*HP dv8 Owners Lounge*

This kind of thing is one reason why I went for dual regular HDDs with the intent to purchase an SSD of my choice from NewEgg or similar type vendor later on (when hopefully the price has come down a bit more). But being able to choose the make and model and not having to depend on HP for support was also a major consideration. On the other hand, an SSD purchased from a (non HP) third party obviously won't be covered under the laptop warranty, but usually these things have pretty good manufacturer's warranties. Also, I thought HP's price for the pre-installed SSD option was probably higher than what I can find from a place like NewEgg even at the present time.

But for you who have Samsung SSD's, is it not possible to install Samsung's firmware and get trim support earlier than you would by waiting for HP?

 

Wow! You have such great foresight! I opted for SSD for the speed and the belief that eventually HP would support it. I still believe that and love having 3 times the speed for loading programs and files. I sure have no regrets but prefer to lobby HP for their help than sit back and do nothing.

(on a different matter, Peter, have you had a chance to look into your registry and device mangler regarding the DriveGuard issue with "supported' and "unsupported" drives?)

Au contraire! Before I ordered, I checked around and the incremental cost from HP was less than half of what other vendors were pricing the same size SSD. I saw numbers up to 4 times the HP price. Maybe THOSE were for ones with firmware onboard that supported TRIM in Win7...

Yes, as I have posted in this thread earlier (about 4 days ago), there is very limited success out there with that. Performing the firmware update requires a "suitable" PC. One fellow claims to have one that works (his other 4 PCs wouldn't work!) and others have removed the as-delivered firmware with "step 1" of the Samsung update package, then had the application of the new firmware fail in the middle of "step 2" producing a bricked SSD! It is not for the faint of heart! It is for that very reason that most of us (including myself) would prefer that HP develop the update kit that would run on an HP Dv7 or Dv8 laptop. That's why I recommend all of the current owners of HP laptops with SSDs (AND those contemplating adding one later ) go to sign the online petition that asks HP to develop a firmware update package for the Samsung SSDs they offer.
Please go and sign it - today!! Here's its link:
http://www.petitiononline.com/HPFW4SSD/petition.html

 

I signed your petition just now.

I don't have time to look in the registry today. I'm leaving for a week long trip to the Bay Area early tomorrow morning and have a million things to do to get ready for the trip (like packing to name one). I'm goofing off by browsing this thread at the moment when I should be packing, copying video files to bring with me, etc. Anyway, after I get there (with my DV8 in tow), and have some free time in the hotel room, I'll try to dig into the appropriate key and report back, if someone else hasn't already done so by then.

On another subject, my 200 watt rms Logitech 2.1 (Z-2300) THX certified external speakers showed up this morning and I quickly installed them. The sub is pretty big and amazing. Overall I'm extremely impressed with the sound for the price I paid for these things from HP Direct which was $113 shipped (including tax). These should be awesome for gaming and movies. Though I wouldn't say I'm an audiophile, I'm very picky about sound. For music, I would say they're great for the money but not quite as good as the ~$300 Bose 2.1 system (can't recall the model # atm). Those who like heavy prominent bass would disagree and prefer these Logitech speakers to the Bose. Some day, perhaps I'll come across a good deal on some higher quality mid range speakers that I could connect to the amp in the sub instead of the Logitech supplied satellites. Maybe I can even purchase just the Bose satellites separately somewhere which would be cool and then I'm sure this system would be further improved. But I'm being very picky as it's already pretty awesome as is, especially considering the relatively low price. Really, I don't think one can get better sound for what these cost (just like one would be hard pressed to find a better computer than the DV8 at the price one can get the DV8 for with instant rebates, coupons or BCB, etc. ). I'm kind of sorry I'm leaving on my trip tomorrow as I would like to be able to enjoy these more before taking off.

 

Cheers to us all!

I understand and, philosophically, I feel that if the issue with DriveGuard hasn't been solved in the last few months, it'll keep for another week or so. I used to live in that area and always reflect fondly on it - i think it's a great and fun place to go for a week. I gather it's a work trip but I'm sure you enjoy it anyway.

If you don't, I'll not complain.

Sounds like a great buy (not as good, perhaps, as the Dv8!)! Obviously, since you've already tried them out, you know that they're good and are happy with them. That's good enough for me! Congrats! I'm still hoping I'll be as satisfied with the Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 light I ordered.

 

I think you'll like the Xraflex 2 a lot. I know I sure do.

