the wireless card was reporting as malfunctioning.

Turned out it was a lemon. My second one works great.

 

Thanks i back to f12 and after to f04 and now battery life time is back

 

No one replied to my previous post, so I'll try again. Is anyone here experiencing weird buzzing sounds coming from the laptop (close to left hinge) when the fan isn't working? If you can get yourself in a quiet enough room, you can hear it from a regular distance in the same position you would be if you were using the laptop normally. It sounds a little like coil whine, and was wondering if this is a serious issue worth a return?

 

There is no way that's true. Why would it say otherwise on the best buy product details page for that model number? I'll confirm this weekend at a best buy store with an HP Specialist.

 

I'd be really surprised if the speakers were different.

I also think that the specialist will simply read the specs from the spec sheet without checking with anyone.

 

Yeah you're probably right. I don't know how to confirm 100% percent that my brand new Spectre x360 has the Bang & Olfuson speakers. I checked the hp support application but that got me no where. Under audio it says "Intel Smart Sound Technology". To the other poster no I don't have any strange noise coming from my system.

 

It is the sound issue. Mine continues even after manually updating and disabling the DTS enhance.

That's a hissing noise, like coil or metallic, right? It happens in almost every laptop I've had...thing is, this one gets pretty quiet while others were more noisy and you couldn't hear it much. My laptop stopped that noise a while ago, but I'm not sure.

 

Like abepaniagua said, it might be coil whine, also it is common in most laptops I've used, HP, Asus, Dell, Acer. Just some are more audible than others well, maybe because they are inherently more quiet than others as well. But my spectre has very little to no coil whine that I can hear. If it is very annoying maybe you can check others at the store if those exhibit the same problem, and consider a replacement.

 

From my experience with another HP laptop (an envy) with Bang and Olufsen speakers, there doesn't seem to be any hardware difference with a "normal" DTS branded speaker. Maybe its just a branding thing, one slapped with B&O branding and others with DTS. Even the control panel for DTS or B&O are the same only with different colors grey/silver or black depends on the branding. Whats more important maybe is the size or quality of the speakers they installed which I guess is not that much considering the space or lack thereof that they had to work with inside the Spectre.

 

When is the Spectre x360 Skylake coming? I heard rumors it should come in September 2015. Any one want to chime in?

 

Not really sure. Although the desktop Skylakes have already been released, leaks say that the mobile skylakes wont be launched till September 2015. We might expect new laptops come holiday season or early Q1 of next year. I just hope they actually read the threads and improve upon the flaws and bugs of the current generation, and hopefully also include 1 to 2 usb-c's.

 

http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/Laptops/hp-spectre-x360---13-4101dx-(energy-star)

It also says you have a user accessible memory slot.

I don't buy that either.
Especially since the data sheet says it is not:
Accessible memory slots • Memory slot not user accessible

They also try to be misleading by saying it has a 6th gen Intel Core CPU.
http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/Laptops/hp-spectre-x360---13-4101dx-(energy-star)#!&TabName=features

In reality, it is a 5th gen Core i7, which is how everyone else in the world refers to it.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store...gnature-Edition-2-in-1-PC/productID.320750400

Microsoft doesn't mention user accessible slot, nor B & O speakers.

Neither does the data sheet:
DTS Studio Sound™ with dual speakers

http://store.hp.com/wcsstore/hpusstore/pdf/n5r94ua.pdf

 

So you're telling me that Best Buy just took me for a ride? These are are off their website. Idk what to think here.

 

They update their specs from HP, and like HP, they had usb c listed for a while too. So I am sure it isn't intentional.

Let me ask this. Does anything in your documentation that came with the laptop, or the box say it has B & O? The data sheet says it doesn't, while the general specs says it does.

 

No it doesn't anywhere. There must be a way to check through windows 10 control panel. Any advice on what to do?

 

I noticed this whine just the last days and I 've been owning the laptop for 3 months now. Could it be there all the time? Or it may have appeared just now?

I am not sure it is there all the time but surely it is another thing of this laptop that bugs me. Do Macs have coil whine too?

 

According to the Internet search engine gods, yes.

 

Look for a parts replacement guide. Compare it to the 4000 series. Or find an updated teardown.

I haven't found one, but if the part numbers match, we have two scenarios: you do not have B & O, or everyone does and HP didn't mention it.

 

Trying to add a different perspective here... what if the speakers aren't B&O, but the same speakers as the current gen? Is that a dealbreaker?

