*HP dv6t & dv7t (70XX / 71XX series) IVY BRIDGE Owners Lounge*

Welcome to the Pavilion dv6t & dv7t (70XX / 71XX series) IVY BRIDGE Owners Lounge!

This lounge is a great place to meet other owners! You can share useful tips/tricks/mods here in order to get the most satisfying user experience from these entertainment notebooks.

If you would like to suggest something that should be added to this post, please PM me.

Notebook Images

Smile for the camera! Click on a thumbnail below to view the image at full size.

Pavilion dv6
Pavilion dv7

Videos

Pavilion dv6

Pavilion dv7

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Notebook Information

Please note that this is the 2012 Mosaic edition of the Pavilion dv6t and Pavilion dv7t, powered by the 3rd generation Intel Core i-series processor.

The details:

• Aluminum brushed chassis
• Weight (varies depending on configuration)
  • dv6: 5.53 lbs
  • dv7: 7.99 lbs
• Chipset: Intel HM77
• Processor (Select Edition):
  

  Standard: Intel Core i5-2450M Upgrade 1: Intel Core i5-3210M Upgrade 2: Intel Core i5-3320M Upgrade 3: Intel Core i7-3612QM

• Processor (Quad Edition):
  

  Standard: Intel Core i7-3610QM Upgrade 1: Intel Core i7-3720QM Upgrade 2: Intel Core i7-3820QM

• Display
  • dv6: 15.6" (diagonal) LED LCD-backlit
    • Standard: 1366 x 768
    • Upgrade: 1920 x 1080 Anti-glare
  • dv7: 17.3" (diagonal) LED LCD-backlit
    • Standard: 1600 x 900
    • Upgrade: 1920 x 1080 Anti-glare
• Memory: Up to 16 GB DDR3 (2 x 8 GB)
• Graphics:
  • Standard 1: Intel HD Graphics
  • Upgrade 1: NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M - 1 GB GDDR3
  • Upgrade 2: NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M - 1 GB GDDR5
  • Upgrade 3: NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M - 2 GB GDDR5
• Battery
  • Standard: 6-cell Lithium Ion
  • Upgrade: 9-cell Lithium Ion
• mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache (option, 32 GB)
• Wireless: 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth (option), Intel Wireless Display
• Blu-Ray drive (option)
• USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Digital Media Reader
• HP TrueVision HD webcam
• Validity Fingerprint Reader
• HP CoolSense technology
• HP ProtectSmart (3D DriveGuard) technology
• Backlit keyboard (option)
• Quad projection speaker bar with sub-woofer and Beats Audio

Reviews

• HP Pavilion dv6 2012 Model with Ivy Bridge gets Reviewed - Laptop Reviews
• HP Pavilion dv6 (Core i7 3720QM Processor 2.6GHz, 8GB RAM) Review - CNET Asia
• HP Pavilion dv6t-7000 Quad Edition (Ivy Bridge 2012) First Thoughts (pics, video) - Laptop Reviews (thanks Andrew)
• HP Pavilion dv6t-7000 Quad Edition Review - Laptop Reviews (thanks Andrew)
• HP Pavilion dv7t-7000 Quad Edition Review (thanks privatejarhead and Andrew)

Related Threads

• Drivers - contains the most currently compatible drivers you can use.
• Availability and Purchase Thread - where all the action started.
• The HP Laptop Out-Of-The-Box Guide (Windows 7) - by v3loc1ty2.0
• Current HP Pavilion BIOS Releases - grab the latest BIOS release for your dv6 or dv7!

HP Resources

• dv6t - Product Page (US)
• dv6t Select Edition - Product Page (US)
• dv6t Quad Edition - Product Page (US)
• dv6t-7000 Quad Edition: Support, Manuals, and Drivers
• dv6-7000 Maintenance and Service Guide (thanks Futureperfect)
• dv7t Select Edition - Product Page (US)
• dv7t Quad Edition - Product Page (US)
• dv7t-7000 Quad Edition: Support, Manuals, and Drivers
• dv7-7000 Maintenance and Service Guide (thanks Futureperfect)

 

I'm updating the first post with information that you may find useful - please PM me with any suggestions that you may have.