As an aside, I found another more expensive battery powered "toy" that may also work for lighting up the keyboard that I just ordered yesterday. Although I didn't purchase it specifically for that application because I'm satisfied with the XtraFlex2 in that role. But another of my hobbies (addictions might be a better description) is LED flashlights although I only have a few so far. But the technology is pretty amazing these days and it is progressing just like computer tech getting better at an amazing rate. We'll all be using LED "bulbs" in our houses before long I think.

Anyway, I just ordered one of these LED flashlights (actually it's a hybrid flashlight/headlight) that might also work very well for lighting up the keyboard. It's a Zebralight H501w. A google search on that will turn up photos and descriptions.

Anyway, it's basically a very small hybrid headlight/flashlight that runs on a single AA (NiMH rechargeable or other types) and can be used w/o the headband. It's not much larger than the AA battery that powers it and has three brightness levels. It throws an 80 degree flood type smooth beam pattern out the side instead of straight ahead like a normal flashlight and it can stand up ("candlestick" mode) on a table. So it could be placed on the table alongside the keyboard and the light pointed right across the keyboard. It should light it up really well on the lowest brightness level. Runtime on low is rated at 3.5 days on its single NiMH rechargeable AA which is pretty incredible.

Anyway, I didn't buy it specifically for the keyboard but it may turn out to be even better than the Xtraflex 2 for that application, although that remains to be seen. The cost for the Zebralight H501w at $59.00 is, however, much greater than the Xtraflex 2 at ~ $20. I bought it mainly as a highly portable task light and for power outages since it can light up a room on med or high better than most large lanterns and this thing is so light and tiny it's just amazing.

 

I'm very optimistic!

That's quite neat! Though I would find it amusing to see a photo of you typing on your Dv8 wearing your Zebralight, I'm sure it would be very effective.

I've been an avid enthusiast about LED lights for about a decade now. Zebralight is a brand I know - I already own a miner's style 4-bulb light powered by 4 AAA NiMH batts that I bought years ago for use in working underneath the chassis and dashboard on my 1968 MB sports car. I agree that LED is the future and the compact flourescent lamp (CFL) is the transition. I have bought many LED lamps from C.Crane (better known for their AM radios) but you may want to check them out. As you note, the technology improvements have been dramatic and the output of near-white lamps seems to increase every week.

 

Ooops! Spoke too soon. Just started encountering some issues with the new sound driver 6.10.6269.0. Some applications would play sound and others would not....Uninstalled and reinstalled 6.10.6255.0. All is well.

 

Att: All dv8 owners with fading keyboard letters!


Good news, and bad news.


Good news: Someone from HP is actually trying to do something about the keyboard lettering problem (see partially redacted email below - he asked that I not publish his name or email address, as he wants to avoid getting 1,500 emails!)


Bad news: He calls it the "FV8 Keyboard"

Seriously, I'll give him a break and call it a typo, the F being next to the D and all, lol. Anyway, for all the unanswered inquiries, score one for the owners!

I don't know how he proposes to have "both" of my keyboards in his lab while I type on...[what?] Anyway, he's calling back tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

From: "S, Ralph
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:54:03 +0000
To: [email protected]<j.com>
Subject: FV8 Keyboard



Hello


I have seen some communications about the keyboard keys problem you are experiencing,
We are very interested about investigating this issue, - Would it be possible to talk to you and discuss some options?

I would like to have this keyboard captured and tested in our engineering lab – both keyboards would be even better.

What is a good number to reach you at>?

Ralph S
PSG NA Mobile Warranty Services
HP Mobile Services

 

I also had problems with that IDT driver (after I got the driver part installed) and reverted back and everything is fine again.

Re the keyboard, it's great someone at HP is looking into it. I assume he would send you another keyboard to use while he examines yours.

 

Hi all

My HDX18 came to an untimel demise courtesy of my rear tyre. Not sure if the HDMI on that could do surround but i'm looking at a dv8.

Does anyone know if the HDMI port can do 5.1 / 7.2 without the optical output or is it just stereo?

 

It does Dolby simulated 7.1 digital output via hdmi (it's hdmi v1.3)

 

I just installed SpeedFan, and it reported my OS as Windows Vista in the Debug part of the install. Has anyone else had this happen?

 

This is because speed fan isn't natively win7 compatible. It officially supports up to windows vista.......

 

Pulled straight from the speedfan website:
If you need a tool that can change your computer's fan speeds, read the temperatures of your motherboard and your hard disk, read voltages and fan speeds and check the status of your hard disk using S.M.A.R.T. or SCSI attributes, then you came to the right place. SpeedFan is the software to go. It is fully configurable and you can create custom events to handle every situation in an automated way. SpeedFan works under Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, 2003, XP and Vista. SpeedFan works fine on Vista 64 bit too. The relevant driver is now signed with my digital certificate. And this all costs you absolutely nothing!

