nx8220

Regarding your optical device's high-pitch noise: are you sure that this is coming from the optical device. I have to say that I've got a high-pitch noise coming from the hard disk (Fujitsu 60gb), so it could be this that is causing you the noise...

The only other high-pitch noise I know of is that which is concerned with the Bluetooth module - of which we have a software workaround until (of if ever) HP solve the problem.

I will be contacting HP tomorrow to chase this one up.

Cheers,

Rob

Rob Jones
HP NX8220 (UK)

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Venombite

 

Hi,

Just a simple question re: 8220.

Everything I've read is inconclusive regarding the optical CD/DVD drive... is it part of the laptop? Or a bolt on?

Is it on the left side? Right side? Front?

Could someone take a very quick pic?

Thanks

 

http://www.notebookreview.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17873

check this post out for some good pics of the laptop

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by discofly

 

thanks!

 

@bonkersrob

just tested the extended desktop feature of my nx8220 PG804ET (x600 64MB). it works as expected. no problem at all. tested it with my old nokia crt @1280x1024 85Hz. Maybe it's a driver thingy. i used the 5.6 catalysts and patched them with dh mod tool for use with mobility radeons.

 

Hi Mate,

Yes - loaded the Catalyst 5.6 drivers and dh mod 2.2, and hey presto, works like a dream.

Thanks!

Cheers,

Rob

Rob Jones
HP NX8220 (UK)

 

just received my nx8220 2 hrs ago and have been plyaing with it. a few observations. first, the keyboard was loose when I took it out of the box and had to slide it in place. the heating problem seems quite severe. after i first boot up, the vent on the left side started spurting hot air for more than half an hour. great heating for winter time but this is summer now :-(. is this normal? have not observed this for my previous laptops. the keyboard - specifically the touchpad and lower left quadrant is now very hot. after playing songs from a cd, that cd feels burnt. will this damage my cd in the long run? the optical drive seems to be making a lot of noise too.

 

Xdrgb,

First off, congrats on your new notebook!

Second, I think there might be something wrong with your notebook. The fan does spin up and blow for a while when connect to AC (actually, it doesn't turn off when connected to AC), but it shouldn't blow hot. Mine is warm after 30mins to an hour, but never really hot unless I'm playing a game or something.

The lower left of the touchpad shouldn't feel "very hot", warm maybe, but not hot.

If you're CD is excessively hot, it's possible it could be because you were using the drive at the time. If it's excessively hot, then that could be a problem with your system overall (cooling problem). This might cause damage to burned cd's in the long run.

You may want to send the unit in for exchange. Heat shouldn't be too much of a problem with this unit. You should download and install MobileMeter on your notebook. This will tell you the temp of your systemboard chipset and CPU temp. If it's over 50+ degrees a lot (CPU), then there might be a cooling system problem. I'd get it swapped for a new unit.

-Vb-

 

hi guys,
shuold i get a 8220 or 7010, a terriblly old one? it seems that 7010's screen is better.
thank you for your time.

 

Shute,

Get the nx8220. The nx7010 is out dated, slower CPU, less options, and the list goes on.

Now regarding the LCD, it's not 100% guaranteed that you'll get one of the LCD's that have a "dirty" look to them. The replacement nx8220 I just got a couple days ago came in with an LCD similar in quality to the old nx7000 I used to have. It didn't exhibit any of the problems I indicated on my review. Also, the backlight was completely even, no dark spots anywhere. So from the looks of it, HP might be using different brand LCD's in their nx8220. The old LCD wasn't 100% bad, just bad enough to annoy me when I first saw it, but after using it for a while, I got used to it. But since getting the replacement unit, I'm MUCH happier. [ ]

-Vb-

 

Mate,

Don't bother with the 7010, get the nx8220.

It's Sonoma, DDR2 ram etc. - ok, there are some teething problems, but hopefully HP will fix the high-pitch noise problem connected to bluetooth etc.

Enjoy,

Rob

Rob Jones
HP NX8220 (UK)

 

to Venombite and bonkersrob,
Thank you very much! I'v made my decision, and I'll book one in a few days, 8220 of course
Can't wait to see it

 

Shute,

Concratulations on your purchase. After you get it, let us know what you think.

-Vb-

 

Hi all!
I've read on HP's support forum about some keyboard issues with this notebook:
a person was not able to play games because the notebook did not recognise pressure of more than two keys.
Could you please tell me if someone of you experienced such a behaviour?
It was an isolated problem or this is a "feature" of HP 8220?

