Looking at ordering a dv6500t

I am looking at ordering a dv6500t and have some questions. I go through the website and its so easy to click the "better" stuff, but I am not sure if I can justify it. My older brother just got a dv9500t so hes telling me to get this and that, etc. I am looking at this setup. Let me know if you would change anything. I am a college student, not really sure what I am going for, lol. I may do engineering or something along those lines. If I could downsize some so I can get it to around $1500 that would be awesome. I am new to the whole computer scene, so please bare with me. Thank you for your help.

 

First off, paying $575 for 4GB RAM is crazy. You can buy RAM and install it youself aftermarket for half what HP is charging. Check out the RAM Deals thread for more info.

Second, 64bit Ultimate is fine but honestly Vista business or Home Premium are better options. 64bit has its benefits but if you are going to use your system for usual school/college work its not going to make much of a difference.

Third, skip on the recovery discs you can burn them yourselves when you get the laptop. Not worth the $19 they charge for it.

other than that your system looks pretty good.

 

If I were you, I'd get a better battery than a standard 6 cell; it would only last you for about ~2 hours.

 

OS: There are very few people who need a 64 bit operating system right now. Plus, there are more compatibility issues with 64-bit OS's and it really is not worth the extra money IMO. 32-Bit Vista Home premium is perfect for anybody using for general tasks.

Processor: Although the T7500 is definitely more than adequate, I am not sure you really need all the extra processing power. In my opinion I would downgrade it to the T7250, the one clocked at 2.0 GHz with 2MB L2 Cache and 800MHz FSB. I think the most important fact is that you have the 800MHz FSB because with those C2D 800MHz processors, the laptop & its "Santa Rosa" platform can scale back the second core's performance for less-demanding tasks, thus saving you power. My pick would be the T7250.

Memory: The only reason you would want 4gb is if you had a 64-bit version of Vista, as the 32-bit version doesn't even use the full 4GB's. 2GB is a good amount.

GPU: The Geforce 8400M GS is a good choice.

Personalization: All of those features are nice bells and whistles, but you need to ask yourself two things; "Am I going to ever use these features?" and "If I am going to use the webcam, fingerprint scanner, etc.. can I afford to spend the extra money on them, or would my money be better spent upgrading other more useful components?"

Networking: I would only get the 4965AGN in one of two conditions.. first, are you going to use any bluetooth devices with the lappy? (If so, having internal bluetooth comes in handy!) Or, second, do you have a draft-N router to go with the AGN card? Draft-N routers are still on the rise so chances are that you won't be connecting to very many of them, so paying extra for this capability might not be worth it.

Hard Drive: Do you really need the biggest drive available? Do you think that you will actually fill up 250GB on the laptop? I would go with the 160GB drive especially since it's on promotion for free upgrade right now.

Optical Drive: How often are you going to be labeling burned discs with lightscribe? Do you really need lightscribe, or does a Sharpie pen work just fine instead? Are you willing to pay that much for an extra whistle? I owuld stay with the standard SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW drive.

TV Tuner: Are you going to be watching TV on your laptop? That's the only reason to buy this upgrade. If the answer is yes, keep in mind that you can always look for a less expensive TV tuner after buying the laptop. You don't need to buy HP's tv tuner, you can probably find one for a better deal somewhere else on the internet!

Battery: You might want to upgrade to the extended-life 6-cell.

OS Recovery: Do not buy this! You can burn your own recovery discs from the laptop once you get it!! This is a waste of $19 in my opinion.


Hope this helped!!!!

 

Thank you a ton for all the help/info! Very much appreciated. I am looking at this setup now. Just hard to commit as there is better stuff available, but I can see I will not use it to its full potential and theres always new stuff out, lol.

# Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
# – Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T7250 (2.00 GHz, 2 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
# – 15.4" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
# – 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
# – 128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
# – HP Imprint (Radiance) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone
# – Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM)
# – FREE Upgrade to 160GB 5400RPM from 120GB 5400RPM!!
# – SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
# – No TV Tuner w/remote control
# – High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
# – Microsoft(R) Works 8.0
# – HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Couple things I still kept as they were only minor and I could see myself using them. Any input before I order tomorrow. Thanks for all the help guys!!