Let's try to consolidate current / future owner discussion of these notebooks into this thread - thanks!

 

can't wait to mod the dv6
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Yup just got one specs:

HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• One 6 Cell and One 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
• NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]
• FREE Upgrade to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 750GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
• No additional security software
• 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080)
• FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• 720p HD video streaming webcam supports Skype + FingerPrint Reader
• 802.11b/g/n WLAN
• Backlit Keyboard
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

Congrats on purchasing the new notebook! I have to say, HP did a good job with the configuration options this time around.

 

but screwed on pricing... so far.

 

Naa i know, that this stuff blows dell, toshiba, and Samsung out of the park. i the only copetiters that migh have something equal to or a lower price is Lenovo, asus and acer. plus at this point o didn't see the levovo 15 in get relesed so hp has no compitition for another month or so

 

Waiting on mine as well, and since I passed on the HP msata cache option I'll be waiting a bit longer for a 64gb version of one of these to arrive AnandTech - Micron C400 mSATA (128GB) SSD Review Depending on price these seem like they will be by far the best options out there.

 

just bear in mind this, when you choose not to pick the HP's mSSD, HP will send the unit out without the wires and connector for mSATA, that's what I have heard from Envy 14 users

 

Just bit the bullet and placed my order..... AHHHH.

HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC This item ships free

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery - Up to 6.0 hours of battery life +++
• 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
• NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 1GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]
• FREE Upgrade to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 750GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 32GB mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
• No additional security software
• 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080)
• FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• 720p HD video streaming webcam supports Skype + FingerPrint Reader
• Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
• Backlit Keyboard
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Total with a case... just under $1200

My 4 yr old dv6 is feeling way too outdated. Was going to hold off for the ivy envy but this has everything I was looking for and I couldn't pass up the $400 off deal. If I am not satisfied I will return, simple as that.

 

Ice Hawk you have pretty much the exact specs I would get if I decide on this laptop. I just am waiting for some reviews to come in or personal opinions because I would like to know a few things. If you would be willing to answer some questions I would be very grateful!

I'm looking to see what the temperature readings are for the CPU when idle and stressed as well as the GPU under load (gaming or Furmark).

Also your opinion on the fan levels when idle and under load. Does it constantly turn on and off or is it always on in a very low speed under idle? Does it get ridiculously loud when gaming/stressed?

If you could run GPU-Z and report some info on the GPU like number of cores and the like. Nvidia has been known to have different types of the same GPU model with differing clock speeds and core amounts.

What is the average time you get with the 9 cell battery with wireless on and average use? Nothing too crazy but nothing too idle as well.

Finally, I heard that the screen is supposed to be nice according to Cnet Asia. Finally a MATTE 1080p screen. Are the viewing angles good? Colors and brightness?

If you or any other owner could answer those questions I will be very happy.

Some other miscellaneous questions for anyone that might know the answers: what is that mSSD option? I have never heard of that before. Is that an SSD card that fits in the miniPCI-e slot? Does it function as a drive you can install Windows on or is it only used as additional cache?

Also, I am currently living abroad and the HP site for this country doesn't yet have this model available. Also, last time I was here and looking for a laptop comparable models in this country cost a lot more so I was hoping to order it online, have it delivered to a family member and have them send it to me through mail. Is this a problem and will it get stopped at customs? Obviously it would be sent as a "gift."

Thanks all.

 

Ya I be happy to get that info for you, just give me some links of the stuff u wanna find out, as for thr mssd and the mailing issue i don't think i can give u a very accurate answer.

 

Thanks Ice Hawk!

Here is HWMonitor, a freeware, ad free, malware free monitoring tool. It will give you realtime temperature readings on your CPU cores and GPU. To get the reading on the Nvidia GPU you might have to run the program after you have started a program that activates the discrete GPU.

