New Y460 and Y560 Ideapads

Why get an Envy 15 with an i5 CPU instead of i7:

1. Cost. As Rockunited said, the i5 spec is $300 USD cheaper. With the i5 spec and the $300 coupon, the Envy 15 2nd Gen laptop comes in at $1250 USD. That is a great price for a light, thin laptop that has the firepower of most heavier, bigger, more expensive desktop replacement laptops.

2. Heat. As those on the Envy 15 Gen 2 messages boards have indicated, the i7 runs warm (but not uncomfortably hot), whereas the i5 is absolutely cool to the touch.

3. Battery life: The i5 spec with its stock 6 cell battery can get 3 - 3.5 hrs with good power management. The i7 spec may get almost to the 1.5 hr mark, if that at all.

4. Most people opt NOT to get the optional battery slice. While it does double the battery life of the Envy 15, it also adds almost 3 lbs to the weight of the laptop (8 lbs combined weight). At that weight, the Envy is no longer a portable laptop. It's essentially become a thin, but heavy, desktop replacement laptop.

5. CPU Throttling: Not sure if you are aware of how the i7 spec Envy 15 is throttled when used on battery power. The i7 gets locked at an x 7 multiplier or 931Mhz, so if you plan on using while away from AC power this might be a problem for you.

This is a light standalone laptop after all. It should have some semblance of battery life when taken off its power adapter. If one wants an i7 spec, then there are better true desktop replacement laptops out there (like the Asus G73JH). The G73JH sports an i7 AND an ATI 5870. Its innovative cooling system keeps things nice and cool. It's heavy (8.5 lbs) but it makes no excuses about being a desktop replacement laptop.

The Envy 15 is relatively light (5.17 lbs) and is a great portable laptop that can also pull dual duty as a desktop replacement. It would be a shame to cripple its use as a portable laptop by using an i7 CPU and resigning it to a fate of being strapped to a power adapter.

By the time USB 3.0 becomes mainstream, you'll most likely look at getting another laptop anyway (where all its USB ports will be 3.0).

The last time I used an express card slot was when I needed a IEEE Firewire adapter for my camcorder. I have since upgraded to a HDD camcorder and transfer my files without any compression from camcorder to PC HDD.

Aren't technological upgrades wonderful?

 

According to Lenovo's website (scroll down the page a tad), the Y560 will be released " late March."

Since we're half way through March now, you only have two weeks max before its released. That's IF that time frame is accurate.

I too am and have been waiting for the Y560 since early Feb. I orginally wanted it b/c of the RapidDrive feature, but since thats not coming out until Fall (according to the Lenovo rep I spoke with), I'll just replace the HDD with an SSD.

 

I will go for envy 15 even it only has core i 5 compared to asus n61-- core i7

 

Heat is an issue for most laptop that have discrete laptop, that's why I only play pc game on desktop. No uncomfortable keyboard or palm rest.

 

I'm waiting to see if the Envy 14" is announced last this month before I decide...

 

Then you obviously haven't played on an Asus G73JH or Envy 15 2nd Gen (i5 spec) yet.

I do agree that desktop PC gaming is better. Sometimes though, you just want to game when you're on a trip somewhere, and that's where these laptops come in.

 

Ever tried playing BFBC2 on a 14 inch laptop? It's brutal (especially trying to pick out targets with a sniper rifle while playing recon....).

 

You should post this to the Envy threads haha.

 

If only the Envy had switchable graphics...

 

I have a question about all these Y460 overheating issues and the projections about the unreleased Y560

What is the difference between the Y550P and Y560? I currently own a Y550P (edit: original i7 version)and I have had no overheating whatsoever. And I do not live in a frozen tundra or an A/C environment. And this is after playing hours of WoW and Arma II.

I also never turn my pc off. Palm rests barely get warm and nothing feels uncomfortably warm.

When you look at the 100+ reviews of the Y550P I cannot find anyone commenting on heat either. Also some of the bad reviews are laughable

1. Only 2 USB ports or all USB ports on right - Um there is a USB/eSata combo on left. However it seems like the new models added another USB port.
2. Trackpad off center - Um many notebooks do that and it is actually for a reason.

