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

just a note, finally got around to benchmarking the E-450 on 3dmark06. 2619 stock, 2729 with the brazos tweaker. Also, I see some peeps have posted some youtubes of the e-450 running crysis, skyrim, wow etc. not too bad.
seer

 

I got it emailed to me today just from being signed up for the education store.

I don't think it's single use, so I guess I could post it? I'm not sure, I don't want to make HP mad if I'm not supposed to LOL

They had a 20% off desktop coupon with it too.

I maybe should just buy something already...why must you be so close Trinity?!?

 

That's a 20% improvement over my E-350. Definitely a welcome improvement. If I could find an E-450 machine for < $350 I might bite. Sell my 1215b for $200, and buy the E-450 machine. But in a way I really want to wait for trinity because I'm sure a sub 13" thin and light will be worlds better performance overall.

 

Agreed there.

Wolfpup: The 8GB/7Pro may be decent, depends on your software requirements. The SSD at that size does not seem like a good move, UNLESS you replace the optical drive or buy external HDD. You may also consider a battery combo if that was not added in already.

I found Assassin's Creed 1&2 in a bundle at Target for $10USD. Played a bit of AC 1 on iGPU and ran pretty well considering I accidentally left it on Power Saver/Quietest. When I realized the system was on battery and plugged it in, everything was suddenly butter smooth. Will test further with dGPU and again on iGPU before installing AC 2.

 

Did I just find a cheap 1080p LCD cable? LCD LVDS Cable of HP DV6-6000 FHD (50.4RN10.021)

I sure hope so!

Between this and laptopscreen.com, it looks like we can finally do the upgrade at around 100 bucks total!

 

Interesting, but I am broke already

 

@ laptopscreen.com, which is the FHD screen for the DV6z?

 

This one : LP156WF1(TL)(F3) replacement Laptop LCD Screen from $69.99 Brand-new screens (never used).

 

AMD Catalyst 12.2 Pre-Certified Driver 2/16/2012 - [H]ard|Forum

Pre-certified AMD drivers...

Read the whole thread before you update (because you might have to undo some of the stuff you've done to make things work! (Can't say I didn't warn you!)

People who are upgrading correctly are reporting a lot of improvement with BF3.

 

Gonna jump on this since I got nothing better to do now ~~, test amalur xfire tonight.

 

Finally...a break...

HP Coupon Codes

30% off Customized HP Laptops $999+
Coupon Code: "SAVE30PRES"
(Does not combine with instant discounts)

Extra $200 off Customized HP Pavilion Laptops $1099+
Coupon Code: "NBU8677"
(Combines with instant discounts, excludes dv6tqe, ENVY 14 Spectre, Folio 13)

Extra $50 off Customized HP Pavilion Laptops $599+
Coupon Code: "NBJ5867"
(Combines with instant discounts, excludes g6x, g4t, ENVY 14 Spectre)

Example for a DV6Z almost fully-upgraded (except for RAM and HDD, which is better left to the user to more cheaply do, and easy to accomplish, and no battery upgrade):

HP Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC

•dark umber
•Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
•AMD Quad-Core A8-3550MX Accelerated Processor (2.7GHz/2.0GHz, 4MB L2 Cache)
•1GB AMD Radeon(TM) HD 7690M GDDR5 Discrete Graphics(TM) [HDMI, VGA]
•FREE UPGRADE to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
•FREE UPGRADE to 640GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
•Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
•No additional security software
•6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
•15.6" Full HD HP Anti-glare LED (1920 x 1080)
•Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
•HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
•802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
•Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad
•HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Estimated ship date: February 28, 2012

Free standard shipping on this item

Price: $1,044.99
Coupon: –$313.50
Price after savings: $731.49
w/ Coupon code SAVE30PRES

I'll be waiting for Kaveri, but if you need one now and can't wait for Trinity or Kaveri, it's the best deal posted in quite some time. (But I am thinking about selling the DV6-6135dx I have and getting this...)

 

For those on a budget, or the true DIY'er, here's the stripped-down model w/ the mandatory discrete graphics upgrade:

HP Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC

•dark umber
•Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
•AMD Quad-Core A6-3420M Accelerated Processor (2.4GHz/1.5GHz, 4MB L2 Cache)
•1GB AMD Radeon(TM) HD 7690M GDDR5 Discrete Graphics(TM) [HDMI, VGA]
•FREE UPGRADE to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
•FREE UPGRADE to 640GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
•Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
•No additional security software
•6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
•15.6" High Def LED HP Brightview (1366x768)
•SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
•HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
•802.11b/g/n WLAN
•Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad
•HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Estimated ship date: February 28, 2012

Free standard shipping on this item

Price: $724.99
Coupon: –$50.00
Laptop instant rebate: –$100.00
Price after savings: $574.99
w/ Coupon code NBJ5867

 

Be warned, as some have said, they are the 12.3 RC just repackaged and given another number.

