Entered CNET Catalog: 09/29/2008
SKU: FR994UA
Manufacturer: HP
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 11/11/2008
Editors' note: This review is part of our Holiday 2008 Retail Laptop Roundup, covering specific new configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.
The HP Pavilion dv3510nr is one of the first two Best Buy Blue Label laptops. What is Blue Label, you ask? It's a new program where Best Buy takes input from its customers and then works with its vendors--in this case, HP--to create a laptop that serves up the features its customers want most. According to Best Buy, the features its customers wanted most in a laptop are longer battery life, a thin and lightweight design, but with a roomy screen, and a backlit keyboard--all backed with "superior" support. The HP Pavilion dv3510nr hits on all of these points, and it looks good doing it. Actually listening to your customers seems to be a savvy move if the Pavilion dv3510nr is any indication.
This $1,099 laptop is packed with bells and whistles but remains highly portable with its sub-five-pound weight and 13.3-inch display. Really, we have but two small caveats for this Editors' Choice award-winning laptop. One: Don't mistake the GeForce 9300M GS for full entry into the wonderful world of 3D gaming. This budget card will run many games just fine, but it has its limits. And two: Don't overlook HP Pavilion dv4-1125nr, which is a stripped down but slightly larger version of this Pavilion. It will do many of the things the Pavilion dv3510nr does and will save you $300. While the Asus X83VM-X1 delivers better performance for $50 less, the Pavilion dv3510nr is the better all-around laptop with its superior design, better battery life, and longer list of features.
| Price | $1,099 |
| Processor | 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 |
| Memory | 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz |
| Hard drive | 320GB, 5,400rpm |
| Chipset | Intel GM45 Express |
| Graphics | 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Premium 64-bit |
| Dimensions (width x height) | 12.6 x 8.9 inches |
| Thickness | 1.2 to 1.4 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 4.9 / 5.9 pounds |
| Category | Thin-and-light |
Despite it being a founding member of Best Buy's Blue Label program, the HP Pavilion dv3510nr features the standard Pavilion chassis. In contrast, the Toshiba Satellite E105-S1402, the other Blue Label laptop, looks nothing like any other Satellite. The Pavilion dv3510nr is the first 13-inch Pavilion, however. And thankfully, it doesn't compromise the keyboard--it's the same full-size unit as the one found on 14-inch Pavilion dv4 models and a hair wider than the 14-inch Asus X83VB-X1 and X83VM-X1 laptops. And like both golden-hued Asus models, the Pavilion dv3510nr is decked out in an earth tone. HP calls it bronze, but it looks like more of a taupe. The lid and keyboard deck are taupe-colored, with HP's Imprint finish, which is basically a design of overlapping diamondlike shapes. A strip of chrome runs along the edges of the keyboard deck, which matches the chrome strip that houses the touch-sensitive media control keys above the keyboard and the touchpad and mouse buttons below it. As with any earth tone, the color of the laptop in understated and neutral, but it provides a unique look for this laptop without being garish.
The keyboard feels very roomy and runs nearly edge to edge, making use of every inch of this 13-inch thin-and-light laptop, and hitting the Function key and the space bar turn on the keyboard's backlights, which is unique among Pavilion laptops. (The Toshiba Satellite E105 also has a backlit keyboard.) The touchpad features the familiar glossy coating of all recent Pavilions, which creates too much drag when trying to glide your finger across it. I'd be willing to trade aesthetics here for a matte finish that offered a better feel. The mouse buttons are soft, quiet, and responsive, however, and above the touchpad is a small, convenient on/off switch. In the lower-right corner is a fingerprint reader that you can use to log in to Windows and enter password-protected sites.
The backlit keyboard will help typing in a dark room or airplane, and it looks like a natural fit with the lighted, touch-sensitive media control keys above it. In addition to the standard media transport buttons, there is a volume slider, a mute button, a Wi-Fi on/off switch, and a MediaSmart button. The buttons glow a pleasing white, and the mute and Wi-Fi buttons turn orange when you cut the volume or Wi-Fi signal. Though attractive and modern-looking, we still prefer a volume dial, as found on the Toshiba Satellite L305, because on more than one occasion the touch-sensitive volume control failed to respond to our touch. And don't mistake the MediaSmart button for an instant-on feature that bypasses Windows; it merely calls up a strip of icons when Windows is running that provides shortcuts for playing DVDs, music, videos, photos, games, or TV (should purchase an ExpressCard TV tuner for the laptop). Like most applications of its ilk, MediaSmart is of dubious value; you'll likely find it more efficient to access your preferred media apps direct from the Windows desktop or Start menu.
