*HP dv8 Owners Lounge*

Congrats, you have the exact same configuration as I do. My advice when you get it is uninstall the bloatware and then you'll be fine. I would just leave the video driver alone. Hopefully the black flashing screen won't get to you and you won't be forced to install the latest driver. When I installed the latest driver I faced lockup issues after resuming from sleep. Remember none of these GT 230M drivers from November or December 2009 are digitally signed. Hopefully sometime soon HP will release one for the GT 230m and that will resolve everything. I also wouldn't touch the bios, myself and a few others have had to send in our notebooks for repair courtesy of the latest bios. Check for some keyboard flex. Flex in the numeric pad is common. I would also examine it for any cosmetic issues. Overall its a nice machine but I don't know if any machine has the capability of lasting over 2 years anymore.

 

wow... the dv8t lounge used to be like "all that". Now it's slowly fading away. I'm going to be receiving my dv8t replacement next weekend, and this forum is making me depressed. I was hoping for this laptop to last me at least 4 years and these comments are making feel like that isn't going to be happening. Maybe I should have went with Toshiba

 

I already have my eye on the New Dell Studio XPS 16 with core i5. Yeah everyone's bad stories can be somewhat depressing, especially mine lol. I really don't think the dv6, dv7, & dv8 can last for 4 years without any issues. That's just my 2 cents lol.

NEVER BUY TOSHIBA. I bought a Toshiba Satellite in August of 07 from Circuit City and in May of 2009 I turned it on it loaded Windows then shut off. Never turned back on. I tried everything but the motherboard died. Toshiba wanted $600 to repair it because it was out of warranty. I said F that. What computer less than 2 years old just dies??? Toshiba is CRAP, HP may have issues but I never heard one one just dying. When I say die I mean dead. No power lights, no sounds no nothing.

Good luck though.

 

wow...all these computers seem to all have problems. HP has had bad stories, Toshiba has bad stories,and Dell a well. What would be the most reliable laptop be then? I though that since the dv8t would be HP's "high end", they would make them properly and better than their lowerends.
Maybe I'll go for Dell's business line of notebooks next time, but damn those notebooks are soo dang expensive for their specs

 

The pavilion line isn't their "high end". The HDX was, several users claim they were built better. I mean that's probably why the backlit keyboard wasn't an option on the pavilion line. It's not their "high end" line. The envy's are their current "high end" line. That is probably why they have the backlit keyboard. Now the envy line might last a little longer than the pavilion line. That's just my opinion though.

 

Yea, I'm not sure what I should do now. I can still easily return my laptop now but I don't think that I'll be able to get a laptop with the same specs for this kind of price. Well, if I take care of this laptop well (I've already made a custom cooling pad already with 1 120mm and 4 80mm fan, I'm sure it will last long, although I didn't buy the 2 year extra warranty. I should've have bought it when Costco had that deal

 

See how you like it, thoroughly USE it in those 21 days to make you there isn't a problem. If mine was still in the 21 days I'd return it NOW. Yea, I also got an awesome deal but everything comes with a price and looking back I would have gladly paid more for the better computer and lower specs.

 

I found that Costco has a deal on HP warranty again- 2 years for $99.99. Do you know if it's global warranty? I live in an igloo and drink lots of maple syrup so I want to know if it works here.

 

You live in an igloo? That has to be cool What do you do that requires you to live in an igloo? The warranty should be global, yes. Purchasing a warranty is the best thing you can do when getting a new laptop.

 

lol.. I was referring to the Canadian stereotype rofl =D. Yea, Im on the edge on purchasing the warranty right now, although I cannot find that it is specified as global warranty on HP's website. It just says that there will be problems if your not in North America, which I am in. I just want to make sure it works in Canada.

 

OH guess I missed that one. When I think of Canada I don't think of cold. Yeah its a little cool but I love it there. Vancouver is beautiful. OH one thing if you plan on returning it don't get the warranty because you'll have to ship that back to them also. Use the computer for your 21 days then if decide to keep it then go get the warranty.

