*HP dv7t (1XXX series) Owners Lounge*

Hi TD,
I've been watching since yesterday and I haven't noticed anyone calling your attention to the fact that your first config (faster) had 2-160 GB *7200* rpm drives while the second (slower) had 2-320 GB drives @ *5400* rpm. The higher rotational speed and lower platter density of the first drives could cause the difference in your scores. Am I missing something?
Ed F.

 

I came to the conclusion that with my basic version of 3dmark06 i cannot adjust the resolution it is ran at. I have the higher resolution on my second config. so i must run it at a higher resolution than the other people with 1440x900. this results in about a 15-20% decrease in 3dmark06 points. This is my conclusion unless there is someone out there that is also using this same configuration with the basic(free) 3dmark06 and getting 4500 points. if someone is i would like to hear from them. Or if someone had the same config minus the slower hardrive and was scoring 4500 points i would believe it was the hardrive. however others have told me that hardrive speed should not account for much in anything at all in this test.

 

Sounds good TD I've decided on a maxed out dv7t ($2300) but I'm going to wait until the prices drop $400 - probably November/December. If I could get the deal you got I'd probably would jump now! Have fun -
Ed F.

 

ya i love my maxed out dv7t. i kinda wish i still had the 320 GB hardrives @7200 RPM but oh well twice the storage is pretty good i guess. i dont really think ill need all 640 GB but i guess theres a possiblity. i dont get why hp doesnt offer something larger @7200 RPM. i also dont know why hp chose the GDDR2 for the 9600M GT instead of the GDDR3. those were my only complaints but this laptop is still a beast for sure!! Right now im working on maximizing my settings for Call of Duty 4. if anyone has any tips or settings they would like to share i would greatly appreciate it. im looking to get an average of 60+ FPS but it could drop to as low as 45.

 

Hi, this is my first post as I am newly registered.
I've been following this thread and the one for the dv5t for the last few weeks. I finally took the plunge and ordered my dv7t on the 1st of August.
Just wondering, but to all the people who have received their dv7t's, how long did it take for your computer to get built and delivered. My current estimated shipping date is August 19, but I leave for college on the 23rd (which is a saturday) and the computer is shipped to my parents house. So I would really appreciated if you all could give me an idea when the computer will likely be delivered.

here are my specs:

HP Pavilion Entertainment dv7t customizable Notebook PC
Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53 GHz)
17.0" diagonal WXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Infinity Display (1440 x 900)
2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
HP Imprint Finish (Mesh)+Microphone + Webcam + Fingerprint Reader for HP BrightView Infinity Display
HP Color Matching Keyboard
FREE Upgrade to Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN and Bluetooth(TM)
No High speed 56K modem port
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
No TV Tuner w/remote control
8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
with 5% off and $150 instant savings + tax (I live in Texas X_X ) = $1493

I also got the OCZ 4GB ram from newegg (it's currently sittting on my desk waiting to be put into a laptop).

 

Expect an extra 1-2 weeks on top of the August 19th estimated date. It's a new notebook line and everyone is rushing to get it. I was lucky enough to get it this month.

 

You're gonna have 5 GB of ram in that computer? lol

The OCZ is a PC2-6400 right?

 

One week in I am very happy with my dv7-1020US build. I was going to do a custom build, but found this prebuilt one had very few sacrifices compared to my planned build, added a Blu-ray and Tuner, and cost less. That and I could pick it up the same day at Circuit City (a store I would otherwise avoid...).

My impressions are tremendously positive. I am moving from a relatively similar Dell 9300 which is three years old, but a nice machine. The HP screen is much brighter and nicer (I got the 1440x900 to avoid squinting since it sits next to my 22" external). The keyboard and trackpad are excellent, although moving to the off center to allow the numeric keypad takes some adjustment (but primarily I use an external keyboard...). Build quality is outstanding, it is a gorgeous machine, nice. Not super quiet but not too noisy...

The amazing thing for me is the battery, even though I am usually plugged in. To be away from power for three hours plus with the machine cool on your lap was really a nice change.

