Simplify your laptop buying
Entered CNET Catalog: 01/03/2008
SKU: GT811AV
Manufacturer: HP
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User opinions
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User Rating: 
9/10
Great Laptop!
Pros: Very nice design, very good price as well.
Cons: Not great video card, average battery life.
Review:
I just got this laptop about three weeks ago. I got the model with the T9300 Core 2 Duo (2.5 ghz), 3GB DDR2 RAM, 240GB 7200 RPM hard drive (dual hard drives - 120 GB each), WSXGA+ screen (1680 by 1050 native resolution), and the NVIDIA 8600M GS 512 MB. I got all of this for under $1600. (this includes Microsoft Office 2007, so the laptop itself was really actually less than $1450) Comparable laptops from other companies cost up to $1000 more - look at the best MacBook Pro - it has almost the same exact stats as my notebook (slightly better video card) but it is nearly $1200 more.
So far, this laptop has been great. It boots up extremely quickly. (despite having Vista - I had heard horror stories about how slow Vista is before getting my laptop. I'm happy to disprove that rumor.) All my programs start extremely quickly (Photoshop CS3 takes less than 5 seconds!) and work very well. The screen is spectacular. The high native resolution is great for movies and games. The slightly more expensive 7200 RPM hard drive(s) were worth it - the higher RPM really does improve performance. The battery life is average, but since it's a desktop replacement laptop, you can't really expect any better.
My only grip with this laptop is the video card. Although it's great for surfing the web and watching videos, it is not that good for gaming. It is able to run older games at full settings very well (I've played Half-Life 2: Lost Coast at maximum settings with absolutely no problems) but newer games don't run as well. I downloaded the Crysis demo just to test the computer and I was slightly disappointed that it couldn't even play it at the lowest settings. I don't really understand why HP doesn't offer any better video cards. I would have been willing to cough up an extra $100 or even $150 for a better video card and I'm sure many others would too.
In conclusion, this laptop is an awesome deal. It does almost everything perfectly. (if you're a hardcore gamer, I might recommend getting something else. Casual gamers should be fine with this one, though.) I would give this laptop a 8.5/10, but since there are no partial increments, I rounded up to 9.
So far, this laptop has been great. It boots up extremely quickly. (despite having Vista - I had heard horror stories about how slow Vista is before getting my laptop. I'm happy to disprove that rumor.) All my programs start extremely quickly (Photoshop CS3 takes less than 5 seconds!) and work very well. The screen is spectacular. The high native resolution is great for movies and games. The slightly more expensive 7200 RPM hard drive(s) were worth it - the higher RPM really does improve performance. The battery life is average, but since it's a desktop replacement laptop, you can't really expect any better.
My only grip with this laptop is the video card. Although it's great for surfing the web and watching videos, it is not that good for gaming. It is able to run older games at full settings very well (I've played Half-Life 2: Lost Coast at maximum settings with absolutely no problems) but newer games don't run as well. I downloaded the Crysis demo just to test the computer and I was slightly disappointed that it couldn't even play it at the lowest settings. I don't really understand why HP doesn't offer any better video cards. I would have been willing to cough up an extra $100 or even $150 for a better video card and I'm sure many others would too.
In conclusion, this laptop is an awesome deal. It does almost everything perfectly. (if you're a hardcore gamer, I might recommend getting something else. Casual gamers should be fine with this one, though.) I would give this laptop a 8.5/10, but since there are no partial increments, I rounded up to 9.
User Rating: 
10/10
Powerful laptop!!!
Pros: Excellent hardware price ratio
Cons: Some bloatware software
Review:
Wonderful, light weight, a lot of bells and whistles, just very easy to use, and great "how to" programs. This is a great lap top for all your home computer needs, and a little gaming in your "spare time".
User Rating: 9/10
Wondering about performance for dv9700t READ THIS!!
