Waiting for Envy 17 3D SB thread

SB Envy 17 Technical clarifications for March 9, reposted just to keep the info in front of y'all. FYI we are still working on answers to switchable graphics, 1600MHz RAM, Coolsense, and off-chip Widi.

• Widi support: The 2630QM processor itself does not support WiDi, so does HP have an off-chip solution, or does WiDi only appear for 2820 configurations?
• 1600MHz support: the product demo suggests only certain i7 processors, implying that this applies only to the 2820. We don't know yet if a 1600MHz front side bus comes automaticaly with the choice of this processor and if the DDR3 RAM shipped with the 2820 is in fact 1600MHz
• VM support: the 2820 extended instruction set has a clear advantage over the 2630
• CoolSense: we don’t know if this includes physical changes or just software (HP Thermal assistant)
• 3D switchable graphics: We haven't confirmed HP's implimentation, clearly promised in the CES announcement. We presume that an on-chip solution would at least be advantaged by the 2820QM, which supports Intel’s “inTRU” 3D technology, but it appears that on-board HD 3000 graphics (present in all mobile i7 processors) also supports 3D. We don't know the role, if any, of DDD’s TriDef 3D Experience Ignition software.
• 120 Hz IGP: Evidence may be mounting in favor of this (see above re: 3D) but we don't know yet if the i7 IGP itself will support 120Hz refresh rates for 2D movies, for example.
• DX11 switchable graphics: evidence points to ‘no’, as the on-chip GP supports only DX10
• Clickpad: Per HP Nate, the SB Envy has implimented the legacy, first-gen clickpad first introduced with the Envy last year.
• HDMI 1.4: Per HP Nate, HDMI 1.4 is confirmed
• USB 3.0: Per HP Nate, the SB Envy has not changed in this regard, i.e. there is still one USB 3.0 port
• Gigabit Ethernet: Per HP Nate, the SB Envy has not changed in this regard, i.e. this has been supported all along.

 

Perhaps to make the list more clearer you can do like you did with all the "rumors" .

If a certain feature is confirmed or whatever just put in caps and bold maybe?

Or green for the points we know 100% about and red for the ones we are still looking for clarification on...?

 

Great idea! Love color coding... green for go, red for no! Lol. Maybe orange for pending...


KJ

 

works for me guys I was noodling over that very idea. I'll re-publish!

 

SB Envy 17 Technical clarifications for March 9, re-organized and color coded for readability. colors ok?

• Widi implimentation status=unknown. The 2630QM processor itself does not support WiDi, raising questions about a possible processor-agnostic solution, i.e. software
• 1600MHz support status=unknown. The product demo suggests this is available only with certain i7 processors, implying that this applies only to the 2820. We don't know yet if a 1600MHz front side bus comes automaticaly with the choice of this processor, or if the DDR3 RAM shipped with the 2820 is in fact 1600MHz.
• CoolSense implimentation status=unknown. We know SB 17 Envy has it, but we don’t know if the implimentation is limited to fan-control software (HP Thermal assistant), or if the cooling efficiency of the laptop itself (via hardware/airflow changes) has improved.
• switchable graphics implimentation status=unknown. We haven't confirmed HP's implimentation, clearly promised in the CES announcement. We presume that an on-chip solution would at least be advantaged by the 2820QM, which supports Intel’s “inTRU” 3D technology, but it is also true that on-board HD 3000 graphics (present in all mobile i7 processors) supports 3D. We also don't know the role, if any, of DDD’s TriDef 3D Experience Ignition software
• 120 Hz IGP status=unknown. Evidence may be mounting in favor of this (see above re: 3D) but we don't know yet if the i7 IGP itself will support 120Hz refresh rates for 2D movies, for example.
• DX11 switchable graphics status=not supported. DX11 remains in the discrete GBU, as the on-chip GP supports only DX10
• new Clickpad status=not included. Per HP Nate, the SB Envy has implimented the legacy, first-gen clickpad first introduced with the Envy last year.
• HDMI 1.4 status=supported. Per HP Nate the SB Envy 17 supports HDMI
• USB 3.0 status=supported. per HP Nate The SB Envy has not changed in this regard, i.e. there is still one USB 3.0 port, per HP Nate.
• enhanced VM support for the i7 2820 status=supported. per NBR member cam121 The 2820 extended instruction set has a clear advantage over the 2630.
• Gigabit Ethernet status=supported. per HP Nate The SB Envy has not changed in this regard, i.e. gigabit Ethernet is still supported

 

HP infuses new consumer PCs with latest technologies, including advanced cooling and Beats Audio | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online


Looks to me like the E17 3D has coolsense...but of what kind?

