[Review] HP Pavilion dv5000t

[Scirwode]

HP Pavilion dv5201TX Review

The HP Pavilion dv5201TX

Overview

The HP Pavilion dv5000t is a desktop replacement notebook, capable of multi tasking and handling software?s that heavily really on the CPU such as LightWave 3D 7.5 and Maya Unlimited 7.0. It is also capable of playing games that have just been released on the market at almost all of the high settings enabled. The main specifications of the notebook, which are also displayed on the HP Malaysia Online Store under the brand number dv5201TX, are as follow:

• Intel? Centrino? Duo T2400 Mobile Technology (1.83GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 667MHz FSB)
  
• 1GB (2 x 512MB) DDR2 667 MHz SDRAM
  
• 100GB 5400 rpm SATA Hard drive
  
• Super Multi Drive Dual Layer DVD?RW/?R
  
• NVIDIA GeForce? Go 7400 128MB with TurboCache
  
• Integrated 10/100 LAN, Intel? PRO/Wireless 802.11 a/b/g WLAN, integrated Bluetooth
  
• 15.4" colour WXGA + BrightView
  
• (1) Type I/II PC Card Slot with support for 16-bit PCMIA and 32-bit Cardbus, (1) ExpressCard/54 Slot
  
• Altec Lansing branded speakersIntroductiontion
  http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/6627/hp4rx5.th.jpg[A side view of the notebook, with my Logitech MX610 Laser mouseer mouse
  The design for me is one of the strong points of the notebook as it has a certain level of attraction while maintaining a very clean design. The lid, with the HP logo in the middle, and the sides of the notebook are silver while the inside of the notebook is black with a shiny bevel surrounding the keyboard. The Power, DVD, HP QuickPlay and Volume buttons are located above the keyboard and are placed in a small hollow that spans the length of the keyboard. The buttons when pressed are firm and do not feel very cheap to me. The WiFi On/Off buttons is located above this and handles the WiFi and the Bluetooth device in the notebook.
  http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/8944/hp6cx6.th.jpg[The HP Pavilion dv5201TX and the Compaq Presario X1032AP beside each otherch other
  The notebook is raised at an angle, due to two raised stands place on either side of the notebook, allowing you to type on the keyboard at an angle. The lid has little flex on it though I am a bit annoyed at the fact that the screen can only tilt to a 135? angle. My previous notebook could tilt to a 180? angle which certainly helps a lot when you?re leaning over the notebook. The hinges of the notebook lid seem to be firm and sturdy and will raise the entire notebook at an angle if opened with one hand.
  http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/5079/hp8vp8.th.A thickness comparison between the two notebookswo notebooks
  The ports and connections are all placed at the side of the notebook, allowing for easy access for the user. Although this is quite all right when placing a USB device and such, I wished they had placed the VGA port at the back of the notebook as it is a bit of problem when you have countless devices running beside your computer. I also dislike the fact that in order to maintain a clean design, it does not have holes where you can screw the cable to the notebook. This is very bad design on HP?s part as the connection between the notebook and the external display can sometimes come loose if there were any acciScreennt.
  Screen
  http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/8263/hp12hq9.tFlightplan on HP QuickPlayn HP QuickPlay
  The screen for me is very nice and eye friendly for me. This is my first experience with a glossy screen, which is fitted with BrightView and it certainly looks different compared to a matte screen. I was surprised to find it quite bright compared to my old notebook, however the Sony XBrite screens are brighter in this department. The LCD does not have any leaks or backlights and there are absolutely no dead pixels compared to my old notebook, thankfully. I am a bit disappointed that HP does not offer a WSXGA option for its notebooks, but other than that, I?m very pleaseSpeakersen.
  Speakers
  http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/9518/hp13ju0.th.jpg' alt='hp13ju0.th.jpg'>
  3DMark05
  http://img328.imageshack.us/img328/3977/wariii1lr3.th.jpg' alt='wariii1lr3.th.jpg'>
  When WarCraft III was first released, people had a hard time playing it at almost all the high settings turned up. However, computers available today will be able to enjoy WarCraft III with all its glory, and on this notebook is no exception with the graphical seStar Wars Jedi Knights Jedi Academyion.
  Star Wars Jedi Knights Jedi Academy
  
