Pavilion dv9000

The Pavilion dv9000 is the first model of the Pavilion dv9000 series. This model has an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU for Intel models and an AMD Athlon 64 X2 or an AMD Turion 64 X2 CPU for AMD models. Both models are offered with integrated NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 (later GeForce Go 7150) or discrete NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 (later GeForce 8400M GS) graphics. It features an HP Imprint finish in Wave design, along with HP QuickPlay and HP WebCam. Screen size is 17.0" with a 16:10 aspect ratio.

Connector ports are Expansion Port 3 (for docking station), Ethernet, 56k modem, VGA, S-Video, ExpressCard and a SD/MS/MS Pro/MMC/XD card reader.

Pavilion dv9200

The Pavilion dv9200 is a variation of the Pavilion dv9000 series. The more common models of this series has an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU with NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics. It features an HP Imprint finish in Wave design, has HP WebCam and QuickPlay along with a 17.0" 16:10 LCD screen.

Connector ports are Expansion Port 3 (for docking station), Ethernet, 56k modem, VGA, S-Video, ExpressCard and a SD/MS/MS Pro/MMC/XD card reader.

Pavilion dv9500

The Pavilion dv9500 is a variation of the Pavilion dv9000 series. This model has either an Intel Core 2 Duo or an AMD Turion 64 X2 CPU with NVIDIA GeForce 7150M or GeForce 8400M/8600M GS graphics. It uses HP Imprint finish in Radiance design, features HP WebCam and has a 17.0" 16:10 LCD screen.

Connector ports are Expansion Port 3 (for docking station), Ethernet, 56k modem, VGA, S-Video, ExpressCard and a SD/MS/MS Pro/MMC/XD card reader. HDMI is optional on some models.

Pavilion dv9600

The Pavilion dv9500 is a variation of the Pavilion dv9000 series. This model has either an Intel Core 2 Duo or an AMD Turion 64 X2 CPU with NVIDIA GeForce 7150M or GeForce 8400M/8600M GS graphics. It uses HP Imprint finish in Radiance design, features HP WebCam and has a 17.0" 16:10 LCD screen.

Connector ports are Expansion Port 3 (for docking station), Ethernet, 56k modem, VGA, S-Video, ExpressCard and a SD/MS/MS Pro/MMC/XD card reader. HDMI is optional on some models.

Pavilion dv9700

Pavilion dv9700

The Pavilion dv9700 is a variation of the Pavilion dv9000 series. This model featured a 17.0" 16:10 LCD display housed in a clamshell-type case. It was announced in 2007 and became readily available in January 2008. It was replaced by the larger 17.3" dv7 series and the smaller 15.6" dv6 series later that year.

The specific internal components can be custom-chosen by the consumer or pre-selected by the manufacturer for the retail market.

The closest competitor to the dv9700 series was the Dell XPS M1530, which had similar features.

Two models released within the dv9700 series were the dv9700t and dv9700z, differing with their options of processors and graphics hardware as well as their feature sets.

Pavilion dv9700t^[1]

Uses Intel CPUs and an Intel Crestline PM965 motherboard.

Specifications^[1]

• Processor: Penryn-class (45nm) T5550 1.8 GHz, T8100 (SLAUU) 2.1 GHz, T8300 (SLAPU) 2.4 GHz, T9300 2.5 GHz, T9500 2.6 GHz
  • Front Side Bus: 667 MHz to 800 MHz (dependent on processor model); The T5550 is limited to 667 MHz.
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS (256 MB) or GeForce 8600M GS (512 MB)
• Display: 17.0" 16:10 aspect ratio WXGA (1440 x 900) or WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) High-Definition "HP BrightView" LCD. The WXGA+ comes in either a single or dual lamp configuration, while the WSXGA+ comes in only a single lamp configuration.^[2]
• Video Output: HDMI 1080p, S-video, VGA (resolution depends on graphics display adapter)
• Speakers: Integrated Altec Lansing stereo speakers
• Audio Output: analog and digital. Early releases of this model had three separate audio outputs: one 3.5 mm stereo, one S/PDIF optical, and one HDMI. Newer releases have only two outputs: one 3.5 mm stereo and one HDMI, with the spot for the S/PDIF optical jack covered up with a blanking plate.^[3] The HP product documentation alludes to this.^[4]
• Chipset: Intel Crestline PM965^[5] featuring I/O Controller Hub 8 (ICH8) southbridge^[6]
• BIOS: Phoenix BIOS; This does not support hardware RAID configurations. A different or a modified BIOS must be used to run hardware RAID configurations.
  • Furthermore, home versions of Windows Vista and later do not support striped volumes or spanned volumes for the system disk (and therefore software RAID configurations), thereby eliminating RAID support for this system. On the other hand, business and enterprise versions of Windows Vista and later don't have this limitation and supported software RAID configurations. Note that Striped volumes and spanned volumes relate to dynamic disks, of which home versions of Windows do not support.
• Memory: 4 GB maximum, 2 slots DDR2, 1.8 volt unbuffered, asymmetric or interleaved operation supported. Intel specifies that the chipset only supports 533 to 667 MHz memory clock speed is supported however HP Pre-sales telephone support has stated twice that the motherboard supports 533 to 800 MHz memory. The sales team does not differentiate between compatibility and utilization. 800 MHz DDR2 is being installed for orders that include 800 MHz-capable processors.
• Storage: 2 internal SATA drive bays
  • This laptop (as well as the rest of laptops in the dv9000 series and possibly other laptops from other manufacturers) is notable for having dual SATA 2.5" hard disk drive expansion bays, which could be used in a RAID configuration, if supported. However, on certain OSes, this laptop does not have support for RAID configurations at all. This can be circumvented with a different BIOS and/or OS.
• Optical Drive: LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±RW and 24X CD-RW Combo Drive with Double Layer Support
  • Optional HD DVD or Blu-ray optical drives are available.
• Battery: 8 Cell Li-Ion (17.6 Ah) or High Capacity 8 Cell Li-Ion (20.4 Ah)
• Network: Ethernet 10/100/1000 integrated network interface; High speed 56K modem
• Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN (with or without Bluetooth)
  • It also has options for integrated Bluetooth, and mobile broadband from the Verizon Wireless V740 ExpressCard.
• Media: Microphone, 1.3 megapixel webcam (HP WebCam)
• Security: Kensington lock, fingerprint reader

