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

I think I'm going to begin setting up some of the older games I have laying around to run on this (Warcraft 3, Baldur's Gate 2; yes, don't laugh, I got backlogged a ton during undergrad/grad school). As I mentioned earlier, I'll probably be sticking with the original drivers (seem to be from April 2011) because for whatever reason, the newer ones cause my computer to go nuts and BSOD. I still don't exactly know -why- it did this..

I still have to reinstall K10-Stat and a few other programs. . might go with a more conservative overclock this time (maybe in the 2.2 mhz range).

A few (dumb) questions/clarification:

-Main advantage of the new drivers is OpenGL support and Crossfire support, right? I don't know a ton about Crossfire (never really wanted it on my desktop), but from what I'm hearing, not all games support it/only more recent games

-Anyone have recommendations for a good cooler (I saw that one mentioned a page or two back, which I might look into), or what I should look for in one?

-Good recommendations for a WiFi card that this system can deal with? I know the internal one just kind of blows, really.

 

Ayn...

I'm using the September drivers from HP successfully, although I haven't used Xfire. I haven't needed it, but the new drivers from AMD didn't work well on my rig. No BSOD's, but video instability issues that I mentioned a few pages back. I think it was Wingnut that mentioned Xfire worked on BF3? I don't own this one, but I do have BF2 and it was running good without xfire. The games you mentioned wouldn't really need it...would they?

Good question on the wifi card. I got a little lost in the whole white list discussion myself. I'm going through three walls, a marble floor, and a limestone fireplace...I'm sporting three/four bars at best...where my desktop is at 5 bars.

I've heard some of the Intel units will work, just need to find out the part numbers I suppose. Think I'll do some digging tonight.

If someone has successfully upgraded theirs, please speak up. I know many would appreciate it.

CK, that was $400. I have an extra 6135dx sans the drive. Sitting pretty much NIB. I bought more than one. . I was going for desktop replacement -and- mobile, but I couldn't pass up the deal on the P2412's. I'm getting old/set in my ways and I like the horizontal monitor in front of me and a vertical to the right.

My DV6 is running just fine thank you... .

Best Regards,

Liquid Cool

 

Hey:

Thanks for the input on that one. I'd have to boot up the laptop again to see how many bars it's on.. the desktop's plugged in via ethernet cable, so of course that signal's strong.

I think my main confusion with the graphics was the switchable graphics deal, but my games thus far allow for high performance switching, which means the 6750's doing the work, so I think all is fine there.

Sometimes, when dealing with computers, I have to realize that all the cool things I think I'd like it to do aren't always all the things I'd necessarily have it do, ha ha.

Yeah.. the Wifi thing is something I'm going to be concerned with mainly at work; the campus is already known for having spotty Wifi to begin with, so I'm worried the card will make matters worse..but I'll just have to see when I'm back in January.

 

Ayn and LC,

Whitelisting is the process where HP (through the BIOS) only allows certain WiFi cards to be added to the PC. It's a really scummy practice, especially since their published list (see the dv6 service manual) often mismatches what the PC actually allows/disallows.

So far, the only fix for this is to update the BIOS with one of the modded BIOS available which kills the whitelist check. I updated using the BIOS with the mild graphics overclock and fan mod, but only really to get rid of the whitelist.

I am waiting for a Bigfoot Networks Killer N dual-band wi-fi card to replace, and I'll let you know how/if it works.

LC, I also bought a wireless keyboard/mouse combo to use when I am in the hotel, also using the 42" LG TV for the monitor when I am using the PC extensively or watching video/tv/movies. (You mean there are people who actually use those things to watch live TV? That's SOOO 1990's!) I think the 6135dx is a GREAT desktop replacement! Given the advancements in only the last three years alone...I am wondering if towers/desktops are a thing of the past (for mainstream use.) Even for HTPC standalone use, I could buy a decent dual-core laptop cheaper than building one, and overall, it'd be smaller, more rugged, and featureful as well...which will probably be the eventual fate of my 6135dx.