  I only have 2 screenshots available with me as I had already removed the game from my notebook. Suffice to say, it has no problem playing it at almost all the high settings enabled, which is 1024 x 768 at extrStar Wars Knights of the Old Republice.
  Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
  http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/2756/kotorii4gy1.th.jpg' alt='kotorii4gy1.th.jpg'>
  If you thought Star Wars KOTOR was buggy, then KOTOR II is even buggier. Although I prefer playing KOTOR II than KOTOR I, due to the customisation of the characters and the items are much extensive than the prequel, it is much more prone to crashing as Obsidian, in my opinion, was forced by LucasArts to release an unfinished game. That said, as it uses the same graphics engine as KOTOR, the same settings are implemented and it runs fairly well. I do however recommend not having any program open in the backgNeed For Speed: Underground IIa little bit.
  Need For Speed: Underground II
  
  The only setting that I could not turn on was Light Trails and Vsync. An example of Light Trails is shown above, which is an effect where you can see a faint purple trail of colour when passing a source of light. Other than that, Need for Speed: Most Wantedplaying this game.
  Need for Speed: Most Wanted
  
  Unlike NFSU2, in Most Wanted, I could set the graphics capability of the game almost to full. This may be because the game handles dual core differently than its predecessor. The only setting that I could not turn on was Vsync, which binds the monitors refresh rate to the game. Suffice to say, you will be able to enjoy Most W:DteKeyboard & Touchpadliders turned up :D .
  Keyboard & Touchpad
  
  The keyboard, similar to my Compaq Presario is full size and is very easy to type on. The keys are much firmer than my Compaq Presario which is certainly a plus as every keypress you make triggers a feedback. The buttons above the keyboard house the DVD, QuickPlay and Volume buttons and glow a pleasant blue colour. Although I do not mind the buttons backlight, there is no way to turn them off so keep that in mind.
  
  The touchpad area is large and the buttons when pressed are firm. A dedicated scroll area sits to the right of the touchpad and overall it works very well. One thing that I?m extremely annoyed at is that there is no button to disable the touchpad, unlike my Compaq Presario X1032AP. I keep sliding my finger over it when I?m typing fast which triggers the cursor to jump around. The newer HP Pavilion dv6000 has a button for the touchpad so I?Batterynoyed that HP skipped a generation for this.
  Battery
  My notebook came with the standard 6-cell battery and with the wireless on and the screen dimmed, it could reach to almost 3 hours. This is considered good but it is not spectacular. My old notebook could go up to almost 5 hours Operating System & Softwareh the screen dimmed.
  Operating System & Software
  The notebook came with Windows XP Home and a LOT of bloatware installed. It seriously hampered the performance of the notebook and as soon as I could, I reformatted my notebook and installed my own copy of Windows XP Professional. As of 2006, HP does not provide ANY CD?s for the notebooks sold in that period. The first time you log in, you are prompted to burn a set of Recovery Disks which stores the restoration information for the notebook. Since I don?t like to restore back all the useless software that I will never ever use, let alone heard, I formatted my notebook and it?s been better ever since. On restart after first install, it only took two seconds in the boot screen before booting inLater, I will provide an extensive guide on how to format this notebook, as it needs anCustomer Support and the steps to install HP QuickPlay.Customer Support and the steps to install HP QuickPlay.
  Customer Support
  I have always frequented the HP Service Centre in nearby Damansara when my old notebook has a problem and I have never been disappointed with their service yet. They have treated me well and have always answered my questions readily and provided extensive help, in software and hardware, for my notebook. When I wanted to format my new notebook, I brought it over the HP Service Centre and the Senior Technician there stayed with me throughout the whole process and provided me with the necessary steps to handle the formatting successfully. I have heard about but customer support from HP in other countries, but here in Kuala Lumpur, I have had no problems whatsoever when I visit. They even offer:Dree Conclusionnd also free wireless so I?m very happy :D !
  Conclusion
  Overall, I?m very satisfied with this notebook and only a few minor side issues prevent it from becoming a certain winner in all categories. This notebook will have no trouble surviving the next four years if careful maintenance is carried out. It will become even much faster if upgraded to a Core 2 Duo T7600 2.33 GHz with 4 MB Cache, 2 GB of DDR2 667 MHz RAM and 7200 RPM SATA harddrive but I won?t upgrade all at once as I'm already broke as it is! But having that option to upgrade in the futurePros:very attractive prospect in which I'm very thankful for.
  Pros:
  • Amazing performance after format
    
