Hel 80 Owners Lounge

Hello, i have a possibly dead model EL80. Is it possible that the bios would be locked and only accept a t7200 and no other cpu? (The seller listed that as the cpu that was in the laptop). Someone told me that the bios could be locked so you can't upgrade or downgrade the cpu. I've tried a t2050 and a socket m celeron, neither cpu can get it to boot up. please help me, i don't want to have been cheated and bought a dead laptop!!! =(

 

No, that is not possible.

The BIOS is locked to over clocking, but not to accept a single processor. The HEL80 will accept all of the T series processors up to 667MHz FSB.

 

Thanks for your reply, i started a seperate thread, and the theory right now is this.

The EL80 (that's what it says on the bottom of my laptop, i'm assuming the HEL80 and EL80 are pretty much the same)...anyhow, the EL80 will only accept some processors, which are ....
* Processor Speeds Supported :

Core 2 Duo T7600 (2.33GHz), T7400 (2.16GHz), T7200 (2.00GHz), T5600 (1.83GHz), T5500 (1.66GHz)
Core Duo T2300 (1.66GHz), T2300E (1.66GHz), T2400 (1.83GHz), T2500 (2.0GHz), T2600 (2.16GHz), T2700 (2.33GHz)
Core Solo T1300 (1.66GHz), T1400 (1.83GHz)
Celeron M 410 (1.46GHz), 420 (1.60GHz), 430 (1.73GHz)
Will NOT Support Core 2 Duo T7700 (2.4GHz), T7500 (2.20GHz), T7300 (2.00GHz), or T7100 (1.8GHz)

AND thats why (i'm hoping) my laptop will not boot up!!!!!! =)

the above info was from a link that someone on this forums provided me!

my fingers are crossed!!

PS...i started a seperate thread here...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=282620

PPS....Thanks for your reply!!!

Synopsis...i tried 2 cpus not on the above list and my laptop will not boot up, (previous to my knowledge of that webpage)....so i ordered a third cpu, which is on the list, and when it comes, i'll test it and hope that my laptop will be ALIVE!!!

 

That is correct. I should have been more clear in that it will not support the odd numbered Core 2 Duo processors in the T7 series.

 

So anyone have any idea wha t panel model is used for the Glossy 1280x800 WXGA lcd on the HEL80?

 

if anyone knows where i can get a replacement hel80 motherboard.. please, let me know

 

hello
does compal hel80 can support 4gb of ram?
or the maximum is 2gb?

 

Long answer: Go ahead and read -
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=60006&page=75

Short answer: 2GB maximum

 

I had a question of my own: would the HDD found in the page ( http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4167702&CatId=1277) work in my HEL80?

I've read this ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=171816) but the thread is pretty old and the capacity I'm looking at is much bigger than 100-160GBs.

 

It should work no problem, I'm running a WD 320GB drive. You'll see a performance boost too, due to increased data density.

 

Thanks. This will give me some room to breathe

 

weird
i've tried yesterday 2x2gb in the laptop
but the weird part is that laptop sees only 3gb in the laptop boot-up

 

Thats due to 32-bit OS that you probably have installed which recognizes only 3.25GB.

 

i'm not talking about the os
i'm talking about the booting screen , that shows only 3gb of ram

 

It's actually a limitation of the chipset. The chipset on the HEL80 can only detect and utilize 3 gb of ram.

 

would anyone happen to be parting out their HEL80? looking to purchase the keyboard for my Sager NP2090

 

Hey all
I am in need of help with my HEL80 notebook.
A while ago i left the notebook closed for 5 hours in a well ventilated area. When i opened it up the screen went VERY bright and the contrast was way out so i rebooted it.
After that whenever i use the laptop the screen is very bright and it is very blurry and unreadable.
I have been monitoring temperatures and they are all in very good limits.
Also i cannot use the external VGA plug OR the S-VIDEO plugs as they will not work.
Also when it is running their is 2 lines going down the screen and whenever a blackish image is showing it is very reddish.
All of these problems have been occurring since i had warranty work done and I would appreciate any help as this is one of many problems i have had with this laptop and i am getting sick of not being able to use it.

