HP Pavilion DV6000 Notebook Review

by David Risley on Aug 31, 2007 | 947 comments

Hewlett Packard is one of the most prominent manufacturers of notebook computers today, and any trip to Best Buy will make that abundantly clear. Well, as of this writing, one of the notebook PCs they have on sale right now at Best Buy is the HP Pavilion DV6000. I picked one up a couple months ago for $800. I was in Best Buy a couple weeks ago and it was on sale for $749. So, this is certainly an affordable notebook PC. So, how does it perform in everyday use? Let’s check it out.

First, The Specs

In my eyes, the DV6000 is proof that PCs are affordable as hell today. These specs compare quite favorably to my desktop, all in a sub $800 notebook.

AMD Turion 64, dual core processor
2 GB DDR2 memory
15.4″ WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7200
160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
1.3 Megapixel Webcam with mic built into screen
Altec Lansing speakers built in
3 USB ports, ExpressCard/54 Slot, Video Out, Integrated Consumer IR, 1 RJ-11, 1 RJ-45
Windows Vista Home Premium

Now, when you look at this unit on HP’s website, you will see there are different spec configurations for this model. The above happens to be what I have in the unit I am typing this review on.

Use in the Real World

Now, I am not and never have been a big benchmark guy. If you are into computer reviews that load you up with benchmark specs, go to another site. What I am interested in is real world use. I bought this notebook to get work done, not win any contests. So, how does it perform in that regard?

One of the things that sold me on this laptop was the screen. The screen is gorgeous. It is wonderfully bright and clear, and provides a respectable 1280×800 resolution in a widescreen format. Yes, there certainly are notebooks with higher resolution. It really comes down to preference. While other units may give you higher resolution, some may find it hard to read on small screens. For me, I thought 1280×800 was a good resolution to use for a 15.4″ screen. My only complaint with the screen is that the glare is really bad when trying to use the unit outside. It gets so bad that it’s more like looking in a mirror than into a computer screen. Inside, however, the screen is beautiful.

The fact that this unit uses AMD rather than Intel means that it generates more heat. Intel processors just seem to run cooler in notebook computers. All benchmarks aside (because I don’t care), the performance of this notebook is quite good. It actually opens many apps much faster than my desktop PC, which is using an Intel Pentium Core Duo. So, I have no complaints about speed, however, yes, it does generate some heat.

The built-in Altec Lansing speakers will certainly not compare to the larger speakers you would plug in externally, but they do generate a nice sound for the size. For multimedia use, the speakers will get the job done.

The DV6000 comes with a thin, little remote control for use in controlling HP’s multimedia player. HP is using a proprietary multimedia player for playing DVDs called QuickPlay. It ties in with the remote control as well as the QuickPlay buttons on top of the notebook. The player is decent, but many times I found myself simply wanting to use Windows Media Player rather than the QuickPlay popping up full screen. Also, the fact that it is tied into the QuickPlay buttons can be a little annoying at times. Several times I have rested my fingers on the top of the notebook and accidently pressed the DVD button and launched Quickplay. No matter what I’m doing, that interrupts the workflow badly.

For digital photography, I find the built-in card reader really convenient. Since my Canon camera uses SD cards, I can just pull the card out and plug it directly into the notebook to pull images onto the computer. This means I don’t have to track down the USB cable that came with the camera. Nice and easy.

But, It Uses Vista

Like almost every PC on the market today, this unit comes with Windows Vista. Now, on my desktop, I can rattle off a bunch of annoyances with Windows Vista. Many of us that follow technology all the time have many complaints about Vista, and I still stand by the fact that Vista was NOT ready for market upon it’s release. But, judging by the DV6000, Vista does seem to run better on completely proprietary machines. I do have occasional annoyances with Vista on the DV6000.. For example, sometimes it will lose it’s screen resolution settings when coming out of sleep mode. This is an issue with Vista and will be fixed. Other than that, though, Vista runs significantly better on this notebook machine than it does on my desktop. No complaints, really.