 

Question of the day! HP published the news release on Jan 4 that it contained coolsense, and the product demo also tells of it as well.

 

HP is showing that they know how to do switchable AMD 6470 graphics on the g7. This driver has appeared

Also, with a different driver (that is not important to this thread) HP is showing that Synaptics PS/2 touchpad is used on the DV7

 

From what i read it says Envy 17 has coolsense... it didn't say 3D

 

Didn't HPNate confirm coolsense on the 3D? Not to mention when I ordered my 3D D) my salesperson confirmed for me that it was equipped with coolsense technology, which she attributed solely to changes in software. Not sure how "in the know" she'd be about that though. She did make the suggestion though to replace the HDD the 3D comes with with a third party solid state where the handrest is for cooler temps there.

 

The way the article is written, I think they're talking about the Envy 14, not the 17. That particular spot has a heading of "HP ENVY 14", and talks about the 14 later on in the same area.

 

Ok so this is awesome. I ordered/recieved the SB dv7qe a couple months ago with the superawesome $500 coupon, and because of Intel's recall, when I called to set up a return, the person said that HP will allow me to use that same coupon on any laptop I want!
Oh and props to the guy who got the $400 coupon by just telling them it was worth $400. Thats awesome.

 

Do you remember the name of the representative you spoke to? And approximately what time of day it was? I want to attempt to get the same one!! Do you also remember the exact way you phrased everything? LOL. I am apart of the HP Academy program, so will they let me combine that discount with the $300 coupon?

 

Nice! I did the same thing and used it on the Envy 17 3D. They even let me use it on an EPP order.

 

Welcome to NBR! You need to call ASAP! The coupon ends today. Good luck.

KJ

 

I just tried to order and they told me the NB7293 code is invalid for Envy 17 3D. I hung up in his face. (Oops.) What should I say? LOL. I called back and I keep getting the same guy. I'm not having much luck with this. LMBO

 

The sales associate I spoke with tonight told me that none of their Envy 3D models would ship with 1600 MHz memory, regardless of which processor you select. She put me on hold to check with someone (supervisor, maybe?) and came back and said that the only memory they even have is 1300 MHz, and she doesn't know why it shows that 1600 MHz memory is available in select models on the demo. I guess it's cheaper for HP to go with slower memory. Hmmm...

 

I talked to about 15 different people at HP yesterday trying the same thing. Trying several different strategies, not a single sales representative was able to apply the $300 envy 17 coupon to the envy 17 3D -- nor did a single representative acknowledge the mysterious $100 rebate.

It was the same story each time, informing me that the code wasn't on their list and definitely not valid for the envy 17 3d -- nor would they apply it 'just because' or in reference to 'friends of mine' that had received the same discount.

It finally got so late that I started reaching Indian customer service rather than US based employees. They were much more flexible and eventually applied a $100 coupon on top of the student EPP discount -- it came out to $285 off w/ the 6+9 battery. I feel bad, since most of the US sales staff was friendly, but I'm not going to pass up nearly $300 in discounts.

I'd love to hear whether the people who got this discount got it through foreign or domestic-based HP employees (and what their strategies were). I might still try to get another $100 off, but I really have no idea how to go about it; every US representative is seemingly inflexible and it makes me skeptical that some people are calling up and getting $400 off on their first try just by saying "this is for $400 off".

 

Ugh! Sucks some of you guys are getting a hard time. If you read some posts back you will see I too had a hard time during the first couple calls....the US based teams only offered me $75, but at the time I gave them the coupon code for a DV6 and DV7. A day or so later, cam121 revealed the $300 coupon code for the Envy 17. At that point some people were able to call in and get it applied to the Envy 17 3D SB edition.

I was adviced that since I returned a pervious laptop to HP, I should call the 1800BUYMYHP number. You select home and office, then press#2 usally for help with exchange...etc... My rep sounded off shore with an accent. Gave him the code, he asked me how much it was for...which I don't get, I am sure there system clearly tells them how much it is, lol, what is it a game they play with us? I told him $300, although one user did say its for $400 and was lucky to get it.

