*HP dv6z AMD Llano (6XXX series) Owners Lounge*

i take that back, i think im still getting it

 

Getting not very nice BSODs with 12.2 preview... just at startups because of atikm... something.sys, also when not BSOD performance is lower than 12.1 in DiRT 3, rolling back again.

 

Wolfpup: I just checked again. Both dv6z (AMD) and dv6t (Intel) are using the Radeon HD 7690M as dedicated graphics addon. Intel version gets a card with 2GB instead of 1GB but they are the same speed and that extra video RAM should have negligible improvements to performance. For reference the 7690M is just a 6770M with slightly faster memory chips. Be aware the Intel version still includes BD-ROM, 8GB RAM and 750GB HDD. If you go with the AMD model, that 3550MX processor should be a good overclocker.

Stated more plainly the dv6z is still cheaper than dv6t and has identical graphics speed now (was 6750m vs 6770m before). Very few games will care about the extra graphics memory at that speed. You may want to disable dual graphics, use 7690M when plugged in and 6620G on battery.

 

Thinking about getting this laptop: dv6-6140us AMD A-Series A8-3500M(1.5GHz), 6620g graphics, 15.6", 6GB Memory, 640GB(5400).

What has been everyone's experience with it and will it perform on par with the same laptop with i5 and Intel HD3000 graphics?

 

Newegg just posted these today,,,

For all you desktop Llano fans:

AMD A8-3870K Unlocked Llano 3.0GHz Socket FM1 100W Quad-Core Desktop APU
$144.99Your Price: $129.99With Promo CodeEMCNJHD27

Newegg.com - AMD A8-3870K Unlocked Llano 3.0GHz Socket FM1 100W Quad-Core Desktop APU with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon HD 6550D AD3870WNGXBOX

OCZ Petrol PTL1-25SAT3-128G 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$159.99Your Price: $134.99
$119.99 After $15.00 MIR

For you Sandforce haters...this one has the Indilinx controller

Newegg.com - OCZ Petrol PTL1-25SAT3-128G 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

ADATA XPG Gaming Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model AXDS1600GC4G9-2
Cas Latency: 9
Timing: 9-9-9-24
Voltage: 1.35V

$47.99
Free Shipping

Pretty tight timings...not a special but their lowest price for a 8GB CAS9 1600set...and a 5 egg rating.

Newegg.com - ADATA XPG Gaming Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model AXDS1600GC4G9-2

 

I don't think the ADATA only runs 1600 on Intel, needs BIOS support for AMD which we know we won't get.

 

I already own the ADATA kit and the problem isn't bios but voltage. Llano will run this type of ram at those setting except for the voltage must be 1.5v to work. For 1333 it can run at 1.35v but any thing higher than that it must be 1.5v or it won't post. XMP ram does seam to run normally with Llano from what I've been able to test with a different kit from Corsair.

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model CMSX8GX3M2A1600C9

The best timings for mobile Llano is 9-9-9-24 unless one is able to find a faster kit with better timings.

 

Which is why we need a BIOS that gives us manual control of all the basics more than we need one that saves us from ourselves, or gives us control of higher-level functions that won't save and/or can't be done effectively/optimally without the basic controls.

 

So what do I do about the throttling? The temps seem fine in the mid to upper 70s, depending on the speed voltage I'm running at.

 

Standard RAM is 1.5v. I'm confused?

 

SSDs won't help game performance, save that they'll load a bit faster. Personally I'm a fan of Seagate's Momentus XT (second gen version now!) for systems with a single drive bay.

Also I'd leave the swap file alone, as with it off the OS has to give programs all the RAM they ask for, when a lot request RAM they'll never actually use. At best it leaves less RAM available for Windows to use as a cache.

Oh wow, that's pretty darned good...yeah, I believe it when the c50 was getting maybe 7 fps on Duke Nukem with everything cranked up!

Thanks! Yeah, I'm avoiding the Intel systems just because of the issues running AMD's normal drivers on Sandy Bridge systems Shouldn't have that issue with the AMD CPU, and...well, I guess it's about like a Core 2 quad at 2GHz? That's not hideous.

