*HP dv6t & dv7t Select Edition / Quad Edition (6XXX series) Owners Lounge*

Hi. I got a dv7t quad with dual 750GB hard drives. Is it possible to set them up as a RAID?

I apologize if this has been answered. I tried searching around but couldn't find a definitive answer.

Thanks!

 

No, the DV7 does not support RAID. Dual 750s is an awesome combo, congratulations! mine should be here first week of sep -- I sprang for the SSD and a 500GB.

 

This came up a while back, but I don't think it got resolved. Can I do a 5.1 channel speaker system from the HDMI port of the Dv6t? Someone said that the HDMI port could only do stereo, which doesn't really make sense.

 

Yes you can do dolby 5.1 via HDMI. Dolby Digital, DTS, DVD-Audio surround signals, 7.1 PCM audio have been part of HDMI since version 1.2

EDIT: and since models 6000, the dV6 supports HDMI 1.4. I was assuming yours is 6000 or greater

 

Hi guys!
After researching really hard and looking at the in store models, I'm pretty sure the dvt6 is the one for me. Here's the configuration I'm planning on:

dark umber
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
2nd generation Intel(R) Quad Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz
1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD 6490M Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
No Additional Office Software
No additional security software
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 5.5 hours of battery life +++
15.6" diagonal Full HD HP Anti-glare LED Display (1920 x 1080)
FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN with Wireless Display Support
Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

I also got the two year care pack.
I'm a student and will be using my computer mostly for class, GIS and mapping software, watching movies, and editing photographs. I'm also going to be playing some kind of baby games...just light stuff like Sim City and Pokemon.
From reading this thread, I think what I have will be good for my needs but I just wanted to double check, so any recommendations or advice is really welcome.
Thanks!

 

upgrade the video card to a Radeon 6770! Its only $25 more and much faster.

Besides that looks good.

 

definately get the 6770. and can't you get 8GB in there? Thats the only other change I would make, if you will be using photoshop or other heavy editing software. in order to upgrade to 8GB in the future,you'll have to throw away a 2GB stick and replace it with a 4.

Also -- this is just personal ,but I sent my dark umber DV7 back and ordered the silver one. the black collected fingerprints.

 

hmm. I sortof like the looks of the dark umber, but if it collects fingerprints....

Silver looks weird with the black keyboard and dark umber trackpad
.

 

Oh okay, I'll do that.

Ahh no, I can't get the 8 gig! I wanted to but it just pushes me too far over budget.
And you're right about the fingerprints, but I just don't like the look of the silver. I'd rather everything be one color.

Thanks for the input! ^_^

 

good decision, man

 

congratulations that will be a great system. and I would have made the same decision as you -- 6GB is plenty and by the time you need more the price will have come down on the 8GB sticks and you can go 16GB.

yea the black looks good, to be sure. And fingerprints to wash off lol. my present DV8000 is silver so it wasn't too much of a stretch for me

 

hey guys, i just got my dv6 a few days ago and i noticed the battery only charges up to 99% when I'm charging it while its plugged in. Is it cause I'm using the laptop? Will that change when I charge it while it's off? and also guys does the battery charging light turn off once my laptop is done charging when my laptop is off?

 

Hello,can I know how to upgrade the screen resolution to 1080p?HP only offers the 1366x768 in my country..

 

How do you upgrade your screen resolution?

 

Hi
Bestbuy has the DV6-6178CA on for $899cdn right on...also the sammy qx411 for the same price. I'm torn between the two. The sammy seems to have the better screen and fast boot, but otherwise lower specs. Any thoughts? GPU differences? Cheers

J

 

Any of you interested in upgrading from 720p to 1080p, look at the last 20 pages of the modding thread. I am in the process of trying, but the new cable isn't here yet. If that looks like it will work, I will order the B156HW01 v.4 1080p screen.

 

I just pulled the trigger on a DV6T Quad Edition... I'm very excited!

Steel Gray
Core i7-2630QM
6 GB of DDR3 memory
AMD 6770M w/ 1 GB GDDR5 memory
1920x1080 HD anti-glare screen
Blu-Ray / DVD drive
And all the rest of the included goodies!

With this in mind, I'm going to install an SSD in this bad boy. Is there a device that will allow me to pull out my Blu-Ray drive and install another hard drive in its place?

Also, is there a caddy that I can put the Blu-Ray drive in and use it externally?

 

NewModeUS has caddies for putting a hard drive in a optical drive space. As for using the blu-ray drive externally, something like this might work.

 

Hey

Have been researching for a new laptop for my next uni term. I need a somewhat portable laptop (for the occasional trip) and will be doing heavy cad modelling and playing games. Have been looking at Envy 14 Beats (looks and build quality doesnt compensate crappy screen and graphics), Dell 15z (just dont like it haha), Alienware m14x (worried about fan, heat issues and the 14 inch screen may be too small for me), but Pavillion dv6qe stroke me with its powerful specs and reasonably good price.


1) Is it worth taking i7-2820 instead of i7-2720? Is the upgrade worth the money (its +$200 at hidevolution).

2) Should I choose 2GB or 1GB graphics (for 6770M)? Does the extra GB make any difference?