Like all pre-built computers, it comes with some pre-installed software. It comes with a 60-day trial installation of Office 2007. Since I don’t care to fork out several hundred dollars just for a ribbon interface, I opted to install OpenOffice, which gets me 95% there for free. The DV6000 comes with some other pre-installed crap, much of it I ended up removing from the computer.

Note to HP

I am pretty happy with the DV6000, but I need to mention a few annoyances for the benefit of HP. When I was at Gnomedex recently, HP was there and we had a lengthy discussion about notebook design. HP does indeed listen to feedback, so here is mine on the DV6000.

The QuickPlay buttons at the top are too easy to hit by accident, as I mentioned above. Some obvious way to control or disable those buttons would be nice.
We need some kind of anti-glare surface to the screen. It’s practically unusable in sunlight. I realize that the surface it does have plays a role in the crystal clear colors I see indoors, but something has to be done to make this thing more usable in sunlight.
AMD is good for economics, but it generates a lot more heat.

Conclusions

The HP Pavilion DV6000 is a really nice, solid notebook computer and you really can’t go wrong with this unit. The price tag makes it very affordable. The unit sports a nice, sleek design and good all-around performance. It also offers a solid balance of features which really makes this entertainment notebook usable as a desktop replacement. In fact, I enjoy it so much I find myself spending more time working on the DV6000 now than I do my main desktop computer.

So, despite a few annoyances, you really can’t go wrong with the DV6000 if you are looking for a solid, balanced work notebook without spending too much money.

Update 11/21/2007

While I have not had the wireless problems many have been complaining about in the comments, I have had another problem – the battery (maybe). The battery seems to not accept a charge anymore, and Windows says “plugged in, not charging” when I hover over the battery icon in the taskbar. So, HP is currently sending me a new battery and we’ll see if that fixes it. I guess this is the kind of thing you deal with when you buy cheap notebook computers.

Update Feb. 8, 2010

Comments for this article have now been closed. This was done because people were using as a means of getting HP support. This article is not an official HP support channel for problems that may occur with the DV6000 product. If you would like to contact HP for support, please visit HP Customer Care at support.hp.com, thank you.

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tim
What a piece of junk
my motherboard broke in i was told that its going to cost more than the laptop to fix
before that my hardrive also failed
i am really dissapointed in hp.
they would not even fix my computer
i think they should return our money
unhappy south african
this is kak kak

venter
Hey man I feel your pain. They told me the same crap but dont worry there is a much cheaper solution. Youtube offers some help, check out “Como reparar notebook – how to fix hp: tx1000 dv2000, dv6000, dv9000 -”. This proceedure worked for me if not it will at least show you how to get to the motherboard. I believe a new mb costs around 150 bucks. There’s also an english speaking guy on youtube at ” HP tx1000 no boot / black screen / motherboard repair” It’s a pretty easy procedure, hope this helps you brother it worked for me,
HAPPY SOUTH AFRICAN
GOOD LUCK!
JGH
Had something weird happen with the motherboard. Died about a year ago. Then I just took it, plugged it in and let it run. After about 15 minutes of it booting and rebooting itself, it actually booted. Worked for about 2 weeks then died again. Tried the same thing. Ran it until the battery died. Then hit the power button a few times to discharge the board. Plugged it in and it rebooted itself a few times and then started up again. I’m talking on it right now. I know it sounds like a pain to do. But it may work for you. Just figured I’d throw it out there. CompUSA told me the motherboard was dead and would cost 1500 to replace.
The original problem would be that I would turn it on. Lights would all light up, but it sounded like it was hung up in booting. Then it would shut off and turn back on (fan would run for a second). Hope this helps someone getting their data off the computer.
Joe

Dave
Lets not forget the wireless problems, and the fact that it runs like it has 1 gig of RAM. My wireless just got shot again, 3rd time in a ROW!… I wish HP could design their computers correctly, and that quickplay crap at the top… OMG lol. I hit it atleast 4 times a day. Lets hope that they do better with the next few.