Graphics performance will be WAY better, and more compatible too, though CPU performance....well, it's 4 cores compared to 2, but those 2 are clocked faster, and probably 10-50% faster at the same clock speed depending. Personally I'd try to go for a 2GHz A8-3550 or whatever the 2GHz model is, just to be on the safe side. The upgrades are incredibly cheap anyway, thankfully!

 

A8-3500m is plenty fast and should easily be able to overclock to 2.2GHz. The IGP is pretty powerful, just about to publish benchmarking numbers.

 

On the first count, true, if the computer is loading only between scenarios. If it's accessing the swap file mid-scenario (depending on the amount of RAM you have to allocate), that's another story.

On the second count, I never said you SHOULD disable the swap file, I am saying that I did this to test and got an improvement in the WEI memory score.

Consequently, I'd love to see the results of someone who actually tried doing these two things in an intense game. (So far, on just about every review site and forum, all I've pretty much read is people regurgitating what they heard. And most of this information is extremely dated as well, and may not apply to new tech.)

If you're using an SSD, just about everyone and their brother says to turn it off and use as much RAM as possible to eliminate unneccesary writes for lifespan. I am not in complete agreement with this, though. I'm running a small OS/APP SSD (with pagefile enabled) and I really don't care about lifespan of the drive. In the bay, I've got a larger SSD, and this one I DO care about lifespan (but not a freak about it.) I've never found a definitive answer as to whether or not either has static wear leveling which helps to avoid early dead zoning.

Been thinking about disabling the pagefile of the OS drive and putting one on the larger drive, however, and for more than one reason.

For files I need to reliably store, I have a large-capacity external HDD. Soon, I expect that this will change to the cloud, since I have free secure online storage available, and never need the files when I am not online.

I do a lot of time-consuming audio, video, and statistical proccessing, so to be able to do it "HDD-less" as quickly as possible, SSDs are a godsend. (The Momentus wouldn't help my use very much. I'd considered keeping an internal HDD, using the big SSD as external, but USB 2.0 would cripple it, and I don't trust 3.0 enough yet.)

My only consideration for OC'ing would be to accelerate the processing...but so far, I'm ok as is with stock speeds, CPU, and memory (expanded to 8GB). It still beats the crap out of my old dual-core intel laptop, and doesn't burn my crotch either.

The final media projects go right to the HDD from the SSD after review and approval.

I would NEVER, however, leave my tax information on them, though, and also why I keep a regularly-updated current image of my OS drive on the external HDD as well.

Lastly, I travel a ton, and SSDs make my battery last the longest as long as I stick with the iGPU as well. I can have the screen on full brightness longer...and for a long flight...it's nice to be able to watch a couple of movies without having to interrupt them...or pray that I get a modern jet with available outlets.

While most of you are gamers, I am not, and what works for me may not work for you. While I absolutely need a different kind of performance than most of y'all, I also need bullet-proof reliability.

(Anyone who has ever owned high-performance yet high-maintenance vehicle as their main mode of transportation knows that it's not very good overall performance if it's always in the shop or breaks down on you in the middle of nowhere. Hence, reliability is the cornerstone of performance for extended use.)

 

just got 2 bsod now, time to roll back..

 

My Llano 6620G benchmark results are UP!

http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam...g-benchmarked-various-ram-configurations.html

 

Looking at a refurbed unit for only $549 delivered from NewEgg. Should I grab one?

 

Just 2 quick question :
Do the Ralink stock card do 5GHz? My home wireless at night is a nightmare probably due to crowded signal. (I read it doesnt (in a sense) Just want to confirm.

What % is the ACF (xfire) scaling? I never turned it off as I have nvr run into problem "yet".(I am not really gamer, only went through skyrim and 1or2 RPG, MMO after I got it)
Bench is amazing but in game is 110 -120% base on what i read?

