my config dv5000z

hey guys, ive been looking over laptops for a long time now and i think its time for me to join the club. im going to graduate school across country next year so i will not be able to bring my desktop with me so i configured this on hp's website with the student discount:

Operating System
Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Media Center Edition
Processor
AMD Turion(TM) 64 ML-34 (1.8GHz/1MB L2 Cache)
Display
15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
Graphics Card
128MB ATI RADEON(R) XPRESS 200M w/Hypermemory(TM)
Memory
512MB DDR SDRAM (1x512MB)
Hard Drive
80 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
Primary CD/DVD Drive
DVD+/-RW/R & CD-RW Combo w/Double Layer Support
edit
Networking
FREE Upgrade to 54g(TM) 802.11b/g WLAN w/125HSM!!
TV & Entertainment Experience
HP ExpressCard Analog TV Tuner w/remote control
Primary Battery
6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Price
$1,030.98

i read that its cheaper to buy with only 256 ram but hp is having a special where one 512 stick is only 15 more so i think its a pretty good deal. the only question i have if i were to add an one gig stick, will it still work (i know nothing about dual channel or if this model even supports it)

given that my budget is only $1100 i think this is a pretty good deal

any thoughts or comments on what i should add or dont add? this will be my primary computer and with the tv tuner, probably the only thing that will allow me to tape 24 and prison break!
i also realize the x2 is coming out but given intel's relatively expensive dual core model i dont think ill be able to afford it anyway

thanks for you guru's help in advance

 

Hi Broke Student,
Get the 12 cell battery. It will give you better than 4 hours of runtine, otherwise it is a nice setup.

 

Yeah, the 6 cell is very dissatisfying, in my opinion. Everything else looks good! It's a good computer.

 

The current Turions aren't dual channel so you can add a single 1GB PC3200 (or PC2700) SODIMM to the HP-supplied 512MB PC2700 stick. I'd get one or two of these.

 

If you use the 512, won't this cause the 1 GB chip to run slower? In my case, I have a PC2700 128 MB and a PC3200 1 GB and I'm not using the 128 because I thought it'd slow down the other RAM.

 

Yes, that's true. I bought a pair of those 1GB PC3200 sticks for that reason.

 

thxs guys

is the 2.0 processor significantly faster then 1.8? i was reading alot of sigs and lots of ppl have 2.0.

thxs for answering my question on the dual channel thing, since i wont be playing much games, maybe just wc3, starcraft, and maybe crack (WOW) i should be fine right?

 

It wouldn't hurt. The faster processors are a bit more power-efficient at their lower speed grades too. If you have a little money left over, go for it.

 

for people that got the 1.8ghz cpu, is it possible to upgrade in the future to the 2.2ghz?

 

The service guide documents how to do that, but it requires a serious amount of disassembly. Most people aren't going to want to risk it.

 

Guys,
I always want to ask this question. In our old zv6000z thread, Hp had decided to defang the dual-channel memory architecture. If my memory serve me well, if you have one 512MB DDR1, you need another identical 512MB DDR1 to make the dual-channel memory works. But in this case the Hp has defang the lappy series.

My question is: in the upcoming TurX2 proc line, does it takes identical configuration and size to make the lappy works in dual-channel architecture. Or I can go with one 256MB DDR2 and another is 1GB DDR2 to enable the dual channel architecture...

Please, comment everybody!

cheer,
monkey

 

Dual channel always needs the same size SODIMMs.

 

thxs for the help everyone, im going to hold off on buying because of some unforseen financial expenses, hopefully ill be able to get it soon!

 

you said that your were able to get the student discount at the HP website. Ive tried many times and supposedly the site was down! So im wondering now if its working or not?