HP ProBook 4730s-LH335EA/LH343EA

Commercial consumption. This 17.3-inch HP notebook is designed to attract business customers, but is essentially a consumer notebook. ProBook 4730 is ideal for both classes, or it will not appeal to someone?

HP ProBook 4730s is the next model from the 4720s, and his older brother, the HP ProBook 4530s that we have already reviewed. HP ProBook series is actually a commercial variety that should appeal to power users in the upper price segment. But ProBook Series 4 machines have already begun to move in the direction of the consumer market with the 4720s, the choice of brushed aluminum and glossy surfaces.

HP ProBook 5330m Notebook Review

The HP EliteBook notebook line company has always tried to satisfy the needs of businesses and consumers. The new HP EliteBook 5330m looks ideal if you want a powerful notebook aluminum siding for work and play, but can not afford a MacBook Pro Is it possible to find a corporate laptop lust worth $ 899 or less? Read on to find out.

HP EliteBook 2560p Notebook Review

The EliteBook 2560p is HP HP calls its "half-liter power plant." This business laptop is presented as a traveling companion with exceptional quality built with a slim and weighing just 3.6 kilos. But can this 12.5 inch Notebook Business resistant do while away from your desk? Read our full review to learn more about HP EliteBook smaller and lighter.

HP Pavilion g6 Notebook Review

This notebook is configured perfectly adequate for students and home users who want to surf the Internet and use the Office software suite. It is not suitable for playing modern 3D games such as Call of Duty, and low-resolution screen would not be optimal in Photoshop or the intense multi-tasking.

HP ProBook 5330m-LG724EA Review

Economic times. 5330m packs a standard voltage processor i5 sand with a good amount of security software on the bridge, all wrapped in one case 13.3-inch magnesium alloy. See how the characteristics of the battery and if this laptop is a worthy successor to 2009 ProBook 5310m.

EliteBook series is a range of affordable business notebook with built-in quality and built to keep pace with the constant movement of the user. The M series is designed to appeal to a wider range, including business and consumer markets.

HP 635 LH416EA Notebook Review

With the series 635, HP laptops offer bargain for beginners. With prices in the area of ​​the netbooks that offer 15.6-inch screen and optical drives for a much stronger material.

The books 635-series is based on AMD's Fusion platform (chipset A50M) with an AMD CPU-240-E and the AMD HD 6310 integrated GPU. Depending on the model, the processor is either a 1.5 GHz single-heart-(E-240) or a 1.6 GHz dual-core CPU (E-350). Other differences may exist in the RAM, hard drive size and type of operating system.

HP EliteBook 2560p LG666EA Notebook Review

The EliteBooks produced by HP in notebooks luxury class. These models usually have a price of more than 1000 euros and a finish of high quality aluminum. Any buyer can find the perfect size for themselves thanks to the wide variety of sizes of these models come in.

The 15.6-inch 8560p model was the heaviest (3.2 kg), but also offered the best performance. The smaller 14-inch 8460p had some problems with the limitation of the CPU, but it was cold and it was a high level of professionalism (2.44 kg). Last but not least, is 2760p Tablet PC (convertible), which have not yet been tested.

EliteBook minimum is 12.5-inch model called 2560p. We chose the least expensive and lightest (1.96 kg) Composition: LG666ET/LG666EA. The market price of this package is a bit 'less than 1000 euros. This package does not have an integrated UMTS module, and the middle class Core i5-2410M (2 x 2.60GHz).

Specifications HP EliteBook 2560p LG666EA :

• Processor : Intel Core i5 2410M 2.3 GHz
• Mainboard : Intel QM67
• Memory : 2048 MB, 1x2048 SODIMM
• Graphics adapter : Intel HD Graphics 3000
• Display : 12.5 inch 16:9, 1366x768 pixel, Type unbekannt, glossy: no
• Harddisk : TOSHIBA MK3261GSYN, 320GB 7200rpm
• Soundcard : IDT 92HD81B1X @ Intel Cougar Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
• Connections : 1 Express Card 34mm, 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 eSata, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: Line-out, Microphone combi, Card Reader: SD/MMC, 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader, TPM 1.2 Embedded Security Chip
• Networking : Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (10/100/1000MBit), Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (abgn), 2.1+EDR Bluetooth
• Optical drive : HP CDDVDW TS-U633J
• Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 27 x 350 x 274
• Weight : 1.961 kg Power Supply: 0.262 kg
• Battery : 55 Wh Lithium-Ion, 10.8V 4910mAh HSTNN-I92C
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 32 Bit
• Additional features : Webcam: 1.3MP, Roxio My DVD 2010 SE, HP 3D DriveGuard, 36 Months Warranty

Case
Today's consumers are looking for the thinnest subnotebook available. HP does not accept this trend and, instead, choose to add a few hundred grams, and a couple of layers of material at 2560p 12.5-inch subnotebook. 2560p weighs 1.96 pounds and sits on a heavy hand.

Huge behind the laptop measures 3.5 cm, which is 0.6 cm wider than the flat IdeaPad S205 and 1.4 cm more than the Edge Lenovo E125. EliteBook 2540p (2560p predecessor) could not have been a light (1833 g), but at least it was 130 grams lighter.

However, the relatively large size and unusual laptop is robust and reliable. HP has chosen high quality, heavy materials for the 2560p. We wanted to make the system robust for professional use.

The basic unit of the laptop seems impenetrable. The two regions palm rest and the bottom plate of the laptop successfully resisted all our attempts to bend them inward. The chassis is compact and safe, and HP has successfully developed a solid base that requires the removal of any screws to take off. The removal of the bottom plate does not affect the strength of the negatively by several mobile belts on the support frame inside.

The cover protects dependent on viewing angle. We could hardly bend the edges of the cover. The silvery sheen of the surface because the coating applied to aluminum, which is cool to the touch. Fingerprints do not have a chance, but the scratches can appear over time.

Fold the cover of a single point is almost impossible. We managed to get a screen 1 or 2 mm by applying a tremendous force in the center of the surface. However, the pressure applied over a large area is easily dispersed by the cover of the fort.

The material collected a laptop (normal plastic, brushed aluminum and lacquered) feels cold and strong resistance to scratches. Hinges for the laptop is a huge thing. They are the true metal and can be found at the base station. Not a lot of force to bend or twist them, and they have met their obligations even in well-organized display. As the weight of the platform, you can pull open the screen with one hand.

Another interesting feature of the HP is its screen locking mechanism. 2560p screen lock consists of two solid metal hooks that stand out from the screen. These hooks can not be broken easily. The user can operate the locking mechanism with one hand pressing the silver button on the front of the laptop. Similarly, removing the battery requires only one hand to press the cursor on the back.

Communication
The most Bluetooth 2.1 module and Draft-N WLAN (Intel ® Centrino ® Advanced-N 6205 AGN) are the only communication modules in 2560p. Users who search the Internet on the go will be the setting that offers HSDPA LG669EA. Our model has a free PCIe slot for Mini-HSDPA module (including the antenna) and a SIM card slot is located underneath the battery.

Security
HP has delivered a variety of tools and safety equipment for a laptop. Fingerprint reader, SmartCard reader and a waterproof keyboard (with drainage in the bottom plate) is the standard for books elite. HP ProtectTools (complete package) is a security software. This is the HP Disk Sanitizer, Drive Encryption, Credential Manager (password), and File Sanitizer (delete the file without a trace), and many other instruments.

The 2560p is compatible with the "central government", which means it can be remote (via Internet or network) identifiable and accessible. The TPM 1.2 embedded security chip used for this purpose. The BIOS offers a variety of options, such as the setup password (Enhanced Pre-Boot Security), DriveLock (secures the hard drive with a password), Intel Anti Theft (avoiding the use of a stolen laptop) and DiskSanitizer (secure data deletion).

