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

The thing is that many do not have that $100-200 or are just not willing to spend it when they can get what they want without doing so.

That is not even really the sector that AMD is targeting, however. Llano may do well in the budget gaming sector but it is really targeted at mainstream users. These people just want to get on Facebook, check their email and watch HD videos without the computer feeling slow. Llano can do this, and at a cheaper price than Intel, which is why it has a shot to sell well.

 

Not at all. I think you're really mistaken. Most users have absolutely no reason to have an IGP better than the HD 3000, which is adequate for all mainstream tasks.

For this user, faster processing speed is far more useful than better graphics.

It is very clear to me that llano is targeting a budget gaming and graphics sector.

 

I want the onboard APU even though mine will come with a HD 6750M. Better IGP just means better overall system experience (internet flash heavy, and Aero), the IGP is used most of the time on NVIDIA Optimus systems and some Radeon systems with auto switch and all the time when on battery (pretty important nowadays if you ask me).

 

I think you might want to re-read my post. I agree that the HD 3000 is more than enough graphics power for the mainstream user, but Llano provides more than enough processing for the mainstream as well. When the average consumer goes laptop shopping and sees two computers that will both do what he wants and get the same battery life, he is gonna go for the cheaper one. That is my point. Llano is not targeting the budget gaming sector, it just happens to fit into there as well. They are targeting mainstream users.

 

That's true, but it's not like Intel doesn't have budget options too. Budget lines like Dell's Inspiron come with last-generation Intel processors, many of which are faster than llano for CPU processing and the everyday tasks (facebook or whatever) that people do.

In any case, for the HP Pavilion, I just think it's the best option to go for dv6t.

 

Right now they are the same price however Llano offers more (ram, hard drive, USB 3.0, etc..) for the money so you get the point.

 

As people have told you in multiple threads, there is absolutely no perceivable difference between the Sandy Bridge IGP and the Llano IGP where flash-heavy internet and Aero are concerned. It's the same exact phenomenon as usage of Notepad with a fast SSD and a Core i7-990X or a A4-3300M: theoretically way faster with the former, but so fast in either case that a human being can't tell the difference.

 

MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, VC-1, MPEG-2, Flash and now also Multi-View Codec (MVC) and MPEG-4 part 2 (DivX, xVid) Hardware Acceleration in the difference plus AMD/ATI video enhancement features (that works for YouTube). Heck I could even tell the difference between my HD 6850 and GTX 460 PQ when watching videos mind you Intel but maybe that's just me being so sensitive to what I see.

 

But, if current price points are any indication, the dual-core Llano APUs are going to be around $400, or around Pentiums. Pentium processor performance isn't even going to be much better than dual-core Llano, and it might not be better at all if Turbo Core works better given half the cores and half the shaders as the A8s, and graphics performance will favor Llano. The choice will come down to price.

As for the dv6, that is a matter of opinion. The dv6t with the i5-2410m/6770m right now costs the same as the A8-3530MX/6750m but the AMD version is going to have better driver support, due to being directly from AMD. Then there are the dual graphics, which could possibly allow the AMD version to beat the 6770M by a good amount even assuming they can't perfect hybrid crossfire.

But, personally, I just have had bad experiences with Intel notebooks I have owned but no problem with AMD ones. It seems like every Arrandale notebook I owned would regularly go up to past 85C and often throttle down because of it, and Sandy Bridge seems to have the same problem in many notebooks. My two AMD-based dv6's, one Griffin and the other Danube, never had a heat problem. It may be irrational to avoid a different platform because of bad experiences with its predecessor but, at the same price, performance (as far as my needs go) and battery, I would rather buy AMD.

 

Fingers crossed for a Broadcom/Intel Wi-Fi with the DV6-6140CA. But I think I can live with a Ralink on a WNDR3800 (still waiting).

 

I just checked amazon.ca's page for that product since I have it on pre-order too and I don't see the 6755G2 listed anymore. I guess 700$ for an A8, 6750m and 6 gbs of RAM was too good to be true

 

Interesting. I have never had a problem with an Intel product, but both GPUs I've bought from AMD had issues. The desktop one had the very amusing behavior of being perfectly fine under heavy load (e.g. FurMark), but freezing and forcing me to do a hard reboot once or twice a day while simply browsing the web. Disabling the GPU drivers fixed the problem (but then Aero wouldn't work ). The laptop one is the OpenGL switchable graphics and I knew of it before I ordered the dv6. I don't care, but it still reeks of incompetence and I'm wondering how long it will take them to fix it (if it is ever fixed at all).