 

Anybody has tried VMWare Player with 3DMark06? I'm amazed by the results: VMWare SVGA II video card benchmark result - AMD A6-3410MX,Intel Corporation 440BX Desktop Reference Platform score: 8410 3DMarks

For a VM that is...

 

govtdog: The 6620G approaches your dv7's 6490 in terms of speed. Power efficiency is even better though. CPU overclocks well. But if this is a NewEgg refurb model for $550USD without the 6750M or 7690M, buy a new one direct from HP. They start at $550 right now. So for a few bucks more you can get all new with proper warranty. Check it out.

azj: It will get a whole couple degrees warmer and easily stabilize under Performance mode. No big deal, Coolest is only for a hot summer day outside. Quietest is good for video conference or browsing, saves battery quite a lot.

 

I recently did the vram sink mod to the heatsink/pipe with the Zalman Fatal1ty fs-V7 package - disregarded the rest.

Right off the bat, temps dropped average of 5°C that I can tell. The best part of this mod is that temps will slowly (and I mean slow-ly) increase as opposed to soaring up quickly like they did before.

This, paired with the openings under the laptop, modified cooler pad, new thermal paste and new footings so the laptop is raised 1/2" higher can allow me to run 3Ghz at 100% and it will not get any hotter than 85°C in Prime95 - for just under 1 hour.

I'm finally content where it is now. The improvement in BF3 with some user.cfg tweaks @ 1080p with high shadows and ultra everything else, no AA or SSAO and v-sync disabled, I can get 38fps min. and 47fps average. I can get into the 50's if I lower everything to high, which is what I'll probably do.

Yeehaw!


Crappy pic, I know. Just showing the red vram sinks - 8 in total.

Gotta love the raised grills.

And just because I like this pic, maybe it might interest others again.

 

So, I am on the fringe area of a Wifi network, and if I place my DV6Z next to a window, I get about 1 bar. (Wireless G Network). If I go anywhere else, I am looking at 0 bars, dropping connection occasionally.

My question is, which direction should I go to improve this? A high-gain USB Wifi adapter? Access Point? Repeater? Sub-$100 would be nice.

Also, if I use an access point, should it be dual band? That way I can hook up to the WiFi with the access point with 2.4Ghz G Band, them set up the access point with a different SSID that will use 5Ghz N Band? Or is my thinking wrong here? The connection I am using is only a 2Mbps connection to begin with, I don't want to destroy it too much.

I am so confused on which would be better for me here.

Thanks in advance!

 

So who's WiFi is this? And where is it located?

 

​

For hotel/travel use, I use an access point (in client mode) with 8db antennas, connected to my LAN port when the signal is too weak on the laptop. No complaints.

It's pretty doubtful that a dual-band will help you for a couple of reasons...

1. Very few people are running dual-band routers (yet).

2. 5ghz range is less than 2.4ghz. You're probably picking up a 2.4 signal.

Also, a repeater will cut your data rate up to half. Best to use an access point in client mode, wired to the laptop.

Here's what I have specifically. I shopped very carefully for "bang for buck" stuff because I'm cheap.

Access Point: T-Link TL-WA801ND

Newegg.com - TP-LINK TL-WA801ND Wireless N Access Point Up to 300Mbps/ Detachable Antenna x2/ Support AP, Client, Repeater, Bridge/ Up to 4 SSID

Antennas:

Rosewill RNX-A8 2.4 GHz Indoor 8 dBi High Performance Detachable Omni-Directional Antenna

Newegg.com - Rosewill RNX-A8 2.4 GHz Indoor 8 dBi High Performance Detachable Omni-Directional Antenna

 

So what do you guys think about buying today versus waiting until...geez, might not be until April, May...June? for Bulldozer? Sounds like the GPU will at least be a slightly more efficient "4d" or whatever design (although who knows, might also come with way more cores or something) and instead of 4 basically Phenom 2 cores, it'll have 2 Bulldozer modules, basically 2 CPUs worth of floating point units, 4 worth of integer units. And the clock speeds might be better, I can't even remember if they're also doing a die shrink for this or not. Heck, I can't remember what process the current A series is on LOL.