Optional fingerprint reader

• I/O Ports: 4 USB 2.0 (3 on models with fingerprint reader), IEEE 1394 FireWire, PCI expansion port 3 (proprietary bus for docking port), ExpressCard/54, Integrated Consumer IR (remote control receiver), 5-in-1 digital media card reader, microphone in, RJ-11 (modem), RJ-45 (LAN), VGA, TV out (S-video), HDMI. External SATA (eSATA) is not supported.
• HP Imprint Design: Radiance imprint finish
• Dimensions (inches): 15.16 length x 11.65 width x 1.57 maximum closed height
• Weight: approximately 7.7 lb (3.5 kg) to 8.2 lb (3.7 kg)
• Accessories: remote control, 90 watt AC power adapter
  • Dock/Base: The HP xb3000 Notebook Expansion Base was designed for use with this system. It uses the proprietary PCI expansion port 3 docking station port. The HP Notebook QuickDock is also available for this laptop, connected via the same docking station port.

Operating systems

Windows 7

Windows 7 runs very well on these laptops using the Vista drivers on HP's website. Using the 32-bit version of this OS is recommended as it runs cooler, quieter, faster and more power-efficient than the 64-bit versions with less memory overhead. This is particularly important for laptops with Intel processors, but it may also apply to laptops with AMD processors as well. Not to mention the fact that most drivers for this laptop will most likely be 32-bit only. A PAE patch is needed for 4 GB memory configurations on 32-bit OSes, as it uses 3 GB by default on standard configurations. It is confirmed to work with Microsoft’s monthly security patch rollup since June 2020. An SSD is also recommended for better performance; see the "hardware" section below for more information about SSDs.

Some drivers may have to be installed manually by bypassing the installer and extracting the files to install directly through Device Manager, but they will still work. The fingerprint scanner drivers with DigitalPersona only works on 32-bit. The (laptop only) video drivers for Windows 7 from NVIDIA's site can also be used, however version 341.81 (released August 15, 2015) and later is not recommended for the 8600M GS on Windows 7 32-bit/64-bit due to sleep and hibernation problems. Version 332.21 from December 19, 2013 is the last known good version of the graphics drivers as of August 1, 2018, particularly with PAE on 32-bit OSes as NVIDIA broke PAE support on later 32-bit drivers. For laptops with NVIDIA integrated graphics, version 179.48 is the latest version of the drivers and is recommended.

Windows 10

Windows 10 runs as well as (if not better than) Windows 7 on the Intel versions of these laptops, and possibly the AMD versions of the laptops. Using the 32-bit version of this OS is preferable since it offers some benefits more suited for this particular laptop than the 64-bit version as mentioned in the Windows 7 section, but remember, you must upgrade to an SSD if you haven't already. This applies to every other laptops out there regardless of the brand, processor, memory, and the age of the system. Recommended SSDs can be found on various sites. See also the "hardware" section below for more information about SSDs.

You can follow all of the Windows 7 installation information’s above, but nearly all drivers listed are included in Windows 10. If you choose to run the 32-bit version and have the discrete NVIDIA graphics (8600M GS), you will need the NVIDIA 332.21 driver for PAE mode as later versions break PAE support as mentioned above. Version 179.48 is the latest drivers for integrated NVIDIA graphics and is recommended for it. A PAE patch is needed for 4 GB memory configurations and works with Windows 10 32-bit. Follow the Windows 7 installation instructions for installing DigitalPersona if you have a fingerprint scanner. For 64-bit, the fingerprint sensor will need the drivers from sp35583 and DigitalPersona from here. Install sp45112 for the Ricoh SD card reader. Both the 32 and 64-bit versions will need the Synaptics touchpad driver can be found here for 32-bit OSes and here for 64-bit OSes. The last "Unknown device" listed is QLB, sp40139.

