*HP dm3 (1XXX series) Owners Lounge*

Windows XP might give better battery life than Windows 7. On most netbooks it does:
http://blog.laptopmag.com/stick-with-xp-windows-7-battery-life-worse-on-netbooks

You could also try disabling many processes and services in Windows 7. And running Windows classic interface.

 

Just did some gaming with my dm3-1030us.

Half-Life 2 runs with everything turned up at 720p. Stays between 45-60fps.

Left4Dead runs well (30-45fps) at 1024x600 on medium, no AA, filtering at 2x.

Decent showing for a $500 ultraportable. I'll have to look and see if my results outdo an ION system.

 

Hi all. New member here as well as new DM3 owner. I just couldn't pass up the deal I found at Office Depot ($399 final price after $50 rebate). It's the 1030us model so I've got the AMD L335 processor and 4GB ram with ATI 3200HD. I was considering an ASUS UL30 but the $300 difference does speak volumes. Also, after reading through the ASUS forum here, they have their own problems the same as HP. For $400, I don't think there is a better value out there.

So far, I really like it. I do have the battery bleed issue and was just wondering if the bios update helps with this. I've installed the latest Alps drivers and must say that now that I've gotten used to it, the trackpad isn't all that bad and two finger scrolling works well once you figure out to do it properly.

Also, why after installing the latest Catalyst drivers (10.1 I think), am I still showing 8.xx as being the installed driver? Does Catalyst have some sort of directive from HP to not update if it's a HP computer?

Thanks and I look forward to visiting with you!

 

Does anyone know if the SP9300/G105M combo can run Mass Effect 2?

 

You should be able to run it, probably low-medium settings at lower resolutions (~1024x768?)

 

Hey nitewalker, installed your 6300 card yet?

*EDIT* Nvm... saw you post in the FS thread. I wouldn't have minded having that card instead of the stock atheros

 

Yeah I got the 104 error code...

What bugs me though is that on HP's dm3t 1100 support page for intel pro wireless the 6300 is a listed card...

I really would have like it in my laptop but no big deal I guess. Oh, and if you get the stock wifi (not dual band) or stock wifi with bluetooth there's only 2 antenna wires.

I really don't know why HP blacklists cards like this. It's not a huge deal, but it does bug me.

 

Thanks. I was hoping for a dedicated stripped down OS but I'll give this a go, cheers.

 

Windows update installed a new Intel Graphics driver today... I wonder if this fixes the previous issues.

You could try that, like some form of a linux OS, but they usually aren't as good in power saving features because they lack the advanced driver support of Windows.

 

Phil are you an American living in the Netherlands or are you Dutch? I'm just curious, the Dutch speak such good english that I can't tell from your posts.

 

Alright, I got my replacement dm3t on the 22nd (I returned the first one because of the $250 coupon and because there was a noticeable seam on the top).

Aside from a issue when I first turned it on, everything is perfect. No more line across the top at all, extra GB of ram, extra ac adapter, perfect.

The issue I had when first turning it on was that the power and wifi light would be on but no screen or HD activity. The hd light wasn't even on and neither was the screen. I got real mad at first but a quick web search found the solution.

I turned the laptop off, removed ac power and the battery, held the power on switch for 60 seconds, and to be safe, reseated the ram. Plugged it back in, put the battery back in and it works perfect now.

I love it. Best $762 I spent. Just about done tweaking it after a minty fresh Win7 HP64 install.

 

The driver Windows update installed was 15.​17.​1.​64.​2082. I haven't seen any stripes after hibernating and standby so I'm guessing they fixed it now.

Intel now has published 15.​17.​1.​64.​2086 ( link). I'm going to try it now.

I am Dutch and live in the Netherlands. I've spend a lot of time abroad. Thank you for the compliment.

 

Alright, it's either the L335 AMD or the Intel 4100 for me.
Either one, both same ram, everything. I think AMD comes with bluetooth, IDK. But I will be watching youtube videos via hdmi. What do you recommended?