The Y series is not perfect but no laptop is. From my experience of prolonged use and medium gaming it runs well.

 

Comparing the reviews here by notebookreview on the y450 vs y550, the y450 got significantly hotter than the y550- they mention it spiked 100 degrees, and had several hot spots 90+. The y550's temps are all much more reasonable.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5112
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5405

Just because the 550 does well doesn't mean the 450 isn't a small hotbox, and it will probably hold that the 460 will do equally as poor in heat management, while the 560 probably will do OK.

 

I never mentioned knowing the temps of the Y4xx or that since mine runs cool that the Y4xx will too.

Some of this is coming as a comment from Ober

He was the one that likened the operating conditions of the Y4xx to a Y5xx.

And it is also directed at the HP Envy posts in the Y460/560 thread. It wouldn't make sense to compare a 14" notebook like a Y460 to a 15" HP Envy 15. So if we are talking about heat issues, from my experience the Y550P i7 has none.

 

I think saying probably will do OK is an understatement if indeed it can be compared to the Y550P in that department. I will probably end up with the Y560 when they become available. I love how the Envy looks but it is outside of my budget. Also the battery life with the Envy i7 sucks while I do not have to make a CPU downgrade to get acceptable battery life with the Y560.

Y560 upgrades - switchable gfx, faster hybrid hdd, slightly better dedicated gfx card, 3 usb + 1 combo usb/esata

 

I disagree. It makes perfect sense to compare the 2 laptops.

Both are roughly the same screen size. Both can be configured with the same i5 CPU. Both have above average GPUs. Both are powerful (CPU/GPU) laptops with attractive form factors and light weight (low 5 lbs).

Where they differ is what's forming the basis of mentioning the Envy 15 in an Y460 thread.

Besides, this isn't the "Lenovo Y460 Owner's" thread. This thread is to help out prospective buyers (including myself) discuss the pros and cons of owing the Y460 vs. other similarly specced laptops.

Don't take it personally if you already own a Y550 and decide to get the Y560 or Y460. They're both decent laptops in their own right. However, if you want to OC your laptops, you might be in for a rude awakening if you try it with the Y460.

 

I would certainly like the notion that although the y460 and y560 have the same cooling unit which is 2 heat pipes from the cpu to the gpu then to the heat sink, the y560 is bigger (15") and therefore will have a bigger thermal envelope and will run cooler.

tbh I'm not convinced, just doesn't seem that it's gonna make a big difference. I'm not so worried about the temperature of the touch pad or palm rests, the cpu running at 101C is just too much.

 

The MSI GE600 should have very similar specs to the Lenovo Y560, as far as I know; I'd expect better cooling from MSI, too.

 

I've heard that MSI can be a little bit of a crapshoot when it comes to build quality (keyboards/chasis with flex, creaking sounds, etc.).

Anyone hear something similar?

 

wow seeing that envy 15 is kind of making my mind change a little... lol damn you guys! im going to go and read up on it... it seems like a fantastic buy acctually..

 

I'm on the fence between the Y560 and the Envy 15.

The Envy 15 seems to have the advantage in cooling, graphics and overall build quality. But while the slim profile looks very mobile, you should take into account the external dvd/bluray and large power adapter if you're planning to be on the move constantly. For extended battery life you can get the battery slice which is one more thing to carry.

The Y560 look good on paper but a real life review would be nicer. It has a good array of ports and while heavier and thicker than the Envy, it's an all in one package and will probably be lighter over all once you all everything up.

The switchable graphics option is a definite plus. If the Envy 15 had come with that, I would have ordered one already. I'm concerned with heat and build quality of the Y560 though. I've read that the Y550 didn't have the heating issues that the Y450 did. I hope that it's the case now as well.

Also i believe from an earlier post someone said that the rapid drive option won't be available till this fall. I guess this is a point in the Envy's favor since you can configure it to have a SSD + HDD option which i'm strongly considering.

Lastly, it's still up in the air weather or not the Y560 or Y460 support VT. I believe the Envy does. This is a pretty strong factor for my final decision.

