HP Pavilion DV7 / DV7T / DV7Z Review Analysis | All Features Rated & Tested

price

5

Cost me more money to pay off blown gigs than to buy the thing
but I knew that going into the purchase
but eh its a decent cheap laptop
Not enough USB ports, but eh its a decent cheap laptop

I have had 5 other friend purchase this laptop and everyone is extremely happy
Specs are a great value for the money
Specs are a great value for the money, 17" wide screen, 4GB RAM, decent processor
I bought this laptop to replace my desktop and I have been very happy with the purchase
but not bad for the price

Decent processor, not a Core2Duo, but not bad for the price
very cheap
My 4th HP laptop and I am impressed at the deal at this price
An excellent deal at this price
This is the absolute best value for a media laptop
Just got it today at a steal of a price
The specs for this machine are great for the price
Great spec's for the price
great price for the hardware in it
The CPU is great for the money
she would have rather have had an Apple MacBook Pro but the price was exorbitant
The CPU is great for the money, she would have rather have had an Apple MacBook Pro but the price was exorbitant

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performance

4

slow
wireless not working since day one, slow,
Its slow
Its slow, slow, slow
SLOW SLOW SLOW SLOW SLOW right out of the box

high-end Centrino 2 components result in great multimedia performance
Strong wireless performance
Fast
Great Speed
Laptop is FAST and I added a Samsung 500GB for another $90.00

Vista kills most of the proformance and slow startup but seems to improve after stripping vista to the bones
wiped it and put XP on it for at least a 30% speed increase
No XP drivers available which is a shame because I would have extracted the drive, wiped it and put XP on it for at least a 30% speed increase
but won't move the pixels fast enough for any serious gaming
The ATI Radeon HD 3200 GPU is sufficient for photo editing, but won't move the pixels fast enough for any serious gaming
That freed up Memory and Processor speed greatly
Once all the junk is un-installed and completely removed everything is much faster
runs much faster
Installed the drivers from the external drive, updated Windows (including Windows Update driver offerings), runs much faster
You sacrifice the ability to play a lot of disk types at a cost of speed
hard drive speed

decent processor
the speed is excellent compared to laptops we've owned in the past
Upon turning on the laptop, the speed is excellent compared to laptops we've owned in the past
fast (for the most part)
Fast, had everything i was looking for except the core 2 duo
the processor is pretty fast and the 4 gig's of ram helps with Vista which is a resource hog (idles @ 1 - 1.3 gigs)
great picture, built in cam is nice as well, the processor is pretty fast and the 4 gig's of ram helps with Vista which is a resource hog (idles @ 1 - 1.3 gigs)
Fast, beautiful, 2nd hard drive bay
Nice looking, fast, lots of features
A laptop of this speed with a Blu-ray player on sale for $799.99 with a $50.00 MIR
A laptop of this speed with a Blu-ray player on sale for $799.99 with a $50.00 MIR, simply cannot be found anywhere else
Fast installs and good response time
I am please with the overall performance
nice LT, I like it a lot, blue ray play great, fast
Fast Boot-up (once you delete all the preloaded junk
Fantastic Dvd playback speed

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screen

5

window vista suck
window vista suck, have trouble at first, keep frozen on me
but will need a cooling device in summer

frameless" display bezel enhances screen's appearance
nice 17" monitor
Awesome sharp display
Awesome sharp display, sleek and very eye appealing notebook
Nice Screen, seems sturdy, fast (for the most part), good sound, will play some video games, Numpad

17" display
17" display, eSATA/USB port, ExpressCard54/34 slot, expandable to 8GB RAM
Large wide screen display for movie playing

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sound

5

The sound from the speakers seems flat
The sound from the speakers seems flat, but I always wear headphones anyways

excellent picture and sound clarity
good sound
Movies play well and sound is good though lacking bass
Everthing worked - sound
The sound switched over to that port and after I downloaded the myNetflix app for the Media Center

The sound switched over to that port and after I downloaded the myNetflix app for the Media Center, I can watch all the Instant watch movies in my Netflix queue on my big TV
but if you are planning for some serious sound blasting or music making
the Altec lansing speakers are some of the best speakers i've ever heard for a laptop, but if you are planning for some serious sound blasting or music making, i would invest in speakers
Occasionally the cooling fan kicks in and is a little noisy but otherwise it's very quiet
top mounted speakers sound pretty good