 

Intel for better battery life, better CPU performance, cooler operation.
I think I remember reading in reviews the amd's having trouble with youtube stuttering.

 

I have the AMD Turion version with Radeon 4330 GPU. I love it. It doesn't seem particularly hot either, and the fan is not loud. The 4330 is one of the best starter GPUs ever made.

I use Youtube all the time and have never seen it stutter even once. If there is a stutter issue it's not going to be because Turions dont work with Youtube

 

NiteWalker, and Cebalrai, THANK YOU!

I JUST ORDERED THE DM3-1047NR for a really good price off ebay, sealed in the box. Oh man, the wait is kicking in, I CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted an AMD system cause of the GPU performance but I couldn't pass up the deal.

Oh and the Inpsiron 1520 is gone, sold it of ebay as well!

 

Hey guys, i was wandering if there is any way to create a recovery disk on the dm3 1044nr without an external optical drive and burning it onto a dvd, and instead copying it onto an external hard drive.

Reason being, i already have a computer + laptop and i dont want to purchase an external dvd drive unless its absolutely necessary to create the backup.

I was looking up on the HP website. Will this driver allow me to copy it onto an external hard drive?
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...lang=en&swfsequence=1&os=4063&product=4064863

sorry im quite new at this ...

thanks alot

 

Hmm.. there's a $200 coupon for the dm3t.
I can get:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor SP9300 (2.26GHz, 6M Cache) with 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G 105M
4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
External Tray LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
Webcam Only
Wireless 802.11b/g/n Card
6 Cell Polymer Battery

for $765. The coupon expires tomorrow. Should I go for it or will there be a better coupon next month?

 

Better coupon? Yes there will always be better. Is it worth waiting? Up to you.

 

Well.. I can wait, at least until the end of April.
I was just wondering if there would be significantly better coupon in that time.
But I think I'm going to place the order tonight anyways. Still a great deal, imo.

 

Definitely a great deal.
Go for it.

Pretty much the same thing I got except I opted for an extra ac adapter instead of the dvd drive.

They didn't have the free 320GB HD upgrade when I ordered though.
Great deal.

 

Alright, since I've ordered the 1047NR as well, last night on ebay, still waiting for the tracking number but I've also been looking around, checking out reviews, videos, unboxings, and what came to my attention was the "NR" at the end of the model numbers, I know CA is for canada, and US is for the U.S, but NR? and it looks like the 1047NR is a discontinued model, but I brought one that is still in box brand new. What could the deal be here? Also I doubt it could be used cause he was and still is selling more of them.

 

HP has quite a few model designations which does not have to do with the region they are sold in. NR has been around as long as I can remember. I have seen people use the term 'No Region'. The 4 number system after the dm3 indicates the age of the model more than the ca,us,nr, wm designations. They usually start off with 1000 and increase (1100,1200,1300...2000 etc) as long as the unit is being sold.

 

According to wikipedia it's No Region:

"Model Number Suffixes

The two or three letter suffix on the model number indicates special information like country or language (dv----xx). The following chart describes each suffix.

* t : Intel Processor
* z : AMD Processor
* ae : Artist Edition (Artist Edition Imprint)
* bw : Broadband Wireless Series
* se : Special Edition ("Intensity" dv4tse, "Renewal" dv5tse, Special Edition Imprint)

The following sufixes corresponds to the region the notebook is sold.

* us : United States
* ca : Canada
* la : Latin America
* br : Brazil
* ea / ee / (e + a letter) : Europe / Middle East
* sc : Scandinavia
* au / ax : Asia / Australia - AMD Processor (AU = AMD + UMA, AX = AMD + Discrete *UMA and Discrete refers to graphics *)
* tu / tx : Asia / Australia - Intel Processor (TU = Intel + UMA, TX = Intel + Discrete)

Other suffixes include nr, cl, and wm.

