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

Great forum with some very knowledgeable folks posting.
I wanted to share some info that i have received on the $500 coupon
a) For those who bought the dv7t-se in Jan with the $500 coupon, HP will honor the coupon($500 off $1399) if you want to exchange for the dv7tqe-6XXX series. If the service rep that you call doesn't say likewise, talk to the returns department. They will help out. Make sure that complete the transaction before May 15th.

I solicit advise from the experts in the group for the following

a)Graphics chip - I am not at all into gaming. Does the ATI 6490 support switchable graphics, or do i need to upgrade to ATI 6770 ?i am only interested in getting a graphics chip that supports the switching.
b) A problem that i had noted on my current dv7t-se is that the temp rise above 65 when i watch videos for an extended period of time. Is this a known problem of the existing dv7t-se. I keep the bottom of the laptop elevated from the desk surface

 

I ordered a dv7 with the 2820. I stuck with the 6GB option with the intent of buying this: kingston 8GB 1600

I don't remember what my order date was but my expected shipping date is the 6th. Reading about others getting delayed, I'm not holding my breath for that date. If nobody has tried it before then, I'll be sure to post the results.

 

Hi thanks it is the dv6 - the drivers were all off of the one's linked to in the first post of this thread here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...on-6xxx-series-owners-lounge.html#post7255589

For windows that is, including graphics card(s) drivers. What i find missing is the fingerprint software (the device driver works, windows sees it) and the coolsense software.

I don't think HP has a product support/downloads page yet for this product at least can't find in search at hp support site.

 

Here is the Software/Driver update page. I see the fingerprint reader software (and driver) but not coolsense.

Software & Driver Downloads HP Pavilion dv6t-6000 CTO Entertainment Notebook PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

 

Before anyone does a clean install look in the C drive's main directory (like where program files, windows, etc. are), from what I remember with my defective DV7, there was a folder called HP, or something like that, that had ALL the files HP installs onto your computer after windows is installed. Maybe they just forgot to delete off my computer, but maybe if people could look for this they might find coolsense and someone could post on this forum, idk.
Also I notice on HPs site, the BIOS update. Has anyone tried this to see if the B2/B3 chipset issue with CPU-Z, etc. issues are cleared up?

Order a new DV7, march 13th, original ship mar 25th. did online chat and rep said delayed till april 7th or so for BUILD (not ship) date. called in, HP rep over the phone said she was escalating the problem and next day i had a tracking number, arriving april 6th. So maybe if you call in and complain enough they give you your notebook early (there is a part shortage so they can't give it to everyone on time, so maybe only those they are afraid will return or complain, etc.)

btw, for those thinking about upgrading RAM, what the rating on the current RAM? 1333 I believe correct?
what would upgrading to 1600 do, how significant would it be?

 

I'm sure you already saw (page 110 of this forum) that the new one's are all B3 after ripwind dissassembled his dv6

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-pavilion-notebooks/562249-hp-dv6t-dv7t-select-edition-quad-edition-6xxx-series-owners-lounge-110.html

Luckyguy said his driver was the same as the updat on that page, but sometimes the drivers can look like the same edition, but have different release dates...Or there isn't anything that will report the chipset correctly (yet?). I have been wondering the same thing about the bios update, so I hope some one does it (or me whenever mine arrives).

 

Everybody who has posted 3dMark scores has had their memory show up as 1333mhz.

Good question.

 

unless you upgraded to 2720 or above, is it even supported??

2620 (2 core) Yes ...

REF: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3876/intels-core-2011-mobile-roadmap-revealed-sandy-bridge-part-ii
http://ark.intel.com/Compare.aspx?ids=52219,50067

 

I know in actuality it is the B3 chip, I was just wondering if anyone has fiddled with this BIOS update.

General Q about BIOS updates, once you do then once, you never have to do them again, correct (for example if you reinstall windows)?

