*HP dv4t (1XXX series) Owners Lounge*

lol, not a "gayfish". I'll post pics sometime this evening when I can actually have a moment to myself.

 

I think ours will come arrive as early as June 22/23 after seeing other people's delivery times. Where do you live? Wonder if we'll get it on the same day..

Also that's really messed up Soviet, if they gave you that notice and didn't let you upgrade...


The college I'm gonna go to next year has like a page for engineers with free programs, including windows vista.. I'm hoping they will have Windows 7 there when it comes and it actually works on the HP..

 

Well, I finally busted out the computer, and so far I'm loving it. It's very sleek. I've been on it for about an hour and it's not hot at all (though I haven't done much). It's a little warm, but nothing noticeable, and I can't hear the fan at all unless I put my ear next to it. So far, so good. I'll update my findings later and include pictures.

 

Thanks for the info. On my dv4t-1000, the fan is clearly audible even at the lowest speed, and at the highest speed it sounds like a blow dryer. In light of your description, perhaps they have reduced the fan noise in the newer dv4t models. That would be great news for current buyers.

I may call up HP and see if there's anything that can be done to help my machine.

 

Wow.. time goes by 300 times more slowly when waiting for Laptop to arrive.. So annoying lol.. ive already watched way too many unboxings..

 

is there any way of finding out if they did start shipping with new, quieter fans?

 

yepp.. i was in your Very same senario..watching unboxing videos and any other video i can get my hands on just to get a sense of the joy you will get once yours arrives.. the day mines came i was so excited..opened it up and loved it from then on... it truely is a WONDERFUL machine..no worries though your machine is on its way...soon you will join the DV4 community
which by the way welcome

 

yeah man thanks, i cant wait to stop having to refresh the status of the order page.. I hope mine comes with the good fan and heating stuff too. BTW what company makes the harddrive now for the dv4t?

 

Well, I've been on this thing for awhile today, and it's been really great. When I'm in a completely quiet room, I can hear the fan, but it's nothing terrible. The computer is not hot to the touch. It's only really warm on the left hand side palm rest and even then, it's not that warm. I'm really happy with my purchase so far, but I've only had it one day. I've spent pretty much all day moving my old stuff onto this computer and getting it how I want it.

I only have one concern that just happened. Please excuse me for sounding stupid about this matter since I've been on a mac for the past 5 years, and this is my first pc laptop. I was playing with the media control remote, and I couldn't figure out how to get out of the media center and I hit the power button on the remote, and it started to shut the computer down. I (like a dummy) hit the power button on the computer before the computer fully shut down causing a blue screen and then a screen that told me that there was an unexpected problem and Windows could not shut down properly. It then asked if I wanted to run in safe mode or normal, and I ran in normal mode. The computer checked the problem and said it couldn't shut down properly and issues with video. It's working the same now, but I wanted to make sure that this was most likely caused by what I did right, and did I do anything that could affect the comp? Sorry if I sound dumb. Thanx!

 

Chumley, you have the option of returning your unit for repair if it is within warranty. I just received my DV4t-1400 last week. The 1400 series started shipping in April 09. No issues with fan noise, heat, etc. Seems to be fixed, at least on my unit, in the 1400 series. I do miss the play/rewind, etc. buttons on top, but overall this is an excellent, all purpose laptop at a great price.

Heads up on one issue, Intoxicated mentioned it and it happened to me. Do not use the HP software update feature, especially the "validity sensor" download. it will hose your fingerprint reader driver if you have one and requires that you uninstall both the driver and program, reinstall from the recovery manager and then update via the program itself. I called HP about it once, but they didn't seem to be concerned. Going to go up the food chain early next week to make sure the Update site has current, workable updates.

 

dont worry yours will be coming with the good quiet fan...
anyone get the 6 and 12 cell battery combo? i got it for %50 off for both.. a little promotion that took place a couple weeks ago when i ordered my DV4.

the 6 cell battery is absolute crap. although i understand that it isnt the high capacity model. the 6 cell battery lasts about an hour and half maybe even two. this is if u have the computer on the power saver mode. the high capacity model last %15 longer which i am not sure how long that may be but heres a warning DO NOT GET the 6 cell battery or you will have to plug it in every 2 hours.. i understand its a laptop but i honestly cant understand how is one suppose to use this pc as a mobile one if it dies every 2 hours without even using it..even leaving the pc on idiling with wifi off and screen brightness low it dies rather quickly.