* nr : No Region
* cl : Club Model (These models are available only through some clubs like Costco and Sam's Club)
* wm : Walmart Model
* br : Brazil
* ap : Asia Pacific"

The dm3t in my sig is just a dm3t-1100. I guess customized laptops don't get a suffix.

Yep the number series means the generation. The dm3 is in it's second generation now (or at least a minor update that designated a new model number). I'm not sure about the amd version, but I know with the dm3t (intel) they added switchable hybrid graphics with the 1100 series. AMD had this out of the box when the dm3 came out.

 

My last dm3z was a 1100. As far as I know, all they did was to add HP Quickweb and update the wifi options to include only wireless n and better.
And I think that's when they started shipping the metal-top external drives.

 

HP coupons are fickle. You can wait it out for say a $500 off, but risk not being able to use it(limited redeems), or you can use a $300 but that also includes any instant savings. A waiting game that gets you more for less or less for even less. If you need a computer now use the current coupon, but if you can wait there will always be a better discount in the future. Just my take on Hp's coupon game.

 

miner, and NiteWalker, again Thank you!

Cleared up some confusion. And also, now that it is a NR model, would it have any difference on the keyboard layout? Would it be the standard US style or some other layout.

 

I am having the same problem. I've been told that the sound card ( IDT High Definition Audio CODEC ) does Not support 5.1 or 7.1 Surround Sound. According to HP the sound card only supports 2 channel. If this is true I find it dissapointing due to the fact that they market the dm3 as an "Entertainment/Media Center PC".

I have my dm3-1130us hooked-up to my LG HD TV and the video if fine but the audio from the LG to my 5.1 a/v - via digital optical - is only 2 channel. Even when I do a speaker configuration the sound card either does'nt recognize or support the 5.1 speaker set-up i have. Very frustrating.

My looking into an upgraded receiver with HDMI in/out and hook=up my dm3 to that directly.

Let me know if you have a ny ideas...suggestions????

Thanks!

 

I think if it's sold in the US it'll have a US keyboard. Check with the seller to be sure though.

You can uninstalling the idt codec and going with the windows 7 codec. I know sound will work without it. I could be wrong but idt is just the name of the software and not the hardware. AFAIK, there is no sound card; it's integrated.

If I'm wrong, anyone with more knowledge on the matter will chime in.

But when I did a clean install of windows 7, the sound was working fine before I added any drivers.

And about coupons, yeah it can be a cat and mouse game. My first dm3t I only had a stackable $75 off coupon for. The same day it arrived another coupon came out for $250 off that was stackable, and the minimum system price was $1099. The $1099 minimum was before the instant discount, which was $150 at the time so basically you could configure a system to $950, apply the $250 coupon and get it for $700+tax. It's what I did.
I returned my first one and ordered the second with the coupon (though it had already been used up so I had to call HP to get them to apply it). The return process was quick and painless but I don't want to do it again. I'm satisfied with my laptop and the price I paid.

You have to find the coupon that satisfies you. Usually the higher amount coupons have a higher minimum purchase, for instance there was another recent hp coupon for $300 off any laptop that was $1399 or more and it was stackable. And like nikeseven said, some aren't stackable at all.

 

Well, that would suck if the dm3 wont support 5.1 or newer format, I've yet to test if the dm3 has SPDIF out, if it does, then u r able to get 5.1 at least, if not, turtle beach offer usb/optical out, so at least for sure u r able to get 5.1.

 

I have the same model : DM3-1044nr. I formatted the HD and did a clean install using a 4GD flash drive. Now it run much faster without any HP bloat-wares. You can download the Window 7 Home premium ISO at http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/...links-ultimate-professional-and-home-premium/ ,
then use the serial no. at the bottom to activate it. Trust me! you don't want the HP recovery discs after a clean install of window 7. Just don't forget to download the latest Bios, driver for the touch-pad, and Intel graphic diver.

