HP dm3t configuration question

These laptops are equipped with the CULV processors from Intel. However, the highest processor upgrade option, the Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor SP9300 (2.26GHz, 6M Cache) does not appear to be a CULV. According to Intel's website, it runs on 25 volts, rather than the 10 volts the other processors for this laptop run on. Considering that battery life is one of the primary reasons for me purchasing this laptop,I am concerned as to how that will effect battery life. Could someone shed some light on this issue?

Also, I am a college student. Portability and battery life is a necessity. However, I am concerned that the Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor SU7300(1.3GHz,3M Cache) will not be enough processor to be used as my primary computer. I do not demand a lot from my computer; I typically run several tabs in Google Chrome and run Microsoft Word simultaneously. Occasionally, I also use websites like Hulu that would demand more of a processor. My main concern is this laptops ability to be my primary computer and its longevity due to the smaller processor.

Thanks for all your help.

 

I have dm3t with SU7300 & 4500MHD , it runs firefox w/5 tabs, Word 2007, and Hulu just fine. I am also a college student and my SU7300 never has a hic-cup, I'd recomend it because the battery last amazingly long.

 

I returned a DM3t with the SU7300 and the Nvidia card. For your uses, it's fine and will work flawlessly. Battery life was amazing on it, but that's also because I am use to using 18/17/16 inch desktop replacement laptops.

Speaking of tabs, at one point, I had 10 if not 15 tabs open at once. I didn't have Hulu running mind you, but I did have numerous tabs open, as well as AIM, and YM.

 

I'm also considering to buy the dm3t with the SP9300 and NVIDIA 105m however I have yet to see a battery life of that configuration

 

You guys should read the "Official DM3 Owner's Lounge" thread. Some people have said that the SP9300 with 105 will get 4-5 hours under normal use. I don't remember which pages they are on anymore though. With an SSD your computer should last a tiny bit longer.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=427567&page=130

 

Just out of curiosity, why did you return your dm3t?

 

The SP9300 is actually one of three medium-voltage, Small Form Factor, Penryn chips. It runs at the same 2.26GHz and 1066MHz FSB as the physically larger P8400. The SP9300 has the added benefit of 6mb of L2 cache vs. 3mb for the P8400.

A common misconception is that the TDP (Thermal Design Power) rating of a CPU is the actual rate of power usage...that's not the case. The SU7300 has a TDP or 10W and the SP9300 has a 25W TDP. The TDP is simply the maximum amount of power that the cooling system is designed to dissipate! In reality, the two could use very similar amounts of energy.

The Dell Latitude E4300 is one of the models that uses the SP-series across the board. In that system, it easily provides 6.5-7 hours of battery life from the standard 6-cell.

Performance of the SP9300 is also much greater than the SU7300. For instance, the SU7300 scores 1003 on PassMark (CPU benchmark) but the SP9300 blows it away with a PassMark score of 1538!

 

As I said, I'm used to more traditional desktop replacement laptops. I got the dm3t to try it out and see if I could use it. I travel frequently (twice a month for about a week each) so I like something in a smaller form factor, but in the end, I like the bigger laptops with the bigger screen and higher resolution. I enjoyed the dm3t, but not enough to warrant keeping a $1200 laptop, versus what I have now. Also, I could not stand the separate DVD drive. I like to watch movies on my flights, and well I prefer not to have to keep copying a DVD to the HD each time I want to watch a movie. My flights last around 6 hours, so I usually like 2 movies. I don't like having to keep copying them to the HD back and forth for a round trip flight. Part of me says if I can get it cheaper ion the future (like $500) I'd probably buy it again just to have it. I did get bing cashback, so the $1200 dropped to around $900 or so. Still too much for a toy I might not use too often.