 

Any idea how one can verify that Speed control is working with our Dv8 MoBo, etc.?

 

Ok, anybody out there having problems with heat on your computer, I may have a solution. It seems that the clearance on the bottom of our computer is not enough to efficiently draw air to the intake vent. It doesn't matter if it's in your lap or on a desk, in the center of the computer heat builds up, at least for me. What I have done is take a couple of books, and elevate the laptop so there is more clearance on the bottom where our intake vent is and I am VERY happy to report a computer that is virtually cool to the touch after recording live television for 2 hours. This seems to be a design flaw in my opinion, HP should have some kind of foldout legs or something on the bottom so there is sufficient cooling clearance. Anybody else have problems with heat in the center /left of the computer?

 

Yes, I believe I speak for several of us when I say we have determined that the Dv8 runs cool (below 65C) when it receives adequate ventilation. Each of us has different ways to achieve that degree of ventilation - some buy support pads/devices with built-in fans, others raise up the front and the back with supports (as you and I have apparently been doing), and yet others monitor the GPU and CPU temps with SpeedFan and shutdown when it rises above 65C.... some do a combination of more than one of these. I guess what really matters is that we pay attention and avoid overheating.

I agree and wish HP had recognized that such provisions were needed and included them. While HP was short of provisions in the ventilation area, we are fortunate that simple precautions mitigate the issue rather easily. Given how well these perform, I'm glad it's not difficult to live with.

 

Considering how hot the i7 quad core CPUs run, I think the DV8 runs fairly cool and seems to have a well designed cooling system overall.

Mine idles in the low 60's and does not exceed the high 70's/low 80's after several hours of intense 3D gaming with the machine flat on a desk (not raised up at all). I think that is actually fairly decent "stock" cooling performance, all things considered.

I would, however, still prefer my machine to run even cooler, so in the very near future I intend to start using a cooling pad with built in fans that increase the air flow into the intake vents on the bottom of the DV8 which should be even better than just raising it up. In the meantime, until I get my cooling pad, I'll try raising it up a bit as zman420 suggests, perhaps with a few well placed quarters, and see if that makes a significant difference.

But I do agree that there is really not enough clearance for good airflow under the laptop. As Phil said, it's fortunate that it's easy to take measures to compensate for this minor issue. Aside from that easily remedied issue, I think the cooling system is pretty good.

 

You guys are right, at least it is easily remedied, much better than a fan that is not powerful enough. I was quite surprised at the temperature difference just by doing that little bit. Don't know if I want to drop the $ on a cooling pad just yet. The computer runs MUCH more stable when it is kept cooler. Don't see how they could have overlooked the clearance issue in all honesty. 1 hour worth of using it as they specify and you can tell it is getting too hot. I will say that my Macbook Pro (while I had it) ran at 50-55C and that was a core 2 duo. This machine runs the same idle temps as that machine WITH the inadequate cooling and it's a core i7. I guess that is really saying something.

 

I think that spending on a cooling pad is unnecessary since flow restriction is the actual issue and that issue is easily solved by raising it up about 1/4 inch!

I haven't let mine go above 75C yet and have seen no stability issues - period!

However, if like Peter (pae77), if you have the dual HDD configuration, exercise greater care as that is the configuration that I believe will run the warmest. If Peter's stays reasonably cool, the Dv8 has no real heat issue but the user must pay some attention to it.

I think it was derived from the Dv7 rather hastily to add high-end features and they didn't spend the time to ensure clearance for cooling vents. My Toshiba Core 2 Duo runs just as hot (and the "cure" is the same 1/4 inch elevation) and Toshiba had plenty of time to develop it. Down deep, I really think they did it to keep it as small as possible for style and marketing reasons.

 

I agree with most of what has been said here on the subject of heat and the operation of the HP dv8t. No, the computer is not among the hottest laptops made, but even idling in the 60s and going into the 80s during gaming or HD video will take its toll on the machine over time. And it is a given that the laptop will run hotter and hotter with age.

Folks, the only thing that puzzles me is a tendency from some members (and yes, this does mean you, Phil, though I have great respect and gratitude for your thoughtful and helpful posts to try to minimize the issue and avoid taking any but minimalist steps to improve cooling. Elevating the bottom is clearly a great and necessary practice - for all notebooks, but especially the dv8. But go one small step further; you can't possibly regret it.

