HP Pavilion dv6t Review
- 1 HP Pavilion dv6t Specifications
- 1.1 PROS
- 1.2 CONS
- 1.3 Design
- 1.4 Keyboard & Trackpad
- 1.5 Biometric Scanner
- 1.6 Features
- 1.7 Heat
- 1.8 Conclusion
The HP Pavilion dv6-6113cl ($699.99 at Costco) is a desktop replacement laptop that offers good value for the money thanks to its powerful Sandy Bridge Core i3 processor and sturdy aluminium body. This model provides you with a large amount of storage space, the Intel WiDi 2.0 wireless display technology, and a guarantee that lasts for two years. This machine isn’t as powerful or feature-rich as the Lenovo IdeaPad V570-1066A9U ($629.99 list, 4 stars), which is now our Editors’ Choice due to its speed and reliability.
HP Pavilion dv6t Specifications
| Display Size | 15.40-inch |
| Resolution | 1366×768 pixels |
| Touchscreen | No |
| Processor | Core i7 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Hard Disk | NO |
| Memory | 6GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 |
| SSD | No |
| Weight | 3.10 kg |
PROS
- Successful execution.
- Long-lasting coating.
- Limited guarantee of two years.
- The hard drive was quite large.
CONS
- Inadequate wifi service.
- Built-in visuals.
Design
The dv6-6113cl is nearly identical to the HP Pavilion dv6-6135dx (list price $679.99; review score 3.50 out of 5 stars). The HP logo is backlit on the dark umber aluminium lid of both. The dv6’s metal alloy cover is more sturdy than the plastic used in most low-priced notebooks while also contributing to the device’s sleek design. Weighing in at 5.7 pounds, the laptop is heavier than the 5.5-pound Lenovo IdeaPad V570-1066A9U and the 5.2-pound Samsung RV520-W01 ($649.99 list, 4 stars), but lighter than the 1.6-tonne Dell XPS 15.
Keyboard & Trackpad
The matte black island-style keyboard of the Pavilion dv6t is housed in a glossy black keyboard panel, highlighting the comfortable key spacing. The large, flat keys gave us a positive response and were not mushy at all. We were able to rest our full wrists on the soft, spacious palm rest. HP listened to its customers and made the function keys into Direct Action keys, so you can change the volume or screen brightness without pressing the Fn key.
The 3.7 x 2.1-inch touchpad provided plenty of space for our fingers to work, and we like the bluish-white illumination around its edges. The smooth, frictionless surface made it simple to use multitouch movements like pinching to zoom and scrolling with two fingers. Options for two-finger rotation, three-finger pressing, and flicking can be activated in the Settings menu.
Biometric Scanner
Passwords can now be swiped from a finger instead of typed in on the Pavilion dv6t’s fingerprint scanner, a function often reserved for business laptops. The Facebook app required us to swipe our fingers multiple times before it would let us in, but eventually it only took one. We then updated our profiles on social media sites like Twitter and Flickr. HP SimplePass also has the ability to create unique passwords for use on monetary services like PayPal. Multiple users can be added to the reader’s database and given swipe access with a single finger.
Features
The dv6-6113cl is just one of many cheap HP notebooks that come equipped with Beats Audio, a hardware and software package designed to provide high-quality sound. The volume is louder and the music is broader than on other laptops, thanks to the angled silver speaker bar above the keyboard and the two speakers located in the base.
There are a total of four USB ports on the device (two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0), as well as video outputs for both VGA and HDMI, a microphone input, and dual headphone jacks. The Lenovo IdeaPad V570-1066A9U-style eSATA port is not present. There’s a tray-loading DVD multi-drive on the right side of the chassis, an SD/MMC card reader on the front of the base, and an HP TrueVision HD webcam built in the display’s upper bezel.
Heat
We found that the dv6t’s touchpad reached a cool 84 degrees Fahrenheit after 15 minutes of full-screen Hulu streaming. There was a slight increase in temperature, to 92 degrees, between the G and H keys. The bottom of the laptop reached 99 degrees, which is warmer than we’d prefer (95 degrees), but is par for the course for laptops. The bottom of the DV6T, near the vent, got up to a worrisome 107 degrees.
There was a wide range of temperatures at first, but HP’s CoolSense app alleviated some of the discomfort. With the use of the laptop’s accelerometer, CoolSense activates the fan to keep the device at a comfortable temperature, choosing from three modes (Cooliest, Performance-Optimised, and Quietest) based on the user’s preference. On the coolest setting, the dv6t effectively cooled the room without overly disrupting conversation.
Conclusion
The HP Pavilion dv6t, available at $769, is an excellent choice for those searching for a powerful multimedia laptop without breaking the bank. The second-generation Intel Core i5-2410M processor gives the DV6t more than enough power to play the newest games while simultaneously streaming HD video, uploading photos, and editing videos. The Dell XPS 15 costs $30 more, but it has superior audio and Nvidia GeForce GT525M graphics. However, the Pavilion DV6t wins out because of its more refined appearance. It’s an excellent portable media centre that won’t break the bank.