So i'll wait and see how the Y560 will do when it finally get's reviewed.

 

Well it will not be often that someone will be in the market for either a 14.0" laptop for $900 or a 15.6" laptop for $1300. We will not see many if any threads on this forum with people debating between the two.

I am not taking it personally, I am just trying to make sure that no false information is going out to the same prospective buyers. The thread seemed to be taking a turn of "watch out for the Y460 overheating go get an HP Envy 15". If you are worried about the Y460 and heat and are in the market for a 15.6" then consider a Y560 when it comes out is all I am saying. It should be $200 to $300 less than an Envy 15 if price matters.

Also I did a search at the beginning of the year on HP Envy 15 and it was not a pretty picture. What has changed in the cooling department esp after upgrading the GPU (not rhetorical I do not know and would like some information) ? Here is a link to HP Envy Heat problems from actual owners on the HP forum:

http://h20435.www2.hp.com/t5/HP-Envy-Notebooks/HP-Envy-15-Heat-Problem/td-p/52441

That thread alone would worry me about owning one. Right now my CPU temps are at 52 deg, which someone got after buying a cooling fan. But this is all secondhand info since I have never even held one but you may run from an overheating Y460 to an overheating Envy 15.

In summary, I do not know much but I know something about the Lenovo Y550P because I own it. Very nice notebook expecially for the money once you get past the unique lid (orange trim and the odd patterns). Unless I find something better in the GFX department for around the same price I will end up with the Y560. Switchable GFX, hybrid hdd, and the extra usb port are great upgrades to mine.

 

Hey nicksti do you have a review anywhere of your Y550p? How's the heat on the Y550p after playing a game for a while? Are you using a cooler? Can you enable VT in the BIOS?

Thanks!

 

How does the Envy 15 have an advantage in cooling?

HP Envy 15 pros - Looks*, materials, GFX
Lenovo Y550P pros - Price, battery life, less heat**

* - subjective but I believe most people will find the Envy more attractive
** - based on information on the HP owners forum.

It is a pity the ideapads get less attention in the Lenovo forum. The U450p owner's lounge is all the way on page 4 :O

 

Unfortunately I do not but you can ask away and I will try to answer your questions before I head to work. I had planned on doing a writeup with an unboxing but I am such a lazy so and so.

Which games do you play? I have access to quite a few original pc games and can load em on and let you know. I can also install any benchmark programs to aid in your decision. The only games I have played for any long period of time are WoW, Arma II and Street Fighter 4. The GT 240m played them well on native res but when hooked up to an Asus 24" 1920 via HDMI it struggled.

Here is a link to another owner's experience:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=449231

I agree with assessment. I did a clean install on mine immediately after booting it to windows for the first time. Owned mine for 2 months now.

I am off to work now so will let me know what you need and I will respond from work.

EDIT:
Forgot to answer your question. Yes you can enable Intel VT. Second page last option.

 

Apparently the 2nd Gen. Envy 15 has no heat issues.

Also, for those considering the Envy 15- the battery slice adds ~3 lbs.! I was a bit surprised by that..

 

No heat issues?

From http://h20435.www2.hp.com/t5/HP-Envy-Notebooks/HP-Envy-15-Heat-Problem/td-p/52441/page/3

"Hi - I am encountering this exact same heat issue with my HP Envy 15 (specs below). The left plam area becomes really hot, forget about keeping it on your lap. I used a utility to record the temp. After playing Hulu the temp of all 4 cores jumped to the 80 C range...after opening a few more windows in background..the temp shot up to 90C. I was imagining what would have happened if I had played some high req games.



I called Technical Support but they are of no help, they are suggested to just get the laptop repaired/replaced. I am wondering is this Heat Issue only with some models of the Envy 15 or this is with all of them. Is the HP Support acknowledging this as a defect and are planning to do something or is this just falling on deaf ears.



It would be nice if someone with from HP Tech with some expertise would address our concern here...



Specs: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Processor w/ 4 GB RAM and 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics
"

That is a 2nd Gen.

