HP Pavilion Laptop Hinge Issues
In our short time in business, we have encountered multiple HP Pavilion Laptops with the same problem: broken hinges, or more specifically, broken hinge mounts. These issues have ranged from cracking the case and blocking the power jack, to causing a floppy screen and broken case, to barely hanging on and working. All of these laptops have been Model 17 laptops, ranging in age from one to five years old. This is a serious design flaw that you should be aware of.
The hinges are attached using brass (or a brass-like metal) inserts that are embedded in the plastic of the case. However, the plastic is not reinforced sufficiently, and these inserts can rip out of the plastic or cause the plastic to break entirely, making it impossible to just glue them back into place. On the case side, there are three of these mounts and screws. This design makes little sense, as there is already a piece of sheet metal and one of the screws on each side does go through the metal and into the insert. If the other two screws did the same, the problem may not exist.
If you own an HP Pavilion laptop from the past few years, be careful when opening and closing your laptop. If you can, pinch the area above the keyboard by the hinges when opening and closing the screen. The hinges are fairly stiff, which causes a lot of flex in the plastic of the case, leading to the tear-out and subsequent cracking of the top (keyboard) side of the case. Once all three screws on a hinge are gone, there is nothing really holding the screen to the case, which puts a lot of strain on either the wires for your Wi-Fi (whose antenna is actually in the screen surround) or the display cable that powers the screen – both of which you don’t want to break.
Unfortunately, the repair for this issue is to replace the top part of the case, which is expensive compared to the value of the computer a lot of the time. The cost can range from about $150 to $200, as you have to remove every component from your old case and reassemble the computer in the new one, which takes about an hour or so. The parts also vary in price, model to model and color to color, if you want to keep the same color match.
If you already own one of these laptops, take care of it. If you’re in the market for a new laptop, there are many options now that utilize aluminum and magnesium alloy chassis, which are more resistant to this type of issue. These metal chassis are generally more durable overall, although they can be dented and bent out of shape if you are too rough with them. Plastic will usually resist these kinds of things – to a certain degree – but it can snap, crack, and chip. Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft, MSI, and others all have metal chassis laptops that are worth checking out.
If you need help choosing a laptop that meets your needs, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We can help you find a laptop that will work for you.
There’s Always a New Generation
Are you putting off getting a new computer because you’re waiting to see what the next generation of CPU performance looks like? Waiting for the new Nvidia GPU benchmarks to be released? One of the things that you need to understand – and accept – is that as soon as you buy a new computer, it’s already outdated. This has been the case for as long as people have been buying personal computers.
One thing that has improved over the past decade is that the overhead to run Windows hasn’t really increased all that much. If you’re running on the 4th Generation of Intel Core and using the fastest CPU your motherboard can take, your system is probably still running day to day quite smoothly. Just upgrading your GPU is enough for your games at pretty decent settings. If you’re more than a couple generations back you can get some of the highest end CPUs of those generations off Ebay for $150 or even less and squeeze a little more time out of your system.
Today (fall 2022) we are in a unique position in regard to which platform to choose if you require a platform upgrade. There are multiple strategies you can take and it really depends on what type of user you are. Are you playing the latest AAA games? Editing Ultra High Definition video? Just a web surfer, Netflix and YouTube watcher?
On one hand you have Intel releasing their 13th Generation CPUs that use the existing LGA1700 socket and are compatible with the same boards as 12th Generation. On the other hand you have AMD releasing the Ryzen 7000 Series which uses the brand new AM5 socket. With Intel, the 13th is going to be the last generation on the LGA1700 Socket. With AMD, the Ryzen 7000 Series is the first generation to be on the AM5 socket with the likelihood of at least two more generations to come. Both CPUs move up to using DDR5 memory, AMD required and Intel optional.
So what should you buy when looking for a new computer? That’s going to depend on what you’re using it for as well how frequently you intend to replace your computer. Are you the kind of person to upgrade every year or two or do you run your system for 5 or more years before replacing it? If you’re planning on upgrading frequently then choosing AM5 is the way to go; AM5 is going to have two more generations of CPUs – maybe more – that you’ll be able to upgrade to without needing to upgrade anything else (except, perhaps, the optional GPU). This, of course, will come at a premium since you’d be adopting a new platform. If you’re not planning on updating for at least 5 years then choosing Intel will save you money now to get the same performance for a lower price (if you choose their higher-end product). You can save even more if you purchase a mid-range Intel CPU – such as the12600K model – and then upgrade to a 13900K model in 3 years for around $200. This inexpensive upgrade will allow you to benefit from a huge uplift in performance so you can enjoy your rig longer. You then choose to upgrade to a Z790 motherboard and DDR5 memory when prices come down for another sizable uplift.
Regardless of which way you decide to go, just make a choice. Don’t be overly concerned about making the right choice. If you want a new computer, get a new computer. Don’t worry about what’s coming out tomorrow because something is ALWAYS going to be something coming out tomorrow. Make your decision and enjoy what you can today.
