HP Fansite

HP Pavilion dm3z updated with AMD Athlon II Neo/Turion II Neo, ATI Mobility 5430 graphics

In a move to make their AMD-infused Pavilion dm3z models more attractive, HP has recently (and quietly) outfitted their ultra-thin line of 13 inch Pavilion dm3z notebook PCs with AMD’s latest Athlon II Neo processors (which also come in single and dual core flavors) that were made official barely two weeks ago. Compared to the first generation mobile Athlon Neo MV-40 of last year, these new 2010 chipsets from AMD feature two to four times the amount of L2 cache (1 or 2 MB L2 cache in the new processors versus 512 kb) and more processing power (ranging from 1.7 GHz single core to 1.3-1.5 GHz dual core choices, compared to the 1st Neo that was 1.6 GHz single core). They also are made based on 45 nm tech (versus their predecessors’ 65 nm). All while featuring the same TDP of 15 W (and an even lower 12 W for the single core Athlon II Neo “Geneva” K125).

If you spring for the more affordable single core 1.7 GHz K125 processor, you’ll get 512 MB’s worth of slightly dated ATI Mobility Radeon 4225 graphics. Going for the slightly pricier dual core 1.3 GHz K325 processor will allow you to choose between the mentioned Mobility Radeon 4225 card or a 512 MB ATI Mobility Radeon 5430 graphics option (which is ATI’s latest). The most powerful processor of the bunch (which comes at a $150 premium over the base single core option on HP’s website) will come standard with ATI Mobility 5430 graphics.

In other news, the HP Pavilion dm3z’s Intel counterparts (the Pavilion dm3t series) have not been updated and instead, have strangely disappeared from HP’s website… new Intel ULV Core i3 and Core i5 equipped Pavilion dm3t’s for summer, anyone?!

Exclusive: 2010 HP Pavilion dv3 Review

New 2010 HP Pavilion dv3

HP Fansite super exclusive review of the 2010 HP Pavilion dv3: If there’s one fantastic thing the world didn’t see coming this year, it would be the brand new 2010 HP Pavilion dv3. Redesigned from the ground up (along with its larger siblings dv5, dv6 and dv7) and looking nothing like pre-2010 Pavilion models, the 2010 Pavilion dm4 is designed for those who want a compact notebook with plenty of power. At the moment, the HP Pavilion dm4 will sell alongside existing dv4, but with the total makeovers HP has done to the dv5, dv6 and dv7 models this month, who knows what they’ll do to the old, glossy dv4?

Update: Whoops, epic fail on my behalf. This is not the Pavilion dm4 – I was too busy gushing over the greatness of the notebook for several days that I didn’t even notice that this is in fact… the 2010 Pavilion dv3. Apologies for the mistake, and thank you to the many readers who pointed out the confusion to me (-embarrassed look on face-). I would also like to extend further thanks to those who sent in links to HP’s product pages (Those are exactly what I’ve been looking for!)

Here’s a sneak peak of what the new Pavilion dv3 has to offer: it has a quad core Intel Core i7 processor (yes, quad core!) and new DirectX 11 kicking Mobility Radeon 5400 series graphics (Updated; new 2010 dv3 has lower end graphics than similar dm4) from ATI! Hit the link for HP Fansite’s complete, super in-depth, super exclusive review of the notebook!

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HP Pavilion dv4i appears on HP official site; starts at $799

HP Pavilion dv4i as seen on HP's official site

During one of my obsessive visits to HP’s notebook pages, I have just spotted that they’ve just added the Intel Core i5 boasting Pavilion dv4i to their consumer product line. Strange, because there wasn’t any official announcement made during yesterday’s flood of CES product announcements by HP. Anyway, here it is – the appearance of the dv4i from $799 on HP.com (the official website) squashes earlier internet rumors of a “gold” colored dv4i and $949 retail price.

The Pavilion dv4i gives you a choice of Intel’s Core i5 520M (2.4 GHz) or 540M (2.53 GHz) dual core processors, whose Turbo Boost feature can speed them up to 2.93 GHz and 3.06 GHz respectively. Other improvements versus the previous Pavilion dv4 include DDR3 RAM (up to 8 GB), hard disk options up to 500 GB (with 7200 RPM standard) and a 512 MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550 graphics card, which replaces the Nvidia GeForce G105M on the old model (hurrah??). Cosmetically, nothing has changed on the Pavilion dv4i, right down to the all-black glossy case with circular-spiral patterns on the lid and palmrest.

HP Pavilion dv4i main features:

• Intel Core i5 Mobile
• 2 DDR3 RAM slots
• Hard disk bay (up to 500 GB), 7200 RPM is standard
• ATI Mobility 4550 graphics (512 MB)
• 14 inch glossy display (1280 x 800)
• Optical drive (Optional Blu-ray)
• 2 headphone output jacks; 1 microphone jack
• 3 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI out, VGA and LAN ports
• Expansion Port 3 for optional dock

HP Pavilion/Touchsmart tm2 coming this CES?