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battery

3.5

Battery life is under 2 hours even in power saver mode
battery gets really hot when charging
Big (you can't expect a 17" laptop not to be), too much bloatware (comes on all OEM PC's), battery gets really hot when charging, no restore discs(you have to make your own
Its a bit heavy once you pop in the battery as well
battery life

Good battery life
Battery
Above average battery life
The speed is good for a laptop and battery life hasn't been an issue for me
Battery life good for the type of machine

Doesn't snap close, a little heavy, battery life, Vista, Vista, and Vista
Battery life doesn't seem to be too long :-S...that will be a pain on trips

The battery lasts about three hours on power saver mode which for me is plenty of time to do work away from a desk
This laptop does not get hot after hours of use

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keyboard

2.5

Keyboard design is not good
The only thing that confuses me is that the volume lights above the keyboard are a little deceiving
keyboard sucks with low light
keyboard sucks with low light, the finish is easily scratched/ attracts fingerprints
I guess I have to work on my typing technique

Comfortable keyboard
Sleek new design, Comfortable keyboard, Powerful discrete graphics, Strong wireless performance, Powerful speakers
Love the 10 key
My keyboard doesn't have any issues that the other reviewers mentioned
The big screen is nice and clear and I love having a ten key (on of the reasons I bought this model

Keyboard is a bit funky
Keyboard is a bit funky, as mentioned by other reviewer
Keyboard
Have to take one egg off for the keyboard
The only problem is the choice of color for the letters on the keyboard
The only problem is the choice of color for the letters on the keyboard, as it is hard to see at times
I agree with the other guy why would they make the letters on the keyboard so dark
The keyboard
kind of key located on the top right of the laptop - As are all of the media keys
Mute key and WebCam
As others have said the keyboard is hard to see
As others have said the keyboard is hard to see, they could have backlit the keys

full size keyboard is a huge plus for me
The keyboard has a nice soft feel
keypad
FSB is at 1066 MHz, Keyboard, keypad, does not run hot, quiet, speakers, Bluetooth, blu-ray :-)
pretty good full keyboard
nice quiet keyboard
All the controls are real responsive, nice quiet keyboard, and no dead pixels on the screen
I've found the keyboard has a great feel

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connectivity

4.5

Bluetooth would have been nice
Bluetooth would have been nice, but not necessary
Not enough USB ports
No firewire or bluetooth
Lack of integrated bluetooth

Connectivity
Good speakers , Connectivity , Solid workmanship, Good speakers, Connectivity, Solid workmanship
wifi etc
nice audio
nice audio, GREAT Graphics

No Bluetooth

eSATA/USB port
Plenty of USB ports (4
Lots of USB ports
Bluetooth
Bluetooth connects to my phone and headset

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usability

1

arrow buttons are too small to use
I bought this to use as my laptop as a mobile DJ
I bought this to use as my laptop as a mobile DJ, it'll freeze mid-gig
which can be removed with a simple reinstall of Windows
Loads of bloatware, which can be removed with a simple reinstall of Windows

convenient touch controls for media and network
All the controls are real responsive
Set-up was very easy on our wireless network
It also very easy to win I think many consumers

I'm use to the wifi button being an actual switch so it was a bit hard to find at first
Gets a bit warm if you use it on your lap
Gets a bit warm if you use it on your lap, ok for winter, but will need a cooling device in summer
could use Right angle plug in instead
It is unacceptable that HP will require the consumer to use an operating system
since when I have to use only the operating system that Microsoft says
Where goes the freedom of choice of the customer, since when I have to use only the operating system that Microsoft says

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energy efficiency

3

Power plug on the right hand side
Power plug on the right hand side, but I knew that going into the purchase
Power jack is in a bad place
Power jack is in a bad place, could use Right angle plug in instead

Has plenty of horse power to play games
Has plenty of horse power to play games, movies, programs
moderately good processing power depending on needs
Big screen, moderately good processing power depending on needs, excellent picture and sound clarity

image quality

5

The ATI Radeon HD 3200 GPU is sufficient for photo editing

I was afraid the quality on the web cam would be lower than expected
I was afraid the quality on the web cam would be lower than expected, but we were both quite impressed with the clarity it has
picture editing
great picture
It has crystal clear picture quality with good viewing angles

