- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
HP Pavilion dv7
- 17.3"
- 2.4 GHz Quad core
- 6 GB DDR3-1600
- 640 GB HDD
Released June, 2011
Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Apr, 2012)It might offer considerably more for that money - better build, better screen, slimmer profile, longer battery life, backlit keyboard and an arguably nicer OS - but in practical terms it’s simply not worth that difference.
Conclusion Check out the HP Pavilion dv7
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the HP Pavilion dv7
2.4 GHz
by LaptopMag (Jul, 2008)If portability isn’t as big an issue, but multimedia is, you’ll be happy with this big-screen machine.
screen size
17.3"
15.6"
15.6"
Pavilion dv7 by NGC316--Nick (Oct, 2011)The processor and GPU are both top notch, the Beats Audio speakers are the best I've ever had on a laptop, and the screen is big and looks great.
Pavilion dv7 by MMoops (Sep, 2010)Aside from getting used to the integrated keyboard, it's very easy to use and I appreciate the screen size, having had an 18" screen for so many years.
screen resolution
Pavilion dv7 by Chris-Barish (Feb, 2013)Not only that the screen resolution looks better the sound quality is so good you don't even need headphones and the wifi works perfectly.
Pavilion dv7 by S.-PowerBecause the resolution on this machine is no higher than it is on 15 inch machines, you get a display that isn't as attractive and doesn't fit nearly as much content on it as it could with a higher resolution.
cpu speed
| 0 GHz | 3 GHz   | 3 GHz |
Pavilion dv7 by Katwoman (Sep, 2011)You can set the range for the clock speed you want your cores to run.
processor
Pavilion dv7 by Nameless-Moniker (Dec, 2011)FAST - i7 Quad-core with hyperthreading, makes the OS think it is using 8 cores.4 GB of Ram which is perfect for most people and HP was nice enough to use 1 4GB chip leaving upgrade space for another chip.
Pavilion dv7 by GEM0430 (May, 2010)Dual Core 2.56 GHz Processor (dual core is supposed to be "better).
memory
| 0 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
Pavilion dv7 by R.-Taylor (Feb, 2009)You are getting an HD monitor, built in webcam and microphone, silent keyboard which is perfectly sized for an adult, a beautiful interface, a lovely touchpad to turn up your volume, mute, play, fast forward and rewind... a 64 bit system with 4 GB of RAM capable of holding 8 GB of RAM... amazing.
Pavilion dv7 by 886The system memory (2 Dimm) isn't 6GB DDR3, it is 4GBThe system memory (2 Dimm) isn't 6GB DDR3, it is 4GBThe system memory (2 Dimm) isn't 6GB DDR3, it is 4GBThe system memory (2 Dimm) isn't 6GB DDR3, it is 4GBThe system memory (2 Dimm) isn't 6GB DDR3, it is 4GBPlease.
Performance Real world tests of HP Pavilion dv7
battery life
10.5 hour
3 hour
4.5 hour
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
Unknown -
10.5 hour -
DDR3-1600 -
17.3" -
SD -
2.4 GHz
cons
-
high-definition movies are most easily obtained on Blu-Ray -
1080p video will need to be scaled down to fit on the screen -
Jun, 2011
Reviews Word on the street
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 | Rated by 691 users at amazon.com Rated 60% by by Picturesque-Music (Apr, 2011) Rated 100% by by S.-Power Rated 100% by by Lynda (Sep, 2010) |
Gpu
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 60% by by John (Nov, 2011)Although this laptop has a very good gpu (AMD 6750), it must be used in crossfire mode with the integrated gpu for decent graphics performance.
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 100% by by Pete-Chico-Jr (Dec, 2011)It has DUAL graphic cards, a 6620G (512mb dedicated) and 6750M (1gig dedicated) the combination of the two is a 6755G2 in case anyone wants to read the specs up on that.
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 100% by by K.-Neville (Apr, 2010)On top of the display is an integrated webcam with microphone which I have used from time to time without any problems.
Cpu
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 100% by by E.-Angio (Sep, 2010)I have to say it was a very good purchase, the i5 processor works as expected (I have been dealing with computers since 1986 and I have a lot of experience with hardware and software as well).
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 100% by by Katwoman (Sep, 2011)The processor runs very well compared to my old Intel 2.4 dual-core, but if you've been on an i7, or even an i5 quad-core, you'll notice the difference in performance.
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 40% by by W.-freeman (May, 2011)The AMD Phenom II x4 P960 is definitely the slowest processor out, why?
