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HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX review

The HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX ran for 3 hours and 4 minutes on our video playback battery drain test using the included eight-cell battery. That's an impressive performance for a desktop replacement (and we also like that the big battery fits flush with the chassis)--but it's likely that a massive laptop such as this won't really spend too much time away from a wall outlet.

HP backs the Pavilion dv7 with an industry-standard, one-year warranty. Toll-free telephone support is available 24-7, and the HP support Web site includes real-time chat with a technical support representative and a detailed FAQ database. Retail stores offer a variety of extended warranty plans with your laptop purchase, but they're generally expensive and hard to use, so we do not recommend them.

Note: While this machine comes with Windows Vista, many hardware manufacturers and retailers, including Best Buy, are offering a free upgrade to Windows 7 for systems purchased after June 26, 2009.

Multimedia multitasking test (in seconds)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX
931 

Adobe Photoshop CS3 image-processing test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX
142 

Apple iTunes encoding test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX
161 

Unreal Tournament 3 (in frames per second)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
1,280x800, 0X AA, 8X AF*  
1,440x900, 4X AA, 8X AF  
Asus G71GX-RX05 @ 1280 x 720
100.6 
HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX @ 1280 x 768
53.1 

Video playback battery drain test (in minutes)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX
184 

Annual energy cost
HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX
$16.18 
Asus G71GX-RX05
$22.75 

Find out more about how we test laptops.

Asus G71GX-RX05
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700; 6,144MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M; 500GB Seagate 7,200rpm.

HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Quad-Core Q9000; 6,144MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650; 500GB Seagate 7,200rpm.

Sony Vaio FW480J/T
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350; 6,144MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650; 400GB Toshiba 5,400rpm.

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Quick Specifications

  • Release date06/19/09
  • Processor Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000 / 2.0 GHz ( Quad-Core )
  • Memory 6.0 GB / 8.0 GB (max)
  • Hard Drive 500.0 GB - 5400.0 rpm
  • Display Type 17.3 in TFT active matrix
  • Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
  • Optical Drive DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM - Integrated
  • Graphics Processor ATI Mobility RADEON HD 4650
  • Video Memory 1024.0 MB

Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of laptops and mobile computers, while also covering games, gadgets, and other topics. A semi-regular TV news talking head, he's written about music and technology for more than 15 years, appearing in publications including Spin, Blender, and Men's Journal. Full Bio

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