 

I was concerned about the NX8220 keyboard after I read that as well; however, on my NX8220, I have 2 "hotkeys" set as Ctrl-Shift-I and Ctrl-Shift-O and the keyboard does actually register all 3 keys. This works in MS Word as well for hotkeys.

I do not have any experience with games so I cannot tell if simultaneously pressing more than 2 "letter" keys will register on the keyboard. Perhaps someone with more gaming experience can clarify this issue.

 

hi,
after testing my nx8220 for several days, found that one of the problems is that the optical drive does not eject my disks successfully everytime. does this indicate a problem? HP hasn't offered much help and I have lots of problem convincing them that I want an exchange, given the heating problem I have too. any suggestions? I am in UK

 

Thank you miufahkiu. It's funny, because even in another forum I asked the same question, and got always the the same answer: "Sorry, I don't play games". Ouch.. you serious professionals, don't be too serious, play more!

Maybe the disk is not ejected because the drive is still working? Sometimes I've experienced a similar behaviour with my notebook, I just wait some seconds that the drive is "unlocked" and than the disk is succesfully ejected. If this is the case, no problem..

 

Xdrgb,

I had a similar problem with the nx7000 I used to have. Hitting the eject button didn't eject the disc. It turned out to be the system/drive not recognizing the press of the eject button. It wasn't the drive as I got it replaced with a different brand by HP for other reasons, and the same thing happened. I think it's the button design itself. You may have to press and hold for a second before it registers. What I did was to download a small utility that sits on the system tray, I just click it when I need to eject and done. I think you can also setup a "hotkey" with similar utilities to eject your drive.

-Vb-

 

Hi guys!
I'm owner of nx8220 since few weeks, and I have the "LCD" problem
I connected the notebook to external lcd monitor and I was shocked!
The colour on ext.LCD was much rich and realistic vs. NX8220 LCD
So,did anybody meet such problem, the colour differency?
Thanks.

 

Abogus,

I haven't come across any issue with the colour on the LCD vs an external. The main LCD problem that most have is regarding the dirty/shimmer effect. If the colours seem faded or washed out, you may want to check on the Ambient Light sensor to make sure it's off. This may dim the LCD and make everything look faded/dimmer. Fn+F11 will enable/disable the sensor. Other than that, there could be an issue with your LCD. The dirty/shimmer look I got with my original LCD was resolved when I got my unit swapped/exchanged. The new LCD seems to be WAY brighter and the shimmer is pretty much gone (hardly noticeable). HP seems to use multiple brands of LCD's, I guess some are better than others.

-Vb-

 

I like it, the HP's have really improved over the past few years. They used to only make those mammoth P4 notebooks but they're changed.

 

Venombite,

After reading how satisfied you are with the replacement display on your NX8220, I feel like I'm missing out with the display on my NX8220. It does have the dirty/shimmer effect, and it was one of the first things I noticed when I got my notebook; however, over time I have got used to it. The display is still noticeably dimmer than my desktop LCD though.

Would getting one of the "improved" LCD's require getting a whole new laptop? I'd rather not have to go through the hassle of setting up all of my software and transfering all of my documents.

 

solved my optical drive problem. uninstalled the driver and it works fine after that. installed Suse 9.3 today and everything works, except for the mouse. the mouse was working during installation but somehow died after everything was finalised. the mouse works in Windows, so it's not defective. anyone with similar experience?

 

Miufahkiu,

Well, for me to get the new unit, I had to return the unit before getting the new one. I probably could have pushed to get a replacement unit sent to me first, but I wasn't in a rush. My exchange wasn't to get a better LCD, it was for other issues I listed on my review (high-pitched noise & only having 1 IDE channel). I just lucked out and got a better LCD at the same time.

You could also try ordering another unit (if your credit card can hold it) and then wait for the new one to arrive. If it's better, all you have to do is swap HDD's and you're set. Or, you can send it in for service and just have the LCD replaced. The only issues I see with this are that you might get a similarly dim LCD.

Replacing the LCD is just a luck of the draw, so you can't ask for a better LCD.

One thing I did notice during the install of my display drivers is that I believe the Device Manager detected the LCD as a Samsung. (Saw Sam for a split second, the rest was covered by a window). It's possible the better LCD's are made by Samsung.

