Hi, I got my zd8000 in 2005 brand new on HP’s website, and it has served me well until this past year when I noticed little lines starting to appear on the screen. As of this writing, there are six lines with one new line starting to flicker in. I started to research the issue, and I was very surprised to find out that other zd8000 users experienced this problem within twelve months of owning this laptop. I didn’t experience these issues until the 48 month mark.
I’m very much a gamer, having played hardware-demanding games such as Battlefield 2, FarCry, Unreal Tournament 2004, and other mid-2000s games, so this computer has been stressed and overheated multiple times. I realized early on with the zd8000 that cooling was an issue – the first time I played Battlefield 2, the computer shut off due to overheating in the middle of a game. To alleviate the situation, I minimized the number of programs running, purchased a small wire shelf to elevate the laptop, and purchased two fans, one to fit in the PCMCIA slot on the right side of the laptop, and another fan placed underneath the shelf. Between those tasks, frequent dusting, and keeping the laptop in a cool, dust-free area away from the sun, I would say I’ve been fortunate to really maximize the life of my laptop. I’m already looking for a new desktop to replace this one, since I don’t think the screen will last for another three months. Just my $.02.
Submitted by Alan.