Those work wonders without xfire but with it I only get BSODs... my brother though is using them in a non xfire config with his 6650m, they are very stable.

 

If you read further, you'll see that some are the same version and some aren't.

 

It say 12.3 for the catalyst version, but I didnt brother to match the driver versions. DXVA doesnt work with madvr anymore but not a concern for me.

Edit: seem to be working now.
Fixed mode all the way atm.

Edit2: dynamic mode(xfire or not) + GPU render HD playback = BSOD
Rolling back if xfire crap at game zzz.

Edit3: Rolled back .Did not test any game, didnt brother. Maybe some game will run great with fixed but the hassle is too much for my liking. Dynamic is like automatic doom.

 

Anyone know if this ram would work? Newegg has this for 15.99 after coupon code EMCNHJC42. It's a DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666). Is there a difference between PC3 10600 and 10666?
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Laptop Memory Model F3-10666CL9S-4GBSQ

 

That should run perfectly fine.

10600 is 10600/8bit = 1325
10660 is 10660/8 = 1332.5 ~ 1333
10666 is 10666/8 = 1333.25 ~ 1333

It's the same thing. It's stupid and confusing, they should standardize it really.

DDR3 SDRAM - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Fractional frequencies are normally rounded down, but rounding up to -667 is common due to the exact number being -666⅔ and rounding to the nearest whole number. Some manufacturers also round to a certain precision or round up instead, as such PC3-10666 memory could also be listed as PC3-10600 or PC3-10700 despite operating at the same frequency."

"DDR3-xxx denotes data transfer rate, and describes raw DDR chips, whereas PC3-xxxx denotes theoretical bandwidth (with the last two digits truncated), and is used to describe assembled DIMMs. Bandwidth is calculated by taking transfers per second and multiplying by eight. This is because DDR3 memory modules transfer data on a bus that is 64 data bits wide, and since a byte comprises 8 bits, this equates to 8 bytes of data per transfer."

 

Frys has Corsair in yesterday's ad for $28 after rebate.

I'm still confused about this whole memory thing though. My dv6z came with a 2G PC3-10666 9-9-9-24 (@666.7) and a 4G PC3-12600 9-9-9-24 (@666.7). Assuming I want to upgrade to 8G anyway, should I go with a 10666 kit like the above at Frys, match the 12800 that's in there or go with a 12800 kit?

FWIW I've overclocked my system to 2.4 GHz.

 

Re-enabling qnquiet along with thermal control stops the lock ups after the computer wakes from sleeping. Has enyone figured out how to keep them disable and not get the lockups?

 

Are you using any clock control (ie. fusiontweaker or k10stat)?

K10stat - disable boost
fusiontweaker - stop the service(go into service and remove the permanent clock thing) and get rid of it(uninstall)

Also try setting option to default in bios via save page then proceed to advanced menu.(Use the non OC bios)

There is no guarantee as no one find the cause of the problem.

 

Oh wow, thanks for posting the coupons Clark! Yikes...I add in a Blu Ray writer and it drops to $716! I have to add a 120 watt secondary PSU too, but still...that's absurdly cheap!

Do I keep waiting for Trinity? Or just bite the bullet and get it already? I mean my current system does crash sometimes once or twice a day, sometimes goes day without issue...I don't know for SURE that I can even make it another three months.

 

If you're up to it, sign up at eBates and link to HP through their site and get 5% cash back as well.

 

Linking through Discover gives you 5% too. Well, hopefully. I always worry about what I get. That pays for tax basically for me, like free money for my community

 

Hi,

I have a dv6z-6100 and I'd love to install a Intel 6230 card in it, but the whitelist prevents me/us from doing so.

I've read about getting a hacked BIOS for this, but I am afraid of bricking my laptop.

Have you been able to get around this or find a reliable BIOS mod? I am using F.21 BIOS currently.

Thanks!!

Ron

 

Most of the people in this forum have at least flashed the bioses provided by Musho, the risk of brick is very low, however, I've heard that even with whitelisting some cards don't work as expected, while without whitelisting they work, check HWIngGut guide for more info.

 

Did the same, while I didn't saw any improvement, I saved like 40 GB O_O, I don't have the slightest idea where they came from. (But I noted that the AMD drivers after a lot of reinstalls were eating like 5 or 6 gb they alone)

 

Wow. Assassin's Creed 1&2, Dirt 3....they are PRETTY. Especially Dirt 3 is an....actually decent game throughout. Also got the Fallout: New Vega complete pack, system doesn't even get noticeably warm and runs smoothly at High defaults.... :/

 

One user had success with the 6230 while I did NOT. I believe it's tied to the Bluetooth portion of the card where a strict wifi card with no BT should work. Killer Nic worked for one user as well. Seems the Wi-fi on/off toggle with the Fn key is also broken when you install a non-HP sanctioned wifi card, so you have to use software to enable/disable the wifi card.

 

Did the user that had his 6230 work also have working bluetooth? Or do we kind of give it up when we switch to a better wireless card.