 

You're mostly right about the Envy 15. I look at it as a powerful portable desktop replacement laptop, not as a CULV travel laptop, like the Asus UL30VT. And I do NOT recommend getting the extended battery slice, as it adds 3 lbs to the 5 lb laptop, effectively making it weigh 8 lbs. The Envy 15 now comes with a 90w power adapter, which is smaller than the 120w it used to ship with.

The Y560 does look nice on paper. While it does have switchable graphics and more useful ports (express card, etc.), it also has a weaker GPU and weighs 6 lbs. The Envy 15 with its external optical drive will NOT weigh 6 lbs. You can't count carrying the power adapter, as the Y560 also has a power adapter.

While it would have been nice if the Envy 15 came with switchable graphics, most people can leave with its 4 hrs of battery life, considering all its other advantages. Truthfully, after my research, I've determined that only CULV laptops with average to below average GPUs (with or without switchable graphics) have battery lives of 6+ hrs. If long battery lives are what you need, those are the laptops you should be look at (and not the mobile, portable powerhouses like the Envy 15, Sony CW, Asus N82, Y460, Y560, etc.).

As for SSDs, I'm holding off until the end of the year, when Intel will introduce larger SSDs, and drop prices on the 160GB models, etc.

Good points there. That only goes to show how great the Y460 looks on paper (it really offers a lot of bang for the buck, especially with 15% off during Lenovo's St Patricks Day sale). I was one who was initially VERY impressed with the Y460. However, thanks to posters who alerted me to the Y450's heat problem, I decided to do my own extensive research. Based on what I learned, coupled with some reviews done in China on the Y460 already, I decided to stay away from it.

And you're also right about the Envy 15 1st Gen's overheating problem. However, we've been talking about the Envy 15 2nd Gen, in which they've solved the heat problem by moving around the internals inside, using 3 fans, etc. That review link you referenced deals with the 1st Gen Envy. Why there aren't more reviews on the 2nd Gen Envy is beyond me.

The Y560 is a decent choice as far as 15.6 inch laptops go. But, it's GPU is below that of the Envy's and it weighs 1 lb more (6 lbs). But it does come with an internal optical drive and switchable graphics, which should give it up to 1 hr more battery life than the Envy.

What you should understand is that most of us are discussing things here from an educated point of view. We are greatful when others, like yourself, bring in alternate products for consideration. But it doesn't give one the right to question why we're looking at alternate non-Lenovo products in a Lenovo thread.

LOL! Glad to be of service! I was in the same boat as you until Rockunited opened my eyes. My recommendation to you (and others) is do the research, ask questions, and then make a decision (knowing in your heart and mind that you made an educated choice).

Just don't take too long, since I don't know how long the HP $300 coupon wil last.

 

That Envy 15 2nd Gen is a lemon. Even the poster wasn't sure if it was just his and his alone having problems.

For that 1 Envy owner, there are so many more who reported that their Envy 15 2nd Gen had no heating problems whatsoever. The i5 specs were absolutely cool to the touch. The i7 specs were warm.

 

Actually, it's a pity that Lenovo didn't solve the heat problems of the Y450 in the Y460 models, as well as make the Y560 in such a manner that allowed it to easily stand out in a large field of laptop models.

No offense, but Lenovo (and before that IBM) is known for its Thinkpad business line, not its Ideapad consumer line.

And IF youre quoting pros for the HP Envy 15 2nd Gen, you could add light weight, small thin form factor, efficient cooling system (which is GREAT if you want to OC) to the list of pros.

 

you know...the Y460 does get hot..but because of the price point of the Y460 for the St Patricks day sale...i cannot let it go especially now i can opt for a 1 year accidental warrenty..

the price of the envy 15 coming in at a 1,300$ with the 300$ coupon is just too much for me at this time...and i need a laptop next month...so at 960$ for the Y460 im going to take the plunge if i can gather the funds... if anything ill pick up a NC 2000 cooler and use that when im gaming...but just web browsing the laptop shouldnt be all that hot...

but for just some bad company 2 on the go while im away from my 360 (or letting it cool down lol) it should be fine for me... ill see if i cant get some proper temp readings for you guys...

did anyone else buy the Y460 yet? i know one member did.. wonder if thats still a go for him..