 

In other words, you are saying that the warranty works in Canada right?
Yea, I'm very likely to keep this notebook. As long as the keyboard works and every else works, I'm a happy camper. Warranty should take care of the rest.

 

I don't want to tell you something then have it not be true. I wouldn't see why you wouldn't be able to order the same warranty we have here in the U.S. Call HP up to order the warranty, just don't buy it online. That way you can be sure. I mean if something ever did go wrong it would ship to Tennessee. That's where they fix them at. But double check with them when you order it.

 

The problem about that is that HP blocks area codes outside of the US, thus meaning that I cannot talk to HP's US customer support. I have no clue if I could use HP Canada's CS

 

They did not touch any files and all my software was intact. Luckily I had a full back done from a few days ago incase they did reformat it.

 

Thats a vista/7 thing.

 

Toshiba's offerings don't hold a candle to HPs specs.

 

Use a google voice number, you should be able to get through that way.

 

Thanks for the info on what to inspect when it arrives and the advice on driver/bios updates. I don't plan on updating any drivers or the bios unless I run into a problem that forces me to, as if it isn't broke, there's no reason to mess with it until it is...

I sure hope it lasts me more than 2 years as it's replacing my desktop that I've had for almost 8 years! A friend of mine is looking to replace his 7 year old HP laptop and is considering the dv8t because he's been so happy with his old HP. His old laptop is so worn that you can see the circuit board under the mouse pad, but everything still works! He has had to replace the fans once and resolder and eventually replace the power connector, but it still is his only computer! He's using me as the guinea pig with the dv8t though, and is going to wait to see how I like it before he orders one.

 

unfortunately, Google Voice is only open for US residents at the moment

 

I love how companies have limitations on other countries.

 

rofl... it's the same for Hulu and Fox -_-. So sad...

 

Originally Posted by mattmjb0188
I love how companies have limitations on other countries.

That may be due to a no compete clause some companies exercise to "Mark their turf"; just a thought.

 

are you still interested in the dv8?

 

Just received my new dv8t.
So far I really like it.
Took me around a day to set it up to my liking.
A couple of Nvidia video driver crashes, but no big deal.
I did notice the power cord wiggles in its connector,
but as this is a desktop replacement this isn't important to me.
I also notice the trackpad buttons seem cheesy.

As I am an amateur astronomer, and use the computer at night,
I am sensitive to bright lights.
I have put red cellophane over the bright white LED's above the keyboard,
and black duct tape over the "HP" on the back and the light next to the trackpad.
I think the white-on-black keycaps are visible in low light,
despite the lack of keyboard backlight.

Thanks for everyone's info on this forum.
I even received the $100 back on the processor upgrade.

I have attached my astronomy desktop customized for this resolution
(but squooshed down to max 480k upload size).
If people are interested I can explain what it is.
It is a real, unretouched photo from the HST!

Best Regards,
Thanks,
Mark

 

Great shot, Mark. And congratulations on your new laptop!

 

i have been using the dv8 for a couple of weeks now .. i maxed out all the settings including the i7-820qm,8gb,1tb etc etc ...
but i just dnt like the performance it takes time 2 load at start up and it freezes sometimes also i have noticed that the geforce stops workin and
the display just goes blank the keyboard buttoms seems like they are fading ...
for $2350 i feel really disappointed .
if any1 got some solutions i would appreciate it

 

Correct. Do the math.

FACT: HP now list only 3 different BIOS versions.
FACT: The BIOS chip is flashed to one of these versions when you get the computer.
FACT: Users state the BIOS cannot be backward flashed.
FACT: Leaving most users with one possible upgrade flash, two at the most.

FACT: "ridiculous to think that anyone with a dv8t-1000 has exceeded their max BIOS write times"

 

So did anybody have the F15 E bios on their DV8? I have upgraded from F5 to F12.

 

I heard people were saying there was to be a coupon for the envy? Has anyone seen one yet?

 

Yep! still waiting on LogicBuy to notify me of a big coupon!

 

I had my dv8t for a month now and absolutely love it. Just one question though, does the bluray player make like a clunking noise when you turn on the computer or when you put in a disc? It's not a loud clunking noise, but a noise nontheless. Just wondering if this was normal. Thanks.