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Here is FurMark which is a GPU stress tester. Again, freeware, adfree, no malware. FurMark: VGA Stress Test, Graphics Card and GPU Stability Test, Burn-in Test, OpenGL Benchmark and GPU Temperature | oZone3D.Net Don't worry too much about the settings, the default ones will give the GPU a good stress test.

And here is GPU-Z. A free tool that gives you details about your GPUs.
GPU-Z Video card GPU Information Utility

Thanks again.

 

Ok regarding the mSATA SSD here is some info from tom's hardware mSATA: Completely New : Intel SSD 310 80 GB: Little Notebooks Get Big Storage Flexibility

The ssd will function as a cache storage for the Hard disk which in return will give it a performace boost in many day to day tasks (starting windows,loading programs,etc...)

 

byup i can do those. The laptop will probably arive right before diablo 3 so i can run that for heat test, although its not that gpu intensive, it should give us some idea on heat. plus i can run tribes which will be a nit more gpu intensive.

 

Hmm, I don't have experience with these msata cache drives, hopefully that isn't hard to deal with if it does come up. Really I wanted to maximize that cache though so I think it will be worth the hassle. Worst case I just buy a 256gb ssd and swap it for the regular hdd.

 

Does anyone have a link to the user manual for these IB dv7t? I'd like to examine my mod options before committing.

 

Ordered yesterday:

HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery - Up to 6.0 hours of battery life +++
• 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3720QM Processor (2.6 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
• NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 1GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]
• FREE Upgrade to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 750GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 32GB mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
• No additional security software
• 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080)
• FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• 720p HD video streaming webcam supports Skype + FingerPrint Reader
• 802.11b/g/n WLAN
• Backlit Keyboard
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

I was thinking about doing the same, but that made D3 to become a $1100 game. Ouch

 

Lol if your only game is d3, and you only plan on basic us with alittle d3, then don't get this laptop, playing the non-optimize beta i was able to max settings with 768p screen on an desktop 8800 gt, with just minor frame rate shutters, I'm pretty sure the intel hd3000 with ivy bridge can run it in medium with decent frames.

 

I want 1TB HDD as compared to 750 GB . So will have to choose 5400 RPM . Will 5400 RPM be too slow as compared to 7200 RPM in daily operations .?
Won't transfer data much on the HDD . But more HDD space is my priority ....

Plz advice ...

 

It depends on what you are going to run on your machine. By simply booting and running software, you transfer data to and from the CPU. 5400 will be slower than the 7200 drive. It depends on what you are doing to know whether it is significant or not. If space is your priority over speed, go for it. But if you are using more than 750GB of storage, I suspect you are transferring a lot of data.

 

Is this laptop going to face overheating problems that have plagued other hp notebooks.

 

hp and overheating issues is so 2007-2009, much has happened since then, hp:s cooling system hasnt been any worse than the other laptop brands for quite some time now, I doubt these new models will have the same cooling system that hp used 2-5 years ago

 

check the post in the other UPDATED (WITH VIDEOS): dm4 / dv4 / dv6 / dv7 / g4 / g6 / g7 Notebooks (2012 Mosaic) thread

a Chinese reviewer ran Furmark for 3 hours with a ambient temperature of 27C and the GPU maxed out at 61C while CPU was at 67C

 

Does anyone know how the Nvidia GPU stacks up against the previous AMD 6770M (7690)?

 

Should i go for the 400$ off coupon , or is there any chance to get a 33% off coupon sometime soon .? Plz Advice ...

Also , Will the Nvidia GT 650 M in dv6 have Optimus .? It's nowhere mentioned ...

 

Is it a good time to buy HP dv6t now with Win 7 or should I wait until Win 8 come out regarding both hardware and software compatibility? I know the price might go down but it is not my issues.