My point: save yourself a lot of *possible* aggravation and cost and buy and use a cooling pad, at least during prolonged gaming or video playback. The double advantage of most of them is that, besides circulating cool air directly into the intake vents on the bottom of the dv8, many of them have "feet" at the back to elevate both the cooling pad and computer together. I am especially fond of the Targus Chill Matt AW19 http://www.amazon.com/Targus-AWE19U...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272127819&sr=8-3 because it does have the rear elevation, has two very strong fans (yes, they can be a bit noisy - spend $60 and the Zalman will do similarly, more quitely), is cheap ($20-$30) and I find strange comfort every time I feel the genuinely cool air whooshing underneath the computer and every time I see, even during Intel stress tests, temps staying at levels that *eliminate* heat as an issue, now and forever.

Personally, I have come to love this computer (bless its $860 cost after stacks of coupons and corporate discounts during Chirstmas, its unlit and fading keyboard, its decidedly mediocre gpu and its all but absent HP driver support!) and, all things being equal, I want to do all I can to preserve it in good working order for as long as possible.

So, let's not debate if this computer runs hot, warm or cool. It will run better and live longer if it is helped to run even cooler, and it is cheap and easy to make a big difference with a cooling pad. Wind power; it's the answer!

Love and kisses to all!

 

Gotta disagree with LoveLaptops. Mine doesn't idle in the 60's! It peaks in the 60's!!! It idles around 55C. Only when I restricted the vent access to air did it EVER get into the 80's. That's what I wrote and THAT'S I meant!

If you elevate it as I described (1/4 inch front and rear), you won't go above 65C and that's all that's necessary. I'm not minimizing anything - I'm an engineer and, by nature and training, I'm just stating facts.

I feel LoveLaptops is fine with this recommendation but I don't believe he should assert that it's necessary or essential or the only way to achieve proper temps in the Dv8. Readers:If you prefer to spend your $$$ this way, that's fine but there are far less expensive ways to keep the laptop from cooking itself to death.

I agree but everyone should make their own evaluation and decide for themselves how much they can justify. I could just set it on refreezeable icebox pads but everyone else should now that THAT is not necessary. Glad you are happy with your choice, LoveLaptops.

Simple NOT true! There is a temp, above which, the CPU starts to degrade and begins to fail. Below that temp (around 65C according to Intel), the CPU life is not lengthened or extended! Obsolence will kill the Dv8 before the CPU dies at 65C.... There's a new Asus laptop that runs at least twice as fast, and costs less, and it is an example of how short and fragile technological superiority is.

 

Phil:

Very well said. I just bought a dv8 for someone and will pass on your recommendations. The recipient is not a gamer and I doubt he will have heat issues, but an ounce of simple remediation is worth a pound of service calls.

Me? I'm waiting for the Envy 17 with Dual Intel G2 SSDs . I recently returned an Envy 15 with G1s and it was a screamer. It blew away our enterprise server running benchmarks on massive time series calculations, but I gotta have TRIM and the bigger screen.

 

It pains me to say this, but I think if I were buying new today, and there wasn't a great coupon deal on the dv8 (which lately, after several months without, I have seen some $999 deals for the base model) I might seriously consider the SONY F series, if you must have a quad Core i7, or the Dell Studio XPS 16 if you wanted the cooler running, 3+ battery life virtues of the core i5 series. I say it "pains" me because I love my dv8 and have been going all over NBR singing its praises and trying to get the naysayers to find the answers to their niggling problems and stick with this machine, which is developing a bit of a "cult" like following - in the "good" sense of the word! Thing is, HP simply has not promoted this machine. It has the misfortune to be released around the same time as the Envy, and HP put all their marketing behind the Envy. The dv8 has always suffered from a bit of "orphan" status, in that it was not well promoted or supported (ie, with drivers) and they rushed it into production with a couple of serious feature omissions (backlit keyboard, better graphics), which they have not corrected in refreshes. I owned an HDX-16 with all the toys, including backlit keyboard, and I have to say that, other than the Core i7, I liked the HDX better - especially it's special "North American" tech support.

