The Bottom Line
Pros
- Realtively Low Cost for 13.3-inch Laptop
- Improved 3D Integrated Graphics
- Direct Order Units Can Be Greatly Customized
Cons
- AMD Processor Does Lag Behind Intel's Offerings
- Bronze Color Is Different and May Not Appeal to All
Description
- AMD Turion X2 RM-72 Dual Core Mobile Processor
- 3GB PC2-6400 DDR2 Memory
- 250GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
- 13.3-inch WXGA (1280x800) Wide LCD With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
- ATI Radeon HD 3200 Integrated Graphics
- Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wireless
- Three USB 2.0, HDMI, ExpressCard/34, 5-in-1 Card Reader, Fingerprint Scanner
- 12.2" x 9.1" x 1.3" @ 4.6 lbs.
- Vista Home Premium 64-bit, Works 9, Norton Internet Security
Guide Review - HP Pavilion dv3 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC
Mar 16 2009 - Most companies use the Intel mobile processors because of its mix of performance and power consumption. HP has decided to use the AMD Turion for the Pavilion dv3 ultraportable. This gives the HP the advantage in terms of price because the Turion processors provide a lower overall cost with decent performance. It does use the DDR2 memory standard compared to the newer DDR3 available to the Intel platform.
Much of the storage, networking and display are pretty much in line with other 13.3-inch laptops. The 250GB hard drive provides a good level of storage compared to ultrathin laptops but is slightly smaller than what can be found on larger laptops. A dual layer DVD burner handles all CD and DVD duties. 802.11b/g wireless and gigabit ethernet are standard.
One item that does make the Pavilion dv3 stand out from many other ultrportables is the graphics. While the 13.3-inch panel with its standard 1280x800 resolution is pretty much normal, the ATI Radoen HD 3200 graphics are a step up from the integrated graphics solutions of most ultraportables. The system can handle high definition video decoding and even some casual 3D gaming.
The Pavilion dv3 also has a distinct look thanks to its bronze color. This is very different from the traditional black, gray and silver typically found in laptops. Some might find this attractive but I found it to be distracting and from a distance make the system look almost like it is dirty rather than sleek and different. Of course, this is a personal preference.
Consumers who order a Pavilion dv3 directly from HP will have a wide range of customization options that include larger hard drives, up to 12GB of memory and a wide range of wireless networking options including built-in cellular.
