*HP dm3 (1XXX series) Owners Lounge*

1. Best Keyboard I've ever used.
2. I've been streaming, dowloading, and browsing for the last week, and yeah the left side gets a little warm, but nowhere near a level where it would cause danger to the mb or any other parts. (for now, since my last notebook was a HP that committed suicide due to overheating issues from the AMD processor)
3. How do you get to the screen on the ATI controls to change the output to tv/lcd? Thanks.

DM3z L625 HD 3200

 

Well, time to move on from the DM3. Apart from it's great appearance, excellent keyboard (except the lack of dedicated pg up/down and home/end keys), and portability... unfortunately it fails on the more important things for me.

- runs too hot if used on anything other than a desk
- lately, can't get much more than 4 hrs of light use, even with wifi off 50% of the time and screen 2 notches from lowest brightness setting.
- touchpad, definitely not the worst I've used, but close to it.
- even with the flash and ati driver updates, still stutters slightly, though it did make significant improvements

Thought I'd give AMD another try, but probably won't ever take it into consideration in future purchases. If I had just spent the extra money on the SU7300 configuration, I'd be almost completely satisfied. But to the DM3's credit, I did keep it the longest in my search for the perfect secondary laptop.

 

Got almost 4 hours playing galactic civ 2 last night on a plane ride.

 

F4 or fn+F4 depending on how you have the fn function set, gives you an output menu

 

Welcome!
I ordered almost the exact same configuration (except the HDD, I took the 5400RPM to hopefully avoid the vibrations). Already sent the computer back to HP. You couldn't put your palms on the keyboard without feeling the vibrations, apparently from the hard drive.
I have no idea if this is an isolated case (even though there are posts from other users that encountered the same thing here, although HP seems/claims to know nothing about it). Please let me know if you feel vibrations on yours.

HP is sending me a new unit. Hopefully it won't have the same issue (do you really believe it won't??)

Strange thing - even though this is an exchange order and they are building a new computer the estimated build time is Dec 24th! This is a week later than for a new order for the exact same configuration that one can create on HP website today!! What do you think can be the reason for that? Do you think they plan to ensure a better quality control this time?
I feel like the representatives in India that try to tell me that the new one will not have the vibrations don't really know what they are talking about. Hopefully they do communicate with the factory so that the new one won't have the same thing.

 

does it really run that hot? i thought the dm3 had good heat dissipation from what i've seen/read. maybe the AMD machines run hotter than the Intel ones ?

 

hey thanks, i'll look out for it. i'm kind of used to my older, loud and noisy sony, so we'll see how it is.

in terms of the week later build thing, i'm pretty sure that's just because of the internal processing and paperwork that is being done for your exchange order. it probably goes through more approval and signing-off steps than a completely new order, so it doesn't surprise me. the vibrations are definitely a subjective issue, since they've probably done qualitative testing on unit vibrations and have come up with OEM requirements that will meet acceptable levels for an end product. you'd be hard pressed to try to argue with them about excessive vibrations (unless your machine is visibly wobbling).

just my 2 cents.

 

Evosky:

AMDs just suck. I'm sorry to everyone that owns one but they just do. When an SP9300/105m runs significantly cooler than the significantly weaker AMD configuration... something sucks. Not to mention the better battery life of the SP9300.... lolz.

Don't worry about heat my man, you're going to be roses. Nobody is as anal about heat as I am considering I've had two, count them two, bloody HP dies on me due to heat/Nvidia. But these suckers are just cool, man.

I went into a store that just happened to have this configuration and for two days I just dropped in to check out the temps. The HDD would not go past 34C. Which is crazy. My DV2500s HDD is chillin at 49C as we speak, the POS.
CPU? 31-33C. That's just cold. The GPU was at 47-49C. I mean, this system is just cold. I played some HD content and it did get a bit hotter, but not much. The crazy thing is the second you turn off the movie, the system got cold again. And when I say a bit hotter, I mean just that, a bit.

This system runs cool. It's a bloody beast. It's small. And sexy.
If someone is complaining about heat, I will bet you a bucket of chicken he's got an AMD CPU.