the 12 cell i disliked at first because of its massive size and its weight.. ive watched numerous unboxing/review videos of which some had the 12 cell battery and i disliked the way it made the notebook elevate off the surface and added big black hunk under it taking away fron the DV4s sexiness.. once the notebook arrive i poped in the 12 cell battery and it really is an ugly big battery..it also adds weight to the notebook and makes it rather unconftable to carry. however i charged it up and then let it run on its own and i am VERY pleased..this 12 cell battery is deffinitly worth the extra cash not for its apperance but for what it offers. i took my notebook off the charger last night at 7:30pm and was on my notebook till 12:10am. i powered down with %30 left and then powered back up this morning at 9:30. and right now at 11:22 it still has 15% charge left.. mind you i was palying bioshock this morning for about an hour this morning..

so there it is.. the 6 cell battery is absolute crap..idk how the high capacity 6 cell si but the 12 cell is deffinitly worth a purchase.. it adds 5-7 hours of battery life to ur DV4t..the 12 cell also evelates the rear of the DV4 allowing the vents to be more opened (more efficient cooling) and it slants ur keyboard which makes it much more confty to type on.. the 12 cell battery also has a power button which lets you check how much juice is remaining and also has its own power jack so you can charge the battery while not inserted in the laptop..12 cell gets 2 thumbs up in terms of its power..but in terms of portability..i cant really comment on that except saying expect to add on some pounds when adding the 12 cell as your primary battery option

 

Intox - I ordered mine with the Hi Cap 6 cell and the 12 cell. With the laptop power option set to "Hp recommended" I get 3 hrs surfing the web with the 6 Cell Hi Cap and with the 12 cell I get from 6.5 - 7 hrs. I have the P8700 processer; 512 NVidia Graphics card; LED display; the three main areas that can suck power. Would get slightly more if I turn the wireless/bluetooth card off.

 

Hey do you mind running everest and finding out the model on your LED LCD? Mine is showing up as a Samsung Seiko Epson Corp branded screen.

 

i have the same specs as you do except i got the regualr screen..i have a 32 inch HDTV so i didnt think i needed a LED screen..although now im starting to regret it.. i also got the regular 6 cell and12 cell battery because they came as a deal %50 off. i didnt order them separated.. i mean i suppose the 6 cell isnt horrible if u want to do some light stuff on the notebook

 

Question- I am about to buy one of these, only thing I am not positive on is the screen. How much different is the LED screen vs the normal screen, and on average how much battery power would it save? Like how many more minutes per charge...

Also- I think I am going to get the 6 cell and 12 cell batteries

 

My high capacity 6 cell lasts plenty long for me... I havn't timed it but I'm pretty sure its around 3 hours.

Also does anyone know if its bad for the battery to leave the wall adapter in even if the battery is fully charged?

 

Sure Spartan. Same specs you reported a couple of days ago:

Monitor ID: SEC4F42
Manufacturer: 141AT06-G01
Manufacture Date: 2008
Serial Number: None


Regarding the question on whether to buy an LED_ I think it is well worth with. Here are some pros/cons

Pro:

Much brighter display
LEDs will last longer than CCD
Lower power usage...I think the DV4t LED pulls 2 watts. Not sure what a CCD would pull

Cons:

You will shell out mucho coin if you break it. Get the HP protection plan against accidental damage if you can afford it. I usually drop, crunch, spill on my latops sometime between year 1.3 and 2.4.

 

Hey here is a tip for all you guys who are thinking of buying the 6cell + 12cell for 50% off.

Instead get the free hi cap 6 cell upgrade. and buy this 12 cell hp battery for $70 shipped.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-for-HP-12-C...66:3|39:1|72:570|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:100

much much better deal.

 

That's a great deal, thanks. I hope it's around in September when I'll need a 12 cell. I got hi capacity 6 cell right now, which should be good enough for now during the summer. But once College starts I wanna not have to have it be hooked all the time..

 

Sweet my shipped this morning.. Blackhack, did yours ship as well?

Estimated delivery time is June 25th though :X.. I hope that's being conservative..

 

same here just shipped yesterday with a deliver estimate of 25th. last time i ordered the dv4 they also shipped it out on a friday and it got delivered the following wednesday, which would be a day earlier than the estimate for this one.

 

Dang I was hoping it would come monday lol. What's it doing in Shanghai anyways? Mines been there for 12 hours!

Kunshan - -- > Shanghai ---> ??

 

Anyone here got a model with the Nvidia G 105 M? I'd really love to hear about its performance on the dv4t.

 

It overclocks real nice. Max I got was 800mhz core, 650mhz memory, and 1800mhz shader.

But to be blunt, it sucks for gaming. It can easily handle light gaming, but that's it. I was hoping the dv4t would be my "only" pc, but now I am getting a second laptop with a much better video card.

 

Do you think that it's worth it to get the G 105 M instead of the Intel 4500MHD, when considering the extra cost, heat output, and reduced battery time?