 

the gt650m is 25-35% better than the 6770m/7690m

 

I'm about to return my current dv6t with 7690M XT and buy the new one. I'm deciding on either 1gb or 2gb GT 650M. I don't do video editing at all and I just do some moderate gaming on latest games like BF3. Based on what I've read online, I understood 7690m xt won't make much of a difference with 1gb or 2gb. Is it similar on the GT 650M? Please share with me your thoughts

I'll either pick the 2gb 650M option or the 32GB mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache, in order to come up with a total of $1399 to use the $400 off coupon.

 

Get the 32 GB mSSD (actually its mSATA ssd) ,at 1080 p 1 GB of Vram is enough.On the other hand,you will notice a huge increase in performance when adding the ssd (boot times ,load times,etc...)

for more information on intel Smart Response Technology here is a nice article by Anand Lal Shimpi:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4329/intel-z68-chipset-smart-response-technology-ssd-caching-review/2

 

This is slightly incorrect.
The DDR3 version of the GT650m ranges from 29-44% better than the 7690m XT.

The GDDR5 version of the GT650m ranges from 50-60% better than the 7690m XT.

Anyways, coupled with whatever Ivy Bridge you choose, expect better gaming performance.

I was in the same boat. I returned my old DV6TQE and got the new one yesterday. Anyways, DO NOT BUY the mssd cache. I repeat DO NOT. VRAM helps A LOT if you are connecting the laptop to an hdmi display and is unchangeable once you get it.

REAL SSD's are dirt cheap at less than $1/GB. The HP mssd is $50 for 32Gb and it's garbage anyways. The HDD will still get hot and still make a lot of noise. Buy a real SSD and go with the VRAM because if you regret the VRAM later, you are stuck with a machine that isn't up to your standards.

 

I dont have any info about the brand hp is using for this cache drive,but looking at the prices of a 32 GB ssd in online shops, I cant see a lot of saving in buying an ssd on its own.Plus I heard Hp doesn't ship the required wiring for mSata if you don't order the ssd in the first place.
If anyone has any data on the brand used please tell us .
Regarding the vRam please elaborate with proofs concerning the increase in performance.In my opinion I dont think there is an incentive in going beyond 1GB of Vram if your only gaming at 1080p res.Beside your graphic card (GT 650m in this case) will most probably run out of processing power before it runs out of memory.
Btw my post was meant to be an informative post ,so I am not only addressing xAnimal
thanks !!

 

Just get rid of the HDD and put in an SSD.
Use a USB enclosure to migrate Windows+Drivers over to the SSD and bam, no more HDD noise, less heat, and Windows startups under 5 seconds.

BTW to Everyone:
I placed my order yesterday and my Order got Dropped to factory, what about everyone else?

 

I want to get the new series but the problem is that I don't live in the US and all the models in Europe and Middle east only have GT 630m... no.. not a single GT 650m in sight! I was thinking about buying a shipping address in US and have it sent here but then I remembered that in US the power voltage is 110v while in my country it's 220v

Why HP.... why? ;_;
all I can do now is wait and hope they release a pre-configured model with a GT 650m GDDR5 in it soon, I hope no more than a month

 

That's pretty lame because all the laptops are assembled in China. You would think that the surrounding areas get more options than less. But definitely, the 650m's performance over the 630m is recognizable.

128GB OCZ Vertex for $127

But there were MANY better deals earlier this week. I'm a slickdealer, so paying $50 for 32GB is at $1.5625/GB. That is more than the retail price on most SSD's. Buying your own SSD is SO MUCH cheaper than buying an mssd cache. I myself picked up a Corsair Force GT 180GB for $165.

 

yea... before the new series was in sight I was thinking about getting the last generation laptop with a 7690m XT, but then after a bit of research you'll see that the GT 650m GDDR5 overpowers it by a nice amount so that's why I decided to wait until the new series now... Ivy+GT 650m sounded like a very good plan for me since it would future proof me from buying any laptop for 3/4/5 years(under good maintenance) instead of getting a 7690m XT which will struggle harder to play many DX 11 games in the future

and the funny part is, as we know the GT 650m GDDR5's performance matches the GTX 560m, and in my country a Toshiba Qosmio with it costs $2,899

 

Agree with you. I also intend to buy 256GB SSD OCZ Vertex 4 but not sure if the new HP can support it since only 160GB SSD can be upgradable in HP website. Anyone know?

