HP Pavilion DV9000Z Review
The 7.8-pound HP Pavilion dv9000z is a desktop replacement that's serious about multimedia. Its matte- or glossy-finished, 17-inch wide-screen display comes with a native resolution of either WXGA+ (1,440x900) or WSXGA+ (1,680x1,050), and the system features LED-backlit, touch-sensitive multimedia controls; two headphone jacks (one of which supports S/PDIF out); and HP's QuickPlay 2.1 software for accessing media without booting into Windows. You can configure the notebook with an AMD Turion 64 X2 processor at speeds from 1.6GHz to 1.8GHz; up to 2GB of 533MHz or 667MHz RAM; an Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated VRAM; and a 5,400rpm hard drive with up to 120GB of capacity. The HP Pavilion dv9000z battery also supports two hard drives on a RAID controller for up to 240GB of space. Other features include HP's Mobile Remote Control, S-Video out and FireWire ports, an ExpressCard slot, 802.11a/b/g wireless, Bluetooth, a dual-layer DVD burner, and a 5-in-1 memory card reader. A Webcam, dual microphones, and Windows XP Media Center Edition are all optional.
The piano-lacquer exterior and glossy gray interior treatment make the Pavilion line stand out, as do HP's extra features. The improved-for-Vista QuickPlay 3.0 utility lets you access music, video, DVD content, and more without going through the OS, and the tactile multimedia control buttons above the keyboard should be copied by other makers. A 1.3-megapixel webcam is built into the bezel for video chats and Web conferencing. Another feature other notebook-makers should rip off: the dual headphone jacks on the front edge, which let you share a movie in the back of the car without having to buy a splitter.
The centerpiece of the dv9000z is the 17-inch, 1440 x 900-pixel screen. It's a new-generation LCD panel ("Ultra BrightView Widescreen" is HP's name for it) that enhances the brightness and color gamut. Despite the relatively low resolution, the screen looked noticeably brighter than the glossy screens we've come to love. It provided very wide viewing angles, too, which makes the Pavilion dv9000z battery suitable to share around a coffee or conference table. Sound from the desk-mounted Altec Lansing speakers was excellent.
HP Pavilion DV9000Z specs as follows:
Operating System - Genuine Windows XP Media Center
Processor - Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5500 (1.66 GHz)
Display - 17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
Graphics Card - 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7600
Personalization - HP Imprint Finish + Microphone + Webcam
Memory - 1024MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Hard Drive - 160GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (80GB x 2)
Primary CD/DVD Drive - LightScribe DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
Networking - Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network w/Bluetooth
Primary Battery - 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
OS and Recovery Media - System Recovery DVD w/Windows XP Media Center
Accessories - HP Mobile Remote Control
Connectivity-wise, the DV9000z comes well-equipped with four USB ports, a FireWire jack, VGA and S-Video outs, a five-format flash-memory-card reader, and an ExpressCard slot, as well as headphone, mic, and S/PDIF digital-audio jacks. You also get a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port onboard, which lets you connect the notebook to a compatible television for use as an HD DVD player. For networking, our review unit came with modem and Ethernet jacks, built-in Bluetooth, and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi. (Draft N wireless is also an available configuration option).
While our $2,606 review unit packed a bevy of high-end components, it still costs less than many high-end desktop-replacement notebooks, thanks mainly to its cheaper AMD processor. In fact, the model we evaluated, which included AMD's dual-core 2.2GHz Turion X2 TL-64, cost over $1,000 less than the similarly configured Dell XPS M1530 battery based on Intel's top-end 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processor. In addition, our Pavilion featured 2GB of DDR2 RAM, twin 160GB hard drives, and the aforementioned HD DVD drive, which also functions as a multiformat DVD burner. HP skimped a bit on graphics power, however, outfitting the DV9000z with a discrete nVidia GeForce Go 7600 card with 256MB of DDR3 memory. We would like to see a 512MB card as an option, like with competing machines such as Dell's XPS M1710 and HP's own Core 2 Duo-based Pavilion DV9000t.
