*HP dm4t (1XXX series) Owners Lounge!*

hey yall

while websurfing/taking notes, how much battery life can you get out of the high capacity 6 cell? and is the high capacity 6 cell bigger than the normal 6 cell?

 

the normal battery I get around 4 hours. I Havn't tried the high capacity yet. I should ask a friend of mine who has it on his dm4t.

 

Could you post your specs and usage during the 4 hours of battery life?

 

Who's the vendor of the 160gb ssd? Someone on another forum mentioned it was "Intel" but I've always known HP to put samsung drives in. Anyone order the stock 160gb ssd?

 

Samsung doesn't make 160gb ssd's, only Intel.

 

Someone mentioned this but I can't find the answer so I wanted to ask again. I can't see the visual output for the volume buttons on top of the keyboard and was wondering if there was a way to fix that. Furthermore, I hear a high pitched chirp every time before a normal sound when using headphones, is there a way to fix that?

Also, I put this laptop on hibernate and when I tried to get it to come back on, nothing happened. I saw the light from the power button and the F12 button turn on every 5 seconds as well as hear a small noise from the laptop every 5 seconds too, as if it was trying to turn on. It just kept doing that until I didn't know what to do and just removed the battery and put it back in. Only then did the computer turn on when I pressed the power button.

I am concerned because if this is a problem, I think I will have to return it. I hope you guys can help me, thanks !

 

The chirp has been discussed here before:

 

Hmmm. At this moment, BCB is down to only 5-measly-%, but OTOH, HP is having a July 4th special, for a preconfigured dm4t for $709, free shipping (before BCB).

Final price, after cashback, shipped: $674.50

Configured like so:
i5-430M processor
4GB DDR3 System Memory
Intel HD Graphics
500GB (7200RPM) Hard Drive
10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN, Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n WLAN & Bluetooth
All the other usual bells & whistles
1 year warranty

HMMMMM. Tempting.

 

I am getting ready to purchase a HP dm4T but I need a little help. I will be using it for school, internet browsing, e-mail, and once in a while to watch DVD’s. I will not be playing games on this laptop.

Do I need the 512 ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450 Graphics or will the Intel HD Graphics be ok?

I can't decide between the 6 or 9 cell battery. How much does the 9 cell stick out?

What is the difference between the Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth and the Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth? Which one is better?

 

Intel integrated graphics will be fine, the 9 cell sticks out slightly less than a quarter of an inch, and the Intel wireless card supposedly has better range.

 

Do you guys think I got a good deal on this?

HP dm4t 14.0" with Intel 160gb SSD G2 + Core i7 + 5450 = $1124
I just ordered

HP Pavilion dm4t customizable Notebook PC

* • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* • Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-620M Dual Core processor (2.66GHz, 4MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz
* • 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* • 160GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)
* • 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics
* • 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
* • SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* • HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader + Digital Microphone
* • Wireless-N Card
* • Full-size island-style keyboard
* • High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
* • Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
* • HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

Just ordered mine today

HP Pavilion dm4t Entertainment PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
• 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• FREE Upgrade to 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics
• 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader + Digital Microphone
• Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• Full-size island-style keyboard
• 50% OFF! One 6 Cell (standard) and One 9 Cell (over-sized) Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope


I payed $989.99 but with taxes the grand total came to $1049.39.

Do you guys think I got a good deal.

I got 6gb ram and and blue tooth. And both a 6 cell and 9 cell battery.

 

I just picked up my dm4t and I couldn't be happier except the dam thing is PINK! I got it from Office Depot for $723.79 after tax and the $50 mail in rebate. I think I got a decent deal.

Intel Core i5-430M 2.26GHz dual-core processor
14" 1366x768 widescreen LED
4GB RAM
500GB hard drive
dual-layer DVD burner
802.11n wireless with Bluetooth
webcam
Gigabit Ethernet
6-cell battery
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

 

Hi I'm having strange problems with my ATI 5450. I recently did a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate.
-right-clicking on desktop causes the screen to turn black for a second and come back.
-"configure switchable graphics" option window opens, but when changing the other graphics card does not work (no response)
-from Event Viewer, under Applications and Services Logs, ACEEventLog includes 741 events regarding constant misbehaviors, starting with "ACE.ATI."