-Vb-

 

Hi,
got my nx8220 (2.0 1024) a week ago. really like it, some minor flaws like the hdd noice and keyboard a bit loose on the right hand side. can live w that.. don't seem to have the bluetooth problem though. there's a sound but it seems to be fan related, stops with fan. Using rmclock for under volting. temp on max load dropped from 71c to 55c!!

some questions:

i'm using mobilemeter for temp monitoring. 1st temp is cpu i suppose, but the two others? Temp nr 2 seem to be quite high (slightly higher than cpu) and doesn't go down quickly when fan starts. Something wrong with cooling?

cdr causes some severe vibrations when speeding up. whole thing's shaking. Anyone's experienced the same?

cheers.

 

Venombite,

I just got it for a week. And I think its performance is quite well, thought many little drawbacks (the leak of backlight of the LCD, keyboard, cooling system...) make it hard to be a total replacement of IBM.

One prob.

I pushed the 'up' bottom to tune up volume when I was playing NFS7, and the sound was tuned up far more than I expected, what's more, the balance bottom was pushed to the left and so all sound came out only from the left speaker.
I think it's a software prob., and no familiar case in other situation.

another prob. is

I try to install XP of other language version which are supply in the OS DVD but failed. If that is forbidden, why does HP supply a DVD that contains so many language versions of XP?

Thanks.

 

Grpone,
MobileMeter monitors the (1)CPU, (2)GPU & (3)Chipset temps. The GPU temp would be higher because it doesn't have active cooling, it just uses passive cooling (kinda). There's a metal plate that sits on top of the GPU and spans the left have of the keyboard area (also provides extra support for the keyboard). This plate draws the heat from the GPU and releases most through the keyboard. This plate also spans over the cooling fan, which also draws a bit of heat from the plate at the same time cooling the CPU. So, a slower drop in temp for #2 is expected.

Shute,
What kind of backlight leak do you mean? On a pure black screen, I do see the bottom ever so slightly brighter, but that's if I stare from slight above center (staring down on the LCD). But if I stare straight on, I don't really notice it.

What's wrong with they keyboard? I found mine great (at least the original unit, the replacement unit has a stiffer keyboard).

What's wrong with the cooling system?

Regarding the audio, it does tend to be a bit sensitive. I've noticed this recently when playing a DVD. You gotta tap it lightly/quickly for a small increment. The balance issue should be related to software. My unit did not have the slider all the way left, so it could have been something that was installed afterwards that did that.

You have an OS DVD? Mine is just an OS CD which contains the language for the specific country of origin. If you're trying to install a different OS from that same disc, than I don't think that'll work. You need to get a specific OS language disc. The Software/Driver DVD that comes with it has all the languages because it's easier/cheaper to manufacture 1 DVD with all lanuages than to have 1 specific to each language.

If you could elaborate on some of these issues (LCD, KB, Cooling), that would be great.

-Vb-

 

hehe, sorry for that. I have read something similar on earlier posts, so I supposed they (LCD, KB, Cooling) were prob. of everyone's.

LCD:
The leak is not from the LCD itself, but from the shell of it - when I put my eyes on the left of the left edge of the LCD and looked at its right side, a slight light could be seen in the middle of the LCD and the shell. It was definitely the backlight and should not be seen if the shell matches the LCD well. Anyway, it is not easy to be found at a normal angel, and does nothing bad on the performance of the LCD.

KB
The right part of the KB, which is above the CDRom, is not firm enough, just like there is nothing supporting it.

Cooling
hehe, I think the notebook should be cooler

Well, on the above three. I think the KB prob. is the most serious, since there is little possibility for me to use a external KB.

Btw, tell me if I expressed anything unclear, for English is not my mother tough.

Thanks.

 

Shute,

I looked at my LCD the same way and I also do notice this ever so small crack of light. But who's ever going to look at a notebook like this? I would never have even considered looking at my LCD this way until you mentioned it.

The keyboard is a bit weak there, but you have to press press pretty hard (harder than you would normally when typing, or at least the way I type) for the keyboard to actually flex. It's mainly because the optical drive is right below, there's no room for a frame or additional support that you get on the other side of the keyboard. I'm not sure how hard you type to make it flex, but if it's very light, your keyboard could not be sitting correctly. You may want to take the 2 screws out from under the unit and slide the 4 tabs (besides the F1, F5, F9 & F12 keys) towards the front of the unit. The keyboard should lift up from the top. Just try re-seating the keyboard to make sure it's seated properly.