When it comes to laptop speakers, I think most people fall into 3 categories: (1) Mostly use headphones, so speakers aren't a big deal; (2) If speakers are important, they would use external speakers, (3) use laptop speakers, but find the difference between the current vs. B&O speakers negligible.

Like you, I'd rather have B&O speakers, but for me it's more of a nice-to-have. I figure that with the small form factor of the Spectre x360, the quality of speakers is going to be pretty limited regardless of brand, meaning there won't be a significant upgrade with B&O speakers. I think if someone really wanted to use speakers, they're probably get way better results using a portable external speaker.

 

My logic is that if something isn't broken then don't fix it. Why would HP bother to replace the original speakers with premium brand speakers. It's more baffling why they don't advertise the B & O technology. I will make due with current speakers I guess.

 

Thanks for posing it this way -- I think it's helpful. FWIW I put myself in the third category. I also don't want to sound cynical, but my personal view is that when a computer company partners with an audio company (e.g., Beats, B&O, etc.), the goal is to convince people that by putting the audio company's name on the computer, the value of the device has measurably increased. In other words, "name recognition." So yeah it's very snarky reasoning but my sense is that the real change/improvement is negligible.

Given that the supposedly improved model costs the same as the previous "standard" model, I'd say the result is a wash. I wouldn't call it a case of misadvertising (to be honest, I never rely on Best Buy product descriptions) or deception unless you paid more for a product that is objectively the same as the old one.

-Matt

 

I'd call it deception if it was a reason for my purchase decision. A lot like the fabled user accessible ram slot they are falsely advertising.

 

Thanks, I definitely misspoke. It's deception regardless of whether the next gen product costs more or less than the previous gen, if they say "it's in the box" and it's not. But if you paid the previous gen price for the previous gen product, thinking you'd get more, then it's a judgment call. It's still deception either way, but in a sense it's also the "right" price for what is actually in the box.

-Matt

 

As others have mentioned recently, this is a common thing. I have had two Spectres now and they both made this noise, at about the same volume. It was really annoying at first (noticed it on day 2), but I am coming to live with it now. Better this quiet noise than a constant fan whistling.

It is coil whine of some kind, to do with the processor's sleep states. When the CPU is idle it makes this noise. You can cause the sound to go away by disabling the Intel HD 5500 device, but this is not exactly a good solution.

I have not found another way to get rid of it. There is some software available that can control what sleep states the CPU will go into, but it wasn't compatible with the processors in these laptops when I tested it.

If anyone has a solution or some ideas to try, I would like to make this thing even quieter!

 

It doesn't sound like coil whine to me. It sounds like a low pitched hum the CPU fan makes at low speed. I don't hear it at high speed, and I don't hear it when it first starts up and is idle.

 

Is it only audible if in a quiet room or with your ear pressed up against the laptop?

There are at least three different noises that I can hear coming from mine.
1. The obvious fan noise, which is loud enough to hear from several metres away when on full.
2. The coil whine associated with the processor power states, which is not a constant frequency but a scratchy, static-like buzzing. Only audible in quiet rooms or when I press my ear against the chassis.
3. Thirdly, a constant frequency hum that is always present, regardless of laptop power state or charging state. Sounds like electrical buzzing, and changes slightly when screen is lifted or closed. This noise is again extremely quiet and only audible with my ear pressed against the grille on the underside of the chassis.

I would think that only the fan should be audible under normal usage, so if your noise is as loud as the fan, but is not caused by the fan, then I would probably contact HP.

On a slightly similar note, I would like to find out which component is causing the coil whine that I can hear, does anyone know (with some kind of proof) whether opening the underside of the chassis will 'void' my warranty?

I have read of people listening through a straw, held above their motherboard, to locate the individual component responsible for the whine, then putting a dab of epoxy on it to damp the vibrations. I want to try this, but don't want to have any issues with HP not honouring my warranty if I have opened the chassis.

 

I

I can hear it from the left corner, but putting my ear to it, it is quite clear that it is a moving fan. You cannot hear it unless you listen carefully or put your ear to it.

 

If it is really bothering you, perhaps it might be a good idea to visit a store and try to check their display units if it exhibits any of the buzzing. We need to make sure because it might be a defect of the fan and might need some attention.