While on the topic of awesome upgrades I might as well mention an awesome peripheral. I just picked up a Logitech G930 headset off eBay for $62 and I must say it is one of the most impressive headsets I have ever owned.

I current own about 8 pairs of headphones, and some entry end audiophile stuff (2 sennheisers, bose quietcomfort 3, monster beats, sony iem, ect. ) and am usually picky when it comes to audio quality, and these cans seriously impress me. The software really shines (built in equalizer, dolby surround with adjustments, volume control and 3 programmable keys) and they are wireless , recharge via USB , and are comfy as hell. 5/5 check them out if you need a headset. /rant over

 

I have the G930 as well and love it.

And my system wouldn't even boot with the 6230 in with or without modded BIOS. It said there was an unsupported Bluetooth adapter.

 

So I'am testing out the 12.2 precert drivers and the AMD Overdrive feature is now enabled in CCC.

 

But do switchable graphics work?

 

It did up until I disabled qnquiet again and then the bios failed. I have to reinstall the unlocked bios agian and leave qnquiet on.

I started to mess with amd overdrive since its supposed to auto clock with the lowest voltage it can but, k10stat seems to work better.

 

Toggle works just fine with the Killer N.

 

Well I am going back to the 12.1 driver. In fixed mode the dgpu has artifacting that made star trek online unplayable.

 

Killer N seems to be the way to go then!

 

MY 12.2 overdrive never worked, never saved after auto tune+reboot. But 12.2 just plain fail(GPU wise) for the dv6z setup.

 

What is the consensus on overclocking these guys? Do the higher end chips tend to hit higher speeds or is it fairly similar across the board?

I know it's a YMMV thing but by and large (and I've been overclocking since the original K1+Goldfinger module), almost ALL cpu's, graphics cards tend to cluster around certain speeds with a few outliers on either end.

 

The biggest constraint with these laptops is heat. If you get a good build, or repaste and/or mod it yourself, you can get over that hurdle. Most people can easily achieve 2.4GHz with reasonable temperatures. With my cooling mod, I can get 3.0GHz sitting on a laptop cooler and keep temps < 85C at full load. I can't exceed that because my constraint now with the A8-3510MX is my voltage. It's got low voltage potential compared with the other chips for some reason, 1.2675 instead of 1.300 in the 3530MX or 3550MX I believe it is. Even my 3.0GHz is temperamental, with occasional lockups or crashes. But I run 2.4GHz without cooler, and 2.8GHz with cooler.

 

a6 and a8 seem to be similar, mx version tend to throttle less w/ CnQ on.
High end chip may get by with a lower VID ( not much really ), but heat usually get out of control when u get above 2.4Ghz.

6750m - Core 700-800 Mem - 800-1000

 

Really? I thought these chips with turbo on run 2.3ghz to 2.6ghz without any overclocking?

 

Yes, but turbo (B0 state) is temporary, short burst of performance, it won't maintain that speed. You can fix the top clock (P0 state) to 2.4 to 2.6GHz with most chips using K10stat or fusiontweaker.

 

Like HT said, AMD turbo is not like Intel version. Intel version tries to run as fast as possible until heat catches up, this makes the system very fast for a 'sprint' but performance may drop over time if laptop cooler isn't good enough.

AMD version...doesn't work as well as it could. The idea was to keep controlling power usage on the basis of load. (Loaded core runs faster, idle cores run slowly or shut down, integrated graphics disables itself) But Windows does a poor job of locking one thread to one CPU core, without consistent load the Turbo rarely kicks in. The other cores don't scale down efficiently to the lowest speed because the load keeps bouncing back to them. So the idea of "maximum performance plus maximum cooling" has not worked well on production hardware.

SHORT VERSION: Most A6's and A8's will overclock similarly because they are binned from the same quad-core package. Pick either the LOWEST chip (binned for <35W power draw) or the HIGHEST chip (binned for best speed within 45W).

 

I was folding a bit to night. @ 2.4ghz my temp is 79
Lock @ 2.1, instant drop to 70 ~~

 

Got it. Thanks!

Makes things way clearer.

 

So then, at stock temps and cooling, what would you say the fastest temperature safe speed is?

 

While gaming? I do 2.4ghz @ 1.0625v/6750m @ 750/850 and I go up 85-87c during BF3.

 

It will absolutely depend on your system. I can say this though: The Prime95/Kombustor rule is excellent. If you test like that, try to stay below 85C. In practice it should probably stay closer to 75 in purely CPU work.

Cooler systems live longer. Disregarding "stable", 0.1GHz is not worth +3-5C; so back off when you reach that point.

 

Do the various chips hold around the same speed overclocked? 2.4-2.6 or so?

*edit* Nm, Calc answered my question. So basically an A6-3400M is fine?

Just ordered me an A6. Lol, boy I really need to slow down on this laptop thing. Gone through nearly 10 in the last year. Woo!

Anyone need a DV6T? M4500? E6420? Lol.