dv7t ordering advice

Hey,

Well, I've been waiting months to finally order a 17" Centrino 2 notebook. I was waiting on Dell to refresh their Studio 17 with Centrino 2, but they still haven't and after looking at the HP some more, I think the HP is the better choice anyways.

So, I just need a little advice on the specs of the HP dv7t that I'm about to order.
I'm pretty tech savvy so feel free to get technical/detailed.

1. Should I get Vista 64 bit or 32 bit?

2. Since I'm not a huge movie watcher, should I just get the 1440x900 screen? I don't want things to be too small so the x1050 might be too much.

3. 3 GB or 4 GB of RAM?

4. I don't really need that much HDD, but is the 320GB a noticeable speed improvement over the 250GB HDD? I wish they had 7200rpm in a single HDD, but since they don't I'll get 5400 rpm.


Any other advice??

Thanks

 

I'm happy that you're considering a DV7T as your next notebook computer. As most of the DV7T customers would say, they are very satisfied.

Depending on what you plan to do will affect which components should be purchased in the notebook.

If you plan on doing light multitasking, such as web browsing, instant messaging, MS word then you really only need the base processor.

Assuming you don't play games or use your notebook for things other than class or work related things, then you only need the 9200M GS graphics card. If you wanted to future proof your notebook a little more then go for the 9600m GT.

As for RAM you really don't need more than 3 gigabytes. I have 3 and I multitask to h3ll. I barely use more than 2 gigs at most.

It really depends on how much space you'll need when selecting the hard drive. If you download a lot of music or if you use your notebook to transfer files then go for a bigger drive. Otherwise, 250GB is more than enough space. And you won't notice much of a difference from the 5400RPM to the 7200RPM drives.

When you choose a screen size keep in mind the higher the resolution the clearer the quality. You can always lower the resolution if you aren't satisfied. ALSO, the infinity display isn't all that great so don't waste the 50 bucks.

I'm not sure what you plan to do with the notebook, but if you have peripherals or any other external devices connected to the notebook they may not be compatible with 64 bit. Vista Ultimate is a combination of both Home Premium and Business. If you enjoy the media center and media player, then stick to Home Premium. If you plan on only doing serious work and no fun then get Business.

If you reply back with what you intend on doing with the notebook, I could give you a ballpark customization that should fit your needs. What are your expectations on the life of the notebook?

 

Hi, thanks for the in-depth reply.

I probably should've given more information about myself before.
Ok, well I'm a big time computer user and I will need a lot of power in this notebook.
From multi tasking, to video encoding, to photo editing with CS3, etc.
So, I plan on going with the:

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9600 (2.80GHz)
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT


I'm leaning towards 64 bit so that I'm future proofed. Besides the chances of peripheral compatibility problems, what are the pros/cons of 64 bit?

If I get 64 bit, I will probably get 4GB ram.

So, should I go with x1050 or x900 ? How do you like the x1050? Is it too small on screen?

And lastly, 250GB is definitely enough room for me. It's just that I've heard that the bigger the HD, the faster. So should I get 320 or is the speed improvement marginal?

Thanks

BTW, I want this notebook to last a good few years. My current laptop is 6 years old and has been great.

 

How's this look:

Operating system: Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9600 (2.80GHz)
Display: 17.0" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Infinity Display (1680 x 1050)
Memory: 50% OFF 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Graphics card: 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
Hard drive: 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Personalization: HP Imprint Finish (Mesh)+Microphone + Webcam + Fingerprint Reader for HP BrightView Infinity Display
Keyboard: HP Color Matching Keyboard
Networking: Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN
Modem Port: No High speed 56K modem port
Primary CD/DVD drive: SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
TV & entertainment experience: No TV Tuner w/remote control
Primary battery: 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Productivity software: Microsoft(R) Works 9.0

 

Well you've given a lot more information now.

Go for a bigger hard drive. I myself do video video editing and sound editing, so that 250GB of space could go away fairly quickly.

The T9400 and the T9600 are fairly similar, so both would be sufficient.

YOU DEFINITELY WANT THE 9600m GT!

I use Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit and it really satisfies me. If you get that and the 4GB of ram, you're future proof until the year 3000 (not literally)

I do a lot of what you are saying and it all performed very well on the older 9700T so I guarantee this DV7T will conquer everything you put before it.

I just hope you don't expect a lot of battery life. Although, you should get at least 2+ hours on a single charge. Just be sure to set the mode to Power Saver when you go mobile.

As for the monitor, get the 1680 x 1050. You'll regret not doing so. Everything looks crisp and clear to me. It doesn't make the text unreadable. Everything can be read and viewed perfectly.

All in all, this notebook will be your dream come true. It even has a built in sub woofer so be amazed by the sound quality.

AND no problem! It's good to get the advice from other users.

 

That's a perfect setup. The only thing I would consider changing is possibly going one notch up on the hard drive category just to be safe (more space).

 

ok, thank you very much for your help.

I look forward to ordering it tonight!

 

Let me know how everything turns out.

OH! One more thing. Be sure to get an extended warranty. You always hear people with problems and how HP isn't able to do anything without a warranty.

With the ADP warranty you could drop it off of a building and they'll replace it.

 

Quick Question about the HP APP:

I'm a Senior in High School. Can I apply for the APP discount if I put the college that I plan on attending?

 

I'm not entirely sure. You'd have to call HP at 1-800-HP-Invent

 

Hey infamous can you go into the main dv7t thread and let me know what you think of the dv7t I ordered?

Also do you have Vista 64 bit on your laptop? If so does it run pretty smoothly?

 

With the configuration you have, it seems that you pretty much maxed it out. I mean a moderate configuration of the DV7T would be very good already. Your new laptop will enable you to play COD4, BF2 and a lot of the newer games on high settings. You'll be very satisfied with the new notebook. I personally dislike the Vaio laptops.

I do have the 64 bit version of Vista on my notebook and it performs very nicely with the exception of the occasional device incompatibility. Vista 64 bit supports 32 bit applications through an emulator. All programs should work fine on 64 bit, except the older 16 bit applications.

 

I got it

HP Pavilion Entertainment dv7t customizable Notebook PC

* Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
* Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9600 (2.80GHz)
* 17.0" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Infinity Display (1680 x 1050)
* 50% OFF 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
* 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* HP Imprint Finish (Mesh)+Microphone + Webcam + Fingerprint Reader for HP BrightView Infinity Display
* HP Color Matching Keyboard
* Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100AGN and Bluetooth(TM)
* No High speed 56K modem port
* SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* No TV Tuner w/remote control
* 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope


BTW, I have a 160GB external HDD so the 250GB was plenty.

 

very nice setup