Wootalyzer's Pricing Post! - The price of today's woot item is saved here for future reference
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HP ENVY 17.3" Quad-Core i7 Laptop
$689.99 + $5 Standard Shipping
Condition: Refurbished

*DISCLAIMER* Wootalyzer! is in no way affiliated with Woot!, and this post may not always be here!

i7 is nice

I'm envious!

No Blu-Ray so I'll pass.

Though this HP has good specs for the price, be warned: HP laptops and Intel i7 processors have a history of not getting along. The cheap price comes at the cost of cheap components, and cheap components come at the cost of being unreliable. If you are OK with upgrading your laptop every 2 years, or are willing to risk it, this laptop is a good deal. Otherwise, I would suggest avoiding it.

I couldn't care much that it didn't have bluray, but the lack of a standalone Nvidia card ruins it for me

I've got one of these.
Worst. Laptop. Ever.

It has been nothing but problems for me since I got it. Overheating issues, the sound stutters while playing, random lockups, etc. etc. Overall one of the worst purchases I have ever made.

How can you sell this without blu-ray? Come on, at least $250 over priced.... It's a cheap product that's been refurbished ... Can we say money pit?

damn. Pack these specs into a laptop, then no dedicated graphics? Way over priced.

Lets get to what really matters. Can I run Solitaire and Netflix at the same time while browsing facebook?

12GB RAM for $700?
Now it has "quad-core", but the software is written like such dog meat that it doesn't run a bit faster than a single core with 1GB used to!

Why are we paying a premium to compensate for abysmal software from lazy programmers?

It's a good price, specially if you live in a state where you won't have to pay taxes. I don't think you can find a better deal right now.

I'd buy it if I had the money since I just dropped my current laptop and the audio and ethernet port are ruined

HughHemington wrote:12GB RAM for $700?
Now it has "quad-core", but the software is written like such dog meat that it doesn't run a bit faster than a single core with 1GB used to!

Why are we paying a premium to compensate for abysmal software from lazy programmers?

So I can have 100+ firefox windows open at once. duh. ;P

TheRizz wrote:I've got one of these.
Worst. Laptop. Ever.

It has been nothing but problems for me since I got it. Overheating issues, the sound stutters while playing, random lockups, etc. etc. Overall one of the worst purchases I have ever made.

I'm guessing when you say "one of these" you might actually mean "something vaguely called 'DV7' at some point," and probably with at least two-generations-older processor; perhaps even AMD, and a totally different design. If so, that's like saying a 2013 Camry hybrid I've never driven is rubbish because I didn't like a 1992 Camry 4-cylinder I got cheap from Vinny's Discount Auto Emporium.
Then again if you do actually happen to have a 7243CL, it's valid feedback, but then I'd like to know why you didn't just get them to fix it if it had problems.

Check out fellow wooter comments for this back when it was offered during the woot-off back in December

http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5271673

kmartind wrote:I'm guessing when you say "one of these" you might actually mean "something vaguely called 'DV7' at some point," and probably with at least two-generations-older processor; perhaps even AMD, and a totally different design. If so, that's like saying a 2013 Camry hybrid I've never driven is rubbish because I didn't like a 1992 Camry 4-cylinder I got cheap from Vinny's Discount Auto Emporium.
Then again if you do actually happen to have a 7243CL, it's valid feedback, but then I'd like to know why you didn't just get them to fix it if it had problems.

Who the hell doesn't like '92 Camrys? Those are like the best cars ever made...

zyodei wrote:Who the hell doesn't like '92 Camrys? Those are like the best cars ever made...

In the theoretical example "I didn't like it," maybe it was a defective one, or maybe there was a reason Vinny was trying to get rid of it cheap (look close for red stains on the floor or bondo'd bullet holes).

cmatthewb102 wrote:damn. Pack these specs into a laptop, then no dedicated graphics? Way over priced.

Pros:4-core i7,1080p resolution,12 GB of RAM (little overkill), 1 TB HDD, Bluetooth

Cons:No Turboboost,No dedicated video card, No Blu-ray

I actually went to the HP website, and picked the closest ENVY model laptop I could customize with. Input the specs, and it came out to roughly $1185. Knock off 20% for "refurbished" and you get roughly $950. Woot is undercutting the estimated price by $260. (and I'm not including shipping) So...I would say you're getting a deal regardless. And for you gamers out there, You can play Dead Space 3 on low settings and achieve 60 FPS. (33 FPS on med settings)

I own a refurbed Envy 17 3270(next model line up) sharing similar components and specs. The Intel 4000 graphics aren't too bad, but don't expect to get a 3d powerhouse for $700. You have to be realistic. I had to set my 3d games to the ATI Radeon graphic chip on mine to get decent framerates on high settings. It should run DX9 games with ease tho and DX10 on lower settings. For everyday websurfing & 2d applications, I found the Intel graphics is more than adequate in terms of smooth animations, page scrolling, etc. I highly recommend upgrading the hard drive to at least a hybrid(SSD and HD in one). I use a hybrid in mine and startup/shutdown is fast. Programs load quickly too. WIndows 8 can be modified to behave like older versions and bypass the Metro theme with free software like Classic Shell.

