Sager NP8690 Review

The Sager NP8690 is a top-end 15.6-inch gaming notebook featuring an Intel Core i7 Extreme processor and Nvidia GTX 280M graphics card. How does the NP8690 measure up to other gaming notebooks? Read on to find out.

Special thanks go out to Justin at XoticPC.com for sending us this unit.

Our Sager NP8690 has the following specifications:

• 15.6-inch 1080p (1920x1080) display with LED backlighting
• Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
• Intel Core i7 920XM processor (2.0GHz/3.2GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB L3 cache)
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M 1GB graphics card
• 8GB DDR3-1333 RAM (2x 4GB)
• 500GB 7200RPM hard drive (Seagate Momentus 7200.4/ST9500420AS)
• Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5300AGN
• Built-in Bluetooth 2.0+ wireless
• 8X DVD burner
• One-year limited warranty
• 3-cell Li-polymer battery (3800mAh/42.18Wh)
• Weight: 7.38 lbs
• Dimensions: 14.75” (W) x 10.0” (D) x 1.65~2.0” (H)
• MSRP: $3,249

The NP8690 starts at $1,704 however there are several very expensive options on our test unit that bring it north of three thousand. The 920XM Extreme processor commands a $755 premium over the base 720QM processor, 8GB of RAM is an additional $485, and Windows 7 Ultimate is $185. The Nvidia GTX 280M video card is standard.

Build and Design
The NP8690 is visually uninspiring and has a traditional rectangular shape based on the Clevo W860CU. This notebook appears to have been designed without any intention of making it physically attractive as the exterior is quite bland. It is unusually thick for a modern notebook at two inches high and looks chunky. The NP8690 is constructed entirely of plastic, which is slightly thicker than what makes up the construction of most consumer notebooks. The visible surfaces of the notebook and the back of the lid are non-reflective dark gray plastic; the non-reflective surfaces are welcome since they do not show fingerprints or dust like glossy plastic. There is only a small amount of glossy plastic on this notebook: the strip above the keyboard and the screen border.

The NP8690 generally exhibits little flex and the chassis is resistant to twisting. The lid is a weak point: it is easy to twist and ripples appear on the screen when pressure is applied from behind. The hinges are reasonably solid though it does not make up for the lack of strength in the lid itself. Fit and finish is good; all parts fit together with even spacing and there are no unfinished or rough edges.

The build quality is acceptable overall, but on a notebook starting close to $2,000 we would like to see some metal alloys used. Of course, the use of plastics helps the NP8690 remain relatively light at only 7.38 pounds. The bland styling is a dual-edged blade; for those that do not care or do not want to be noticed it is a plus, otherwise it can be a deal-breaker.

Screen and Speakers
The NP8690 has a 15.6-inch LED-backlit screen available in two resolutions: 900p (1600x900) and 1080p (1920x1080); our test unit has the latter. The display has a glossy surface which helps bring colors to life but suffers from reflections as a consequence. There is one word to describe this display: beautiful. Brightness and contrast are excellent; watching high definition videos and playing games are very enjoyable. Viewing angles are above average; horizontally they are near perfect, while from above and below the colors progressively wash out and darken, respectively. The NP8690 has one of the better quality displays we have seen on a modern notebook. The higher resolution is also appreciated; it is rare to find notebooks with more than 1000 pixels of vertical space in this day and age.

The NP8690s two speakers are located above the keyboard. They are typical notebook speakers, sounding tinny with little bass. The best way to enjoy audio is using one of the notebook's many audio-out options, including HDMI, S/PDIF, and a headphone jack.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The NP8690 features a full-size keyboard with separate numeric keypad. It has one of the new 'chiclet' or island-style keyboards, where the keys are raised above the keyboard surface and have more-than-usual spacing. The keyboard has no flex unless significant pressure is used and is relatively quiet if typed upon lightly. It has an unsophisticated and plasticky feel, however the direct action of the keys make precision touch-typing possible. The keyboard has a harder feel than some may be used to; it is not rubbery at all. The keyboard is good for gaming since the keys have enough resistance to allow fingers to rest on them without depressing. We liked the key's matte surfaces, which provide better traction than glossy keys.