 

Hey guys, finally got my 6770M overclocked, scored 7550 on my last 3dMark Vantage run @ 875/925.



The highest I've gotten GPU alone was 6402, but I don't have a screenshot, only a 3D mark submission.

P7582: Result
G6402: Result

 

that brings up a good point, before anyone actually upgrades their RAM, they should check first to see that the mobo can support 1600, many can't, and I doubt HP would waste money on a mobo than can when they only plan on putting 1333 in.

 

Nice Winky, what did you use to unlock it? What apps to OC? Are you using the factory drivers?

MSI Afterburner just shows maxed out core and memory for me, so I can't adjust them up. Figured the values must be locked by the drivers. AMD/ATI's Overdrive wouldn't install for me.

 

I would definitely get the 6770 regardless.
1) What if you do want to game down the line, it's good to have.
2) It's only 25 dollars extra for a upgrade that should be 100+
3) Your laptop will carry a much better resale value

 

HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC

* 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 6770M Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
* FREE Upgrade to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* No Additional Office Software
* FREE Upgrade to Norton Internet Security(TM) 2011 - 15 Month Subscription (activation required)
* 9-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (over-sized) - Up to 9.5 hours of battery life +++
* 17.3" diagonal HD+ HP BrightView LED Display (1600 x 900)
* 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
* Standard Keyboard
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Ordered March 25 and ended up only paying only 908.XX after taxes w/promo. Should arrive in a couple weeks!!!!

(#1 complained about website color issue and the credited me back $50 and #2 i asked for them to speed up delivery for me and they couldn't so they credited me $45 for that)

 

I'm having a hard time deciding between HP dv6t Quad and a Dell XPS 15, which is on sale till tomorrow. I'm reading good reviews about the full HD screen on the XPS and its speakers. Plus there is option for backlit keyboard. Any idea on which laptop will be better for college and casual gaming (i.e. nfs/cod)?

Here are the specs for each:

HP dv6t quad (Price $799.99 + tax):

15.6" 1366x768 LED; Intel Core i7-2630QM Quad-Core 2GHz [Sandy Bridge]; 6GB/750GB; DVD burner; 802.11n; Win7; webcam; ATI Radeon HD 6770 1GB; 6-cell battery; 1yr warranty

Dell XPS 15 ($979.99 + tax):

15.6" 1920x1080 LED; Intel Core i7-2630QM 2GHz [Sandy Bridge); 6GB/500GB; Blu-Ray reader; 802.11n + gigabit; Win7; NVIDIA Geforce GT525M 1GB w/ OPTIMUS; HDMI; 720p HD webcam; 6-cell; 2yr warranty

 

you need to change the cfg file to change enableunofficialoverclocking = 1 to be able to overclock using afterburner

 

Hey Redskins,

I would definitively recommend the dv6tqe, heres why:

First off its gorgeous compared to the dell xps
Better graphics card(significantly better than the xps)
Better battery life
Cheaper(by about $200)

No I know the xps has a better screen but consider this, the xps' GT525M will have a difficult time producing high frame rates at the 1080p native resolution.

On the other hand the dv6tqe's lower resolution may seem like a disadvantage but if you're gaming the lower resolution will actually significantly help with frame rates(especially for FPS shooters this is useful)

Anyways hope I helped. You can see I'm biased towards the dv6tqe. I just bought one

 

Do they make an adapter for old power adapter to be used on my new DV7-6xxx? I have like (3) 90w adapters from my dv9000 around. I know I would take the performance hit not using a 120w but it would be nice to save some $$$ and travel w/ a smaller adapter. Anyone done this??

 

Does anyone know HPs resolution departments phone number and hours?
Thanks

 

What color issue did you complain about? If you haven't received the laptop, how can you complain about it?

 

At one point HP showed the laptop in a silver color when I ordered it but its actually umber brown or whatever look back through the forum when we talked about it. Just thought it was misleading which led to an easy 50 dollar credit.