 

The dv8t has been great for me as well. It has froze only once and I fixed the nvidia issue. Other than that I have had no problems with it. The player does make a noise but its more like a loud buzz when you open the dvd door or start it up so its normal. My two biggest issues, even though they are minor, are the wiggly charger connection and the vent being on the bottom of the notebook.

 

So, I'm going to be receiving my dv8t on the weekend. I think that the main point in this forum is to NOT install BIOS version F.15E, and if you install F.12E, be sure to set the settings to default upon reboot. What other things should I do and not do?

 

Don't bother with a clean install. Use the Nvidia driver that HP gives you and hopefully you won't get too much of flashing black screen followed by the Nvidia driver has stopped working. Remember I installed the latest nvidia driver from here which is not digitally signed and my system experienced lockups after resuming from sleep. Other than that you should be ok.

 

Hey guys,
I'm a MSDN subscriber and decided to upgrade windows 7 home premium to ultimate. I figured I might try bitlocker out (or at least have the option when I see more positive things about it) and would play around with the games it comes with.

However,
it seems that my system is a step slower now. Startup takes a few extra seconds, Shutdown takes a couple extra seconds, and opening some programs is a little slower than before. Any thoughts/suggestions how to get things back to normal?

 

The dv8 doesn't do well with clean installs yet alone upgrades. You did upgrade right?

 

Yes I did an upgrade, took about 10 minutes.

This is a little disappointing. A Win 7 upgrade isn't really much at all. All you do is provide a product key and it installs, so I'd imagine most (if not all) the files are already there, but they just need to be "unlocked"

This is also a little concerning because I was hoping to install an Intel SSD in the near future. I do have the recovery discs that HP sent me (I didn't have to make them myself). I don't have much on this system - should I just backup what I have and restore to factory settings? And if things aren't back to normal, exchange it or something? This sucks because I was going to keep my system and not bother with the exchange I was planning.

As a side note: I'm sure some of you already know, but I just found out about "Wizmo" yesterday. Pretty cool little program. You can add little shortcut commands and put them on your taskbar (for example). I put one on there to "turn off my display" - pretty neat and works fairly well. Great for when you hook up your lappy to a tv, etc.

 

You should be fine with the Ultimate upgrade. I did that with mine and did not have any issues at all. I assume you are just entering your Ultimate license code and not doing a clean install. That just enables a few more features and does a small download.

Bitlocker will slow down your laptop about 10%. Unless you are really concerned with security I would stay away from it. It can be removed, but kind of a pain to do.

 

But it is already slowed down and I never turned Bitlocker on.

 

Strange, you should not see any degradation in speed until you turn it on and encrypt the drive. Once the drive is encrypted you will see up to a 10% speed decrease because of the encryption. By adding your ultimate key you really just enabled a few features, non that would slow down the computer.

 

That's exactly what I thought. I double checked and Bitlocker is "off."

 

Well if it bothers you then I would back everything up and revert to factory installed settings. This will also give you Windows 7 Home Premium again. Is bitlocker that important to you? Do you have another computer you can use it on? If exchanged I am positive the same issue would persist. Just promise me you won't update the bios good luck dude

 

No it's not important at all. Just thought I'd get the most out of MSDN lol.

At least it's not as bad as my last Norton experience. PLEASE, never let Norton Utilities (or any program) do ANYTHING to your registry, lol. I did this to a computer a few months ago and it destroyed it - bluescreened within 2 seconds of startup everytime. This of course was before I read about how regedit programs provide no real benefit. Live and learn I guess

 

I have been reading posts on the dv8t for a week or so now and decided to join in after I ordered mine. I received word today that my order shipped from Shanghai today with an estimated delivery date of this Friday. I placed the order direct from HP's website on January 18th so I am pleased with the turnaround on the build. The specs on my dv8t are:
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz FSB) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz
• FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 230M
• 18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
• Lightscribe Blu-ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Espresso Black)
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner
• HP Color Matching Keyboard
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

I have a few questions regarding the dv8t:
1) I see that there are two models of the dv8t noted on HP's site, the dv8t-1000 and dv8t-1100. What is the difference in the two models? Is the 1100 a newer build and does it correct some of the issues noted in prior posts?
2) Other than making a restore/back-up disk upon receiving the laptop, what other tweeks or performance tuning tips would anyone recommend that will increase performace or enhancments of the dv8t?
3) Has anyone overclocked their dv8t and is it worth the effort?
Thanks for your help and I look forward to receiving my laptop this weekend.

