NOW AVAILABLE - Updated ENVY 15, ENVY 17 / ENVY 17 3D

I don't know either!! xD I'm glad it finally worked out, thanks guys

 

Coupon codes always trump specialty accounts through HP. I have HP Academy, Employee Purchase Account, Military account, and a normal account, I only use the normal except for when I order accessories or printers that don't have coupons at the time.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if a few batches of the Envys were already shipped, in the past experiences with customizing with them I didn't get notification that it moved from the Order in Production stage to shipped until a few days after it left the factory. Must of took a few days to update the system, anyone else experience this before when customizing an HP laptop on their site?

 

Did they ever send you a tracking number for shipping? Or did they give you one after it already shipped?

 

Yes, it was projected to take three weeks to build, it got built and sent to me in 16 days, it took 4 days from China to my place, 2 days after it shipped from China is when I got the tracking number and the status changed from Order in Production to Shipped and included a tracking number

 

Looking at the HP shopping site it would appear as if the envy 17's are gonna be ready earlier than the 15's. If you look at each of the items the 17's have quick ship models available that can ship within 24hrs whereas the 15's do not. This leads me to believe that production is complete on at least a few batches of 17's by now.

 

Admittedly so, much of Apple's success comes from competent marketing and recognizeable designs. They've detached their notebooks from the PC market and created their own unique identity. Differentiation is what's helping them survive in this recession. And the brand loyalty is maintained by the way their machines are conveniently easy to use and designed to look quite sleek and sexy. I would venture to say that if HP were to pour $$$ into making the Envy into a completely distinct machine apart from the rest of the pack and air commercials at least a few times a year about it, they'd sell the Envy much better. They just need to work on improving touchpad and battery life--two areas I'm hoping Windows 8 improves upon as promised by Microsoft!!!


Boggles my mind that it's only recently the PC industry has begun investing in better-feeling touchpads (See ultrabooks with glass touchpads). They're still getting the software right many many years since the first touchpads ever came into being. This shows ya that it pays to spend $$$ on developing excellent touchpad software early as Apple did and recycling it with each new Macbook that gets introduced each year.


A fellow Envy 14 owner, eh? I too am drooling over the incoming Envy 15's. Unfortunately, given my budget, I can't justify upgrading just yet. It's still a very competent machine going into year 2.

 

16 days... that would mean that those of us who ordered on the 7th will get it on the 23rd. PLEASE GOD YES.

 

Looks like the same info from that other article just reposted. Thanks for posting though, eventually one of these will have something good in it.

 

FWIW, the sacrifices and methodology Apple uses to attain the battery life they do are what keeps me and other professional musicians (who do their research) away from an otherwise stylish and stable platform. In cases like ours where labels and managers are footing the bill, the buying decision comes down to other factors.

In the case of current MBPs, the battery monitoring scheme positively destroys the machines latency numbers which are of paramount importance to musicians and other audio professionals dealing with external audio interfaces and MIDI.

They're great and stable "playback" (as they're known in certain circles) machines, and under satisfactory conditions their reputation for stability is rightfully earned. However, for those of us that use our computers for live instrumentation and other means outside of "enhanced" playback, their wasted resources and subsequent poor performance versus a PC with the same software, and their aforementioned latency issues are simply too much.

I think some would find it ironic that over half of the major label artists I've played with in person are running their DAWs for composition and the like in Windows via boot camp simply due to the disparity in performance.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the audio industry and it's seeming tight attachment to the Mac platform.

 

Just ordered the Envy 17 3D - question, since HP is not offering Lightscribe drives anymore - looking to install Blue Ray reader / DVD burning slot loading to replace the non-lightscribe drive which will be shipped with it. A take apart guide would be interesting - another quick question - wondering if the 1 TB (2X500GB drives) coming with the unit are in RAID 0? Any help would be highly appreciated as always

 

All PC Makers need to cleanup their lineup too, their lineups are like a schizophrenic, they have a little bit of everything in multiple combinations with no clear cut best option in any category. PC makers need to find their own identity and focus on providing a great experience on the hardware side, Microsoft has made great strides with Windows and if they execute it correctly Windows 8 will further that improvement, whereas the PC makers have been slacking. A little bit of GOOD advertising will go a long way (inform the customer like Apple does in its commercials on what their products does, Apple effectively cuts out the need for a salesman)