Everything performance wise has been outstanding. Running Vista x64 has been completely stable and bug free, with no software conflicts yet except for ZoneAlarm (which I have left behind) and RocketDock (replaced with ObjectDock which is better). The big things are plenty fast, but what makes an amazing difference (maybe FSB, maybe Centrino 2, not sure) is how snappy the little things are. Everything feel instant, and saving 2 seconds 200 times a day means more to me than saving 200 seconds twice a day . I work all day every day with this computer, so already have 80+ hours on it with no complaints.

The TV Tuner is much better than I had expected. Over air HD is nice, but with cable it only does SD.

Photoshop, Crysis (I'm not a huge gamer) and everything else I have thrown at it have been just fine. I definitely suggest it to anybody considering a 17" laptop, and am very happy to have chosen it over the Acer 8920g.

 

OCZ high performance memory PC2-6400 (2 sticks of 2GB) with the $25 mail in rebate, so much cheaper than upgrading to 4GB via HP. I actually had this ordered before it got all the talk on the forums.

Oh, of course not, I figured I'd install the OCZ ram and sell the HP ram to the campus computer store or to one of my dormmates.

I hope it won't take that long for it to deliver, the dv5t's seems to be getting delivered way earlier than estimated (some people are getting their's like 1 or 2 days before the estimated shipping date!).

 

Ordered computer on August 1 and estimated build date is August 19th. Why is it taking so long?
Would it speed things up to call HP?

- HP Pavilion dv7t Entertainment Notebook
- Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26 GHz)
- 17.0" diagonal WXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1440 x 900)
- 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
- 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
- HP Imprint Finish (Mesh) + Microphone + Webcam
- HP Color Matching Keyboard
- FREE Upgrade to Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN and Bluetooth(TM)
- No High speed 56K modem port
- SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
- No TV Tuner w/remote control
- 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
- HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

Anyone know the specifics of the RAM and 250GB 5400rpm HDD? Like manufacturer and model number?

 

I just joined after ordering the most powerful machine I've ever ordered in my life:


- HP Pavilion dv7t Entertainment Notebook
- Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53 GHz)
- 17.0" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Infinity Display (1680 x 1050)
- 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
- 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
- [For BrightView Infinity] Webcam Only
- Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN and Bluetooth(TM)
- LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
- HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner
- 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery


When it comes in, I highly doubt I'll be able to sleep =P

I'm glad to see so many other people on here with similarly spec'd monster dv7t builds ;]

The last PC I bought for home-use was 3 years ago - it was a refurbished emachine that cost me $449.... so i decided to upgrade a little... l0l


I am just wondering -has anybody here noticed the sound quality? I am wondering whether or not the sound card that comes with the unit is great or should i consider an external/pc-card solution like the soundblaster audigy?

 

Hi HP guys ,

If I buy a dv7 with a 1440x900 res. display, may I configure it to run with 1680x1050 on the screen configurations, or is that the highest res I can have?
(the graphic card in the 1680x1050 laptops is the same: GF 9600M GT)
Thanks

 

Nope, 1440X900 is the max you can get. If you had gotten the 1680x1050 then you can go down to 1440x900, but never up.

 

With the dv7, i personally think the lower resolution screen is better (from a gaming perspective). This is because you can run the games at your native resolution with better quality effects. With the higher resolution, the 9600GT will struggle to crank out effects.

 

It's IDT, Integrated Device Tecnology. It's HD audio and sounds very good for an integrated card.

 

Ordered August 1st, Fedex says it was delivered to them in China August 11th. I'm hoping to see it next week.

Who ever posted above about the refurnished E-machine. This is going to be my E-machine replacement also! I'm going to miss that dusty, noisy slow PC.... NOT !

HP Pavilion Entertainment dv7t customizable Notebook PC
Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53 GHz)
17.0" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Infinity Display (1680 x 1050)
4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
HP Imprint Finish (Mesh)+Microphone + Webcam + Fingerprint Reader for HP BrightView Infinity Display
FREE Upgrade to Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN and Bluetooth(TM)
No High speed 56K modem port
320GB 7200RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (160GB x 2) with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
No TV Tuner w/remote control
8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
HP Color Matching Keyboard
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

^ HAHAHA, that was me. The specs on your dv7t are nearly identical to mine! I see you went nucking futs with the options toooo!

