Hel 80 Owners Lounge

Hi there,

I have just my Compal HEL80 for a couple of months now, and I started to notice that my screen can be flipped a bit too smooth. When typing when I have my laptop on my lap for example, the screen shakes a little bit. Does anyone know a method to fix this?

 

I don't know about fixing it, but I've had my HEL80 for over 9 months now, and it hasn't exhibited any loss of resistance on the screen's movement. If that's happening to yours that fast, it might be worth getting replaced. Is it getting looser overall, or has it just developed a small range of motion where it'll move freely?

 

Same here on my HEL80--about 10 months at this point and pretty regular opening/closing. I don't notice the hinges getting looser at all.

Definitely get in touch with your reseller if it's getting substantially loose.

 

my laptop got delayed again because they did not get the screen, should i be worried?

 

^I am getting the HGL30 and my laptop is delay period . Just called Justin and will be playing the waiting game longer (waited since April 9th).

 

that sucks

when is your expected date now?

mine is the "end of this week"

 

I may not receive the notebook until the end of next week .

Anyway, the notebook was suppose to come today but something happen. You know, delay here and there or Compal uses the snail method of shipping or they are lazy to ship. I am getting a another called this Thursday for an updates . I hope the notebook will ship that day. I hope xoticpc will be kind enough to use next day shipping method but that will probably not be the case (no freebies for barebone with no CPU/HD/RAM, I did not ask either).

Oh well, I would have order from milestone instead as they have the HGL30 in stock and a 3 year warranty. According the Justin, compal is making small revision to the notebook. Although I will probably not notice any difference but I guess it worth the wait. Who knows, maybe Compal fixed the flexing problem with the keyboard. Or maybe they are fixing the notebook for santa rosa (not likely). A WXGA+ matte screen would be nice. Sadly, my parts (CPU/HD/RAM/OS) already arrived two weeks ago from newegg.com.

 

Nah, nothing to be worried about. My first notebook years and years ago was delayed for months because there was an industry-wide shortage of LCDs. I think I got my notebook about 3 months after I ordered it if I remember correctly.

Just hang in there...I don't think you'll be waiting too much longer.

 

wow thats a long time, at least xvx upgraded my shipping to overnight

my parents were telling me that the company was ripping me off, i sort of got worried :O

 

An update on the hgl30:

My order have been delay to this monday .

The good news is I might get overnight shipping.

 

All dealers have been waiting for the HGL30 to arrive for almost a month, and we have all been told various dates that have come and gone...so please don't blame your dealer, they are not holding out on you...it is simply that Compal has not met their delivery dates.

Our latest word is now "next week" which of course could mean anything from Monday through Friday...or if history repeats itself it could mean the following week. Then once we get them we have to build, test and burn them in before we can ship so that adds a few more days.

We all just have to realize it is out of our control and be patient as we wait for Compal to deliver.

 

I see. Since it was labor day in Taiwan (May 1st) and looking at the time, it should be May 2nd in the morning (Asia, flipped time and a day ahead of us). Do you think they will send you an update on shipment?

Seeing that I am getting the HGL30's barebone, do you think I will run into any internal problem due to unknown revision?

 

We never know if we will get an update on the ETA...too often they arrive when they arrive.

A troublesome revision is unlikely, but you should make sure you start with the latest BIOS.

 

ffzero is yours delayed again? mine is too

 

I got an email from Justin stating that the hgl30 finally came. However, there a 48 hour waiting period before xoticpc will ship. I wonder what bizarre and unusual ritual must xoticpc do with a barebone that I ordered (jk)?

Kickdim, I hope your notebook will come soon. Just hang in there. Good luck!

 

thanks, they are waiting for the screen, and they should get it by thursday...I don't know when i would get it thought

 

Any good custom builder like Xoticpc will have to test and more importantly burn in (that is run "stress testing" software on it for several hours) before shipping it. This allows the builder to test every component in the laptop to make sure you get a quality product that will have an extremely low failure rate.

Better to take a couple of days to do it right the first time don't you think?