 

i've been looking for a laptop with this type of configuration for a while, now. 2 things have put me off about this one: the heat and battery life. from the review several pages back, it appears (as most people that commented seemed to indicate), the y460 gets terrible battery life ~2hrs. however, this should not be the case. it seems as though people are misreading the info. the "Total Time" and "Discharge Rate" are what people should be reading. those fields indicate the y460 gets ~4hrs.

this is from passmark's "help":

Time Total: How long the battery will last if it is fully charged. This information is normally collected from the battery itself, but if the battery pack can’t supply this information it is estimated in the BatteryMon software.

Discharge rate: The current discharge rate. Total battery life in hours. This is calculated by looking at the rate of discharge over a period of time and extrapolating the discharge rate to a value of 0% charge. It is this value that is represented on the graph by the blue line. When only a few samples have been made the extrapolation is not very accurate and the value can vary widely. Are more samples are made the value becomes more accurate.

maybe the battery life is no longer an issue, as most people seem to be focused on the heat problem...

 

Congratulations! It's a nice laptop on paper. Just be careful if you OC it and monitor temps like a hawk.

BFBC2 is very CPU and GPU intensive, so be sure to use your notebook cooler with it.

Since I don't have a console, I wanted a portable laptop that was powerful enough for me to play BFBC2 wherever I go and cool enough for me to OC it.

 

can you give me some temps that i should watch for??

and scale them please..

i.e

70C-120C


maybe some useful suggestions like 110 or above TURN THAT OFF NOW OR YOUR HOUSE WILL START AFLAME lol...

thanks

so this Y460 is a no go for you?

i wont be overclocking as i should be able to run the game at a decent res on medium settings...im not a graphics junky so looks arnt everything gameplay is where it shines..

 

Thanks nicksti. The games I'm playing now are Lord of the Rings MMO, Startrek MMO, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and some FPS games like TF2 and Left for Dead. I usually play for around 3-4 hours straight when raiding. In most i'll be playing on native rez.

How's the overall build quality? Is there any flex on the palm rests or on the back of the screen? Any creaking when you pick it up?

 

As a general rule of thumb, I try to keep temps between 65c - 75c. Above 85c, I started to get anxious.

Your laptop should shut down automatically before it gets to the point where the heat fries anything. However, prolonged heat exposure will reduce the life of your laptop.

I had a bad experience with an HP Pavilion ZD7000 desktop replacement laptop. It had a bad cooling system and was always overheating to the point where the laptop would always shut down unexpectedly. I learned to save my work often. I swore never to get another laptop that overheats again and have to go through that nightmare.

Hence, I am quite skittish when it comes to the Y460 and its heat management issues.

 

you know what i dont get is why companies dont test this stuff before they get the laptop out on the market...if it has cooling issues then they should redesgn the cooling systems...thank god im getting a cooler which should drop the temps to normal levels...

 

Well, I looked it up and it seems like the i5 Envy gets around 3 hours maximum from the normal battery. The 9-cell would probably get almost another 5 hours, but it weighs 2.7 pounds while the extra 6-cell weighs around 0.8. Also, the HP 120W adapter is apparently quite heavy as well, something like 1.6lb.

So, battery life is actually pretty good for the Envy 15 even without switchable graphics, though it could be better. However, the whole package isn't quite so light.

 

I don't know much about computers, but I have been doing quite a bit of research before buying a new computer, and last night I ordered the Y460 with the i5. My question is... do you think overheating will be an issue if I'm not a gamer? The Y460 is way more computer than I really need since I'm mainly getting it for MBA school, but I figured since I'm getting a new computer why not get more than less, right? After reading all these posts, however, I am a little concerned about the heating issue.

I will mainly be using Excel, Word, Web stuff, etc. (very simple stuff). I do stream movies from the internet to my TV from time to time. This stuff wouldn't cause it to burn my lap even if it does have a "heating problem," right?

Also I suggest contacting the companies by phone before buying any laptop. I have contacted a few in my research and have found the salespeople on the phone/chat can usually bring down the cost a little more. The Lenovo person was only able to knock off like $20 more than the St Patricks Day sale, but still worth it I think.

