The HP Pavilion dv7 was a model series of laptops manufactured by Hewlett-Packard Company from 2008 to 2012 that featured 16:10 17.0" or 16:9 17.3" diagonal displays. It was produced concurrently with the HP Pavilion dv4 and the HP Pavilion dv5 series, featuring 14.1" and 15.4" displays respectively.
Like most laptops with 17"+ displays at the time, the Pavilion dv7 had room for two hard drives, but most models were only shipped with one drive. If a second hard drive were to be fitted, then a hardware kit consisting of a bracket, connector cable, Mylar shield and screws is required. This is especially important for users trying to add a secondary hard drive, however some pre-configured or build-to-order models did include a secondary hard drive built-in as standard.
The Pavilion dv7 (alongside many others such as the dv2, dv3, dv4, dv5 and dv6) has since been out of production , due to most Pavilion laptops (namely the Pavilion m4, m6, dv6 and dv7 series) being rebranded into the premium HP Envy lineup in 2013.
First models produced alongside the dv5 series, introduced in June 2008 and released in July of that year, replacing the previous HP Pavilion dv9000 series. Display is 17.0" CCFL WXGA+ (1440 ÃÂ 900) or WSXGA+ (1680 ÃÂ 1050).Utilizes the new HP Imprint 2 finish, the successor to the original HP Imprint design from 2006 to 2008, featuring a liquid-metallic design offered in three patterns: Meshy, Intersect, Espresso. All models up to the dv7-3xxx series were shipped with Windows Vista preinstalled.
Models produced alongside the dv6 series, released in 2009. Display sizes changed, using 17.3" LED HD+ (1600 ÃÂ 900) displays with BrightView or flush glass AntiGlare. New look. MediaPlay button was removed from the capacitive board. Uses HP Imprint 2 finish in four patterns: Meshy, Intersect, Expresso, Moonlight.
Very similar to the dv7-1000/2000 models, also released in 2009. Last model to ship with Windows Vista preinstalled; later models were shipped with Windows 7.
Models produced alongside the dv6-3000 series, released in 2010. Completely changed the design and construction, reducing the amount of gadget link found in previous models. This includes the removal of the ExpressCard slot, remote control, capacitive board, built-in TV tuner, and PCI expansion port 3 found in previous models, and the ports located on the left side of the laptop are reduced as a result of this. HP Imprint 2 was discontinued in favor of a completely new design featuring a combination of aluminum and plastic materials, using a brushed metal finish with metal etchings instead of a glossy finish with inlaid graphics. This new design and construction was also shared with other HP Pavilion laptops of the time such as the 14.1" dm4 series of laptops. Introduced island keyboard and "ClickPad" touchpad without buttons. A new motherboard and cooling system was also developed. Switchable graphics was introduced. All models were shipped with Windows 7 onwards.
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Released in 2011. Display is 17.3" LED HD+ (1600 x 900) BrightView or FullHD (1920 ÃÂ 1080) AntiGlare. New look. Backlit touchpad with mechanical switch. Quad speakers and subwoofer. eSATA combo port was removed.
Released in 2012. Last Pavilion model in the dv7 series. Some design changes. Quad speakers (two in the lid) and subwoofer. Supported III-generation Intel Core processors and mSATA SSD drive. Later supported two USB 3.0 ports but the second headphone jack was removed. Early models were sold with Windows 7; later models were sold with Windows 8.
All Pavilion laptops were rebranded as ENVY in 2013 and sold with Windows 8 as the OS. The motherboard was also changed and new CPUs were added. Other specifications remain the same as the previous Pavilion dv7-7000/7100 series notebooks.
In 2015, HP released a new series of HP Envy Laptops including the dv3, dv5 and dv7 models. The models featured a new case design, fingerprint sensor, a lifted hinge, Bang and Olufsen speakers and new Intel Core i processors based on the Skylake architecture. These new models came with Windows 10 preinstalled.