 

The coupon was expired but you got them to apply it for you? Nice.

 

Yeah. There was some back and forth waiting while the rep checked it out, but I was pretty sure they'd apply the coupon rather than lose a sale. It wasn't expired by date when I ordered; it had just been used up.

I'm happy with the way HP handled everything, from the return and refund of my first dm3t to the second order. They'll get more of my business.

 

I too got my coupon applied after it had expired (because too many people used it) when I called customer service. The process was painless and efficient and the rep didn't push to offer me extras or to add on warranty service.

HP's customer service seems to have improved as of late. Better prices, better quality, better service? They too have me hooked. Two notebooks ago, I was a proud Dell supporter. Now I'm an HP fan and I'm not looking back.

Btw guys ... you should check out HP's Trade In program. You can get cash in return for your old computer. I got $125 in return for my dv6000t and another computer. Another way why I love HP so much. The program takes a while to get the money to you, though, that's the only drawback. It lowered the net cost of my dm3t to $775 ($1500-$500 coupon-$250 total trade in value).

http://www.hp.com/united-states/tradein/home_flash.html

Also make sure you purchased your computer no more than 30 days ago, or you will be purchasing your computer in no more than 30 days.

 

I am going nuts, I've ordered the laptop from eBay, and still I have no tracking number or any contact with the seller, I had one email exchange from him, but that was on Sunday and he said he would ship it out on Monday, still I have no word from him, I emailed him asking for the tracking number and even tired to get his phone number off ebay, but none work. I want the laptop already I can't wait!!

 

How's his feedback? Are there a lot of mentions of slow shipping/no contact responses? I'd be a bit worried after not hearing anything for a few days; just send a polite but firm email stating that this is the last time you'll try to contact him and that if you don't get a response within 24 hours or however long, you'll file a paypal dispute. Being that you ordered on the 26th it should be well on its way.

 

His feedback is 99.6% good, but today another ebay member gave him a negative feedback saying "Seller never sent the item, poor communication. Promised refund, but not sent" and now I am a little worried.
I want the laptop from him as I've gotten it for a great deal and don't want to lose out on it. I'll wait until Friday the 2nd, and see what happens.

 

I just purchased a refurbished unit for 778 no tax free ship

Sp9300/105m,6gb ram, 500gb HD, Bluetooth

I'm thrilled with the price and the laptop. I was debating on a ul30vt but I wasn't satisfied with build quality or touchpad ( I hate those elantech pads, give me synaptics!!). I then decided I'd wait for core I updates for a macbookpro 13. I continued to research and found that most i5/i7 laptops had poor battery life or were crazy expensive (vaio z). That's when I found the dm3t with sp9300. I realized the performance was better than a 13 inch MacBook pro. The dm3 with sp9300 is everything I was looking for - outstanding build quality, great performance, portability, hdmi, and inexpensive. Can't wait for it to arrive

 

Careful. My DM3 had a led screen with flex in it. It was the reason I returned it and switched to a DV4T.

 

The dm3t with the sp9300/g105m combo is definitely a great machine. Thanks to the switchable graphics you get the best f both worlds. I'm definitely happy with mine. Though if I could have gotten a deal on the 13" MBP I may have tried it out. But I paid about half of what the better 13" MBP goes for and got near equal specs. I love my dm3t. It's not a high end gaming machine (capable, just not the best) but it's a high performer in pretty much every other aspect.

What do you mean flex? Like how if you open the lid from a corner it bends a bit? I was under the impression most if not all led screens share this behavior because of how thin they are? Except for the bigger laptops. I open mine from the center anyway. I figured opening from a corner isn't good for the hinges.

 

Yeah most laptops in this class have screen flex. The Macbook Pro is one of the only exceptions.

The screen flex isn't a problem though.