Thanks for all your comments so far. I've appreciated reading them.

 

You can get 4 hrs with smart power management. The 2nd gen also ships with a 90w adapter (1st gen had the 120w adapter).

If you're not a gamer and plan to do those things you mentioned, you should be fine with regards to heat and the Y460.

The question that begs to be asked though, is why get a Y460 for those activities? In my opinion, the Y460 (given its spec configuration) was geared towards those who want to game, as well as do other things. With your stated activities, you'd be better served by something like an Asus UL30VT. It's got more than enough firepower for what you want to do, its extremely light (3.74 lbs), has a battery life around 7-8 hrs, and costs about $750 (Amazon.com). Plus, it doesn't have a heating problem.

I sincerely believe that some companies know the flaws and limitations of their systems, but sell them anyway as is, hoping that consumers like us don't do our homework and discover the truth.

Caveat emptor (buyer beware).

I knew next to nothing about laptops 3 months ago. After having spent time reading literally hundreds of pages of posts on a variety of laptops (UL30VT, G73JH, Vaio CW, Y450, Y460, T400, T410, T400s, N61JQ, UL30JC, G51JX, N82, Envy 15 2nd Gen, etc.), I feel more informed about these products, thanks to this great website.

When it comes to spending my hard earned money, I don't want to have any regrets. I want to know that I spent my money well.

 

Lest anyone think I'm a shill for HP or feel that the Envy 15 2nd Gen is THE perfect laptop, let me say this:

If the Asus N82 were out right now, I would say it comes the closest to fulfilling the perfect combination of powerful desktop replacement and light, portable, battery life.

The N82 can be configured with an i5 CPU, Nvidia 335M (less powerful than the Envy's ATI 5830; the 3D performance of the GT335M should be somewhere between the GT 330M and the GTS 250M with DDR3), Optimus (automatic switchable graphics between the 335M and an integrated graphics chip on the motherboard).

While the N82 is slightly thicker (1.38 inches vs 1.04), it weighs less than the Envy (5.07 lbs vs 5.17 lbs), and that includes an internal optical drive and an 8-cell battery. Battery life should average about 5 hrs with 50/50 use of the dedicated and integrated graphics chips.

With that being said, HP is unmatched in offering consumers a 21-day trial period in which you can return the laptop with no questions asked and no restocking fee charged. No other company comes close with their return policy. I even heard that they pay for return shipping (but I haven't confirmed this for myself).

Only negative (for some) is that its 14 inch screen has a 1366x768 resolution and its lid is a dark brown color.

It's price will probably come in around $1100, which puts it cheaper than the Envy 15 (with or without the $300 coupon).

With that being said, HP offers a 21-day return policy with no questions asked and no restocking fee. No other company offers that, to my knowledge. I even heard that HP pays return shipping (but I haven't confirmed this personally).

If the Y460 didn't have any overheating problems, it would give the N82 a serious run for its money and put the Lenovo Ideapad line on the map (similar to what the G35 sedan did for Infiniti here in the USA). The Y460 packs a lot of firepower in a light, portable form factor.

 

Could somebody call Lenovo and ask them when Y560 will roughly arrive? Still waiting for any notion in Lenovoshop. :x

 

It seems a little more complicated than that. The configurable model says 120W in the specs, just like the older 1st gen. In addition, HP's official adapter compatibility page doesn't say it's compatible. However, the new 1150NR quick-ship model says 90W. It may be the case that because it uses an i5-430M the lower wattage is enough, but the adapter that comes with the configurable model is the 120W because it has to be enough for any config - including the quad-cores. This seems to agree with some posts in the Owners' Lounge suggesting the dual-cores don't get throttled on 90W but the quad-cores do.

If this is the case then I'd have to buy the quick-ship config to get the 90W adapter, or I'd be forced to buy a separate adapter, though.

4 hours from the Envy 15 seems unlikely, though. Where did you get that figure from? If it really is as much as 4 hours then I'm going to have to look at the Envy 15 again.