 

YES!!!
I just got $175 bucks back from HP using the $400 dollar coupon!!
I ordered my computer over a week ago and it just shipped from Kunshan, China! I expect to see it within the week.
I called them up and asked them to change my price via their price protection plan. They had to switch out the old coupon I used and instant rebate, but I still got money back. ^_^

 

Just found out today that my computer has been built and is at FedEx in China. Can't wait to get it.

 

What coupon are you talking about?

 

^ one of the ones here:

http://www.notebookreview.com/hp_coupon.asp

- tsd

 

^ yup
Although I'm pretty sure when I called, the coupon's probably already been used up online. Lucky me. ^_^

 

I called up and tried to get the 400$ coupon but they refused, they said the price protection was for "changes to the base price only", and not rebates...gonna try again.

 

Keep at it.
I just got my $177.25 credited back to me. So now I'm going to use it to buy a sweet pack for it and some games.

 

Well, I finally pulled the trigger on a maxed out DV7t:

* Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
* Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9600 (2.80GHz)
* 17.0" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Infinity Display
(1680 x 1050)
* 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
* 320GB 7200RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (160GB x 2) with HP
ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* [For BrightView Infinity] Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
* HP Color Matching Keyboard
* Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN and Bluetooth(TM)
* No High speed 56K modem port
* $100 OFF Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
* No TV Tuner w/remote control
* 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* $100 OFF Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student 2007!!
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

I used the $400 off coupon and it worked! Now comes the hard part....waiting until my build date of August 25th.

 

^ sweet setup. I can not think of a better time to buy a high-end laptop than now. this thing better last me through 2015! l0l!
- tsd

 

Anyone else notice that there's ~1/4" of 'play' when the lid is closed?

 

Just a question to those who have received their dv7t from hp.com, how accurate are their build dates?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWtMd88J_9M

why pc is loading for so long? ((

 

Looks like your pc is trying to boot from another source, like the dvd drive for example, or maybe the second hard drive, and then windows boots up,
go to the BIOS and set it up to boot from the hard disk first. do you have two hard drives? if you do, Check which hard drive is booting
if you get the same problem or non of the above is the case, then contact hp customer care.

 

In anticipation for my new dv7t laptop, I am looking for a new wireless N router. Now from what I understand wireless N is still in "DRAFT". Does this mean that I have to buy the same manufacturer of router as my 5100AGN card, or will any router do?

And while I'm at it...any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

I have a regular g router and my wireless speed is THE SAME as if it were wired. I'm very surprised. But obviously, I love it!

 

Hey guys
Well they just dropped off my DV7t and I am really impressed. I have never owned a laptop before and have always built my own desktop pc's so I have a tiny problem. I turned this beast on, set up everything, and then I check how many processes are running. 80 FLIPPIN PROCESSES! I have never bought a pre built pc so I dont know which processes I can safely kill. I know how to do it but just need to know which ones for sure dont need to be there. Thanks for any help.

 

On the dv7t page it says that Firewire and LAN ports are included. But, on the customize page it says that these ports are only included with the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT option. Can someone please clarify, thanks.

 

i dont know for sureb ut i would call the # on the page where you are customizing your machine. I say this because when you call that number, you will get fwd'd to someone within a minute and they can answer all your q's.

i called that # when i was about to order my machines and surprisingly, the person knew what they were talking about - and didnt just pick up to take down my CC#. l0l
- tsd

 

Sweeet!!!
I got my dv7t!!!!
I almost died doing it but it's totally worth it.
Beautiful laptop, everything running perfectly (except for the bloatware of course but I'm downloading CCleaner as we speak). Though it does seem to be on the warm side right now.

 

Hi Mike,
I just set up a friends dv5z with the Infinity screen and based on that experience I *definitely* will *not* order the Infinity on my dv7t. The Infinity is nothing more than a layer of clear plastic (over the LCD) that extends to the edge of the cover. IMHO it does nothing to improve the appearance of the laptop. However, it *does* significantly increase the glare and reflectivity. With a dark desktop it looks like a mirror - Ok if you wish to use it for shaving, otherwise it is extremely disturbing. It dramatically decreases the viewing angle making it an excellent privacy screen, if that's what you want. Since I'm going with the BlueRay I anticipate watching movies on my deck with a companion - Ok if she's sitting on your lap otherwise unacceptable because of the narrow viewing angle. IHMO, The Infinity is a gimmick with no advantage whatsoever-not even a Wow factor!
Ed F.

