The HP Pavilion dv2z is a relatively low-cost 12″ device that comes with a dedicated graphics card. The base configuration of the dv2z comes with a single-core AMD Neo processor and ATI Radeon x1250 graphics with 64MB of memory, but the review unit HP sent over is highly configured with a dual-core AMD Turion 1.6GHz processor, ATI Radeon HD3410 graphics with 512MB of memory and 4GB of RAM.

The Pavilion dv2z I’m reviewing came with an external Blu-ray disc drive, which is a $130 option on build-to-order systems. Watching Blu-ray movies on a 12″ display is less than ideal, but fortunately the dv2z has an HDMI port.

The dual-core processor really livens up the Pavilion dv2z compared to the single-core versions. Multi-tasking becomes a reality and high-def content plays smoother.

In this video I demonstrate how the dv2z can play a Blu-ray disc movie smoothly on my 46″ HDTV while I stream the Daily Show via Hulu.com.

Of course I wouldn’t normally watch two videos at once, but this demonstrates the advantages of having a GPU. The processor utilization bounced between 18% to 38% with just The Dark Night playing on the HDTV, leaving plenty of horsepower for web surfing, running office apps and even watching a second movie full screen.

HP Pavilion dv2z Playing Blu-ray + Streaming Hulu Content is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

The HP Pavilion dv2 is an ultraportable notebook that’s affordable, but has enough graphics muscle that users can enjoy video games and play Blu-ray discs. After toning done the graphics setting, I played Call of Duty Word: World at War at over 30 frames per second and recorded the below video clips.

To achieve the high frame-rate, I had to run it at 640×480 and disable a lot of the game’s special effects.

So far I’ve played World at War for about three hours on the Pavilion dv2 and enjoyed it. Nothing compares to playing games on a proper gaming notebook, but the dv2 is powerful enough to play through current-generation games.

The HP Pavilion dv2 is the first notebook to feature AMD’s Yukon platform, which combines a single-core 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD3410 discrete graphics with 512MB of video memory.

The HP Pavilion dv2 is only availabe in one configuration right now that costs $749.99. More models and custom-configurations will be available in June.

HP Pavilion dv2 Game Demo: Call of Duty World at War is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

AMD sent over an HP Pavilion dv2 for us to evaluate and I wanted to share some photos of it and my first thoughts. The HP Pavilion dv2 fits somewhere between a premium ultraportable and a netbook, sharing some characteristics of each.

Netbooks are all the rage these days, but they’re not for everyone. While they are incredibly affordable and portable, many shoppers are turned off by their small displays, small keyboards and poor graphics performance. The HP Pavilion dv2 resolves those concerns, but there are some trade-offs. HP is selling the first configuration of the dv2 for $749.99.  More versions will be available starting in June.

The Pavilion dv2 is the first notebook that’s based on AMD’s Yukon platform, which combines an Athalon Neo processor with ATI Mobility Radeon HD3410 graphics. The result is a computer that can be used to watch high-definition video and handle some 3D games.

An external Blu-ray disc drive came in the box. There’s an HDMI port on the left side of the dv2 so you can enjoy your Blu-ray discs on your external monitor or HDTV. I watched part of Slumdog Millionaire on my 25″ monitor, but the dv2 really needs all of its resources to playback 1080p content. I watched part of Slumdog Millionaire on the dv2 and it played back smoothly on the built-in display with no other apps running. But video playback stuttered when I launched Internet Explorer and whenever I loaded a new page.

The dv2 weighs less than four pounds and is very thin. The display is especially thin, but surprisingly sturdy since HP opted for a magnesium-alloy lid. The black finish is sleek, but it’s a fingerprint magnet.

HP’s managed to build an affordable ultraportable  that looks clean and classy. Some of the 12″ netbooks and ultraportables in the dv2′s price range don’t have the same level of design sophistication. The black and metallic finish looks nice next to my iPhone.

The dv2 I received came with two batteries. Both share the same plastic case, but one’s a 41Wh 4-cell battery, while the other is a 55Wh 6-cell battery. The dv2 gets less than three hours of runtime with default settings, so it’s a good idea to pick up a spare battery if it’s in your budget.

The dv2 I’m using came with a mobile broadband modem, which can be used with either Verizon’s or AT&T’s 3G service. The SIM card is located at the back of the dv2, just beneath the battery.

The Pavilion dv2 I received came with the following specs:

• AMD Athalon Neo processor for Ultrathin Notebooks MV40 (1.6GHz, 512k L2 Cache)
• 2 GB of RAM (1 dimm)
• Blu-ray ROM, with DVD R/W
• 12.1″ WXGA LED Display
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD3410 graphics w/512MB of dedicated graphics memory
• 802.11n
• Bluetooth
• 5-in-1 memory card reader
• Wireless Broadband (WWAN)

HP Pavilion dv2 Unboxed, First Impressions is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

The HP Pavilion dv2 is finally available for order at HPDirect.com. The HP Pavilion dv2 aims to tackle the most common objections to netbooks by offering a bigger display, roomier keyboard, improved graphics and an external optical drive. The first Pavilion dv2 configuration costs $749.99, but we expect that price to drop in the coming months as rebates and other discounts begin to kick in.

The HP Pavilion dv2-1030us is the first pre-configured model HP is selling online. It comes with a 320GB hard drive, 4GB of RAM and an external DVD-RW drive so you can burn and watch movies. Like all Pavilion dv2 configurations, it comes with AMD’s Athlon Neo processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD3410 graphics.

The HP Pavilion dv2 comes with HDMI and VGA ports so you can easily hook it up to an external display or your HDTV.

Don’t expect it to break any performance records, but it can play back movies smoothly and play some video games.

Kevin Wentzel of HP showed us a pre-production model of the HP Pavilion dv2 a few months ago:

HP Pavilion dv2-1030us Available is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.