Accessories
Two of the recovery package, the DVD is inserted (one for each 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 Professional). Unfortunately, HP will ship a laptop with a 32-bit operating system already installed, and the HP product page mentions only the 32-bit version. Unwanted software, like Norton, can be avoided, if the user ticks them off when you first start the laptop.

HP Quick Web (the middle button of the three keys) is software Instant-On (IOS) which is intended for fast access to Internet and e-mail outside of Windows. This software is ideal because it avoids not only boot into Windows, but also ensures the laptop when connected to an unknown network. As users start their Web presentation using IOS are safer. For screenshots, see our photo gallery, right column.

HP offers a docking port for a special 12.5-inch 2560p. LE877AA (180 euros) is not compatible with other HP business notebooks, but its predecessor, the model does not work, 2540p. Although the models are 14 and 15 inches at the bottom docking port, 2560p is the docking interface on the right side of the case. The docking station provides four USB 2.0, DisplayPort, eSATA, Ethernet, 2x Audio, and VGA.

The cut of the 9-cell battery ("ultra-long battery life") available for the 2540p is not available to 2560p (XX6XB/P/W, Li-Ion, 8.850mAh).

Connectivity
12.5-inch model offers nearly everything a workbook to have. DisplayPort, ExpressCard34, SmartCard reader and eSATA are all available on the laptop. HP DisplayPort taken the place of HDMI for video output. An interface to a docking station that is a "must have" for laptops of high quality business are also available. Unfortunately, the USB 3.0 ports, which can be found in other laptops of high quality that is missing here.

The laptop does not have a modem interface (RJ11), screw it into the VGA port and Firewire (i-Link). Any lack of interfaces can be added through the slot ExpressCard34, for example, a USB 3.0 controller. The placement of two USB ports and a VGA port on the back is nice. This allows the VGA cable and two USB cables to be pushed out of sight.

Performance
Core i7-2620m (2.7 GHz) EliteBook 2560p is the best CPU can be supported. We opted for a cheaper option, i5-2410M (2.3 GHz). This is Sandy Bridge processor generation can be easily overclocked up to 2.9 GHz with turbo technology. Latest 2.0 turbo can push the CPU more, depending on the temperature (Dynamic Range Turbo @ Frequency limits).

Graphics HD 3000 graphics chip is integrated into the CPU, and is responsible for all graphics are displayed. There are two slots for RAM in a laptop, and you must use Form 2048 MB, while the other is free. Notebook BIOS is the control center, the user can configure various features and functions, such as a camera, LAN card, Multi-CPU on / off Hyper Threading on / off, or special features (USB Charge offs, when the% capacity). Very few other manufacturers offer a wide user control on the device.

So you need the CPU to the user? It is a 2410M (2.3 GHz - our test model) is a significantly faster core or Intel Core i7-2620m (2x 2.70GHz) necessary? Cinebench R10 32bit The only answer was clear: 3,662 points of 4,350 points. The difference of 15% is very low.

Single-core calculations are less relevant for everyday use. For daily use, multi-threading, high clock speed more important. The 2410M scored 8017 points in Cinebench R10 Multi. On the other hand, scored 9450 points 2620m up in our test models. Again, the difference is only 15%. In short: 2410M is more than enough for everyday use.

Interesting: CPU benchmarks showed the same results in almost all systems 2410M. This is the first demonstration that the 12.5-inch model does not suffer from the limitation of CPU load.

On the other hand, PCMark Vantage (32 bit), the benchmark showed the score at the end of 5778 the points system 2410M HD 3000 graphics. For such a system, this score is low, but it is probably the result we had 32-bit version of the benchmark.

Another test models in our database was tested in two PCMark Vantage 64, and when you look at other laptops to demonstrate that the alternative-2620m i7 processor can actually increase your score: 7845 points (Lenovo ThinkPad T420 4236-NGG, 7200 RPM HDD).

The new benchmark PCMark 7 gave a score of 1594 points, which is really low for a system of 2410M. Even a Fujitsu Lifebook LH531 (5400 RPM HDD) scored highest: 1855 points. The low score could once again because of the 32-bit version of Windows installed on the laptop.

A DSS can improve the score, as indicated by Toshiba R830-11C, equipped with the same equipment and a DSS 2936 points (THNSNC128GMLJ Toshiba, 128 GB SSD). A Vaio SA2Z9E / B with a SSD and a processor 2620m (3488 points) gives us an indication of what kind of scores 2560p LG669EA could reach 7 to PCMark benchmark. The 2560p would score lower as SA2 Vaio has a dedicated graphics card.

As the primary storage device is a standard hard drive, the user should not expect extraordinary values. Sub-Result HDD PCMark Vantage is located on a good 4190 points. The good performance was mainly due to the fact that the hard drive running at 7200 rpm.

SSDs are faster (20 to 25 DNT. Point), but they are still new to the laptop on the market. Hard drive (320 GB) from Toshiba sounds of 89 MB / s sequential read (HD Tune), which is a clear indication of how fast it runs.

Integrated Intel Graphics HD 3000 is not suitable for the most demanding games. Risen does not work the laptop but the resolution of 800x600 pixels. Black Ops Call of Duty hangs a couple of times and there is no fun at low details. Users who are looking for subnotebooks with the authorities should consider the game SA2Z9E / B Vaio, Radeon 6630M.

HP ProBook 4430s-XU013UT Review

Balancing the company. HP ProBook recent S series aims to create a balance between form, function and specification for business users on a budget. Are these requirements combine to a solid business laptop?

It 's always difficult to be a business laptop. Unlike their counterparts at the two ends of the cost-value spectrum monitoring Order usually navigate the difficult balance between cost and functionality. Ultimately, users can expect lower specifications 10.1-inch netbook, or the extra weight of a 17-inch desktop, but when the laptop is only between users can be difficult to please.

Consumers with laptops like the HP ProBook 4430s is a perfect example of this dilemma. Touting the 14-inch display and a starting price of $ 579 USD, ProBook 4430s is its pointing towards the budget business users who do not want to be shortchanged or aesthetic features. He can pass the test? Read on to find out.

Specifications HP ProBook 4430s-XU013UT :

• Processor : Intel Core i3 2310M 2.1 GHz
• Memory : 4096 MB,
• Graphics adapter : Intel HD Graphics 3000
• Display : 14.0 inch 16:9, 1366x768 pixel, glossy: no
• Harddisk : 320 GB - 7200 rpm, 320GB 7200rpm
• Connections : 1 Express Card 34mm, 3 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, RJ-11 Modem, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 1x headphone output. 1x microphone input., Card Reader: SD, MMC, MS/Pro, 1 Fingerprint Reader,
• Networking : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit), Atheros AR9285 802.11 b/g/n (bgn)
• Optical drive : TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-L663R
• Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 27.9 x 330.0 x 235.0
• Weight : 2.1 kg
• Battery : 47 Wh , 6-cell
• Price : 649 Euro
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
• Additional features : Webcam: 720p

Performance
Although ProBook 4430 can be adapted to boast a Intel Core i7 2630QM, our review unit was equipped with an Intel Core i3-2310M, 4GB DDR3 RAM and integrated Intel graphics HD 3000-Unit (Unit consideration as configured would cost $ 649 million through HP).

The sand bridge processor provides some performance improvements over the previous generation of Intel chips, but our results as a reference for the most varied quality.

Results PCMark Vantage PCMark 7 and had a mid-range. In PCMark Vantage 4430s marked 5303 points, which was slightly below the average for the class of 5459 points-based Core i3. Both PCMark7 and PCMark Vantage, the performance was more or less the same level well-built laptop.

