*HP dv5z (1XXX series) Owners Lounge* **PUMA Goodness**

guys

with the new coupon, the price on the amd version of the dv5 is very sweet looking. 717 for the version i want. $230 for the intel verison

how good is the ZM-80 for general usage, multitasking, stuff like that. no gaming at all just firefox, dreamweaver, watching movies and importantly STREAMING movies, etc etc. compared to say a P8400. is the price differential worth it? or is the ZM80 more than enough for my needs.

ps: im getting the 1650x1000 res screen, if that matters

 

Anyone getting EXTREMELY bad battery life? I just got this laptop today and I'm only getting about 1.5 hours of battery life even on battery saver for a full charge.

 

what video solution did you get? standard battery or higher capacity?

 

Does anyone know for sure that the $200 off coupon is stackable with the $150 instant rebate???

I just bought mine...$930 before the $150 instant rebate.

I'm going to be REALLY pissed if I could have paid an extra $60 and gotten an extra $200 off.

If this is the case, would HP be able to just refund part of that money or would I have to cancel my order and place a new one?

 

it is stackable. i have it in my checkout right now and its all "stacked".

 

Jesus christ. I could kill someone right now. I JUST put the order in about 3 hours ago...there were no other coupons this morning when I checked.

Now I've got to call them and go through this hassle...jesus.

 

is paypal working for you? i cant even select it after midnight. im confused...

 

I did the e-financing thing so I could get the "No Payments and Interest for 90 Days" thing. They said as long as I paid it off in 90 Days I wouldn't be charged for it.

 

Does anyone know the HP Return office hours? I tried calling them but they're closed right now. I want to call them first thing in the morning but I don't know what time they open.

I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. I'd be happy if they just refunded me $100 off my current order.

 

QL-60
3200
1280x800 resolution
Standard battery.

I think I should still be receiving better then 2 hours on battery saver mode.

 

that's atrocious!

 

oh he's using the athlon processor and not the power saving turion ultra. Lvivkse the dv5z will do video better than the dv5t with the integrated intel chipset. It is a different story when you get the discrete nvidia card.

 

I'm curious to know if the $200 coupon really is stackable with the $150 instant rebate. I'm not talking about an order that's still in the cart, I'm talking about one that's already been processed and charged to an account. I don't believe it is stackable, based on previous experience with HP, and the customer service agent I spoke to said the same thing. It doesn't seem like they'd be willing to give you $350 off the price of a laptop configured for $999.

On a side note, those pages and pages spent discussing the Crossfire deal were a complete waste...I don't think anyone should be buying the dv5z for top gaming performance. It's a consumer grade budget laptop at the end of the day, so pushing the graphics hard is kind of like buying a car for $500 and then putting $1500 rims on it. I just don't see the point in it.

Seeing as how this is called the "Owner's Lounge," I'd like to hear back from some of the people that have purchased and begun using the dv5z. What are your impressions? Are you glad you bought it? Are there any little quirks? What don't you like about it?

Some people have commented on the questions listed above, but in my opinion it's a very few number of people, especially since we're talking about 42 pages of posts.

 

Actually it is only $300 off, since they dropped the free shipping when the stackable coupon came out. Taking that into consideration, the previous non-stackable $400 Off coupon was worth $250 (no instant rebate) plus the $50 free shipping (=$300). It's a wash.

 

^ nice break down, you are absolutely right about that.

in my case, i had gotten $150 off when i purchased the laptop and when i told them about the $400 coupon the next day, i was told that they would credit me $250 - the difference between $400 and $150.

i dont know how companies can get away with this crap. they lead you to believe (via the website) that it's the $150 off THEN $400 OFF but you find out the truth only when you're paying...

and although it may sound unrealistic to have $550 taken off of a laptop, consider that the laptop that I spec'd out was hovering around the $2,000 mark, and with laptops out now at best buy, staples, etc, that have 320 gb drive, 4 gigs of ram and cost $700, a discount of $550 off of $2,000 would be a reasonable deduction.

more and more, i feel like returning the machine i ordered (i dont even have it yet-lol) and getting one of the off-the-shelf units from bestbuy/staples/wherever.

a friend of mine recently picked up a tosihba a305 - 320 gig disk, 4 gb ram, core 2 proc, dvd burner and 15.4" screen. his price? ONLY $650. the unit was $799 but he had a $150 coupon which they applied. he practically stole that awesome laptop. l0l. and fyi, he got it at BJ's wholesale.