I guess it's just statistical fluctuations -- most people don't buy that many computers and since there are only a pair of manufacturers that make CPUs and as many that make discreet GPUs, it's quite likely that for some people two or even three products will prove problematic due to one manufacturer.

 

In all fairness I've never had a problem with both.

All Intels in my experience from late 2006 to 2009 I've used run less hot, less noise, more battery life compared to the AMD equivalent. I did not got any 2010 models from either side.

All the Intel's I had were using IGP (Toshiba, Acer, Asus) and the AMD (Acer) was paired with a NVIDIA card (no throttling issues even though it runs hot and loud).

 

I guess I am just one of the minority. I owned three Arrandale-based notebooks and 2 of them ran hot to the point of throttling, and the other still didn't run nearly cool as the Danube notebooks I have used. My Griffin (ZM-85) actually maxed out at the same temperature as my coolest Arrandale (i5-430m). Even the Penryn notebooks I have used had problems. My Dell Studio 15 with a P8600 and even my m11x with an SU7300 heated up enough to actually hurt my lap. Virtually the only Intel notebook I have owned that didn't have a heat problem was an old Acer with a T3200.

My 3 AMD processors have never exceeded 85C--and that was the Griffin one before undervolting, after it was about 78C while my Danubes were in the 60's-- and never throttled on me.

 

I picked up the DV6 model from bestbuy today with the 1366 X 768 screen. I am debating between this and the XPS 15 I have on order from Dell with the 1920 X 1080 screen and I5-480 for 630.00 (similar to the bestbuy one price wise considering the giftcard). I mainly want the laptop for gaming. I know the 1080P screen from Dell is awesome but I am wondering if the GT 420M on the Dell might choke at 1080P. The 6750M is a MUCH better graphics card and would seem to perform better at the native 1366 X 768 resolution than the Dell would at 1080P. Any suggestions on the better system for gaming?

 

Return both and get an HP dv6t or dv6z from hp.com.

Then you can get a 1920 x 1080 screen that is NON REFLECTIVE (the dell screen is still glossy) and a good graphics card. And probably for cheaper than anywhere else.

By the way, to be blunt - don't expect to game at 1080p for only $699 - it's way too low to get a decent graphcis card.

 

That thought has crossed my mind. Really did not want to spend 800.00 or more though...

 

I'd recommend a dv6z from HP. You can stay under $800 and get a decent graphics card and its possible you may get a screen upgrade.

In fact I'll configure one really quick and see how low I can get it

HP.com will get you the best deal on an HP laptop btw

 

You can get a dv6t with an i3/6770M and 1080p for under $800 after taxes using the 30% coupon

 

Ok 1 option I got for you is:

dark umber
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2310M Processor (2.1 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
2GB Radeon(TM) HD 6770M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI, VGA] - For Dual Core Processors
6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 500GB 5400RPM 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)
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 with Wireless Display Support
Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope


1049 before savings

with a 30% coupon

734.3

you can game at 1366 x 768 resolution all details high on a 1080p screen (it will upscale) but it will look great for sure

if you can afford to go up to 800 I recommend upgrading the low-end processor

1 more option

Color dark umber edit
Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edit
Processor AMD Quad-Core A6-3400M Accelerated Processor (2.3GHz/1.4GHz, 4MB L2 Cache) edit
Graphics card 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD Dual Graphics [HDMI, VGA] edit
Memory FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Hard drive 640GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection edit
Office software No Additional Office Software edit
Security software No additional security software edit
Primary battery 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 5.5 hours of battery life +++ edit
Display 15.6" diagonal Full HD HP Anti-glare LED Display (1920 x 1080) edit
Primary optical drive FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner edit
Personalization HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader edit
Networking 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R) edit
Keyboard Standard Keyboard edit

$1049 before coupon
$734.3 after

Of these two builds I like the Intel more because it has a better graphics card

for both of these builds - if you want to game at true 1080p, that is 1920 x 1080 all high, it's not gonna happen

but if you can settle for 1366 x 768 and mostly high details, on a very nice matte anti-glare 1080p screen, the price doesnt get better than this

 

I'd spend the extra $35 after the 30% off coupon ($50 without coupon) to upgrade from an i3 to an i5 on the dv6t. Intel's turbo boost works, and you'd get 40% or more CPU performance increase.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. Here is what I configured for 811.99. It comes with a 7200 RPM drive, bluray writer, 1080P screen and I5-2410M. Seems like a solid deal for the price...

dark umber
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
2nd generation Intel(R) Dual Core(TM) i5-2410M (2.3 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz
2GB Radeon(TM) HD 6770M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI, VGA] - For Dual Core Processors
6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
500GB 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)
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 with Wireless Display Support
Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

Are the warranties worth it?