Anyway, I go the $300 off and another $100 because the rep said it was a special one day sale on 3/8/11 saying it was not posted on line, only you get it if you call.... a secret sale/rebate? LMFAO, whatever, I took it and ran.
Again, I know its frustrating for us to get these deals, and sucks when not all of us get it at the same time, plus have to screen many HP reps until we find an acceptable deal. I originally got $200 off, but only called back after cam121 mentioned the coupon.

KJ

 

Sounds insane.

 

I literally LOL'ed when I read that.

It never ceases to amaze me how utterly useless, uninformed, and basically dumb the sales people are. I guess it's too much to ask that they posess a modicum of knowledge about the products that they are selling....or provide decent customer service.

 

Are you considering a job at HP? Make it sales and give us all at least $500 off whatever laptop we wanted, lol.

KJ

 

Thanks for the info, I'll give it another shot in the morning. Or maybe I'll just cancel the 9-cell battery and pretend I got an additional $75 off...

 

Yeah, I hope you're just kidding about cancelling the 9cell battery. It is great, and good for cooling because it lifts the back of your Envy off the table, better airflow.

Anyway, do try it, and NEVER give up, that is what you will learn with HP. They change their minds, and you must go through several people to get a suitable answer.

KJ

 

Reminds me of the good ole' HP Bing Cashback days. If 30% BCB was not enough, we'd come up with ways to get more $ back. Trust me. If your order's shipping date gets pushed forward, start asking for $50-75 or more back each time.

 

Well, I tried and tried. She spoke to the supervisor, came back and confirmed that to date, there has NEVER been any coupon for the new Envy, because off how new it is, with the 2nd generation processor, etc. I was offered $100 off in addition to the HP Academy discount. I was also advised that the $100 off was a "one time only" deal that I would have to accept immediately or lose. She said she would have to note my account, stating that the offer had been declined, so that another associate would not offer it again.

Furthermore, when I mentioned family/friends/coworkers who did receive a $300 or $400 discount, I was asked for their e-mail address or phone number, so the order could be looked up. That's when I didn't know what to say. So I froze up and hung up the phone. But I immediately got a callback and a voicemail. LOL.

 

The rep I spoke with who gave me the initial $300 off was definitely American. It went through very smoothly, but possibly that's due to calling late (almost 8 PM, around the changing of the guards). The guy I got the $100 extra off from was definitely foreign, and he seemed a bit more inflexible than the American rep I spoke with initially, but still seemed to care more about how satisfied I was with his help, for a phone survey I had agreed to take when we were done.

 

I just received notice. My Envy 17 3D SB shipped today. According to FEDEX, I will have it by Monday 3/13 at 10:30AM. Hopefully I can put some questions to rest. First thing I am gonna do is back up the HDD using Acronis True Image Home. Then clear out any bloatware, although Envy supposedly doesn't come with a lot

 

Congratulations. Which configuration did you get?

 

Envy 17 3D

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• No Additional Office Software
• 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz
• 1GB Radeon(TM) HD 6850M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI]
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 2.25 hours of battery life +++
• 17.3" diagonal Full HD HP 3D Ultra BrightView Infinity LED Display (1920x1080)
• Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam
• Intel 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
• Backlit Keyboard
• Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 9 & Adobe Premiere(R) Elements 9
• HP 3D Active Shutter Glasses
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Picked it up with the 4 year warranty with accidental...

 

Woot! about time! I'm getting my M17xR3 later today via Fedex delivery.

 

well in the vast majority of cases the rep cannot possibly have deep knowledge of the product because they sell a very broad range of products. They know about the same as we do because they read the same materials -- especially for new products when the information is still in the process of being updated, and communications from the product labs is still incomplete. sure they can check with supervisors and all of that, but generally just consider that they are there to sell stuff according to whatever promotions or rules govern the day or the hour. Treat them with respect and show appreciation for the job that they are performing for HP. They're not dumb, imho, but in some cases its true that they simply have not been given good or complete information. fully 100% of the reps that I have spoke with were quite helpful, courteous, and knowledgable to the extent that I would expect them to be.

 

SB Envy 17 Technical clarifications for March 10, re-published so that those who catch only the later posts can still see what we know and what we don't know. especially about CoolSense.