 

Sorry to bother you with crossfire issue again, but I finally got an e-mail from HP support saying that it is not possible because the second graphic card (3200) does not exist in the unit. Of course there is a chance that they do not know the architecture but it is unlikely in my opinion. Here is the reply:

I returned the unit and ordered a dv5t because my budget allowed me to. But remember, dv5z with HD 3200 performs about 3 times better with 3D then integrated intel cards and has assets on video playback so it's practically best hardware for the budget (or the best bang for the buck )

I hope we all enjoy our laptops.

 

One should always assume that first tier HP support doesn't know the architecture. The one you talked with definitely doesn't. The Radeon 3200 is part of the northbridge. AMD isn't bothering making chipsets without integrated graphics for the Puma platform. For reasons unknown HP is disabling the integrated GPU in the BIOS when a dedicated GPU is installed, as pre-Hybrid Crossfire machines do. You're missing an up to 70% graphics performance boost without Crossfire.

Honestly, the ASUS Puma notebook with Radeon 3650, which doesn't need Hybrid Crossfire (I think it's only for the 3400 series?), looks like a much better bet for gaming. For more general use the dv5z will be fine.

 

Brian, do you think the additional power draw & heat was the reason HP decided not to go with Crossfire?

 

Hopefully a BIOS update in the future will correct it.

 

just FYI, if you're upset about free shipping being gone on the DV5Z, if you just go to HP.com, there's an ad for the DV5Z, saying free shipping. It's not listed in the store section of the website, but you could probably call to place your order and complain about the website stating it's free shipping and nag your way to saving that $50 again

 

no they didnt, its still free shipping. any order over 99 gets free shipping regardless.

 

Well I received my new HP dv5z yesterday morning, and spent all day playing/configuring it. It really is a **** sexy laptop. I got about 2.5 hrs battery life with the high capacity 6 cell battery (with wifi ON). It only gets warm when not getting proper ventilation.

I also updated the bios to the one on HP's website, seems battery life may have gotten better, but I'm not positive on that that.

All-in-all a great laptop at a great price. built better than i expected as well.

 

How much would i get off with a APP discount? Also can i use the APP with a 5% coupon I have?

 

no you cant

 

guys, I placed an order for tx2500z with the coupons stacked and free shipping. I am happy to report that my order is being shipped So as long as you guys got the order in before HP realized the stacking and free shipping error, you should be good.

I even combined the fatwallet 5% off with the stacked coupons above to take off another $37 !!!!

 

Ok this is my first post here, but I thought I'd let you guys know that HP told me in their online chat that Hybrid Crossfire was going to be available in a few days but they didn't know when, and that it wouldn't be available to those who already own a dv5z because it would require a new processor and that they're not replaceable in any notebook without a motherboard replacement, which I for one don't believe since I have changed the processor myself in other notebooks.

 

Free shipping was not working this morning, as it said "N/A" in the shopping cart and charged you $49. They appeared to have fixed it.

Anyway, the Compaq CQ50Z still does not have free shipping, and it is well over $99.....

 

This doesn't make a lot of sense. I don't see why any additional hardware would be needed to make the crossfire work. The plot thickens. Thanks for the info.

 

Is this worth it?

# • Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
# • AMD Turion(TM) X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-80 (2.1 GHz)
# • 15.4" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050)
# • FREE Upgrade to 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)!!
# • 256MB ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3450 Graphics
# • FREE Upgrade to 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive from 120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
# • Webcam Only
# • HP Color Matching Keyboard
# • 802.11b/g WLAN
# • No High speed 56K modem port
# • SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
# • No TV Tuner w/remote control
# • 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
# • $100 OFF Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student 2007!!

And the 2 year extension plan. (all for around $810 w/tax and fee included)

Good enough for college? I think the most "intense" thing I will do is play Team Fortress 2 and Left4Dead (that is, if this can even handle it on mid quality).

I don't want to make it more expensive (on a budget), so is this good enough? No idea between 32-bit and 64-bit (2 gigs for 32-bit?), and maybe I can drop something to upgrade to 3 gigs of RAM?