 

I was having this problem also... did a reinstall... disabled drivers and all that but it still persisted freezing on wake...
finally tracked it to the cool and quiet setting in the bios.
off = freeze after sleep or hibernate
on = no freeze but will battle my k10stat after wake... gerr

Hope that helps...

Now how do we get SATA3 speeds on this?

 

Okay I finally got 8.92 drivers installed sucessfully, but what I'm finding odd is I STILL cannot get over 17 fps on Gamer settings.

I have it plugged in on high performance mode in cata, and the power settings is also set to high performance mode.

Is there anything else I can do? The framerate seems locked between 15-17 fps no matter what I do...

 

Double check your switchable graphics box (tho I expect it will report fine).

Just keep the AMD System Monitor recording in the background. It will report utilization, clocks, temps. May need to run as Administrator.

I also noticed Afterburner seems to wonk around with 6620 reporting. Fire up Kombustor first, the 6620 is rolling fine@444. Then fire up Afterburner, suddenly the system is seeing TWO 6620's @275!! Need to pick at this more carefully. At least temps are good. Highest burn-in spike (95 + Kom) was 84C a few minutes in, fan put it back under 80 and kept it there indefinitely.

Dolphin on Liano A8-3850 (Smash Bros Brawl and Xenoblade) - YouTube
This video intrigues me. I need to to try it, perhaps. Because it looks like my laptop should be able to do just as well.

 

Hey all,

Just replaced the wifi card with the new Bigfoot Killer N 1102, and am writing you through it at this very moment!

Installed successfully even though not on the whitelist, by flashing the modded BIOS and ditching the HP_TOOLS partition (when I installed the SSD. I've still got it on the original drive which isn't connected!)

So far, so good, and proof it can be done!

 

Awesome, I was considering picking up a Killer N 1102 or an Intel 6230. How does the 1102 compare to the stock card in terms of signal strength and latency?

 

Honestly...there's nothing I can say about latency because I have no first-hand basis for comparison Signal strength is just fine. Got all five bars in the hotel in an area where I was getting only four stock, and have got full-strength throughput based upon the test it runs during setup. (Anyone who has ever stayed at a hotel knows what a miracle it is to have 10meg down / 1 meg up on a g network.)

Based upon critical reviews, I bought it for the dual band, and the fact that it whipped the Intels on all but strength (which was close in the tests, but I see no problem with at all anyway.)

I'm big into downloading and video streaming on the road, and so I figured I needed all the help I could get in the areas where this thing shines. Count into that the fact that the 2.4Ghz band is getting pretty crowded, and it's all I could want.

Since this is an optional upgrade for an Alienware, then it can't be all bad!

(By the way, the chip the Bigfoot's based upon is the Atheros, and the stock is a Railink. Much better!)

 

Well if you play any games online, let us know if there is a subjective difference inside the game. Anywhere from ping alerts to popping or skipping in the multiplayer movements.

 

Hi all!

Huge amount of knowledge here, so I feel like this is the best place to come.

I bought a refurb dv6-6135dx and am very happy with it! I have read hundreds of pages here, and gathered a ton of info! Thanks to everyone who has posted.

So here is my problem... I am trying to install a SSD, and I have run into a problem that looks like everyone is having... I created the Recovery disks from the old hard drive, then slapped in the new one, and when I go to do the recovery, the product model number does not match, so it won't install.

The error stats LW262UAR#ABA-LW262UA#ABA.... I have done lots of reading and the conclusion is that the product number in the bios does not match. I guess when HP did the refurbs they added the R in the product number, but the recovery disks creator was not updated to see this change. So now the recovery disks will not work on a refurbished unit (hopefully I have this correct)

I have read a ton on this, and have not found a post where anyone said how to deal with this. I either need to edit the product number in the BIOS to remove the R, or i need another work around. I guess if this is to much hassle I will have to clone the HDD to the SSD, then use the recovery partition to do the fresh install, and then use the recovery partition to delete itself.... but I was hoping there was an easier way.