The screen bezel is black, which this reviewer always appreciates (a brightly colored bezel can be distracting and a source of glare and reflections). Unlike some Pavilion models, such as the dv5-1015nr, the dv4-1125nr does not feature HP's "frameless" bezel design. The display itself is an LED-backlit LCD with a 1,280x800 resolution--the same resolution that you'll typically find with larger 14- and 15-inch laptops. It has a glossy coating that makes movies look vibrant and smooth, and it's far from the worst offender when it comes to glare and reflection.
Thanks to the LED backlights, the display is very thin, helping the Pavilion dv3510nr strike a sleek profile. Weighing just under 5 pounds, however, the 13-inch Pavilion dv3510nr saves only about a quarter pound from the impressively svelte 14-inch Pavilion dv4-1125nr while being a quarter pound heavier than Apple's latest MacBook. Still, the HP Pavilion dv3510nr strikes a near optimal balance between screen real estate and portability.
The Altec Lansing stereo speakers, located on the front edge of the laptop, are adequate but can't match the audio output of the Pavilion dv4-1125nr, whose Altec Lansing speakers located above the keyboard produced bigger sound. Either Pavilion will suffice for movie dialogue and effects, but you'll want to use the headphone jacks (there are two) for music.
| HP Pavilion dv3510nr | Average for category [mainstream] | |
| Video | VGA-out, HDMI, Webcam | VGA-out, S-Video, Webcam |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, dual headphone jacks, microphone jack | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 3 USB 2.0, eSATA, multiformat card reader | 4 USB 2.0, SD card reader |
| Expansion | ExpressCard/34 | ExpressCard/54 |
| Networking | Modem, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi | modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN |
| Optical drive | DVD burner | DVD burner |
About the only port missing from this laptop is a FireWire port, which may be a deal breaker for those with camcorders and other FireWire devices. (Apple leaving it off the new MacBook nearly caused riots.) We were happy to see two wireless-networking options here that aren't offered on the Pavilion dv4-1125nr, Draft N Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You also get Gigabit Ethernet; the dv4-11215nr has only 10/100 Ethernet. Lastly, HP includes a remote that provides the 10-foot interface for Media Center; you can stash the tiny remote in the ExpressCard/34 slot. Strangely, the laptop's DVD burner does not include HP's laser-etching, disc-labeling LightScribe feature.
With the Intel GM45 Express chipset, a Penryn-class Core 2 Duo processor, and Draft N Wi-Fi, the HP Pavilion dv3510nr is built on the Centrino 2 platform. In CNET Labs, the system trailed the leader of the high-end retail laptop pack, the Asus X83VM-X1, which also costs $50 less. The Asus model features a slightly faster Core 2 Duo and a more advanced GeForce graphics card with double the video RAM. The Pavilion dv3510nr turned in similar application performance scores as its Blue Label cousin, the Toshiba Satellite E105, which has a faster Core 2 Duo P8400 (the same chip as in the aforementioned Asus) but relies on integrated Intel graphics. Looking at the $800 Pavilion dv4-1125nr, you can see what the added $300 buys you (in addition to a bigger feature set and more compact chassis). The Pavilion dv3510nr was only 5 percent faster on our multitasking test, but enjoyed larger advantages on our Photoshop CS3 and iTunes benchmarks, where its faster CPU clockspeed, faster frontside bus (1066MHz vs. 800MHz), and its GeForce 9300M GS may have played a larger role in the outcome.
The Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS is a budget graphics card and it was able to produce only 17 frames per second on our Unreal Tournament 3 test at 1,280x800 resolution (with AA and AF turned off). You'll see from the chart that systems with the GeForce 9600M GS deliver playable frame rates at these settings. Still, we ran World of Warcraft at the Pavilion dv3510nr's native 1,280x800 resolution and had a consistent 60 frames per second for very smooth gameplay.
3DMark06 is not part of our standard suite of system benchmarks, but we ran it on this laptop to get a better sense of its 3D capability. It scored a 1,864, which is roughly 19 percent higher than another HP Pavilion, the dv4-1155se, that we recently reviewed with AMD's current integrated solution, the ATI HD3200. For its part, the Pavilion dv4-1125nr uses Intel's current GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics and could muster only 974 marks. Looking in the other direction, the Asus X83VM and its 1GB GeForce 9600M GS card scored a 4,189, more than double the Pavilion dv3501nr's score.