 

XD I should be getting my laptop on friday!! But the bad news is I'm not getting the wsxga+ screen

 

AndyNJ, i dont know if you remember but you were the one who had given me the tip about buying at xvx, and I said I had gotten the last screen (WSXGA+) and then wished you best success in getting one.....well, I dont get it! You got yours and they just told me that although one was reserved for me, Im not getting one cause the manufacturer doesnt have anymore. I am quite POed! So, I guess Im looking for advice....settle for the WXGA at their proposed 150$ discount, or go for 17" (Im waiting to hear if they will leave it to me at same price)..but I question portability of 17" models. Otherwise, are there any etailers that still carry these? Or could xvx buy the monitor off another etailer to honor their commitment to me?

 

they called you today too?

i just went with the rebate and upgraded my ram
which they only gave me $135...
the ram was $65 so i am getting 70 back which is pretty good

17 inch are more of desktop replacements so they are not that portable

 

KickDim, i dont understand the discount they offered you? I also have an important question here:

If my notebook has a screen res of WXGA but my external LCD has WSXGA+ resolution, will I need to changes the display properties in Windows everytime I hook it up or will it recognize the external LCD's native resolution and switch automatically?

My plan was to buy 15" for when on the road, and buy a 22" for working at home.

 

Once you set the resolution for your external monitor in Display Properties it should hold it until you change it.

 

sorry i meant to say i have the same problem as you do, and I just went with the lower resolution

 

So you are saying that if the notebook has native 1280 but external has 1680, i will need to change it whenever i replug the external? Or are you saying that the notebook's screen is a separate ballgame and that there is a specific place where I can assign settings for the external monitor res and whenever I plug it in, Windows knows to use this?

PS. DOes anyone know if MilestonePC still carries the WSXGA+ screens?
PS2. xvx are offering an upgrade to the 17" system for 150$ or to get the lower res (1280) screen for 200$ less. Decisions decisions.

 

im sorry, if u were talking to me again, i meant that i have the same laptop problem as you

paladin already answered your question

I think milestonepc is out of stock but you can just ask them

 

Congratulation Kickdim, although its unfortunate that you are not getting the WXGA+. The good news is we both are getting our laptop this Friday (shipped today) .

 

Ooh! I wanna be part of the excitement too!

My adjustable notebook arm should be here friday too!

 

Can anyone who received a WXGA glossy report on whether or not they are satisfied or dissappointed with it (especially those who wanted the WSXGA+)...

 

Take a look at this thread
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=1473249#post1473249
Its a review of the Compal HEL80 with WXGA

 

Just wanted to check... I'm looking to upgrade my processor in my HEL80 from a 2.16 Dual Core to a 2.16 Dual Core 2. Is it as simple as buying it, opening the computer and replacing it (Minus the complexities here)? And were there any directions to follow around?

Thank you

 

Do you need the 64bit support or do you do intensive 3D rendering and media encoding tasks? If not then it probably not worth it getting C2d because the C2dT7400 has the same clockspeed(ghz), L2 cache, and FSB as the CDT2600.

Its rather easy since there is a cpu compartment is located on the bottom of the lappy.But you may need a BIOS update to support C2d
Take alook at this disassembly guide
HEL80 disassembly guide
and then the video to assemble it.
<object width='425' height='350'><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LP5vyxXjHuo"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LP5vyxXjHuo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width='425' height='350'></embed></object>

 

Thanks for the info.

I plan to start my computer sci. major next year, so i am assuming it would be helpful. It's also my gaming and leisure time computer. I don't want to have to buy another computer for another 4 years so I figure I will try and keep this one up to date.

Thanks you

 

Have you upgraded your ram to 2gb and have you upgraded your hdd to a 7200rpm one? Also if you want to upgrade to a c2d you might want to consider a t7600(2.33ghz) but i dont know if you will notice a difference compared to the T7400 that will justify the extra price but anyways wait as long as possible before buying the cpu so you can get a good price on it.

 

wierd...I gotten the laptop, but the they given me a extra wireless card





also what is a good temperature for the hel80, my cpu temp is around 40-50c and hd temp at 39c, but it seems high

my cpu clock is at 1663 mhz and cpu voltage is at 1.2375 (10x)
i think its bad since its in red O_O (using nhc)

 

That's what he's saying, yes.

The screen itself has disappeared from the market...so once they're gone, they're gone . A 17" system really is huge and not portable. I used to have one and didn't want to take it anywhere. For portability...I'd actually recommend 14.1" over 15.4".