When looking for a new laptop my single greatest determining factor was it's temperatures, and honestly, I haven't found a cooler running system. Period. Even with crappy specs. I don't know what the heck is going on in this laptop, but HP finally got it right.

Check out MetalSpike's post------------------------->

Nivshk:

My man, the vibrations are a crap-shoot. One laptop will exhibit none and the other will exhibit many. Odds are you just received a defective unit and hopefully won't again. I promise you they won't be taking extra care of your laptop. I agree with Evosky in that the reason for the extra week is that since it's on their dime, a lot more paperwork and protocol to handle.

 

Thanks for the reply.

I do hope so. I stopped at Best Buy earlier today to feel their dm3z which was also vibrating as crazy (it was the only laptop with vibrations in the whole store!).

 

@nu_D

awesome, great to hear that the SP9300/105 runs really cool. my sonys run really hot, as hot as macbooks i'd guess, so the dm3 will be great to carry around the house and to coffeeshops with its battery life and stability. my biggest factor when i was looking at new laptops was portability, so this looks to be a great pick. hope my 7200 HD behaves itself.

 

Did anyone ever try out the firmware update for the G1 SSD that makes it so it doesn't need TRIM?

 

yeah my su7300 with intel SSD doesnt even keep my warm in my cold classroom

the air coming out of the very is barely over ambient

 

I've noticed that too. After resuming from sleep, the browser (chrome) will lock up when I try to play youtube videos or go on flash intensive sites.
I only noticed this after installing Catalyst 9.11, so I'm assuming that is the culprit.

Do you also have a problem where when you switch to the 4330 graphics manually (right click on ati sys tray > 3200 Graphics > PowerXpress > High Performance), the notification that pops up says, "Switch complete, now using Power-Saving GPU"?

 

Interested in the answer to this too. I have less than a month before I order my dm3t and I'm still undecided about an SSD or just throwing a western digital 500 GB scorpio blue in there.



edit:
Anyone think if I called my order in and spoke to a rep there's any way they'd forgo putting the g105 in there and just giving me the sp9300 if I requested? It comes like that standard on the probook 5310m....

 

i doubt it. it's not a spec that they're configured to support from the factory. legalities and liabilities and such are the issue, i would believe.

 

There is no way... they would need a brand new motherboard.
The SP9300 along with the 105m are directly soldered to the motherboard, so they can't just switch out pieces. An entire new board would have to be made...

I'd go for the SSD. For $300? That's a steal, man. You're not going to experience performance degradation with the Intel "GC," heck even without it you wouldn't notice it. Things just get blown wayyy out of proportion on the net. Read the PCPer review... it says it clear as night and day. Anywho.

 

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/80396.aspx


Set your notebook to hibernate instead of sleep when you close the lid, that should bypass the issue until it is resolved - it is the drivers, you can go back to 9.08 to have things working properly, but you lose the flash acceleration in 9.11. I'd just set the machine to hibernate now, as I am doing on my system.

 

Hello, first time I've posted around here. I've read through the entire thread, and been keeping up on it since it was still about 120 some odd pages long.

I received mine in November, and it has the same specs as yours with the exception of the HDD. I went with the 5400rpm precisely because of the vibration I read about in this thread. So thankfully, and as expected, there's been zero problems with vibration, heat, or noise. Only the lights let me know the thing is even on!

Overall, I've been very happy with just how rigid, light, and powerful it is, though one of my few complaints aside from the trackpad, is the dismal battery life compared to something like the new ASUS UL30vt, and I've been considering returning my dm3 for one, though I haven't quite figured out if I want to or not. There's so much I like about the dm3, that I'm not sure if the better battery life, bigger HDD, and better trackpad of the UL30vt justify the time I'll be without a laptop again, the impressively rigid body of the dm3, and in my opinion, the dm3's better keyboard. The fact that the HP's switched the F keys to use their secondary functions by default and require the Fn key to use F1, F2, etc, was one of the bigger wins on the keyboard for me when I compared the two as I use those functions a lot.

If there was a way I could be sure that HP will come out with an extended battery for the dm3, then I would definitely stick with it. But what if ASUS comes out with a better battery for the UL30vt... I only have 9 days left under the 21 day return policy HP has, so I'll have to make up my mind on what is ultimately most important to me pretty quickly. Any opinions?