I'm guessing my screen's random blinking is related to the numerous events being logged in the Event Viewer. If anyone could shed some light on this matter, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

Planning to buy the following:

HP Pavilion dm4t customizable Notebook PC

* • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* • Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-620M Dual Core processor (2.66GHz, 4MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz
* • 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* • 160GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)
* • 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics
* • 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
* • SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* • HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader + Digital Microphone
* • Wireless-N Card
* • Full-size island-style keyboard
* • 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

My question is;

I'm going to school for mechanical engineering and plan to run 3D modeling programs like AutoDesk Inventor (with an external monitor), will the 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon graphics card be enough or should I go with the 1GB?

Thanks.

 

What drivers did you use, the ones from ATI or the ones from HP's support page?

 

I've made a backup file from before the clean install. (C:\Swsetup) The folder had everything I needed to reinstall and update drivers. There was also a folder named Video which included ATI installation files.

I've fixed the screen blinking and configuring switchable graphics, but the Event Viewer still indicates about 20 error logs every second regarding "ATI.ACE.CLI..." For example,

0000000142: 2010-07-06 15:55:53:206 Unable to obtain Color Correction information, dem status: -2
Error Called by: ATI.ACE.CLI.Aspect.DeviceLCD.Graphics.Runtime.RT_DeviceLCD: arse processID:02000 threadID ) domainName CCC.exe ) assemblyName CLI.Aspect.DeviceLCD.Graphics.Runtime, Version=2.0.3713.40467, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=90ba9c70f846762e)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0000000141: 2010-07-06 15:55:53:159 FAILED:ADL_Display_SLSGrid_Caps and return value is: -1
Error Called by: ATI.ACE.CLI.Caste.Graphics.Runtime.RT_GraphicsAdapter_N::CheckSLSSupported processID:02000 threadID ) domainName CCC.exe ) assemblyName CLI.Caste.Graphics.Runtime, Version=2.0.3713.40390, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=90ba9c70f846762e)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, these messages are somehow affecting the games I play. I didn't realize this until I checked Event Viewer but on any game, I've experiencing extreme lags; even on games that should run smoothly. Help anyone??

 

I tried reinstalling the drivers from HPs website

 

Has anyone else noticed the dm4 is pink or is just me? It looks like pink brushed aluminum. I know some have said there is no pink and others have said there is a little pink but mine is really pink. I wonder if there is a dye lot for these things? Why is it pink anyways, even a hint of pink would be bad, at least for me.

 

Not that it's a big deal but isn't the hp on the lid supposed to light up blue? For some reason mine doesn't light up. Any ideas?

 

what are the benchmarks for the graphics card between the 512 mb and the 1 gb?

 

Did you use that $300 off coupon? I used it and got a core i520 instead. I wanted better battery life so I didn't go with the i7. I also got the intel wireless n card because i read that the generic n card had worse range. But the the rest of the specs are the same. That $300 off coupon was like getting a free SSD for me.

I went to best buy just to play around with it and i like it overall except for the trackpad, but i think i can get over it. The color does have a slight pink tinge to it on light wooden surfaces, but on other surfaces, it looks more champagne or even silver. Even then, I'm secure enough to not care about a pink laptop.

Cheers to your purchase!

 

try this out: (from the hp out-of-box guide thread)

 

Actually the i7 for his/her built has dual-core processor. It shouldn't be draining the battery like other i7's quad-core processor.

 

I know it is probably negligible in terms of my use, but i read this and made my decision based off it.

Notebookcheck: Review Intel Core i3/i5/i7 Processors ?Arrandale?

Towards the end, it talks about the i7 620m using up more power on idle. This isn't to say that power usage was my only criteria. My price point was $1000ish so the i7 put me over the top.

 

I'm highly considering purchasing a dm4t soon. I'm trying to save money, though. Do you guys know of any current coupons or cash back offers for the dm4t? Can you still get 25% off from Bing?

 

OK, so I've had my dm4t for a few days and here's my take on it. Regarding the color, I have to assume HP is trying to appeal to ALL types of users since the thing is only available in one strangish color. I don't think I'd call it pink, although I can see why some are describing it that way. I would say it's some sort of diluted grape color... but only in certain lighting situations/angles. Sort of like if you were to take a glass of water and mix in a small amount of grape juice or cool-aid. Right now, in really low light level, it takes on a copperish hue... sorta.

I ALMOST got the Dell Vostro 3400 (partly because it's available in red), but what sealed the deal on getting this dm4t is the discount when I got the SSD, which was a requirement for me. I was having trouble finding another brand (MAC, Dell, Sony, etc.) with aSSD available at a reasonable price. I have to say that I REALLY like the SSD... it's faster and should be more durable than a standard drive... and is darn near silent! Plus, I don't want to store any movies or music, so the 160GB size is fine for me. That said, I was a bit disappointed in the fact that it was shipped with <100GB of space available given how the disk is partitioned... maybe I'll reformat it later. But I will probably never go back to having a traditional drive given the speed and silence of the SSD.