In PCMark Vantage score of 4430 was only a stone's throw from the laptop and the Toshiba Portege R830-110 (with a score of 5186) and the Acer Aspire 3750 (which marked 5317). Interestingly, scores for each of these phones were much more than another company laptop to it built - the Dell Vostro 3750 scored 5761 in PCMark Vantage, despite sharing the same core i3 integrated 2310M and Intel CPU Graphics GPU HD 3000.

7 ProBook PCMark performance was also comfortable, thanks in part to its i3 of low-end CPU core. His score dropped to 1995, in line with other notebooks, which are the Core i3-2310 m. These are the HP ProBook 4530s and the Fujitsu Lifebook AH531 - each characterized the results of 1921 and 1910, respectively.

Compared to high-end laptops is that the recovery ProBook 4430 "appeared to be bottlenecks in the processor. Lenovo ThinkPad such as X1 and ProBook 6460b has the same Intel graphics HD 3000 GPU, for example, but scored significantly higher in PCMark 7 - every book had scores of 2323 and 2310, respectively.

HP Pavilion g7-1002sg Review

Lighting unit. Since his little brother a little attention in the test "Intel! 2011" pool test laptop, the laptop HP Pavilion Office of the G-7 was bad for his moment of glory. For 499 euros (MSRP), Hewlett-Packard offers a 17.3 "laptop with an AMD quad-core Radeon HD 6470M graphics card.

A plethora of different models-24 to be exact, make up the new line of laptops HP Pavilion G7-1000. Its 17.3 "screen with a blank screen and a native resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels (HD +) will be the first thing you notice.

Series also known as a case design that detects the use of HP Pavilion 1141sg G6 as well. By themselves, the various models of equipment means the choice is almost unlimited. In addition, older Intel processors, the G7 is also available on the new Intel Sandy Bridge and up to AMD processors.

HP Pavilion 1002sg We estimated the G7 is equipped with an AMD Phenom X4 II P960 quad-core processor, running a 1.8 GHz clock speed, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, 750 GB hard drive, and dedicated AMD Radeon HD card to the 6470M graphics. Sounds expensive? It is not! This model, as well as others start as low as € 499 (RRP) including VAT.

Specifications HP Pavilion g7-1002sg :

• Processor : AMD Phenom II X4 P960 1.8 GHz
• Mainboard : AMD RS880M
• Memory : 4096 MB, Hynix (Hyundai Electronics), 1333 MHz, DDR3-10600S, max 8 GB, 2 Slots
• Graphics adapter : AMD Radeon HD 6470M - 1024 MB, 8.801.1.2000
• Display : 17.3 inch 16:9, 1600x900 pixel, AUO B173RW01 V3, BrightView, Diagonal: 43.9 cm, HD+, LED, glossy: yes
• Harddisk : Hitachi HTS547575A9E384, 750GB 5400rpm Travelstar 5K750
• Soundcard : HD Audio
• Connections : 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Line-Out (headphone jack), Microphone Input, Card Reader: SD, MMC, RJ-45
• Networking : Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller (10/100MBit), Broadcom BCM 4313 (bgn)
• Optical drive : HP DVD RW DS-8A5LH
• Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 31 x 412 x 268
• Weight : 2.796 kg Power Supply: 0.349 kg
• Battery : 47 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6 Cells, 10.8 Volts, Model HSTNN-UB0W
• Price : 499 Euro
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
• Additional features : Webcam: HP Webcam (0.3 Megapixel, VGA) mit integrietem Digitalmikrofon, Notebook, 6-Cell Battery, 90-Watt Power Supply with Cable, Various Reading Material, Adobe Reader 9, eBay, Microsoft Office 2010 Starter, MusicStation, Snapfish, CyberLink DVD Suite & YouCam, Microsoft Silverlight, ATP, Windows Live Essentials, Software from HP, 24 Months Warranty, Warranty with Pickup and Return Service, Silver.

Performance
The material in the G7, is not limited by much except for your own imagination. The wide range of processors allow you to customize thoroughly to fit your needs. In addition to the Intel processors are AMD and Intel new line of processors available for the Sandy Bridge G7. The model we reviewed, is equipped with an AMD Phenom X4 Quad-P960 heart.

Driving on a core clock speed of 1.8 GHz with only 2 MB of L2 cache can be seen as a cheap (but relatively small) possibility of multi-core processors. If you are looking for more power, the new Sandy Bridge processors that are produced by the ultra-modern 32-nm process, may be the way to go with their fast recovery of data from the L3 cache. AMD Phenom is in the particular configuration, we review here, only manages a performance comparable to the previous generation of Intel mobile, however.

Turning to the graphics card, things get a little more interesting. In addition to the edge AMD Radeon HD 4250 graphics card, we find the AMD Radeon HD 6470M dedicated graphics card with 1 GB of RAM. With 160 stream processors, UVD3 video decoding and DirectX 11 support, this GPU proudly wearing the latest graphics technologies.

The graphic manual change cards are not the most convenient way to achieve a good balance between energy efficiency and powerful graphics rendering. In the Catalyst Control Center, you can switch between which of the two GPUs are active.

The new AMD PowerShell 4.0 XpressMusic aka BACON (auto switchable graphics) is not installed. But as Bacon is a bit more of a prototype, it's probably a good thing that you must manually change the graphics card that works perfectly, by the way.

The first test we ran in the performance of the processor. Single-core performance is particularly limited because of the lack of L3 cache. The Cinebench R10 (64-bit) Maxon reference only confirms this. Earn 1922 points only, the classification of the CPU in place here in the lower third of our entire database. A very similar scores are manufactured by Intel Core i3-330M.

The current dominant model, Core i5-2410M, it runs 57.2% faster at 4493 points. Rendering Multi-Thread, includes the AMD here in the pace and places closer to average with 6649 points. The new AMD Llano APU A6-3410MX-in HP Pavilion dv6 6110eg earn 7198 points (+7.6%). The alternative dual-core i5 is even faster (+ 29.9%). Even Intel starter current model Intel Core i3-2310M is a bit faster than the P960 (+ 9.3%).

HP Pavilion dv7-6101eg

Inexpensive entertainer. HP's dv7-6101eg is a powerful 17-inch notebook, which will appeal to multimedia fans and also occasional gamers, thanks to its Blu-Ray drive and decent graphics card. We put it to the test, to see whether HP has produced a well-rounded package or whether it has tried to save money in the wrong places.

There are masses of 17-inch entertainment notebooks to be found in the great expanse of the internet. But if you sift through them looking for the best possible performance for a reasonable price, you will quickly find yourself looking at the HP dv7-6100 series. For less than €1,000 you can get a graphics card from the top of the mid range. The models that come with the Radeon HD 6770M are definitely preferable in terms of performance to the ones with the HD 6755G2 or HD 6490M.

The processor is either a dual-core (Core i5-2410M) or a quad-core (Core i7-2630QM or A6-3410MX). The DDR3 RAM ranges from 4 GB up to a maximum of 8 GB, while the hard drive capacity ranges from 500 to 2000 GB. Film fans should definitely choose a version with a Blu-Ray drive, or they will have to put up with a conventional DVD burner. The buyer has no choice when it comes to the operating system; Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit is pre-installed, which is standard for notebooks.