The downside of this keyboard is the lack of dedicated home, end, page up, and page down keys, which are integrated as secondary functions in the arrow keys. If number lock is disabled they can exist as dedicated keys, but then the functionality of the number pad is lost. Speaking of the number pad, it has an odd three-column layout (as opposed to the standard four-column), however all standard keys are present.

The touchpad has a matte surface which is easy to track on with dry and damp fingers alike. The right side of the touchpad is a scroll zone. The buttons, separated by a fingerprint reader, register with a distinctive click are not loud but not quiet either.

Ports and Features
The NP8690 has an extensive array of input and output ports, including HDMI, DVI-I, and eSATA. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Left Side: 56k modem jack, USB, IEEE 1394 mini-Firewire, 7-in-1 media card reader, optical drive

Right Side: Headphone jack, microphone jack, line in, S/PDIF, USB, ExpressCard/54, eSATA, DVI-I

Back: Vent, Kensington lock slot, HDMI, power, 2x USB, Gigabit Ethernet

Front: Battery status, AC power indicators

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Performance and Benchmarks
The NP8690 has the fastest components available in a notebook including a Core i7 920XM Extreme processor, Nvidia GTX 280M graphics card, 8GB of DDR3-1333 RAM, and a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive.

Wprime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

Crysis gaming benchmark (1600x900 and high settings):

Left 4 Dead 2 benchmark (1920x1080, high settings, and 4X MSAA)

HDTune storage drive performance test:

The GTX 280M graphics card makes short work of modern games, including Crysis. The quad-core Intel i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 500GB 7200RPM hard drive make multitasking and high-end applications a breeze. The Sager NP8690 is one of the very fastest notebooks we have reviewed here at NotebookReview.

Heat and Noise
The cooling system is the foundation of any gaming notebook. The NP8690 has one of the most effective cooling systems we have seen to date. Hot air is exhausted by two large fans through oversized vents on the back of the chassis; the copper heatsinks are visible within. Even under full load for extended periods, the surfaces of this notebook including the bottom do not get more than lukewarm. The noise factor is surprisingly low as well; the fans are audible at idle but unnoticeable. Under full load the fans ramp up but do not have an annoying whine; it mostly sounds like a rush of air. All internal components are kept well within their maximum rated temperatures.

Battery Life
The NP8690 has an unusually small 42Wh battery, which, as configured, yields only 57 minutes of battery life while surfing the Internet with the screen brightness one notch above minimum. The battery functions more like an extended UPS. Even for a gaming notebook, a sub one-hour battery life is abysmal.

Conclusion
The NP8690 is without doubt one of the fastest gaming notebooks on the market. It manages heat well and has a beautiful 1080p screen. We also liked the keyboard and touchpad. The build quality is good but for the price we would have appreciated the use of metal alloys or an alternative. The major downsides of this notebook are its boring design and sub one-hour battery life. For those in the market for a no-frills notebook focused solely on performance, the NP8690 is worthy of consideration.

Pros:

• Very high performance
• Decent build quality
• Beautiful 1080p display
• Good keyboard/touchpad
• Excellent cooling system

Cons:

• Sub one-hour battery life
• Expensive
• Odd keyboard layout

 

Great Review

This is a beast of a laptop

But the short battery life surprises me

Any idea of long the M15x's lasts?

 

From the review : With minimum brightness and “Stealth” low-power mode enabled, I achieved one hour and fifty-five minutes of battery life.

Anyway I think I'm happier with an M860TU, this W860TU just looks like it lost the small bit of portability it had with the previous M860TU. But it still is an awesome laptop

 

i just cant understand why didn't Sager included better battery option in both NP8690 and NP8760.only one hour life is just unacceptable.i have no idea what Sager were thinking.
I mean if it had better battery life then this would have been a perfect laptop having no rival.

 

I want this so badly. I'm glad it doesn't stand out, I wouldn't want it to get stolen. This thing is such a beast. Chaz, it must have been soo much fun reviewing the fastest 15" laptop in the world.
I do wish the battery life was 2 hours though, that's the only thing I don't like about this laptop.

 

Great review! I do wonder though: What resolution was 3dmark06 done at? Also, did you install windows 7 yourself, or did xotic install it and perhaps tweak things a bit? Basically, was there any overclocking done prior to testing?