I bought a notebook just like this last May and it is a Pavilion dv7. Mine actually has blu-ray, GT 650m video, a 32GB SSD buffer drive, and 8GB of RAM, so it seems to me a clear case of "upgrading" to Envy after the refurb.

The PC is a beast, will chew through pretty much anything I throw at it from video editing to gaming. For gaming, the Intel HD 4000 video cuts it for modest settings of MP3 and CoD.

I've had no overheating or any other build issues that I sometimes experienced with two other 17"-ish HP notebooks. The brushed aluminum has a great feel to the touch and doesn't tend to get sticky with sweat as you type.

I have one peeve with the layouts of the keyboard and trackpack. The up and arrow keys are level with the left and right, which is a step backwards from the convenient keys of my previous dv7. And the trackpad is not centered with the keyboard (i.e., with the space bar), so there's a huge tendency to click with the corner of your right hand. I've messed with the settings and was able to minimize that, but extensive typing requires disabling the trackpad -- done easily by tapping the upper left corner.

Since I mostly use a wireless keyboard and mouse, that doesn't quite bother me, but it sure would pull a nerve if I were to use only the built-in input devices.

If you're not really into gaming, a dedicated GPU is pointless IMO. I have an ENVY 17 with switchable graphics and I hardly ever use the ATI GPU just because it's a power hog and gets pointlessly warm even sitting idle.

No blu-ray in 2013 is a big letdown though, especially since the drive is internal and not something the average user is capable of upgrading.

wangowezz wrote:So I can have 100+ firefox windows open at once. duh. ;P

Wait, you too? 121 right now, plus a half dozen chromes. :D

[quote postid="5342736"] I actually went to the HP website, and picked the closest ENVY model laptop I could customize with. Input the specs, and it came out to roughly $1185. Knock off 20% for "refurbished" and you get roughly $950. Woot is undercutting the estimated price by $260. (and I'm not including shipping) So...I would say you're getting a deal regardless.[/quote]

20% off for refurb? HP refurbs run more at around 40% off, which gets down to $711.

If you care for an i7 and fullHD and not for blu-ray and gaming, this is not a bad deal, but not really a great one either.

BIGsinner wrote:Pros:4-core i7,1080p resolution,12 GB of RAM (little overkill), 1 TB HDD, Bluetooth

Cons:No Turboboost,No dedicated video card, No Blu-ray

I actually went to the HP website, and picked the closest ENVY model laptop I could customize with. Input the specs, and it came out to roughly $1185. Knock off 20% for "refurbished" and you get roughly $950. Woot is undercutting the estimated price by $260. (and I'm not including shipping) So...I would say you're getting a deal regardless. And for you gamers out there, You can play Dead Space 3 on low settings and achieve 60 FPS. (33 FPS on med settings)

I was with you up to "no turboboost." What are you talking about? The i7-3630qm turbo-boosts to 3.4GHz, and scores an impressive 7678 on Passmark.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-3630QM+%40+2.40GHz
http://ark.intel.com/products/71459/Intel-Core-i7-3630QM-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_40-GHz
And as you mention, the integrated HD4000 graphics are also quite adequate for anything up to and including light gaming (and faster than a lot of the discreet graphics cards of yesteryear).

As for Windows 8, just load a cheap add-on like Start8 (or one of the free alternatives) and you get your start menu back and can use it almost exactly like you're used to with Windows 7, but newer, and with the option to fiddle with the new Metro interface if you should feel so inclined at some point.

I actually picked up one of these last weekend from Micro Center in California. http://microcenter.com/product/408409/ENVY_dv7-7243cl_173_Laptop_Computer_Refurbished_-_Midnight_Black

I'm just moving into it, just got the the caddy for the second drive in the mail today. It's a massive improvement from my previous HP DV7 bought from Woot in June of 2009.It runs a lot cooler and the fit and finish is a lot higher quality.http://sellout.woot.com/offers/hp-pavilion-17-2ghz-core-2-duo-notebook-jun-11

satimney wrote:If you're not really into gaming, a dedicated GPU is pointless IMO. I have an ENVY 17 with switchable graphics and I hardly ever use the ATI GPU just because it's a power hog and gets pointlessly warm even sitting idle.

