swiftshashi
Beta Geek ;-)
HP Pavilion dv6 6121tx Comprehensive and Long Term Review
Introduction-This review is about my "Budget Beast"-HP Pavilion dv6 6121tx.Its a long term review, spanning over the entire ownership period of this beast, hence it covers all the pros & cons of the product. Therefore,this review is a bit long,so kindly have patience. I would also like to state that opinions regarding all products mentioned here is entirely my view on it,and is not meant to offend their owners.So here it goes-
History-Before this laptop, I had a Compaq Presario Desktop(refer to my siggy) which can be termed as a Budget Desktop at best.It was purchased in the year 2006,a time,at which I didn't even know how to start a game,let alone play it.The only thing I knew about computers was Programming,paint and MS Office.So it wasn't surprising that I bought the desktop which the neighbourhood dealer recommended me.
However,its ownership was hassle free and largely satisfying,the only fly in the ointment was its gaming capabilities. Back in 2011,My gaming abilities far exceeded my machine's and I knew it was time for an upgrade. Admission into an engineering college also boosted the need for a laptop,hence that's it-the decision was taken-I was going for a laptop.
Requisites-Having learnt from my previous experience,I was clear that the laptop has to be a Core i7 model,with original os and oodles of RAM,cache and video memory.It should also be backed up by the best service.No compromises on that front. Looks,display and audio were the last priorities.
Budget-Below 1 Lacs,if the Specs Justify.
Laptop Selection-Back in 2011,when the dv6-6017tx was launched,everybody went ga-ga over the specs,and so was I. I had almost finalized to go for hp,as my Compaq ownership experience was nothing short of GREAT. The desktop came with a 3yr hardware warranty,and during that period,I experienced the best after sales service I ever knew of. You can imagine the level of their service,that when my keyboard used to get dirty,I used to call them and get a complaint lodged that my keyboard is malfunctioning(a false complaint),and next day,a hp service person was found standing at my door with a brand new shining keyboard!!!! Similar service was taken them numerous times during the three year period for various reasons like Juice spill on keyboard,dusty speaker cover,color wear of mouse etc. In a nutshell,I exploited(yes,exploited is the word) hp service to the maximum. Hence I decided to go for hp dv6 6017tx. However,when in college,I found my college full of Dell XPS fanboys,who always advised me to go for Dell,even if its a Vostro!!
This thing confused me and I started researching on the net. 6017tx purchase was delayed,the model went out of market and in came the dv6-6121tx with its crippled GPU(initially). During multiple site visits,I came to know that the prime reason for such a huge fan following behind Dell XPS was the peace of mind that it came with(Complete cover).Add to it the awesome JBL Speakers, back lit keyboard and an online configuration option,there was nothing more that the youngsters can ask.Hence dell XPS became my preferred choice.Add to it,the net was full of horror stories of dv6(previous gen),the hp was almost dumped.
1.Dell-
XPS 15-The XPS model was finalized.If I'm right,it was a l502x model with Core i7,500GB HDD,4 GB RAM,GT 525 1GB GPU with regular XPS specialties at Rs.61k(on flipkart).I was at a Dell Showroom when a person came with a half lit backlit keyboard. The arrow keys light was not functioning and it looked damn ugly. The shopkeeper told that these keyboards are not meant for rough usage and if "type writer style" typing is done,it will not last long.
However my main concern with the XPS model was not its keyboard,as anything,if misused can malfunction. I was worried about the pathetic GPU it had in comparison to the awesome units available on hp and asus(HD 6770M). When configuring online,the best I could get was a GT 540 with 2GB memory,and this configuration was going as high as Rs.64k.This was still behind the best in business 6770 graphics.Add to it an additional 12k or something for 3 year complete cover,the deal was no more into consideration.
Alienware m14x- I had a look at this model when the XPS's rate was going near 80k. Since I had a budget of 1 Lacs,I could easily extend 3 more grands and get this model if it made sense. However,besides its looks and the Alienware branding,it had nothing extra than the dv6 model. The specs were-Core i7 2670qm(a slightly better proccy),6 GB RAM,1.5 GB GT 555 Graphics,XXX amount of HDD(I dont remember the exact figure),which were just about 5-10% better than the dv6.GPU was almost equal,with the nvidea unit just a wee bit better. However,the price of Alienware was double than that of dv6,hence it appeared as a average deal to me.However,It was in the consideration till the end.
XPS 17 with 3D-The prime demerits were the same GPU as that of XPS 15 and a bulky laptop which wasnt ideal for a college going student.Hence it went out.However,I must mention that it had the best display I've seen on a laptop till date,even better than the Alienware 14x unit's.I haven't experienced Alienware m17x's display,hence cant comment on it.
HP
1.dv6 6121tx-This model was basically a 6017tx with 640GB HDD and a 2GB HD 6770M GPU. In its earlier days,the GPU was crippled due to a faulty BIOS Setting or something.However that issue was solved by hp by a BIOS update and the new 6121tx became even better than the 6017tx model.It was available for 57k in most of the shops.
2.HP Envy 17 with 3D-This was available at one of the shops for 95k.However,as it came with an i5 processor and HD 5XXX 1 GB GPU,i just glanced past the lappy.