It has crystal clear picture quality with good viewing angles, not too glossy at all
Webcam has nice quality
Purchased for my wife who does a lot of photo editing

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viewfinder

0.5

Colour of keyboard letters difficult to view

remote control

4.5

the volume control can be a bit frustrating if you have large fingers

need more quality control for assembling
comes with the tiny HP remote that can store itself right in the laptop itself
Oh, comes with the tiny HP remote that can store itself right in the laptop itself

LCD

5

but if you want a 17" screen that is what your going to get
Screen looks a bit washed out
Screen looks a bit washed out, still playing with settings to make it better
while the huge screen is a pro
while the huge screen is a pro, it's also a con: the huge size means it will be difficult lugging from home to class regardless of how nice it is for media

The screen size is nice
The screen size is nice, we upgraded from a 15"
the 17:" screen
Big screen and good looks that actually tricks you to buy this product
Big Screen

The screen is too glossy its like looking in a mirror

Big Screen, Fast, HDMI and TV
17'' screen
17" wide screen
Decent hardware and good quality screen
Decent hardware and good quality screen, ATI graphics
Nice Screen
17" WXGA+ LCD
I purchased a 17" laptop because I wanted the built in numpad and the bonus is a large screen
It's 17" screen is nice and clear
nice LCD clean and clear
nice clean look, very cheap, nice LCD clean and clear
Screen is crisp and bright
which makes the screen bright and clear
The 17" screen is the nicest I've seen on a laptop and it is complimented by a High Definition graphics card, which makes the screen bright and clear
I plugged the laptop into my LCD TV using the HDMI and it worked perfectly
Excellent quality screen
bright crisp screen gives amazing clarity
Very sleek, bright crisp screen gives amazing clarity
The only thing left to do is test the Blu-ray on my 46" Samsung LCD using the HDMI port
The first thing that will blow you away with this laptop is the screen
17" XGA+ Screen
and no dead pixels on the screen
Great screen
Great screen, good graphics

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appearance

4.5

Brackets are available online if you look hard enough but cost almost as much as a harddrive

nice clean look
The laptop is very pleasant to look at in appearance
Very sleek

color

1.5

Most complain about the color of the keys
Most complain about the color of the keys, but after using a computer for so long I know where the keys are
Bronze Color (not a major factor)
The color
but once you get used to it it's actually a really nice color

I actually really like the color
Unlike the other reviewers, I actually really like the color
while i was initially uneasy on ordering this color now i really like it
while i was initially uneasy on ordering this color now i really like it, looks very smooth

The bronze one is a bit difficult to see the keys in low-light areas, but once you get used to it it's actually a really nice color

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sensor

5

sleek and very eye appealing notebook

black level

0.5

Piano black finish around the screen prone to rub marks from being closed
Piano black finish around the screen prone to rub marks from being closed, I kept the foam shipping protector to cut down on this
Your fingerprints get all over it compared to black plastic

lens

5

I couldn't pass up this deal on a system with 64-bit Vista

control panel

0.5

no full-HD panel option

tuner

0.5

TV tuner delivered weak reception
Collects fingerprints easily, TV tuner delivered weak reception
no TV tuner
Got it home, no TV tuner
for some reason it came with programs for a tv tuner chip

product quality

0.5

Glossy finish easily picks up fingerprints
As in the review the metallic finish leaves finger prints easily, however it comes with a cleaning cloth
the finish is easily scratched/ attracts fingerprints
high gloss finish (looks good
Lack of integrated bluetooth, high gloss finish (looks good

The screen is very nice and the finish on the body of the laptop is quite impressive

resolution

4.5

the vertical resolution of the screen is somewhat less than what I'm used to
Also, the vertical resolution of the screen is somewhat less than what I'm used to

Display is crisp and bright and the resolution is excellent
and high resolution
I couldn't pass up this deal on a system with 64-bit Vista, 4 GB RAM, Blu-ray drive, large HD, and high resolution

video

5

onboard video is good but uses up system ram

will play some video games
streaming video
I'm not a gamer so the video card works well for my use: movies, streaming video, picture editing
video
Everthing worked - sound, video, wifi etc

even though vista rates ut at 3.3-3.4 for the video ram 5.9 cpu 4.9 hdd 5.4
Specs are great, even though vista rates ut at 3.3-3.4 for the video ram 5.9 cpu 4.9 hdd 5.4
it gives good quality pictures and video
For a built-in webcam, it gives good quality pictures and video

