[Review] HTWingNut Review of Sager NP8268 / Clevo P150SM-A

The panel is fairly easy to swap out if you want to get a different type.

 

It's not a huge issue to me, but I agree that the screen seems grainy and "fuzzy". I got the default screen.

 

Guys did you customize your ICC profiles? It might probably help?

 

It won't help with the diffusion % of the matte layer.

 

Because it certainly helped with my sager screen.

 

It might have helped colour levels but the icc profiles don't impact the grain of the image caused by the matte layer.

 

Its interesting.. I only see this grainyness at lowest levels but at 10% above brightness, i dont see it anymore in my screen.

 

So on this machine, Windows sets things to 125% zoom by default. Setting it to 100% zoom makes things a lot clearer.

If anyone is looking for this setting, you can pull up the Windows search tab and type "Make Text and other items smaller or larger"

 

I couldn't get rid of the somewhat noticeable faint vertical lines on my screen, but calibrating the gamma seemed to have solved the horrible colors of the screen. At least for now

 

Shootout: y50's superawful screen vs sager's default screen..... who wins??

 

It helped a little, but it's much more straining to have such small text. Thanks anyway! I wish the panel wasn't so grainy. If you have some recommended changes to the ICC profile I'll take them! I played around but didn't have much success.

 

icc profiles wont change the grain much if any, just how colors are displayed. But it wont hurt to try. There should be several different ones built into Windows already.

 

To get rid of the grain, you'll need to get a better monitor. I believe the 95 NTSC monitor has a better build quality as well.

 

I also recently purchased a Sager NP8268-S (Clevo P150SM-A) as semi-forced upgrade after my old laptops GPU started failing. My old machine was Sager NP8150 / Clevo P150HM w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut screen and i immediately noticed that the panel on the new machine was not quite right.

As others have stated the default panel on the NP8268 has a very grainy, not as bright, almost frosted window look. Even at max brightness the new panel is nowhere near as bright/clear/crisp as my old panel. The effect is very distracting and is currently the only negative thing i can point out of my build (even windows 8.1 has started to grow on me!).

I wish i could somehow switch panels without voiding the warranty. I honestly thought my panel was defective in some way but after reading through this thread i am saddened to realize that the quality of the screen is just sub par when compared to past screens.

I will try to take some side-by-side pictures when i get a chance. The AMD6990m on my old NP8150 died and is currently displaying vertical artifacts and refuses to boot unless i use standard VGA drivers at 1400x1050. Even at non-native resolution the old panel is brighter, cleaner and crispier than what i am seeing in the NP8268's screen.

 

I assure you that sealing out the panel is worth it. I would do it if I had the chance. And yes, I think then two are compatible.

 

It's a decent upgrade, you could ask your reseller if they are happy with you doing that or if you could send it in and have it done.

 

Anyone have any issues with the screen dimming on its own when switching between a window that is very dark (like photoshop) and very bright (like going to google.com)? I thought it was "Adaptive Brightness" in power settings but that doesn't seem to fix it. Anyone know what I am talking about?

 

Have you checked the intel driver settings? It's a feature in there I believe.

 

Major kudos for the initial review, HTWingNut! Just placed my order with Xotic for the NP8268-S, sticking with the stock configuration. The latest discussion on the "graininess" of the screen has me a bit nervous, but there's only one way to find out if it will be acceptable.

Still, I'm excited to be joining the Sager family!

 

I've loved by 8268-s since ordering it with Xotic BUT man is the graininess a source of eye fatigue. It's the only thing really grinding my gears right now. There is no option either for the 95% matte either so I'm kind of not sure what to do. How can you enjoy a $1900 laptop when it's got a grainy layer on the surface. Very distracting!

 

There are replacement panel options so you are best calling a reseller before ordering and discussing which panel is best for you.

 

I just finished switching out the NP8268-S default screen ( B156HTN01.0 Datasheet download - Panelook.com) for my old laptops 95% Color Gamut screen ( B156HW01 V4 Datasheet download - Panelook.com) and the difference is night and day.

The graining is gone, the brightness is back and the color depth is amazing. Colors pop out of the screen and every image has a crispyness that just wasn't there with the default screen. Hell even the tile colors in Win 8.1 are now something i like to see.

For anyone still on the bench i highly recommend switching over to a 95% Color Gamut screen. The original screen was just a constant distraction.

I hope this feedback reaches Sager and they start offering alternate screens on their builds.

 

By default screen you mean 1080p screen right?
I'm thinking about picking up the Eurocom M4 from best buy or future shop in Canada.
EUROCOM M4 13.3" Gaming Laptop-Black/Gray (Intel Core i5-4210M/500GB HDD/8GB RAM/Windows 8)-English : Gaming Laptops - Future Shop

 

The 13.3" panels will be different to the 15.6" panels.

Sager used to offer the 95% panel but the line is being retired by the manufacturer.