Like I said, this is when Businessmen run a company and get pretty much complete say over everything (they are valuable and have their place in a company, just not meant to run it by themselves because the businesses become very unbalanced). I work at a Corporate 50 company that is the head of their industry and it is amazing all the stupid business decisions that are made by higher ups to cut costs, because they don't have to deal with the outcomes of those decisions or the customers effected by it. The amount of stifled innovation at this company is ridiculous and the mismanagement of talent and employees is astounding (unfortunately they aren't unique, most major corporations are as bad if not worse).

 

I'm looking to buy the Envy 17.
This will also be my main computer (replacing my desktop).
I have 2 external monitors that I would like to use, with DVI inputs/no hdmi/no display ports.

I would like to know what is the best way to hook up external monitors?
Should I just purchase DVI to HDMI adapter or purchase new monitors?
I don't know if the adapters will downgrade the monitor quality.

Thank you for any advice.

 

This was originally post on page 25 of this thread and seems to be the guide you would need.

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/environment/productdata/Countries/_MultiCountry/disassembly_notebo_2010510131456.pdf

 

Just have a crazy thought, is it possible to have crossfire (like Nvidia SLI) for gaming version if remove the DVD-ROM? Like 7690M x2; and the position of the second graphic card should be good for cooling. (Not consider the battery life)

 

Is HP's warranty transferrable to another individual, like if I sell the laptop in one years time on ebay, can the new owner retain the rest of the warranty? (I got the 3 year warranty with onsite repair and accidental protection)

 

anyone know if sata3 will work on this? or what is the 15's mobo capable of?

 

After skimming through I verified it has Bluetooth 3.0 and it does support HP Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). Also it looks like we can order the official Recovery Discs if we need to later.

Customer Care Websites:
HP ENVY 17t-3000 CTO 3D Edition Notebook PC
Official ENVY 17t-3000 CTO 3D Manual (right click and hit save link as...)

HP ENVY 17t-3000 CTO Notebook PC
Manual listed is same as 3D one.. just ignore the section on 3D.

HP ENVY 15t-3000 CTO Notebook PC
Official ENVY 15t-3000 CTO Manual (right click and hit save link as...)

I found a pdf showing the New HP Envy 15 disassembly with lots of pictures. It is very clearly the new version because of the Beats Volume Knob and also the dual fans look very impressive with the heatsink.
HP ENVY 15 Disassembly PDF

HP ENVY 17 Disassembly PDF

I'll keep updating this post with any juicy info I can find.
-Envy 15 uses a DEC 2011 Released Panasonic UJ8A7 Ultra Slim Slot DVD-RW and connects with a Slim SATA Drive Connector . This confirms no Blu-Ray but also the possibility of replacing it with one that does.

I'll be regularly updating this Post Here with Useful Links for the Envy 17 3D version specifically. It's very nice to have them all in one place, especially considering this thread is constantly moving fast and even with 50 Posts per page we're already up to page 47 meaning over 2300 posts for this 1 thread alone.

 

Thanks for that link to the forum example pictures of viewing angle on the VAIO SE, that's great to see. I found it hard to tell from the Notebookcheck ones. It looks better to me than the OCB LCD panel in the Sony VAIO F-series I recently bought then returned. That one had much more color and brightness distortion at vertical off-angles. It was close to being acceptable to me, but not close enough. The Elitebook was what I was looking at, but I didn't like some other factors of it, including the fact that it was twice the price for a notebook with similar specs. I also read somewhere on NBR that more than a few Elitebook DreamColor display owners were on their second or third replacement panel. I was under the impression that Precisions (the M4600 and M6600) were RGB LED backlit TN panels. Great color gamut, but not IPS?

Am looking forward to seeing the Envy's display quality. If it's not good enough, then I'll return it as well, and go for an Elitebook or Precision instead.