Thanks in advance

Also i do not have warranty due to the fact that the place i bought it from (QDI, I am Australian) have gone broke and they dont have tech support.
I have even tried to contact compal tech support twice but have not had a response

 

Is there such a thing as a generic port replicator that will work with the
Hel 80 ?

My Hel 80 was sold as a PowerNotebooks.com PowerPro L:8:15 (model number
may be wrong, as it is not listed on the notebook itself, and I can never remember their biblical chapter type of model numbers).

Has anyone had any particular luck using a port replicator on a Hel 80 ?

Thanks .....

 

You have a PowerPro L 8:15 that has both PCMCIA and ExpressCard slots.

Targus makes a great ExpressCard port replicator (ACP60US). Just Google for it and you will find several suppliers ( http://www.google.com/search?q=ACP60US)

 

Donald, thanks for your post about the Targus ACP60. I bought it, but
it simply won't install. I upgraded the BIOS to 123b (from 114B) and
installed the most recent card driver, but the install still fails.

The Targus install software has no log or error files, so I can't even tell where
it's failing.

Does your company have any archived experience with installing this thing on PowerPro ? It's obviously a Targus problem, not a PowerPro problem, I'm just wondering if PowerNotebooks has acquired any knowledge of how to get this puppy installed.

Has anyone else been able to get the Targus ACP60 port replicator working ?

 

We have not experience any installation problems with it, so I would recommend contacting Targus support for help with it.

Although I do have one question. Do you have any other port replicator software installed, and are you sure you are installing the software first without connecting the replicator until it tells you to?

 

HEy!

I've Multinote HEL80. I've had problems with the infrared.

Does anyone know how to get the infrared to work?! I haven't installed or done anything, because i don't hav a clue how to get it work...

 

HEL-80 doesn't have infrared as far as I know.

 

That is correct...it does not have infrared.

 

Hi all, I just had a quick question.

I've decided to upgrade both the hard drive and the RAM on my HEL80 (bought from powernotebooks.com) and was wondering if my choices are fully compatible.

Hard drive: *tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4008610&CatId=2682

RAM: *newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145172

Also, I currently have 2GB RAM set up as dual channel. If I remove one 1GB stick and put in a single 2GB stick, can it still run in dual channel mode, or will I have to put 2 2GB sticks in to get he benefit of dual channel?

Thanks!

 

Here's a question.

Which laptop cooler do you recommend I go with for the HEL80?

 

Both the hard drive and memory should work just fine.

Dual Channel will work for 2GB but not all 3GB. That is, the 1st 1GB of each piece will work in dual channel mode, but the 2nd 1GB on the 2GB piece will not have anything with which to match for dual channel operation.

 

None. You really do not need a cooler for an HEL80...just open it up from time to time and blow all the dust out of it.

 

So you're saying I would technically be using a dual channel set up until I went over 2GB of RAM? Do you think it best that I just go for a full 4GB and ensure I'm always using dual channel?

 

Yes, and yes.

Yes your first 2GB of use will be in dual channel mode.

Yes, if you had 4GB then all 3GB would operate in dual channel mode, and should you ever upgrade to a 64bit OS it will be there for you.

Now, keep in mind that dual channel memory doesn't really do much for you...maybe 5-7% in most applications, up to 12% in some. Real world, you won't be able to tell the difference.

 

Awesome. I might as well go for the full 4GB with how cheap RAM seems to be getting. Any quick advice on what to buy or should the corsair that I posted above be fine? My goal here is to gain a few performance points if I can.

 

Crucial, Corsair or Kingston...hard to beat any of them.

 

Does anyone know which drivers are recommended for Vista? I use the nVidia 163.69 drivers for the 7600 Go, newer drivers causes my external display to flicker for about one second when I connect or disconnect a USB device.