3) How about RAM - 6GB vs 8GB? Again, will I even notice the extra memory?

4) Have you had any heat issues? Also the fan should be pretty loud due to its specs.

5) Where did HP cut the corners? I am worried about the build quality of this machine...

Thank you for answers!!!

 

1) not much difference and doesn't worth (+$200)
2) 2GB 6770m is just marketing gimmick, and has no difference what so ever.
3) depend on your usage, but always the more ram the better
4) No major heat issue, and u can use hp CoolSense (Coolest setting) to reduce CPU/GPU temp., also using cooling pad is advised.
5) build quality is average, there are some keyboard flex, some gaps but no major issue.

 

Guys, I am having a small problem with my dv7... I got a 'windows explorer is not responding' message and the system froze up.... This happened 2 times today and has happened never before.... Is this a thing I should worry about? Is there a fix for it??

NOTE: Both the times this happened was when I started gaming - switched from power saver to hp recommended mode, turned on fraps, and clicked on the game icon on the desktop.....and yes, also removed the battery, while still on the AC power (I generally game with batteries off and ac adapter on)

Thanks in advance....

 

Just wondering, why do you game with the battery off?

 

cuz I game for 3-4 hours together... the 9 cell battery in the dv7 lasts about 1.5 hours while gaming.... I dont want to run out of battery in between a game, so I need for the laptop to remain plugged in.... And if I game with the battery in while being charged due to the plugged in AC adapter, the battery (which will run hot due to gaming) will be severely affected.... If you charge a battery while it is hot, the cells of it tend to burn out and get damaged.... So in order to secure my battery cells and extend the battery lifespan, I game on AC power alone...

 

Can't help you with your exact issue, but I believe the dvt7, recording with fraps and > 50% speaker volume CAN cause the HD to get confused. Yes I know this sounds crazy, but here is a reference to another computer that exhibits this exact problem. ref: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...60xx-2720-2nd-hd-audio-issue.html#post7816947 . This might have to do with the same issue that I have been experiencing.

 

Sometimes, you have to take the good with the bad. It's also a bad idea to play high demanding games on just AC power. That will cause damage to your power adapter. Imagine running and aftermarket stereo in a car with just an alternator (no battery). The demanding peaks in current will fry the alternator. It's the same in a laptop. Although, laptop power adapters do have capacitors for demanding spikes, but not enough for today’s high performance graphic cards and games.

So the question is, which one do you want to replace first? Battery or Adapter?

 

I never record games using fraps.... I also have speakers to the lowest, cuz my head phones have a very high default volume level....Even then this thing happens...

 

So if I run my demanding games on the battery and later plugged in, once the battery drains out.... won't this cause harm to the battery? Cuz it will be charged when its too hot... Also once its fully charged, it will still be in there heating up and getting overcharged..... I just cant understand what is the perfect way to game in terms of the power source...battery and AC, or AC alone....
When I turned out my system today... I saw the cpu use go upto a 96% for a fraction of a second, while it was loading up everything as a part of the boot.... It went down to a normal 5-10% just after it though....
BTW.... I was gaming for like 5-6 hours today (aah! my as* hurts!) with no problem, on AC power though.... there was no error message... I just hope it runs flawlessly forever....
Thanks guys, for all your inputs...!

 

My problem doesn't happen AT ALL if you are using the headphones ... no speakers/vibrations . It seems to happen when you are flooding the HD with requests, a senerio easily attained trying to record video.

 

Anybody have any thoughts on this

 

windows experience index? right click computer and go to properties. make sure you're using amd graphic

 

ON EDIT: If the laptop is to run on AC power for several days without moving it, then pull the battery and game on AC alone (no battery). I wouldn't do the "discharge/charge" routine during heavy gaming. leave that for surfing or other less demanding activities when the charging battery has little effect.

 

Not according to HP...

HP Battery Health Center

 

EDIT: wait, is this about protecting the battery when the laptop is off and plugged in for two weeks? I dont' know why one would do that, but then again the notebook isn't intended to be run continously either, so I'm not sure what this recommendation is about. But if it's about keeping the notebook ON for two weeks without the battery, then by all means I stand corrected and one could game with battery out and laptop plugged in.

what is the motivation for removing the battery?

 

ok my appologies I have verified that this is not correct. it IS acceptable to run the laptop without the battery, and the motivation to do so is to preserve battery life by avoiding excessive float charge.

here is some HP language that is a bit clearer, found in this document:

"...If you use external AC all the time, it is a wise precaution to calibrate your battery routinely, or, once it has charged fully, remove it entirely before continuing to work on external AC. Continuously charging the battery without allowing it to expend its charge can degrade battery performance and shorten battery life." (emphasis supplied)​

So this makes is clear that the laptop is designed to run on AC power without the battery. So given the question I would say

1. In general, keep the battery charged by leaving it installed
2. if the battery is fully charged, and you plan to run the laptop for extended periods of time (several days. remember the two weeks rule...) then take the battery out

I think the above should apply regardless of what you are doing on the laptop, i.e. gaming or surfing. if you are committed to using it as a desktop replacement then plug it in like you are using a desktop. of course, the usual cautions apply, i.e. remember that any sudden interruption of power, from someone tripping on the chord or you accidentally unplug it, will crash the system.