Since I am going to a SSD I wanted to start with a fresh install, that is why I am going to all this trouble... so, does anyone have a good answer for me?

Thanks again for all your input!
cbmboy

 

Okay, so I was getting 17 fps max on Crysis 2 at 1080p on gamer settings. However, after installing the latest Cata profiles for Crossfire I get between 15-23 depending on what's going on.

I'm on driver version 11.12, but right now I'm installing 12.1 preview to see if that will help any, and if it doesn't, I'll try overclocking.. Wish this was easier though, expected a lot more out of the 6750 and 6620.

 

Made a mistake. Will edit this later.

 

I didn't bother with minimum recovery at all when I installed my SSD, did a fresh install using a Win 7 thumb drive and all done in about 15 minutes. The downside of this is that you have to use Activation Backup and Restore (ABR) software to save the OEM activation, and you have to download all those HP drivers. So if you cannot recover using existing recovery DVDs, you might as well just start fresh with a clean Win 7 install.

 

I did the same as hmmwv,

Took a 4gb thumb drive, downloaded Win 7, 64-bit w/ SP1 from this site. Used ABR to capture the OEM key. I don't see why a person needs anything more than this. I can reinstall win 7 at the drop of a hat, and I'm done and activated in less than 15 minutes. I've done it four times without a single hitch. Worked perfectly and I mean no problems whatsoever.

I also have another thumb drive that I keep handy and updated. I use SyncToy to back up 'my documents', mozbackup for Thunderbird/Firefox and all of the sp downloads from HP, plus current versions of the software I use. I can do a full install of everything and tweak the pc to my settings in a little over a 1/2 hour.

I'd actually highly recommend going this path if you're putting in an SSD. The computer doesn't seem to run as sluggish to me. Runs great. Plus...and this may sound strange, but I actually feel as though it's mine since there isn't a bunch of HP junk on here that I didn't want on here in the first place. You can remove the stuff one at a time or use a decrapifier...but I'd prefer it isn't polluting my registry from day one.

A person may be cautious and hesitate to get rid of their recovery partition...I didn't hesitate and I don't miss it either.

Best,

Liquid Cool

P.S. CK, please do keep us updated on how this wireless device works out. I may follow...I'll be needing more info on the bios you used though.

EDIT: Think I'll add to the above...I used the Microsoft method to put Win 7 on my thumb drive. It seemed the easier route...turned out to be dead simple. So, I wouldn't worry about a learning curve here. ABR, the same. Dead simple and straightforward.

 

I dunno. I've done a clean install, and had some issues with not all drivers / apps available at HP's site and still had some missing devices in Device Manager. Wi-Fi would NOT work either regardless of drivers used. Then had issues when trying to overclock, etc. When I used the HP minimal recovery surprisingly everything went swimmingly. I'm not concerned about the recovery partition or anything, but these machines rely on some HP drivers and software to help make things run more smoothly. I don't see any difference in the minimal install or fresh install. I've been installing OS's since the early DOS days and usually recommend a fresh install, but HP's I've found quite fickle to deal with.

The minimal recovery option doesn't install all the HP "crap", it installs the bare bones drivers and software. No crapware there. Most of it is what you'd install anyhow just to get devices working properly. I guess if you want to start with just the latest drivers then a clean install would be a bit better, although there's only a few that are updated from the original device.

 

I had absolutely no problem at all with drivers after doing a completely fresh Win 7 x64 Home premium install on my SSD.

I just took the "drivers" folder from swsetup. It has the LAN, WLAN, Audio, and base video drivers.

Question about ABR. Is this an application you can download or something built into windows? I keep getting redirected to the same website, that has no download link and no information.

UPDATE: Nvm I found a link to ABR with windows 7 support : http://directedge.us/files/abr/ABRbeta.exe

I could not access this from the original website because it kept looping to the homepage.... wierd.

 

Something must be happening with your settings, I used to get 25-45 FPS, not everything in high of course.