 

I figured that much since they're both soldered in options.

If it helps with battery life I think I'll go for SSD then.

 

I last used my DM3 about 2 1/2 weeks ago. When I shut it down the battery was at 100%. When I powered it up today, I had only 58% battery charge. This drain seemed excessive to me so I called HP and they seem to have agreed with me as they are sending me a new battery for free under warranty.

Anyone else notice excessive battery drain when the unit is shut down?

 

Anyone hearing a tiny squeak every so often when using the headphones? There doesn't even have to be any audio playing. It's incredibly annoying.

 

I noticed mine went down to 93% just overnight a couple times. I use it too often to see if it would go down further if I let it go longer though. Think that would warrant a replacement?

 

Keep in mind, while all things being equal, Asus does generally have superior battery life, the 12 hour number is only relating to the intel su7300


The chip you configured in your machine is considerably faster and not in the same class (draws more energy than the su7300). It is not an ultra low voltage cpu.

So if you wanted ultra high battery life, you chose the wrong chip. You can't have have the extra power for free. And to my knowledge, I am not sure the ul30vt is even optioned with the chip you chose. The higher chip I have seen it coupled with so far is the su7300.

 

Honestly, it wasn't really my desire to go with the sp9300. I was sort of nudged into it. It's only after some added complaining between the time I got the laptop and now, that I'm able to side step this other person's insistence on, "Needing" it. On my own, I really didn't care about the faster processor, as I've seen in various reviews that the su7300 is perfectly capable of doing what I want. I'm alright with ditching the sp9300 in favor of better battery life.


EDIT:
I'm going to be doing a little bit more digging about whether or not there will be an extended battery for the dm3. The deal for the UL30vt that I was looking at suddenly jumped up in price about $200, so it's not nearly as easy to justify exchanging my dm3 for that ASUS anymore.

So I guess, more importantly, is anyone else getting small squeaks and pops in the audio while using headphones? Without any audio playing that is.

 

Guys, is there a place or channel to send feedback directly to HP on their products?

I have some improvements I would like to suggest.


Two main improvements.

-best in class track pad on next gen dm3s

-option for the "radiance display" panel on the dm3 that is used in the envy 13



The other is more speculative on the rumored dm4 that might surface down the road. Add in an optical drive. There are some people that not having an optical drive is a deal breaker, and having this type of form factor with the drive would be a boon. Also, the headphone out sound quality seems better than I expected, but a best in class headphone output option would be a nice touch, especially as many people have so much music tied to their computers.

 

absolutely no squeaks or pops at all for me.

I am using pretty decent headphones too which pick up much more than the drek most people use are capable of detecting.

http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AHD1001K-On-Ear-Headphones-Black/dp/B000UPBQQC

 

i dont know how much better battery life i am getting....

i get about 6hrs of use with the SSD. i guess i could image the OS to a 5400rpm drive i have and test it....

 

Hey im wondering how you guys had your dm3t run for 5+ hours, i cant seem to get mine running for more than even 3 maybe. I have the Sp9300 +105m, 4gb ram, 250hd. i turned it on saver mode i toned everything down through advance settings and took off wireless. I installed microsoft office and was working on some power points with a external dvd and mouse plugged in and i was only able to get up to 3 hours tops maybe? I havent reformatted yet either and i just got this laptop like 2 days ago and on the right side of my palm resting area like tilts. everytime i put my right hand down i can hear it tap the glass table it's on. Is there something i should know or should do?

 

AFAIK, the external dvd drive still uses power since it runs off of usb. About the wobble, try it on other surfaces too. If it does the same I'd seriously consider sending it back. That would bug me to no end...

@Adidas:
You don't have to go through that trouble. I'm probably going with the SSD.

 

@Kyang

if battery life is the most important thing to you, then you should get the Asus. if that is the ONLY thing you got going for you, then yes return the dm3. sounds like you're pretty set on it, the fact that you've already considered returning it and getting the asus, it's probably something you want to do and not regret.