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portability

0.5

weight
It is soft in left mid zone and hardly readable in low-light places
Games that don't require heavy GPU though do run very well on this unit
almost impossible to see in anything but bright light
It's a little heavy

Lightweight for a 17" laptop

Keys could have had a very subtle back light
Def better as a semi-mobile desktop system then a portable machine to carry everywhere
a little heavy
keys are hard to see especially with low light
The bronze one is a bit difficult to see the keys in low-light areas
The white letters on bronze keys makes it hard to see in low light

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memory

5

Only GDDR2 video memory
Gliding properties of the touchpad , Not very quiet , Only GDDR2 video memory, Gliding properties of the touchpad, Not very quiet, Only GDDR2 video memory
I have a Toshiba with the same processor and memory and graphics and it smokes this thing
but after using a computer for so long I know where the keys are
but and upgrade to 8gb of ram will fix this problem

4GB RAM
processory and memory
Good Design, Great Speed, processory and memory
4GB of ram
4GB of ram, big HDD, dedicated VideoCard to take off some load from CPU

Bios seems to be locked, onboard video is good but uses up system ram, but and upgrade to 8gb of ram will fix this problem
this is a big computer

expandable to 8GB RAM
can go to 8GB RAM
Dual Core, can go to 8GB RAM, 320G Hard Drive, a/b/g/n wlan, 64-bit OS
This is the first computer I purchased and didn't immediatley upgrade
bluray seemingly won the format war and this computer is ready
not only to watching on the computer but to connect to a hd tv with the built in hdmi slot
bluray seemingly won the format war and this computer is ready, not only to watching on the computer but to connect to a hd tv with the built in hdmi slot
4 GB RAM
and 4gb of Ram great
Blue Ray, 400gb HD, and 4gb of Ram great
FSB at 1066 MHz, Blu-ray, 4GB RAM
Ample memory
Ample memory, good wireless support
4Gb Memory Exp to 8Gb
This laptop have all i need, Starting with the CPU Intel Pentium core 2 Duo P8600 2.4Ghz wich has a 1066Mhz Front Bus and 3Mb L2 Cache, 4Gb Memory Exp to 8Gb, 17" XGA+ Screen, 320Gb STAt HDD, Hvidia Geforce 9600M GT with 512Mb Dedicated, Blue Ray Disc Drive
good computer
This computer is very compact

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size

1

Big (you can't expect a 17" laptop not to be)
The connector is deeper on this machine than most and it's hard for me to depress the little locking tab
Used to be a big Norton fan years ago
It's not a big deal to spend 15 minutes to remove it all
Size

big HDD
I can watch all the Instant watch movies in my Netflix queue on my big TV
large HD
because of the huge size the keyboard is big unlike any small laptop: numpad not mixed in with the letters is a treat on any laptop :

Size, this is a big computer, but if you want a 17" screen that is what your going to get
it's also a con: the huge size means it will be difficult lugging from home to class regardless of how nice it is for media
Not a big problem but something to get used to

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menu

0.5

Then there is all the HP Bloatware that slows things down a lot
I kept the foam shipping protector to cut down on this

build quality

5

seems sturdy

design

5

It looks as though when you increase or decrease the volume
It looks as though when you increase or decrease the volume, the bars should indicate such
If you are looking to burn DVDs quickly
If you are looking to burn DVDs quickly, this is not the machine for you

Refined Pavilion design
Sleek new design
Good Design
Looks shiny and stylish
Looks shiny and stylish, seems stable

had everything i was looking for except the core 2 duo
Added a 3 year full store replacement plan for $140
Nice looking
Very nice design and the bronze finish looks great
I love the new design
attractive design
I was looking for a Desktop Replacement I'm an online gamer and home base bussines so i need it a powerfull laptop
looks very smooth
Has all the specifications that I was looking for

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HP Pavilion DV7 / DV7T / DV7Z Reviews Analysis

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