8675309
i do remember that on newer vista HP laptops they used an oem ver. of power cinema

Steven Huang
Why did my laptop come with intel???? It is a bit heavy but otherwise it is great.

8675309
well because newer ones in the series use intel

Dave
UPDATE:
Even though I had it sent in before the warranty expired before, they can no longer do anything about my wireless for free… 350 dollars they told me… to fix a wireless card???!!?!? Are you joking!
Mia
I had a major fail with my Pavilion’s battery. It ran for a good year and then over the space of about two weeks, died completely. I havent replaced it as of yet as I am wondering if it is even worth it since I only ever got about 2 hours max out of the battery. Dos anyone know of a slightly smaller/lighter notebook which runs efficiently but has quite a significant battery life say 4 hours?
Thanks guys.
8675309
the recovery disc creator should check for patches before it burns because when i recovered my laptop with the dvd set it failed a few times because i moved the mouse to click ok after switching discs
confused
Joe – the same thing is happening is now happening to mine. I used the computer all last night, everything was fine and I just put it to sleep since I wanted to print out some documents I had open this morning. Well, I open the lid today and it lights up, sounds like it’s trying to boot and fan, then turn back off…and it’s doing this over and over unless I just hold the power button down for about 7 seconds, then it finally turns off.
Does this mean I need a new motherboard? It’s exactly 2 years since I got this laptop.
C
http://www.laptopmotherboard.org Justin Basser
For anyone else having motherboard problems and need help finding out which part number you need to replace the laptop motherboard, please e-mail me or leave a post with the model # off the bottom of your laptop and I will tell you which dv6000 motherboard you need to search for. hope this helps.
http://www.streetobsessions.com david
wow.. are you guys still having issues with your dv 6000 laptops? i had mine for almost 2 years now.. not one single problem. maybe they had a bunch of defects? well, i dunno, i got mine the very first day it came out. o_O
i been on this form and nothing but negativity about this model.. what is going on with our computers???
i am worried that mine is gonna fail soon. =(

Angela Krycka
No… because I don’t have it anymore.. but my dad has a HP desktop.
Christophe
I know that worried feeling dude I’ve bought mine also nearly 2 years ago, it still turns good (now) reading here also worries me a little but I cannot imagine I going get problems with it. Maybe someone can note down the specs of problem dv’s? I saw before someone said it is the DV-6 and DV-9 tha
Christophe
…that are the problem ones. Is it maybe the ones with AMD in them that are problem one?
I have recently upgraded the RAM to 4GB, installed Win7 retail, only the quicklaunch not work anymore and remote control thingy.. for the rest, still goes good.

Alex
Hey i installed win7 oem on my dv6000 with 2gb ram and it runs great way better then vista did and my quicklaunch and remote still work. try and update the driver.

Christophe
Yeah, Win7 turns good, since I was planning reinstall Vista I thought I better try out Win7 now to see if is going be worth getting it when it comes in the shop here. Do you by any luck have the link for that driver update? I’ve been searching couple of times but I cannot find there is one already.
Does your HP health care work in Win7?
Paul
I don’t know what is happening. But since I upgraded to Win 7 my Dv6000 does not heat up like with Vista.
Could that be the problem?

8675309
it could be your peticular keyboard hw rev.

Tara
I love mine. Yea it’s the special edition, its missing the left ctrl key cause my son popped it off so now i just need to find a new one, other then that the laptop itself is amazing! i couldn’t have asked for a better one!
http://noweb unfortunately hp customer
your hp is gonna fail sooon, cuz i have been using my hpdv2000 since two years, now I have the problem with the black screen that needs the motherboard to be changed ):
hp is suck believe me, just dont buy it, cuz hp knows that they have this problem but they keep making this F*** product and sell it to us,,,

Joanna
I dropped my HPPavilion DV6000 and busted the screen now it has this big black blob in the left corner and a crack all the way across. Can the screen be replaced or is all lost? :{