Good catch wittynorseman +1 rep

 

Curious to know something about Beats audio and the speaker system of my DV6...

In the audio properties dialogue for users who have my model, are you showing four speakers or two? The reason I ask is because the DV6 does have four speakers. Two upper near the function keys and two lower located on the front of the palmrest. However, Windows audio properties only finds and displays two total speakers. I have sound coming from all four speakers. But only the two audio channels. I was under the impression that since there were four physical speakers, my PC would have quadraphonic, 4.0, sound. Is this not the case or is there an issue with my notebook or a setting I am overlooking?

Thanks!

 

The original question was running a laptop on AC power while gaming on the 6770m. The 6770m is a power hungry gpu when under full load. The 120w power adapter is barely enough to provide the current to run everything when under full load. The battery aids in the performance of power and protects the adapter from overheating too much.

I agree with everyday use on AC. The battery is not needed. Adapter stays cool.

 

There are only 2 channels on the Beats Audio laptops...

My floor standing Klipsch speakers have 6 speakers in each enclosure but I don't have dodecaphonic sound with two enclosures...

 

As for keeping the battery removed, when/if one does so, I suggest putting a piece of electrical tape across the battery terminals on the laptop to keep them clean.

Some like to put their batteries into sealed bags and then place them in the fridge Heat is the biggest enemy of Li-ion batteries after all. I suggest putting in one or two of those silica bags to suck up condensation. I'm a cheap man so I buy a bag of silica cat litter, which is the same stuff in the little "do not eat bags," I just put some in a cloth pouch. Buying it as cat litter is significantly cheaper than buying it electronics or hobbyist stores. I have several socks full of the stuff in my firearms safe. It keeps out the moisture.

 

So you're saying that the supplied AC adapter is not capable of operating the laptop by itself, without the battery, under these conditions, and that the battery is actually requried for supplimenary power to obtain peak performance?

 

I have NEVER heard of this before, to remove battery if one has the laptop plugged all the time. Wonder if this affects Mac user too, who cant remove the battery?

 

What would be better than having to remove it would be to have a switch somewhere on the comp that we could easily flick depending on what we are doing, especially if these are HPs official guidelines for maintaining a healthy battery.

 

Yes I had to do a double take as well, and in fact my first recommendation was to not do this. not many years ago, the battery was a necessary filter in the power supply, and it was just not possible to (safely) run the laptop on AC only. But apparently HP's power adapters have progressed, and in fact they are actually saying its ok. modern switching regulators...

In general I would not assume this to be true unless you see explicit instructions otherwise (as we have here for the HP). I guess in the mac case, they have cut corners on the power supply such that the battery IS necessary, and for periods of extended use, mac batteries risk excessive float charge

 

the main reason to remove the battery isn't to prevent it from charging. battery degradation is based on 1) current charge (which is the same whether you remove it), and 2) temperature.

anything remotely recent switches off charging of the battery when it's fully charged, and will not "overcharge" the battery. but the heat given off in the laptop, especially during gaming, can increase the rate of the unwanted side reactions in the battery, and that is the primary contributor to shorter battery life.

ideally you would want to preserve the battery at around 40% charge, which kinda defeats the purpose of having a battery in the first place...

 

great info and well articulated teotuf thank you! +1 rep

 

If you just add up the power consumptions of the major components, the power adapter is not efficient.

I7 2630qm = 45watts (running all 4 cores)
6770m 1gb = 40watts (while gaming at 30 fps)
17.3" lcd = 30 watts (full brightness)
------------------------
115 watts total

Keep in mind, I didn't include the memory, mechanical hard drive, 4.1 speakers for the dv7t, wifi/bluetooth and any usb devices you may have plugged in. This is why I said keeping the battery plugged in will help on the performance only while gaming. If you are not gaming, AC adapter only is just fine.

 

sure -- well what I meant was: Have you or anyone else actually discovered a gaming performance problem during AC power only? I mean seen it, experienced it, and proven that supplimental power from the battery makes measureable and noticable differences?

But you're saying this is still probably within HPs design intentions. no one ever expects a laptop to run at that level for the amount time HP identified as a potential risk to battery life, so if one is gaming that hard, its safe to say that HP is expecting short bursts of supplimental power demand to come from the battery without harming anything.

 

That's absolutely right. We are on the same page now.

 

Pardon my apparent ignorance then...

 

It would be nice to have quadraphonic audio on the dv6 & dv7.

Sorry, no pardon; I'm not the governor.

 

I just ran a dv6tqe with a 2720QM, 6770M, two SoDIMMs, etc on battery and on full power settings. Furmark and Prime95 were running while battery was indicating only an 88 watt/hour discharge.

Both the 2630QM and the 2720QM have a maximum TDP of 45 watts, that accounts for "turbo" which is not always on. Those other numbers are a major overestimation, show me where in black and white the power consumption in watts for the the 6770M and for the LED LCD display for the dv7.

Both of the dv6tqe in my possession came with 120 watt power supplies and I doubt anyone else received less than that.