 

I'm convinced it can't reach 4 hours at all. Idk which generation it is, but according to notebookcheck it can do 2 hours 40 mins without Wi-fi and with min brightness, which is really unusable. I don't believe them to "fix" it in any other generation whether they're still improving its hardware.

from German notebookcheck:
Idle (ohne WLAN, min Helligkeit) 2h 40min
Surfen über WLAN 1h 35min
DVD 1h 20min
Last (volle Helligkeit) 1h 10min

 

That's the first generation Envy 15; I can tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few Envy 15's in my time. (It has an HD 4830).

I'm not sure if the second generation improved battery life, but I would expect it to be a little better with Core i5 rather than Core i7.

 

Someone on the 2nd gen Envy owners thread said the Envy gets 2.5-3hrs under common use scenarios. I imagine that could be stretched to almost 4 hrs if you really tried hard, but that interests me less than what I'm actually going to get when I use the thing.

 

Envy 15 2nd gen will get 3 hrs under common use scenarios (no hardcore gaming). It should be able to eek out 4 hrs but that would require turning off bluetooth, not using the external optical drive, etc. Not very realistic, given common usage patterns, but it is what it is: essentially a light, portable desktop replacement laptop in a sense.

That's the trend I've noticed with newer laptops with powerful CPU/GPU combinations: their battery lives tend to be around 3 - 4 hrs long under normal usage situations. Your desktop replacements come in around 1-2 hrs. And your relatively "underpowered" CPU/GPU models come in around 6-8 hrs. For the time being, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

If portability and battery life is your thing with power thrown in, the N82 is a great choice. While it doesn't have a powerful a GPU, it does have longer battery life with its Optimus capabilities (8 cell battery yet to be confirmed). Downside is its 14 inch "low" res screen.

If you want a really light, powerful desktop replacement (with a really powerful GPU, minus the internal optical drive), then the Envy 15 2nd Gen is your ticket.

If I were a college student or journalist that needed to take a laptop everywhere and have a relatively long battery life, I'd get the N82 (from Ken and GenTechPC.com). I couldn't see using the Envy 15 outside in the quad, out in the dog park, on a veranda, etc. as easy as the N82. Yes, it is possible to use the Envy 15 outside on limited occasions, but I wouldn't make it a habit.

As a banking professional, I don't really need to take a laptop outside everywhere I go. I want something light enough to carry through airports. Everywhere I plan to use it (airports, conferences, hotels, etc.) has plenty of power outlets. The downside is lack of an internal optical drive, but realistically, I only use it to install new programs. I rip my DVDs to the HDD for convience and to cut down on power consumption.

So it's up to each of us to realistically assess what are our needs from a laptop.

 

You could be right about the adapter that ships with configured spec models vs those that ship with preconfigurations. The people who had the 90w models didn't indicate which model they ordered.

 

okay can we please stop making this an Envy Thread...


this is about the current released Y460... which no one but me seems to be buying... *sigh*

 

Look at the bright side Raptor. Once you get the Y460, you can put it through its paces. Stress the CPU and GPU and prove us wrong about its cooling system and heat management capabilities.

Just be sure to save any open files first in case it shuts down unexpectedly due to high temps.

Ok, so other than Raptor, who else is getting the Y460?

 

Sure, it's about the Y460, but it's also about reasons why/why not to buy it, and the HP Envy 15 could well be one of the latter for some people.

Without extra batteries and if the adapter isn't the ridiculous 120W one, the Envy is the same weight as most 14" laptops so I think you're not losing much on portability, except compared to a 13" (especially one like the VAIO Z). I also prefer to store data on HDD rather than optical media, so the lack of an internal optical drive is perfectly fine.

The only thing holding me back is battery life, but if I can get 3 hours that might well be good enough. From what I've seen so far in this thread, the Lenovo Y460's battery life isn't much longer, for one. The HP Envy 15 also has the distinct advantage over the N82JV and the Acer Arrandale Timelines of actually being available. There's still the Sony VAIO Z and Alienware m11x to consider as well, though; at least for me.

 

I'm still waiting for Y560. But nobody wants to make a call and get some information

Battery life of Y460 definitily must be better than Envy, at least with IGP activated. It should do without electricity for about 5 hours I guess.