HP Pavilion DV6-7000 15.6" 1080p Anti-Glare Quad HYBRID series, 3rd Gen Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge GD

Just received my new DV6-7014nr (not DV6-7000 as shown on the website) and I am amazed with this machine. For half the price of a Retina display MacBook Pro, you get a machine that meets or beats every aspect of the Apple. If you want to pay for the Apple logo, get the MacBook. If you want serious value for your money, get the HP DV6-7014nr. The July, 2012 issue of Consumer Reports rates it higher than the MacBook Pro (an $1,800 Samsung was number 1, HP DV6-7014nr #2 and MacBook Pro #3). Only one problem with this computer It will not hook up to 5G wireless, only 2.4 and lower. If this is important to you, go with some other machine or custom build the DV6-7000t at the HP website to include a wireless card that hooks up to 5G. Be prepared to pay a bit more money to purchase a custom order direct from HP, plus a couple of weeks (or more) to receive it from them.

Note: This is not exactly the same laptop, but the closest one I could find on Amazon. The processor, video, display, and keyboard all appear to be the same.

When I got this computer, I was looking for a laptop I could use for on-site software development. It has exceeded expectations in almost every way. Here is a breakdown of the components I chose and a few notes:

* i7-3610QM Processor: This processor does nearly as well as my desktop i7-2600k.

* NVIDIA 650M w/2GB: I am able to play Skyrim on Ultra settings. So far every game I have wanted to play has worked very well.

* 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive w/ 32GB mSSD: I have this on my desktop as well and as a result boot times and app start up seem faster. This is very subjective.

* 6 cell + 9 cell Battery: The 6 cell battery sits flush with the bottom of the laptop. The 9 cell battery protrudes from the bottom forming a stand of sorts.

* 15.6" Full HD display (1920 x 1080): This is one of the best displays I have seen on a laptop. It is hard to find a full HD display on a 15" laptop these days. I love the matte finish because it doesn't reflect everything behind you. It is crisp and bright.

* HP TrueVision HD Webcam: This is a run-of-the-mill camera, but works well.

* Backlit Keyboard: This is a must for use during presentations or in dark areas. It took me awhile to find the fn-f5 combination to turn it on.

Here are the Windows Experience performance scores:

Processor: 7.6

Memory: 7.6

Graphics: 7.1

Gaming Graphics: 7.1

Primary HDD: 5.9

I have high expectations and this computer has delivered.

Buy HP Pavilion DV6-7000 15.6" 1080p Anti-Glare Quad HYBRID series, 3rd Gen Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge GD Now

UPDATE: Bought this laptop January 21, 2013 and on April 1st it crashed. I've spent the last five days, about 20+ hours, talking with India and the Philippines HP technical support call centers about this machine. First it was to blame Windows and to back-up and do a total system restore. Then the restore partition is to blame because of Microsoft, and then after waiting for a Fed Ex of 3 System Recovery DVDs and ran those and then got another "blue screen of death" about memory, ran another diagnostic and the memory is bad. Last THREE HOURS on three calls with HP and they will now send a box to pick this expensive boat anchor up and in 2-3 weeks I MAY have a working system back. Oh, I paid $350 for the premier HP care pack with in-house repair, but they think it's the actual machine and not the chip, so why waste another five days to get someone out to fix what will need to go back anyways.

I bought a $2K laptop in 2005 from HP and in 2 years it was replaced four (4) times... this is an eery and familiar situation I am in with HP once again...

Stuck with a $1,100 machine, $350 premier warranty and a broken turd of a notebook that I may get back in 2-3 weeks. UGH!

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I've had this laptop for only about 24 hours and I've grown to love it! The 2 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA Graphics card plays every game I've thrown at it on MAX settings at 40+ FPS (using Fraps). Every category of the Windows Experience Index is 7.0 + except for the Hard Drive which is only at a 5.9 (you can upgrade to SSD if you want a maxed out Laptop). Statistically speaking, this is one of the most powerful laptops on the market right now. I highly recommend it to every Tech Geek/Gamer/Laptop Enthusiast out there.

A few pros and cons I've noted

Pros:

Backlit Keyboard is God's Greatest Gift to Laptops

intel core i7 processor... at any given moment, it only utilizes < 20% of it's capabilities (

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