*HP dv7t (1XXX series) Owners Lounge*

See, were gamers, so the higher the CPU speed, the better games will run (As well as the 9600M GT card). Besides, its living up to my expectations. I can even run Wii/Gamecube on here @ 50 (Max) FPS on gamecube games, and 45+ FPS on wii games.

 

My shoes could probably run wii games at 45 to 50 fps

 

I definitely agree that it runs hot. Luckily, I am not a serious gamer. My longest gaming sessions are maybe 20-30 minutes. But I have almost never had any of the temp readings pass 70C. I played for nearly an hour once and I believe the mobo (the 1st temp reading on hwmonitor) went up to 72C. That is the only time i ever got it above 70C. Just a note that I have 2 hard drives in this unit. When I had a single hard drive in the unit, it did run noticably cooler.

I also always have the back of the unit raised about 1/2 inch to allow for better exhaust flow.

 

Pray tell Mr. Bill.......which laptop with a price point between $1,000 and $1,500 would be a great gaming machine as well as provide a wide range of entertainment/other uses? What's your definition of a great gaming machine?

Inquiring minds would like to know!

 

How does one do that? I have a few gamecube games, but the console broke.

thanks

 

Sager NP5793 starting at $1100 USD.

Force 3751 Starting at $1350

First laptop is the one replacing my DV7T. You could also check out gateway, but I couldn't tell you about the reliability of them.

/end flame of the DV7T.

It's a decent laptop. I like many of it's features.

 

HP is not know for there gaming rigs. The best GPU to date they have ever used in one of their notebooks was the 8800m GTS in the now retired HDX Dragon.

I would really love to of seen HP put a better GPU in their 17" model. Even the 9700GT would be nice, but I think the 9800GS would be great.

I suspect that HP cuts costs by not upgrading the heatsink (cooling system) in these to support a hotter running GPU.

 

I just got my new dv7t today. I was hoping to install a Verizon EVDO mini-PCI card in this, but I don't see any antenna wire connections in the available mini-PCI slots. Of the three mini-PCI slots:

- one has the Intel WiFi Link 5100 card (three antenna wires here, 2 used by the intel card, and one loose wire marked MIMO)
- one is empty and is marked for the TV tuner (no antenna wire there either)
- one is not marked at all and has no antenna connections.

This is a real bummer. I won't be able to do internal EVDO and it looks like I'm screwed if I decide to add the TV tuner later on.

Initial observations vs. the Dell Studio 17:
- viewing angle and brightness on the Brightview display (1680x1050) sucks compared to the new RGB LED display on the Studio.
- left palmrest gets a bit too warm for my taste (P8700), though not nearly as hot as both palmrests get on the Studio (P8400).
- I miss the backlit keyboard of the Studio
- the HP feels lighter and more svelte, doesn't have the big battery sticking out the back like the Studio.
- the HP has much better sound than the Studio (HP subwoofer a big plus)
- I like the HP media buttons staying lit (the Studio buttons only light up when you touch them)
- Tray loading blu-ray drive much quieter than the Studio's slot-loader. (and the HP eject button on the drive is always going to work, whereas the Studio's eject only works in BIOS or after the OS has loaded)

 

could someone tell if it's possible to disable the clicking sound i hear whenever i use the "volume up/down" buttons?

 

Yes. Open the volume properties and find quicklaunch buttons. Turn that all the way down.

 

well that was easy

thanks!

 

No problem, glad I could help.

 

Well Im pretty far behind this thread but I did sit and read every post in it. I just recently received the notbeook that I will list later. Everything seems pretty good about it but Ive had a heck of a time keeping it connected to my wireless network and I was wondering if anyone else has had the same problem. Like I said Ive read this thread from beginning to end and am really impressed by the helpfulnees and advice thats been given, now I just hope anyone is still reading this. Thanks.

HP Pavilion Entertainment dv7t customizable Notebook PC
• Bronze
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
• Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8700 (2.53GHz)
• 17.0" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050)
• FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
• 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• Webcam Only
• HP Color Matching Keyboard
• Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
• Integrated 56K Modem
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• No TV Tuner w/remote control
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

 

have they improved the design of the dv7 was thinking of getting one, but dont want it to overheat like my dv6000?

 

HP always thinks of temps last. Pretty, glossy looks come first.

 

dv7 has reasonable good temps even when gaming ..just raise the back by like 1-2 cm.. to give a chance for heat sink to repel heat..