 

1. get 64 bit.
2. you wont need more than 2 gigs for school. 1 gig is bare minimum, 2 gigs is standard for smooth performance.

all in all i think you'll be set. you could cut down to the integrated graphics though, as its pretty good as-is. do you intent to play games on it?

also, im going with wireless n. not sure what the wireless at your school is like, but id rather future-proof myself (my home network is already completely N, so its just a matter of time before its the standard)

 

Yes...you might have missed this: I think the most "intense" thing I will do is play Team Fortress 2 and Left4Dead (that is, if this can even handle it on mid quality).

And thanks...I'll get 64-bit. Not much I can do about the wireless, though, because I can't really add to the cost. If I had a bigger budget, I would have gone with the $400 off dv5t (which is what I wanted to get to begin with, not that there is anything wrong with the dv5z, but it was a lot more powerful imo), but alas, I'm limited by the cost.

 

I received mine yesterday (the est. build date), ordered on 8/7. Got the $150 plus the 5% coupon, $792.29. I also snagged a 4GB OCZ upgrade from Newegg.

* Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
* AMD Turion(TM) X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-80 (2.1 GHz)
* 15.4" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
* FREE Upgrade to 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)!!
* 256MB ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3450 Graphics
* FREE Upgrade to 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive from 120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* HP Imprint Finish (Mesh) + Microphone + Webcam
* HP Color Matching Keyboard
* 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN
* High speed 56K modem port
* LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
* No TV Tuner w/remote control
* 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* $100 OFF Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student 2007!!
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

I'm curious for those who didn't get the 3450 upgrade, did your dv5z not come with: "Includes 1394 firewire and 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports". The way these are listed on the configure page, it seems that you are adding these ports when you add the 3450. I thought it was odd that these ports would be tied to the graphics chip.

I've only played with it for a few hours but I'm pretty impressed so far with the design and build quality. I'm wondering if I should have gone with a 14" notebook (my last one was 3.5 lbs, then again the one I had before that was ~8 and I managed).

I'm pleased with the value, I'll be even happier if we can get this crossfire situation ironed out.

 

hp's website sort of sucks. it's only good enough for non-technical people to order computers from.

i too was left wondering whether or not a certain desktop had an esata port, and what else it had... some systems list it, and some don't.

gg, hp.

 

As a second question (first still hasn't been answered yet), do you guys order online or on phone?

 

since i had like 5 questions, i called up, got those sorted out and there were no show-stoppers, so i went ahead and ordered on the phone with the same person.

 

I would really hope that even without the 3450 upgrade it would come with at least an Ethernet port...my 5 year old bargain bin Dell even has one of those.

Additionally, I'm pretty sure NBR's review of the dv5z included the IGP option, and somewhere in the review they list all the ports and it includes the Ethernet port.

I order the dv5z yesterday and hope to receive it on the 25th or 26th.

 

I signed up for the APP discount and it didn't even verified me. I checked off where it said that they could contact me at work. But how does this work? Because i can order this laptop right now for the discounted price.

 

If you don't get the HD3450, you only have 100Mbps ethernet. If you order the HD3450, you get Gbit ethernet (plus firewire). Strange, but perhaps there are really two different mobo layouts...

 

I've been wondering about something. I suppose I should've asked this before I placed my order, but I got anxious.

Does the dv5z come with a media remote that fits into the Express Card slot?

It didn't list it on the Specs page, AND, the remote is listed on the Accessories page. These details lead me to believe they do not ship with the remotes, so I purchased one for an additional $20.

However, I've heard a couple people mention that they got one shipped in the box with the dv5z. These posts were a couple weeks old, though, so I started thinking that maybe the dv5z originally shipped with a remote but now HP charges extra for it.

Man, I can't wait to get the new laptop and start playing around with it. I haven't had a new laptop in 5 years.

 

Yep, it comes with the card slot remote w/ battery included. Pretty sweet little addon.

The 100mbit vs 1000 makes more sense now, thanks for the info. Still weird that they cannot be configured independently of the gpu, but at least I feel a little better about dropping the extra $100 without the promise of crossfire. I really wanted the firewire and the gigabit ethernet is a bonus.

 

Get the high capacity battery, ShadowSnake. It's practically a necessity. Other than that you're good to go, just need to decide whether to get the 3450 or not. The way you have it currently configured (minus the batt.) is exactly how I got mine. Good choice.

