- Wide Range of Preipheral Connectors
- Media Remote That Stores Inside ExpressSlot
- Weak Dedicated 3D Graphics
- Glossy LCD Difficult to View In Certain Light
- Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 Dual Core Processor
- 4GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
- 320GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
- 15.4" WXGA (1280x800) Display with 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
- NVIDIA GeForce 9200M GS Graphics with 256MB Memory
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless
- Four USB 2.0, eSATA (shared), HDMI, ExpressCard/54, 5-in-1 Card Reader
- 14.1" x 10.2" x 1.7" @ 5.8 lbs.
- Vista Home Premium 64-bit, MS Works, autoProducer, Cyberlink DVD Suite, Photosmart Essentials, Norton Internet Security
11/16/08 - There are a large number of versions of the Pavilion dv5 laptop. The dv5-1160us uses one of the latest processors from Intel. It is a lower end Core 2 Duo P7350 with a higher bus speed. The 4GB of memory let it run with Vista operating systems smoothly but performance is hit slightly by the use of lower cost DDR2 memory compared to the new faster DDR3 memory standard. Still, for the price it offers a decent level of performance.
One of the main areas where the HP Pavilion dv5-1160us distinguishes itself from other dv5 laptop models is the fact that it comes with a dedicated graphics processor. The NVIDIA GeForce 9200M GS graphics is a fairly low end dedicated graphics that is not well suited to 3D graphics performance. Instead, this graphics core is better suited to accelerating video streams. It can handle some basic 3D graphics for games, but don't expect much compared to other dedicated graphics offerings.
One of the big features of the Pavilion dv5-1160us is the wide range of peripheral connections that are provided. It features a total of four USB 2.0 ports for the vast majority of external peripherals. One of these can be used for an eSATA external storage solution instead. The HDMI and VGA graphics connector are included for use with analog or digital monitors. If this isn't enough, there is also a special expansion port that can be used with an optional port replicator making it easier to use the laptop in a desktop situation with a larger monitor, keyboard and additional peripherals.
While the Pavilion dv5-1160us can be found for some good prices, the price itself is somewhat of an issue. For those that don't mind a a slightly larger laptop, the Pavilion X16 offers a better overall set. Still, the Pavilion dv5-1160us is a decent overall 15.4-inch laptop.