The SONY has had generally rave reviews and user comments (it's biggest single gripe was a "whistling" sound in the early units, which I think they have eliminated with driver updates. The Dell has long been a story of "flawed greatness." It's a beautifully designed machine aesthetically, runs circles around everything non-Mac that's out there. It has every feature you generally could want from an entertainment oriented DTR: good-to-superb (RGBLED) screens, all 1080p, very good (not gamer/pro) ATI gpu (4670), Blu ray (ROM and burners, slot loading, "Mac-like") backlit keyboard, HDMI, eSata and ExpressCard (almost every competitor - except dv8 - misses one of these), and, with the core i5 (any of the three models), excellent hyper threading/"turbo boost" cpu performance, actually better than the quad Core i7 in some apps/benchmarks, always close), which runs cool and, from friends I know, not "published reviews" or even forum posts, you can get 3+ hours on the standard 9 cell battery, using medium brightness and wifi on continuously. I don't know what it's blu ray run down time is; I suspect in the 1.75 hr range.

And then there is the pick-your-poison choices of customer support. Between HP, Dell and SONY, I would give a slight nod to SONY, though for me HP wins hands-down because at present I actually have some "buddies" at HP who help make things happen for me.

I guess you only asked whether the dv8 HDMI supports Dolby 7.2, so this may be a ridiculously long post answering questions you did not ask. I do hope, if it was not information you were seeking or lacking, it is nonetheless conversation-stimulating on this thread, as there certainly have been enough complaints about the dv8 thrown around and many of us are disappointed that HP seems to have abandoned the dv8 and its owners with lack of refreshing (espec. gpu, backlit keys) and lack of driver updating.)

Thoughts?

 

Youch! Sorry, Phil, if I touched a nerve. I surely did not mean to. You are an asset to this thread, I just happened to have a different opinion than you, and I admit that it does not come equipped with years of technical knowledge. I misread your statement that you idle in the 50s and peak in the 60s. If that peak is with heavy gaming, HD video or stress test benchmarks, and all you do to achieve it is to raise up the laptop, you are right and I stand corrected: the cooler is just a "security blanke" that feels good, but, according to Phil's superior experience, is a useless (though cheap) add-on. (FWIW, it does add 4 more USB ports and an "engineered" solution to raising the machine up for air while slanting the keyboard for an improved typing angle.

As for the dv8 becoming technologically obsolete before major components fail due to long term effects of heat, that is a very user-specific evaluation. Unless standard software apps appear that won't run on my dv8, I would expect this "consumer" laptop to give out before it became inadequate for my needs. But I am not a gamer, do not do professional phot or video editing, etc. I just want a very fast laptop that doubles as a portable entertainment center and peforms fine with 8 programs and 15 browser windows open.

Sorry Phil, I was not impugning your advice. If I felt a need to (doubt that would occur) I would PM it to you. Friends?

 

I didn't feel that way. I just thought that some clarification was needed.

That's all I see in my use of the Dv8. I am not a gamer but use it for hours on end doing photo and video editing. I've run video/gaming benchmarks and haven't seen temperature excursions above 65C.

BTW, in support of your advocacy of an aluminum fan-pad, i might find it to be more desirable if you use the laptop in your lap as I do.... that 65C air feels VERY warm in my lap even though it is not doing any harm to my Dv8.

There's nothing wrong with having a security blanket for this issue. I NEVER suggested or stated that it was useless - there's a BIG difference between not being essential and being useless. (It seems it may be me that touched a nerve, eh?) I'm sorry if my post presented such a strong negative characterization in your reading of it. I suggested that everyone should make their own assessment of how their own Dv8 behaves in their own use of it. If they feel the extra air circulation (and other goodies unrelated to ventilation) warrant use of a fan-pad, I think that is fine if they feel it justifies one. YMMV....

Just my opinion and presented as such. I have a 10-year old IBM laptop that performs what I ask of it quite well but I don't attempt to use its meager 1Gb memory and 1.6Ghz CPU to edit video or photos (though it runs at only 42C)! It's now obsolete technologically for such a demanding use.

I expect you will still move on to a new one before the Dv8 expires from temperature issues (though it's still serviceable for many of its current uses). Just my opinion

While I don't think there's really that much disagreement here, I am okay with it even if there were. We may just say/read things in ways that can be understood as emphasizing things which we didn't intend.

 

Thanks for the favorable comment.

I've heard great things from folks who enjoy their Envy. Nice choice! If you "gotta have TRIM" support, how long do you think you'll have to wait for HP to provide it?

It has become my passion to get TRIM support for my Sammy SSD and no sign of HP action to make it happen since Samsung released the firmware update for TRIM last January. Did you know there's a petition on PetitionOnLine to encourage HP to make a TRIM-capable firmware update package available for the Samsung SSD?

http://www.petitiononline.com/HPFW4SSD/petition.html

 

My understanding from the Envy forum is that if you un-raid the Envy's dual G2s and install the Intel SSD tookit, Win7 automatically does TRIM. I didn't try it since I knew I was sending mine back, but others report success.