 

I've been Googling the CPU and GPU temperatures on a DV6T-6100 specifically for i5-2410M and HD 6770M to get an estimate of how a DV6 A8-3510MX (45W) + HD6750M but to no available.

Either people do not want to post up theirs or lying about temperatures without proper testing. Prime95 (CPU test) and at least an hour of intensive gaming with HWMonitor running in the background should get a could test.

What's up with this, is the latest DV6 have bad cooling and is there heating problems?

 

no, i have had no issues

 

My friend has a DV6qe.. a 45w cpu like the A8 -3510MX. It gets up to high 70 degrees Celsius after an hour or so of Crysis 2.

It does get quite warm around the vent area but the overall temps are pretty good.

 

Thanks for the re-assurance guys I feel a lot better now.

I'll be sure to post up the temps on the HP DV6 A8-3510MX + HD 6750M up against a Lenovo Y570 i3-2310M + GT 555M in the upcoming weeks...stay tuned.

 

Two things I'd like to see. benchmark scores for that 3530MX and a side by side comparison of that 1080p screen with another standard 1366x768 res screen (how do colors compare, viewing angles, is there aggressive antiglare on the matte screen or is it relatively crisp).

The screen report is the one of the biggest blinders, several people reportedly have it but I don't think any so far have showcased it for others.

It's not hard to do, take a camera phone, aim it, and report this back

YouTube - ‪HP Envy 14 Vs HP DV5t Display Comparison‬‏


that was a good video, showed the relative color saturation of that radiance display vs the standard res/quality brightview display. It showed how washed out the colors looked in comparison.

"It looks good" tells us nothing, pictures/video !!!!!

 

AMD A8-3530MX Quad has what advantages over i5-2410? Some say the i5 is faster, but then they say the AMD one is faster in heavier loads which doesn't make sense to me. And is the speed difference noticeable?

I'm thinking that getting the AMD over the i5 is giving me an extra year of not having to buy a laptop.

 

@ Kalookakoo

We'll soon find out my friend, very soon.

 

Sigh. I guess patience IS a virtue.

 

I can't wait, I'm going to putting up the best of America HP (#1 in the world) with all AMD up against the best of China with Intel/NVIDIA (currently biggest slice of the pie in mobile and desktop)...

Let the fight begin, Hadouken!

 

If Turbo Core works on the 3530MX like it does on the 3500M, as in it doesn't, the i5-2410m should still be just as fast even in multi-threaded applications. If the 3530MX can turbo a couple cores to 2.6GHz while keeping the others at 1.9GHz, it should be a little faster. Either way, the speed difference shouldn't be noticeable in anything heavily multi-threaded.

In light-threaded, processor intensive applications the i5-2410m will dominate, though, by anywhere from 30% (working Turbo Core on the 3530MX) to 100% (non-working Turbo Core). In everyday stuff you won't notice the difference, though.

 

The thing is, even if Turbo Core works a little better with the 45W Llano chips, no game, or no other task is ever perfectly multithreaded like Cinebench and Intel will end up being faster anyway except a few corner cases that you're unlikely to encounter.

I certainly don't expect CPU scaling of any game to be comparable to Cinebench, and (some) games are one are where you do need CPU power as well as GPU power. But on the other hand we have the possibility of HCF with the AMD but it's not that great at the moment. Another wait and see situation.

 

Even without perfect multi-threading, the difference between the two not going to be noticeable.

And, yes, there are a few games that do rely on the CPU as much as the GPU, but those are rare. The 6755G2 has the potential to be much better than the 6770m, both at stock, even with only decent implementation of hybrid crossfire. If AMD can reproduce the current gains from symmetrical crossfire, it could be even lot better. If someone figures out a way to OC both cards, apparently the dynamic graphics switching messed up the 6770m overclocking as well, we could be talking a very large improvement.

 

I would be really surprised if the Turbo worked the same way in the 45W chips. The GPU is the same and doesn't Turbo, so what are they doing with the extra thermal budget? It should be able to at least keep one core at the maximum frequency permanently...