 

Get across a old thread when benching my SSD for no reason
http://forum.notebookreview.com/solid-state-drives-ssds-flash-storage/517917-how-improve-ssd-performance-intel-series-4-5-965-chipsets-jjb-tweak.html

and this post linked in the OP
http://forum.notebookreview.com/solid-state-drives-ssds-flash-storage/513313-laptops-w-intel-series-5-chipset-can-not-take-full-advantage-fast-ssds-51.html#post6685136

Windows does have CPU control with threshold. Gonna play with it today.

 

I know.. I have settings on Gamer which is lowest of course. I know it's on 1080p but a max of 23 fps on lowest settings is silly I think.

Power settings are set to high performance, dual graphics enabled, and Crysis 2 is set to high performance in the Cata settings.

Any other ideas besides installing 12.1 drivers? I already installed the latest profiles. I think if I can't get this figured out in the next week, the computer is going back.

 

I would personally do a clean install of windows, or get a replacement...

 

I did mention...the 'sp' downloads from HP on install. I actually had better luck with the video driver from HP vs. AMD, so I do agree with Wingnut. I just went through HP's site, grabbed the latest drivers of what I needed. Which is everything, sans the fingerprint scanner/webcam(I don't use these).

Here is the list I use and I keep the files handy in a folder on my thumb drive.

sp52658
sp52661
sp52669
sp54002
sp54127
sp54362
sp54746

sp54620 - HP support assistant, I installed this to check everything is good to go. Then uninstall, but keep handy.

The reason I went this path is because every time I used Acronis(Intel's Migration Software), it wasn't setting up my initial partition on the SSD properly, but asking/telling me to set it manually because it wasn't sized properly. I don't trust my own math... .

I will mention, I had to also ditch the driver from AMD for the SSD and go with Microsoft's driver because it was listing the drive as in Raid and the Intel SSD toolbox wouldn't work.

Best,

Liquid Cool

P.S. I agree on Crysis2, ran very well. I''m sorry I haven't followed the discussion, but you have tried it without Xfire right? I haven't used Xfire in any games. They've all run well for me. Although, I've been thinking about picking up BF3, this game runs well in Xfire does it not? I'd like to try a game in Xfire myself to see how well it does. I am currently hooked on Singularity, best 4.99 Steam game I've played to date.

 

rmac may want to try MS driver for your aDATa.
I probably will try it aswell to bench and see if I get anything out of it.

LC, you just the standard ACHI 1.0 SATA ? I go to update driver and select let me pick from a list my computer

Just did it, results seem similar, cant tell which is on top on which.

 

Thanks all for your input!! I ended up doing a clone with the Intel SSD software (Acronis). Yes it does say to manually set partitions, but mine set them up fine... I just double checked, and it was good to go.

I did also copy the SWSetup folder, and used ABR to get everything I needed before I pulled the old hard drive out and put it in storage (good to have as a back up, just in case). I also downloaded Windows 7 sp1 64-bit iso file and burnt that to a DVD... so if at some point I decided I want to just go to a clean install, I should have everything I need.

After a couple of hectic days messing with this laptop, everything seems to be running well. Again thanks everyone for the help. this group is fantastic!

 

The problem that come with using clone is sometimes you get a non- aligned SSD, which decrease performance .

But , there is aligning software available w/o data loss. (So hard to word this sentence...)

 

Very true... that was one of the things I did check. I used diskpart and looked at the starting offset. It was 1024... so since this is divisible by 4, it should be properly aligned (as my reading has led me to believe). If it was not aligned properly I would likely just do a clean install to avoid any more headaches!!

Thanks for bringing this up though... very good point... a non-aligned drive can greatly reduce the life of the drive!

 

Just use AS SSD benchmark tool, it show in left corner

 

Deus Ex HR and BF3 use xfire quite nicely, although I have only tested them on the default screen of this computer.

 

Installed 12.1, drivers 8.93.10 confirmed, but no change in fps....