You will also need to block automatic driver updates with the following registry entry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate"=dword:00000001

Note that this also applies to Windows 7 too.

If you want to have that more of a Windows 7-like experience, then check out Classic Shell and 8gadgetpack. (UPDATE (11/5/2023): These utilities may be potentially out of date. Their usefulness has been superseded by newer, more up-to-date versions such as Open-Shell and Desktop Gadgets Revived. Check those out instead.)

Hardware

Wi-Fi: The Intel 7260AC 802.11ac wireless card is known to work well in this series of laptops with a BIOS modification to remove the whitelist implemented into the BIOS (this is model-specific, so find the SP number for your specific model's BIOS on hp.com and look for the equivalent spxxxxx.exe with the whitelist removed). It dramatically increased wireless connection speeds of up to 866Mbit/s (2x2). It is half the size, consumes less power and runs much cooler than the 4965, which is known for getting very hot in operation. As of April 27, 2018, the Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax Gigabit wireless card also works with Windows 10 64-bit.

SSD: It is highly recommended that you use a solid state drive (SSD) instead of a hard disk drive (HDD), because it is fully supported by this laptop and can give you a vast amount of improvements over the HDD solution. Furthermore, they generate less heat than HDDs and run quieter than HDDs. Regardless of the type of laptop being used, this is the recommended solution you should consider for your laptop. Any modern 2.5" SATA-III SSD will work as long as the proper connector adapter specific to these laptops is used. M.2 SSD drives will also work, usually with an M.2-to-SATA adapter for connectivity to the laptop. Although the drives will still run at SATA-II speeds due to the way that these laptops were designed in the first place, they are still dramatically faster than a mechanical drive on the same interface.

USB 3.0: For USB 3.0 expansions, a 54mm USB 3.0 ExpressCard is available, sold under various names online including eBay using the Renesas uPD720202 chipset, which will give you 2 genuine high-speed USB 3.0 ports along with an included power adapter to boost the current capability of more-demanding USB 3.0 devices such as external 3.5" hard drives. The included power adapter plugs into one of the USB ports on the computer. A 3-port version of the USB 3.0 ExpressCard is also available, however those tends to be more problematic with many USB 3.0 devices with higher current demands than the 2-port versions.

Display hinges breaking

HP recalled many notebooks from November 2008 to May 2009 for a common fault leading to one or both hinges fracturing. The use of thin flexible aluminium in a critical location of stress and tension to hold up the large LCD screen was a poor choice for a product designed to be opened and closed frequently, with many customers reporting poor customer service from HP's warranty department. One customer even reported a service representative telling her to "just leave the laptop open and don't close the lid, or it may break!".

Many customers believe that HP are not standing by their product, only offering a short 6-month period for repairs - which will simply reoccur due to the poor design of this hinge.

The right side hinge will fail - it is not a question of if but when, but it is not difficult or expensive to replace it as long as no other damage occurred when it broke. A slight crack will sound while closing the lid when it fails. If the users stops using their laptop when either hinges fail, no other damage is likely to occur, but reopening it can destroy the rear cover and this is where it can get more expensive to repair.

OEM hinges were made of aluminium, and can be distinguished by the shiny silver quality of the lower hinge assembly. Aftermarket replacements are cast and a dull gray and do not fit properly, nor are threads properly tapped into the right side mounting holes.

Overheating issues

These laptops are notorious for having overheating problems. They are common in many laptops designed by HP in this timeframe. This is caused by the cooling fan having no filter and sucking up dust, debris and hair from dirty environments, clogging up the heat sinks and exhaust ports, accidentally blocking the fan intake vents until the computer overheats. Worse, the entire laptop must be entirely disassembled and the motherboard removed in order to access the clogged up area.

Using a can of compressed air to blow air into the exhaust port on the left rear side (below the VGA & expansion ports) while it's running can help, but if idle temperatures are up to 115-120 degrees (in Fahrenheit), then the fan must be cleaned. Placing a 2" square piece of speaker grill fabric between the fan and the intake vents on the bottom of the chassis will alleviate this problem, making idle temps of up to 85-95 degrees (in Fahrenheit) depending on the processor.

Furthermore, the discrete NVIDIA graphics chips (GeForce 8400M and 8600M to be precise) offered in the high-end models of the dv9000 series (which included some dv9000, dv9200, dv9500, dv9600, and dv9700 models) as well as some integrated NVIDIA graphics chips (such as the GeForce Go 6150) are also prone to overheating problems, which can eventually lead to a graphics chip failure. Combined with the fan and the intake vents eventually clogging up with dust and debris from inside the system, this can accelerate the overheating problem, leading to premature failure of the graphics chips.

Please check out CoreTemp for recommendations on overheating protection, and always remember to blast out your cooling ducts regularly!