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    HP dv8000z vs. dv8000t -which is better?

    Discussion in 'HP' started by dbaxter, Mar 20, 2006.

  1. dbaxter

    dbaxter Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have returned my Dell E1705, and am probably going to buy a HP dv8000. Over the month since I looked at the HP, and mistakenly bought the Dell, HP has introduced the dv8000t. It seems identical to the dv8000z, except it uses the Intel Core Duo and 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 instead of the AMD Turion and 128MB ATI RADEON XPRESS 200M that is found on the dv8000z.

    For about the same price, should buy the t (Intel+NVDIA) or z (AMD+ATI)?

    For options, I have three questions:
    Display: Is the difference between these two noticable?
    - 17.0" WXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1440x900)
    - 17.0" WXGA+ Ultra BrightView Widescreen (1440x900)

    Hard Drive: What if any are the disadvantages to 2 hard drives in a laptop?

    TV Tuner and remote control: Should I buy the one that comes with the unit, or an aftermarket device?

    The unit will be a desktop replacement. I will be using the typical MS Office productivity, web browsing, watch DVDs, some photo and video editing. I am not a gamer.
     
    dbaxter, Mar 20, 2006
    #1
  2. dbaxter

    dbaxter Notebook Enthusiast

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    FAQ Answers:
    1) What is your budget?
    ~$2K

    2) What size notebook would you prefer?
    d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

    3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
    Typical MS Office productivity, web browsing, watch DVDs, some photo and video editing. I am not a gamer.

    4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
    Not a lot of traveling.

    5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
    No

    6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
    Used to like Dell, but no longer.

    7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
    More is better

    8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
    Either is fine

    9) What country are you buying this in?
    US

    Screen Specifics

    10) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
    d. WXGA = Widescreen eXtended Graphics Array; 1280x768 or 1280x800; This resolution offers the same as XGA except that there is more horizontal real estate; 1280 versus 1024. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.

    e. WXGA+ = Widescreen eXtended Graphics Array+; 1440x900; This resolution is offered on 17" widescreen notebooks and is comparable to WXGA in terms of text and icon size versus available screen real estate. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.

    f. WSXGA+ = Widescreen Super eXtended Graphics Array; 1680x1050; This resolution is comparable to SXGA in that it offers a middle ground between WXGA/WXGA+ and WUXGA. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.

    11) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
    Don’t know

    Build Quality and Design

    12) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
    No

    13) How long do you want this laptop to last?
    3 yrs

    Notebook Components

    14) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
    More is better

    15) Do you need a DVD, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-R drive?
    DVD RW
     
    dbaxter, Mar 20, 2006
    #2
  3. TheUndertow

    TheUndertow Notebook Deity

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    If it was me, I'd go with the Core Duo with the better video card for gaming.
     
    TheUndertow, Mar 20, 2006
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  4. miner

    miner Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    miner, Mar 20, 2006
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  5. brianstretch

    brianstretch Notebook Virtuoso

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    Two HDs: the second drive adds a little more noise (tell Windows to shut down the HD when idle to take care of that) but I find it to be very useful. Get 5400RPM drives, 4200RPM is very noticibly slower.

    TV tuner: I'd go with an aftermarket USB tuner. I don't see the point in a PCCard tuner when you're going to need to plug in an antenna or cable TV to watch anything anyhow. There are some nice USB HDTV tuners out there too (I have one) if you have antenna reception (HDTV via cable TV barely works, unencrypted channels only, but OTA HDTV rocks).

    I'd go with the 1680x1050 res screen, unless you find a good deal on a retail model like I did with my dv8125nr.

    The dv8000t has a better but still low-end GPU and dualcore CPU, but the CPU is 32-bit-only so you won't be able to run 64-bit Windows Vista. For non-gaming use either GPU will do. If you want to have the option of running 64-bit Vista then the dv8000z wins by default.

    Unofficial word is that Dual core Turions are being launched on May 9th, just so you know. There will be 25W and 35W versions.
     
    brianstretch, Mar 20, 2006
    #5