 

I would hope so. It should be able to keep one core at the maximum frequency even in the 35W A8-3500M as well, but we see how that works.

 

I doubt the AMD A8-3530MX will be even as fast as an i5-2410m, when using up to two cores.

And given that few to no games or programs use 4 cores, I definitely think you should go with the Intel.

You can't compare clock speeds because Intel gives more performance per clock cycle than AMD by a large margin.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4444/amd-llano-notebook-review-a-series-fusion-apu-a8-3500m/9

The llano loses to a LAST-GENERATION Intel processor in not just the single threaded benchmarks, but the multithreaded ones too.

 

It's running at higher base clock speeds?

 

Hmm... that's true, the base clock speed of the A8-3510MX is 20% higher than that of the A8-3500M. Combined with the almost inevitably higher voltage, that would probably be enough to eat up the thermal headroom. However, this does not address the scenario where only 1 core is active as the extra power usage from that is only a small fraction of the total TDP. Also, the difference in Turbo frequencies is less than 5%.

 

But, again based on Danube consumption numbers, there still should be enough headroom.

 

Heh, I guess we'll see when the first MX units arrive.

Anybody know why the AMD DV6s are like .3 pounds heavier? Better cooling system?

 

Llano includes north bridge and IGP in addition to Danube, not to mention more cache. Not to mention it gets longer battery life, so maybe it's intentional, they might have the TDP but they won't ramp up to save battery. Still makes no sense to not use it when under AC power though...

 

The IGP shouldn't effect the power consumption much when idling and the cache isn't going to add much either. The difference in consumption between Phenom II and Athlon II, which is just Phenom without the 6MB L3, is nothing-- I have seen tests that actually have the Athlon II consuming more power. The northbridge may add a significant amount but it should be countered by the 45-->32nm shrink.

We've already discussed this at great length in the Fusion thread. The simple fact is that even the 35W APU's should allow for one core to remain at the turbo speed, given what AMD has told us about how Turbo Core works.

 

"AMD doesn't yet have a method of actually displaying Turbo Core frequencies, unfortunately, so we're operating a bit blind at this point. Over time I hope to have a better idea of how AMD's solution stacks up."

This is from Anandtech's review from June 14th. I don't know if any monitoring software has been updated since then, but it basically looks like any results taken from monitoring software shouldn't weigh to heavily. For now it is just operating on feel, as in it "feels fast". We won't be able to monitor it's true behavior until something comes out that can monitor it.

**If something has come out to monitor recently and what I just wrote is wrong, please disregard.

**cpu-z was updated on 6/24 and can monitor both bulldozer and llano.

Anandtech turbo core page - AnandTech - The AMD Llano Notebook Review: Competing in the Mobile Market

 

This might work for monitoring CPU frequencies... After all its from AMD itself.

 

The latest version of CPU-Z is capable of monitoring Llano -- that's what was used for the benchmarks earlier in the thread. However, it doesn't really matter: the monitoring is only interesting because it confirms the exact mechanism which makes the performance is lower than we thought it would be. It doesn't change the fact that the performance is low; that's obvious from the benchmarks themselves.

 

I did find it interesting that AMD's System Monitor, that came with the dv6-6135dx, showed all 4 cores at about 25% load when I ran Cinebench single and it said all 4 cores were at 1.5GHz. It never once said one of the cores went above 1.5GHz.

 

So I am trying to call and place on order for a dv6z, hoping I can get them to swap the 6GB/Bluray for 1080p, and I thought I would ask what the graphics options were. He told me they were the 6490m and, get ready for it, the 5650. I just thought it was kind of funny.

In regards to the swap, he said he couldn't do it, though. I am gonna try back a few more times hoping I get someone who is willing to do it.

Edit: Yep, tried 6 different reps. They all said that they couldn't swap the upgrades and that they couldn't take anything more off the 30% coupon either. I can live without the 1080p screen. One of the reps needed a hearing aid. When I tried to tell him the 30% coupon he got it wrong 7-8 times in a row. I finally went army signal for him and he still got it wrong. When he repeated it back to me he said, "T as in Pterodactyl," and I could help but laugh and hang up.

 

wow...hp's customer service really doesn't know what is going on...i chatted with two different people in the online chat...and they both said that the 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD Dual Graphics [HDMI, VGA] has the 6770m discrete they just dont know what is going on...