The cooling, well, how much cooler were you expecting? What does your unit normally run at? Download MobileMeter and run that and report back on what your temps are for the unit.

No, there's nothing wrong with your English.

-Vb-

 

Hi Guys,

Interesting debate here -

I'm pretty happy with my NX8220, and in an ideal world I would like for the bluetooth-related high pitch noise to be eliminated, but the workaround sorts it out for now.

The only other real problem I have is with regards to the hard disk (I've had a replacement (Hitachi) for the original Fujitsu) - the Fuji has a high pitch whine coming from it, the Hitachi doesn't do this but the head movements/ seek noise are quite noisy when the machine is doing the most minor tasks or is idle. The way things are going at the moment, I don't like either of the hard disks - what a shame that Hitachi's hard disk couldn't be as quiet as the Fuji with regards to the head movement/ seeks - then I would be happy!

Venombite - thanks for all your help with this - it looks like I'm going to stick with the Fuji, as the noise from the Hitachi is very random and can be quite annoying - and continue my search for a quiet-ish laptop hard disk to replace it with in the future.

Cheers,

Rob

 

Bonkersrob,

The HDD issue seems to be drifting a bit away from the original posting. It's probably best to start a new thread on the HDD issue.

But I just to add something before the new thread. In regards to the HDD, it's possible the Hitachi you got is not as quiet as the one that I got with my unit. I do hear the occasional click, but it's very quiet. It's louder than the Fujitsu (can't hear anything actually), but it's completely tolerable. I'm not sure how sensitive your ears are, but even in a quiet room, it still doesn't bother me. Maybe it's because most HDD's I have or have used are louder, so this is quiet in comparison.

You may also want to look at your HDD settings. Try turning off Indexing in the HDD properties in My Computer. This sometimes keeps the HDD running even though you're not doing anything. Also try reloading your OS from scratch and kill as many non-necessary processes, this may also help.

-Vb-

 

Thanks for your info. What would be a normal gpu temp during light windows work w. out 3d gfx and stuff? I've noticed that the gpu temp gets alot highter when on AC, even when fully charged. It drops instantly when I pull the plug. Is there some sort of speedstep-ish feature for the gpu aswell?

grp

 

Grpone,

The temp I normally get when running from AC is approx 48-51 degrees celcius. This is when I just do basic surfing.

The ATI cards/drivers have a feature called PowerPlay, it's generally power management for your GPU. When on AC, it's will run the GPU at full performance, but when you goto battery, it'll drop performance down (since you probably won't be playing games while on battery) to save on battery power. You can adjust this in the Advanced Display Properties.

-Vb-

 

Venombite,

I swear I am a light-typer

Hope it is as what you said and the KB will be fixed after being re-seated. I will try and report the result.

The cooling prob. troubled me a lot during the days when I re-installed all the software and arranged my data. But now, it's much better!

Thank you for your info.

S.

 

It's great Venombite, I checked the tabs you told me and excitedly found that 2 of them are loosen. After I put them into their slots, the KB was as firm as a rock!
Thank you very much!

 

Does anyone know if the NC8230, the american model, has these same issues?

 

I have a fully loaded, US built, made to order nc8230. I have the 7200rpm Hitachi HDD, and don't find the HDD noise objectionable at all. In fact, I don't know what the others are complaining about. I do hear the HDD seeking, but only if I listen for it. It is not any louder than the fan or other minor noises coming from the machine.

My machine does have a buzzing noise, but I wouldn't describe it as 'high frequency', so I don't know if it is the one that is associated with the Bluetooth. I have Bluetooth, and have turned it and the USB hub associated with it on and off, but it has not affected the noise.

My noise comes and goes, and has a distinct turn on point. After it starts, it seems to diminish in amplitude to the point where I don't hear it, or don't notice it after a minute or two. It bugs me when it first starts though.

The fact that it has a distinct turn on point leads me to believe that it can be fixed by a firmware patch, but nothing has come out yet.

Overall, this machine is fantastic, in spite of the very minor issues. I would buy it again without hesitation.

-dg-

[edit] My HDD is an HTS726060M9AT00.

 

Shute,
Good to see that it was just a problem with the keyboard seating. Looks like you're on your way to enjoying your notebook!

---------------------------------------------

GhostX9,
The problems seem to be related to the design of the systemboards (Pentium M based units) as this problem (high-pitched noise near the CPU) is/was also present on their older Pentium M notebooks as well (I had 3 different busniess models and all had a similar problem). For some reason, some users don't hear the noise, while others do. It's possible if you're not listening for it, then you don't hear it. But with Mtnmasher's case, it seems to be a different issue.