Specifications HP Pavilion dv7-6101eg :

• Processor : Intel Core i5 2410M 2.3 GHz
• Mainboard : Intel HM65
• Memory : 6144 MB, 2048 + 4096 MB DDR3-RAM (1333 MHz), max. 8 GB, 2 slots
• Graphics adapter : AMD Radeon HD 6770M - 2048 MB, Core: 725 MHz, Memory: 1600 MHz, GDDR5-VRAM, 8.830.6.1000
• Display : 17.3 inch 16:9, 1600x900 pixel, Samsung 173KT01-K01 (SEC3354), HD+, LED backlighting, glossy: yes
• Harddisk : Toshiba MK6465GSX, 640GB 5400rpm
• Soundcard : IDT 92HD81B1X @ Intel Cougar Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
• Connections : 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 2x headphone output, 1x microphone input, Card Reader: SD, MMC, 1 Fingerprint Reader,
• Networking : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit), Broadcom 4313 802.11b/g/n (bgn)
• Optical drive : HP DVDWBD TS-LB23L
• Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 40 x 416 x 275
• Weight : 3.122 kg Power Supply: 0.63 kg
• Battery : 62 Wh Lithium-Ion, 11.1 V, 0.328 kg, 6 cells
• Price : 799 Euro
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
• Additional features : Webcam: TrueVision HD, Mains adaptor: 120 Watts, quick start guide, CyberLink PowerDVD 10, 24 Months Warranty.

Case
We think the dv7-6101eg has a great look. The steel-grey metal surfaces are scratch resistant and give the laptop a high-quality appearance. The build quality of our review model was convincing, apart from the hard bottom edge of the keyboard, and the screen edging which sticks out slightly. The laptop’s shape and overall design are fresh and yet classy at the same time; the notebook looks smart from every angle.

The very robust base unit is another point in the notebook’s favour. Only under strong pressure do the keyboard (particularly the number block) and the area around the HP logo start to flex a little. However, the lid can be flexed noticeably - a typical notebook shortcoming. The hinges come in for a lot of criticism; the display can wobble heavily when the base unit is shaken, and you need two hands to open the lid.

Overall HP have got almost everything right, with the case feeling like a cross between the Dell XPS 17 and the HP Envy 17. The size and weight are acceptable for a notebook; at 3.1 kg it can be readily transported.

Performance
At work inside the dv7-6101eg is a dual-core processor, one of Intel’s powerful Sandy Bridge generation. The Core i5-2410M is an incredibly popular mid-range model which has more than 624 transistors as well as a 3 MB L3 cache. Like all the Sandy Bridge CPUs, it is made using the latest 32 nm process. Thanks to Hyperthreading technology the processor can handle up to four threads simultaneously; this is achieved by simulating two virtual cores.

But for gamers, the processor’s Turbo Mode is more important. Depending on the temperature and system load, the speed of each core is made to vary between the standard 2.30 GHz and a maximum of 2.90 GHz. We briefly tested Turbo Mode using the Cinebench R10 tool. While the speed in the single-core rendering varied between 2.80 and 2.90 GHz, in the multi-core rendering the processor settled at 2.7 GHz. The thermal design power of 35 Watts is not exactly low, but on the other hand the Core i5-2410M does also contain a HD Graphics 3000 graphics chip.
notebookcheck.net

HP EliteBook 8460p

Boxy Business Notebook. A vivid, high-quality display? The Elitebooks constitute the best that HP has to offer in terms of business laptops. Can the 2011 series maintain this good reputation or even improve it?

The EliteBook is for HP what the ThinkPad T-series is for Lenovo. Above and beyond "Essentials" and "ProBooks", we find the premium segment of business laptops with the highest-quality craftsmanship and newest technology. And as far as the technical specs go, the EliteBook 8460p here is quite appealing with its Core i7-2620M CPU and on-board HD 6470M graphics card as well as its high-resolution display (14", 1600x900).

But is the EliteBook quite as pristine in its performance as its sleek matte aluminum finish makes it out to be? Not quite. A few shortcomings keep this premium-grade business laptop from achieving a rating of "Very Good".

Specifications HP EliteBook 8460p

• Processor : Intel Core i7 2620M 2.7 GHz
• Mainboard : Intel QM67
• Memory : 4096 MB, 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM 2xSODIMM
• Graphics adapter : AMD Radeon HD 6470M - 1024 MB, Core: 750 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, Catalyst 8.821.1.0
• Display : 14.0 inch 16:9, 1600x900 pixel, AntiGlare, glossy: no
• Harddisk : Hitachi HTS723232A7A364, 320GB 7200rpm
• Soundcard : IDT 92HD81B1X @ Intel Cougar Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
• Connections : 1 Express Card 54mm, 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, 1 Firewire, 1 VGA, 1 DisplayPort, RJ-11 Modem, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 eSata, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: line-out, microphone jack, Card Reader: SD, MMC, 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader, port for second battery
• Networking : Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (10/100/1000MBit), Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (abgn), 2.1 + EDR Bluetooth
• Optical drive : HP CDDVDW TS-L633R
• Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 31.8 x 338 x 231.3
• Weight : 2.442 kg Power Supply: 0.353 kg
• Battery : 55 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6 cells, 10.8V
• Price : 1412 Euro
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit
• Additional features : Webcam: 720p HD, Roxio My DVD 2010 SE, HP 3D DriveGuard, 36 Months Warranty.

Performance
We were first acquainted with the Intel Core i7-2620M CPU (2x2.7 GHz) in our review of the Apple Macbook Pro 13 inch (2011-02 MC724LL/A). The processor is the fastest of the dual-core Sandy Bridge CPUs first released in early 2011. The CPU offers all the special functions of the Sandy Bridge architecture including Hyper-Threading for more efficient use of multiple cores and Turbo Boost 2.0 for automatic overclocking (3.4 GHz). See the Specs List for the Intel Core i7-2620M for more details.

The AMD Radeon HD 6470M (1,024 MB DDR3) is the dedicated graphics card here. This CPU/GPU duo has 4 GB DDR3 at its disposal (1 x 4,096 MB). The package would, of course, be incomplete without the 320 GB hard drive from Hitachi (7200 RPM).

The Cinebench R11.5 CPU test (Multi, 64 Bit) awards our processor a high 3.1 points. This is a great deal higher than the previous generation i7-620M (2.5; HP 8540w) managed to earn. The Dell Latitude E6520 i7/FHD and Dell Vostro 3550—equipped wit the same CPU—achieved the same score. Only smaller laptops can't manage such high scores on account of their cooling systems, that is, they can't make optimal use of Dynamic Frequency (Turbo 2.0): Apple Macbook Pro 13 inch 2011-02 MC724LL/A (2.6 points) and Dell Vostro 3350 (3.0 points).

Instead of choosing a Core i7, the wise investment would be an SSD (in place of HDD). The workflow speed you experience as well as overall score in PCMark Vantage would then jump even higher. This system performance benchmark awards the EliteBook 7,734 points. The Schenker XMG A501 equipped with the same 2620M CPU and a GeForce GT 540M GPU, managed to squeeze out an astounding 14,153 points. Compared to other laptops with the same hardware configuration, the 8460p ranks in just below the Dell Vostro 3350 (8,354) and the Latitude E6520 i7/FHD (8,548).

The new system benchmark PCMark 7 gave 1,994 points to our EliteBook. This is virtually the same score as the Dell Vostro 3350 (2620M) achieved, even though it has a more powerful HD 6630M GPU. The popular 2630QM quad-core CPU barely results in a higher 2,157 points (Fujitsu Lifebook NH751, 2630QM, GeForce GT525M).

The Radeon HD 6470M (1024MB) is a small DirectX-11 GPU marketed as a starter graphics card by AMD. The GPU indeed runs at 750/900 MHz (core/memory) exactly as AMD states. The GPU doesn't limit itself just to games, rather it's quite useful in other applications, utilizing 160 stream processors via DirectX 11, OpenGL 4.1, DirectCompute 11 or OpenCL for its calculations (Magix & CyberLink products). For details, see the specs sheet of the HD 6470M.