 

Actually, with the latest version of MSI Afterburner (2.2.0 Beta 2, I think?) you need to use this to unlock overclocking:

[ATIADLHAL]
UnofficialOverclockingEULA = I confirm that I am aware of unofficial overclocking limitations and fully understand that MSI will not provide me any support on it
UnofficialOverclockingMode = 1
AccessibilityCheckingPeriod = 0

 

you should be fine IF the power brick doesn't overheat. The computer is going to attempt to pull what it needs from the power supply. The power supply will attempt to accommodate, to its limit. You can increase the safety margin by running the Intel Graphics and/or only recharging the battery when the computer is not running. You will KNOW if there is an issue if the power supply get uncomfortably hot... in which case, disconnect...

 

Just confirmed with HP representative to return my laptop from January. I was able to get $650 off with the $500 coupon from jan. plus the instant rebate.
anyone know if back-lit keyboard will be possible with this model from envy17, and if so, where can i get the keyboard?
also has anyone over-clocked their machine yet?

 

i am not too sure, but i was able to exchange mine through 1-888-476-3988

 

i am not too sure, but i was able to exchange mine through 1-888-476-3988

 

OMG!!!!!!
Do you know if can I still change my order?
I ordered on March 25, estimated biuld date on April 11, that mean that there's no computer yet.

Thank you, that means that the internal sata ports, where the hard drives are attached to, are sata II right? Or they're currently running on sata III.

Other question, Does the DV7 support raid configuration?

Thanks and Special Thanks to all the cool guys that bring information everyday.

 

HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC

• 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 Radeon(TM) HD 6770M GDDR5 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 High Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366x768)
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
• Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN
• Standard Keyboard
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Ordered March 13th, shipped March 29th (original estimate was March 25th), and received April 1st.

Photographs:

<embed src="http://img146.imageshack.us/slideshow/smilplayer.swf" width='426' height="320" name="smilplayer" id='smilplayer' bgcolor='FFFFFF' menu="false" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="id=img146/img2705ui.jpg"/>

Photo Album

Benchmarks:

These results are based off of a clean install of Windows 7 Home Premium x64 and the proper drivers installed. I highly suggest following the guide in the main HP sub-forum for a clean install - in particular saving the C:\SwSetup folder and using ABR Beta to maintain your original activation.





Vantage Link. I did run Vantage before performing the clean install and got a P6495. I unfortunately did not save the comparison link.



11 Link

Multimedia Performance:

No issues playing DVD movies. Smooth playback of HD 1080p content. This system has no issues playing the typical SD and HD content (e.g. movies, online games, etc).

The 1366x768 screen should be adequate for most users, but a 1080p option should have been provided. Viewing angles are alright, not great but not horribly bad either.

The HP TrueVision HD webcam is not a significant improvement from previous versions, but once again should be adequate for most users.

The beats audio speakers are excellent when considering it's a notebook. Bass is lacking, but this is to be expected considering the form factor.

Gaming Performance:

To put it simply, the HD 6770M is a beast paired with the quad core processor and memory. Crysis, Crysis Wars, and Crysis Warhead all played very well at native resolution and high settings. I spend my free time playing Mechwarrior Living Legends (a Crysis Wars mod) and it plays great at native resolution and high settings. Bad Company 2 is the same. I have other games I can try, but I would imagine we can derive the system's performance from how well it can play Crysis.

As far as I am concerned, this system can handle current games very well and it should have the power to play games respectively well into the foreseeable future.

Heat & Cooling:

After playing for an hour plus, this system does heat up on the left side, but nothing hot enough to cause concern. The cooling on this unit seems to maintain the temps well and the system cools very quickly when returned back to idle. The fan is reasonably quiet while doing basic tasks, but it will ramp up (and logically get louder) when heavier tasks are performed. From what I've seen, there is an intake port on the back and the exhaust port is on the left (back and left are in respective to when one is viewing the screen).