  • Good build quality
    
  • Very nice design (Black colour case :D )
    
  • Ports well marked and displayed
    
  • Beautiful BrightView widescreen display
    
  • Great upgradability prospect
    
  • Great gaming performance
    
  • Cons:uality
    
  • Full size keyboard
    
  • HP Remote
    

  Cons:

  • Battery life could have been better
    
  • No high-resolution display offered
    
  • Lots of bloatware installed
    
  • No CD provided, such as OS or drivers
    
  • VGA port should have been at the back, and with better connections
    
  • LCD only tilts to about 135?
    
  • No button to disable the touchpad
    

  PSG22?

[peterj3a]

Hi, Im looking forward to your guide on how to format this notebook......Thanks

[Nasapion]

Even though this guide doesnt apply to me, thanks for posting this guide. Its obvious you put a lot of work into it :)

[L3thal Veteran]

One of the best reviews made (Y)

[Rappy Veteran]

Good Review thanks alot (Y)

I am looking to get a Laptop soon so reading this could sway me :)

[primexx]

Looking forward to your formatting guide too...

I wonder if QuickPlay works with Vista....

[Quick Shot]

Great Review

I have the Pavillion dv8000 and it's a great computer!

I just have one question for you.

I saw your keeping your remote tucked inside the computer.

Isn't it hard to get it out.

I mean, when ever i put that thing in my computer i have to fight with it in order to get it out.

is there some special way to put it in that i don't know about?

maybe i should do i format.

I've been running the Media Center version the put on it since i got this computer and i can't complain about the performance but i wonder if it'll be better if i just install the XP pro that i have

[MediaSoldier]

Great review i have a dv5000 but not exact same specs, ATI card & AMD Processer in mine and i didnt get one of those cool remotes :( oh well awesome review man! :) May i ask how much did this cost?

[primexx]

Great Review

I have the Pavillion dv8000 and it's a great computer!

I just have one question for you.

I saw your keeping your remote tucked inside the computer.

Isn't it hard to get it out.

I mean, when ever i put that thing in my computer i have to fight with it in order to get it out.

is there some special way to put it in that i don't know about?

maybe i should do i format.

I've been running the Media Center version the put on it since i got this computer and i can't complain about the performance but i wonder if it'll be better if i just install the XP pro that i have

yes do the reinstall

===

I personally own a dv5215ca, great computer, bad software. I just installed Vista on here and didnt bother with the OEM XP.

[mujjuman]

thanks for the great review. this is one of the laptops im considering.

[jugaaru]

Great review, HP laptops are pretty good.

I have HP Pavilion dv4025 for more than a year, no problems yet.

[mujjuman]

dont know if this is the right place for this question, but do you guys think that a dv5000t is good, or would a similarly-spec'ed Dell competitor is better?

[Scirwode]

I've written this review for quite some time and when I saw that no one had posted in it for quite some time, I was a bit disheartened. Now seeing a lot of positive posts, I'm happy I did all that hard work :D . I'm going to be updating the review as soon as I have time, most of which have to do with the shrinking the pictures to make it better accessible.

I'm also working on the reformatting guide for the notebook. I've decided to add another option to format the notebook which is using Nlite. That's why it's taking so long for me to get it out. I'm really sorry about that but I will do my best to get it out :D .

Hi, Im looking forward to your guide on how to format this notebook......Thanks

You're welcome, I'm doing the best I can. Again, I apologise for the delay.

Even though this guide doesnt apply to me, thanks for posting this guide. Its obvious you put a lot of work into it :)

;)

One of the best reviews made (Y)

Coming from you, that means a lot. Thank you :blush: .

Good Review thanks alot (Y)

I am looking to get a Laptop soon so reading this could sway me :)

I'm glad this help. I try to be impartial in everything I do and say so I hope this will be useful for you.

Looking forward to your formatting guide too...

I wonder if QuickPlay works with Vista....

Quickplay works in Windows Vista, though it does conflict with Windows Media Centre. Personally, I like HP QuickPlay compared to the rest that's available out there as it's simple to use and the interface is very nice. Quickplay Direct however, cannot be installed and I've tried everything, including a registry edit :pinch: .

Great Review

I have the Pavillion dv8000 and it's a great computer!

I just have one question for you.