You guys must have a very good sense of hearing, or my hearing must be pretty bad. I can only hear something when the fan starts turning on, otherwise I don't really hear anything unless I put my ear directly on the chassis, then it is probably nit picking hahaha. Anyway I'm not sure if opening the chassis voids the warranty, but I did read from somewhere about a guy asking about changing the ssd, and some HP rep saying it might void your warranty. Not sure if he meant opening the chassis or changing the ssd.

 

I don't think I ever implied that it bothered me.

 

Yep, it should be like that. But no one else reported this problem. I will leave it in the hands of HP (shudder).

 

Sound popping continues, and now I noticed that the three flick gesture isn't working.

 

Update on the coil whine issue:
First of all thank you all for your replies. Yesterday the fan was making a faint grinding noise when on, as if it's hitting something while spinning. The grinding would either get worse or stop altogether when moving the laptop around in certain directions. I had Edge, Mail, and HWmonitor running while plugged in and the laptop was at 75 degrees Celsius. That is when I started hearing the grinding noises. Seems like everything went back to normal today, but I can't rely on this not happening again. Returning it tomorrow and probably going to wait for a Skylake refresh. Bummer.

 

Hi, I have just taken delivery of the Hp spectre x360. I am having trouble dragging and dropping with the touchpad. Does anyone know how to do this?

many thanks
Hi, I have just taken delivery of the Hp spectre x360. I am having trouble dragging and dropping with the touchpad. Does anyone know how to do this?

many thanks

 

Regarding W10: I had reserved but a month now I'm waiting. It says that some important drives aren't available yet and I should contact Intel.

 

For the Spectre x360? I think a lot of us have managed to upgrade without issues. Don't wait for the notification, just upgrade it yourself manually.

Download Windows 10

 

http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers...0/model/7791776#Z7_3054ICK0KGTE30AQO5O3KA30R1

 

Curious, as i'm thinking of purchasing the SM951, do you have the NVME or AHCI version?
NVME: MZVPV512HDGL-00000
AHCI: MZHPV512HDGL-00000

 

So I just got mine today. Absolutely loving it. However, I've just noticed that it has a stuck pixel. It displays white on a black background and is very noticeable. Devastated.

I bought from the HP Store so I can ask for return, right?

 

I definitely would.

 

Such a shame because it really is a lovely laptop on first impressions. Gorgeous design! Absolutely blew me away when I first saw (and felt) it.

 

Upgraded to Win 10 a few days ago and thought I'd share a few impressions (I'm on the i7/256/FHD/8GB version):

(1) Picked up the Samsung EVO 500GB M.2 (SATA) and replaced the stock 256GB -- call me an idiot but I was so pleased to discover this morning that I can throw the LiteOn 256GB into a thumb-drive enclosure OR a 2.5" drive caddy. That's great news. Getting ~500MB/s read and write with the Samsung, by the way.

(2) Installed Win 10 Enterprise (work license) with no issues. I noticed a few devices weren't initially recognized, but it looks like Windows update fixed that shortly after the install. Another thing that ASTONISHED me: without installing any HP-specific apps or drivers, the x360 worked more or less perfectly.

One odd observation RE: the touchpad...the driver that initially installed worked fine, but as I think I saw mentioned here, the settings "didn't stick" after each reboot. However, with that version I had a nice 3-finger gesture that toggled between "show desktop" and the new "Task View". After installing the touchpad driver/app from HP, I fixed the first issue and broke the second feature. Oh well.

(3) I still have NOT INSTALLED the HP-provided audio driver, so I'm running whichever version Windows update gave me. Either way, I am not having the sound issues that some are reporting -- no crackling, hissing, humming, etc.

UPDATE: since posting, I've noticed a slight pop when I refresh certain web pages -- seems like the sound correlates with a brief spike in CPU usage. It's very slight though.

(4) This is actually NOT Win 10 specific, but I wanted to note: there's a neat feature in Chrome where you can swipe the touchscreen at the left or right edges for forward/back. I assumed it was a browser-general feature, but it doesn't seem to work in Edge. Very nice feature to use while browsing.

Finally, a few pages back there was some understandable grumbling about things missing or locked down in Win 10. I have to confess I was a late-adopter of Win 8/8.1, but never hated it the way many others did, so the switch to Win 10 has been pretty smooth for me. My overall impression is that Microsoft has come close to their goal: it's an OS that, with a 2-in-1 like ours, works comfortably in both laptop and tablet modes. I particularly like the option to toggle Tablet Mode at will...it REALLY gives me exactly what I wanted: a laptop experience, plus the ability to work with the device as if it were an Android tablet (I still own and love the original Asus Transformer, running on Lollipop by the way!).