The gaming performance is not exactly first-rate. 3,674 points in 3DMarks06 speak to entry-level gaming capability, a good deal below the 4,988 points earned by the HP Elitebook 8560p-LQ589AW or the 4,839 points the Dell Vostro 3350 (2410M) managed, both equipped with the same GPU. We performed still more tests like 3DMark11 (P595), Heaven 2.1 (5.7 fps) and 3DMarkVantage (P1665). The scores of similar laptops also come out considerably higher here: P634 (Vostro 3350, same hardware), 7.2 fps (Vostro 3350; 2410M) and P2339 (Vostro 3350, same hardware). In short, the graphics performance of our EliteBook 8460p ranks in worse than similar devices (GPU). The culprit here is throttling of the GPU (core: 400 instead of 750 MHz) and CPU. Find more details in the "Temperature" section.

The fast-spinning hard drive (320GB, 7200 RPM) brings about some high data transfer rates. The HDD score in PCMark Vantage comes to 4,022 points, a good average for a 7200RPM HDD. In the HD Tune benchmark (76 MB/s read) and Crystal Disk Mark 3.0 (88 MB/s read), the hard drive shows a good performance. Those interested in fast access only have one way to go, choosing the (128 GB) SSD configuration (LG746EA). The HDD activity LED is located along the front edge of the base unit and is hard to notice since it's so small.
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HP Pavilion dv6-6110eg (Llano)

Low-cost Crossfire. After AMD processors were almost non-existent in our tests for a long time, we now looked at the brand new Llano APU A6. There are even two graphic cores doing their job on the platform. Crossfire and turbo for everyone?

Specifications HP Pavilion dv6-6110eg :

• Processor : AMD A-Series A6-3410MX 1.6 GHz
• Mainboard : AMD RS880M
• Memory : 1144 MB, 1 x 2GB, 1 x 4GB
• Graphics adapter : AMD Radeon HD 6755G2 - 1024 MB, Core: 600 MHz, Memory: 800 MHz, Dual GPU HD 6750M + HD 6520G (IGP), 8.832.0.0
• Display : 15.6 inch 16:9, 1366x768 pixel, SAMSUNG 156AT05-H07, glossy: yes
• Harddisk : Hitachi HTS725050A9A364, 500GB 7200rpm
• Soundcard : HD Audio
• Connections : 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 2 headphone outs, 1 microphone in, Card Reader: SD, MMC, 1 Fingerprint Reader,
• Networking : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit), Ralink RT5390 802.11 b/g/n WiFi Adapter (bgn)
• Optical drive : HP CDDVDW TS-L633J
• Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 35.2 x 378 x 246.8
• Weight : 2.668 kg Power Supply: 0.63 kg
• Battery : 55 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6 cells, 10.8V
• Price : 599 Euro
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
• Additional features : Webcam: 1280x800, Cyberlink DVD Suite, Cyberlink YouCam, CoolSense, ProtectSmart, Recovery Manager, 24 Months Warranty

AMD based platforms have clearly lost market shares in mobile systems in past years. A small success could be registered in netbooks with APU concept. They were suddenly stronger than the Atom competition and supplied almost the same battery life (e.g., see Toshiba NB550D).

With the Llano generation, the manufacturer has expanded the APU concept of a main processor with incorporated graphics to bigger systems. The codename Llano covers Accelerated Processing Units that are a blend of Northbridge, a dual or quad core and a dedicated graphics. See our report: Llano APUs officially launched.

The Pavilion dv6-6110eg bids all keywords that find an open ear in Media Markt (German consumer electronics chain) fliers: dual graphics, quad core, turbo, Crossfire and long battery life. This bundle is available for less than 600 euros. A tempting bargain? We'll check the capabilities of this new platform for multimedia fans and gamers. Can AMD hold a candle to the Intel Cores? All answers in this comprehensive review.

Performance
Four computing cores work under the umbrella of the Fusion APU A series, A6-3410MX (1.6-2.3 GHz) and a HD 6520G incorporated in the APU in the Pavilion dv6-6110eg. A dedicated HD 6750M is connected to this. The processing cores can now also overclock at AMD (Turbo Core 2.0). An APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) is a main processor with an incorporated graphics unit. Consequently, CPU, GPU and video as well as other hardware accelerators are united on one die, like in the Intel Core processors. For details, see AMD: Llano APUs officially launched an the CPU's spec page.

Up to date, we have only gotten to know APU based devices in netbooks, subnotebooks and performance weak office notebooks, e.g. Lenovo G575, ThinkPad X120E, Vaio YB1 (E350) or Aspire One 522, Eee PC 1015B, Toshiba NB550D (C50). The A series at hand was launched in June 2011 and also includes desktop processors. There is also a fast rotating, 7200 rpm hard disk from Hitachi and a six gigabyte RAM (1 x 2 GB, 1 x 4 GB) installed.
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HP Pavilion g6-1141sg Notebook

TestIT!2011, the fourth. HP also provides a suitable office notebook for the Intel TestIT!2011. The HP Pavilion g6 is ready to be checked and rated by a reader, as well as from our experienced editors. Read in this review how this rating ultimately turns out.

Of course, HP shouldn't be left out in Germany's biggest notebook test either, and is at the start with the Pavilion g6. Alike the competition, an Intel Core i5 is installed in the HP notebook. The processor-incorporated graphics solution, Intel HD Graphics 3000, is used as the graphics card. The HP laptop relies more on a plain and serious exterior and tries to tempt the buyer this way. The price of 499 euros also speaks a clear language. We will find out, in collaboration with our reader cum reporter, if HP wanted to make too many cutbacks, or if it has done a good job in this review.

Specifications HP Pavilion g6-1141sg :

• Processor : Intel Core i5 2410M 2.3 GHz
• Mainboard : Intel HM65
• Memory : 4096 MB, Samsung, DDR3-1333 667 MHz, max. 8x GB, 2 slots
• Graphics adapter : Intel HD Graphics 3000, 8.15.10.2253
• Display : 15.6 inch 16:9, 1366x768 pixel, LG Display LGD02AC, LED backlight, glossy: yes
• Harddisk : Seagate ST9500325AS, 500GB 5400rpm
• Soundcard : HD Audio
• Connections : 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 2 audios (headphone, microphone), Card Reader: 2in1 card reader (SD, MMC),
• Networking : Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller (10/100MBit), Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (bgn)
• Optical drive : HP DVD RW AD-7721H
• Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 31 x 374 x 245
• Weight : 2.5 kg Power Supply: 0.2 kg
• Battery : 47 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6 cells, 10.8 volts
• Price : 499 Euro
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
• Additional features : Webcam: HP Webcam mit integr. Digitalmikro, power adapter, documentation, notebook, Tool for creating a recovery CD/DVD , Symantec Norton Internet Security 2011 (60 day live update), assistance & support for notebook, HP Setup, Setup Manager, HP Support Assistant, HP ProtectSmart, Windows Live application, HP gaming console, E, 12 Months Warranty, color: anthracite-gray.

Performance
The Pavilion g6's heart is the Intel Core i5-2410M CPU from the latest Sandy Bridge family. This processor is a dual core model with a base clock of 2.3 GHz each. The processor can also be overclocked dynamically thanks to the improved Turbo Boost 2.0 technology. Either both cores can be overclocked to 2.6 GHz or one single core to 2.9 GHz, depending on the processor's load. Thus, the processor should also be able to supply enough reserves even at performance peaks.
In return, the processor has many energy saving mechanisms that, for example, reduce the processor's clock during low load. Consequently, the notebook's battery life benefits. The processor is a midrange model from Intel's current array and covers a wide range of possible applications. This make it to a good, all-round processor. The processor places itself in the midfield with a TDP of 35 watts, in terms of cooling. Therefore, the Intel Core i5-2410M is also favored for notebooks with a display size of 13-14 inches or more.

The Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics solution is a GPU incorporated in the GPU. It doesn't supply as much performance as, for example, dedicated graphic cards. But it also doesn't use as much energy as a dedicated solution, either. Nevertheless, the new generation of incorporated graphic cards has also made quite a bit of progress. Thus, the Intel HD Graphics 3000 is roughly comparable to the dedicated entry-level graphics card, Nvidia GeForce 310M. It is possible to render older games smoothly with this graphics card and even makes a few newer tracks playable. But only in low details and resolutions.
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HP ProBook 6560b

Heavy metal reloaded. The ProBook 6560 LG658EA is an entry level business device from Hewlett Packard in a robust aluminum case. In addition to its high-end looks, the installed hardware is also impressive: a dual core CPU from Intel's second generation processors, dedicated AMD graphics and a 15.6 inch matt display with a high resolution. Price: about 900 euros.

Specifications HP ProBook 6560b-LG658EA :

• Processor : Intel Core i5 2520M 2.5 GHz
• Mainboard : Intel HM65
• Memory : 4096 MB, Elpida 2Rx8 PC3-10600S-9-10-F2
• Graphics adapter : AMD Radeon HD 6470M - 512 MB, Core: 750 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, Seymour, atiumdag 8.821.1.0
• Display : 15.6 inch 16:9, 1600x900 pixel, glossy: no
• Harddisk : WDC WD5000BEKT, 500GB 7200rpm
• Soundcard : Intel Cougar Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
• Connections : 1 Express Card 54mm, 4 USB 2.0, 1 Firewire, 1 VGA, 1 DisplayPort, LSI HDA Modem Modem, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Serial Port, 1 eSata, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: 2, Card Reader: 2in1 Secure Digital Card (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC) , 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader,
• Networking : Intel 82579V Gigabit Network Connection (10/1000MBit), Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n (abgn), 2.1 + EDR Bluetooth, HSPA+ mobile broadband module
• Optical drive : HP CDDVDW TS-L633R
• Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 34 x 374 x 251
• Weight : 2.9 kg
• Battery : 55 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6 cells
• Price : 899 Euro
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit
• Additional features : Webcam: 2.0 Megapixel HD-Web, 720p, Roxio Secure Burn, Microsoft Office 2010, Norton Internet Security 2011 (60 day subscription), 12 Months Warranty.

The ProBook 6560-LG658EA is a 15.6 inch laptop from Hewlett Packard that is equipped with special business features. Not only the inner values count to this, but the modern design as well. The display bezel is made of pearl blasted aluminum. The case is additionally reinforced with magnesium. The 39.6 cm HD display (15.6 inch) in a 16:9 format can reproduce a resolution of 1600x900 pixels. Thus, it is also perfectly suitable to work with several adjacently opened windows.

An Intel dual core CPU, model Core i5 2520M, works inside the entry level business laptop. It runs with a clock rate of 2.5 GHz and can even overclock single cores up to 3.2 GHz thanks to the Turbo Boost technology. Besides the incorporated Intel graphics, this notebook also has a dedicated graphics card from AMD. The Radeon HD 6470M supplies its own video memory of 512 MBs.

Moreover, a 500 GB hard disk, a DVD burner and 4 GB of RAM are installed. HP has also integrated WWAN (3G) and a 56k V9.92 modem next to WLAN, Bluetooth and Gigabit LAN for connectivity in our test model.

Performance
An Intel Core i5 processor from the Sandy Bridge generation is used in the HP ProBook 6560b-LG658EA. The dual core CPU (Intel Core i5-2520M) works with a base clock of 2.5 GHz. The number of computing cores is virtually doubled (4) thanks to Hyper Threading support. The CPU is automatically clocked up to 3.2 GHz by the Turbo Boost mode when required. The processor has a 3 MB level 3 cache and is produced in the 32 nm technology.

The Sandy Bridge dual core processor also includes the incorporated DirectX 10 capable Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics card and the memory controller in the specified TDP of 35 watts. Besides the CPU's HD graphics, a dedicated graphics, model AMD Radeon HD 6470M, is also used in the ProBook.

CPU Performance
The 2520M CPU's maximum clock rage of up to 3.2 GHz also remains stable during load (Cinebench's single CPU rendering). That means it exploits its turbo reserves well. The CPU's clock stayed constant at at least 2.5 GHz in our simulated stress test over 180 minutes – both Prime and Furmark ran simultaneously.
Turbo also pushed the CPU rate to its limits of 3.2 GHz in the first few minutes. The hotter the die temperature got, the less "turbo" was used. However, the Intel Core i5-2520M 's clock rate never fell below 2.5 GHz, so the specified base clock of all cores, during load.

The achieved results in the Cinebench R10 benchmark tests are within the expected range for the used CPU in both the single core as well as in the multi core rendering test.

System Performance
This laptop was no exception and had to run through many tests in the benchmark marathon. The total package (CPU, GPU, memory and hard disk) are assessed with cross component test tools, such as PCMark05, PCMark 7 and PC Mark Vantage.
Moreover, the notebook had to endure a few synthetic benchmarks, among others from Futuremark. These test tools specify just how fast the laptop's graphic functions are. This is only secondary in a business notebook, but this point shouldn't be underestimated. In particular since many applications can benefit from the resources of a dedicated GPU.

The device achieved a score of 7680 points in PCMark Vantage. Thus it is in the upper range of all notebooks that we have tested without a built-in solid state drive (SSD). Our experience shows that they would push the total score to over 10000 points. This would also be a possibility for the user to increase the 6560b's application performance considerably after buying.
In comparison, the HP Elitebook 8460p (2620M/HD6470M) places itself insignificantly higher, the workstation from the previous Elitebook generation, the 8540w (620M/FX880M) lags even slightly behind with 7510 points.
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HP Mini 100e

HP Mini 100 netbook is the latest of education to get oriented to the market, aiming only at school and lack of channels of consumption patterns. This model has a unique clamshell design with integrated handle and body are very difficult. In this review, we will see how well it stands out compared to similar models, including Dell Latitude 2100, so you can decide if it's a netbook that is right for your school.

Our HP Mini-100E specifications:

• 10.1 "WSVGA (1024 x 600) with LED backlight
• Intel Atom N455 (1.66 GHz, 667 MHz FSB)
• Intel GMA 3150
• 802.11b / g, LAN 10/100
• DDR3 1 GB (2 GB max)
• 160GB hard drive and SD card reader
• Dimensions 10.9 x 9.9 x 1.57 inches
• Weight 3.10 pounds with 6 cell battery
• Batteries: 3 28 Wh lithium-ion its
• Warranty: 1 year (extended warranty available)
• Price: less than U.S. $ 300 (prices vary depending on configuration ordered and units)

Construction and Design
HP Mini-100E is not like most netbooks currently on the market. HP started fresh medium and a computer is super powerful, easy to use and easy to carry. From top to bottom of the netbook is designed for the abuse of all children, day after day and continue to work as expected. Mini-100E has a white plastic outer skin and a very large palette of colors inside the laptop.

The same plastic that are found everywhere on laptops, including the touchpad and the display panel, giving the system a very industrial. If you want a designer netbook, look elsewhere. Features such as built-in handle is all about function over form, eliminating the need to drag the case out of the system.

The whole system is designed for school administrators hope the repair is simple and easy to store, at the end of the day when schools. Mini 100 is a durable plastic body seems more at ease in a rugged notebook, not netbook. When the system is the open space around the keyboard on the screen each time.

The wrist rest is just rock with a keyboard and pad, near the display hinges. The hinges are very strong, completely free from doubt, and keep the screen closed when the system is closed. Even the keyboard seems a step above what is found in standard laptop, with the mark recorded for each symbol, not only to print on the surface of the button.