 

I do that and the GPU still hits 96C

 

First off - let me say that I LOVE my HDX DRAGON with its 20.1 inch screen, and my latest toy, my DV7.!! But...I now have my eyes on the HDX 18 too. I am into quality movies and music video sound/playback on computers, as well as games like Crysis and the Call of Duty genre. Which is better - a dual core 2.8 GHZ or the Quad Core 2.0 HDX 18, both with 4GB RAM?? I can get a 2.0 GHZ quad core (4 GB RAM, 500GB HDD) off of a military store website for $1800.00 - is that a good deal? Will the quad core 2.0 GHz rig give me better performance than a dual core at 2.8GHz?

 

how long do you game for to reach this temp? and please gimme a list of your specs.

i honestly think you got a lemon or a unit that was not setup properly... =(

 

I have one speced the exact same as yours. I have heard multiple people complain of this problem. HP "cooling" solutions are flaky. HP even "fixed" my model. It very slightly mitigated the issue.

I have watched friends go through hp "tech support" and have now done so myself. They rarely solve your issue. More than likely they'll just put a band aid on the problem, so to speak.

 

I hate to do this, but I think I'm going to be returning my dv7t. I can't deal with the screen - it's too dim. I've got the:

17.0" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050)

... and it has the "tunnel" effect when I'm looking straight on even at full brightness. I have a 2+ year old Dell Inspiron 6000 with glossy "TrueLife" display that has a much brighter, clearer screen than this!

"Inifinity" display just means they put a glossy plastic over the screen, but it's the same backlight technology, correct? I assume HP's "Ultra" Brightview is the dual lamp CCFL, but that's not available on the dv7t?

I'm going to give the Sony FW390 XBrite-FullHD screen another look, and if that doesn't work out, I'm going back to a 15.4" screen (Dell Latitude E6500 dual lamp CCFL) and just call all this "entertainment notebook" stuff not ready for primetime. The Dell Studio 17 I returned last week sure wasn't (heat issues)

 

My laptop is supposed to ship tomorrow! I'm really hoping I get it a bit before school next monday. =)

HP Pavilion Entertainment dv7t
• Onyx
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
• Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.4 GHz)
• 17.0" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Infinity Display (1680 x 1050)
• FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
• 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive (will be upgraded/a second one added very soon)
• [For BrightView Infinity Display] Webcam Only
• HP Color Matching Keyboard
• Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
• Integrated 56K Modem
• $50 OFF! Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
$1,322.46

Any thoughts on which hard drives to slap in there? I love my Western Digital, so its really between 2 320GB's @ 7,200rpm or 2 500GB's @5,400rpm. I'm planning on having one pure Vista, and the other one Ubuntu/Vista overflow(movies, etc).

 

Personally,

I went with an external hard drive.
My reasoning: less weight in the laptop, less drain on the battery, no fussing around with the guts of the laptop, cheaper. On the down side you dont have your files "on the ready" but how often do you need access to your extensive movie collection. ( I keep a few movies on my laptop and the majority on the external).

 

^ definitely valid points but in my case, i use my laptop as a tivo so i need the disk space to record saturday night live ;]

you are so right about the battery life and the weight. not to mention - the 2nd drive adds much more heat to the unit. i noticed my gaming temps increased after i put in my 2nd drive. my gpu gets 3C to 5C hotter than it had previously done before i added the hd. i've seen it get to 72C when i game for a while. previously, it never broke 69C or 70C.

 

Its a 17" laptop. If I wasn't planning on having it plugged in all the time I would have bought something with a smaller screen. I'm either at home or school, I go to a private tech school with loads of powerstrips. Most that'll ever happen is I'll hibernate it while going from one to the other.

Extra weight isn't much of an issue, trying to keep things compact is. I don't mind a 17", but I'm carrying books too,

Heat does seem to be an issue, I've heard these get pretty toasty. Gaming I should typically be at home with a cooler under it. Movies, not so much. I tend to carpool with my boyfriend, so for many hours a week in between my classes, I'm either sitting in on his classes, or in a lounge. Hence why I want quite the mobile library.

I think my best bet would be to figure out which of those hard drives runs cooler.

 

the difference between hard drive operating temps is valid and concrete but the difference in terms of tempratures of the hard drives operating inside your dv7t will most likely be negligable.

about dual 320s or 500s = if you have the $, go for the 500s. that was my intention but wound up with dual 320s since my unit already had a 320 and i was able to get another 320gb from amazon for less than $70.

 

WooHoo.....Recieved notification that order has shipped....no detailed info yet with tracking number provided. Based on the specs shown above, will I be recieving a laptop with one (1) 320GB 7200RPM HD installed? Not dual 160GB hd's correct?....I want the option/flexibility of adding another 320GB 7200RPM later.

Recieved the leather carrying case last week.......looks and feels very nice....hope the dv7t fits.