It is a fairly simple upgrade...make sure to have a Core 2 Duo-supporting BIOS though. I don't think it's worth it though. You really won't get much of a performance increase and will spend quite a bit to get it. Better to just upgrade to whatever's the current CPU when you do replace the system. Spending $300+ for minimal improvements doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. Socking that money away to pay for 20% of your next system does in my opinion.

Your temperatures do not seem alarmingly high to me. Is the room you're in warm?

 

i have a compal el80/hel80.. i bought the barebones and assembled it myself, i have a 2.0ghz core 2 duo, 2gb DDR2, 60gb hdd, the intel wifi.. i didnt get the bluetooth or the tv tuner.. was wondering if anyone knows where i can find available tuners and bluetooth modules.. also, i was wondering what kind of audio systems i could hook up to it

 

ok thanks, my room is sorta cold, i dont really know what the temperatures should be..>_<





also, is this bad if the cpu is in red?






megadeth: http://www.milestonepc.com/states/product_info.php?cPath=281&products_id=1333
i found a cheaper tv turner here https://www.discountlaptops.com/index.php?section=accessories

 

Just wondering if the HEL80 line is due for upgrades. I've been in no hurry to buy a PowerPro, but I'm getting close. I've been waiting for either the prices to drop a bit more or upgrades to be added. I see that Intel has released it's new chipset code named Santa Rosa which brings up the board speed to 800 rather than 667. As you may know I'm a coommercial photographer and I want to get a pretty fast notebook for my needs. Any info? thoughts? Thanks.

 

check the ifl90
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=119874

 

The HEL80 line is about to be discontinued in favor of the IFL90. However don't expect to see prices drop for the HEL80 because right now they are in very limited supply.

Give me a call and I can discuss the differences with you so you can make a better decision about which one would suit your needs best.

 

This has been what I've been telling prospective buyers all along...that when the new systems are released--resellers will have anticipated it and have whittled their supplies down so as to not be stuck with a bunch of the old systems when nobody would want them anymore. No good business wants to be stuck with inventory it can't move.

The saying still rings true, "buy when you need the system".

 

Hi, I have been reading these forums for some days and I will probably get a HEL80 this summer. My local store in Spain sells the Bluetooth module for €12 (~$16), and USB Bluetooth sticks for more or less the same price. I'm wondering if it would be worth buying the built-in one. Would it reduce battery life even when it wouldn't be used? An USB stick would only consume power when it's being used, but it's another gadget to carry on. What do you recommend? And also... is there the same performance/range with the two options?

 

It's all about portability. Surely it's a lot more convenient to have a module installed inside your laptop instead of you having to haul an extra piece of hardware around.

I'd believe having the bluetooth module will decrease your battery life, but not really in critical margin as long as you don't have the device communicating 24/7. Besides, even if you were to get the external USB dongle, it will still eat up just as much, if not more, power as when you have the internal counterpart, right?

 

But I have thought it would only consume battery when being connected, not always, as it would do the internal module, even when it's not being used.

 

feldespato, where did you see the bluetooth module for 12€?

 

In the PCBOX shop at Puerto de Sagunto, near Valencia. I think it will be the same price in all the PCBOX shops around Spain. You can see them at www.pcbox.es

 

I bought my HEL80 in the Sevilla's PCBOX, hehehe. I didn't see it before... I will buy it next week

Thanks feldespato

 

I can't believe there is still no ways to control the CPU fan speed.
I hate the 30sec on / 30sec off cycles. If I remove the lid that covers the cycles becomes 5sec on / 90 sec off, so it seems that there is not enough ventilation.
I tried to slow down the fan by placing some tape between the fan and the lid to slow it down a bit - didn't need to slow down much to become very quiet.
By reading this thread I get the impression that fan speed / cycles / noice varies from unit to unit. Could it be that they use different fans on different productionseries? If so, there should be a chance to get sligthly slower fan for replacement. Does anyone know where to get one an alternative fan?

Would there be any other way to make it more silent? (Connect a resistor on the fan cable, make more/larger holes in the lid, ...?)

 

From my testing fan thermistor values change in almost every bios. You might want to consider trying them out if you are comfortable with the process.

 

when do you guys clean your laptop? And which parts do you clean?