Thanks so much to the person who suggested using coupons. There's a $75 off one, that beats the price in the Education segment by $45.

HP's prices are really, REALLY reasonable, though even still I wonder if they'll have a better coupon ever on the dv6z? They have these $450 off coupons on the Intel stuff, but I don't want Intel since there's issues using AMD's drivers with it, and I *think* a quad Phenom 2 is good enough for me

 

Between the comparaitvely short supply on AMD processors vs Intel (AMD's going green on everything), and AMD's massive popularity right now (stock is up 25% in two-three weeks), HP doesn't have to give big discounts to sell them. Supply and demand.

Couple that with the fact that the original price is low, sometimes lower than an Intel's discounted price, AND that they're selling...so you don't get deep discounts on the dvz's.

probably a better approach than looking for a maximum discount is to watch to see what they include "free", which seems to change pretty often. When they throw in 6GB, blu-ray, a bigger HDD, and "what have you" (to quote the Dude), then you're probably looking at the best deal, combined with the best code they're tossing out there.

I have found the best way to keep up with the HP specials and codes is to check techbargains.com daily.

 

Yes there are great deals to be had on HP's. If you can wait a bit, just check regularly for discounts. Many of us early adopters got our systems with 1080p, blu-ray, 6GB (now frequently they offer 8GB), for <$750.

I'm waiting on the Trinity APU's and see what they can truly offer. Seeratlas has been able to witness them first hand, but then again, those are engineering samples so who knows what final production will bring. In any case in a few months Trinity should be out, and then you can either pick up a Fusion/Llano notebook cheap or get a similar Trinity setup for probably $800-$900.

 

Thanks! Great advice all around! The free upgrades don't do much for me at the moment, so maybe I'll just wait a few days...

What do you mean about AMD going green? Like how they produce their CPUs or something? That's awesome if that's the case!

I hope they're doing okay, building these fairly huge chips and selling them so cheap. (Okay, even with AMD I don't like integrated graphics as I'd sooner have that space devoted to more cores and/or cache, and just more GPU cores over on the GPU...but still, very nice products!)

 

I had a problem of trying to get a BETTER signal, investigated external units and found the cheapest solution turned out to be the best and fits right in your lappie bag no problem.

Buy one of these : Newegg.com - Rosewill RNX-N180UBE Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 1T2R / 5 dBi External Antenna / Up to 300Mbps Wireless Download Data Rates 64/128-bit WEP (Hex & ASCII), WPA/WPA2, WPA(TKIP with IEEE

it is soooooo handy, especially if you also get or carry a usb extention cord (which I do now). No matter where you are, if your lappie can even *barely* see a wifi signal, you can plug in this external, and move it around over near a window, around a corner wall, whatever, and you WILL get a bunch of bars.

I think I posted earlier in this thread, about my efforts to get a decent signal thru a bunch of trees and waaaay down the road. The little rosewill kicks azz.
I've been seated in the middle of a bunch of would be inet surfers who are cusssing their machines (all makes); plugged in my rosewill, moved it around a bit to optimize reception, then voila` online gaming goodness LOL.

seer
seer

 

A large population of dv6z is the refurb 6135dx ($500). I still regret I didnt get another for $45X with the newegg business coupon. ( 2 much computer for a family of 4...)

 

Mostly I am talking about 2 things...

1. AMD now produces limited runs of their processors, unlike their competition. A little bit of this was due to problems producing chips at first, but it was their intention to limit anyway, closer to the number that people actually buy, to eliminate extra overhead cost of unsold processors.

The Llano/Sabine line sold out almost immediately, allowing AMD to further improve the line and release more of them to keep up with demand prior to Trinity. Llano won't continue, and it looks like Trinity, in it's current incarnation, probably won't be produced more than 2 years in favor of the next integrated APU.