Battery life is probably the chief tenet of Best Buy's Blue Label laptops, and the Pavilion dv3510nr didn't disappoint. Using a standard 6-cell battery, it ran for 3 hours, 31 minutes on CNET Labs' video playback battery drain test. That's 77 minutes longer than the Pavilion dv4-1125nr lasted, and it uses a 6-cell battery, too. Why the discrepancy? Because the Pavilion dv3510nr's battery is rated at 55 watt hours (Whr) to the dv4-1125nr's 47Whr. Also, the dv3510nr has a more energy-efficient LED-backlit screen. Together, the superior screen technology and the higher Whr rating on its battery helped the dv3510nr run longer.
Customers also told Best Buy that they want better service in this day of the one-year standard parts-and-labor warranty. So, Best Buy ups the ante to two years and throws in 30 days of Geek Squad service.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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1280x800, 0X AA, 0X AF |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Video playback battery drain test (in minutes) |
Find out more about how we test laptops.
System configurations:
Asus X83VM-X1
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GS; 320GB Seagate 5,400rpm
Asus X83VB-X1
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS; 250GB Seagate 5,400rpm
HP Pavilion dv3510nr
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GS; 320GB Toshiba 5,400rpm
HP Pavilion dv4-1125nr
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD ; 250GB Western Digital 5,400rpm.
Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit); 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9400; 4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT; 320GB Hitachi 7,200rpm
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; Mobile Intel 4500MHD; 320GB Toshiba 5,400rpm
Toshiba Satellite E105-S1402
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400; 4,096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; Mobile Intel 4500MHD; 320GB Toshiba 5,400rpm
User opinions
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User Rating: 
8/10
Good value for an HP, dv3510nr
Pros: Battery life, nice small footprint, graphic accelerator, HDMI support, FINGER PRINT READER for security.
Cons: Wish the screen was atleast 14 or 15 inches, no recovery disk, touchpad is too glossy slick so sometimes if you have a sweaty finger it does not move the cursor, more expensive than comparable Toshiba.
User Rating: 8/10
Truly a Best Buy indeed!
Pros: Fingerprint reader, 2 headphone jacks, DVD/CD combo reader/writer, 3 USB ports, webcam capable, media buttons, backlit keyboard, Light weight, mouse-like touch pad with scrolling, sleek design, quiet keys, soft keypad and touchpad.
Cons: low screen resolution, poor speakers, MS Office not included, no firewire, touchpad too sensitive at times forcing unintended commands, battery lasts only about 3.5 hours, low screen resolution, no traditional number pad, no frontloader for cds.
User Rating: 
4/10
Fantastic computer with some serious flaws
Pros: Light, fast, excellent set of ports
Cons: Glare, mirrored touchpad, keyboard, webcam, volume control
Some media features were a let down: The touch volume control above the keypad had no sensitivity and if touched at all it racked the volume up or down by way too much. The webcam opened with a program called YouCam which might be interesting to 14 year olds, but was otherwise too gimicky. I tried installing other webcam software from the HP website but the installer would just quit half way through and would never actually install.
The keyboard was cheap and annoying. If you depress one key, the whole keyboard depresses - slightly annoying and making it feel less than solid.
The touchpad was really really terrible. Honestly, doesn?t HP test these things before going into production? It had a mirrored surface that was "sticky" and difficult to use. My finger stuttered across it instead of gliding. And if you get a little hot (my office gets sun in the afternoon), your warmer finger literally wont move on the touchpad. The scroll function on the right was similar to the volume control described earlier: it jumped and stuttered rather than gliding, so it was unusable. I liked the performance of the computer so much that I bought a bluetooth mouse (Microsoft: worked seamlessly) but in forgetful moments when I reached for the touchpad, it reminded me again of how bad it was.
The screen was bright and clear, but it is small and if you are used to bigger, don't downsize. There was also a lot of glare of the screen which I could live with but it may trouble others. If you work in a bright location, like by a window, it may be bothersome.
Overall, the computer felt flimsy: The hinges didn?t hold the screen very solidly in my opinion (someone walks by and it vibrates), the keyboard was cheap, and the frame was prone to fingerprints, scratches and actually chipping. I am an extremely careful person but after just 2 weeks of going back and forth between home and office, it was starting to look scruffy.
In the end, after laboring on the decision for days, I returned the computer to Bestbuy (which by the way must be done within 14 days of purchase). I liked it a lot and it did everything I wanted, but the cheap feel, annoying keyboard, awful webcam software and ridiculously bad touch pad did me in. The staff at Bestbuy was terrific and gave me no trouble. I did not have to pay the 15% restocking fee, and they helped me choose a new computer which looks good so far (2 days in).