Another thing that surprises me: I swear that our x360 loads Chrome faster (i.e., around 20+ tabs) than my previous machine, a Samsung laptop with an Ivy Bridge (true) quad-core i7. Yet another nice surprise.

-Matt

 

Received my X360 a couple of weeks ago and I'm thinking of returning it due to fan noise. Some people are suggesting it's driver/windows 10 or even dust related. I've updated drivers, stopped windows services... done everything I can think of resulting in watching task manager like a hawk.

With a few tabs in my browser open it will start to get warm at the rear-left, eventually the fan will kick in slightly - the fan kicking in slightly is fine. However should anything remotely tax the cpu at around 25% for anything more than a minute or two, or worse still I dare to open an indie game which should be too demanding then the fan quickly spins-up and is an off putting nuisance. I know it's not a gaming machine, but the cpu load issue has me wary of even installing a standalone antivirus.

How has everyone found the fan noise or heat produced by their Spectre? Would be grateful for some feedback please.

 

Hey Cliff, welcome to the owners' club! I mentioned in my last post that I typically have 20-30 tabs open in Chrome...at this particular moment, the CPU is bouncing between 15%-25% but the fan is "off". Temp is about 45C. I've noticed from time to time that if CPU utilization starts to move past 25%, like your machine, mine will also rev the fan. I agree it's annoying -- though in my case it doesn't seem to be a general issue, but rather a specific one tied to a particular tab. For example, I have a favorite deal site (bensbargains.net) that seems to trigger the issue (just refreshed the tab and yep, I can hear the fan starting to whir).

One way that I think I've kept the problem under control is by installing browser plug-ins like AdBlock and Flashcontrol. (And now that bensbargains.net is done refreshing in the background, I'm back to 15% CPU and 45C again.)

A loooooonnnng time ago I owned a low-end HP laptop that worked the fan to death. Reading around I gained the impression that "HP implements aggressive cooling policies." I swore I'd never buy another -- obviously the x360 changed my mind, but it still feels like it's inherited a bit of a habit to spin up the fan proactively.

Anyway, to wrap up: since you mentioned checking the task manager, I suspect you've already pruned your browser tabs carefully and maybe also have plugins like the ones I mentioned. If not, I'd suggest taking a second look. In the end though it may turn out that there are some pages, for example, with heavy Javascript, that are the culprit. For me, as long as I'm able to keep tabs (aha, a pun!) on what each loaded page is doing, it's relatively easy to keep the fan quiet!

Please check in as your adventure continues!

-Matt

PS I wasn't able to confirm whether the i7 5500U has a turbo mode (actually see CORRECTION below), but either way out of habit I normally go into the advanced power settings and drop "Maximum processor state" to 99% which supposedly prevents the CPU from enabling turbo boost. Might also be worth trying.

EDIT: CORRECTION...I checked the CPU specs on Intel's page and in fact the 5500U can turbo boost to 3GHz, which means the 99% trick might in fact be helpful.

 

Matt I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to help. Thank you.

I hadn't tried AdBlock and FlashControl. I've now added those extensions as a matter of course.

What was really interesting though, upon going to change the processor state settings I saw the cooling policy was set to 'active'. As soon as I switched this to 'passive' the fan immediately turned off.

I know this isn't an ideal solution, but given my decision was between the X360 and an Asus UX305 with a core M processor, I'd rather throttle my power down. I even managed to play a game without the fan going crazy.

Mine is the i5 and it's now at an 8x multiplier (800mhz). I'll have a play around with minimum processor states and the cooling policy. I'd be interested to see what multiplier the system reports if I keep it on an 'active' cooling policy setting. [edit] Changing to active didn't change the multiplier - from reading up I'm learning about how these intel processors work!

What you say about aggressive cooling makes sense. I wish we could tweak the fan curve. I find it interesting that reviewers didn't pick up on this more. Maybe people complained about throttling and the fan curve was adjusted in later bios revisions. I'm purely speculating.

Your advice has helped me decide not to sent the laptop back. Thank you.

I'd still be interested in hearing other people's experiences please.

 

Awesome! I'm glad things are moving in a positive direction! I agree it would be nice to hear from others...though strangely this thread has grown quiet in the last few weeks. I wonder if it's because there is a newer model around the corner?

-Matt

 

Where did you go exactly in order to see and change cooling policy?