At 7.7 pounds, the dv9000z's carrying weight is middle-of-the-road: not ideal for frequent travel, but easier to move from room to room than some desktop replacements. Wireless communications (integrated 802.11b/g is standard; Bluetooth costs a little extra) are easy to monitor and control via an LED on/off switch mounted on the front.
his desktop replacement’s Core 2 Duo processor scored a good-but-not-spectacular 227 on our MobileMark 2005 test. Thanks to Nvidia’s GeForce Go 7600 graphics, complete with 256MB of dedicated video memory, the dv9000t notched a solid 8,657 on our 3DMark03 test. It scored a good 49 fps using F.E.A.R.’s AutoDetect settings and a respectable 26 fps with the settings maxed out.
Battery life was decent. In our tests, the dv9000t lasted an above-average 2 hours and 44 minutes with Wi-Fi on. As for wireless networking, the system comes with 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It scored a respectable 13.4 Mbps of throughput at 15 feet and 11.5 Mbps at 50 feet.
If gaming is your thing, the HP dv9220us gets you 80% of Alienware performance at 1/3 or less the price. The dedicated NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 with 256 megs of dedicated video RAM handled the latest demanding titles such as Company of Heroes along with F.E.A.R. and Doom III easily with the games running at or near actual maximum display resolution. The built-in speakers sound really great for gaming and they're loud and clear enough at half volume that we could hear someone gaming several rooms away in a large house. If you want a bit more umph or future-proofing, HP offers the Go 7600 with 512 megs of dedicated RAM as an upgrade option. Our 256 meg NVIDIA system can use 271 megs of shared video memory for a total of 527 megs memory if needed.
The standard BrightView widescreen display runs at a resolution of 1440 x 900. This is a glossy display with good saturation and strong contrast but it's not the brightest. We keep the brightness turned up to 75% or better and then it looks lovely. The viewing angle is wide and by glossy display standards, glare isn't too bad. HP offers an upgrade option to their dual lamp Ultra BrightView display which they claim improves color gamut by 72% (no idea how this impacts battery life). Yet another option is a higher resolution 1680 x 1050 BrightView (sorry no Ultra option for this resolution) for $50 additional on a build-to-order dv9000z.
The HP Pavilion dv9000z Entertainment Notebook PC combines first-class digital entertainment with fast and powerful performance in HP's next-generation design. Featuring a large 17.0" high-definition widescreen BrightView display, the dv9000 boasts a superior viewing experience. With powerful processor, users can multitask with ease. Equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce Go graphics processor with PureVideo technology, users can enjoy smooth playback of the latest games and high definition video with vivid detail.
The 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 GPU is good enough for casual gaming, with a score of 7,124 on 3DMark03, though serious gamers will wish for a higher-end GPU, which HP does not yet offer for this series.
The HP dv9000z battery delivers a great mix of style, multimedia prowess, and performance. The excellent screen and welcome HD-DVD drive make it an ideal multimedia center.
The piano-lacquer exterior and glossy gray interior treatment make the Pavilion line stand out, as do HP's extra features. The improved-for-Vista QuickPlay 3.0 utility lets you access music, video, DVD content, and more without going through the OS, and the tactile multimedia control buttons above the keyboard should be copied by other makers. A 1.3-megapixel webcam is built into the bezel for video chats and Web conferencing. Another feature other notebook-makers should rip off: the dual headphone jacks on the front edge, which let you share a movie in the back of the car without having to buy a splitter.
The centerpiece of the dv9000z is the 17-inch, 1440 x 900-pixel screen. It's a new-generation LCD panel ("Ultra BrightView Widescreen" is HP's name for it) that enhances the brightness and color gamut. Despite the relatively low resolution, the screen looked noticeably brighter than the glossy screens we've come to love. It provided very wide viewing angles, too, which makes the Pavilion dv9000z battery suitable to share around a coffee or conference table. Sound from the desk-mounted Altec Lansing speakers was excellent.
HP Pavilion DV9000Z specs as follows:
Operating System - Genuine Windows XP Media Center
Processor - Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5500 (1.66 GHz)
Display - 17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
Graphics Card - 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7600
Personalization - HP Imprint Finish + Microphone + Webcam
Memory - 1024MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Hard Drive - 160GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (80GB x 2)
Primary CD/DVD Drive - LightScribe DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
Networking - Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network w/Bluetooth
Primary Battery - 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
OS and Recovery Media - System Recovery DVD w/Windows XP Media Center
Accessories - HP Mobile Remote Control
Connectivity-wise, the DV9000z comes well-equipped with four USB ports, a FireWire jack, VGA and S-Video outs, a five-format flash-memory-card reader, and an ExpressCard slot, as well as headphone, mic, and S/PDIF digital-audio jacks. You also get a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port onboard, which lets you connect the notebook to a compatible television for use as an HD DVD player. For networking, our review unit came with modem and Ethernet jacks, built-in Bluetooth, and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi. (Draft N wireless is also an available configuration option).