Speaking of the Envy 17 (and Envy 15), what ever happened to those? They seemed really well built and attractive. This brushed aluminum "Envy" DV7 is certainly a big improvement over it's plasticy Pavilion DV7 predecessors, but doesn't look quite as solid as the original HP Envy line that grew out of Voodoo PC. Then again it's also half the price.

kmartind wrote:I was with you up to "no turboboost." What are you talking about? The i7-3630qm turbo-boosts to 3.4GHz, and scores an impressive 7678 on Passmark.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-3630QM+%40+2.40GHz
http://ark.intel.com/products/71459/Intel-Core-i7-3630QM-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_40-GHz
And as you mention, the integrated HD4000 graphics are also quite adequate for anything up to and including light gaming (and faster than a lot of the discreet graphics cards of yesteryear).

As for Windows 8, just load a cheap add-on like Start8 (or one of the free alternatives) and you get your start menu back and can use it almost exactly like you're used to with Windows 7, but newer, and with the option to fiddle with the new Metro interface if you should feel so inclined at some point.

I may have been pre-mature about it not having turbo boost, I saw some of the other HP Envy models with the 3630QM processor...some were feature with the 3.4 GHz turboboost, some weren't featured with it (though it had the same processor) I thought I may have been assuming that all of the 3630QM had turbo boost, and was troubled when that feature wasn't highlighted on the HP site.

I agree the integrated HD4000 graphics isn't something to discount, It is way better then previous integrated GPUs. However, most of the popular games of today are only playable on these laptops(less than $800) on compromised settings (med to low settings)In fact, Hitman: Absolution was rated unplayable for HD4000 because of horrible framerates.

BIGsinner wrote:I may have been pre-mature about it not having turbo boost, I saw some of the other HP Envy models with the 3630QM processor...some were feature with the 3.4 GHz turboboost, some weren't featured with it (though it had the same processor) I thought I may have been assuming that all of the 3630QM had turbo boost, and was troubled when that feature wasn't highlighted on the HP site.

Ah, I guess I can see how it might have looked like not having it enabled on some models was a possibility.
I found the detailed specifications page and it does list "Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.4GHz" there:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c03482865&tmp_task=prodinfoCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=5312233

zyodei wrote:Who the hell doesn't like '92 Camrys? Those are like the best cars ever made...

Have a 92 Corolla with 240000 miles on it..Going to have to change the break in oil one of these days..Which has noting to do with laptops....

BIGsinner wrote:Pros:4-core i7,1080p resolution,12 GB of RAM (little overkill), 1 TB HDD, Bluetooth

Cons:No Turboboost,No dedicated video card, No Blu-ray

I actually went to the HP website, and picked the closest ENVY model laptop I could customize with. Input the specs, and it came out to roughly $1185. Knock off 20% for "refurbished" and you get roughly $950. Woot is undercutting the estimated price by $260. (and I'm not including shipping) So...I would say you're getting a deal regardless. And for you gamers out there, You can play Dead Space 3 on low settings and achieve 60 FPS. (33 FPS on med settings)

The 3630qm DOES have turboboost. The drawback on this one really is the lack of a dedicated graphics card. I've been very thoroughly looking for a 3630qm 17" and for about a hundred more you can get the same specs on a refurbed Dell that includes a GT650m. When I saw the price this morning on this I was hoping this had the same...

This is SO close!

I need to replace my HP HDX-18 at some point. Soon. If this had touchscreen, I'd buy it - fast. I almost think there should be some sort of federal law - if you stick Windows 8 inside a laptop, it MUST have a touchscreen on it. Still, if this laptop had the mediasmart strip across the top of the keyboard, I'd buy it. If it had a graphics card, I'd ... MAYBE buy it.

But I bought a new i7 laptop to replace it just before Christmas for about $260 more than this, and I brought it back to the store within a week. Slower, worse audio, and a downgrade from the hdx-18 in almost every way.

I love seeing the 1080, and the i7 and for once this has a really SOLID price. Microcenter has THIS same computer for $679 - but that's in-store only and that means it would include about $50 in taxes (instead of $5 shipping) IF there was a local Microcenter... but there's not one within 200 miles of me. http://www.microcenter.com/product/408409/ENVY_dv7-7243cl_173_Laptop_Computer_Refurbished_-_Midnight_Black

I thank you, Woot for a solid deal, but... pass this time.

I can't believe the first few comments I read were complaints. I have a similar HP Envy I purchased a year ago for about $1200 locally (new.)

Difference is it was only a 15" laptop but came with the same 1920x1080 resolution that is almost impossible to find these days.