 

Perhaps because it's coming from China ?

 

I brought a dv7t form Costco, instead of directly from HP. Costco offers the same customization options at http://www.costco.com/CTO/HPConfigurator.aspx?Prodid=10029570&search=990012&Mo=0&cm_re=1-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Nr=P_CatalogName%3aBC&Sp=S&N=0&whse=&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName%3aBC&Ne=4000000&D=990012&Ntt=990012&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1&model=KN798AV

It is usually lower price than the HP site and you also get a 90 days 100% return policy.

 

In regards to getting the official Microsoft Vista 64-bits CD-ROM media for your dv7t, you can go to the HP support site at http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2100&lc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=3744254&dlc=en and go to the CD-ROM order page - Recovery Discs section. It gives you an option to get either the Vista Ultimate 64bits SP1 disks or the Vista Home Premium 64bits SP1 disks.

Even though I have the Vista Home Premium 64bits O.S. installed on my machine, I order the Vista Ultimate 64bits SP1 disks. This is a cheap way to update to Ultimate from Home Preminum for $16.39 .

 

does that actuall work? i see what ur talking about but what about having a key for the ultimate? cus im getting ultimate but if i can save 160 bux i will...

 

I'm assuming it won't work, as the keys for Ultimate & Home versions are not the same. At any rate, these are only Recovery discs. You can't perform a clean install with them, only a factory recovery (hence the name).

 

Right now HP.com has a $400 off coupon that can be applied to the dv7t, so it is still cheaper than Costco. Once that coupon runs out though Costco would be a good alternative.

 

This actually work, I just installed Vista Ultimate SP1 from the recovery disk. It doesn't ask for keys during the reinstall process. Be sure to backup any files you want to keep before invoking this process, since it reformat the complete disk and reinstall both the Vista Ultimate SP1 and recovery partitions onto your primary disk. It also reformat your second disk (if you have two disks on your laptop).

 

i used the 400 off coupon code, laptop was 1250

2.53 2 gig ram, 9600mgt card microsoft words and few more things, got 4 gigs ram at 85 bucks on ebay also

vista 64 bit

look for more coupon codes on google, they work on hp.com before you pay, u can try anyone you want and see which deal is better

 

Okay it looks like not a lot of people are getting the TV tuner.

My question is though suppose I had the tuner. Yeah it would allow me to watch tv on my laptop but would there be a fee that I'd have to pay to the company providing the program that I want to watch?

Also for the recording aspect of it would the laptop have to be on in order for it to record the television program?

I'm just trying to get a sense of how much I'd really use this feature/aspect of the laptop if I got it.

I'm kinda disappointed to hear about the battery life indicator. Yeah percentage is good but even my sony vaio that I'm trying to sell now told me EXACTLY how many minutes/hours I had left before the battery completely died...

Also does HP offer and extended life battery? There as no option for such a battery when you purchase the laptop. However I'd like to purchase a better battery if it's available...

 

For those that missed the 400 dollar coupon and had their laptop delivered in the last 21 days, you can call them and ask for a credit.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/terms.do

Unfortunately HP's "price resolution" department is especially sleazy when it comes to issuing credit. It sounds like they outsource it to the Philippines or Indonesia and pay them according to how little the can manage to give back to you. I was blatantly lied to repeatedly.

I was told the coupon was expired. I was then told that even though it still works online, if I actually made an order it would be turned down. When we finally established that the coupon was valid, they told me that the coupon wasn't valid on the date I originally purchased the laptops, and that their price protection policy does not cover coupons. Their is no mention of this in HP's pricing terms.

After that, they started offering credit below the price difference. For me, the price difference was around $650 dollars on two laptops, so they offered $300, then $400, then finally $500. At this point I was hung up on and had to call back and repeat the whole process.

When I finally talked them back to $500 I just took it since I was tired of arguing.

 

hello im getting a dv7t soon with a 9600m gt, and I have 3 questions....this videocard is DDR2 or DDR3?? which is better, the 8800m gts or the 9600m gt?? and does it supports physx??

thanx a lot!!

 

1. DDR3
2. 8800m gts
3. yes

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