• Widi implimentation status=unknown. HP says the SB Envy supports WiDi, but they have not revealed the limitations of the Intel solution. For example, NBR member jywang reports that the 2630QM processor itself supports only 1st generation 720p WiDi, while the 27xx and 28xx supports 2nd genertion 1080p WiDi via the Netgear PTV2000 receiver.
• 1600MHz support status=unknown. HP says this is available only with certain i7 processors but doesn't say which one or how to choose it. The only upgraded processor choise, the 2820, itself supports 1600 MHz RAM, but we don't know yet if HP includes 1600MHz RAM with this procesor, or if the front side bus really runs at 1600MHz when this processor is selected. NBR member VectorX reminds us that the processor should read the XMP profile and adjust the memory controller to 1600MHz when such memory is present, but we don't know if the front bus (as a whole, including BIOS and other components) on the Envy 17 is designed to run at that speed.
• CoolSense implimentation status=unknown. We know SB 17 Envy has Coolsense!, but we don’t know if the implimentation is limited to fan-control software (HP Thermal assistant), or if the cooling efficiency of the laptop itself (via hardware/airflow changes) has improved. Personally, I suspect it is just software, but don't forget that the laptop will run cooler than the previous model just because of Sandy Bridge.
• switchable graphics implimentation status=unknown. HP clearly says the SB Envy has switchable graphics, but they have not revealed their implimentation, or its limitations if any. NBR member jywang reports that Intel’s “inTRU” 3D technology (available only on the 28xx) can't be used because it only works via HDMI, and that DDD’s TriDef 3D Experience Ignition software can't be used either, as it is dedicated to the AMD GPU and won't run on the IGP. HP has released AMD switchable graphics drivers for the DV7, but we don't yet know how they work.
• 120 Hz IGP status=unknown. Evidence may be mounting in favor of this (see above re: 3D) but we don't know yet if the i7 IGP itself will support 120Hz refresh rates for 2D movies, for example.
• DX11 switchable graphics status=not supported. DX11 remains in the discrete GBU, as the on-chip GP supports only DX10
• new Clickpad status=not included. Per HP Nate, the SB Envy has implimented the legacy, first-gen clickpad first introduced with the Envy last year.
• HDMI 1.4 status=supported. Per HP Nate the SB Envy 17 supports HDMI
• USB 3.0 status=supported. per HP Nate The SB Envy has not changed in this regard, i.e. there is still one USB 3.0 port, per HP Nate.
• enhanced VM support for the i7 2820 status=supported. per NBR member cam121 The 2820 extended instruction set has a clear advantage over the 2630.
• Gigabit Ethernet status=supported. per HP Nate The SB Envy has not changed in this regard, i.e. gigabit Ethernet is still supported

 

So you mean you'll have it on the 14? Or just by monday? when did you order your machine? i bought mine on the 4 and im just wanting an idea of how long to expect because i really dont want to wait for the 25 exstimated shipping.

 

I ordered on 3/2. Estimated ship date was 3/23. Received a shipping notice that stated that I will receive the machine on Monday 3/14 no later than 10:30AM. I purchased TWO day shipping on the machine. If you did free shipping...I expect delivieries will also be later next week. Didn't want the machine sitting around FEDEX for too long.

 

Sweet thanks man I also got two day shipping I haven't ordered a custom computer before and it's been in production for a few days so this makes me anxious.

 

1) There are 2 types of wireless display: Intel and SiBeam.

Intel's solution has 2 versions: one that supports 720p and the other that supports 1080p with DRM support (bluray and dvd playback). The 1080p uses the new PTV2000 receiver from Netgear and requires a 2nd generation Intel processor. I believe this is where a 2720 or 2820 is required. If you have the 2630, you can only get 720p the same as if you only have the 1st generation Intel processor.

I haven't heard of Envy 17 supporting SiBeam. The SiBeam solution requires additional hardware. Even the M17xR3 isn't shipping with this option yet.

2) 1600 MHz support. There are very few vendors of this memory. It is most cost effective to buy it here if you want it:

Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model KHX1600C9S3K2/8GX

3) Switchable graphics. We are still waiting to hear from HP. But don't get your hopes up. The IGP's 3D solution (InTru) only works via HDMI. The HM67 chipset (not the IGP since the IGP on the CPU interfaces with the HM67 to do the LVDS output) simply does not support 120Hz via LVDS. This is a hardware limitation and the reason the LVDS signal is routed directly from the GPU to the display. The only way the IGP can still be enabled is if there is a relay to switch between the 2 LVDS outputs to the display. This is unlikely because it would require a very custom switchable graphics solution which NVidia said was not possible with Optimus. Hopefully it is something AMD was willing to tackle. Or maybe HP at the BIOS level to disable 3D/120Hz and allow IGP.

