Rate My Laptop....please!

So this is my first laptop ever. I've had some retail-purchased desktops in the past but they were not very good. I opted to buy a customized laptop from HP. I really didn't know much about how to customize it or what not, so I just picked out of the most expensive set up....around $1800 w/ XB300 docking station. So if you guys could look at my set up really fast and give me your opinion if its a good set-up or not. Also, I am starting college in the Spring so I will be runing Autocad 2008 and Revit Structure 2008. If anybody w/ knowledge of these two programs, if you could please let me know if this is a good set-up for this type of software. Thanks a million..(in advance).

Here it is:

HP Pavilion dv6500t customizable Notebook PC

• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
• Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T7700 (2.40 GHz, 4 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• 15.4" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
• $50 OFF upgrade from 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) to 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)!
  
• 383MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
  
• HP Imprint (Radiance) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone
  
• Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM)
  
• 80GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
  
• LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
  
  
• No TV Tuner w/remote control
  
• One 6 Cell and One 12 Cell Lithium Ion Batteries
  
  
• Norton Internet Security(TM) 2007 - 36 Month Subscription
  
• System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
  
• Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student 2007
  
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Another thing, if you guys have any suggestions on certain changes i could do or upgrades for the future that would be great also....1

 

That HDD could be a bottleneck.

Think of upgrading to a bigger / faster one when you can afford to.

John

 

I'm not all that knowledgeable about the different components, but your setup will for sure run AutoCad 2008! I'm using my laptop to run AutoDesk Inventor 2008 (the 3D equalevent of AutoCad), and it goes without a hitch. So you shouldn't be to worried!

 

Also I was wondering if anybody could explain to me as much about my processor and the graphics card. I dont know much about the information that is given to me and i was wondering if anybody would be willing to explain.

 

your go 7600 is actually faster than the 8400GS, your hdd is also faster than his.

but that HP should be fine with autocad 2008. Unless you have too many polygons in the viewport when using 3D modeling feature

 

Erm, I would not pay 1800$ for this notebook even if they offer to make you coffee every morning... rip-off.

And consider an external display if you decide to keep it.

Now, I will let other people tell you that you got a 'great' deal.

 

rodriguez...

that processor of yours is very fast, fastest on the market, but the graphic card is mid low range, wont be great if you do a lot of 3d work with big scenes.

 

You have one of the fastest mobile processors available selected there, so don't worry about that. Your graphics card is a low mid-level card, suitable for light gaming, but should still give decent battery life. Read more about GPU's in the GPU Guide.

 

Dreamer is right.....

that processor really pushed the price up, it is not worth it. Get the T7500 instead.

Take a look at the HP 8510P series. The screen is a higher resolution and you get a better graphics card. 15'4 is passable for cad work if you have a high resolution one[1680x1050]. But of course an external 20inch + is better.

 

what would you suggest...i mean it sounds like you know it all so..what is it.

 

To fill out the FAQ first...

 

I agree $1800 is about $300 to much for that system

 

http://www.shopblt.com/cgi-bin/shop/shop.cgi?action=thispage&thispage=01000100U014_BN28031P.shtml&order_id=!ORDERID!

 

i hope you guys know that I also got microsoft office student edition and a docking station. so the actual computer is around 1400!

 

you can get a docking station for that thing? is it just a stand?

 

1) What is your budget?
$3000

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.

USA.

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
HAS TO BE HP.

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?

AUTOCAD...2D WORK FOR NOW BUT IN THE FUTURE WILL BE DOING EVERYTHING IN 3D
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
NO
8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
AS MANY AS I CAN GET
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
NO

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
I KINDA HAVE TO GO WITH VISTA
Screen Specifics

11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
WIDE

12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?

DONT REALLY KNOW


13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

DITTO

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

I'D SAY SO

15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

AT LEAST 4 YEARS
Notebook Components

16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 200GB?

NOT MUCH I DONT SAVE MANYTHINGS TO A COMPUTERS INTERNAL HDD

17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD, Blu-Ray or HD-DVD drive?