I have no problem with the trackpad. But I've never liked trackpads relative to having a mouse (and full-size keyboard)... that's why I'm probably going to get the USB port replicator, which will allow me to utilize my desktop monitor and a mouse/keyboard combo. I'll probably get a monitor with a HDMI input in the coming months.


PROS:
- SSD (if you don't need more space)
- Price (relative to other systems with the SSD option)
- 64-bit Windows 7 (an upgrade from my XP desktop)
- Switchable graphics (I got the 512MB version)
- Solid construction/build
- Fingerprint reader (a cool feature that's new to me)

CONS:
- HP drive partitions (but maybe I can download the recovery to DVDs?)
- Viewing angles & brightness/gamma control (always an issue unless you spend gobs of money on a high-end machine)
- Battery life might not be that great (limited testing)
- It's a little heavier than I thought it would be, but I'm sure it's not really different from other brands.

Mine does not seem to heat-up like some have said. I got the Intel wifi w/ bluetooth, but haven't had a chance to test it yet. I do plan on getting a bluetooth printer and camera (if I can find a good one).

 

Just used NBG351962 to get $400 off. It removes the instant $150 off so it's essentially just $250 off but I got
HP Pavilion dm4t customizable Notebook PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-450M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)with Turbo Boost up to 2.66 GHz
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• FREE Upgrade to 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics
• 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader + Digital Microphone
• Intel Wireless-N Card
• Full-size island-style keyboard
• 50% OFF! One 6 Cell (standard) and One 9 Cell (over-sized) Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

for $904 + tax with free shipping.

Coupon only works for laptops configured at $1299 and up.

 

Do you guys think the Intel HD graphics that come with the DM4T is good enough to play an overall simple online game that requires a "3D speed over GeForce FX 5600 or ATI9500" VGA? Thanks in advance!

 

Yes. The Intel HD graphics are quite capable.

 

finally was able to get the replacement the other day...but guess what? no graphics card! after spending 4 hours on the phone, sent it back the same day I received it, but had to pay more so they can "ship" it and I would be credited back, customer service is so difficult to work with, and 1.5 months later, I still do not have a functional laptop :/

 

Ok I'm about to bite on one of these with the Intel SSD but have a few questions/concerns if anyone can help me out.

1. Does having switchable graphics (switched off) use up more power than not having any graphics card?

2. Can bluetooth be switched off if I am not using it? (As you can see I'm worried about battery life!)

3. Has the trackpad gotten any better since initial reviews and impressions?

4. Does boot time suck like the reviews say? Is this because it takes a long time to post or to load the OS? In other words, will a SSD hard drive fix it?

 

1. No
2. Yes
3. No
4. Haven't really noticed slow boot time, and a solid state would decrease boot time dramatically regardless.

 

For the bluetooth, it's software not a physical switch -right? Is it in windows or is it a special program or something?

 

I got my DM4t a week and a half ago, and for the most part I love it. However I am debating sending it back . First of all the trackpad is really annoying. I have gotten used to it for the most part, but why the hell would you make the buttons a part of the touchpad? Also the entire trackpad is clickable, like the macbook, but clicking it does nothing, why not make it customizable. Also if the buttons are on the touchpad you should be able to tap them without having to click (meaning if you tap on the left button it performs that action, you tap on the right button it performs that action) This touchpad could be so much better with just a driver update.

Also I've been having battery issues. I got the 9-cell battery and whenever it would charge up to 98% it would just stay there and say it was charging. I ran the HP battery test and it would fail, but only when it was at 98%. HP replaced the battery and the new one was working fine, but was lasting 3 hours less than the original (Original lasted about 7 hours, the new one last 4-5 hours on the same settings), and now the new one is doing the same thing the old one did, charging up to 98% and showing failed in battery test.

I'm thinking of sending this back and springing for the Elitebook 8440p.

 

So it sucks even if you do not use mult-touch?

 

Yea its in software, one of the programs hp provides. HP wireless assistant.

 

Is there any advantage to the Intel wireless card over the generic one?

 

The entire touchpad is not clickable. It seems to be on a hinge, so that the portion closer to you can be pushed downward. However, the portion closer to the keyboard cannot be pushed downward.

 

I would like to know this as well.

 

Hello, DM4T Users! I have just a few questions for you all:

1) Is the extra $20 upgrade from 6-cell to 'high capacity' 6-cell battery worth it? Because I'd like battery life to be as long as possible, but I don't really want that extra bump with the 9-cell.