Design:

Overall design is very elegant and well thought out. Aluminum finish is nice visually and to the touch. The 'dark umber' is practically black. Those photographs floating around before the official release are not indicative of the actual color. The keyboard layout is excellent and the keys feel nice. As mentioned previously, there is flex under the left / right / up / down arrows, but nothing significant enough for an legitimate complaint. A backlit keyboard would certainly have been nice. The return back to dedicated buttons for the trackpad was wise. The light surrounding the trackpad looks interesting, but does not really offer any true function beyond indicating the borders in low light conditions.

Battery Life:

HP quotes 5.5 hours of battery life with the 6-cell battery. To be honest, I am not sure where they got that number from. Perhaps running idle and all power-saving features enabled (e.g. low light screen, Intel graphics enabled, wifi disabled, etc) such a feat could be ascertained, but everyone wants to know what one could expect realistically.

With the screen on the lowest brightness, Intel graphics enabled, wifi enabled, and the power plan set to power saver, I would say about 4 hours of use is going to be the more realistic average. 4.5 hours with light CPU use, but the battery life will dwindle as the CPU has to ramp up the voltage for more intense tasks. Having said that, these battery life quotes are estimates based on my use from a couple of relatively short (hour +) sessions on battery power. I should be able to provide more accurate estimates by the end of the week, but I feel confident stating that 4 hours is a fair and realistic estimate.


Conclusion:

Overall, this is a powerful machine considering it's 15.6 size. Fit and finish is well done. The two biggest cons for me are the lack of 1080p screen and backlit keyboard options, but the remainder of the system is top notch.

Sorry for the delay and lack of more details in this quick review, but work and life have been increasingly busy as of late. For those waiting for your model to arrive or ship, it's certainly worth the wait. Those thinking of a purchase, when using promo discounts - this system can not be beat at this price point as of right now.

Highlights:

Pro's - powerful, overall fit and finish, trackpad with dedicated L/R buttons, simple island style / chiclet keyboard, elegant aluminum trim, good speakers (minus bass, but this is common with regards to notebooks)

Con's - no 1080p screen option, no backlit keyboard option, chassis flex beneath keyboard arrows

 

Awesome review Maverick4, can't wait till mine comes in, its supposed to ship on the 5th

 

The short answer is no. HP cannot change orders once sent out. I cancelled my order once within 30 minutes of ordering, but that was quick, lol.

You'll have to accept delivery then sent it right back. I know, not very efficient, but that's how HP has it set up. They should try to upgrade their ordering/processing systems to the year 2011 to allow customers to make changes or cancellations much easier. Kapish HP?

KJ

 

HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC

•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 Radeon(TM) HD 6770M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
•8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
•640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
•No Additional Office Software
•FREE Upgrade to Norton Internet Security(TM) 2011 - 15 Month Subscription (activation required)
•50% OFF!! One 6-Cell and One 9-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
•15.6" diagonal High Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366x768)
•Blu-ray writer & SuperMulti DVD burner
•HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
•Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN
•Standard Keyboard
•HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Got $600 off and this ended up being $950 with taxes and free two day shipping!

 

But what if it hasn't shipped yet.... latest offer seems like a better deal.

 

If you dont mind me asking, how did you get the $600 off. I have a similar build to yours with the exception of the extra battery and I was only able to get $400 off.

 

That was an awesome rewiew, Maverick. I was sceptical about the dark umbar at first, but it seems pretty unique and neat. Lets just hope they ship it to Sweden before I die.

Could someone please do a video review or overview of the computer?

 

I'm happy to hear the positive feedback regarding my review.

One topic that has been inquired about is battery life. Below are my current observations and the section was added to my review above.

Battery Life:

HP quotes 5.5 hours of battery life with the 6-cell battery. To be honest, I am not sure where they got that number from. Perhaps running idle and all power-saving features enabled (e.g. low light screen, Intel graphics enabled, wifi disabled, etc) such a feat could be ascertained, but everyone wants to know what one could expect realistically.