Furthermore, I have problems with the Realtek HD Audio. The Realtek drivers (I used the most recent ones as well as the drivers on the Compal website) causes the audio to sometimes skip or stutter. I now use Vista's default drivers which works fine in terms of audio quality, but doesn't recognize when the headphones are removed so you have to manually switch between the internal speakers and the headphone port. Anyone else who experienced these issues?

On a sidenote I would like to mention that the nVidia drivers for Vista really suck, the control panel is very limited and it has half of the functionality that the XP control used to have.

 

Hi All,

Is it still possible to buy the TV Tuner Module and the Bluetooth Module from powernotebooks.com for this model (L8:15 / HEL80)? How?

Thanks,

Guilherme

 

The chipset on the HEL80 (i945PM) limits the maximum memory amount to 3.33GB, so if you install 2x2GB modules, you'll only get 3.33GB even if you install a 64bit OS.

 

There are no more TV Tuners, but the best TV Tuner out there now is the ExpressCard AVerTV Hybrid NanoExpress http://www.avermedia.com/avertv/product/ProductDetail.aspx?Id=442

The Bluetooth module is in our Accessories Store in the PowerPro L 8:15 section. (Ah, so sad the new rules do not allow me to just give you the link to it, but just look for the Accessories button in our header, and then look for the PowerPro L 8:15)

 

HEL 80 is fine cooling by itself, but if i have to recommend one cooler, i will recommend Recom coolDesk Pro
http://www.4frags.com/catalog/produ...a+portátiles+recom+rc-cd-pro+cooldesk+-+black

 

I user nox sirocco it's perfect it's the same as zalman, but cheaper and with an extra fan, my lap never pass 50ºC with fans off, even playing COD4.
http://www.f13pc.pt/forum/showthread.php?t=8705

 

Hello. I'd like to know, which Nvidia drivers work best for this computer? I'm currently using 177.89 version, but the powermizer doesnt seem to work properly with this version. Also, I'm having troubles with the cpu clock speeds... when I attach power cable, it sometimes forgets to update the cpu speed, so I need to reboot when wanting to do some gaming.
So, what version of the Nvidia drivers to use, and any good program to monitor cpu speed? Really need some performance optimizers!

 

I use Dox optimized 180.84, and I'm very happy with everything working well

 

Hi!

I actually own a Compal Hel 81 and I am having some quite severe problems with DPC - Latency.
I'm used to work with Ableton Live 6 to produce music and also fool around with it in live situations. I'm using a E-MU 0404 USB Audio Interface which is able to play sounds at a latency as low as one ms.
I need such low latencies to play Software Instruments (VST-Plugins) live without a nasty delay between pressing a button on a MIDI-Keyboard and producing the sound; now that's my problem:

When I set my ASIO Driver to a latency of lower than about 4 ms, I hear crackling noises in every sound I produce.
The reason for this can be found via "DPC Latency Checker" and with more details via Microsoft's RATT v. 3. These programs tell me that there are loads of DPC-queries of the ACPI.sys driver which are beyond a normal value of max. 500us (us, not ms!); its values go up to 2,5ms. Sometimes (randomly) there is an overall latency of 100us interrupted by very high peaks (up to 8ms). This latency leads to crackles in my sound, because the ASIO driver can't process its queries fast enough.

When I turn off the ACPI features via choosing "MPS-Multiprocessor-PC" instead of "ACPI-Multiprocessor-PC" in Windows XP's device manager it results in a constantly spinning fan and a very hot stream of air coming out of it. Obviously turning off the ACPI-features turns off any CPU-throttling, which is not really a good thing. The DPC Latency Checker, however, then shows overall latency values as low as 200us...

Is this a BIOS fault (i also get failure reports in the event log after every boot: \device\ACPIEC... it tells me that the EC controller didn't react in an appropriate amount of time)?

