Battery Life and Wireless
The dv7’s eight-cell battery lasted 2:47 on our endurance test, which entails scripted, continuous Web surfing. That’s 46 minutes longer than the category average which, to be fair, also includes more-rigorous processor tests. Even so, we’re a little surprised that a battery this large didn’t last even longer.
HP equipped this configuration of the dv7 with a Broadcom 802.11n connection instead of Intel’s new WiFi Link (thereby disqualifying it for the "Centrino 2" moniker), but the notebook still turned in blistering throughput. We registered data rates of 21.7 Mbps and 18.6 Mbps at 15 and 50 feet, respectively. When standing next to the router, it showed throughput in the range of 28 Mbps, by far the highest number we’ve observed at that distance.
The warranty that comes with the dv7 is standard: one-year parts-and-labor with 24/7, toll-free phone support. Click here to see how HP fared in our Tech Support Showdown.
Verdict
The HP Pavilion dv7 is the way to go for shoppers who want speed, lots of features, and a good-looking design. It trounces the Dell Studio 17 in both design and performance. The 16.4-inch Sony VAIO VGN-FW198U/H may be more portable, but it’s $200 more and lacks the dv7’s graphics muscle. If portability isn’t as big an issue, but multimedia is, you’ll be happy with this big-screen machine.