Other Brands-Brands like Lenovo,Acer,Toshiba etc were not even considered.We had a look at Sony,but its flashy design was not to my liking.Add to that,it was a bit overpriced then for the Core i7 Model and the pathetic after sales of Sony(we have experienced it as my father has a gifted Vaio)meant that sony vaio wasn't for me.A model of ASUS was also seen with similar specs as the dv6 at 49k,but lack of OS and very sparse after sales coverage in my city brought ASUS on the backfoot.
So that was it,the dv6 6121tx was finalized and I had decided to get an extended warranty on it to avoid any future complications.
Deal-The cheapest quote I could get in my city was 55k.But then thanks to my friend,I managed to get the laptop from Letsbuy.com for just 46.3k.Dont believe me??Have a look at the maths-
Price at Letsbuy-55000
Offers-Discount Coupon Flat 5% off+HP v250w 16GB Pendrive worth Rs.900+Seagate 500GB External HDD worth 4200+HP HeadPhones worth Rs.500+HP cleaning kit(Rs.300)
So,it came down to Rs.46,350
It was a steal at that Price.The packaging was delivered after 16Days thanks to a strike in between.
Extra Accessories Bought
1.Cooler Master Notepal E1 Cooling Pad(1.1k)
2.Logitech Wireless keyboard mouse combo mk260(0.9k)
3.4 GB RAM Upgrade(1.2k)
4.3 Years warranty extension,complete cover.(8.3k)
About the Ownership
What's Great
1.Mobile Monster-This laptop is a performance maniac.It has never hanged or got stuck.The GPU has also handled all the tasks with aplomb.What's Great
2.Display-The display is the Best 720p I've seen,sony included.Nice colours and great viewing angles for HD movies.
3.VFM-The laptop came at a stunning price.
4.FingerPrint reader-This is simply superb,especially considering that in a college hostel,every body is after your lappy for usage.
It is also quick and fuss free,unlike the face recognition ones.5.Well Spaced Keys-The island style keyboard makes for great working space.Add to that,the keyboard comes with a numpad,unlike XPS which makes it very convenient.
6.USB 3.0-This machine has 2 USB 3.0 ports which makes this machine future proof.
7.Switchable graphics-The switchable graphics function is a great tool for energy saving and getting a good battery life.
8.Decent Battery Life-The battery is good for about 4-5 hrs of light work.
9.Awesome HP Service-Had a bit of issue with them,mainly due to miscommunication,and when I expressed my displeasure towards their offered resolution,they also offered me option of Laptop replacement,and that too after 1.3 years of ownership.
What's bad
1.Glossy screen reflects background badly.2.Sound isn't as great as XPS.However it is better than most other laptops of this range.
3.Heat buildup-The unit heats up a bit more than those similarly specc'd units from ASUS.However its not that uncomfortable like previous gen dv6 units.All it takes is coolsense to cool it down,significantly.
4.Build quality isn't great and feels average and squeaky at some places.But it has sustained numerous falls and bumps,and has just a scratch to show for it.
5.Bulky and heavy Power Brick.
Let the pictures speak
1.The Laptop
[URL=*imageshack.us/photo/my-images/844/15052012312.jpg/]*img844.imageshack.us/img844/1972/15052012312.th.jpg[/URL]
[URL=*imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/15052012295.jpg/]*img854.imageshack.us/img854/1271/15052012295.th.jpg *img848.imageshack.us/img848/4442/15052012294.th.jpg *img195.imageshack.us/img195/8666/15052012291.th.jpg *img404.imageshack.us/img404/2739/15052012290.th.jpg *img801.imageshack.us/img801/8783/15052012287.th.jpg *img856.imageshack.us/img856/7766/15052012279.th.jpg *img214.imageshack.us/img214/3143/15052012280.th.jpg *img138.imageshack.us/img138/3335/15052012281.th.jpg *img859.imageshack.us/img859/8369/15052012285.th.jpg *img706.imageshack.us/img706/5285/15052012286.th.jpg *img844.imageshack.us/img844/1972/15052012312.th.jpg[/URL]
*img252.imageshack.us/img252/5412/15052012318.th.jpg
*img96.imageshack.us/img96/1573/15052012317.th.jpg
2.The Cooling Pad
*img98.imageshack.us/img98/593/15052012303.th.jpg
*img690.imageshack.us/img690/2287/15052012304.th.jpg
*img607.imageshack.us/img607/5272/15052012305.th.jpg
*img684.imageshack.us/img684/2578/15052012306.th.jpg
*img849.imageshack.us/img849/8072/15052012307.th.jpg
*img848.imageshack.us/img848/3838/15052012300.th.jpg
*img59.imageshack.us/img59/1148/15052012299.th.jpg
3.Gifts from Letsbuy
*img821.imageshack.us/img821/3134/15052012322.th.jpg
*img233.imageshack.us/img233/7845/15052012321.th.jpg
*img23.imageshack.us/img23/4277/15052012310.th.jpg
*img204.imageshack.us/img204/7391/15052012273.th.jpg
*img826.imageshack.us/img826/5936/15052012278.th.jpg
4.The Power Brick
*img196.imageshack.us/img196/416/15052012309.th.jpg
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