Screen
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 100% by by Rcuso (Sep, 2010)The screen is big, bright, and crystal clear, the speed of the laptop is amazing as well.
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 100% by by Timothy-A.-Wurm--Thrillz (Mar, 2012)Even though the screen isn't 1080p, it is bright, colorful, and sharp.
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | by LaptopMag (Jul, 2008)We noticed excellent color and sharpness when watching the Rocky Balboa Blu-ray disc (even in the climactic fight scene), but even in High Performance mode, we wished the screen were a bit brighter.
Battery
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 20% by by Rick-Lindsey (Jan, 2012)Then the battery will not charge even after installing a new battery.
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 80% by by Cargueliz (Aug, 2010)This laptop is fast and has great capacity.
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 100% by by Pier-Luigi-Long--Luigi-Long (Oct, 2012)Overall, it's really, really fast - and I haven't even upgraded the RAM yet, it's reliable, (well, it's an HP) and it's long-lasting - oh, did I forget to mention that it lasts 8 hours unplugged?
Touchpad
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 80% by by Becky-Bowman (Nov, 2010)The salesperson at Sam's told me he didn't like the touchpad and I read other reviews that said the same thing, but I couldn't imagine a touchpad would be a make or break item for such a nice laptop - but it is.
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 100% by by Nameless-Moniker (Dec, 2011)The Multi-touch touchpad is a nice feature, but I rarely even remember to utilize it.
HP Pavilion dv7 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 6 GB, 640 GB HDD | Rated 60% by by Matthew-R.-Radcliffe (May, 2011)The touchpad integrates the left and right clicks into the touchpad which makes it bigger but at the very least it takes getting used to.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 3 | Sony VAIO F Series Sharpest screen Sony VAIO F Series vs HP Pavilion dv7 |
 | 4 | Alienware M Series M14x Fastest processor Alienware M Series M14x vs HP Pavilion dv7 |
 | 5 | HP ENVY 17 Largest amount of storage capacity ENVY 17 vs Pavilion dv7 |
 | 7 | HP Compaq Presario 1600 3-way tie: Has a Blu-Ray reader Compaq Presario 1600 vs Pavilion dv7 |
 | 8 | Toshiba Satellite C670 3-way tie: Most RAM Toshiba Satellite C670 vs HP Pavilion dv7 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Editions Editions of the HP Pavilion dv7
| Price | Edition | Cores | Supported card formats | Internal storage | Manufacturer code | Compare | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | Single core | None | 1,024 GB | Pavilion dv7-6199us Entertainment PC | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | 640 GB | dv7-4267cl | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | 640 GB | DV7-4285DX | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | 640 GB | dv7-7030us | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | 640 GB | WA718UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | 500 GB | VM187UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | Unknown | dv7-4173us | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | 640 GB | dv7-4069wm | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | 750 GB | LW181UA | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | Unknown | WQ637UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Single core | None | 500 GB | XH108UA | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 1,000 GB | LW170UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 500 GB | Pavilion dv7-3165dx | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 640 GB | dv7-5157cl | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 400 GB | DV7-1260US | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 320 GB | DV7-1270US | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 750 GB | 17.3" | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 640 GB | WQ635UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 500 GB | WQ859UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 320 GB | dv7-1444us | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 500 GB | NV025UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 320 GB | DV7T-3100 | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 320 GB | DV7-1240US | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 500 GB | DV7-3065DX | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 640 GB | XG834UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 750 GB | Pavilion dv7-6179us Entertainment PC | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 750 GB | DV7-4280US | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 750 GB | LW172UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 640 GB | WA793UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 500 GB | VM237UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Dual core | None | 1 GB | WA801UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Tri core | None | 1,000 GB | WQ630UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Quad core | None | 640 GB | dv7t qe | | ||||
 | | Quad core | None | 640 GB | DV7-4270US | | ||||
 | | Quad core | None | 1,024 GB | XG830UA#ABA | | ||||
 | | Quad core | None | 500 GB | dv7-4296nr | | ||||
 | | Quad core | None | 750 GB | HP Pavilion dv7t dv7tqe Quad Edition | | ||||
 | | Quad core | None | 640 GB | dv7-4273us | | ||||
 | | Quad core | None | 1,000 GB | dv7-4295us | | ||||
 | | Quad core | None | 640 GB | dv7t | | ||||
 | | Quad core | SD | 640 GB | Pavilion dv7-6165us Entertainment | | ||||