2. AMD had paid far more attention to power consumption to performance, while being mindful of the reasons most people buy and use computers, and aiming for the mainstream users. Easy for them when they can offer a parallel-based integrated APU, since they own both the CPU and GPU companies, which were developed independently. (And here I initially thought their acquisition of ATI was a mistake.) Consequently, they can offer more performance for the same or less power then their competition (for the mainstream user who demands more graphic performance than CPU.)

Funny...but a couple of years ago, it sounded like they were giving up the race with Intel when they started cranking out less powerful processors and announcing that they were targeting the consumer instead. It really sounded like a non-apologetic excuse for falling behind.

What they really did was concentrate on two things: developing the GPU and integrating it in a parallel scheme with current CPU. No doubt the Radeon line has kept them afloat during this time, when so many ditched the traditional AMD CPU, unless they were essentially strapped for cash...but when it comes to the mainstream public...who ISN'T strapped for cash these days?

I was never either an Intel or AMD, Nvidia or ATI fanboy. All I have cared about was getting the performance I need for the least amount of $$$, so I always used to go with bargain last-gen deals. This time through, however, it made sense to go with the Sabine notebook because it offered huge gains in graphic AND CPU performance, uses energy miserly, and weighs half the amount of my old 2008 HP laptop to boot...for $500...less than 1/2 the price I paid for my HDX18T.

The only way I can see that Intel could keep up right now would be acquire Nvidia...but nVidia has resisted buyout after buyout...so the race is back on! (And who doesn't love a good horse race?)

I'm anxious to see what AMD does when they get the new wafer tech down...they're behind Intel in that at the moment...and if they integrate I/O in parallel as well. Since both are going thinnest and lead-free, they're already both "green" in that department.

However...the day might soon come when very little of what's in your laptop will be PC, while most of the space is reserved for proper cooling of high-performace parallel parts. Serial has never been faster than parallel...only smaller and cheaper...until now.

Now if they'd only invest in their drivers.

 

I experienced memory voltage issues first hand today. I got a corsair 16gb 1.5v 1333mhz (CMSO16GX3M2A1333C9) kit from frys.com for $109.99 the other day. Same kit as the one some people have used here from newegg.com.

Anyway, My system started to have random freezes during light activities such as browsing. It would certainly freeze when i watch a video on youtube midway.

Solutions i tried but didn't work:
1) I upped my voltages on my k10stat profile.
2) change CPU speed to default.
3) lock my cpu to 1.5ghz
4) flashed a non-modded bios to downclock my 6750m
5) change my ATI driver

I'm pretty sure that its the memory. But memory will pass memtest86+. I did it overnight and I passed 2 runs (11hours). My original 6gb kit works fine.

Before i return it, Any suggestions on this?

 

Hey guys, been looking through the thread a bit and am learning a lot. I do have one question though.

When using hwinfo and msi afterburner the llano GPU shows itself at a 200mhz clock rate. The specs show llano should be running at 444mhz, is there something wrong with my setup or is the frequency being reported incorrectly?

if the frequency is not being reported correct what software is compatible with the llano chips?

 

200 MHz is the idle or desktop speed. Once you put a load on it, it will clock at 444MHz. Try downloading GPU-z. It will show you both speeds.

GPU-Z Video card GPU Information Utility

 

something seems odd then, GPU-Z reports clock speed of 200mhz and a default clock of 444 however the sensor tab reports the clock speed as 2000.0mhz ? and that does not change even under load.

 

Has anyone had experience with an eGPU and the DV6Z?

If you dont know what I am asking, see below.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-egpu-experiences.html

Im planning on jumping into this but havent had any experience as of yet.

Would be buying PM3N version kit, newegging a $30 psu, and going with a 6870 (maybe/price dependent at time of purchase).
I would be using this as a home dock sort of system.
I am looking to be $300 into this project by the time I am done.
So... what do you all think?

 

Using furmark to bring the load on the 6620G to 100% the clock rate shows 200mhz on gpuz, amd system momitor, hwinfo and afterburner. appears the clock is stuck at its idle speed? has anyone else encountered this? also will provide pictures if anyone cares to tell me how to post them.

