nc8230 not available with 7200RPM drive?

The short version:
Is there any longer a way to get a build-to-order nc8230?

I thought what I wanted would be pretty easy to get:
nc8230
Intel Pentium M 760 CPU (2.0 GHz)
15.4 –inch WXGA Panel/LCD (1280x800 is all my eyes can take)
512 GB 400MHz DDR II SDRAM (will replace with 2 GB from Crucial for <$300)
60GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
CDRW/DVD Combo Drive
128MB ATI X600 Dedicated Video

The Longer Version:
I asked for a quote for a laptop spec'd as above and got three very different quotes, for very different hardware from different reps. I have spent way too much time trying to get a straight/accurate answer....

On my own I did find something close; HP's part number PZ432UA#ABA which has what I want, except that it has the 5400RPM drive (I want the 7200 rpm version).

Reading on these forums it sounds like the build-to-order nc8230's are no longer available & HP has some serious problems in it's Order/Delivery of these units...

I can get a Dell Latitude D810 with the specs I want (including the 7200RMP drive) for about $400 less than the nc8230 part number I found.... I am starting to wonder if the HP notebook is really worth the extra cost/ frustration.....

 

If you're located in the US, I don't see why you can't get a custom config'd unit. I went to their site and entered the info you wanted (except the memory is only 533MHz) and it came up with a price of $2145US (without shipping & taxes).

Are you going the the correct section?

Goto HPShopping.com's Small & Mediam Business section -> Notebooks -> Select N8000 Series.

This is where you may have gone to the wrong area. Instaed of going to the NC8230 section, goto the one on the right "Configurable - High Performance Mobility". From here, it'll allow you to custom config the nc8230 with all the specs you listed.

Also, from that config I entered, ship date was approx July 16, 2005.

I have not read, at least at this site, that HP is having problems with the ordering/delivery of the units.

-Vb-

 

Thanks Venombite! You were correct that I wasn't going through the right menu to custom-configure a system. Now I just need purchase approval from my boss : )

 

Venombyte,

I know someone who wants to get a custom configuration, but I can't find the location you listed. Can you post the URL?

thanks

 

Mtnmasher,

You can try this link, but other users have tried to goto other HP links I posted, but didn't seem to be able to get there. Someone indicated that the link may have expired, but I'm not sure. Give the one below a try and see if it works.

http://h71016.www7.hp.com/ctoBases.aspx?oi=E9CED&BEID=19701&SBLID=&ProductLineId=430&FamilyId=2116&LowBaseId=13700&LowPrice=$1,449.00

*** Note: The above link should all be 1 line (no spaces), it was split because it was too wide for the window.

-Vb-

 

Venombite,

Thanks, that one worked.

BTW, I finally got around to burning a DVD. Can you tell me how to monitor the buffer utilization?

Tnx

-Mm

[edit] - Oops, Never mind. I had Administrative Tools turned off.

 

Well digitallyunique has 7200rpm drives in stock for 156

 

Mtnmasher,

I guess you can monitor the performance using the Admin Tools, but I just monitor the bar in the buning software. In Nero, while burning, it lists the percent complete, read buffer and write buffer. The write buffer is the one that is the most important. This is the one that will jump up and down during a DVD burn. It happens because of the bottleneck of running the HDD & DVDRW on the same IDE channel. It can't read/write simultaneously to both devices when on the same channel. Now, imaging if HP actaully decided to use a 4X DVDRW burner in this unit as their Service Guide indicates, you'll be getting buffer under run errors galore. I believe they changed their specs for this specific reason (I guess they forgot to change their specs in the Service Guide).

-Vb-