I held off ordering the Envy 15 until it seemed that HP was consistently shipping Intel G2s. Apparently there was an issue with the G2s that caused HP to revert to the G1s just b4 my machine was built. Seems they are now shipping G2s again. Go figure.

Even tho I ordered the dv8 without the SSD, I will sign the petition since the lack of TRIM support is what kept me from buying a dv8 for myself.

 

Good on signing the petition.

I gather HP supports the firmware in the Intel SSDs and that firmware supports TRIM? You're fortunate if that's the case. Do the Intel SSDs come with firmware that supports TRIM so it needn't be updated? If not, does the Intel firmware update package run successfully on ENVY laptops? Excuse rambling- written hastily....

 

The Envy SSD config is dual Intel 160GB drives in RAID 0. The first issue is that TRIM is not supported on RAID. The second is that Intel does not support TRIM on G1s but does on G2s. Hence my waiting for the G2s and returning the machine w/ G1s. (There were other reasons, such as HP muffing the order, causing me to lose tthe Bing 20% promotioon of nearly $600). Folks on the Envy forum have had success un-raiding the disks and using the Intel SSD software. Win7 picks it up and performs TRIM automatically.

The SSD upgrade on the Envy 15 is a screaming bargain at $550 for the *pair*, since until recently that is what retailers were chraging for s signle bare drive. Also note that the drives that HP installs are 1.8", which are hard to come by. I am hoping that HP offers the same dual SSD option on the Envy 17 and they ship G2s.

 

Getting back to the heat and cooling issue for a moment, I have an additional comment I would like to make. It's true that CPU's (and GPU's for that matter) are designed to operate at temps much higher than 65C. But the fact remains that heat is not good for electronic components in general and the less heat the better (up to a point). Also, when the CPU and GPU heat up, the other electronic components, (such as PCBs, cables, HD, etc.,) inside the laptop also are exposed to more heat potentially shortening their useful life. So I agree with lovelaptops on that point even though it is not my main concern.

So, imo, there are valid reasons to take additional steps to reduce heat even if it stays in the 60's by itself.

But for whatever reason, mine unfortunately does not stay in the 60's. I usually see temps in the low 80's when I engage in 3D gaming. As I said before, I think that is entirely reasonable for a stock i7 based laptop, but I would like to keep it cooler than that.

Also, my reasons for wanting the laptop to run cooler than stock are not because I'm not so concerned with the laptop lasting many years. For me personally, it will be obsolete within 2 or 3 years max because almost certainly by then, there will new technology that I will be eager to experience and take advantage of, even if the DV8 would still be capable of doing what I need it to do.

My main reason for wanting to get the DV8's temps as low as possible are simply to keep the laptop's internal fan (which is a little noisy for my tastes) from coming on so frequently. And to accomplish that, I need to keep the temps below ~60 C most of the time. (And if as a side benefit, the lower temps help my DV8 to have a longer trouble free life, so much the better, but again, that's not my primary concern.)

At the present time, when I watch an HD video, my CPU temps are in the 70's. When I game, they're in the low 80's. When I do almost anything, the CPU temps move up into the mid 60's and sometimes even higher, which is enough to kick the internal fan up to a higher and noisier spin rate.

So my main reason for buying a Zalman cooling pad is for its quieter fans and hopefully for it to cool well enough to keep the laptop's fan from coming on while I'm watching videos and doing other routine computing tasks. I don't expect the Zalman to keep the internal fan from coming on while gaming but if it does that I'll be very impressed indeed.

 

I'm having a little issue with the HP Mediasmart live TV app. I installed a security app called KeyScrambler which encrypts keystrokes to defeat any potential keyloggers that may be present on a public network or which might somehow get installed on one's machine. Anyway whenever I activate the KeyScrambler app and try to type a post, it causes the Mediasmart TV app to launch within the first 20 or so keystrokes I make.

I'm thinking that somehow the encrypted keystrokes are causing Mediasmart Live TV to launch. Perhaps they are transmitting some hotkey combination that is launching the Mediasmart app. Does anyone know if there is any way of turning off whatever hotkey combination of keystrokes that might be causing it to launch or have any other ideas? When I looked in the settings of the Mediasmart Live TV app, I see nothing I could adjust, perhaps because the machine I'm presently using does not have a TV tuner installed. (The one in my sig below that has the TV tuner is waiting at home for me to get back from this trip I'm currently on.)

In the meantime, I've been forced to disable the Keyscrambler app until and unless I can figure out a way to keep Mediasmart Live TV from launching when I type with Keyscrambler enabled.