 

If I play on small maps like cs_crackhouse, I get around 80-100 fps and if I play on big maps like de_dust/dust2, I get around 20-40 fps. By the way, I play in medium settings on my dm3z.

It gets warm on the left side, but I like it because it is cold outside

 

I got my Dm3t about a month ago.
One day i turned it on and it was stone dead. Sticking my nose to the vent, something was cooked.

i sent it off to an HP agent (im in South Africe, got the unit in the US).
Apparently the motherboard has to be replaced, which they are doing.
My question is, will i need to reload everything once i get the unit back, or will all my info/date still be intact?

 

You will have a completely OEM notebook, all your data will be gone.

99% of the time they restore it just to make sure it wasnt a software problem..... no matter what the issue.

also if the motherboard is gone, you might not even get the same notebook back.... just a refurb with the same config.

 

"You will have a completely OEM notebook, all your data will be gone."

Adidas,

Just a note - I had to send my wife's dv6000 back to HP with the dreaded "vanishing wireless" issue. They replaced the motherboard each time but didn't wipe out the hard drive. I doubt they would in this situation as well. I guess it is possible but I don't see a reason for it.

 

I hiberanated my dm3z, then left it for about 5 hours.
When I turned it on again, the battery went down 6%.
Does that seem 'excessive'?

 

When a computer hibernates, that's when it's completely off, so, yes, it does seem excessive to me.

 

Are you sure it was not in sleep mode , instead of hibernate , as that would explain the 6% drop.

 

that is surprising... how did they know the wireless issue wasnt OS related?

interesting. anyways, I would not send someone my own data.... we all know there are techs who look through pics and steal music and videos.... from Geek Squad comes to mind..

I would always be save and delete my data off the drive and have a backup

 

I'm sure. I never put the laptop into sleep now, because of the ati driver issues resuming from sleep.
Guess I'll call up hp and see if they'll send me a new battery..

 

I don't know if it's just a slight glitch, but I was browsing the HP site for any recent drivers and saw the WinFlash Utility for AMD models and decided to install it.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&os=4063&product=4041574

Anyhow, I saw something I had never seen before from Battery Bar... an estimated 7hr and 33min!?!?


Minutes later, it did drop back down to ~3hrs, but something is causing my CPU usage to be pinned at >55% cpu usage and 36% memory usage even though nothing is running other than FireFox. I think HP Analysis is running in the background, so I'll have to check later if this Bios update isn't just in my head. Anyone have any insight on the details of this Bios Winflash update?

 

that is interesting..... anyone else try the new bios?

I will look in the morning to see what my bios version is....

I HATE bios flashing in OS, give me Pre-OS flash..... i was up til 4am last night fixing a bios error due in part because it was flashed in Windows and not with a dos based flash utility..... makes me nervious

 

How does everyone like the machine? What do you think of the battery life? Is it better to have amd or intel for this machine?

 

AMD = ~4 hrs of real world use, uncomfortably hot on lap, but a bargain if you can get it while on sale for $500 AR

Get the Intel if you're at all considered about battery life and heat. Asus UL30VT is a nice alternative for about the same price as a DM3 configured with SU7300. Asus has better graphics and overclock feature, but definitely doesn't look as nice as the DM3 line.

 

I agree it doesn't look that nice as the hp dm3

 

I have this issue as well. Do I need to send my laptop back? I really hope not as I live in the UK but bought it in the US!

 

I think it may be more of a defective battery problem, rather than something wrong with laptop itself.

 

I have the amd version, and I'm loving it so far, except for the driver issues with the ati graphics. There should be an update soon to fix the problems though.
It's thinner than pictures make it to be, and the brushed aluminum is damn sexy.
Battery life isn't great (3-4 hours depending on usage). But this config has better graphics.

If you don't mind spending a couple hundred more, I'd recommend you go with the Intel version. For faster processor and better battery life.

 

there is supposedly a beta video driver that sorts the freezing problem with the amd version, the full version should be released soon.

 

LINK? PLEASE!

 

The new bios could have fixed the pwoer states of the amd cpu which seems to so far be just 1600mhz and 800mhz .... If they fixed it to allow diffrent clocks and multipliers we could see big increases in battery life if they had at least two other power states inbetween.