The issue with the HDD is completely dependant on the person as well. I did notice a high pitch noise from the HDD (Fujitsu), but after it got replaced with a Hitachi, I was fine. You do hear an occasional click, but I find that better than the high-pitched noise.

------------------------------------------------------------

Mtnmasher,
When does the noise start (start point)? I know the high-pitched noise I get doesn't happen when I'm in the BIOS, only when I'm in the OS, but that's when everything kicks into gear (drivers/software).

-Vb-

 

Venombite,

The buzzing noise is highly inconsistent. Sometims it happens regularly soon after coming out of standby, but other times not at all. It hasn't happened for the past two or three days. I will pay more attention in the future.

 

Hi there

I plan to buy the nx8220 tommorow if all goes well, as I get it cheaper (presentational model)... What I would like to know, is the PZ097UA that worse from the PZ098UA one?

http://www.hp.ca/products/static/notebooks/nx8220/models.php

It has 1280 x 800 points VS the 1680 x 1050 points so different screen. Is that so bad? At home I have a Dell 20" LCD with 1600 x 1200 and it is ok. Isn't 1680 x 1050 a little steep for 15.4" monitor???? And the power drain is bigger and you have to play games on the native resolution... Isn't the 128 x 800 better for 15.4" LCD? Just asking...

And how about the whine from the bluetooth? Is it really that bad? Will it wake my baby? I can not imagine how loud are you talking about it? 30, 40, 50 decibels? Wake the wife up? And about the HD, it has Fujustsu. Again, so much noise? So I imagine now this notebook is whining like a Pentium IV desktop monster with 5 fans...

If somebody would clear me up on this. And the LCD, is it so bad (white not white) that I would hardly read or what? All LCD's are too bright for me anyway I put contrast down. I won't be able to watch movies on the beach with it, won't I? But how about the super glare ones? I think also no movies on the beach?!

Yours

Jerry

 

Jerry,

I hope I can answer some of your questions as I have an nx8220 from Canada myself.

1. Generally, the PZ097UA is the same as the PZ098UA. The 98 just has higher specs than the 97. What you get extra is a larger HDD, a DVD+/-RW burner, a faster CPU and a higher res LCD. Otherwise, it's the exact same unit.

2. The display resolution is completely a user pfreference. On a 15.4" screen, having a lower resolution (WXGA, 1280x800) might be good for some people, but I find the higher resolution (WSXGA, 1680x1050) to be more suited for my needs, plus I like the sharper fonts. It does get a bit small sometimes, but I'm used to it. When playing games, it'll automatically re-adjust to the correct res depending on the games settings. I've played games on a 15.4" WSXGA+ LCD and didn't have any problems. Power drain is going to be a problem no matter what the screen size is when playing games. Games puch the system (CPU, Ram & Video) to it's limits (depends on the game) and this will make the power drain more obvious.

3. The Bluetooth whine is not that loud. It will not wake anyone even if your wife is sleeping right next to the notebook. I have no idea how many db's it is, but it's very quite. It's more of an annoyance than it is a problem. As long as you have the bluetooth module enabled, the noise will not be present. Same goes for the HDD. If this notebook were to make the same noise as a P4 desktop with 5 fans, it's time to get yourself a new notebook.

4. The LCD is fine, some just tend to have the "shimmer" effect. It's like there's a film of dirt on the screen that just won't come off. It makes your whites look a bit muddy, but your font's will be just as sharp. Now this problem with the "shimmer" effect has only been reported with WSXGA+ LCD's, so I'm not sure if the problem exsists on the WXGA LCD's. Also, only some WSXGA+ LCD's have this problem, not all, so I think it's limited to specific brand(s) of LCD's. My replacement notebook game with a different brand LCD and it has no "shimmer" effect and it's 15-25% brighter.

5. If you are considering a glare type LCD, it's probably best to go to Best Buy or your local computer store and see it in person. Since I don't have one, I can't comment too much on it other than I don't like it, too much glare. You do get an amazingly bright image, but too much glare. Some have reported problems with some "glare" type screens, if the brightness is dropped below max brightness, it seems to flicker like a flourescent bulb about to burn out.

I hope these answers helps you make a decision on a notebook. Let me know if you need any clarification on anything I wrote.

-Vb-