Hp Nc8000

I just ordered a nc8000 from HP. Pentium 1.5ghz, 9600 pro 128mb, etc. Keep you updated as to how I like it, impressions, etc.


Matt

Yes, please, do so, quickly! =) I'd love to hear about how the screen is, the build quality, etc. Thank you.

My computer will arrive to me between the 10th and the 16th.......such a long ways away!! I tried to find a review before I ordered but couldn't so I had to take the plunge. Will do comprehensive review once I get it.


Matt

Hello:)

Was just cruising around and found this forum. I just had my nc8000 about a week ago. PM 1,6/512/40/MR10(64Mb) (Yes, we don't have 128mb model here in finland.. at least yet. Unless you wan't to buy nw8000 with FireGL T2.. that's a bit too much.. and +500 euro).

Rao Hamid was asking about Centrino & Wireless features. Well, the machine is "almost" a centrino. It lacks the Intels wireless 802.11b card BUT has instead a 802.11b/g(!) card. So if you didn't know Centrino-brand requires Intel Pentium-M, Intel Chipset and _INTEL_ WLAN (which isn't yet to be found as 11g standard). So it is a "Centrino".

Battery life is pretty good. I got it to last a bit over 4 hours and in this time I actually watched 30 minutes of DVD and played about 20 minutes of Colin McRae 3 and rest of the time used it for surfing and more common use. So pretty impressive.

Call Of Duty runs in 1400x1050x32 with extra detailed graphics and 2xAA about average of 35-55fps.

3DMark03 gave 1937 points with 1024x768, 2xAA and Anisotropy of 16.

Well, this isn't a gaming machine but it runs games if you don't have the need for 6xAA/16xAF (or maybe this will run with 128mb?..).

The Chipset supports only 4xAGP (MR10 supports up 8x).

Generally I like the look and feel of the nc8000. I'd say it has a very good keyboard and the dual pointing device is also a positive thing. The arrow keys could have been bigger (are smaller than the other keys) because there is space left on the sides of the keyboard. This actually looks very business like. It isn't ugly nor especially beautiful. And it weights about 3kg which I think isn't that much for a "desktop replacement".

Ooh, and doesn't make that much noise.

And the SXGA+ display is very nice. Wide viewing angles, sharp and bright.

Hmm, what else.. ask something. It lacks a PS2 port but maybe I'll manage without it. Also has free multibay slot for extra optical device, hard drive, floppy disk drive or battery. I think these are pretty expensive so maybe it's better to get an external DVD+RW or hard drive in case you need one.

Now I have to go sleep but maybe I'll post some more later.

And asking is allowed.

Oh, sorry. Call of Duty ran with 1280x1024x32 not 1400x1050x32.

Hi analyysi

Many thanks for this review, i was NEEDING IT!

Well the only thing that i think it could be better is the 4x AGP with an 8x video card, i think that is like drop half video card, isn't it?

Could you please tell me what chipset does have the machine?. . is the 855GM?

Does it get hot?

How work the wireless?

Do you have any idea if it's Linux compatible?

What do you thing about the materials, it looks flimsy or not?

Many MANY thanks, your help is very appreciated

I am seriously thinking to buy this machine or the IBM r50p, but this one is TOO MUCH EXPENSIVE!!!

Sorry for my little english

Hello again.

I agree, 4xAGP is kind of cutting down the performance, but now we come to the meaning of notebooks. If you want to get every drop of gaming performance out of your system you should definitely get a desktop pc or a laptop with desktop parts. NC8000 is a mobile machine with (in my opinion) great wireless features when you think of the battery life, built-in wireless card and general usage performance. And top of all you can still use it for gaming if you want to.

Maybe you could say that you can't have everything (at least with the 2400 euro this one costed ).

I don't know if there is many chipsets for mobile purposes with 8xAGP?

Well the chipset is 855PM.

I don't have any ways of checking the temperature inside the notebook but it doesn't burn your thighs or anything. And feeling by hand after gaming it isn't too hot. At least compared to one amilo of my friend with P4 2,66 desktop processor.

I'll propably get my wlan router next week and can write more than about that. HP wlan cards have been found functional in my universitys wireless network so this shouldn't be worse. We have here a wireless network provided by a local electric company and this finds it with no problems inside the house without any external antennas. Should find a way to see the signal strength.

The feel is very sturdy and it doesn't make any "cheap" noises. As I said it looks very business like. The silver casing around the keyboard and mouse is quite nice.

Hope this helped even a little.

I truly recommend nc8000 (and don't work for the HP ).

I don't know about the Linux. I think it should work. Will not try.