The 12 GB RAM, 1 TB hard Drive, USB 3. and i7 Quad Core is great. BluRay is DEAD. I can't believe anyone cares about it anymore- I haven't watched a movie on a disc in years- it's all streaming or downloaded movies these days.

MY only concern is with HP "Quality" which luckily I have has no problem with yet on my current PC.

If I didn't already blow $200 this week on a 6 ft Teddy Bear I'd probably be buying this one as a second/backup machine.

The lack of a dedicated video card is my only concern but won't be an issue if you're not a gamer IMO.

zyodei wrote:Who the hell doesn't like '92 Camrys? Those are like the best cars ever made...

Buy American man... and I don't mean cars "built" in America where the profits go overseas.

HP is one of the oldest american computing companies around. I have had 3 DV7s and loved them all. I currently went with a DV6 this time around for size and love it.

The size makes this more of a desktop replacement because the i7 is going to eat battery life and the size alone makes it tough to lug around. Nice computer though, and HP is great about provided what you need. They also don't completely overwhelm your computer with bloatware like many others due.

Seems pricey, but the i7 is about as good a mobile processor as you can get. 12GB is huge. Graphics are adequate, but this isn't meant to be a gaming laptop.

If you are looking for a bluray, it is easy enough to add it. You undo one screw and the drive pops right out. I personally wouldn't bother. Are you really going to notice that much of a difference between bluray and DVD at 17"???

Another great thing about HPs is that their service manuals are REALLY easy to find.

Here is the guide for taking it apart and the specs:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/CoreRedirect.jsp?redirectReason=DocIndexPDF&prodSeriesId=5328067&targetPage=http%3A%2F%2Fbizsupport1.austin.hp.com%2Fbc%2Fdocs%2Fsupport%2FSupportManual%2Fc03591253%2Fc03591253.pdf

TheRizz wrote:I've got one of these.
Worst. Laptop. Ever.

It has been nothing but problems for me since I got it. Overheating issues, the sound stutters while playing, random lockups, etc. etc. Overall one of the worst purchases I have ever made.

I feel for you. Never buy Hp anything, they make garbage. The problems with my Hp were basically design flaws and subpar components that could not be fxed. I have heard the newer ivy bridge ones run a little cooler, but in Hp's universe that means really hot vs scorching hot. I literally just bought a new lappy last night on Amazon to replace my 2 year old Dv6. For under a grand I scored a brand new i7, 8gb ram, 1 TB hd, 1080p resolution, and get this 2 X 2gb 650M gpus running in sli

makes these daily deal sites' refurb'd lappies seem like a huge waste of cash. But I guess if Hp tried to shove even one 650M in there it would turn to dust.

HughHemington wrote:12GB RAM for $700?
Now it has "quad-core", but the software is written like such dog meat that it doesn't run a bit faster than a single core with 1GB used to!

Why are we paying a premium to compensate for abysmal software from lazy programmers?

Im thinking this was more true some years ago. But now quad cores tend to turbo boost as high as your single core with 1 gb ram used to be clocked at. Personally I would never recommend a quad core for the average person who just wants to netflix, email and browse the net. It only kills your battery and generates more heat. A higher clocked i5 would probably make more sense for most people.

birdoprey5 wrote:I can't believe the first few comments I read were complaints. I have a similar HP Envy I purchased a year ago for about $1200 locally (new.)

Difference is it was only a 15" laptop but came with the same 1920x1080 resolution that is almost impossible to find these days.

The 12 GB RAM, 1 TB hard Drive, USB 3. and i7 Quad Core is great. BluRay is DEAD. I can't believe anyone cares about it anymore- I haven't watched a movie on a disc in years- it's all streaming or downloaded movies these days.

MY only concern is with HP "Quality" which luckily I have has no problem with yet on my current PC.

If I didn't already blow $200 this week on a 6 ft Teddy Bear I'd probably be buying this one as a second/backup machine.

The lack of a dedicated video card is my only concern but won't be an issue if you're not a gamer IMO.

Your envy didnt have the infamous whine? I had been eyeballin envy's for some years but always the same complaints about high pitch noise and heat. Also, please do tell more about this 6 foot teddy bear...

microcontrolled wrote:Though this HP has good specs for the price, be warned: HP laptops and Intel i7 processors have a history of not getting along. The cheap price comes at the cost of cheap components, and cheap components come at the cost of being unreliable. If you are OK with upgrading your laptop every 2 years, or are willing to risk it, this laptop is a good deal. Otherwise, I would suggest avoiding it.

I very much disagree with your statement above. First of all, I've leased a number (>20 each) of Intel i7 quad-core laptops from both HP and Dell for consulting professionals, and the service records on both sets of machines are pretty similar.

In general, we've been quite pleased with the HP machines, which has caused us to acquire even more.