Pros: Performance, Speed, very light, looks and Price
Cons: tons of trialware
Review:
Hello, this is actually my first review I have ever written. I am taking the time to write one because when I was reading reviews about this laptop there were some things that I was wondering about that I did not find in reviews. So, I will try to address the same questions that you might have that I had before I purchased this laptop. First, I have to tell you some things about my dv9700t. I purchased this laptop through the HP website. I recieved the computer within a week of purchasing it which was 2 weeks earlier than expected(shipped from China) and my specs are as follows: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9300 2.5 GHz, 6MB L2 Cache. High-Definition Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display, 3G of Ram, 512 NVIVIA GeForce 8600M GS graphics Card. 320GB(160 x 2) SATA harddrives at 5400 RPM. HD DVD Drive, and Windows Vista Home Premium. This labtop costed $1600. This was my first PC that I have purchased through HP. I have previous owned a Gateway and I have worked with Dells laptops. I must say that HP makes the best laptops. They are the number 1 best selling PC supplier in the WORLD(as of March 5, 2008). If I was going to buy a laptop I would buy an HP but if I was going to buy a desktop I would buy a Dell. When you purchased this laptop,as with any you buy, there is tons of trialware on the PC. The first thing that I did was whipped everything off of the PC and put Windows Vista Ultimate on there. The windows experience score went from 4.0, with Windows Vista Premium, to 4.8 with Windows Ultimate. That why you want to do a fresh install. I would recommend updating to the faster processor and the bigger video card because this will prolong the lifespan of the PC. If there is anything that I could upgrade it would be those two. The processor and video card are the two things you can not upgrade yourself. You can always upgrade the RAM, Harddrive, or CD/DVD Drive yourself later. One of my questions that I had before buying this laptop was Performance. I wanted a really fast computer. Fast in terms of booting up,shutting down,surfing the web,running multiple applications. If I would rate this labtop based on performance I would rate it a 9.5. It boots up in 1 min 15 secs and shuts down in 20 secs. Running multiple applications with the T9300 2.5 processor I would rate it a perfect 10 because there is nothing that you can do to even make these two processor even begin to work hard. Both of my harddrives and professors always work between 15-25% of Max effort(there is a sidebar gagit that I got to monitor this). Another question that I had was about which harddrive to get. The faster one(240 7200rpms) or the bigger but slower one(320 5200rpms). I recommend choosing the one that best suits your lifestyle. I went with the bigger one because I download tons of music off of limewire(which works great with Vista), pictures and movies. I also need the space to put alot of programs and other software. If you are just going to use the laptop for surfing the web and checking email get the faster harddive but if your lifestyle demands music,pictures,video get the bigger one. One more issue I want to hit is about Heat. With the Penryn Processor this PC does not get hot at ALL. I have had this laptop on for two straight days that it only feels warm to the touch. The fans very rarly come on,and it is the quietest PC I promise you will every use. I would know because I owned a Gateway and I use Dell laptops at work. The last thing I want to state in my review is the Ultra Brightview Display. Was it really worth upgrading to? At the time I purchased this laptop off of HP it costs be 30 more bucks to upgrade so I did. Is it worth upgrading for 100 more dollars, NO!!. Right now you can upgrade to the better display for 125 dollars more. The only difference between the Brightview and the Ultra is that the Ultra has two lamps that light up the display instead of just one with Brightview. I dont think you will see much of a difference but I must say the Ultra Brightview is definitly crisp, clear and of course Bright.
Bottom Line, if you are like me and are wanting a personal laptop computer that is fast in terms of performance(booting up, shutting down, running multiple applications) than the HP dv9700t is the one you want to go with. The HP service was great, I recieved my PC two weeks before they said I would get it. And I have been happy with every aspect of the laptop. I rated the dv9700t a 9.0 and not a 10 because of all of the trialware which is why I recommanded installing a clean version of Vista or XP. I would recommend this laptop to anyone who is looking for a laptop currently.
Bottom Line, if you are like me and are wanting a personal laptop computer that is fast in terms of performance(booting up, shutting down, running multiple applications) than the HP dv9700t is the one you want to go with. The HP service was great, I recieved my PC two weeks before they said I would get it. And I have been happy with every aspect of the laptop. I rated the dv9700t a 9.0 and not a 10 because of all of the trialware which is why I recommanded installing a clean version of Vista or XP. I would recommend this laptop to anyone who is looking for a laptop currently.
User Rating: 9/10
Best Bang For The Buck
Pros: Does everything I want it to and then some
Cons: Small right hand shift key. Does not offer the faster 8800 GTS card that the HDX does.
Review:
This is my 3rd 17" notebook and my 2nd HP, the first HP being a zd8000 which has lasted me for 3 years. You really can't beat the price and what you can do with this notebook. Compared to the P4 3.2ghz zd8000, this will have a lot to live up to as that beast was a workhorse (however, I felt like I had to bulk up to carry that 4 lb-including adapter, freeweight around.