 

Hello, I've been lurking for a month or so and decided to join the "fun!" Seriously, I have learned so much from reading this forum and actually it is the relaxing time of my day to catch up on the latest. Where I differ is I have few of the calamities suffered by many of you. Though my rig is in use 14-18 hrs a day, I may not be taxing it much - eg, no games.

I haven't figured out how/where to post my rig info, so here goes:

Core i7 720 QM | 4GB DDR3 | Nvidia GT 230M | Ultra Brightview Infinity 1080p | 500GB 7200 RPM | Wireless-N Mini-card | Bluetooth | Blu-Ray | TV Tuner

I got this sweet machine (yes, mine has been!) on 12/20 after just a 5 day delay (darn, no 10% addtl discount, just $50 coupon!) and have been testing/demo-ing it along with a dv7t and dv6t with same specs. Plan was to keep two, one of which was to be gift to brother. I returned the dv6 quickly due to vastly inferior screen and sound. I have had to make only a few driver fixes (no BIOS, thankfully!) and everything has been working quite well on both the dv7 and dv8. The only thing I really hate is the terrible battery life (virtually identical on both, 1-2 hrs no matter what I adjust). Both have required significant video and audio adjustments, but now are quite nice on both fronts, though the nod clearly goes to the dv8 in both areas, and with battery life differences insignificant and weight/size, well, once they're this big...So, depending on a couple of issues (see below) having more to do with new products post CES than these machines, I plan to keep the dv8 and bestow the dv7 on my bro.

So here are my few dilemnas:

1) This is nuts, but I haven't seen it in the forum and I don't get it: my screens get this grimey/dusty film on them after about 30 mins. open and operating, or every time I re-open them after being closed. It makes white show up as dingy brown streaked, that bad. I have tried microfiber, water, windex, witch hazel, nothing keeps me from having to dust every 30 mins or so. I don't experience this with any other notebook I have or had (there have been many!!).

2) I think both these machines may be way more power than I need - especially with prospect of Core i5 with TRUE switchable IGP, and though I have smaller machines for travel, I would like to cut back on size, weight and power/battery consumption if poss. That said, having struggle with giving up 1080p - I love watching video on my lappy. I am not really a gamer (hence, don't mind weak Nvidia card) and do some photo editing but only as hobby, no video editing. I do love to multitask with Word, Excel, Powerpoint and 15+ browser windows open at a time without ever worrying about performance dips. What else, I dunno, well, I guess it's the "futureproof" issue - I am not hard on my equipment and especially won't be moving this one out of the house much, so I would like to keep it 3-4 yrs and not have new sftwe using multi-threads obsolete it.

3) I really, really hate the lack of a backlit keyboard. I do so much work at night while my wife and daughter are watching TV. As trivial as it may sound, I didn't realize until I replaced the HDX 16 I dropped (no accidental insurance!) how much I would miss it.

4) I drool at the design, size/weight of the Envy 15 and placed an order for one, expected in very late Jan/early Feb. I can still return the dv7 due to special problem, so I could give the 8 to bro and keep the ENVY. I went with the i7 ENVY when I read that only it would have switchable igp and USB 3.0.

5) Aside from all the press articles, take a stroll through Best Buy's "New Items" under notebooks and there is the most complete listing I've seen of what is soon to come with latest Intel technology - amazing stuff, at least for my needs, at $699-$1,099 (check out "baby Qosmio, SONY's, Dells, even Toshibas. (I know, I'm like everyone else, can't deal with speed of technology obsoleting what I bought in one month!)