The folks at eCost have a product page for the HP  tm2 (whether accidentally or otherwise, I don’t know), HP’s upcoming consumer tablet PC. The tm2 will most likely go under HP’s Touchsmart branding, if not, their Pavilion line. Specifications wise, it looks like the Touchsmart tm2 will be a small step back versus the existing Touchsmart tx2 tablet in terms of processor speed and graphics, but makes up for that with DDR3 memory and probably much improved battery life due to the new power sipping processor (the current tx2 uses an AMD processor with higher clock speed).

Things that seem to remain the same compared to the previous model include the inclusion of a 12 inch multi-touch display that can be ‘rotated’ into tablet form/notebook, fingerprint sensor and connectivity options. The big question here is whether the new Touchsmart tm2 is a direct replacement for the 1+ year old Touchsmart tx2, or is there something more powerful on its way a few months down the road?

HP Mini 311 vs HP Pavilion dm1 – what’s the difference?

At present, there are two HP ultra-portable notebook models that look almost exactly like each other: the HP Mini 311 and HP Pavilion dm1. What’s the difference? On the outside, there are few design differences… the two main things that separate the two are the processor and graphics set used. The HP Mini 311 uses the single-core Intel Atom processor paired with Nvidia Ion graphics, which is a decent graphics card suited to playing some games (though on medium to low settings) and high definition video. On the other hand, the HP Pavilion dm1 uses Intel Celeron processors, allowing you to select from a decent range up to dual-core offerings (which are of course, more basic than their larger notebook counterparts). However, you won’t get dedicated graphics at all – you’re sacrificing the Nvidia Ion graphics of the Mini 311 for integrated Intel graphics (a poor choice for gaming).

• Mini 311 – Single core processor with Nvidia Ion graphics for video playback and basic/low-end games
• Pavilion dm1 – Dual core processor so you can run more day to day applications with less slowdown, but you make a sacrifice in the graphics department

Coming soon: 2010 HP Pavilion dv4, Compaq netbook, new HP Pavilion Elite desktops

News of several upcoming HP computers has just broke out (or should I say, leaked) on the internet, apparently sprouting from online retailer Logic Buy. The folks there appear to be slightly unsure about the products (but they do have pictures), with specifications lists made out of some potentially real facts and some patchwork speculation.

Disclaimer: The source for this news article is not on HP Fansite’s “trusted sources” list, so do take specifications with a pinch of salt! The pictures appear to be real though!

Compaq Mini CQ10: Starting from the least significant of things is the Compaq Mini CQ10 netbook. This Compaq-branded netbook is a mashup of last year’s HP Mini designs (with the ‘old’, non-chiclet keyboard) and the guts of the recently leaked-n-selling HP Mini 210. The Compaq Mini CQ10 will sport a single-core 1.66 GHz, latest Intel Pine Trail N450 processor, GMA 3150 integrated graphics, 10 inch display and 250 GB hard disk, but UNLIKE the Mini 210, it will be limited to 1 GB of RAM, hinting that the Compaq Mini will ship with Windows XP (as opposed to Windows 7 on the Mini 210)

3rd generation HP Pavilion dv4: Unlike what they’ve done with the dm1/dm3 models, HP probably decided they’d save time and costs by re-using the hull of the HP Pavilion dv4. This 3rd generation dv4 sports the same design as its predecessors but with a different color scheme/exterior patterns. The 1st generation dv4 was a mix of silver and black, the 2nd generation dv4 was all-black and now, the dv4 is back… in all brown/gold (see the 1st picture above). Now, the folks out there on the net are only circulating pictures and speculation, but as the HP Fansite, we received exclusive information from a reliable source that HP will be offering the new Mobile Core i3/Core i5 processors with the new dv4. It will also have DDR3 RAM slots, new Nvidia graphics (as opposed to the crappy G105M in the 2nd generation) and optical drive with optional Blu-ray. To put things short, the new dv4 brings small changes: cosmetic, processor/graphics and DDR3 RAM – the rest stays the same.

Four new HP Pavilion Elite desktops: HP has four upcoming Pavilion Elite desktops. The Pavilion Elite 110t and 150t will be sub-$800 models with entertainment and media in mind, while the 170t and 180t models will cost around $1000+ and will offer more powerful Core i5 and Core i7 options, with a host of other step-up… plus the latter model will feature Nvidia GeForce GTX260 graphics

Well, things don’t seem too exciting for the HP’s consumer PC range this spring. Let’s hope for better from their business/enterprise PC side, shall we? =)