 

Hmm, that is weird. If I run MSI Kombustor without MSI Afterburner running the GPU speed in Kombustor says 444MHz. If I run Afterburner it shows 200MHz in Afterburner AND in Kombustor now, although the FPS remains the same.

See here (watch 720p for best clarity):

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J8EVAry8O_8?version=3&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J8EVAry8O_8?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width='560' height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>

So does this mean it's running 200MHz and is only detected properly by MSI Afterburner or does it mean Afterburner is detecting it wrong but why does Kombustor change it GPU speed? I just think it's being detected incorrectly, however it would be good to know how to get an accurate reading.

 

I read that thing thinking to upgrade one of my old laptop. IIRC, they had not successfully disable dGPU on switchable graphic (maybe doable with fixed switch/mod bios, which we have). On dv6z, are you planning to use the wireless PCIe?

Because the eGPU is heavily bottleneck by bandwidth , it may not beat the stock dGPU, I would say post there and ask their opinion.

 

I replicated the same behavior, if the clock speed is being read incorrectly its by all of my testing tools as 200mhz at full load. out of all of these i trust AMD system monitor as its from AMD themselves so should provide the most compatibility. I would feel much better knowing positively that the GPU is at full clock and being read wrong.

 

I've mentioned before that Afterburner messes up clock reporting. Benchmark numbers are in line with what you'd expect from the difference between dGPU and iGPU, but Afterburner turns one 444MHz iGPU into two 200MHz iGPU. The fps numbers do not seem to change and the reporting works again when I close Afterburner.

 

Something doesn't jive though. Anandtech is reporting 3DMark Vantage with 6620G at 2884. I'm getting 1630. However NotebookCheck is showing Vostro 3555 PL as 1685 which is closer, but says "no PhysX". I'll rerun with no PhysX and see what happens (or does it do this by default since it's not nVidia?).

 

There is no pci-e 2.0 mPCIe PE4L/PE4H as yet, your system hasn't got an expresscard slot nor can it gain the benefit of NVidia Optimus' pci-e compression to give more bandwidth since there's no Intel iGPU in it. So the system isn't anywhere near as good a candidate as one of the budget expresscard-equipped, SB iGPU-only notebook like listed in the thin-and-light link in my sig.

I'd advise doing the sums to see what the changeover costs to one of those SB systems. If however you wish to do it as an experiment and money is no issue then I'd still advise waiting for a pci-e 2.0 compliant kit and can do the tests.

 

Actually something does look really strange now. 6620's Crysis DX10 on Medium has max FPS DOUBLE what your Zacate gets on Low. But the Dirt 2 numbers (supposedly on Low for BOTH) are practically identical for both 6620 and 6310. Other sets like STALKER again seem to comprehensively indicate the 6620 is indeed much better than 6310.... Street Fighter had minimal gain while Trackmania had literally double performance again.

Graphics Benchmarks: Synthetic : The AMD A8-3500M APU Review: Llano Is Unleashed
The synthetics are again seemingly very high. This was using 1.0.1 and Catalyst 11.3 however, and seems quite anomalous. A few clicks onward and there are HAWX 2 and Just Cause 2 numbers available (which to me are in the ballpark of your test numbers). I think there was an overreporting in the synthetics, OR the synthetics have since been rigged...? Because "real" game numbers do not seem to vary much.

Power Usage And Battery Life : The AMD A8-3500M APU Review: Llano Is Unleashed
Now these numbers I remember. And they are MORE THAN born out by my play experience. Depending on which game, battery life with my iGPU is from 3-5 hours with the standard battery. Avoiding the dGPU makes an incredible difference in the battery performance of course.

*Just before that page there is mention of video quality properties. They do indicate the iGPU has normal (excellent) Radeon "HD" image quality, including frame rates and picture scaling.

My suggestion would be to concentrate only on actual Cinebench or game numbers, those do not hardly seem affected by the 2:1 discrepancy in synthetic benchmarks.

 

What is the best AMD processor to get in a new/used/refurbed HP DV6 which offers the best modded/tweaked/oc'd performance for multitasking stuff like MS Office apps, watching Youtube videos, downloading music and internet browsing?

