HardwareGeeks.com - Review: HP Pavilion dv5

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Posted by: Michael on Fri, Dec 05th, 2008

Ever wonder what beauty and brawn would look like if the two were merged? Well if it were a notebook it would look like the HP Pavilion dv5, it is one sexy piece of machine.

After having met with AMD during the summer I can admit to really knowing what I’m talking about when I say the dv5 is powered by an AMD cpu (aka its hardcore) with ATI graphics. The reason we chose to review this configuration over Intel’s is because AMD did an extraordinary job of displaying the differences between how it handled Blu-Ray play back (hugeeeeeee difference). It handled it better than Intels.

So we attached an external Blu-Ray player (lite-on) and tested out what AMD showed us. We played a Blu-Ray movie (I am Legend) and ran some background task like a Virus scan and man I didn’t know what I was looking at. But then Mike explained to me that with a resource intensive program like a virus scan running in the background that the movie should be choppy. Well, it wasn’t and it had great video playback and sound quality.

Speaking of video playback, the screen on the dv5 is amazing, I wish I could hang it up on my wall and watch TV on it. The colors are all crisp and clear it’s just beautiful. It’s mirrored finish would also complement my girly apartment, so go-figure (good job HP on making this one ‘cute’).

I work from home a lot and do my work on my laptop, on my lap, usually against my bare skin because I’m always wearing PJs at home  Everyone knows this isn’t the greatest thing to do, considering the heat from some laptops can cause very uncomfy results, aka super red thighs. Despite all of that, I didn’t experience that with the dv5, yes it did get warm but nothing that would make me want to put a pillow under it or anything.

Overall the dv5 is a great machine. Considering it’s my first laptop that I’m ‘testing’ or reviewing, whatever, I can say that I have no complaints. The coolest thing that I noticed when I first opened it was that I could put my lipstick on, while starring straight into it – fun, fun, fun. You have to make sure you’re looking right at all times… I will never have spinach in my teeth, if I used this computer – haha. The laptop is very affordable @ $799. You’re getting a bang for your buck for a very powerful stylist laptop.

While the dv5 isn’t everyone’s notebook because of its shiny design I think women like me will love it, but for you guys out there HP has changed the design a bit in the latest versions available soon that aren’t as shiny and more “manly”. Consider this laptop the one wearing stilettos amongst the rest of ‘em… sexy but powerful.

The HP dv5 Notebook PC is available directly from HP and other Major Retailers. For additonal images of the dv5 click here.