User Rating: 4/10
This is a POS
Pros: Nice appearance, backlight keyboard.
Cons: Mouse pad toast in less than a week. Monitor boom boom out goes the light less than 2 months. Know the whole geek squad by their first names now and they still have not provided a laptop that I don't retrieve and bring back like a dog.
User Rating: 
10/10
Excellent performance and great design
Pros: I have had no problems with slow Windows performance so far. This HP can also handle some casual to intense gaming with its nvidia card. The earth- themed color doesn't look feminine at all, instead, neutral is a better word to describe it.
Cons: The media shortcuts in the back of the keyboard could be a bit more sensitive and the touchpad is a bit too grippy, but not enough to affect overall use.
User Rating: 10/10
Fantastic laptop
Pros: I like just about everything: speed, styling, weight, lighted keyboard, 13-inch screen, Nvidia graphics card, 320GB hard drive, fingerprint reader, 4GB of ram.
Was so impressed I bought two of them.
Cons: Kinda burns me that Windows Media Player wouldn't play DVD movies. Seems I'd have to purchase codecs. Didn't think that was supposed to happen with Windows Vista Home Premium. Switched to Media Player Classic and K-Lite codec, both free.
User Rating: 
1/10
Should have bought an Apple!!!
Pros: A very attractive paperweight!
Cons: Only usable for about one month then it DIES! CD /DVD drive only opens when it feels like it. The touch pad is why to slick to be functional.
User Rating: 10/10
Feature rich computer that can go anywhere.
Pros: Bright, vivid screen images, wi fi, bluetooth, fingerprint reader, media card reader, backlit keyboard, fast processor, can handle several applications at once, reliable, two year warranty
Cons: The touchpad has some drag. I'm used to it after using it for a few months but the touch pad on my old computer was more effective.
User Rating: 10/10
Great laptop for a great price! Worth the money
Pros: It's small, portable, with fast prcoessing speed, has most things that a bigger laptop would have. Overall, it's much cheaper than sony, and it's new style makes it unique.
Cons: MIght not be as great for guys because they generally want a bigger laptop. Mousepad sticks to your finger and makes it drag sometimes. Not good for someone who has sweaty hands because it'll show on the prints on the laptop.
User Rating: 8/10
Great unit
Pros: well built, fast, nice display, lots of connectivity
Cons: wish it had firewire
User Rating: 
2/10
Buyer Beware!
Pros: I SENT THEM LAPTOP TO REPAIR AND SHIPPED BACK A LESSER LAPTOP. THEY NOW REFUSE TO HELP!!
Cons: I SENT THEM LAPTOP TO REPAIR AND SHIPPED BACK A LESSER LAPTOP. THEY NOW REFUSE TO HELP!!
On January 29th 2009 we shipped an HP DV2315nr laptop belonging to our customer to the HP Service Center in Houston TX (FedEx tracking 868012495621). The Unit was received at the service center on January 30th 2009 and signed for by O Barrios. When we called for status weeks later and spoke with Mitchell Burrell at 877-917-4380 we were told that they can no locate the laptop and it appears it has gone missing. We called again on 2/5/09 and were told that they still can?t find the item and ?it may have been stolen?. We demanded resolution after hours and hours of telephone conversation. Eventually they claimed they found the laptop and proceeded to ship back the unit. When we got the item back it was NOT the laptop we sent, rather a different laptop with different serial # and only 512mb of ram rather than the 1gb of ram we shipped.
Eventually case was escalated to April Pritchard. I must say, that April perhaps was the rudest most incoherent and foolish customer service rep I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. She was constantly refusing to help. Even when I simply asked her to send me the additional 512mb of ram just to rectify the matter she refused to do so. I produced every document for original purchase invoice to digital photos of original box to tracking #?s and she refused to help. She never offered a solution and was constantly rude. When I asked to speak with her boss she refused to do so.
User Rating: 10/10
Best Computer I've Ever Used
Pros: Centrino 2, 4 gbs of RAM, 320 HD, backlit keyboard, windows vista, excellent fingerprint reader, super-fast
Cons: could use more USB ports, no blu ray drive, sound quality only average, nVidia geForce 9300M GS: i wish it was better
User Rating: 
9/10
I love this laptop. Light, fast, perfect for me.
Pros: Good looking, I love the keyboard. So far (one month) everythings working just like you'd hope. The one touch buttons for mute and wireless are a nice feature. I've not had any hardware or software problems.
Cons: Nothing I don't like about the machine. Experienced two instances of incompatible x64 software, one I knew before I went x64, the other was Adobe Flash in IE7 64 bit.
