HP Pavilion g6t series

Tags:notebook computers,notebook computers HP Pavilion g6t series,notebook computers

This popular series features:

• Intel 2nd generation Pentium and Core i processors^‡
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
• Fast, easy, trusted Web browsing with Windows Internet Explorer^§§§
• 512MB and 1GB graphics options
• Built in Wi-Fi (Wireless-N¹)
• A 6-cell battery (as compared with 4 cell) for longer work and play
• Everything you need for e-mailing, Web surfing, music
• 5 free HP games, already loaded on your PC
• ENERGY STAR^® qualification

User's Review:
When I set out to buy a laptop to replace an older one that died, I had specific needs. I wanted a laptop that can play and record over-the-air HDTV videos with absolutely no issues or hiccups. I also wanted one that did not use an excessive amount of power because I did not want the laptop to get too hot. This was the downfall of my previous laptop. Because it was loaded with the latest and greatest graphics performance (as of four years ago), it frequently got very hot, even when it was idle, which eventually caused some components to cook and die a slow death. (If you search the web, you will see many other people with the same experience with "gaming" laptops. My advice is to buy a desktop if you want a computer with even a moderately high graphics performance. Desktop has bigger space internally to accomodate bigger fans and better air circulation that can keep your computer motherboard cool enough to not suffer heat damage.)

So I searched and found this g6t model. I took a chance and ordered one with i5 CPU and Intel integrated graphics. I wanted to avoid the grahics card option as much as possible, since I wanted any extra heat dissipation resulting from the graphics unit to be as small as possible. Boy, was I in for a surprise.

The laptop far exceeded my expectations. If you ever wanted to build an HDTV DVR, this laptop should be near the top of your list. It did a far better job of recording over-the-air HDTV broadcasts (using external USB HDTV tuners) than my old laptop did. I can watch and record two simultaneous HDTV channels (using two tuners) with absolutely no hiccups. It can do this while generating very little extra heat. My old laptop would get as hot as a blow dryer that's set at its highest heat setting. g6t never got hot. It only got lukewarm at its hottest (I was able to tell this only by feeling the bottom of the laptop).

Another surprise was that g6t was able to play Halo (which was one of the most graphics-intensive 3D games five years ago) just as well as my old laptop did, with the game set at its highest graphics settings. There were no frame stuttering or skipping as I played the game. I fully enabled all the graphical special effects and they were just as smooth as in my old laptop. But, not surprisingly, g6t did get hot when I played the game, but still it was not as hot as my old laptop got. My old laptop would get so hot that you can feel the scorching heat through the keyboard. With g6t, that didn't happen. Instead, the only way to tell that it was hot as I was playing the game was by putting my hand next to the air vent. BTW, I should mention that when I played and recorded HDTV, the air coming out of the vent was always cool, while in my old laptop, the air would be hot.

When g6t is idle or doing eveyday stuff such as reading emails or browsing the web, it is very cool. The only part where you can feel a noticeable amount of heat is where the 7200RPM hard drive is located (yes, I ordered that drive instead of a slower one, to minimize bottlenecks during recording of multiple simultaneous HDTV channels). Even then, it was only slightly warm. This was another surprise since some people complained that such hard drives can get very hot. Mine never did.

I should make a mention of the Intel i5 CPU with integrated graphics. Before I ordered the laptop, I did a little research on CPUs and discovered that the performance of the integrated graphics has advanced significantly over the last couple of years. What I didn't know was how much that advance has been. Now I know. The integrated graphics is still not good enough to play the latest 3D games but it is far better than I expected. One of the biggest advantages to using the integrated graphics is that it benefits from the same power-saving technologies that are designed into the CPU. In addition, these power-saving technologies have also advanced significantly during the last several years. That means less energy consumption and less heat. Kudos to Intel. Nvidia and Radeon need to learn from this.

I'm very happy I ordered this laptop. It exceeded all my expectations. I will most likely use it exclusively as a dedicated DVR, with external tuners and remote control attached to it, especially since the laptop is also small enough so that it is much more convenient to place near my TV than a bigger desktop PC. Heck, the laptop and the external tuners and remote control take up less space than the big SDTV DVR that I still use with an HDTV converter box.