T.J
The screen CAN be replaced. Search the internet (Ebay?) for the model and screen size and install or get a pro to install it for you

tim
i see that a tiny chip,about the size of a rice ,is burnt out on the laptop.
is there any way to replace it or another way to fix it?
when i plug my computer to the charger it just makes tick tick sound and the blue charging light flashes.
and nothing happens when i push my power button
any idees or something
unhappy south african
tim
the chip is on my motherboard
Karl
Same problem with our DV6000. It is now three years old. We push the power button and nothing happens. Blue ring at ac power plug is lit, not flashing. HP says, need motherboard replaced Cost $398.00 plus tax.
That is about half of original purchase price.
Have doubts whether we should go ahead with repair.
Any suggestions???

Bella
Honestly, I wouldn’t go ahead with the repair. If you can afford it, I’d just spring for a new laptop altogether. I am considering getting a new one because my wireless no longer works, and then there are all the comments about the motherboard failing. I think this laptop is crap and it would be better to just get a new one.

angry customer
I don’t know if I have ever been more dissatisfied by a piece of technology before in my life!!!!!!! I have an HP Pavilion dv6000 series, specifically the dv6338se white special edition model, and to put it bluntly, it is a piece of crap and has been consistently crappy since I first purchased it 2 years ago. Initially, I had issues with the screen, where little black dots appeared sporadically over the screen and ruined what was supposed to be an otherwise beautiful and bright screen. It was under warranty, so I had the screen replaced. When it was returned from HP, the keyboard was not inserted in its slot, so that half of the keyboard was elevated and would not work. Thus, I had to return it again. Being a full-time student and relying on my laptop almost daily for my work, meant that I had to wait for holidays to bring it in to get it fixed, and since it had to be shipped out each time to HP, I had to wait a fairly long and inconvenient amount of time without it. After having it sent back twice, more and more issues emerged; however, I decided to put up with it, as I was told by BestBuy (where I purchased the computer) that I would have to wait at least 2 weeks, and an upwards of 2 months to get it fixed!!!!!! The first time I brought it in took about 3-4 weeks to be fixed, which, when I rely on my computer as much as I do, was a huge deal to me. As time went on, the newly replaced screen began to show not black dots this time, but rather larger, white, blurry dots, concentrating mostly in the center of the screen, that become exceptionally disruptive when watching movies. If that is not distracting enough, when watching movies, the DVD (or CD) rattles in the CD drive, and at times it is so loud that it is almost too hard to hear the movie. The battery also becomes exceptionally hot; so much so that it can actually burn bare skin! So make sure to wear pants when using it… or only use it on a table- so much for being a LAPtop! The heat that comes from the laptop is so intense that it caused the rubber nubs on the bottom of the computer (that keep it even and steady on the table and prevent the laptop from sliding) have actually melted off, while the white nobs that keep the laptop from slamming shut on the inside have also fallen off! Also, the hinge on the left hand side, that holds the top and the bottom (keyboard and screen) together, is actually no longer attached to the bottom part of the laptop, which makes it seem as though the top could actually simply come off! The screen, therefore, can shake back and forth and is not at all held sturdily into place. With all of these problems, I was wondering what more could go wrong, when last week I tried to turn the computer on… For a second the lights lit up and the fan came on, but seconds later it stopped and shut down. I tried to turn it on every half an hour for a period of 4 hours after that, but the same thing happened. As I was about to take it back, as it is still under warranty, I tried one last time to turn it on… This time it did come on. One week later, however, the same situation is occurring, and it is no longer working… Actually, at this point, I’m not sure if I should be angry that its dead, or relieved, and even happy, as this means that I can get a replacement laptop and just be rid of all of the crap that this HP has caused me! I would never recommend this laptop and will likely never buy an HP computer EVER again!!!!!!!!!!!
Bob T
Obviously, I guess, the solution to everyone’s problem with the series is to simply sell it for parts. Someone should start a web site “HP laptop junk yard” example; I need a internal wireless internet card or I may need some RAM or a bigger hard drive, well the site would be a wonderful place to visit to see what is available. Not everything on these laptops is bad and so what ever is still working with a declaration by the seller with a 30 day guarantee.Sell the parts at a very competetive price to move it faster and to recover a fraction of your cost and since you got some use out of the laptop before major problems, well then it wouldn’t be so bad. My HP 6000 series was purchased on November 26th, 2006 and I chose this laptop over toshiba,Sony of equilvalent value. At the time of my purchase I had $395,000 dollars in the bank> I could have bought anything, but I bought this one. My is not a duo core and it does not have Vista and I do not have a Cam built in. I have never had not one problem and I removed the Norton program when I set it up and to this day I do not use Virus protection. All 30 day trial programs were also removed and I also got rid of all the games. My laptop is used for business and for personal use I have installed over 300 albums of classic rock music. Music and pictures are kept on a external drive for protection and also along with my DivX (avi) movies.If my computer crashes beyond repair I will buy a new one and I will do the same with that one, get rid of all the crap I do not use. Defrag frequently,keep my laptop very cool,handle her with respect and most of keep up my updates, Oh and stay away from undesirable sites on the internet (virus) is like the worst enemy in the world. Sell your computer and try something else. Bob T (computer wareness Tech.)