 

Just ordered a pretty well loaded Envy 15, the 33% coupon worked and saved over $800! I'm pretty excited, my Dell XPS Studio 16 has been a great machine but is getting a little old. I have been tempted to get a Macbook Pro and run Windows on it but it is just such a waste of money... the Envy has much better hardware and was a lot cheaper too!

HP ENVY 15 customizable Notebook PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2760QM Processor (2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz)
• 1GB Discrete Graphics AMD Radeon(TM) [HDMI, DP]
• 8GB 1600DDR3MHz System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 300GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• 15.6-inch diagonal Radiance Full HD Infinity LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080)
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam
• Intel 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R) with Wireless Display Support
• Full-size Radiance backlit keyboard
Estimated ship date: January 5, 2012
The HP Home & Home Office Store will accept returns or exchanges for this product up to 21 days after delivery
LY277AV 1 $2,469.99 $1,654.89
Instant discounts you received:
$815.10 Coupon

Order subtotal $1,654.89
Shipping
(Two Business Days) FREE

 

I should have mentioned before if you sign up for Ebates you would get 5% back for HP Home purchases when using their referral link

 

You probably could but you would be better of with just one better card like 6990m or 580M.
SLI/CF requires a lot of cooling. Even in a desktop.
But there is some custom laptops where you can get SLI/CF but they cost a lot and are huge.

 

Nice.That is the first confirmed "shipped" envy!
Please post when you get it.
2-4 days!. odds are you will be the first in this thread to meet the new envy in person.

 

I'm so excited for my status to change. I check it waaaay to much. I ordered mine on the 11th so hopefully I get it around New Years

 

That's pretty nice. I have checked on Dustin's homepage now and then the last couple of days and I noticed the stock icon was green earlier today. Sadly it is just the 'base' model with no trace of the 3010oe. I don't think I can stand a 1600x900 resolution on a 17" display being used to a FullHD on my old Envy 15 so I just have to wait. Which might be for the better so I'll see how it performs before.

Looking forward to your hands-on updates when it arrives though!

 

You could always get a hdmi-to-dvi adapter and a displayport-to-dvi adapter to hook up your two dvi-monitors.

 

I just checked the tracking info and 12 hours ago the Envy was only 270 kilometers away so there's a very slim chance i will get it today. All rumors says the 7690m-xt should be on par with the 6850m so the first thing i will do is running the 3dmark suite to see if it is true .

 

I also wanted the 3010eo but to be sure to get the Envy before Christmas settled with the 3000eo. Also my DV7 has 1600x900 so i am used to the resolution.

 

I am wondering since Envy 15 battery is not user replaceable, if this battery can be replaced onsite if you get that type of warranty or must we send this laptop in, no matter if we have onsite warranty?

Gary

 

definitely not possible.

1. no one makes a mxm (grpahics)-sata (ODD/HDD) bridge
2. sata 2/3 have no where near the bandwidth to support a graphics card.
3. sata can't supply the power require for a graphics card
4. good luck soldering a cf cable to the mobo
5. there are inherent difference between the way cpu communicates with a graphics card and with a ODD/HDD.

 

Hey all,

First, I wanna say I still have a LOT reading to do to catch up on the thread, but I wanted to say a public "THANKS!" to optimusdime and ncc1701k for coming over to the HP blog, thenextbench.com, and chiming in about gaming.

(So, yes, that'd make me an HP employee -- their blogger -- invading your thread)

I'm always fighting the good fight on the blog, slipping in stories on gaming concerns, tweaks...you get the idea. When I see stuff like this, it reminds me of what I'm trying to do. So keep it up....and I want to see what you guys are finding when you play with the ENVY.

I can't promise I'll be around all the time (hell, today, I'm gonna be trapped in meetings most of the day, then traveling.) but I'll be back.


Darren Gladstone
HP's TheNextBench.com
(I may work for HP, but these words are all mine)

 

Welcome aboard!

Any info you could tell us why the 7690M in the 15 has almost 1/2 the amount of FPS compared to the 7690M XT in the 17" in some of your benchmarks?

Any way if you can find out if they are the same or different gpu's just clocked at different speeds?