 

I've got the dv5z with ZM-80. I'm wondering what you other owners are doing to speed up the Vista boot time? My intention was to make this an
other-side-of-the-house PC, for those times I just want to hop online while downstairs. But painfully slow boot time makes this impractical.

All I've removed so far is Norton. I want to get rid of as much of the bloat as I can, but I'm really not sure what can go and what should remain - especially all of the various HP crapware.

I'd love to hear which bits of bloat others are cutting out in order to make things run a bit smoother/quicker.

BTW, it's day two and I'm still loving this computer.

 

My thoughts exactly. Especially about the processor needing replaced. The only requirement in that area should be a Turion ultra right? and what really confused me was he said AMD would be releasing it. I thought that was part of the release of puma.

 

That sounds like absolute bullcrap from HP. If hybrid xfire were an Intel Technology there would be at least 50 laptops available with it already, but because there are dumb people they just make AMD the budget option without using it to its potential. hybrid xfire has nothing to do with the cpu, other than the shared memory of the IGP runs through the cpu's integrated memory controller. My hybrid xfire works on my desktop with an Athlon 64 X2 with hyperthread 1.0, not even as advanced as the Turion Ultra.

AMD keeps breaking records for computing power, and on less energy and cost, yet Intel gets tons of bogus positive press about catching up to AMD's architecture advantage and supposedly Intels new cpus have graphics processors in them too. Yeah right, maybe in 2 or 3 years, compared to AMD having it next year. Analysts are so stupid when it comes to technology and use a lot of buzz words. And somehow Nvidia is the world leader in graphcis technology, but AMD ATI is way ahead of them in actual architecture and manufacturing technology.

Sorry to be long, but that is why your Hybrid Xfire does not work, its all about marketing and market share and HP people don't care, because the DV5z is their low budget option.

 

My laptop just shipped off today from China, so when I get it should I return it and wait to order one of these new "crossfire-compatible cpus", or do the rest of you guys think that this is a load of bs and I should just stick with the one I'm getting and wait for another solution?

 

I would suggest doing a clean install so you can cut straight to the core and see Vista at its best. We have a Clean Install Guide in this forum. You might want to look there first.

 

I just bought a dv5z yesterday. Tried to stay away from Toshiba as much as possible. From reading the previous pages, did I make a mistake and order the 3450 or is there a possibility for the 3200 to pop-up somewhere in the future. I wish I read the forum before buying it. I could have gotten a 2 year warranty... oh well...

 

Hey how much better is the 3450 over the 3200gpu? Is this notebook OK for games? If so, anyone care to give 1st hand game experience? Benchmarks etc

 

Well, Vista is a bit slower to boot in the first place. So, if you are connected to a power source when not using the laptop, sleep might be a better option instead of shutting it down completely.

The cpu has nothing to do with the Crossfire functionality. If anything HP probably needs to update the bios & motherboard to enable it. Also, I haven't seen anyone ask this question; if the cooling system inside the laptop is capable to cool both the HD3200 & HD3450 at the same time? So, there are some hurdles to be crossed before Crossfire can be enabled. I wouldn't worry about crossfire at this point & just understand the fact that the HD3450 is a mid range cards and expect gaming performance to be mediocre.

Well, do you plan to game? If so then the HD3450 should provide some benefits but if you dont or dont mind playing games in low res then the HD3200 should be sufficient.

 

When I first discoverd CrossFire didn't work, I became curious since HP won't respond to my messages anymore. So I did some research on what their offerings at the time were. What I came to realize is that if CrossFire was enabled, it would be able to compete with their higher end 17" laptop with an GeForce 8600 GS. Both score remarkably close in 3DMark 06. What do you do when your "budget" laptop competes with your "enthusiast" option? You cripple the features and performance of the "budget" laptop. And that's exactly what they did with the dv5z. They destroyed what AMD was trying to accomplish with the Puma platform. The whole point of Hybrid CrossfireX is to give the budget gamer decent performance.

I by no means hold HP completely at fault though as I see many other manufacturers crippling their versions of the Puma platform as well. I've been looking around and I still can't find a manufacturer that has bothered to offer a CrossFire option. Shoot, you're lucky if you even get an HD 3200 with some of these guys. A lot of laptops seem to be coming out with a lesser clocked HD 3100.

Anyways, it is just annoying that AMD keeps innovating for the lower end user but manufacturs of PCs refuse to go that direction as well.