Christophe
I use mine only for personal use but I maintaine it kinda like you. Keep all files (music, movies, pics,..) on an extern hard drive, remove programs wich I never will use anyways, try to keep it as clean as possible. Reinstall it occasionally also (each time you get again 60 days trial with Norton), now I trying out Win7 and runs good.
And mine stands on sometimes for weeks and weeks without I turn it off, always netpower since I killed the battery being lazy get it out when I am at netpower anyways. Sometimes it is some warm, but not really hot.
After nearly 2 years I cannot say I am discontent, I hope it stays that way.
Sounds also good idea from Bob for the people that have problems that are not to solve anymore. Try recover some money on it and then search the internet good to reviews before buy a new one. On youtube there are alot of presentations of laptops to watch also.

Donna
Hi All!
I have a HP DV6000, which iv absoloutly adored and loved for 3 years now. And about 4 hours ago i tried to turn it on. The quick play lights all came on, as did the fan, followed by 3 very loud beeps, the first one longer than the other two. All my work is on it (im a graphic/web designer/photographer) and I have an interview tomorrow morning. The laptop only seems to let me down when I really really need it, its been sent back to HP at least 5 times now, and as its over 3 years old, its no longer under warrenty. Its going to cost £300 to fix the graphics card im told. Should i just get a new one?? :/
Upset and Angry
Ireland
kat
This laptop is a piece of cr@p. Mine has had minor problems since day one, but I couldlive with them. It does seem to be warmer thanit should. Last month, the sound stopped working, then a few weeks ago it flat out died. I have a Pavilion desktop, 5 years old, that I LOVE. Go to HPlies to find out why you’re having problems…the NVidia card is defective.
aiko
i also have a problem with my hp dv6000. i had it checked at hp center and they told me that the problem was the motherboard and asking for 25,000php for it to be repaired. when i turn it on, all the lights are up but nothing is displayed on the screen.
Bill
I just wanted to say that I dont mind the quick play buttons you just need to get used to them, and omg that thing runs hot. Ive been running my dv on a 52″ lcd cause the screen is broke and it really looks good on that screen. (does ne one have a screen laying around) cheep enough for a poor guy. billwhatsyour20@yahoo.com
Karl
Thanks Bella for your comment and also for all the other comments relating to my earlier post.
It turned out the problem with our DV6000 is only the power switch. We got it to run temporarily by carefully inserting the tip of a kitchen knive in between the switch and the housing. After a few attempts the machine booted up and stayed on.
So I could at least do a backup to have the data for the new machine which I bought today.
I am still trying to find online instructions how to replace the motherboard since I assume the power switch is part of the motherboard. Can somebody post a link??? If I succeed in repairing it we would have an additional machine as a spare and backup.
Bobt
This is in regards to turning your computer on when it wont wake up with PAD movement or the MOUSE movement. If your power button on the left is giving you problems try this, only this if your hp blue diodes are not lid(dvd,volume ) area.Flip your computer over and disconnect the battery and then place the battery back in. flip the computer back over and if your blue diodes are lid punch the DVD diode and that will take you to Quik play and there you will see your options, click on to the Windows symbol and it will take you to desk top. If you turn the computer off the correct way as not to harm registry then trying to turn computer back on if difficult then repeat the method. As far as the button is concern clean with electrical contact cleaner one that has very low pressure and do this with the laptop disconnected from any power source including the battery, wait for about 1/2 hr. to dry completely. Do not saturate and never use anything that contains WATER. I have cleaned up a few HP’s but one day I might have dig inside? Hope your problem is solved this way.