With the screen on the lowest brightness, Intel graphics enabled, wifi enabled, and the power plan set to power saver, I would say about 4 hours of use is going to be the more realistic average. 4.5 hours with light CPU use, but the battery life will dwindle as the CPU has to ramp up the voltage for more intense tasks. Having said that, these battery life quotes are estimates based on my use from a couple of relatively short (hour +) sessions on battery power. I should be able to provide more accurate estimates by the end of the week, but I feel confident stating that 4 hours is a fair and realistic estimate.

 

I went to a few stores yesterday and tried the keyboard. The flex varies from machine to machine. There was 1 where there was alot of flex, and the 2nd one I tried was significantly better (less flex)....

I watched a trailer twice on the display model, and the screen was decent (I'm not really that anal about it), and the sound was great (when the beats profile was turned on). I agree that the build quality is pretty good, everything fits and looks perfect.

But after playing 5 minutes of video, the left palmrest was already quite warm... I'm not sure about hours of gaming without a cooling pad....

 

Are you sure about the $650 ?
When you apply the $500 of 1399 (January coupon that HP has promised to honor), the terms of the coupon indicate that when you use the coupon the instant discount doesn't apply

 

Just an update on the 3dMark scores:

I decided to play around a bit with overclocking. Right now the machine is running stable at 860MHz core and 975MHz memory. Sitting on a cheap rosewill cooling pad the GPU has yet to pass 68 degrees Celsius.

At stock clocks (725/800) I was getting:
3dMark06: 11873
3dMark Vantage: P6482
3dMark 11: P1562

With overclocking (860/975) I'm getting:
3dMark 06: 13614
3dMark Vantage: P7611
3dMark 11: P1813

A pretty nice bump in performance!

 

wow that's a very nice bump in performance. As far as overclocking goes (Sorry i've been outta the loop for a while), how much risk is there for the chip if the temperatures remain relatively cool? Is the lifespan of the graphics chip decreased?

 

So just so I am sure I'm gettin this, after everything... Dv6 has b3, power for a backlit keyboard, and aren't we able to replace the screens with a 1080p screens ourselves. Thanks for the help

 

^
but is your left hand burning yet?

 

I think people were reporting the blu-ray drive on sata II and primary hard drive on sata III. If that's the case then the secondary hard drive is probably on sata III as well but sata III supports sata II.

 

just a quick question. im seeing alote of people post the specs of the dv6 quad edition with the 2630QM processor. i ordered mines with the 2720 processor. significantly better? or not worth the upgrade.

 

Its moderately better lol of course it worth the upgrade cost but 2630QM is powerful enough for most people. (identical performance to desktop i5-750)

Don't worry, you would get feral beast one.

 

Depending on what you do but I prefer the 2720QM in my opinion. It seemed to also be the best most picked processor of the first generation model as well. People say the 2630QM is similar to the 720QM (first gen) which can be seen cause of the specs but depending on the price difference it may be worth it for more long term use.

 

Thanks for sharing experience but sorry you've got wrong thread.. 3xxx lounge is here

 

Got the $325 coupon originally, then saw the 30% off and had them price match which put me up to $410. Then when my laptop was delayed I called and got free two day shipping ($39), and the next day I talked them into applying my 15% coupon from the delay which was another $150 off.

Once I actually get my dv6 I may even call in about the "b2" (wink) chipset and see if they can knock it down further, or better yet add the 3 year protection plan.

 

Argghh. I'm somewhat ticked that 8GB is a free upgrade now. Since I paid for it and my machine was configured as such, do you think they'll price match?

 

I'm going to try the same thing tomorrow when I get home from school, how hard was it to talk them into giveing you the 2-day shipping and the 15% off coupon… I'm not too good at this type of thing so any tips on what/how to say it would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

Anyone know if the DV6 has Gigabit LAN?