2) Would you recommend getting HP's care pack services? For those who have had to contact customer service or had to have their laptops fixed - how efficient was this for you?

3) Is an upgrade to an Intel wireless-N Card worth the extra $25? This laptop (if I buy it) will be my bff in college, so good wireless connection is highly preferred.

Thanks, all!

 

Well, this is the config I am leaning towards. What do ya'll think?

Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-520M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.93GHz
Memory 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Hard drive 160GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)
Graphics card Intel(R) HD Graphics
Networking Intel Wireless-N Card
Primary battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)


I do CPU intensive stuff so the CPU upgrade it worth it for me.

I strongly suspect that having switchable graphics will reduce battery life, so I'm skipping it. This would explain the inconsistent battery results and it is also suggested in this professional review: HP Pavilion dv4-2153cl

Also I figured it would be cheaper to get a 2nd battery off of Ebay than to get the upgraded high capacity (total cost/time not just total cost).

I would get the extended but I'm worried the nine cell will make typing hard on my wrists. You are not suppose to type at an angle like that.


Unless I should get a Dell E6410 for the same price but w/ 3 year warranty. Decisions, decisions..

 

Sigh...so I just got my dm4t in the mail today, and I've only played around with it for about an hour so far...and already, I have experienced a pretty big issue.

I was watching this youtube video: YouTube - simonscat's Channel and the video started skipping like a broken record (a tiny sequence of video was stuttering on repeat) even though the sound continued like normal. I tried to refresh the webpage and the entire screen blinked and went black. No amount of waiting, clicking, ctrl-alt-deleting or alkdja-ing seemed to have any effect. I had to do a manual reboot. The video isn't even graphics intensive.

Should I be worried about this, or is this a common issue? Any advice?

On the plus side, the computer seems very quick and well-built aside from that, although getting used to the two-finger scroll (I'm so used to my asus touchpad!) and Windows 7 will take a few days, I'm sure. I'm not a huge fan of the metal etching, but it is an attractive computer, lighter than I thought, and it doesn't look pink to me at all, for those wondering!

 

First, sorry for my English.
I have the same issue, the bottom of the touchpad isn't fixed to the base the same way it is the upper zone, and I thought my laptop was a faulty unit.
After contacting with HP sales dept. they are going to send me a replacement.
Please, it's normal that the button zone of the touchpad can be pushed downward before hearing the 'click'?
Should I proceed with my replacement or should I cancel it?

thanks

 

Has anyone ever heard of someone adding a 2nd hard drive to one of these in place of the optical drive?

edit: Or does anyone know if the optical drive in the computer is 9.5mm or 12mm?

 

Yea I had the same issue. I found out it's an optional feature and apparently the HP dm4-1000 is the model that will have GPS enabled. Link here:
HP Pavilion dm4-1000 Entertainment Notebook PC series overview - HP Home & Home Office products
Go below "An ultra thin and light notebook that keeps you constantly connected"
and there you will see "GPS and Wi-Fi enabled".

 

Thinking of pulling the trigger on the dm4 but need a few questions answered first. I'd appreciate it if I could get a few quick answers as I am planning to buy off the shelf from Office Deport and their rebate ends today.

I checked out the dm4 at both Office Depot (1060us) and Best Buy (1065dx). Somehow the 1065 seemed better built than the 1060 - could this just be sample variation or the models are different build wise? I just thought the number was the typical different store - different number ploy to make comparison tougher.

More importantly, I felt the DVD tray on the model is pretty flimsy. I watch movies regularly on my laptops (a few times a week) and want to be sure it would not break down with use. Has anybody experienced problems with the DVD tray?

 

I just finished reinstalling Windows 7, updating the drivers, and reinstalling some software. I can't seem to connect my Blackberry anymore and I have tried everything. Any ideas?

 

I have the same issue, the bottom of the touchpad isn't fixed to the base the same way it is the upper zone, and I thought my laptop was a faulty unit.
Please, can someone tell me if it's normal that the button zone of the touchpad can be pushed downward before hearing the 'click'?

My first impressions with the dm4 (1060 model) are very positive:
Pros:
- it's very well built (except the aforementioned touchpad's issue?)
- I love the keyboard
- I don't find the touchpad unusable at all. I like it.
- Browsing internet stays cool, and the fan is barely audible
(no gaming yet)
- HDMI + VGA, eSata, switchable graphics
Cons:
- Lots of bloatware
- nothing more (up to now)

 

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