EDIT: I fixed it. Simply required changing a setting in Keyscrambler's options. Under the advanced tab, just had to uncheck the box that said "distinguish unencrypted keys" and that stopped the unwanted behavior of Mediasmart launching as described above.

 

Phil,

It may just be an issue of personal style, but I so much prefer a friendly, collegial level of discourse, even when there's disagreement. You just sounded ticked off with my comments, ticked off about the whole issue, and that just creates an air of unpleasantness in the thread I hope to avoid. See Peter's (pae...) post as a synopsis of the temperature issue I agree with completely, says it far better than I was able to. Peace. Jeff

 

Peter,

[Very, very] well said! Hopefully all will be in agreement with your articulate thought piece on this surprisingly controversial subject (funny, check out most other threads for quad Core i7s and the only debate seems to be how to get the heat down, not whether it's necessary to do so!).

Please do provide feedback on your Zalman: quietness, cooling specs, overall usability. You convinced me that missing a few of the dv8's air vents will not necessarily reduce its utility at all, and my plasticky, noisy-ish cooler is probably in need of an upgrade.

Last word (for me) on this subject is perhaps the most important reason by far for focusing on heat: just about everything inside a computer is extremely toxic! These machines are indoor envionmental nightmares, and heat just activates loads of chemicals inside them that we ingest and absorb from a device that by its nature we use in extremely close proximity to our nose, mouth, eyes, etc. I am NOT particularly obsessed with (or knowledgeable about) indoor pollution, but I have read articles by non-fanatic environmental scientists (I'll do some quick research and post a link if I find a good one), who suggest that you *never* operate a modern electronic device that consumes AC power (computer, TV, home theatre receiver, etc.) without having outdoor ventilation nearby.

My final words on all aspects of this topic: Cool it!

Best,

Jeff

 

Well for what it is worth HP have cut me lose, 3 weeks repair or nothing they are now ignoring me. I will never buy another bit of IT from them, I won't be missed but I will surely pass my bad experience on to anyone that will listen.

 

Nice job! Got a PM coming to u later today.

 

I have no idea what the problem is since you didn't mention it in your post but it doesn't sound unreasonable that HP is offering to fix your laptop. It's a shame that it might take 3 weeks or even longer (you never know). This is precisely why I find it necessary to have a backup machine.

 

I've had my DV8 raised up on a stack of six quarters placed under each of its four "feet" for over a day now and I haven't noticed much change in the baseline temp. It's still idling in the low 60's while doing routine stuff. It drops down to 58-59 if leave it on and don't touch it for hours. Since I have not seen a noticeable change with it jacked up on the quarters, I don't think there is a problem with the amount of clearance under the laptop.

If one's temps are elevated, perhaps the intake and exhaust vents and/or the fan, needs cleaning.

 

.
Amen to that. Actually I like to have 2 backups. Hence, my handle :"lovelaptops" Never met a new laptop I didn't want to buy!

 

My SSD drive is a Samsung and I appear to have trim enabled...

You can confirm trim is running by going to cmd.exe and rightclick on it and run as administrator.
Paste in or write this command "fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify"

If the result is '0' TRIM is enabled.

----------------

In response to a prior post about the power button reacting different at certain times...... a common knowledge fact thats not so publicized, regardless of how you have the power button assigned, the bios will interpret a hold down of the power button for a period of over 4 seconds as an immediate "non graceful" shutdown that will over ride any other settings.

 

Latest IDT Audio Driver doesn't work. I installed the latest driver posted yesterday on the driver page. Win 7 x64 says the driver is unsigned. It allowed me to install it anyway but after rebooting it disabled the driver in device manager saying it won't execute it because the driver is unsigned.

 

That's too bad. I wonder why ...

So the ENVY can run the Intel firmware update package successfully? Awesome!

Seems like a good deal. With TRIM the durability of the SSDs should be markedly better. The Samsung 256GB SSD is 2.5 inch, drops right into the Dv8, and costs only $300. A good deal if HP would get off their 'duff" and develop and release for the firmware update that enables TRIM support under Win7.

 

Jeff, sorry if you got that impression. I did not find your tone (quoting me erroneously) collegial. I responded strongly ONLY to that misquote so it would be clear to others reading who might not notice sublety.

The rest of my post was statements of facts and I don't know how you can derive unpleasantness from factual non-personal statements. As I was leaving town and wished to get the facts out there, I wrote hastily and may have omitted more of the sugar-coating I would normally insert.

I'll get to it and respond to it if warranted.