 

^^^ yesh, it's a single 320gb drive. to add another drive you will need an extra drive caddy that you can get for the dv7t from newmodus.com.

the caddy + shipping is around $34. someone on here put in the drive w/o a caddy but this is dangerous for the drive in case you travel/move the laptop around... who doesn't? LOL.

a $35 investment will protect the investment (and data) on the new drive you buy.

look at the link in my sig. i got a 320gb drive from amazon for hella cheap. im now rockin 640gb of storage on this beast.

 

Thanks TSD.....much appreciated.....born in NYC and grew up out on Long Island...graduated fron Northport HS in '72. Southern Californication now and forever more.......Just rescheduled having Verizon Fios Installation (currently cable w/Charter) done in my home from this Friday until next week....wanna make sure I have the dv7t in hand when they do the installation.....Mike

 

Mine shipped today too. Estimated delivery is the 5th.

 

can someone tell me if i got a good deal? i just sold my gateway m-6850fx for the quick-ship dv7t-1270us model. i paid $1057.99 shipped. i'm just wondering thanks!

 

I'd be all over the HDX 16-1140us if I didn't want a Blu-ray drive so badly. Beyond that, you bought pretty much what I bought, I just got the better resolution.

 

well well well..... so, it's been 6 months now with my dv7t and things have been great so far. i am posting just to give an update of how my experience has been with this unit...

1) the screen... SUCKS! lol... i have the infinity display and, as many other people have commented, the screen is definitely not as good as other brands.... even some screens on lower-end units of HP's competitors are better than this.... i mean, for me, luckily, i use the unit 99% at night so it's not that much of an issue but when i use the unit in the day, even by a window and when it's bright, the screen appears greyish/grainy... i also have a dv4t and i bought it with the LED screen option... man, that screen is FLAWLESS!!! if they had that screen available for the dv7t, this unit would be a 10 out of 10... but, alas, life is not perfect. i have seen the non-infinity displays and i dont think they're any better than with the inifinity overlay on them... maybe they're a little better in terms of quality and less glare, as some people have said, but i have not come to that conclusion.

2) i am trying hard to find other things to say about it but don't really have any other complaints/annoyances.... the unit is sooo fast, 4 gigs of ram helps, and i have not run out of diskspace yet - i am at 640gb :-D


would i buy this unit again? definitely. when i purchased it, i used a 30% discount hp had. with that discount, i max'd out the specs of this unit... and at the time, no other competitor came close to having the same specs for the same price.. most units were $500+ more for LESS powerful specs. so this was definitely a deal. i paid less than $1600 for the specs in my sig - and a 320gb drive. i added another 320gb afterwards.

since me (and a lot of other ppl) got a great deal on it, i will say that the deal definitely makes up for the less-than-spectacular screen, for me anyway. again, i dont use the unit in the day so im not as annoyed as others are.


3) in terms of tempratures, i never got any any temp readings above 70C when I had a single hard drive in the unit. that's while playing unreal 3 for about a half hour at max settings. with a second hard drive in there, i got as high as 72C but never any higher. i did notice though that, when i play without the battery in the unit, the temp is definitely lower - maybe by 1 or 2 c. i also have the back of the unit raised about 1 inch at all times so that helps as well.



if anyone has any q's about the unit, feel free to ask.

 

Long time no see TSD. My DV7(s) have performed EXCELLENT!

 

same here man. i didnt even do a clean install on it so i have been running vista ultimate with a lot of the hp garbage on it. i cleaned up a lot of it but i am sure it left some remnants behind... but yeah, the machine rocks.

another cool factor is that they dont offer the t9600 processors anymore on the hp site. they go up to the p8700 which is 2.53ghz and 2mb cache. so we have rare units :-D lol

 

Received my dv7t on Friday. Man they are fast....it was shipped from China on Wednesday. Anyway, I don't have it connected to the net yet (verizon will install vios service this Friday) but so far very happy with it. Learning how to use Vista and the touchpad both of which are starting to grow on me. I created my recovery disks and tried to use Lightscribe but from what I can tell the software needs to be accessed online...is this true? Also, which of the 4 or 5 websites they cite do others prefer?

Played a few DVD's and BluRay disks using both the computer monitor and my 52" HDTV screen via HDMI....very very nice picture and sound on both. Laptop did get warm when using only the laptop screen but was much better when elevating the back like TSD said. Computer did not at all get warm when using the HDTV monitor.

I will posts more about my experiences and thoughts later but so far I'm very happy with the unit I recieved.....even my non infinity screen is pretty good.....suffers from indirect viewing angles but brightness, color, clarity and lack of glare is very good.

PS - Still playing around with lots of different display options......I accessed it once but now can't find the nvidia graphics card data, info, resolution and other properties. Can anyone tell me where is it located so I can foll around with it? I found the nvdiia control panel but that is not what I stumbled upon when trying to get a DVD to play on my external TV monitor.