I'm wondering how much performance hit there would be on the numbers with the 720m and 4 gig of ram (okay, mostly the 720m), I just can't see spending the money on the processor upgrades, the 280m is my main selling point.

 

Never liked Clevo's num pads. But at squeezing the most power into the tiniest places, Clevo can't be beat.

 

We run 3DMark06 on all notebooks at 1280x800. Windows 7 was pre-installed and everything was run at stock clocks. I did update the video drivers to the latest ones on Nvidia's site.

I agree, don't spend the money on the 920XM. Unless you have a very specific and measurable use for a faster processor, it is not worth it. For example, if it takes you three hours to render something with the 720QM and it would take only two hours twenty minutes with the 920XM, if those forty minutes are worth $700+ . . . OK. Over time, maybe, but for $700 you can buy another computer and chain it together with the NP8690 in a render farm.

I've always enjoyed reviewing Sager notebooks, it was good to have the latest ones. I had the NP8690, NP8760, and the Alienware M15x at the same time, they kept my room pretty warm. Fun stuff.

 

One other thing I really like is how good the screen is. That was always my main gripe about high end laptops like the Alienwares. The screens weren't top notch, and this one appears to be (for a notebook at least).

 

Thanks for the review! I can't wait for mine to come in. Ordered the i7 820 and 1080p. I had to pick up my jaw after seeing the i7 Extreme's price upgrade.

 

good review. this is the notebook i have and it is indeed a beast.
just a few comments and questions about the review:

1. it wouldve been nice if the reviewer stated that there is no faster 15 inch notebook on the planet atm. the only notebooks beating the 8690 are 17 inch or bigger dual gpu notebooks.
2. the look is very business-like and for me its perfect in an understated kinda way. as an entrepreneur who loves gaming i would never be caught with an alienware with all those lights.
3. im wondering what the configuration of the 8760 and m17x are that were used in the comparison. the 8760 is almost an exact duplicate of the 8690 in a 17inch form factor afaik. hard to believe that it is performing better than the 8690 with same components.
4. the battery really seems to be the only real con. hopefully sager comes out with a 6-cell replacement in the future
5. xoticpc rocks!!!

 

Thanks Charles, I'm still agonizing between this lappy and a couple of Asus jobs. This one is just soooooo nice.

 

it's actually a fair price . extreme edition cpus are usually sold around $1000.

 

Chaz, I am wondering, how come the M15x with same CPU and lower GPU beats this laptop on benchmarks by 3 seconds on WPrime and 2000 PCMarks considering this one is spec'd higher.

 

Is it possible the Alienware was clocked higher?

 

Both are using the 920XM, and last time I checked you cant overclock those due totheir native overclocking abilities...I could be wrong though...

 

There is some difference between the Alienware and the Sager that is causing those processor performance differences. I would have stated the NP8690 was the fastest 15.6" notebook out there, except it was beat by the M15x in I think all benchmarks. Doesn't make sense, but that's the way it came out and those benchmarks are legitimate - I verified them with a source. Sager is looking into why the benchmarks aren't as high.

The NP8760 had the same configuration as the NP8690 for reference.

 

Well I mean't the Sager is fastest in the world for gaming, which is what a person would use this notebook for in the first place.

 

maybe the alienware got ram with better timing? although i doubt that could increase pcmark by so much.

 

thats is wierd indeed. i wonder what justin w and the rest of the guys at xoticpc have to say. they benched this laptop too and theya re advertising it as the fastest 15.6 laptop in the world.

the wierd thing is the mx15 even beat out the 8760 and mx17 in the cpu tests too and i just performing 400+ points below the 8690,mx17 and 8760 when those notebooks have a 280gtx and the mx15 has a 260. something could be little off here, but then again im no expert...

as for me though im completely satisfied with the 8690 so i really doesnt matter,

 

Another great review Chaz

Was wondering which would you prefer if you're in the market for a Sager gaming laptop? The NP8690 or the NP8760?

 

all i can say is...

FINALLY!!!

 

I was waiting for this for a while.
Great review, we all know it's not the flashiest or thinnest looking 15" laptop around but give me the ability to run every game while keeping all that high performance hardware cool and I'll take that every time.
Only downside I see is the low battery life but c'mon we all know what this laptop is basically made for.
GAMING!
And everyone will have this monster plugged in anyway so I think that point is moot.