While our $2,606 review unit packed a bevy of high-end components, it still costs less than many high-end desktop-replacement notebooks, thanks mainly to its cheaper AMD processor. In fact, the model we evaluated, which included AMD's dual-core 2.2GHz Turion X2 TL-64, cost over $1,000 less than the similarly configured Dell XPS M1530 battery based on Intel's top-end 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processor. In addition, our Pavilion featured 2GB of DDR2 RAM, twin 160GB hard drives, and the aforementioned HD DVD drive, which also functions as a multiformat DVD burner. HP skimped a bit on graphics power, however, outfitting the DV9000z with a discrete nVidia GeForce Go 7600 card with 256MB of DDR3 memory. We would like to see a 512MB card as an option, like with competing machines such as Dell's XPS M1710 and HP's own Core 2 Duo-based Pavilion DV9000t.
At 7.7 pounds, the dv9000z's carrying weight is middle-of-the-road: not ideal for frequent travel, but easier to move from room to room than some desktop replacements. Wireless communications (integrated 802.11b/g is standard; Bluetooth costs a little extra) are easy to monitor and control via an LED on/off switch mounted on the front.
his desktop replacement’s Core 2 Duo processor scored a good-but-not-spectacular 227 on our MobileMark 2005 test. Thanks to Nvidia’s GeForce Go 7600 graphics, complete with 256MB of dedicated video memory, the dv9000t notched a solid 8,657 on our 3DMark03 test. It scored a good 49 fps using F.E.A.R.’s AutoDetect settings and a respectable 26 fps with the settings maxed out.
Battery life was decent. In our tests, the dv9000t lasted an above-average 2 hours and 44 minutes with Wi-Fi on. As for wireless networking, the system comes with 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It scored a respectable 13.4 Mbps of throughput at 15 feet and 11.5 Mbps at 50 feet.
If gaming is your thing, the HP dv9220us gets you 80% of Alienware performance at 1/3 or less the price. The dedicated NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 with 256 megs of dedicated video RAM handled the latest demanding titles such as Company of Heroes along with F.E.A.R. and Doom III easily with the games running at or near actual maximum display resolution. The built-in speakers sound really great for gaming and they're loud and clear enough at half volume that we could hear someone gaming several rooms away in a large house. If you want a bit more umph or future-proofing, HP offers the Go 7600 with 512 megs of dedicated RAM as an upgrade option. Our 256 meg NVIDIA system can use 271 megs of shared video memory for a total of 527 megs memory if needed.
The standard BrightView widescreen display runs at a resolution of 1440 x 900. This is a glossy display with good saturation and strong contrast but it's not the brightest. We keep the brightness turned up to 75% or better and then it looks lovely. The viewing angle is wide and by glossy display standards, glare isn't too bad. HP offers an upgrade option to their dual lamp Ultra BrightView display which they claim improves color gamut by 72% (no idea how this impacts battery life). Yet another option is a higher resolution 1680 x 1050 BrightView (sorry no Ultra option for this resolution) for $50 additional on a build-to-order dv9000z.
The HP Pavilion dv9000z Entertainment Notebook PC combines first-class digital entertainment with fast and powerful performance in HP's next-generation design. Featuring a large 17.0" high-definition widescreen BrightView display, the dv9000 boasts a superior viewing experience. With powerful processor, users can multitask with ease. Equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce Go graphics processor with PureVideo technology, users can enjoy smooth playback of the latest games and high definition video with vivid detail.
The 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 GPU is good enough for casual gaming, with a score of 7,124 on 3DMark03, though serious gamers will wish for a higher-end GPU, which HP does not yet offer for this series.
The HP dv9000z battery delivers a great mix of style, multimedia prowess, and performance. The excellent screen and welcome HD-DVD drive make it an ideal multimedia center.
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