Sager NP5125 Review Discussion

Notebooks with high-resolution screens priced below $1,000 are hard to come by. Sager's latest mid-range notebook, the NP5125, has a full HD 1080p display, Nvidia Optimus technology, and Intel Core i5/i7 processors. Here's our take.

Read the full content of this Article: Sager NP5125 Review

 

Charles, do you know how the quality of this machine compares to the Compal NBLB2? They are very similar in price, performance and that full HD 1080p 15.6" display.

 

Why was it given such a low price/value score? I can't find anything else on the market that has such a nice feature set & performance for so cheap. It was even highlighted as an important plus for this laptop in the review.

Also, I'm not sure if you opened up your NP5125 or not, but this thing has amazing upgrading capabilities. Full, no-hassle access to the CPU/HDD/RAM and optical drive and your warranty isn't even voided if you change anything! I've had particularly bad experiences upgrading Dells/HPs/etc... in the past and this thing is much easier to deal with.

More considerations:
-Better battery pack is now STANDARD.
-NP5125 also doesn't come with bloat-ware
-This laptop's components can customized via Sager & resellers at reasonable costs; it can even be ordered bare-bone from some retailers.

But still: thanks for the review!!

Edit: Anyone interested in this laptop may want to check out the owner's lounge here: Owner's Lounge

Here are the most popular configurations (by flip4life):

The most popular (and cheapest) places to buy seem to be XoticPC and PowerNotebooks.

A few notes from the lounge: (correct me if I'm wrong)
-We all agree the speakers suck
-Optimus has some trouble with PunkBuster/EvenBalance (PunkBuster's fault)
-Web cam isn't great quality
-Some people have been having fan & heat issues (though many others report theirs is just fine)
-Most people really like the 1080p screen (some thought it was too high res for a 15.6")
-Good reports on the Intel 6300 optional wireless chip (3 antannas for $35, I'd highly recommend)
-Despite what the review mentions, their have numerous good reports on the NP5125's durability & build quality
-Plenty of bickering over hybrid vs. HDD vs. SSD
-Much, much more (120+ pages...)

 

For what it's worth, here's my take:
-No USB 3.0
-No eSata
-Slightly heavier and thicker
-No Optimus
+Better speakers
+Radeon HD 5650 > GeForce GT 330M
+More CPU options (up to i7-840)
-No option for Intell 6300 wireless chip (very good reception!)
+Power USB button (toggle USB power, charge your phone with notebook off!)

For me eSata or USB 3.0 was really important because that can potentially give you unlimited storage options. I expect to see many more USB 3.0 products in the near future (it is up to 10x faster then USB 2.0.) Also, I really like Optimus.

(Sager also has the NP2180 which is built on the NBLB2 chassis.)

 

Great review! Anyone know the contrast ratio/nits of the FHD screen thanks!

 

Nice review. I was wondering why it costs less with such tempting configuration and the answer is poor build quality, cheap plastic, below average speakers, flex on display panel, etc ...

Though it has a brilliant 1080p FHD screen, I think Dell Studio 1558 or upcoming Asus N53JN both with a FHD screen will be a better choice under $1000, than this.

 

Thanks for the compliments.

I think this is one of the better values under $1,000. Still, the quality of the build materials is subpar which prevents me from giving it my full recommendation. If you want a better-quality 15.6" notebook, look at the Sager NP8690. Of course, that is more expensive . . . $1,500+.

I unfortunately don't have any experience with that notebook.

 

Seems its worth to wait couple of months when sandy bridge equipped laptops will hit the market

 

In the cons section of the review you forgot to add the camera unfortunatelly.

 

I returned my NP7110 whioch is the big brother of that unit (same specs but 17 inch screen). Fans were starting at 40C and the unit would not come down below that once it reached that temp, meaning fans were running all the time, which was way too bothersome (especialy given the cheap speakers). If anyone has an idea for similar good machine but more silent, please let me know.

 

When did this unit come out? The review is dated Sept 2010, and the Sager website says it is already discontinued!? ARGH

 

They haven't discontinued it, just updated it -- it's now called the NP5135 and comes with an updated graphics card.