 

Alright, things are looking sweet guys, my DM3 should be here by 3PM with FedEX tomorrow. I can not wait, the sellelr shipped it out with overnight shipping to compensate for the waiting. Can't wait, it's 3.33AM right, I can't sleep, I am wayy OVER excited for it.

 

Wow, I just got the laptop just now, turned it on about 20 minutes and am now typing on it right now. The keyboard is perfect reminds me oif the macbook I had when they first came out and it feels perfect. The keys are right clicky feeling and the right drop to them. it feels perfect, the screen looks small and feels small but thats probably cause I'm coming from a 15.4in screen on this. And plus I remember when I had my macbook it had the same size screen so I got used to it pretty quick.

The bloatnware that hp installs on their computer is just insane. as I'm typing this right the cpu usage is about 89% and its doi ng a couple of background taskes, i did enable the hp update thing through te welcome screen by hp.

I also got the external dvd rw drive with my package, I've ordered on ebay so I had no idea this would be coming with a external drive, not that I need it but its good to have anyway.

Anyhow, those are my first 20min impressions of the laptop, we'll see more over the weekend and hopefully it turns out to be a good purchase.

Specs as follows, hp dm3-1047NR, 1.3ghz intel, 4gb ram, intergated intel hd graphics, etc.

 

I highly suggest doing a clean install of windows 7. None of the hp gunk is necessary. Do a clean install, let windows update run a few times to bring things up to speed and then get any necessary drivers from HP's website.

Don't forget a case for it. I use and highly recommend the zeroshock III. The 13.3" fits perfectly.

 

I won't be taking this thing out the house quite often, if I do, my northface bookbag should be enough,I'll be sensitive with it. I am going to do a clean install later tonight.

Question, is there an app which whill tell me how the battery is doing? for example, how much current it can hold now and how long it takes to charge. thanks

 

So I've been trying to hook up my Dm3 (1020ed) (W7) to a Samsung Full HD TV.
I got a HDMI cable, plugged it in of course , but I can't get it to work properly.
It only shows my desktop on the TV when I select "duplicate" from the "screen resolution" menu. And then it doesn't even show my desktop full screen on the tv. I tried playing some 720p file from there but it looked really crappy.
Could any1 help me out or points me towards a decent guide..
I tried googling but I'm not even sure what key words to google for .

 

Alright, I've reinstalled Windows 7 on the notebook, but I can't seem to get the volume buttons and or the brightness buttons to work, they work when I press mute, it mutes the volume but I want the meter to come out on the screen showing me the volume status. I've installed the HP QUICK LAUNCH BUTTONS from the drivers site and nothing yet.

 

Drivers are here.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=4063&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=4058376&lang=en

I ended up installing 4 of the drivers/utilities to get it working. SmartMenu, MVP, and Webcam were from the multimedia section, and the other one was the QuickLaunch you already installed. Try the SmartMenu, then MVP and see if it works. My volume indicator came back after installing these programs. You can do a google search and find a couple threads regarding this.

Hey, I did a clean install using the ISO from DigitalRiver (I think that was the website). Anyway, the clean OS won't accept my product key! I keep getting that invalid product key popup, and I'm guessing I'll lose the ability to use my OS in the next couple days (it's been almost a month I think since I've reformatted). I'm pretty sure I installed the right version (Win7 64bit Home Premium). Where did you guys get your image from? I know a couple of people here used the key from a 1044nr, but I have a 1040us. I wouldn't imagine so, but would that make a difference?

 

I used the same image you did and got the same invalid key message. Just activate by phone. It's completely automated (you read numbers to the system, they read you a confirmation code back) and only takes a few minutes. I've done it twice so far; once on my original dm3t and once on the replacement.

 

+1 to NiteWalkers post, I did a clean format today, 1 hour after I got the laptop and did the activation over the phone and it works just as fine.

It's so much faster without HP's junk installed. Now I am thinking about adding an SSD drive on this but thats a lot of money and less space but the speed is amazing, been watching videos on youtube with SSD drives and they are quick!