HP dv5- worth it?

I posted this, in part, in the "What Should I Buy" forum, but wanted to drop in here for some insight from the HP users/experts.

I've already ordered a Dell Studio, but browsing all the posts in the above referenced formum, I'm seeing a LOT of recommendations for the dv5. I found the following deal available at Best Buy, and was wondering if it is as good of a deal as it appears. I was also curious about one particular thing.

When trying to customize an identical machine on HP's website, it forces you to upgrade to the 256MB ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3450 Graphics option if you select a Blu Ray player. Should it be of concern that this Best Buy pre-built only includes the ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3200 Graphics?

HP - Pavilion Laptop with AMD Turion™ X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor RM-70
Model: dv5-1003nr
$899 - $150 off = $749
Product Features

• AMD Turion™ X2 dual-core mobile processor RM-70* for true multicore processing; HyperTransport™ 3.0, AMD PowerNow!™ and AMD CoolCore™ technologies to extend battery life; improved security with Enhanced Virus Protection**
• 3GB DDR2 memory for multitasking power, expandable to 8GB
• Blu-ray Disc-enabled double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with full read support for next-generation Blu-ray Disc; double-layer support using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media
• AMD dual-core technology enables you to work or play with multiple programs without impacting performance; AMD64 technology provides simultaneous support for 32-bit and 64-bit computing; 1MB + 1MB L2 cache memory for efficient processing
• 15.4" WXGA high-definition widescreen display with BrightView technology and 1280 x 800 resolution
• 160GB SATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
• ATI RADEON HD 3200 Graphics RS780M with up to 1406MB total graphics memory; HDMI connector
• QuickPlay music and DVD buttons; HP mobile remote and ear bud headphones included
• Built-in HP webcam with integrated microphone makes it easy to chat with and send video mail to family and friends
• 5-in-1 digital media reader supports Secure Digital, MultiMediaCards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and xD-Picture cards
• 4 high-speed USB 2.0 ports for fast digital video, audio and data transfer; eSATA USB 2.0 port
• Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g); 10/100Base-T Ethernet Lan with RJ-45 connector; 56 Kbps high-speed modem
• Weighs 5.8 lbs. and measures just 1.4" thin for easy portability; lithium-ion battery and AC adapter
• HP Imprint 2 finish features a mesh imprint pattern in onyx and chrome for a sleek look
• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition operating system with Service Pack 1 (SP1) preinstalled

 

The HD3200 should do fine for Blu-ray. It is quite a decently powerful GPU considering it is an integarted solution and being able to decode & run HD videos is one of its selling points. The spec looks good for the price and it should be a good general purpose laptop.

 

For that price, it's pretty good. However, the Intel Core 2 Duo series has an advantage over the AMD Dual-Core at the current time. Since, money is obviously a factor, AMD is much cheaper than Intel. That notebook will do you good for quite a while. I'm not very fond of ATI, but that should do fine as miner previously stated.

 

The HD3200 is the best integrated GPU out at this time, besting even the dedicated NVIDIA 8400 by a little. It is designed to be able to handle blu-ray so that is no problem. It can even handle a little light gaming just don't expect anything too much in that arena. Other than that this looks like an awesome deal for a blu-ray compatible laptop.

 

I know this is off topic but I do not understand why more people don't like ATI. Nvidia has had a lot of problems in recent years that ATI hasn't suffered from. ;P

 

I'm not a gamer, so I can't comment on the higher-end graphics products.

I installed an ATI Radeon 2600XT graphics card in my desktop about six months ago to replace the original nVIDIA 8300GS. In it's defense, the 8300GS is only about a half-step above an integrated graphics card, so I couldn't expect a lot out of it. The 2600XT works great for multimedia and entertainment purposes, especially for the $40 it cost me.

I had an HP Pavilion for a while last year with an nVIDIA 7600GS graphics card and there were some intermittent issues with it and eventually the card was replaced under warranty. My current ThinkPad R61 has an nVIDIA 128mb Quadro NVS 140M graphics card (based on the nVIDIA 8400-series) and it's been problem free so far.

I tend to like ATI and AMD because they're the underdog these days, compared to Intel and nVIDIA. With the new ATI Radeon HD 3200, they are clearly the current leader in integrated graphics solutions. It performs as well as many lower-end discrete graphics cards as well as Intel's new X4500 integrated graphics (which is much-improved itself, compared to the X3100).
For the first time in a long time, AMD-based notebooks are a viable choice for more than just the budget-conscious.