i5 CPU choice for Envy 14 (430 / 450 / 520)

So the waiting is going to be finally over in a couple of days, and I have made up my mind about the configuration I will be ordering but I'm still stuck with CPU choice.

Looking at comparable models in HP laptop range, the base config will have i5 430m and upgrades will be available for

-450m for $40~$50 more (2.4 non TB, 2.66 TB'ed)
-520m for $100 more (2.4 non TB, 2.93 TB'ed with AES and other inst. set)
-540m for $150 more (2.53 non TB, 3.06 TB'ed)

Now 430m is a perfectly capable CPU, but since I'm buying a premium laptop, I want it to last a while. CPU is one of the things that are harder to upgrade and I want to make sure I have something with power.

If you look at CPU benchmarks, there is tangible difference between 430m and 520m (as expected), but I haven't seen too many benchmark involving 450m.

My laptop usage would be multimedia playback and some music editing (but not too much of video encoding), gaming, maybe some CAD in the future.

 

If you check the brochure http://h20424.www2.hp.com/campaign/c...Y-brochure.pdf it says the only i5 upgrades will be the 520 and 540, but that can probably change. I personally am leaning toward the 520 because it probably has the best value out of all the options.

 

http://www.notebookcheck.net/typo3temp/pics/650ef6bf0e.gif

Tangible difference? Only if you're compressing terabyte zip files or whatever it is that the pcmark "communications suite" tests. The subscores (not the composite) besides the comms suite are nearly identical, so for music editign media playback gaming and cad you're basically looking at a $100 overclock.

 

In that case I can safely pocket that $100 and put it towards 1600x900 screen then.

I thought I saw around 300 point difference between 430 and 520m from passmark CPU at one point, but I must have not been looking at subscores. I'd have to agree overall score is inflated by the jump in the comm suite.

 

maybe u should consider the 450. it's one of the newer gens so perhaps intel has made some optimizations (?)

 

450 has increased DMI system bus from 2.8 GT/s to 4.5 GT/s. none of the other processors have that.

not quite sure what that does performance wise.

not much else different other than the 450m lacks the communications suite too.

 

thanks for info magus. i was thinking perhaps better power efficiency but it's been difficult to find this info since the chip was released april/may 2010

 

the chip's up on intel's website if you search on that ark.intel.whatever else goes here thing.

power useage looks the same (at least on paper)

 

Compare Intel® Products,

The i5s (430, 450, 520, 540)

 

I think I missed something. It seems as though everyone is now taking for granted that the base screen res won't be 1600x900. Where was this confirmed (or strongly suggested) to be the case? For a while it was expected to come with the higher res screen standard.

 

amazon's model is 1366x768 (albeit it has some other issues)

a couple random catalogs show the 1366x768 as standard (or at least one pdf I've run into).


meanwhile singapore has 1600x900 and i7s on one of them

 

So is this chart basically saying that any i5 model over the 430-450m is a waste of money? I don't quite understand what the com suite is, but I don't think it's worth $100-$150 more over the lower models.

 

com suite is a bunch of new instructions and stuff for things that aren't totally implemented yet into stuff like winrar and uh other things

 

Also, some of HP's own documents state core i3 is available on the 14.

ex.

High Performance Laptops w/ Free Audio Software | HP Envy Features

http://h20424.www2.hp.com/campaign/consumer_notebooks/ap/en/resources/HP-ENVY-brochure.pdf

So the base is a core i3-350M with 1366x768 screen and 320gb HD.

+$175 for an i5-520M
+$50 for a 500gb drive
+$100 for Radiance 1600x900 screen
+$125 for slice battery
______________________

$1449

 

That link is throwing me off - if you follow the first link, there is ENVY 14 data sheet. In the sheet, it says the specs for HP ENVY 14-1010NR is

i5 450m
6 GB memory
1600x900 radiance

and then, if you look at the Amazon.com pre-order-able Envy 14, it has the same model number 14-1010NR, yet it has standard 720p screen (1366x768). I really hope this is a mistake on Amazon.com's part, because if it is indeed 1199 for 450m/6 GB/500 MB/5650/1600x900 then it is not too bad of a deal I'd think (of course I'd want to use coupons)

Edit - argh nevermind, either I was seeing things or they corrected it, so it is 1366x768 for the base model.?

 

I highly suggest the best processor you can afford. Of the Dual Cores, I'd suggest either the Core i7-620 if it is available, or the i5 540/520. If I recall correctly the only difference between the i5 540 and 520 is mhz, not cache or turbo boost - in this case, the 520 is probably fine. Don't quote me on this as I didn't study the i5s closely. However, the i5-4xx or lower are missing cache and other features and thus performance will suffer.

Personally however, I'm going to be selecting the Quad Core options if available. The performance boost and longevity is worth it to me. The i7-7xx series is the entry Quad. I suggest the i7-8xx series as it comes with a speed bump and a little more cache. The 9xx series is an Extreme ed chip and costs a fortune. It probably won't even be available. Last I remembered there's up to about a 30-40% performance bonus between the 720 and 820, but the 920 is only about 10-15% over the 820.

In short...

Quads = Core i7 8xx
Duals = Core i7 620, Core i5 520

 

You're correct. The i5 5xx's have new instruction sets, I'm guessing the communications suite benchmarks things like zip compression and whatnot? But really, really how often are you going to benchmark and how often are you going to do the other things that test showed? The i5's past the 430 are just an attempt to sell a pointless upgrade.

 

So do you not believe in the information in this chart that shows the 520 to be nothing more than a fancy 430?

Also, to anyone considering a quad core: the i7s do NOT have integrated graphics which means you'll get terrible battery life out of them.

 

So no benefit going from 430 to the 520?

 

I wouldn't say there's no benefit, but personally I'm not gonna spend $100 for the minute difference in power and gimmicky bonus instruction sets.

 

It not only offers a performance boost, but the 520 uses less power than the 430 which equals lower temperatures and longer battery life.

So a more powerful laptop with a longer battery life? Sign me up.

 

Look at those benchmarks and tell me the difference in performance is terribly meaningful? And is the matter of watts a real big difference? Idk, maybe it is but I'm gonna guess that the difference there is the same as the difference between 5400 and 7200 rpm drives in terms of battery life, existent but minute.

 

Is there going to be a big difference between the 450 and 520?

 

Closed thread since the notebook has been released.

Continue conversations in the Owner's thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-owners-lounge-forum/493715-official-hp-envy-14-owners-lounge.html