Any gaming I might do will probably be minimal, but I would like to try out COD4 and FarCry. Main usage would be general web surfing, email, things like that. Definitely won't be watching any movies, but might play around with some photo editing.

 

For those of you that have the Moonlight White version (which I have not seen personally), is the trackpad also white like the keyboard? Do they tend to get dirty looking at all? Right now I'm leaning toward the white only because I'm not really sure about the circle designs on the black model.

 

The trackpad has a sliver finish on it. I didn't really care for the trackpad because it was so smooth that my finger kind of slipped around making it difficult to use. I only had it for two days (returning for dv3t) so I can't say if it would get dirty or not, but I really liked the white with the subtle design.

 

If you are doing ANY gaming, get the g 105m. It's better to have something that you don't need, then to need it but not have it (hopefully that's right )

Basically, It would suck to spend so much money on it and then only to find out that "Oh crap, I guess I really did need to upgrade.".

 

man i'm startin to hate Shanghai lol..jeez 28+ hours in Shanghai, ahah.. Either that, or FedEx doesn't want to update anymore

 

At least with the 105 M, it can handle gaming, even if it is light. Didn't know you can overclock it, since I'd normally see higher end cards more usually the ones to be overclocked. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll get the new 200 M series GPUs from Nvidia anytime soon.

 

I wonder what Crysis looks like in low quality everything, I hear the 105M can at least play that..

 

Yup it looks alright, but you have to run it less than 1280x800. I set warhead at 960x600. Game IMO sucks so I dont care. i dont like games going below 24fps much.

 

My quote from page 19:
For any gamers out there, I can report that the following games can be run at these settings and FPS.

Geforce G105M / no overclock (are you crazy?)
NO AA
NO AF
Trilinear Filtering with Triple Buffering enabled
Windows 7 64bit RC 7100

Counter Strike 1.6 60 FPS 1280x800 V-Sync everything maxed (i don't bother with AA or AF)

Counter Strike Source 60 FPS 1280x800 V-sync enabled everything maxed

Team Fortress 30 FPS 1280x800 everything set to low (apparently this is a very shader heavy game)

Left 4 Dead 30-45 FPS 960x600 everything set to low (at the end of the Dead Air campaign the fps dropped to 15s however it still was playable (aka the horde didnt kill me)

Call of Duty 4 without tweaks it ran at about 60 fps but it stuttered like hell.
On my gaming pc this game stuttered like hell until i did the following

add +fullproc to the COD MP shortcut (this enables multiprocessor support on the quake 4 engine)

Enable DUAL VIDEO CARDS (yes i have no idea why did removes the stuttering)

open the console ingame with ~ and type in pb_sleep 500 (my stuttering might be due also to PB not really being vista or windows 7 or 64 bit compatible) this reduces the number of times punkbuster polls your hardware (doesn't stop cheaters anyways, look at any punkbuster game, i wish developers would stop doing this)

COD4 45-60 FPS 960x600 All special effects like shadows etc off. Texture resolutions set to normal, model quality set to normal (if you set it to low, the game still renders characters within 20 feet in normal, however the sudden calculations that the game must do inorder to add that geometry has a more detrimental effect to the game then allowing the game to run with just normal models)

Halo (this game runs terriblying IMO on Vista and Windows 7. on my home gaming pc I went from 300fps to 100 just switching OS) 60fps (alot of stuttering) 1280x800 everything maxxed

I am now installing Assassin's Creed and Race Driver GRID ill report back later.

 

Quick Update:

Assassin's Creed runs pretty crappy. Here's the thing, if a game is shader dependant, runs like crap.

I got Dead Space to run at 960x600 at medium settings (looks sweet) at around 30-45 fps. Assassin's Creed on Low (looks like crap, honestly look at Tweakguides.com) like 15-25 fps.

Grid after turning off post processing aka HDR lighting (not essential to the game and most sims dont use this type of lightning anyways) 960x600 at a steady 30 fps.

Prototype (mediocre graphics even on my gaming system) even on low at 960x600 would run at 24fps and chugg into the 15s. still playable due to the fact that you barely die in this game becuase you are such a bad mofo, but kind of disappointing.

Company of Heroes, i played for about 4 hours today at my friends house and man does it run good. The lower res screen helps alot in this intense real time strategy game. I would skip on model detail as it just puts more strain on the cpu to render wireframes and such even though you never see that detail unless you zoom in alot (which you shouldn't unless your playing on How Is Babby Formed mode)

As time continues ill post more details on games that i run etc. I use my laptop as a mobile gaming platform. I know this is not the best notebook for it, but at 14 inches and with this amazing screen and overall look, ill take it over any cheap looking MSI or ASUS notebook.

To each his own, I guess.

