*HP ENVY 17 & 17 3D (2XXX series) Owners Lounge*

[John97]

I've read posts on some other sites from other Envy owners who have swapped out the 6200N for the 6300 and it yielded zero positive results.

My work laptop is an Elitebook, which has a 6200N and I am unable to duplicate the problem.

The Envy support tech said the issue was specific to the 2000-series Envy models and the new BIOS is a complete rewrite which will also address fan/cooling and other performance issues.

[Bobmitch]

I've read posts on some other sites from other Envy owners who have swapped out the 6200N for the 6300 and it yielded zero positive results.

My work laptop is an Elitebook, which has a 6200N and I am unable to duplicate the problem.

The Envy support tech said the issue was specific to the 2000-series Envy models and the new BIOS is a complete rewrite which will also address fan/cooling and other performance issues.

I, first had an Envy 17-2000 and now an Envy 17-2100. In neither case have I had any Wi-fi issues. 6200N works fine with D-Link DIR-655 router. It has the Atheros chipset and no issues. I also connect from time to time with a DIR-615, which has Atheros as well. When I first bought the Envy in April 2011, I had read that there were different chipsets in routers that would give the chip fits. Mind you...I am connecting single band at 150mbps and do not have any disconnects. I have updated the drivers for the 6200N, each of the generations released and the same...no issues. Granted, it takes dual band N router to connect at 300mbps, just never saw the need for it. As far as the bios addressing fan issues and heat...that will be interesting. 2nd Gen Envy wasn't anywhere near as bad as 1st. Can the heat dissipation be better...absolutely! We shall see if HP fixes or breaks with the new bios. I worked with them on the RAID 0 issue with SSD / HDD combo and they fixed it and did a great job. I worked with them on fixing the Throttling issue...they fixed that even faster. My contact is gone in support, so I no longer get to talk to the correct people, but there are some good engineers at HP. Fingers crossed!

[nMIK-3]

At least we know a new BIOS is coming.
Hopefully they release it soon

[vmann]

Good time of the day, mates.

I am about to join your league of Envy-17 owners, and I wanted to ask your advice on what generation to choose. The specs will follow.

My use-preference for this laptop is PhotoshopCS 5.5 and in future CS6, Lightroom 4, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, MathCAD, HD movies. All of these will be used regularly and not just on occasional basis.

The laptop will be a desktop replacement, I am not planning on taking it around much often. Only occasionally. Battery life, only important to watch a movie, occasionally unplugged from the grid. Intel HD 3000 should be fine for this purpose, thus saving battery life. Correct me IF I am wrong.

I am torn between 2 generations.

2070NR for $945 refurbished.

Processor CPU Intel Quad Core i7-2630QM 2.0GHz
System Memory 6GB DDR3
Hard Drive 1TB (2x500GB 7200RPM)
Optical Drive Slot-Load Blu-ray ROM with DVD Burning
Display Size 17.3" (1920x1080)
Display Type Full HD Ultra BrightView Infinity LED
Graphic Card ATI Radeon HD6850 with 1GB GDDR5 dedicated video memory
Wireless Card Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 AGN
Bluetooth Yes
Network Features 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
Webcam Yes
Input Devices Full-size backlit keyboard, Fingerprint reader
Audio Speakers Beats Audio and HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer
Ports And Connectors (3)USB 2.0 - (1)SuperSpeed USB 3.0 - (1) VGA - (1) HDMI - (1)mini-Display Port - (1) Headphone jack - (1)Microphone jack
Media Card Slot Multi-Format Digital Media Card Reader
Battery Type 6-cell and 9-cell Lithium-ion
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Other Features Integrated Microphone, Wireless Display
Condition Factory Refurbished

And brand new 3xxx from HP website with 400$ coupon - 1100$.

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2450M Processor (2.5 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz)
FREE 2-year Norton Internet Security subscription (a $99 value). Pre-installed.
1GB AMD Radeon(TM) HD 7690M GDDR5 Discrete Graphics(TM) [HDMI, DP]
6GB 1333MHz DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
750GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
17.3-inch diagonal Radiance Full HD Infinity LED-backlit Display (1920x1080)
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
HP TrueVision HD Webcam
Intel 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R) with Wireless Display Support
Full-size Radiance backlit keyboard
Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 9 & Adobe Premiere(R) Elements 9
2 year limited warranty included
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Does the difference in GPU performance influence CAD in Photoshop workflow, as this performance is influenced by other GPU characteristics than games.

Is the screen fine for photo editing (any photographers here on this forum)?

