HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition

If you’re looking for a high-powered laptop that melds performance with value, HP’s best offering is the Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition, which has strong default components: Intel Quad Core processor and an AMD discrete graphics card. As such, the laptop is targeted towards those who seek a powerful work and gaming device but don’t want to pay over $1000 to get it.

The HP dv6t quad edition, in its standard form, is a dark umber device with a 15.6 inch HD BrightView LED Display screen, 6 GB of memory, up to 750 GB of storage, a 6 cell lithium ion battery, four USB ports and an optical drive. It weighs 5.78 pounds and further includes a webcam, a fingerprint reader, and a 1 GB Radeon HD 6770M graphics display. There are many opportunities to upgrade the laptop, with getting the full 750 GB hard drive falling among the most popular.

Upon examination, the laptop has a sleek, high quality feel. The brushed metal design gives the Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition a simple elegance, and all components of the device seem solidly built. The display is of similar quality. Although the upgraded 1920 x 1080 screen is recommended, especially for movie watchers, the standard option is still good and it offers several different resolution choices that you can toggle between, depending on what you’re doing.

Performance wise, this computer lives up to its name (and its processor) by offering users a speedy performance, even when playing games and running all the upgraded features. While the AMD graphics card is not the fastest one out there, and although the hard drive can be a bit slower than average, the refreshed 2011 Intel Quad Core processors (i7-2670QM), more than makes up for this, delivering gaming and upload speeds that surpass those of the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520, the Dell Vostro 3550, and the Dell Inspiron 15R.

With high performance devices, a frequent concern is that they will get too hot or too noisy when functioning at their peak. The Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition handles both of these challenges pretty well. The laptop works quietly most of the time, and although it can occasionally heat up, it has a software called CoolSense that minimizes the amount of heat released when it detects the computer being used in a person’s lap.

The main critique of the dv6t Quad Edition thus far is its portability. Weighing over 7 pounds when you include the bulky charger, the laptop is thicker than most new ones and can be harder to transport. Of course, most people buying a high powered 15.6 inch device are less concerned with portability, but it is an issue to keep in mind nonetheless. Earlier reviews of the product also note that the scroll can get jumpy, the sound system is not as great as expected, it lacks a backlit keyboard option, and the battery life decreases rapidly when gaming is involved (but this is really a given for gaming on any laptop). It is recommended that heavy gamers upgrade to the 9 cell battery.

Overall though, reviews have been touting the Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition as a product that does not disappoint when it comes to performance and value. If you’re looking for a fast processor, and if you want to save a few hundred dollars, this laptop is certainly worth a look.