 

It will not update until a few hours after its left Alaska. Fedex doesnt update when its actually on the plane. I dont know why. 28 hours later, and being a weekend probably means its sitting in the distribution center waiting to be processed. You will get a notificiation that it passed customs and then you will be like where is it until it reaches the next distribution center. I find that Fedex tracking on international items is only accurate until it reaches your local FEDEX put on the truck to deliver to ur house place.

Good luck and im sure you will love this laptop.

BTW all, I found that SRS Audiobox 64-bit (install it in administator mode aswell as all drivers) does help the sound on this laptop alot. It gave me about a 40% increase in total sound, which helped alot when my buddy was trying to scream that the Germans were pounding his base and being able to hear my troops giving me status updates on their situation.

 

Oh ok cool, that's better than it staying there for so long (37 hours now lol).. Hey does FedEX travel on sundays? I know they don't deliver on sunday, but are packages still on the move to different cities on sunday?

 

Excuse me, but the g 105m can be easily OC and get much better fps. ALL games I played got a good boost from it and only a few degrees hotter. The laptop will not explode or melt if you choose to OC.

If you seriously want to gain better game settings, you will need to OC.
However, I don't recommend OC if one already likes the level of performance they are getting.

 

Spartan, I downloaded the 64 Bit SRS, ran as administrator, could not get it to work after running through the troubleshooting guides. Noticed in the lower left corner of the screen frame of the laptop, it says "SRS Premium Sound." Assuming the laptop shipped with some sort of SRS enhancement. I sure could use a 40% boost; am thinking of doing a System Restore, to get me back to factory defaults, then playing around with the Wndows sound controller to see what SRS functionality is already there.

 

Does anyone know where you can buy stuff for the smart bay?

 

yeah what i have to do is click on the volume icon in the corner go to playback devices and choose the SRS audio as default, but you have to go into properties and make sure its set to SPEAKER and not SPDIF. im on my desktop atm so let me get the notebook out and make sure.

The SRS that is included with the IDT driver doesnt make things as loud. I just put it on SRS premium and switch between the two codecs (IDT and SRS Audiobox) and there is a definate increase in sound (however too loud and you get distortion).


Also,

anyone have any luck getting MAC OS X running on this? I'll probably give it a try but if anyone has been successful...

 

I haven't been able to find a program that will OC. EVGA Precision doesn't detect the correct stock speeds, therefore I cannot overclock properly.

Rivatuner 2.24 using Driver 18585 emulation doesn't detect the correct speeds. shows 500 instead of 650 which is what the OS and Everest report.

BTW im running on Windows 7, and using 186.03

If you know of something that works for OC on notebooks thats better than what i been trying to do, please let me know. This is actually my first notebook, i have always been a desktop gamer.

 

http://www.zotac.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=455&Itemid=506
Works for Vista x64 (and will most likely work for windows 7 as well)

I use ATI-TOOL (v0.27) to scan for artifacts.

 

Lots of thanks to Soviet Spartan for posting about the performance of the G 105 M. + rep points!

How much do you get in a full charge on the dv4t? (Performace/Power Saving mode) Thanks ahead.

 

Yay, the package has reached my city!! (11:30 pm right now here) nice!! Shanghai hell over lol, I hope this means I can get it tommorow morning!

 

2 hrs, but i usually have alot of stuff open, bittorrent, tweetdeck, firefox, digsby, skype etc.

 

TV tuner / HD recorder question. Is ther any software out ther that will start/stop a recording at a specific time etc.. like a vcr? Do a wake up from sleep? Perhaps it's in my dv4t already but I haven't located it.

 

I wanted to know if there really is any difference b/w the different screens that HP offers like brightview etc.
Also does the moonlight white color has an backlit option?
Thanks

 

I've had the laptop for a couple hours, I'm loving it so far. Very sleek looking, though a little heavier than I thought it would be. Halo works so fast on it, which is really the only game I wanted to play, so I'm happy with the graphics card. Got rid of most of the junk HP put it, now I just need to install some stuff. The fan seems to be always on, but it's pretty quiet.

BTW the Vista warning alert for literally everything you do is SO DAM annoying

Also HP did a great job in sending it so fast. The estimated build date was June 23rd, and it arrived at my house on June 22nd.

 

Turn off UAC. User Account Control. Right click on your user icon and there should be an option to turn it off. Then it acts as normal windows.

Oh and about halo. Once I restarted the pc the game worked fine. I guess Direct x needed to be updated lol.

 

If you mean backlit keyboard, then no it doesn't.

The LED is the brightest screen.

Infinity puts a piece of plastic over the whole thing. People have complained the of the keyboard scratching this screen, and of dust getting trapped behind the plastic.

The normal brightview uses CCFL, bad for the environment (due to mercury) and uses slightly more power.