HP Mini-100E is very easy to update, even though we were surprised to see a child deterence mechanisms to prevent tampering by students. With the battery removed, the two screws holding the cover reveals that in place. When the lid, you will have access to wireless card, hard disk and system memory.

Hard disks have partial protection against the impact of grommets to isolate the chassis of the small car that can take hours to dry. In general, one can easily say that this netbook is one of if not the easiest to update the models on the market.
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HP Mini 5103 Multitouch

The new HP Mini 5103 is an update to the previous 5102 netbook, adding the newest dual-core Intel Atom N455 to the spec-sheet. This 10.1-inch netbook can be configured with an optional multi-touch display and has a starting price of $399.99. Check out our review to see our verdict on this small system.

Our HP Mini 5103 has the following specifications:

• Windows 7 Professional (32-bit)
• Processor: Intel Atom N550 Processor 1.5GHz (1MB cache)
• Memory: 2GB DDR3 SDRAM
• Storage: 160GB 7200rpm SATA HDD
• Display: 10.1-inch multitouch LED-backlit display (1366x678, matte finish)
• Graphics: Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics
• Wireless: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR
• Expansion: 4-in-1 media card slot
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 10.30 x 7.09 x 0.98 in
• Weight: 3.01 lb with 6-cell battery (not including weight of AC adapter).
• Power: Standard 4-cell (28WHr)Lithium-ion battery or 6-cell (66WHr) extended-life battery
• Warranty: One-year standard warranty
• Price: $399.99 Starting

Build and Design
The HP Mini 5103 has a very business-like appearance with a squared-off chassis and rugged-looking brushed metal finish. The design hasn't changed much over the years, first seen with the Mini 5101 and the 5102 earlier this year. The appearance is almost as if the small and medium-business ProBook 4520s was hit with a shrinkray and this was the result. The brushed metal finish holds up well to daily abuse, but it seemed to attract a few fingerprints without much effort. The inside has a rubbery dark paint covering the palmrest with a glossy black touchpad recessed slightly below the surface. On top of the keyboard HP throws in two quick-launch buttons to launch an internet browser and default email client ... probably the two most used applications on a business notebook.

Build quality is a step above most consumer netbooks with a very sturdy chassis and durable finishes inside and out. The brushed metal screen cover held up well against everything except fingerprints-easier to wipe off than scratches -- and also added some extra protection for the LCD. When closed, the netbook had very little flex, which is just what you would expect from a business-grade system. The only aspect that seemed to clash with the business-theme was an abundance of glossy finishes, including the touchpad, keyboard bezel, and screen bezel that increase reflection and attract fingerprints more compared to matte or rough finishes.

The HP Mini 5103 wasn't as easy to upgrade as most business notebooks. The designers only included access for the system memory, although that is still a step up from the ProBook 4520s which needed to be fully dismantled to access the RAM. A few added perks to the design included battery charge-indicators on the 4 and 6-cell batteries which give an instant readout of capacity without having to turn the system on. The Mini 5103 also made use of the larger full-size notebook AC-adapter plug, which looks and feels more solid than your average netbook power connector.
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HP ENVY 14

The HP ENVY 14 is a slim gaming notebook powered by the ATI Radeon HD 5650 graphics card. The new 14.5-inch model is the successor to the older 13-inch ENVY, offering a similar size but way more power. Read on to see what we think of the new ENVY 14.

Our HP ENVY 14 Specifications:
14.5" LED-backlit HD+ 1600x900 Display
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel Core i5 450M processor (2.40GHz, 3MB cache)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 with 1GB VRAM and Intel GMA HD Switchable Graphics
4GB DDR3 RAM (2x 2GB)
500GB 7200RPM hard drive (Seagate 7200.4)
Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6200AGN
Built-in Bluetooth v2.1+EDR
8X slot-loading DVD burner
Two-year limited warranty
8-cell Li-ion battery (14.8v, 3800mAh)
Weight: 5.57lbs
Dimensions: 14.01 x 9.33 x 1.11-inches
MSRP: $1,049
Build and Design
The HP ENVY 14, like the previous ENVY 13 and 15 before it, has a very MacBook-esque look and feel. The body is comprised of a slick machined metal shell, covering the top and bottom of the notebook. The screen cover and palmrest are both etched with a unique pattern to enhance the look as well as increase traction for your hand while you carry it around. On the inside the ENVY 14 has an all-glass display that enhances the look of the screen, keeps dust off the LCD, and gets rid of the common recessed screen border. The bottom is designed with both form and function, hiding any separate access panels or battery, in favor of a single spring loaded panel to improve its appearance. The battery is hidden under this cover, as well as screws to gain access to system components.

Build quality of the HP ENVY 14 is well above average. The metal chassis feels rock-solid, which the same could be said about the Apple MacBook Pro as well. The upper and lower shells tie the system together to prevent flex and make the system feel very rigid. The metal screen cover gives excellent protection to the LCD-with some help from the front all-glass surface-and limits screen distortion from impacts to both sides. The screen hinges keep the lid tightly shut when the notebook is closed and limit screen wobble when the display is open, although tension isn't strong enough to warrant two hands for tilting the screen back. The palmrest and keyboard are very solid, showing no flex under strong pressure. Even areas above the slot-loading optical drive are flex-free thanks to the metal body.

Users looking to upgrade or tweak the HP ENVY 14 shouldn't be alarmed by looking at the clean design of the bottom of the notebook. Under the latched metal cover HP stores the primary system battery and hard drive for easy access. To get at other system components, like the wireless card, CMOS battery, processor, system memory, or even both heatsinks, you just remove five screws and take off the remaining bottom panel.
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HP ProBook 4425s

The ProBook 4425s is the AMD-variant of the popular small and medium business notebook from HP. Designed as a near carbon copy of its Intel-based siblings, the 4425s features a quad-core Phenom II processor with integrated ATI Radeon 4250 graphics. In this review we find out how well the AMD offering stacks up against its Intel competition.

Our HP ProBook 4425s Specifications:

• AMD Phenom II P920 Quad Core (up to 1.6GHz, 2MB L2 cache)
• Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (32-bit)
• 14.0-inch LED-backlit anti-glare HD display (1366 x 768)
• Integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250
• 4GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM
• 500GB 7200RPM HDD
• LightScribe DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
• Broadcom 4313 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, 1Gb LAN
• 6-Cell 47WHr Battery
• Limited 1-year standard parts and labor warranty
• Dimensions: 13.23 x 9.15 x 1.07-inches
• Weight: 5.05lbs with 6-cell battery
• Price as configured: $1,208

Build and Design
The HP ProBook 4425s has a very neat and professional look with brushed metal covers over a plastic body. The panels on this current generation of ProBook are dark copper or bronze in color and can be found on all sizes, including AMD and Intel models. Compared to the first generation models with only plastic showing on the exterior, the newer design looks great and adds strength to the notebook. The brushed metal finish is used throughout the notebook, including the screen cover, palmrest, and speaker grill. To compliment the finish, the surfaces not covered in metal are glossy black plastic, adding another touch of class to this stylish small business notebook.

Build quality is very good and a step up from the older model. The brushed metal lid gives the 4425s some much needed strength and screen protection that the plastic lid on the previous-generation ProBooks lacked. The palmrest and speaker grill show little to no flex under strong pressure, perhaps feeling stronger than the 15-inch or 17-inch siblings. The keyboard tray has some minor flex under pressure which wouldn't be a problem on the more expensive HP EliteBook models. The chassis looks and feels much nicer than the first revision ProBook series, but is just slightly behind business notebooks that use alloy as a primary component.