Battery life on 3xxx is better, it is less noisy and heating issues have been solved as well as throttle issues. Please correct me if I am wrong.

2xxx is cheaper, but's got a better GPU, though I am not sure if it affects CAD and Photo editing workflow that much. Can you advice me on that? It also looks less pretty (3xxx has got more contract between screen and keybord).

Thank you very much for your help/advises/personal experience tips.

cheers.

[Bobmitch]

Advantages to the 2xxx Generation:

HM67 Chipset-Basically means that the two drives that you are getting are most likely RAID 0 Configured. That will give you increased throughput on the machine overall.
Radeon HD6850-Has about 20-25% more horsepower than the new generation Envy. Overall, it will be a benefit to you
The 17" display is TTN by LG. Colors are vibrant
The two machines you reference...the 2xxx has an i7 2630 Quad Core
Case is magnesium and laser etched
Bluetooth

Advantage to the 3xxx generation:

Separate heatpipes for the GPU and CPU. The 2xxx has a shared heatpipe
New body design is more aluminum, brushed.
Volume Control wheel
Supposedly a better sound system


I hope some others chime in. All I can tell you is that I have discussed, numerous times, how I am glad that I own the 2xxx version of the Envy. Heat has NOT been a major issue for me. I view movies in HD/3D on mine and even do some gaming and never overheat. The power of the 6850 is a definite major plus.

With all that said...the 2xxx version was around for about nine months. The 3xxx version is going to be around until Ivy Bridge, which is about to be released. In all honesty...if you can hang in for a few months...Get an Ivy Bridge (supposedly a better CPU option and GPU option-one that will at least match the 6850). Ivy Bridge is supposed to add another 10-15% computing power and lower energy consumption.

IF you are faced with this choice RIGHT NOW. I guess my question would be what is the warranty length on the refurb 2xxx? The 3xxx is brand new and will be built for you, where the refurb is totally rebuilt.

If you are purchasing the refurb directly from HP and they are offering a decent warranty...get the 2xxx. If the warranty is one year vs two for the 3xxx...get the 3xxx.

There are other advantages and disadvantages to each, but all in all, both good choices. IF and I mean IF you have the time to wait for Ivy Bridge, which should hit the shelves in a few months...I really suggest you wait. I think that that generation Envy is going to blow both the 2xxx and 3xxx out of the water.

[vmann]

Thanks.
The warranty for 2xxx is 90 days. Though it's a trusted US seller.

I know this info is somewhere in the thread, but can you tell me if it's comfortable to work, having laptop on your knees (CAD and Photoshop, internet surfing)? From your experience?

Is noise sufficient to disturb you from Engineering work (I am not playing any games)?

What kind of battery you have and how long does it last?

I am also looking towards 2xxx.

2xxx also comes with 2 battaries, 6 and 9 cell.

[Bobmitch]

Thanks.
The warranty for 2xxx is 90 days. Though it's a trusted US seller.

I know this info is somewhere in the thread, but can you tell me if it's comfortable to work, having laptop on your knees (CAD and Photoshop, internet surfing)? From your experience?

Is noise sufficient to disturb you from Engineering work (I am not playing any games)?

What kind of battery you have and how long does it last?

I am also looking towards 2xxx.

2xxx also comes with 2 batteries, 6 and 9 cell.

I use my Envy in my lap every day and it is not a problem. The 2xxx only weighs in at 6.5 lbs and is quite comfortable in my lap.

Noise...what noise? Honestly, even with the fan on the heatpipe going full tilt...this machine is quiet

I have the SIX cell battery. On battery, with the Intel HD grapics card, I get 3 Hours 20 minutes before I get the manditory "shut down". On nine cell, I imagine you will get over 4 to 4 hours and 30 minutes. Either generation Envy will give you great battery time.

[John97]

vmann,

Last month, I was able to get a new open-box 2090NR for $910 @ Micro Center with the full 1-year warranty. Look around, there are deals out there.

I also got the 3-year Care Pack with accidental damage for $178 instead of $299 between my corporate discount and a coupon code from HP direct.

[nMIK-3]

New BIOS update vF.1A for the Envy 17 2XXX models has just been released.
There is no official change-log as of now.

You can find the new BIOS here.

[Bobmitch]

New BIOS update vF.1A for the Envy 17 2XXX models has just been released.
There is no official change-log as of now.

You can find the new BIOS here.

Here is your changelog:

Fix/Enhancement: - Fixes an intermittent issue where downloading a large file causes the sytem to stop function when the sytem is connected to a network using the wireless LAN (WLAN).