HP Updates Current Pavilion Notebook PCs, Delays Sandy Bridge Versions

HP's updated Pavilion 15.6-inch dv6 and 17.3-inch dv7 models offer new designs and features, including HD BirghtView displays, optional integrated Blu-ray, built-in quad speakers, and an HP True Vision Webcam. The systems leverage Intel's Core i5 or Core i7 CPU cores from the Intel Sandy Bridge platform alongside an optional AMD Radeon 6000M discrete graphics card.

Each Pavilion notebook includes support for USB 3.0 and the Pavilion dv6 offers up to 1 TB of storage, while the Pavilion dv7 offers up to 2 TB of storage. In addition, both now include HP's CoolSense technology, which includes hardware and software allows users to adjust the cooling level for their systems to their preferences, and BeatsAudio for musicians looking to optimize the quality of digital sound in headphones as well as external speakers.

“HP’s new Pavilion notebooks provide world-class audio, stylish metal and gloss finishes, and advanced cooling technology,” said Stacy Wolff, director of HP's Notebook Design, Personal Systems Group, in a statement. “The result is a line of notebooks that provide the best combination of power, entertainment and style available.”

The Pavilion dv6 and dv7 are now available in a dark umber metal finish borrowed from HP's Envy notebook line. Customers can personalize their existing Pavilion notebooks by downloading exclusive wallpaper designs made by six artists from HP's Facebook page.

HP also updated its G4, G6, and G7 notebooks with HP BrighView and Altec Lansing speakers, as well as SRS Premium Audio. The G-series laptops are available in different colors and patterns intended to fit the user's own personality, HP said.

Meanwhile, HP has pushed back the launch of Sandy Bridge-powered Pavilion dv6 and dv7 notebooks after HP last week stopped making PCs that were affected by Intel's Series 6 "Cougar Point" support chipset for the Sandy Bridge platform.

HP at CES launched several PCs including the Pavilion notebooksand originally planned to release the Pavilion dv6 and dv7 in the U.S. on Feb. 27. The launch of HP notebooks with Sandy Bridge processors has now been pushed back until spring, HP said.

The delay follows Intel's assessment of the fallout from the Cougar Point flaw and subsequent Sandy Bridge recall last week.

Intel said it had identified a circuit design error in the Cougar Point chipset and fixed the problem. Intel said that the error in its Cougar Point chipset will cause SATA ports in some chipsets to degrade over time, affecting the performance of attached SATA hard disks and DVD drives in PCs using Intel’s latest second generation "Sandy Bridge" Core processors.

Intel has corrected the flaw and says it's on schedule to begin offering the fixed chipset to customers in late February, with production reaching full strength in April.

HP stopped making PCs with the affected Intel technology and offered a refund or replacement to customers who had already bought PCs with 6-series chipsets. HP last week also canceled an event scheduled in New York City on Feb. 15 where it was planning to provide briefings on future business laptops.

"Customers can return their affected HP product and choose a comparable product or receive a refund," HP said. "Based on information from Intel, customers can also choose to continue using their product and wait for a forthcoming service solution from HP. We will inform customers when the service solution becomes available."

HP last week said that it will continue to work with Intel as well as HP's retail partners to address the needs of affected customers.

Several OEMs partnering with Intel promptly reacted to Intel's recall by suspending production of systems running Intel's Sandy Bridge Bridge platform.

On Monday, however, Intel resumed Sandy Bridge shipments for systems that had not been affected by the recall. The chipmaker said it made the decision after extensive talks with its OEM partners on the subject.

HP's refreshed Pavilion dv6 is available at a starting price of $749 and its Pavilion dv7 will start at $999. The 14-inch G4 will start at $449. HP has yet to offer pricing for the Sandy Bridge versions of the Pavilion notebooks.

HP's Pavilion g4, g6 and g7 are expected to be available on March 13 in the U.S., starting at $499.99, $449.99 and $599.99, respectively.