Here's my specs:
Intel T9300 Processor
Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit
Ordered with 2GB RAM (however, I did replace immediately with 4GB purchased from NewEgg for only $87.99...a savings of roughly $300 over HP's offering)
Lightscribe drive (Blu-Ray still too pricey and we all know the story with HD-DVD)
240GB 7,200 rpm drives
1680x1050 Monitor (I like the extra real estate)
Wireless AGN w/Bluetooth
TV Tuner
2 Year Warranty w/Pick Up and Delivery
Wow! And my price was nice as well. Runs fast, loads quick, and so far, has run everything. Will be installing some games today like Lost Planet and will *ahem* to load Crysis, but with the slower 8600M card available with it, probably will have to lower the settings to get it to play.
My only other peeve is that I type in the neighborhood of 60 wpm, but the shift key on the right is the same size as a regular key causing me to hit the up arrow and placing my cursor in the above sentence many times. Not so good. Will see how much adjustment it takes to get used to that. However, I think that while in the office, I'll just use the HP Quickdock with an external keyboard/mouse combo. I'll only suffer through the shift key while traveling.
All in all, a great value and as long as HP keeps up the nice job on their notebooks, we'll see how long they remain the new top pc manufacturer. I'll be a customer for a long time1
Here's my specs:
Intel T9300 Processor
Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit
Ordered with 2GB RAM (however, I did replace immediately with 4GB purchased from NewEgg for only $87.99...a savings of roughly $300 over HP's offering)
Lightscribe drive (Blu-Ray still too pricey and we all know the story with HD-DVD)
240GB 7,200 rpm drives
1680x1050 Monitor (I like the extra real estate)
Wireless AGN w/Bluetooth
TV Tuner
2 Year Warranty w/Pick Up and Delivery
Wow! And my price was nice as well. Runs fast, loads quick, and so far, has run everything. Will be installing some games today like Lost Planet and will *ahem* to load Crysis, but with the slower 8600M card available with it, probably will have to lower the settings to get it to play.
My only other peeve is that I type in the neighborhood of 60 wpm, but the shift key on the right is the same size as a regular key causing me to hit the up arrow and placing my cursor in the above sentence many times. Not so good. Will see how much adjustment it takes to get used to that. However, I think that while in the office, I'll just use the HP Quickdock with an external keyboard/mouse combo. I'll only suffer through the shift key while traveling.
All in all, a great value and as long as HP keeps up the nice job on their notebooks, we'll see how long they remain the new top pc manufacturer. I'll be a customer for a long time1
User Rating: 
8/10
This is my first lap top, this HP has great options, and very user friendly.
Pros: Light weight, a lot of bells and whistles, just very easy to use, and great "how to" programs. This is a great lap top for all your home computer needs, and a little gaming in your "spare time".
Cons: 17inch screen reflects light, it needs a different screen type, not a huge problem though.
Review:
Over all this computer is great. I have been a loyal Dell customer in the past, but when their warranty dept. wouldn't honor the warranty, after the computer shut down, when it was 1(one) day out of warranty, I swore I would never buy from them again. HP had such a great special running, other computer companies wouldn't even attempt to match the price. Very pleased. Hopefully their warranty services are better than Dell, shouldn't be hard to do. I hope to never find out though !
User Rating: 8/10
Waiting for it
Pros: Very nice looking laptop with good features. Good prcessor and graphics adapter. Independent number pad.
Cons: not sure yet
Review:
I just ordered this laptop with the t9300 processor. I think I have a couple of weeks before it gets here, so I'll postpone my official review until then. I must say that I am excited about it and it looks perfect for why I bought it.
User Rating: 
6/10
get the ball rolling
Pros: look and feel
Cons: no sli, only 8600 graphics card and no quad 4 option
Review:
I'm looking at buying this as a desktop replacement and I wanted to try to get the ball rolling on the reviews.
pros: the look of this thing is nice and I like the button to disable the mouse pad. the screen big and I like the independent number pad.
Cons: No SLI, no option for a quad four processor etc. The price is ok for not having those options but the $999 option set isn't all that great. to get a decent one costs over 2k. Though any laptop with SLI or quad core is like 4k so its hard to compare.
I don't know how important SLI and quad core will be so I don't know if its worth the extra money. honestly I'm only a casual gamer and probably don't need it but its cool and will add to the longevity.
I'd love to know what people who own this laptop think.
thanks
pros: the look of this thing is nice and I like the button to disable the mouse pad. the screen big and I like the independent number pad.
Cons: No SLI, no option for a quad four processor etc. The price is ok for not having those options but the $999 option set isn't all that great. to get a decent one costs over 2k. Though any laptop with SLI or quad core is like 4k so its hard to compare.
I don't know how important SLI and quad core will be so I don't know if its worth the extra money. honestly I'm only a casual gamer and probably don't need it but its cool and will add to the longevity.
I'd love to know what people who own this laptop think.
thanks