Users looking to quickly swap out components will be in for a bit of a shock. To access the processor, hard drive, or even the system memory, you need to fully dismantle the ProBook 4425s. On this small and medium business notebook HP opted for centralized support and maintenance, with very little work being done by the end user. In terms of looks this gives the bottom a clean appearance without any access panels, but in terms of difficultly, it adds a lot of work to swap out components. To open the system, you remove four screws underneath the battery, pop off the speaker bezel, remove four additional screws that hold the keyboard in place, slide the keyboard up. This gives you access to the system memory. To get at the hard drive, you remove three more screws that hold the palmrest in place, slide it carefully to the right to release it from its clips. Once that is removed you simply take out three more screws that hold the hard drive in place, and take it out (with four more screws holding it into its cage). To say upgrades on the ProBook are difficult or confusing is putting it lightly.
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HP Pavilion dv7t

The 17-inch HP Pavilion dv7t is the new quad-core lineup of multimedia notebooks by HP. In our review of the dv7t series, we will see if HP has improved the known complaints about the prior dv7/dv7t. We will take a look at its build quality, performance, heat and temperature, battery life, and more. We will also test our review notebook for its gaming ability. Keep reading our full review below to find out if this is the right multimedia notebook for you!

Our HP Pavilion dv7t features the following specifications:

* Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core CPU (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz
* 17.3" diagonal HD+ HP BrightView (glossy) LED Display (1600 x 900)
* Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* 8GB DDR3 memory
* 660GB total, dual hard drive system (160GB SSD + 500GB at 7200RPM)
* 1GB GDDR5 Radeon HD 6770M graphics
* Blu-ray player and SuperMulti DVD burner
* Gigabit Ethernet and Intel 802.11b/g/n wireless
* TrueVision HD webcam
* 6-cell Li-ion battery (55 Wh) and 120W power adapter
* Dimensions: 16.3" x 10.8" x 1.2"
* Weight: 6.72 with standard battery
* MSRP as configured: $1,605

The base MSRP for the HP Pavilion dv7t is $1,099 but that price will vary depending on how you customize the notebook. The bigger choices are the operating system (Windows 7 Home Premium is included; Professional is $99 more; and Ultimate is $139 more), the Intel i7 quad-core processor (Intel Core i7-2630QM is included, i7-2720QM is $150 more, and i7-2820QM is $350 more), and the graphics card (the 1GB GDDR5 Radeon HD 6490M graphics card is included, the Radeon HD 6770M is $25 more, and the Radeon HD 6770M with 2GB of dedicated memory is $75 more). Other features, parts, and accessories can be added for extra.
Build and Design
The new HP Pavilion dv7t consists of umber-colored glossy plastic materials with a hard metallic finish. HP has been known to go mostly for style over functionality in its build quality in the 17-inch entertainment notebook realm, but this time around the outer build quality seems to have improved greatly from the last 17-inch dv7t.

As far as design goes, the notebook has a dark brown color (labeled as "umber") and the all-over brushed metallic gives the notebook a nice textured look. The frame around the display consists of glossy plastics, a stylistic move by HP. The model name is featured in the upper-righthand corner of the display, and "beats audio" is written in the upper lefthand corner (Beats Audio is HP's new audio-enhancing software). The overall finished result of the design strikes me as sophisticated and trendy; it's a design almost anyone would enjoy. It also comes in a "steel gray" color for $25 extra.

The brushed metallic finish has greatly progressed the build quality from last time; now the exterior frame of the notebook feels stronger and the overall build quality really is excellent. The chassis is made of tough aluminum across the top and plastic underneath, and does not bend inward much when pressure is applied in the center of the keyboard. The palmrests do not flinch at all when pressure is applied and the side follows suit, but the top of the chassis does bend a little. The aluminum finish helps the palmrests and the rest of the chassis stay nice and cool even when the notebook is exerted. The speakers are located across almost the entire top of the chassis and below the touchpad, and also at the bottom of the notebook for a surround sound effect. The touchpad is ringed by a light blue backlight. The only complaint I have is the less-than-sturdy aluminum hinges: they bend when you press down on them. They do, however, seem as though they will be long-lasting and will withstand many years of being used.

Since the notebook has a monster-sized 17.3-inch diagonal display and a 6.72-pound weight, this is probably not made for weak laps, (or laps in general) or for heavy traveling...but it will do nicely to be placed on a desk or to be carried around the house.
by : notebookreview.com

HP EliteBook 8560p

The HP EliteBook 8560p is the latest generation of 15-inch premium business notebooks from Hewlett-Packard. This aluminum-clad workhorse is designed to serve as a mobile desktop replacement for business professionals who need cutting-edge technology wrapped inside a durable shell. Keep reading to find out if the new EliteBook is as "elite" as it looks.

HP EliteBook 8560p Specifications:

* Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
* Intel Core i7-2620M (2.70GHz, 4MB L3 cache)
* 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
* 500GB 7200 rpm SATA II Hard Drive
* DVD+/-RW SuperMulti drive with LightScribe
* 15.6-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD+ WVA anti-glare (1600 x 900)
* AMD Radeon HD 6470M with 1 GB dedicated DDR3 video memory
* 720p HD webcam
* 10/100/1000 Ethernet
* Intel Centrino 802.11a/b/g/n wireless
* Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
* 90W Smart AC adapter with HP Fast Charge
* 6-cell (62 WHr) Li-Ion battery
* Weight: 6.05 lb
* Dimensions (w x d x h): 14.72 x 9.86 x 1.34 inches
* MSRP: $1,499.00 (starting price: $1,099.00)

Build and Design
In recent years the HP EliteBooks have distinguished themselves in the business world thanks to an exterior design featuring brushed-metal cladding and an interior chassis made of durable magnesium alloy. In short, the EliteBooks look cool and are built tough. The latest generation of HP EliteBooks takes that heritage a few steps further with what HP calls its "FORGE" design philosophy. FORGE is actually an acronym for the words, "Form, Optimization, Richness, Green and Enduring." If you want to overlook that marketing fluff for a moment, what HP is trying to say is that these notebooks are stylish, offer excellent performance, deliver a premium feel, provide efficient power management for long battery life, and are very well built to survive the rigors of business use.

Those might sound like bold claims but, based on what we've seen from the previous generation of EliteBooks, those marketing claims have a very real basis in fact.

One of the first things you'll notice when you pick up the new 15-inch EliteBook 8560p is that the notebook feels like it's made of very thick chunks of aluminum. You won't feel the "flex" that you normally see in cheaper plastic laptops. The 8560p notebook features a completely redesigned HP DuraCase that meets the MIL-STD 8710G military-standard testing specifications, meaning these notebooks withstand greater wear and tear than a typical laptop. Despite the rugged build quality this notebook should be easy to carry thanks to a starting weight of just over six pounds.

Six pounds might sound heavy for a 15-inch notebook when there are many 17-inch consumer laptops that tip the scales at about the same weight. That said, I challenge anyone to build a metal-encased business notebook with high-end CPU, a discrete graphics card, and a built-in optical drive that weighs less than five pounds. The extra pound or so of weight comes from all that metal armor covering the notebook.

The EliteBook p-series is available with second-generation (Sandy Bridge) Intel Core i7 quad-core processors and Core i7, i5 and i3 dual-core processors, with your choice of integrated graphics or AMD Radeon HD 6470M discrete graphics. The notebook also feature USB 3.0 ports and a USB 2.0 charging port, in addition to a variety of wireless options and either hard disk drive or solid-state disk drives for storage.

The bottom of the 8560p is quite strong (no flex or creaks under pressure) and features a single massive access panel for making upgrades or replacing components. It should be extremely easy for an IT manager or even a lone small business owner to upgrade the RAM or replace a hard drive. You'll also notice the docking station connector on the bottom of the notebook in case you need to plug the 8560p into multiple external displays or you need additional ports.
by : notebookreview.com