Why is this nasty ACPI system so *******? Has anybody experiences with getting the DPC-latencies down?

Compal HEL 81, Intel GMA 945GM, 2 GB RAM, Intel Core Duo T2450 2GHz, Win XP Pro SP 3, BIOS: 123B

 

I've had the very same problem with my HEL80 for as long as I remember...and now I'm so used to DPC taking up 20-30% of CPU usage while causing a nasty hump for whatever realtime.

Could you share more details about how you went about to track down the main source of the problem; in your case, acpi.sys?

 

I installed RATTV3 by Microsoft.

This program creates a logfile (located at C:\WINDOWS\system32\LogFiles\RATTV3 in my case) which contains a list of all currently loaded drivers and their DPC "consumption" time. Just go down the list and search for the greatest times (searching for "ms" did it for me as those values < 1ms don't really matter).

View the logfile with WordPad, you will have a more table-like view than with notepad.

Btw, is there anybody who is able to answer my questions?

 

http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=837&PN=46

Perhaps you could ask the same question here...seeing how everyone in this thread has/are suffering from the same issue.

 

I just downgraded the Bios to 116b; there is some reaction, at least: the avg. DPC-Latency has gone down from approx. 2000us to 200us but still interrupted by some peaks with a max. value of 2800us. (still caused by ACPI.sys )
Not really good, but slightly better.

My notebook doesn't suffer from high CPU-loads caused by DPCs, btw.

Edit: YEAH! I just forgot to disable the ACPI-compliant-control-methods-battery (don't know how this is called exactly in your language) in the device-manager, because I screwed around with the device manager for 4 days now and all hopes for progress had been disappeared...
Highest all-time-peak: 333us

It is some kind of weird that BIOS updates result in such annoying things like a non-properly working ACPI, even those failure reports in the error log have also disappeared!

Edit2: The wonderful low-latency state didn't last long: now (after two reboots) I have some really annoying 8ms(!) peaks, which I can't reproduce. I didn't change anything; sometimes even the mouse doesn't react anymore for a bunch of seconds (this goes with a long phase of constant 8ms peaks).

 

Hi,

I am the proud owner of an HEL80 too. I have seen this same problem with ACPIEC warnings and the high DPC of about 2ms. I did the same thing and it pointed to the ACPI. But in my case it was not the ACPI. I suspended the driver and the fan went to high speed. Probably because of no power control with the driver suspended. I also have issue with the screen saver or turning the monitor off. Just sometimes does not work.

But the work around at this point was to turn off the ACPIEC embedded controller driver. Also turned off error control for both drivers.

HKLM\sys\currentcontrolset\services\acpiec

dword=0x0000004 to disable

dword=0x0000002 to enable

After about two years of looking into this problem, found some stuff about XP drivers and the controller itself. Even noticed some post of other laptops with the same issue running Vista. So apparently this is a common problem. I did not have any high cpu usage problems, just high latency.

Not sure what other power stuff the embedded controller does. Not much on the internet about it. I still have fan control, battery control, screen saver, and power control for turning off the monitor. Not sure about CPU throttling however.

Now the DPC averages about 46 micro-seconds.

Since this seems to be a hardware/driver issue, I do not see this being resolved anytime soon.

Hope this helps,

Gerald

 

im the not-so-proud owner of a brick that used to be an HEL80.. motherboard failed, so ive parted it out on ebay (auctions end sunday evening)

 

My motherboard failed to, where can y buy new or used

 

Hi,

To the owners of HEL80 motherboard failures. I bought mine from System 76 with Ubuntu on it. Ubuntu and Adobe flash player had some problems displaying videos without hanging the browser. Got tired of it and installed XP.

It will be two years old this year. Just how old are yours? Is this a common problem for this model?

What would be your next choice for a laptop?

Thanks,

Gerald

 

It will be two years. I have MB take out and it was all sticky end dirty. Where can i buy another MB. I dont have for another like this one. Maybe i can buy another MB.