 

got a great machine because of this review.

thanks

 

"Good luck" seems so cliche, so I hope you are able to figure out a satisfactory resolution. I'll be sure to report my thoughts on the screen when it arrives.

 

Hello everyone,

I am considering the Sager NP8268 for the following: (After Effects CC, other Adobe CC programs, Sony Vegas Pro, and Fraps Recording Software) as well as light gaming. I am planning on getting the model with the Nvidia Quadro K1100m, so keep in mind that gaming is not my main priority for this workstation.

I have a few questions:

1. Is the fan loud? Anything other than a silent-quiet fan is a deal breaker.
2. How is build quality, in other words, can it last 5+ years under daily use?
3. How is rendering and video editing? Does it crash?

If you own a model with the Quadro, your response is very much appreciated.

Anything else I should worry about? Feedback is always helpful!

 

1. The fan should be fairly quiet since the K1100M is a low end chip.
2. If it's taken care of and not thrown around then yes.
3. It's perfectly stable, just make sure the programs you use are happy with optimus.

 

Is there any reliable place to buy higher capacity 220W+ PSU and compatible adapter? @ ebay i found parts listed below.

Genuine DELL 240W DELTA AC Adapter Charger Power Supply PA-9E UK Cable J211H | eBay

X75 Power Connector - 7.4 x 5.08mm Female Jack to 5.5 x 2.5mm Male Plug | eBay

 

So long as the PSU is a genuine unit and the seller has good feedback it gives you the best chance.

 

Power adapter seller have 45000+ feedback with 99.8% positive rate.

I'm going to purchase it today. do you know the quality of the X75 adapter? photos looking good, but like to know user feedback.

 

Two makers, flextronics and delta, the delta is the better unit though the flextronics works.

 

I checked your link. Are you using this screen ? New AU Optronics 15 6 Full HD LED LCD Screen for B156HW01 V 4 Compatible Screen | eBay
I'm getting my NP8268S tomorrow. Now I'm worried about the screen lol

 

Higher quality components?

 

I have actually been to a Flextronics manufacturing facility. Can't talk about what we were doing though. I can say it was over a year ago and had nothing to do with nVidia.

 

PCB layout and components along with QA.

 

@Meaker for someone who has taken things apart before but doesn't have soldering experience would you recommend doing the monitor work yourself? I don't like the idea of paying for labor plus shipping both ways. I'm thinking about buying the 95% NTSC display outright?

They don't have a 1920x1200 display yet for this build do they?

 

So long as you take the time and careful it requires no special skills.

 

Does anyone who own an NP8268 use it in clamshell mode hooked up to external monitors ? I've been using the Thinkpad W series and a docking station almost exclusively for the past 10 years and am used to this setuo.

I just bought an Np8268-S and was wondering what my options are as far as docking or operating it in that mode.

 

It will heat up a bit since the system draws air from the keyboard area but it should still be able to run in that state.

You can either keep it closed or open it and shut off the internal display while keeping the lid open.

 

I'm considering an np8268 (non "-s") vs an np7358. If I were to get the 8268 with an 860m (4gb), would that provide better battery life? Would it be the maxwell architecture as opposed to the kepler that the 880m runs?

Also, comparing wingnut's review of the the 7338 to the 8268 as far as cooling is interesting...the cpu in the 8268 stays way cooler but the gpu gets way hotter. What makes the cpu cooling so different in the 8268? Would an 8268 with an 860m achieve the same low gpu temperatures as the 7338?

Thanks for your help!

 

Very good reasons for the differences.

1. The NP8268 has a split cooling system, the CPU and GPU get their own heatsinks and fan while the np7358 shares the cpu and GPU on a single heatsink meaning that the temperatures are higher.
2. The 860M in the NP8268 is kepler based while the NP7358 uses maxwell. The maxwell design is the latest architecture so runs cooler. The NP8268 uses a more robust cooler and since the kepler 860M is physically the same as the 870M and 880M that the model can ship with it allows the same heatsink to be used across all variants.

 

Yes I did. The "display power saving technology" option is only available in the "on battery" tab in Intel Graphics Control Panel. Changing it has no affect when being plugged in. Which is really annoying because this feature SUCKS for photoshop.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

I just ordered the exact same configuration.It's great to hear you're having such a positive experience with it.

I wish I knew about the discount for nbr member... Even if I only registered the day before ordered it!

 

Well you know for next time

 

Just got the NP8268-S from LPC-Digital. Got it with 24GB RAM, 2 Crucial M5 120GB SSDs, 1TB 5400rpm, and BD Writer and drive caddy. Great machine. The power brick is one big thing.

 

Is the default screen that bad? I've just asked my ProStar P153SM-AS and now i'm a bit worried about the screen quality comments.

 

I have no issuea with screen. I am coming from a Thinkpad T500 FHD non-LED matte screen though so for me the 8268's screen is a big improvement.

 

The stock screen can change depending on stock levels but none of them are lemons.

 

Okay, guess i'll need to wait and make my conclusions when the notebook arrive.