 

That's a tough one. I prefer the NP8690 because it's quieter than the NP8760, but I did like that huge 17.3-inch display and dual hard drives on the NP8760 . . . tough choice

 

Think about it this way...a 15" is ALOT easier to carry around in a bag. Like Yoda's. Think about Yoda having to carry around a 17"!

 

L4D never dropped bellow 56 fps...was there even a lot of horde? It sounds too good to be true..and at 1080p too.

 

Yes, I ran many benchmark runs and that was how it played. L4D2 is well-coded.

Yeah, I didn't notice any difference in performance between the NP8690 and the M15x in real-world usage. The NP8690 is definitely a great laptop.

 

although i have the 8690 id say go for the 9760 if you dont mind carrying the extra weight. the larger screen will make better use of the fhd screen.

 

I find that strange. After all, the GTX260M on the AW M15x is not that bad, falling just behind the GTX280M ones.

About PCMark05, and why the M15x beats the larger M17x is due to the faster CPU. But I was truly surprised of it beating the 8690 which has a better config and the larger 8790. Alienware did something very good with their laptop there...

Anyways, thanks for the reply and great review Chaz

 

Sager NP8690 is a great laptop with one of the best cooling system available up to now. Chaz, could you post WEI of the computer? I guess it will be interesting to see how it performs. Thanks in advance.

 

I unfortunately don't have the machine anymore otherwise I would do that for you.

 

for me the wei has never been a good gauge of performance. but to answer your question, the limiting factor would be the disk transfer rate, which should give this machine a wei of 6.3 or lower

 

Great review, have always liked the computer. Still, it doesn't enlighten me the same way the M860TU did. The battery life is unfortunate...and I've never gotten used to 16:9 15.6" screens, but I guess I have to adapt.

All in all though, a great notebook...and probably the notebook I would buy if in the market.

 

100% agree!
If I was in the market again this laptop would definitely be at the very top of the list.......but I cannot justify upgrading from a M860TU.
Installed a QX9300 and performance is not too far behind the NP8690, give me the next generation of GPU's and then it would be a no brainer but till then the M860TU will be more than enough.
Still saying that the urge is there to get the latest and greatest, again great review.

 

True, and I'm sure the M860TU is still a consideration to many potential buyers.

And great review!

 

the truth is there hasnt been any significant gains in the nvidia mobile gpu's after the 8800m gtx. that gpu can run almost anything even three years after its release!

also, games have kinda reached a graphical plateau thanks i think to the effect of consoles. so there isnt a need to constatntly upgrade gpu's like in years before. most of todays desktop gpu's are so overpowered they can run a game in two or three monitors.
sp an m860tu and most other sagers are indeed good considerations

 

Thanks for the heads up! This is a good reminder for the ones who want to settle down on a gaming notebook for few years before buying another one.

 

A good example is the ATI Hemlock. It runs on up 6 screens in theory using Eyefinity and gives strong frame rates.

 

I think the benchmark could be explained by i7 and its thermal budget. As you probably all know, the CPU turbo boost is a significant architecture change with Nehalem. Quoting from Intel's site:

Any of the following can set the upper limit of Intel Turbo Boost Technology on a given workload:

* Number of active cores
* Estimated current consumption
* Estimated power consumption
* Processor temperature


There is a difference between CPU temperature, and laptop surface temperature, put it this way - it doesn't matter how hot the laptop is outside, as long as the temperature detected by the CPU sensors are cool, the turbo boost matches onwards.

Where as the Sager appears to be cool on the outside, internally the heat emmission is less efficient - its CPU rocks over 80 degrees C.

The Alienware uses its metal design on the outside - inheretly it could be superior for cooling, by conducting heat out better; while it may not feel as cool externally, its cos the body acts as a big heat sink. Combine that with its larger form factor, ensures the i7 CPU's turbo bin remains more active for longer.

M15X:

Sager 15.6:

Sager 17.3:


Another thing is, notice how the minimum CPU temperature on Sager is 20 degrees higher than M15X- where as M15X's fan kicks in much earlier, it also probably stays active for longer. All things considered, this allows the same i7 CPU to boost to higher frequency for longer in benchmarks.