 

Glad you came over Darren, you have been a constant source of dependable information over the last few weeks for the new Envy lineup that has greatly helped us figure out what these new Envys are. Welcome Darren and we look forward to your insights, ideas, and comments

 

I think before HP would even consider this, they would need some proof of demand.. If I go by what this thread is doing, that will never happen.. Unfortunately, one or two people coming in behind you supporting this idea is no where near enough to make a difference!

 

Gary, I haven't seen the disassembly guide for the 15, since I got the 17 and only checked that one out. I assume the 15 would be the same as the 17 when it comes to how they do the battery. In the 17, the battery is internal, but still user replaceable from what I can see, very similar to adding or replacing a hard drive as far as the level of maintenance that it would require.

 

I'll be checking, for sure, but the other things to factor into those quick-test scores I got: Different CPUs. I didn't have a straight apples-to-apples comparison available to me. And then there's the fact I was monkeying with not-final hardware / drivers. I do have questions in to the team about speeds (I don't have those laptops with me anymore, but I'm waiting on final units).

 

Thans but again I was going by page 90 of the Getting Started PDF where it says warranty is voided if user tries to replace factory sealed battery. Still, would like a cconfirm. Also, our new member from HP could confirm and glad to have you here.

Gary

 

The CPUs were different, so it wasn't a straight apples to apples comparison as you stated, but the 15 which performed quite a bit lower than the 17 in your tests and had the more powerful CPU. I imagine the drivers were the same, since they are both 7690m and that whatever further optimizations that are done would effect both cards in a similar way. I am interested on what you find out about the internals such as speed, memory clock, etc.

From your test results we already determined that the 7690m in the 15 is about 10%-15% faster than a 6770m and the 7690m XT slightly edges out the 6850m from the previous gen Envy 17.

Can you find out the TDP of the 7690m and the 7690m XT please Darren, also if possible the same for the 6850m from the previous gen Envy 17 (some commenters on here said HP downclocked it due to thermal concerns, I haven't been able to validate that, but that would make the TDP different from the default specs from AMD 6850m)

 

Can anyone confirm the Envy 15's 1080p screen is IPS or minimally as good of quality as those in the DV6?

 

If I remember correctly, the 1080p ENVY 15 display is indeed IPS.

 

Thanks for the link, I just hopped over there and posted my support for the Envy Gamers' Edition (1st post on 2nd page)... We need every ones support here on this project for it ever to become even a thought in the mind of the HP executives.... Just my 2 cents worth!

 

Welcome aboard Darren

 

+1.. Totally agree, which is why it took me about 1-2 months to find the Laptop that fit my needs. But being a some what Techie Person, I at least had an idea as to where to start looking, but heck, I thought, initially, that the Envy line was just a high end business machine.. Than I stumbled across this web site and finally saw the light and was able to focus my search.. But your right, the average PC consumer is so confused they basically just buy what ever sounds good at the moment...

 

You do mean, "PLEASE SANTA CLAUS", come through with that great Christmas Present, right! But than the question comes into play, Have you been Good or Not, LOL!!!!!

 

So, are we all generally expecting them to ship out today and/or Monday?

If not, let's hope that that one lucky soul who got his in lets us know how it is!

 

It should come with the RAID 0 Array configured and running.. That was the way it has been with the Envy line from the start, and no indication it has changed (in your configuration)..

 

I know this stuff and I get slightly confused when I am the one who has been following it for years. I probably researched and suggested over 25 laptops this year that people had bought (mostly HPs, due to them being the best value for that persons needs at the time they were looking), let me tell you the researching is much harder than it needs to be (I visit most PC makers website including HP, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, Toshiba, Samsung, etc whenever I look for a laptop for someone so that I can find the best ones to recommend them for the price), I am a web designer that focuses more on user interfaces so I know what I am saying when PC makers websites suck when it comes to navigating and figuring out which laptops meet what criteria of the person I am looking for

 

That is one Sweet Envy! Congrats!!!

 

Any chance you can do an UNBOXING video??? It would be a huge winner if possible!

 

We ordered our two Envy 17 3Ds with the same disk arrangement too.

I'm expecting them to ship with the disks & O/S pre-installed as RAID-0 striped as well, based on how HP has configured dual-disk Envy 17s in the past.