JUST DVD'S

 

Get an HP 8510p. Actually, with your budget, get the HP 8510w. At least you'll actually be spending your money on a quality product, as opposed to the dv6500t.

 

Check out the HP 8510p then, much better build quality, keyboard, battery life, video card (not that you need it) and far better support and it will last longer.

The HP dv6500t is a budget notebook, you could do much better... that's for budget-limited people.

 

well i'd say its a both. for now i'm just giong to use the laptop's screen. you just connect one cable to the expansino port and i'm automatically connected to a wireless keyboard mouse and even a slot for a hdd of up to 300gb. it even has "plugs" where you can add a external screen. oh it also charges the battery. it came with a wireless keyboard and mouse

 

get this . you will need the graphics power of this one when you do more 3d stuff in the future like you mentioned. Although i doubt you'll be happy with it in 2 years time when Quadcore notebooks come out, rendering times will be halved.

http://www.shopblt.com/cgi-bin/shop/shop.cgi?action=thispage&thispage=01000100U014_BN28031P.shtml&order_id=163222733

and a dell 24 inch monitor


If i were you i would buy this, save rest of the money and upgrade again in 2 years

 

i can't find the 8510p, can somebody forward me the link, oh by the way I already purchased this setup. I'm still open to buying another one though. This one might be my girlfriends, I haven't decided yet. I mean i'm sure this one will be able to handle myspace...and ...yeah.

 

for 3000 you could buy a powerful quadcore desktop render machine for use at home along with the HP 8510P.

Laptops really arn't that expensive these days.

 

.get this one. almost as fast

http://www.shopblt.com/cgi-bin/shop/shop.cgi?action=thispage&thispage=01000100U014_BN28031P.shtml&order_id=!ORDERID!

 

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/e...owerful&psn=notebooks_tablet_pcs/notebook_pcs

 

Or even the macbook pro.........

 

sorry macpod....i'm faithful to HP...anyways. does anybody have a recommendation for a good draft-n wireless router.

 

And, it wouldn't be you otherwise...

I'm gonna buy you one at the end... opps I promised the XPS M1730 to Andrew a few days ago... this one that is 5000$ lol...

I will need to rob a bank I guess.

 

Get a D-link. Routers are all about the same surely, if you use it at home especially.

Dreamer-

Well, if you buy one and decide you dont like it. sent it my way and ill mail a couple kangaroo scrotum pouches for you. Might even stuff it with some Koala bear Jerky

 

Is there some specific reason it must be an HP? I haven't dealt with their business side, but in my experience their consumer products have terrible build quality with next to no QA. I have yet to own an HP that didn't have a major hardware failure.

For 3k, you can easily max out a 15.4" T61p, which will have a 256MB Quadro FX 570M (much better suited to 3D CAD work) and vastly superior build quality. That's probably your best bet, as long as you don't need the machine in a timely manner, anyways. The MacBook Pro is also a fine choice on that budget, as is the Vostro 1500 or Precision M4300. All of which would be vastly superior in terms of build quality and performance to the dv6500t.

Also, though I understand CAD work is very processor dependent, you should very carefully consider if it's worth $300+ for an extra 400MHz over the T7300. You're not gaining cache or bus speed once you reach the T7300, so it's generally the sweet spot, though T7500 isn't too expensive so it might be worth it. But the T7700 is a very steep upgrade for little return.

 

For your information, the HP 8510w is close/comparable to the ThinkPad T61p in terms of build quality, but it's about 0.7 lbs lighter, the battery doesn't stick out of the back and has a HDMI port...

However, T61p has better cooling system hence runs cooler and more silent, and the keyboard is better especially now when they changed the layout (personal preference), the pointstick is better for sure and of course, it has some nice features like UltraBay, ThinkLight..etc.

As for the HP consumer products, the only reason that I usually don't say that they are crap is because many people here have them and I don't want to offence them or start a flame war...