Not even the 17 inch Sager could match the pace of M15X, in terms of maximum temperature- this is saying something about the thermal design of the laptops. The 17 inch Sager has got lower minimum, good - but its max temperature is still higher than M15X, something is less effective here.

Which brings us back to the 15.6 inch Sager - why is the minimum temperature that high? is the cooling inadequate? or are there some dark forces at work here?


In the future, with introduction of i7, the performance of laptops won't only be determined by the Raw spec of the components - it will also be influenced heavily by the design of the laptop. Whether accidentally, or intentionally, Alienware got this spot-on (edit:CPU wise). Hopefully Sager could issue a BIO update, allowing the fans to kick-in earlier on i7 laptops; this would directly increase the performance of the laptops.

Otherwise this is still a very valuable lesson for them to learn, cos this they seem to have overlooked the significance of CPU cooling, merely concentrating on stuffing most powerful raw hardware, and the temperature of the laptop outside - without taking into the consideration, the consequences. Good old Sager...

http://www.intel.com/technology/turboboost/

 

i dont think alienware has got it spot on.
if you check the alienware section you will see a multitude of problems with the m17x and m15x ranging from underclocking gpu's ( at stock clocks) to non functioning keys. and if you read through the threads you will see a lot of posts by disgruntled owners since some of these problems have existed in prior models already.
also, as for my personal experience with my 8690, i have had reached those temps maybe once - in a hot room, with no ventilation, playing for an hour, in the philippines. but when i game in normal temperature conditions with ventialtion etc my hw monitor would have max values equal to your ave values.
im no sager fanboy, but i do like pointing out some facts that may be left out. so it seems like the sager is more stable than the AW mx15 but the AW appears to be faster in synthetic testing, as long as its gpu's doesnt throttle.
notebookjournal on the other hand has the sager beating out the mx15.

 

i think that your data is blase and not accurate thus i do not believe this is the reason. i had heard alienware gtx260x going up to 80 + degree.
and correct me if i am wrong . i5 and i7 ??? cpuz version is different ?

 

I think you've misread the charts, there... both the 15.6" Sager and the M15x have minimum temperatures of about 50 degrees. In fact, the Sager actually has a slightly cooler minimum temperature than the M15x, but a few degrees isn't that significant. The "Value" column is the current value of the component, so the Sager's could be high because they just finished stressing it or something, so it hasn't had time to cool off yet. The problem with using the Maximum and Minimum values from Hardware Monitor there is that unless they were run at the same time, and doing exactly the same things on all the computers, the values can and will be different depending on things like ambient temperature, exact programs run, and when Hardware Monitor was started, as Hardware Monitor doesn't usually store results beyond it's current session.

 

Alienware and Sager have different BIOS, the fans will kick on at different speeds as different temperatures. The AW has a lower max temp, perhaps because you're not comparing to a 920XM equipped M15x like you should be

45-80C is not a dangerous temperature range anyway. For either of these laptops to handle 920XM's that well is quite impressive. A bold move for Sager these days, The NP8760 even retains the BIOS overclocking of its predecessor (4x Multi).

Did you notice how much cooler the HDDs are in the Sagers?

 

This is exactly how I feel too. I recently upgraded to the QX9300 and performance is so great in those CPU intensive games and overall system performance is also better.

The only way I would upgrade is if a GPU was released that seriously beat the GTX260M and I am not talking a measly 10% increase either

 

Best of a machine , however I just dont like the looks of it. You can get it in Aus and the Core i7 upgrade is indeed expensive. I am looking for a new laptop as I want to play Battlefield Badcompany2 through my Samsung 46inch LED . my xps1530 8600GT card cant handle the output through HDMI , so when explosions happen I get big black blobs instead. Im thinking a GTX280M will handle nicely. Wanted an Alienware but they only have ATI 4870 in stock at the moment. Any way its been a while since I last posted so hellow again. Have to go now as I have a mine prestart meeting.

 

forge
the 8690 now comes with the option of the ati5870 as the gpu. the good thing is that its faster than the 280m and cheaper even.

 

thanks travel bug , i will have to check the site in aus

Actually here you go with pioneer computers
http://www.pioneercomputers.com.au/products/configure.asp?c1=3&c2=15&id=2916

 

It's also at P4Laptops, an AUS site.