Highest I can get is 35, and that's when I stand in a corner, lol. I'm still averaging 17-18, but dips into 15 or so during fights. I think I got some sort of a dud, the 6750 just isn't putting out the performance it should.

 

And that's exactly why it does run nicely.

The 6620g/6750m combo (6755g2) runs exceptionally well in most games as long as it's using the standard native resolution of 1366x768 and at that resolution our cpu/gpu performance level is bang on meant for it. This machine for its price range, is pretty damn decent! Can't be discouraged.

And because you are on stock clocks, that's why you won't see 30fps avg at your default resolution. If you prepare for OC'ing it, you get a good boost in performance. But if you feel you don't want to go through with that, then this laptop isn't ever going to do what you want it to do. Lower resolution or lower expectation.

 

I just tested Deus Ex with my 1080p screen and it works wonders, BF3 runs quite slow though.

 

hey guys.bought a vertex 3 120gb and after restoring windows via recovery disks i have it up and running.its fast for sure.however at benchmarks there is an issue with 4k scores.too low i believe.any suggestion? i ve dv6 6100sv A6 3410MX.

 

Yeah, BF3 was working decently with Crossfire, now it isn't with 12.1. With just the 6750m at 740/880 I can get 25-40fps at 1080p low, sometimes dips to around 20. But 720p it's great. Just have a 1080p screen and it doesn't quite offer the fidelity I'd like, but I only play occasionally with the laptop, so enough to get by I guess.

 

what kind of overclocking results have you guys gotten with the A8?

 

How in the...... Wow your getting beyond SATA 2 speeds thats for sure.... maybe me and clark are missing a driver or something.

 

What SATA driver are you running?

 

I kinda want to order the intel 6230 card but i won't have my 6135dx til the 3rd. At my house I have 3mb dsl and older linksys wrt54gs wireless router flashed with dd-wrt. 2.4ghz 802.11g . Im planing to hang out outside with the notebook and wondering if the card upgrade would benefit me?

Also, any notebook cooling pads you guys recommend for this? I was thinking going with a cheapo ebay one, maybe 1 big fan in the middle type. (i kinda like the blue led deal lol

 

Any 1 know if the dv6 have a key combo to turn off display without closing the lid?

 

the MS driver.did a recovery with recovery disks from HP and that is all.performance is very good in windows.although the 4k are pretty much slow as it seems.

 

do the dv6z's run hotter that the dv6t's?

 

As soon as i got my laptop, I made restore disks.

I also changed the stock HD to an intel SSD 80gb X-25M, unfortunately though the restore disks didn't work. What I actually did was use the free cloner from EASEUS and cloned the stock HD to the SSD. Then i proceeded deleting the restore partition on the SSD to save space.

I don't care for a restore disks since I'm just saving the stock HD incase I need to get my system back to factory.

 

Drivers have no influence on SATA mode/speed. Driver has nothing to do with SATA speed. @Jimpsar what FCH do you have? Have you checked aligment?

 

Depends on how you clock it. I'd say no. Most of us are clocking our CPU's hundreds of MHz faster than stock P0 speed (i.e. 1.4GHz to 2.2GHz) at the same or less voltage, so it can run quite cool at a faster speed.

GPU's run similar, although the 6770m in the Intel machines do run a bit hotter because they're pretty much same chip just clocked faster.

 

Well something must be different for some of us to be getting SATA 3 speeds vs SATA 2 speeds.

I have the A60M FCH and Clark has the A70M FCH chipset, so for both chipsets to experience the same problem, that cannot be the culprit. It has to be something with software.

@jimpstar Its odd, my read/write speeds are half of yours, but my 4k are much higher.

 

which llano cpu right now would you say is the best bang for your buck?

 

The A8-3500M is the best.

 

went ahead and ordered the intel 6230.. won't be here til like a few weeks or whatever cheap on ebay from China. lmao

 

Driver have everything to do with speed.
marvel/intel/ms/amd all get different speed

Atm, the intel seem to be best driver but not sure if work on 6z