 

when you right click on the vista desktop, and go to properties - it should be under one of the applets in the window that pops up. sorry im not more specific, all my work computers are xp and my beloved dv7t is at home.... lol

 

there is a $500 off code out there as of today good for 2100 uses. i just used it on a dv7t and am sending back this piece of absolute garbage dv6t. 500 off worked out better for me than 30% off based on my config. $914.00 plus tax.
NB4345 is the code. And if you push them long enough (asked 3 times) you'll get the free 2 day shipping.

 

I find that the left shift key is way to small, and it may end up causing me to return this unit. When I look at the pictures online the keys look standard (left and right shift keys should be double sized). On my dv7 the right one is double sized but the left one is single sized, which kills my typing. Unfortunately I use the unit for more homework than entertainment and this slowdown of typing is looking like a deal breaker. Otherwise I am really impressed with it.

 

I had to get used to the keyboard as well. I have been typing on standard keyboards and IBM/Lenovo keyboards but when I started using my dv7t, i felt the same way - some keys are out of place/not in their usual location.

I think over time it will get better but, for me, I sometimes have trouble with the page down/page up keys as well as the home and end keys. i have been using the unit for like 6 months now.

 

I also have the Canadian bilingual keyboard and I have to agree the left shift key is way too small for my liking...

I used this program called SharpKeys ( http://www.randyrants.com/2008/12/sharpkeys_30.html) and remapped the pipe/backslash key as another shift key... so if I accidentally hit that backslash key, it'll be a shift key instead of giving me a backslash...

After remapping the keys it's much more pleasant to type with... but I still don't like the ENTER key though...

 

thanks for the info cpu2k,

I think I will give that remapping a shot.

 

Out of curiosity, (and the fact that I'm not at home and therefore don't have a screwdriver handy) what is under the left side of the palmrest on the dv7? Like between the indicator lights and the keyboard. Its a lot warmer on the top than the rest of the laptop. As in its COLD on the top, even over the hard drive, and its quite warm there. I removed my remote and it helped bunches, but I was under the impression that nothing was there in the first place. Is it just bottled up heat from the hard drive to the right?

None of my temps are even remotely high, the worst I've seen was from playing Oblivion, Fable and Unreal Tournament 3 nearly all day yesterday, Oblivion was the worst, graphics got to 66, cpu 23, hd 44. Normally ( like surfing the web) temps are around 39 graphics, 22 cpu, and 42 hd.

 

Thaat's where the hard drive's sit. There's also the fact that your palm will tend to sit there, creating heat.

 

Actually under the left palmrest are two mini-PCI card slots - one for the TV tuner card and another for something else. I made the same observation as you and agree it's odd that it gets so warm there. The primary hard drive is over on the far right side. There's empty space under the trackpad for where 2nd hard drive would go. The WiFi mini-PCI card sits in a third slot located in the middle.

See attached pic...

FWIW, I had a Dell Studio 17 and it got really hot by the trackpad even though there was nothing directly underneath it. I guess it's how (badly) they engineer the thermal isolation of the frame. Seems like engineers of these new big screen laptops are not thinking about this. Maybe they think they can use the palmrest area as a large heatsink to dissipate heat ... lousy idea if you ask me, with a set of human hands resting on top of it...

 

Thanks for the picture, that cleared up a lot. I just don't have a smallish screw driver handy where I am. Now I'm not too concerned about slapping another hard drive in there in awhile. =)
What I find funny is that I can feel a decent amount of air coming out of the would be remote slot. Makes me wonder if there are modded hd/ram cover with extra slots over the hard drives and cards. Heck, the ram could probably use some extra slottage too, its typically about as hot as my graphics card.

I didn't realize the hard drive on the right was so far over. My old PowerBook had its hard drive directly under the trackpad. You couldn't tell at all on the trackpad if it was hot, nor on the keyboard, but accidentally touch the little strip between the trackpad and the keyboad and man, ow.

 

I was thinking backwards

 

I tried the sharpkeys and it worked perfectly. I agree the enter is a bit of a pain, but I can live with that one.
I have added to your rep, as the information was priceless.

thanks for the assistance,

 

No problem

 

Typing this from my brand new dv7-1285dx. Here are the specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4 GHz)
500 GB (5400 RPM) Hard Drive
6 GB DDR2 SDRAM
17.0" WXGA+ HD BrightView Widescreen Display
nVidia GeForce 9600M GT w/ 512 MB DDR2 Ram
LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD-RW w/ Dual Layer Support
Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN Network Connection
5-in-1 Digital Media Reader, ExpressCard/54 PC Card Slot
8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
HP Mobile Remote Control, HP Webcam
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit

All of this for $1199 from Best Buy. This shattered my belief that everything was supposed to be cheaper online. I believe this is one of the best laptop values out right now.