4) Tridef 3D solution is a driver/application set for the AMD GPU that support 3D. AMD's drivers have no direct 3D support unlike NVidia which is integrated into the NVidia driver set.

There are some media playback that supports AMD GPU directly for 3D playback without requiring Tridef: TotalMedia Theatre 5 from arcsoft comes to mind. - highly recommended...

I'm excited to see HP is starting to ship. I'm very interested in purchasing an Envy 17 3D once the $500 coupons show up again and the heat issue is confirmed to be resolved. I don't care so much for the switchable graphics since I ended up getting the M17xR3 without 3D to get 5+ hours of battery life. So, the Envy 17 3D will strictly be used for 3D.

 

dude congratulations! can't wait to see some reviews. tell us esp if the vents are identical on the new one. Have you got Legacy Envy pictures to compare with? if not, Here's the (Legacy Envy 17) manual.

 

Very nice...nearly 2 weeks early! My estimated ship date was 3/28, but this gives me some hope to see it a bit sooner than the estimated April 5th

 

Interesting info on ship dates. I ordered my Envy 17 3d on 2/28 with estimated build date of 3/21, yet I haven't received any notification since ordering and the Order Status on HP's web site still says in production w/ ship date of 3/21.

 

Since we know that HP is committed to Intel, then the Envy solution must be limited to 720p when the 2630 processor is chosen, while 2820 users will get 1080p Widi if they can supply the Netgear receiver.

AMD was willing to tackle this, at least for the 6470 and Sandy Bridge on the new DV7. HP just released the driver set. EDIT: pause on this point I don't think its correct to say AMD tackled this. HP has to implement the feature that is resident inside the Sandy Bridge Processor. Here, HP is releasing both the IGP and discrete drivers without revealing the method they have used to implement the switch

dude many thanks for the useful information; I have updated the technical summary accordingly. Does anyone care to comment on the speed of the front side bus, and if that is asserted by the processor and memory combo, or is it fixed?

 

Timcfox...

Was your order much different from mine? Did you get SSD or something else that may have held the order back? Keep checking...I would be surprised if you don't get notice today or tomorrow..

 

So would it make sense to order my Envy 17 3D with just the 6GB RAM option, and replace it with this Kingston HyperX from Newegg.com? (I'm assuming the bus speed is already going to be set at 1600MHz, but HP will just give the cheap 1300MHz memory. So the only thing we would need to do to upgrade is pop in the new chips, right?)

 

Mine shipped too! Estimated delivery date of 3/16/11 by 4:30 PM. I chose the free shipping option.

 

Don't assume that the bus speed is already going to be set at 1600MH -- the front bus cannot possibly run (very well) at 1600 MHz with 1300Mhz memory in there, so in order for your plan to work, we have to confirm that the front bus speed changes to 1600MHz automatically when you add 1600MHz RAM. For example, if the bus speed is asserted by the processor as it detects the memory type. but I have no idea if that is true or not.

 

That makes sense. So I guess we won't know until some brave individual with the 2820 makes the upgrade to some 1600MHz RAM and lets us know what happens...

 

It looks like mine was the same configuration as yours except that I ordered the 9 cell battery. I've got a call into the HP sales rep. to see if there's a problem.

HP Envy 17 3D customizable Notebook PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
• No Additional Office Software
• 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2820QM (2.3 GHz, 8MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz
• 1GB Radeon(TM) HD 6850M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI]
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• One 6-Cell and One 9-Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• 17.3" diagonal Full HD HP 3D Ultra BrightView Infinity LED Display (1920x1080)
• Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam
• Intel 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
• Backlit Keyboard
• Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 9 & Adobe Premiere(R) Elements 9
• HP 3D Active Shutter Glasses
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Estimated build date: March 21, 2011

 

Whoops, I see now that you had the 2630QM and I have the 2820QM. That could be the holdup. HP is waiting for the extra 190 QM's to arrive. lol

 

Just talked to my sales rep. He said there's no problems with the order, but he can't say why some later orders have shipped and mine hasn't. I expect it has something to do with having ordered the 2820QM processor.

 

I also got the high end processor and mines also in production so I'm guessing since I ordered mine after yours I'll have to wait even longer.