 

Alan:

Just a note: If TRIM command is enabled (=0), it does NOT mean SSD will operate under it. TRIM is enabled by default under Win7. So, having TRIM enabled according to this setting, which you do, means that the file system will send TRIM commands down the storage stack. The return of "0" doesn't mean that the file system knows whether this command will be supported or not at a lower level. When the disk driver and firmware receives the command, it will either act on it, or ignore it, depending on whether all the components support the command.
Samsung SSDs still require updated firmware BEFORE they will support TRIM. The test for this end-to-end compliance is available in Crystal Disk Info as I noted in an earlier post.

 

Peter:
I agree with most of your statements (they come very close to mine late last week - ). I thought the issue was whether they became elevated when the machine is used heavily as I described when using it for editing photos and videos. In my case, with 1/4 extra elevation at each corner pad (as you use), I find the temps do not rise above 65C hence I submit that no cooling pad is necessary beneath the Dv8 to keep temps from shortening its life.

 

Jeff:I would agree with your unquantified statement about indoor pollution. Without quantifying the emissions and the ambient levels from other sources within a dwelling, I cannot develop much concern. Certainly emissions will go up significantly if our laptops operate above 65C but below that it seems unlikely that health issue will arise. Long before I'd worry about low CPU/GPU temperatures causing serious health issues, I'd be sure I had no Radon level in my home. EPA calls it the greatest indoor pollution risk in U.S. and they're aware of microwave ovens and PCs.

 

The issue is valid and I agree with your considering it, Peter. Like others here, it's easy to raise the concern but, without objective measures of the issue (not just the temps), I see no reason to consider it a threat to how long you will be able to use your machine. While I've suggested that most of us will find our current machines obsolete in a couple or three years, I believe those machines will still work satisfactorily for everything but competitive purposes for up to a decade.
Let me explain a bit ...

While I've maintained and repaired laptop and desktop PCs since 1983 in my shop, I've never had any come in for repair from the causes you express concern about (though I can never rule out the possibility that next week the first one may come in). Based on that experience and observation over many years, the wiring has never been damaged to the point of causing failure unless a connected component fried and burned out, overloading the connected wire. (It's similar to the Highway Patrol Officer who talks about never unbuckling a a dead person in a car accident as an indication of how much seatbelt use increases survival.) Your laptop will probably be relegated to backup status and uses, LONG before any major components fail, and, after donating it to GoodWill, a second or third user is unlikely to ever see any thermal damage to its wiring from operating it within the 65C limit on the CPU.

When I see an inoperable machine, it's usually a failed CPU (running mostly too hot), an HDD (from use or dropping), or the power supply (notoriously marginal designs except on high-end gaming machines).
Cheers...

 

Phil,

Phil,

All I ask is that we keep things light on this thread. We are only trying to help each other or, frankly, hang out with people who share our hobbies and passions. You have credentials I do not regarding the operation and maintenance of computers. That doesn't mean educated "guesses" about such things as how heat "might" effect our equipment or even the safety of our indoor environment, especially for our children aren't meaningful or warranting of consideration. (I also happen to have a respiratory disease, so I am especially mindful of even potential but undocumented risks.) I have spent a good deal of time reading up on things and have owned 15 laptop computers in the past 5 years (crazy, I know, but I haven't seen that as a disqualifier for being on NBR, lol!). I also have gotten to know a number of people in the support area in HP, and the relationships I've built have helped me and enabled me to help others. But it's all good, man. We're just hanging out and shooting the breeze. Anything more intense than that, and I just disappear and hang out somewhere else. We good?

 

Without digging back.. I thought I asked you if you actually did a firmware updated on your SSD to get it all working or not and not sure if you responded.... at least I didnt' see the response nor notice it when I came back from vacation.. but things have been a whirlwind trying to catch everything up after just being gone a week!

I will brave a firmware updated on my SSD if I end up having too.. but it would sure make me feel better knowing someone else had already paved the way before I try.

-----

For the record.... I have zero heat issues too.
I have no idea if its because I did a clean install.. but I can tell you that my two prior computers before had heat and the fan kicking on all the time till I did a clean install.

But back then they didn't have decent registry cleaners either and the OS was much shakier.. so doing a through cleaning may suffice as the same thing now.

the cool things about this and other forums is we don't have to reinvent the wheel but can learn from each others trial and errors.

 

FYI, it appears there's an updated driver for the the video card available - 197.45. It's available through microsoft update catalog. I'm still using the 197.16, haven't gotten around to downloading & installing the new one as yet. Check out the "latest driver" thread for more info.