6) Since I bought both these machines with muchos couponos (sorry Latino brethren!), they each cost me well under a grand, I can sell anything I can't return for even money or a profit, so I really can do anything I want.

So, if this isn't too long to even post, my points are:

1) I love both my dv7 and dv8 and use one or both all day long with no problems, crashes, or overheating - why am I so lucky, or what do I have to look forward to?

2) These may be the wrong machines for me - so much weight, size and power usage for power I don't use.

3) Is anyone having this incredibly annoying screen grime problem, anyone found a solution?

4) Can I offer my dv7 or dv8 at, say, $900 on this forum, or is it verbotten by the rules, and I need to use eBay?

Thanks for teaching me soooo much. I will join in now, but with MUCH shorter comments!

Cheers (aka, Jeff)

 

I know that you and a few others had problems with clean installs, but I and a few others also reported no problems at all with clean installs. I am not discounting the problems you have had, but also don't think that a blanket statement that you can't do a clean install on a dv8 is entirely accurate. I did not update the bios beyond F12 after hearing problems others have had with F15.

 

Not sure about the keyboard fading part, but 20 pages or so back there was a workaround using certain Nvidia drivers that pretty much eliminates the default Nvidia driver crashes most of us were getting right out of the box.

You can try installing drivers off the Nvidia site but most of us get errors upon installation. (thats why theres a workaround). You can also try laptopvideo2go's modified Nvidia drivers too like I did. Some will work fine but the catch is that I found was that even though crashes were eliminated and I got sometimes better framerates in certain games- my bluray software would show an overlay error and I wouldn't be able to watch any friggin' movies. So after some finagglin' I found a driver that worked wonders for me.
I use 195.62. I find that its very stable and zero nvidia display errors that I got from the default out of the box drivers. And I can watch Bluray movies like i freakin should be able to.

Aloha

 

I just got my dv8t yesterday. I actually ordered it on Dec 16 -- it didn't ship until a week ago. I got a $50 coupon and 10% credit for the delays.

Anyway, it came with BIOS F.13 -- which I haven't seen mentioned here

 

See when I used 195.62 it was fine until I put the computer in sleep. Do you use sleep mode? My system also locked up after using hibernate too. ):


Anyway I e-mailed HP last night about updating the video driver and they respond by telling me my unit is defective and its needs to sent in for repair. Here is what I exactly wrote and their response. Look how ridiculous this is. I even linked them to the thread on their site about this issue. They even tell me my notebook is out of warranty lol. Their support is horrible. Their customer service is outsourced and they don't understand. Why would HP do this to their customers. I would expect a normal reply like "We are currently working on one" This frustrates me to know end. Its like they are insulting my intelligence.

The screen will occasionally flash black and come back with the following error message in the lower right "Nvidia Display Driver has stopped working, and has now recovered" This is happening on all the dv quad notebooks with the Gt 230M. WE need an updated driver. Please refer to others currently experiencing this issue as its NOT JUST MY NOTEBOOK. HP NEEDS TO UPDATE THE SEPTEMBER 2009 DRIVER!!!!

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Displa...tops-responding-and-periodic-BSOD/td-p/186410
troubleshooting : I did a system recover 6 times, problem still is present. Updated my BIOS, problem still present. Uninstalled the Nvidia driver and reinstalled problem still present.

Hello Matt,

Thank you for contacting HP Total Care.

From your e-mail I understand that you are experiencing an issue with your notebook where in you have stated that you get an error message “Nvidia display driver has stopped working”.



I appreciate the effort that you have put in to troubleshoot the issue and apologize for all the inconvenience this matter might have caused you and would try to answer your queries accordingly and to the best of my abilities.



From the description of the issue it is clear that the notebook needs special attention from our technician from our service center. So I would suggest you to send the notebook for repair service. It would be a paid support as the notebook is out of warranty.



Matt, please forward us your shipping address so that we can initiate the mail in service for your notebook.

Once we receive the unit, it takes approximately 5 to 7 business days to return it to you.

Matt, please get back to us with the requested information and we will be happy to assist you further.

For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our Web site
at:
http://www.hp.com/go/totalcare

Sincerely,

Poonam

HP Total Care