I saw your keeping your remote tucked inside the computer.

Isn't it hard to get it out.

I mean, when ever i put that thing in my computer i have to fight with it in order to get it out.

is there some special way to put it in that i don't know about?

maybe i should do i format.

I've been running the Media Center version the put on it since i got this computer and i can't complain about the performance but i wonder if it'll be better if i just install the XP pro that i have

Glad you appreciate it ;) . It isn't hard for me to get the remote out. I always make a show of taking it out in front of my lecturers. They all go 'wow' when they see it :laugh: . To take it out, just push it in a little and let it slide out. To put it back in, just align it properly and push it gently :yes: .

You should do a format, but again please bear with me on that part :blush: .

Great review i have a dv5000 but not exact same specs, ATI card & AMD Processer in mine and i didnt get one of those cool remotes :( oh well awesome review man! :) May i ask how much did this cost?

Thank you, and I've stated clearly where I bought the notebook and how much it is ;) .

thanks for the great review. this is one of the laptops im considering.

Great review, HP laptops are pretty good.

I have HP Pavilion dv4025 for more than a year, no problems yet.

Thank you :D .

Scirwode

[mujjuman]

oh yeah, just incase i DO get a hp, i'll be waiting for a reformat DIY :)

[morgs]

Very informative and well thought out review. Thanks so much, swayed me in my new laptop purchase of the DV5178US

[chconline Veteran]

Are you sure that's going to last 4 years :p I don't expect mine to over 2.5 years lol

[Scirwode]

Are you sure that's going to last 4 years :p I don't expect mine to over 2.5 years lol

Considering that I don't have that much money, yes :p . Although in regards to your question, I had researched countlessly that it will be able to last at the very least 3 years even with all the new technology coming in such 802.11n and Quad-Core. Dual-core will probably stay for at least 3 years so there is no trouble on that front.

Scirwode

[invisibro]

Thank you for this review, it convinced me to get one the next day. Had a few days to fiddle around with it, and so far it runs like a champ. I was thinking about going with the dv6000t, but the black on the inside is so sexy. :laugh: It's the balance of style and performance that make this notebook a great choice. How can you go wrong? (Y)

[dagamer34]

Dual core this and 802.11n that. My dv4000 is still king of the playground in my book! ATI Radeon x700 mops a Geforce 7400 any day of the week!

Anyway, congrats on the laptop review although your 3dMark scores disappeared! I wanted to check them out and see how they compared with mine. :)

I got a 2853 for those who were wondering on 3dMark05.

[Smigit]

Nice laptop. Ive got a DV9008TX thats due to arrive in a week or so. cant wait.

[MasterC]

That is one ugly remote :rofl:

[Scirwode]

Dual core this and 802.11n that. My dv4000 is still king of the playground in my book! ATI Radeon x700 mops a Geforce 7400 any day of the week!

Anyway, congrats on the laptop review although your 3dMark scores disappeared! I wanted to check them out and see how they compared with mine. :)

I got a 2853 for those who were wondering on 3dMark05.

Yes, I'm aware of that ;) . As soon as I can, I will try to clean up my review a little bit, post more pictures and add some more games so that you can have a sort of benchmark and comparison for others. Thanks though for the 3DMark05 score :D .

Nice laptop. Ive got a DV9008TX thats due to arrive in a week or so. cant wait.

Congratulations :D ! That's a really nice notebook you have there :yes: . I know I promised my formatting guide months ago but so far I've made little progress with it as I'm too lazy :p . I promise though to put it up as soon as I can.

That is one ugly remote :rofl:

It gets the job done :laugh:. Plus there's also the wow factor when pulling it out :shifty: .

I'm at the airport at the moment waiting for my flight to Langkawi. I need a long rest so I'm going there to see my uncle and friends who live there. I'll be there for five days and during that time, I will try to work on my review a little and see if I can finish it in that time. Until then, here's to Visit Malaysia 2007 and happy holidays :D !

Scirwode

[nodtek]

hey thanks for the review. have only read it now after actually purchasing my dv2000. i love my new notebook. most i have been impressed by hp for a long while. loving it right now.

[wrack]

I got DV8310TX and I am pretty happy with it apart from it's weight and lack of any CDs provided for OS and Drivers. Also HP Support experience I have so far is very bad :(

[shooter468]

any updates on the format guide?