 

Hey, basharg and xAnimal, thank you both for ur helpful thoughts.
I've just placed my order with the 2gb 650M and no mSSD since I think the video ram would weight more to me over the mSSD. To me, 5400rpm HDD is good enough and more video ram seems to be more useful in case I'll connect an external monitor or edit video.


Here's my specs:
HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
• NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]
• FREE Upgrade to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 750GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
• No additional security software
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery - Up to 6.0 hours of battery life +++
• 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD Anti-glare LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080)
• FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam
• 802.11b/g/n WLAN
• Backlit Keyboard
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

BTW, unfortunately the laptop is said to be shipped on May 15th while it was May 10th if I'd have ordered yesterday:/

 

^ upgradable to anything you want. Forget what HP says about that.

 

You can put any sized SSD in there. HP just wants to maximize their profits by giving you only one option of an SSD as if they are worth a lot

My order is at the factory May 9th, but they usually ship about 5 days before the shipping time to make us believe as if they sped up the order.

 

50-60%? come one get real, the 650m ddr5 gets ~2000 gpu points in 3dmark11, while the 6770m/7690m get 1300-1450 gpu points, do your math, the 650m has like 30-35% improvement over the these radeon cards

Also gt650m ddr5 = gtx560m

 

I did my math, this is with YOUR numbers:
2000/1300 = (1.53 x 100) = 153% i.e. 53% improvement.
2000/1450 = (1.38 x 100) = 138% i.e. 38% improvement.

So a 38-53% performance improvement.

Plus if you are referring to the results on Notebookcheck, they tested the DDR3 version, not the GDDR5 version.

Geforce 650m - Notebookcheck

 

lol that makes sense now
btw if you click on "benchmarks and specifications" you will see that they tested the ddr5 version on all benchmarks too

 

I gotta go check that out later. Anyways, this DV6 better make the damn Fedex cutoff this time. My last DV6 collected dust in China for 4 days

 

Just want to ask again because it looks like nobody care about my question. Is it a good time to buy HP dv6t now with Win 7 or should I wait until Win 8 come out regarding both hardware and software compatibility? Money is not my issues.

 

If money isn't an issue for you, then buy now and buy win8 later. the only advantage that I see in buying later is to get a free upgrade to win8.

 

Pretty sure the new DV6s and DV7s will run win8 just fine. I personally do not see anything great coming from Windows 8. I say if you need a new laptop, now would be a great time to.

In an unrelated remark, for those that have purchased a new DV6, I have also bought one and wanted to know the reasons for peoples' configurations. Mine is like everyone else's, but I opted for the mSSD cache and the 1GB 650m. I see others opted for the 2gb 650m and no mSSD cache. I have been told the 2GB 650m won't affect much unless you play at higher than 1080p settings and that getting the mSSD cache will speed up selected software.

 

In my opinion the 2GB is a waste as well. 2GB of video memory is useful in higher end cards where you're gaming at 1080p on high/ultra settings. But the 650m is not powerful enough to game at those settings for most games, and thus will not be able to take advantage of the extra memory. This has been proven countless times in mid-range video card reviews where they compare the 1GB and 2GB versions and see no noticeable improvements at standard resolutions.

After reading an analysis of mSSD cache on tech sites it does seem like a nice addition to have. The only problem is that it will be hard to know what type of drive it is until people start receiving theirs and cracking them open to find out. If it's good SLC memory and in a standard format then the price might be worth it, but it's crappy memory in an HP proprietary format then it might just be better to invest in an actual SSD drive.

 

Does anyone know what speed RAM they're putting in these laptops?