Karl
I finally solved my problem with the powerbutton. After I bought a new laptop I opened the keyboard bezel of the old machine which holds the power button by removing three screws accessible from the battery compartment. To make this easier I also removed the two screws holding the keyboard.
The powerbutton is actually only a simple small plastic plate which flexes when pushed and pushes down onto a tiny pushbutton switch soldered to a small circuit board. The plastic plate did not securely push onto this button. So I raised the circuit board by inserting a small washer between board and chassis and secured the assembly back onto the chassis. Now the plastic plate operates the push button securely and reliably.
Though a relatively easy fix the design of this assy is very poor and HP is not helping at all. They insisted to replace the motherboard for half the cost of a new machine. Nobody replaces the engine of a car when the ignition switch is broken.
I will return the new machine for a full refund.
Grace
I’ve had my DV6000 for right at three years now and still love it. It’s had a few little problems along the way. The power jack went out about a year ago and I replaced that myself after doing some reading up on the ‘net. The repair shop wanted $300. Cost for me to replace it = $10 part. Other than that, I’m getting ready to buy my 3rd power cord/adapter. That’s because I have two kids that like to drag the laptop around and let the cord just hang down.
It’s durable as can be. Those same kids manhandle it like crazy. It’s missing the esc key, but that’s no biggie. I can always buy a replacement keyboard cheap if I was concerned. It’s been all over the country with me.
But, you DO have to some maintenance work and upkeep. I have an external 500Gb hard drive that I only paid $80 for at Walmart that I keep all my graphics, photography, music and movies on and off my laptop. At least once a week, I make sure to update all three antivirus programs and run them back to back (only keep one running at a time). And don’t be afraid to give small repairs a try on your own.
All that being said, my desktop is a Gateway from 2003 that I’ve only done minor stuff to also.
http://www.hp.c a7mooooda
my battery is so bad
what should i do to be more longer
ie:it is stay till one hour
did the company made it for this time
my laptop is (hp pavilion 6000 centrino duo )
(intel not amd )
very bad??????
http://www.laptopmotherboard.org Justin Basser
So many people are complaining about HP’s so why not just buy another brand instead of going through all the motherboard hassle. Personally every HP Compaq I’ve owned never gave me trouble and the one time it did, hp covered everything under warranty and it wasn’t even a motherboard related issue. If this problem is big enough, start a petition and get it to HP. They do listen when mass numbers are brought to them. I worked for HP for a few year’s and will admit that I never thought they were the best built machine’s and I am more of a Dell laptop user because they last forever. For the price of a new laptop motherboard you could prob spend $100-$200 more and get a brand new dual core laptop machine from bestbuy or whatever your local store is. Thanks.

HP Pavilion DV6000 Notebook Review

First, The Specs

Use in the Real World

But, It Uses Vista

Note to HP

Conclusions

Update 11/21/2007

Update Feb. 8, 2010

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HP Pavilion DV6000 Notebook Review

First, The Specs

Use in the Real World

But, It Uses Vista

Note to HP

Conclusions

Update 11/21/2007

Update Feb. 8, 2010

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