You get an AW that has 8X AGP. Can't believe you guys would get an HP or DELL or the other crappy brands. Sager and Alienware and Hypersonic are the best.

If you would have actually read the posts you would have seen that it wasn't bought only for gaming.

"If you want to get every drop of gaming performance out of your system you should definitely get a desktop pc or a laptop with desktop parts" I wrote and there is more.

Read before you whine.

And the other fact is that NOT living in US/CA will make it harder to buy for example Alienware or VoodooPC or whatever.

Thank you.

Just remembered. It has 3 years warranty so propably someone may actually want to buy it after 2 years.

Now I'm almost spamming but looked for those alienware machines. Didn't find the combination of mobility and good (not extreme) graphics like the nc8000 has. I don't hate alienware but it makes systems for _gamers_. Other people may want to get something else from their systems (talking about notebooks now, not desktop). I think the right word for gaming laptops is PORTABLE and for systems like nc8000 MOBILE. That's the main difference. At least to me.

Maybe I should stop posting.

Well the AW is not only for gaming. It's mobile enough. I take it where ever I want to go. This applies for any laptop, you're not supposed to use it on your lap because the fans get blocked. Plus the NC8000 is only a few pounds less than the AW. OMG it's so mobile.

Not to mention a few pounds less is called mobile and 5 lil more pounds is call less-mobile. Sure u can take ur 15 pound laptop wherever you go, but the risk is that your wrist cannot support such weight and you drop your 3000+ investment on the ground. Then you call for tech support and you get nothing back. The reason ppl buy dell and HP is the price and the tech support, and a 5 pound laptop is pretty decent. You will be idiotic to spend $700 more to get the most recent 9600 radeon when you can spend it on a nice AIW 9800 XT.

Hi analyysi,

I would really appreciate if you could you post 3DMark03 scores without AA and AF turned on.

Thanks

My two cents/Reality check:

The AW is only 9 pounds. I only spent $2500. The graphics card(if I would buy another one) is only $200-$300 for the AW. Tech support is good with AW(at least for me) and AW is actually willing to replace the laptop. My wrist sure can support 9 pounds and over 30 pounds. Dell tech support is bad, those Indians don't know a clue about computers. The only thing they know is, "Hold, Please."(in Apu's voice)

Last time I checked a 9600 Radeon XT is a lot less than an AIW 9800 XT.

Thanks Analyysi

Thanks for your review of the NC8000 Analyysi. I'm looking for a good all around notebook with okay gaming performance and long battery life when working on the road. I am very interested with these HP notebooks. However, I'm still unable to decide whether to get the NC6000 or the NC8000. I like the mobility of the NC6000 (5 pounds) and the optional 64MB DDR for the M10 and SXGA+ LCD and the 6.5 hour rating of the optional 8 cell battery. The standard 6-cell rated at 5 hours is still pretty impressive. Or remove the removable multi-bay DVD+RW and have two batteries for 11+ hours?
However, I probably could live the slightly heavier NC8000 (6.5 pounds) and have the optional 128MB DDR ATI M10P plus the capability to have two batteries (10 hours?) plus a built-in DVD+RW and the optional UXGA screen. Another thing that I like about these HPs is the optional built-in 802.11ABG and Bluetooth(with HID profile support for BT mouse and KB), TPM security module, Smart Card security reader, 2 type II or 1 type III PCMCIA and MMC/SD card slot. Also, one of the 2 usb ports is self powered (perfect for an external 2.5-inch harddrive enclosure.) I use 802.11a at home because my microwave, 2.4Ghz phone and 2.4Ghz video transmitter interfere with my 802.11b/g. I'll use wifi B and G when in the office or at a hot spot.

Hmm.. so your AW has air vents on the bottom of the laptop..? If you can't keep it on your lap, how can you keep it on the desktop.

It isn't mobile because of the weight, it is mobile because of the LONG battery life and it finally gives you a real choice of wireless computing with a reasonable weight and size. I myself don't want to buy a laptop just for I can keep it on my desktop. Then I would buy a desktop pc. And sure you can take your notebook with you but how long does your desktop based components run without AC Power. And most of all, how long does it run with batteries when you suck everything out of your MR10 and P4. That is the point.

Glad your happy with your Alienware but I for one was quite disappointed with mine. Average display quality, average sound and integrated wireless that had a hard time picking up a signal made me wonder why I spent more money on something that is heavier and has lower battery life than models by those "crap brands" that you mentioned.
Sager, Alienware and Hypersonic make desktop replacements. Not everybody wants desktop replacements, some people prefer to be a little more mobile.