At this price point, we consider the performance of the HPE-180 is mediocre. The GTX 260 graphics card is outclassed by the current range of AMD hardware and delivers 15-25fp/s less than a single Radeon HD 5850. The Intel Core i7-860 CPU runs at the stock speed of 2.80GHz, but you get a 4GHz machine if you're prepared to shop around and buy from a less well-known brand than HP.
Power Draw Results
Power Draw in Watts (W)
At first we couldn’t get into the Bios to investigate CPU speed until we discovered that you have to press F1 during POST rather than the usual DEL or F2. The Bios is a major disappointment and offers no options apart from the ability to enable and disable integrated features. There is no control over voltage settings or clock speeds so the only way to get more speed from the Core i7 would be to replace the motherboard.
HP has installed a 1TB 3Gb/s Sata hard drive, which isn't exactly class-leading now 2TB drives are so readily available. And it seems cheapskate for a desktop costing more than a grand.
And that's the real problem here: HP is asking for a lot of money for a pretty PC that doesn't deliver the goods.
Verdict
The Pavilion Elite HPE-180 is packed with good-sounding stuff: Core i7 CPU, Blu-ray drive, lots of memory and storage space. But the whole is less the sum of its parts - and you'll pay a tidy sum for it too. ®
HP Pavilion Elite HPE-180
COMMENTS
I don't know
I don't know why you guys are so negative, if swap out the MOBO and RAM, and then replace the HD, PSU and case you end up with a pretty decent machine.
Elite?
Elite? No tlikely.
If it's anything like my Pavilion Elite m9505f :
- The BIOS is a cut down piece of s***.
- Does NOT support fan control from the motherboard.
- Ships with inadequately cooled, buggy video card.
Mine was one of the "notorious" MSI Geforce 9500 GS (which MSI don't even list on their web-site ... Probably 'cause they're embarassed by it's crap performance and the fact that 99% of the "Mk. 1" cards had to be replaced because of defective fans. The replacement runs WAY too fracking hot.
I will be trying to rebuild my elite into a better tower, but the comment earlier about "customized" connectors doesn't make it sound like a fun rebuild.
Cheers,
CC ("")(>o.o<)("") "O Hai Dere!"
Motherboard
The motherboard is an MSI - quite possibly the dullest MSI that your reviewer has ever seen
Is there a worse grade than "Fail"?
Does this Pavilion Elite share the same Truckee motherboard (Made by Pegatron) as the Pavilion Elite running the I7-920 chip? If so, prepare for frequent and never-ending BSOD's and HP's legendary (not in a good way) customer service. Don't believe me? Google it yourself - Pavilion Elite + Blue screens of death. You're got a LOT of reading ahead of you.
I wouldn't touch the HP Elite series with a 39 1/2 foot pole until they start using Intel mobos in their Elite series. You have been warned.
Wow.
I actually don't understand how they've taken all those parts and managed to make them perform so poorly. Your test system (practically identical to a system I own, just a different make of SSD) is much cheaper to build and outperforms it in every area.
Maybe they used cheapest mobo. and RAM that money can buy?