 

An A6-3400m will be fine.

 

Cinebench, I should run that. I think it's running 444MHz though, 200MHz I don't think you'd be getting near this level of performance.

edit: Just got done playing BF3 with IGP at 800x480 20-35fps, lol. Almost playble. 1280x720 at 25+ fps would be the best but not realistic of course. Maybe Trinity will do better.

 

I'm looking to get a second, travelling AC adapter for mine. How big of an adapter do I really need? It came with HP's largest 120W adapter which seems kinda large for an energy saving design laptop. I ask because Fry's has a universal Siig 90W for $10 after rebate. Anyone suggest a reasonable cost after market unit?

 

Well, I measured the power draw from the wall, and power draw from the wall running maximum burn-in (i.e. Prime95 + Kombustor) was about 120-125W. Playing games like BF3 it draws about 100W. Of course there's an efficiency factor of maybe 85% so 120 from the wall would be 120x0.85 = 102W actual laptop power draw.

Prime95 to get max power draw with CPU only and it peaks at 77W at 2.4GHz. So 65W would theoretically be borderline. If all you do is surf and watch videos, etc, you should be more than ok.

There is a 90W adapter which I don't think is a whole lot smaller than than the 120W and a 65W adapater which is pretty small. 65W should be ok if you don't game or only play low power resource hungry games and/or use only your iGPU (6620G). My dad got a DV6t with just the IGP and it came with the 65W adapter which is about 1/3 the size of the 120W. Pretty small and light.

There is a 40W adapter but wouldn't even consider it, unless you just want a spare to charge your laptop or whatever when its off.

Check out the adapters here: HP adapters | HP Official Store

Get the 65W from Amazon here $16.99: http://www.amazon.com/Original-HP-C...23VA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327770387&sr=8-1
90W from Amazon here $18.55: http://www.amazon.com/HP-Adapter-La...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1327770486&sr=1-1

Specs for 90W are here: http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/e...23-329261-329223-1839643-1839644-3872199.html
Dimensions are 2.28x1.1x5.24 inches / 0.86 lbs.

Specs for 65W are here: http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12433_na/12433_na.html
Dimensions are 1.85x1.1x4.87 inches / 0.62 lbs.

Can't find specs for 120W but you own one already.

Rough dimensions I measure are: 2.75x1.4x5.8 inches

edit: I just ran some tests and here's power draw I got (from the wall). Kombuster was using IGP only:

- Bootup: 61W

@ Stock 1.8GHz 1.05V
- Prime95: 57W peak / 55W steady
- Prime95 + Kombustor: 67W peak / 65W steady

@ 2.4GHz 1.15V:
- Prime95: 77W peak / 75W steady
- Prime95 + Kombustor: 86W peak / 83W steady

@ 2.4GHz 1.15V + *DEDICATED* GPU 6750m:
- Prime 95 + Kombustor: Peak 126W / 123W steady
- Battlefield 3 64 player 1080p low detail: Peak 105W / 100W steady

 

90w has one primary issue: You basically cannot charge the battery at all while gaming. I think Windows will also complain at you. System practically sips power most of the time but 120w will give that extra performance and reliability. It is unfortunate that most replacement adapters are 90w or smaller, and the big ones either unreliable and/or expensive.

HT: Lawd! You could be playing on a GT520 instead....but that would about be even worse. Some companies would probably try to slap "gamer" on any bare SB processor system these days...because the iGPU does anything 3d at all (no matter how bad).

govtdog: If your only concerns are office and browsing, the absolute cheapest A6 would be fine. Any of the A8s will have better integrated graphics but they share the same quad-core part. So it may save a few bucks to stick with A6 and get the 7690M dGPU added *just in case* you need more 3D power later. When not needed, the 7690M completely shuts off to save power. Same with the audio chip. Nice feature.

 

OK, I'm convinced. Especially since I can buy the 120W here at Amazon for $28.59, way better than HP's price.