User Rating: 10/10
Great Performer!
Pros: The pros are easy. I love the portability and the fact it is lightweight. Color graphics are great. Best feature = fingerprint scanner. Love it! Extra usb ports. built in webcam. It has every feature I needed and more.
Cons: I have had this laptop for 3 months and so far, no cons.
User Rating: 
3/10
Already returned it to Best Buy!
Pros: Nice backlit keyboard and the fingerprint reader is an excellent feature.
Cons: The computer that I got was a slug! The DVD player funtioned only intermittantly and I'm thinking (so is Geek Squad ) that there was probably something wrong with the processor and/or motherboard. Don't believe the battery life to be as good either
User Rating: 10/10
Best bang for the buck
Pros: Fast, not too heavy, decent battery life, not too big so good for travel
Cons: wireless was a bit slow, keyboard a bit too smooth, Windows Vista
Touch pad is pretty sensitive so when I am typing a document it is easy to brush against it with my palm and can be a bit frustrating. But there is a button on the top of the pad that you can press to disable the touch pad while you are typing big docs. Just a bit annoying since I have never had this issue with my other laptops.
Keyboard is a bit smooth so it is kind of weird at first to touch, felt like my fingers were sliding around, but it was really easy to adjust to.
All around great computer, would definitely recommend it to others
User Rating: 2/10
ZERO SUPPORT, No replacement screen available.
Pros: Great if it never breaks.
Light ,fast, nice looking product.
Cons: Unfortunately HP says you can't get a replacement screen...anywhere. HP's call center told me to call OfficeMax. Geez. BestBuy said $900 if they could ever get one.
HP and BestBuy product support is dreadful...unless you bought the replacement warranty (raising the effective price $325) .
User Rating: 1/10
HP Customer Service
Pros: I'm sure the computer looks nice
Cons: I will never purchase a HP laptop again.
User Rating: 8/10
Great value + lots of cool features in a small package.
Pros: Cool extras, backlit keyboard, media controls, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, 64bit Vista, small size.
Cons: Webcam sucks, only 3 USBs, Vista, draggy touchpad/controls.
There are a few things I don't like about this computer - first of all, the Webcam is awful. It's a 0.3 megapixel camera which pretty much means it can't do anything. I can't get it to record video at a frame rate faster than about 5 fps - it looks more like a really fast slideshow than anything else. So those of you who like Skype a lot should make sure they have an external webcam that has much better performance. Secondly, there are only 3 USB ports. I'm not one to have that many USB devices so 3 is usually okay with me, but I would be more comfortable with a fourth one. Third, Vista. It's not actually that bad but you can really only blame Microsoft for that one. Finally, like the review said, the touchpad is draggy, but I can get over that. Unfortunately the media controls also have this glossy, fingerprint-y plastic that can be really annoying when you're dragging your finger across the volume slider. When you drag the volume up or down, the computer will make click sounds to indicate the volume. This is nice, but sometimes things get messed up and that clicking noise will just keep going even though you are not touching the volume control. I'm not sure if this is HP's fault or if it's the OS.
Overall, this package gets you a lot of high-performance stuff for the price you are paying. Try to build a laptop with these features somewhere else and it's always more expensive. With all of this in such a small package, it's a great product.
User Rating: 10/10
Wow, compact, nice features, bright screen...
Pros: bright screen, backlit keys, lots of RAM, big HD, 64-bit Vista, case color in non-traditional, good battery life, finger print reader works great (better than my work Toshiba Tecra M9 reader for work)
Cons: no docking port to add HP expansion base, external monitor port doesn't have traditional threaded stand offs to secure monitor cable, don't bother to look for support on the HP website - it's not there, finger print SW is quirky
User Rating: 9/10
e-sata way better than fire wire
Pros: 6 times faster than usb
Cons: u wouldn't use fire wire
Also, why would you use fire wire, if your machine came with e-Sata...that's like choosing a floppy disk over a thumb drive to x-fer data...not efficient..
User Rating: 4/10
Great Potential, but...
Pros: Well-constructed, great feature set. Capacity to restore mchine on the fly is good.
Cons: Exchanged the unit because it would not play DVDs. The replacment unit also would not play DVDs. What are the odds that two units in a row were bad? I returned it.
If they would fix the DVD driver conflict I would consider getting one again.
In the meantime I have work to do that does not involve me fixing their product for them.
User Rating: 8/10
correction
Pros: i dint know where to notify the cnet guys regardin this......they gave the specs wrong for this one......
Cons: why they dont have a email address or contact info...
