HP Pavilion 15.6" Intel Quad-Core Laptop

[gak0090]

@digitaleagle

The biggest advantage of the intel architected i series processors is their single core performance. Contrary to what most people think - most of the applications we use today still only utilize a single core. The OS does, however utilize multiple threads and so do many games and video rendering applications.

Most people are going to use this machine for basic functions, like browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, etc., so IMO this processor is fine.

You would get a lot more bang from your buck replacing the HDD with a Solid State Drive than you would notice going to a better processor.

I’m still using a 7 year old Lenovo with a dual core Pentium processor and I have no problems with performance at all for these basic functions.

If you need a machine to do compute intensive applications - this is not your machine.

You’re missing my point. I didn’t say that this laptop wouldn’t be OK (especially if paired with an SSD drive) as a basic all around laptop. I was simply answering the question that someone had comparing this processor to an I3. Didn’t you read the post?

[digitaleagle]

@gak0090

You’re missing my point. I didn’t say that this laptop wouldn’t be OK (especially if paired with an SSD drive) as a basic all around laptop. I was simply answering the question that someone had comparing this processor to an I3. Didn’t you read the post?

Point well taken - I’m not saying your post didn’t add value - I just don’t think it makes any difference unless someone is trying to do “compute intensive” applications on this machine.

My point is that no-one, using this machine for basic applications, which is what it was designed for, is going to notice any difference using the processor that’s in this machine, (which handles 4 threads at a time) vs an i3.

People pay way too much attention to the processors that are in these machines when the biggest bottleneck on performance is always the Hard Disk Drive - not the processor.

Lighten up!

[ThunderThighs]

So we’re all good here now?

[gak0090]

@digitaleagle

Point well taken - I’m not saying your post didn’t add value - I just don’t think it makes any difference unless someone is trying to do “compute intensive” applications on this machine.

My point is that no-one, using this machine for basic applications, which is what it was designed for, is going to notice any difference using the processor that’s in this machine, (which handles 4 threads at a time) vs an i3.

People pay way too much attention to the processors that are in these machines when the biggest bottleneck on performance is always the Hard Disk Drive - not the processor.

Lighten up!

I’ll lighten up if you start paying closer attention

[gak0090]

@ThunderThighs

So we’re all good here now?

now we are

[OiXYZ]

@ThunderThighs

What we have is all that was on the HP site.

The vendors are at CES so we’re kinda stuck with the HP info.

Update: Found this. Says one user-accessible slot but doesn’t give the max memory.

Update 2: Vendor answered! not upgradeable.

To further drive home the point I found this thread at the HP forums which definitively states (for all you enthusiastic risk takers) that an 8GB upgrade did not work in the user slot. 4GB max ram it looks like, which is unfortunate.

[ThunderThighs]

@gak0090

now we are

Mr. Has to Have the Last Word?

[smcnaney]

Perhaps a dated question, but can you load an old version of Office onto this (from CD w/code) or do you need to buy into the new software (subscription)? It’s been a long time since i bought a PC. Thanks.

[gak0090]

@ThunderThighs

Mr. Has to Have the Last Word?

[gak0090]

@smcnaney

Perhaps a dated question, but can you load an old version of Office onto this (from CD w/code) or do you need to buy into the new software (subscription)? It’s been a long time since i bought a PC. Thanks.

It should work fine. If it’s older than 2007 you might be better off using a free office suite like LibreOffice, Kingsoft office, online free office stuff like Google docs…There are a bunch of decent free ones, just google free office suite.

[smcnaney]

@gak0090

It should work fine. If it’s older than 2007 you might be better off using a free office suite like LibreOffice, Kingsoft office, online free office stuff like Google docs…There are a bunch of decent free ones, just google free office suite.

Thanks!

[Lulusmagic]

For the person who knows nothing about computers other than what they want them to do, which is surf, FB, email, and write and store documents, is 4GB DDR3 memory ok for said person?

[beegle]

@Lulusmagic

For the person who knows nothing about computers other than what they want them to do, which is surf, FB, email, and write and store documents, is 4GB DDR3 memory ok for said person?

Yes. That’s plenty.

If you’re doing all of that stuff at once, and the document you’re writing is your 500 page novel, it might get a little bit bogged down, but for day to day light use, it’s plenty.

[jamkap]

I am tempted to buy this laptop for my wife, however I had a very bad experience with Windows 8.1 on a desktop…i couldn’t get it to keep an internet connection, either with Ethernet or wireless…kept saying “limited connection”…from what I read, this is a common problem with 8.1…any advise??

[KTsWootWoot]

I bought this computer and am seriously annoyed. My Windows will not activate because the OEM product key says “blocked.” After an hour on the phone with HP, running the recovery and letting them remote in my computer, I’m no closer to an answer. Awaiting a call back from HP.

[manhandsha]

@KTsWootWoot

I bought this computer and am seriously annoyed. My Windows will not activate because the OEM product key says “blocked.” After an hour on the phone with HP, running the recovery and letting them remote in my computer, I’m no closer to an answer. Awaiting a call back from HP.

That’s totally annoying, I’m really sorry for your experience. Keep us updated on how things go!