[Review] Sager NP8651 / Clevo P650SE with GTX 970m HTWingNut's REVIEW

I dont think the starting temp had anything to do with it. Its normal for the score to slightly fluctuate.

 

Trust me this fluctuation is nothing.. XTU's built in bench causes such random scores for me..

 

word! xtu bench is total crap if u ask me, random scores all the way

 

The GPU might slow down a little, the controller chip is aware of temperature, voltages, frequencies etc. and uses it all to regulate the TDP.

Hotter chips draw more power so it may slow down the GPU a little but clock reporting would show this. If not then yes run variation easily explains small changes like that.

 

Quick question, does this notebook support UEFI booting?

Not a big deal, but the faster boots are nice.

 

It does. No Problem with UEFI.

 

Dpes this seem like too little paste on GPU repaste?

 

I've done a few, what kind of paste you using? Some of the thicker, harder to spread ones like ICD, I'd use a touch more. You can always lift to check your results, just remember you have to clean it off and try again Because it's a circle on a square, you're going to naturally have some go slightly over the edges in order to get coverage on the whole thing.

Also, make sure to put the black shield back on before re-installing the heatsink -- that's there to prevent any unintentional contact I believe. (Probably not likely with how far those are recessed, but I always keep it on-- figure its there for a reason)

 

A notebook check .net review of this chassis from Schenker that they received with a 150W adapter said they were experiencing throttling due to lack of power, but that was with a i7-4870HQ:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Clevo-P651SE-Schenker-XMG-P505-Barebones-Notebook-Review.127978.0.html

With an i7-4710, a little undervolting, a single M.2 SSD and seeing the power draw numbers all dancing right around <150W in Wingnuts Page#1, I'm super curious if say, a Razer 150W adapter would hold this thing.

The deal breaker on this laptop for me is the 2.1 pound power adapter, no question; it makes it impractical to travel with. Someone chime in if you've gotten it to power with something smaller.

 

Seems about right. Is it gelid extreme?

BTW, troubleshooting my HDMI audio issues which ended up being my receiver I ended up repasting because I thought there might be a cable or ribbon from GPU. My last paste job looked real good on both CPU and GPU. Had only slight jelly rolls coming out the sides. I used a little less last night. It seems to have my temps on both CPU and GPU by 2*. On fallout new Vegas I'm not hitting 70* at all on CPU and max temp on GPU is 56*. Boinc is maxing out at 60* instead of 61*. What does this all mean? My fans are spinning lower so I'm not hearing them at all in fallout and rarely on boinc. Very happy with the repaste.

 

You won't see many people at more than 500 plus memory clocks. The Samsung chips top out at around 1450-1475 and need voltage boosts to go much further.

 

@pukemon
@Lauski

Gelid GC Extreme

First time I tested with a smaller dot and didn't get coverage on the corners...just got a perfect circle barely spilling over.

Second time I used the amount in the picture (you can't see it but it's a "high" dot) but I still have a feeling it's too litlle.

Temps have dropped a wee bit (arround 2 degrees) but I expected more.

I understand there isn't really a curing time on Gelid...is there?

 

Modern pastes don't need to cure no.

 

My first paste was good. Barely any jelly rolls out the sides of both dies. I used a little bit less my second time and am getting better temps. No, gelid doesn't need an cure time but it seems temps drop 1* after some burning in. Not saying it is curig and performing better but from both paste jobs it seems to be the case. And again, a little too Mich is better than not enough. You really have to overdo it to get worse results.

 

Yes, you need to have enough to cover the entire die, so a little extra wont' hurt.

 

Is it even possible to have a memory voltage boost on mobile GPUs?

For repasting GPU, make sure the entire die is covered with paste so a bit more!

 

You have to modify the hardware itself since it's not a software programmable value.

 

confirmed in my case, tops out at +510 mhz

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Thanks for the answers guys.

I'll repaste in a few days when I get my SSD

 

I really want to buy a razer blade 150w charger but they do not list polarity. Does anybody know? Also, even if the 150w adapter cannot handle it, will it cause the laptop the break or wear down more or will it just throttle?

 

Ok, I ordered a tube of Gelid GC-Extreme, and it should be here later today.

For repasting the CPU and GPU, what method would you guys recommend with this paste? I have done some reading, and there is a lot of different ideas out there, but the best method seems to depend on the type of paste (GC-Extreme is apparently pretty thick) and the mounting pressure (low in this case because laptop + stock Intel heatsink).


As for the adaptor, a 150W adaptor will probably cause throttling under heavy load. I doubt it would do any damage, but I would definitely keep the standard charger for when you are gaming or otherwise putting a heavy load on your computer. But if you only intend to be doing relatively light work while traveling, a smaller 150W adaptor should be fine.

 

@Delta_V put the tube of GC-Extreme in a Zip-lock bag and let it sit in a cup of boiled water for a few minutes to soften up the paste. When applying, put a line of paste on the CPU die and a pea-sized ball on the GPU die. Without any manual spreading, reattach the heatsink.

 

Thanks for the response. So the computer is able to detect max draw of a PSU and throttle to a necessary extent? It seems htwinghut measurements of watts from the plug seems to show 150 watt adapter would manage.

 

It's more like it'll attempt to draw and when it doesn't get what it wants, throttling just happens since the adapter isn't providing enough current to the system. But you're right, everything we've seen mentioned so far looks like there's a chance it could work.

I do not know about the polarity as it relates to this machine, but I can tell you the polarity matched my old Sager NP8130 which came with a 19V 120W adapter. It's on that machine I have used the Razer Blade 2015 adapter without issue.

 

@Octicepts, thanks. That seemed to be the most common suggestion for most pastes, but GC-Extreme is thicker than most, so I wasn't sure if it was still the best method for laptops. I'll give that a try later today.

No, it won't detect what kind of charger you have. The laptop will just try to draw however much power it needs. But as long as you are doing something that is using the integrated graphics, instead of the NVIDIA, you will stay *well* below 150W. The whole point of Optimus is to switch off the dedicated graphics when they are not needed to reduce power consumption; this was meant to increase battery life, but of course also works when you are plugged in. Even if the discrete graphics are active, unless you are putting the CPU and GPU under load simultaneously, you should be ok. But if you're playing a game or running software that really pushes both your CPU and GPU

 

It works fine for ICD which is just as hard if not harder

 

Any chance u have a pic of the 19V 120W adapter?

 

I can do that. Even have some digital calipers. I've been wanting to compare to the P650se, this will help us both out. Give me ~a day to get a hold of it and measure.

 

If you're looking for a smaller charger for mobility purposes, I've verified that the Lenovo IdeaPad 120W charger works perfectly fine with my P650SG. It's half the size and weight of the Clevo 180W brick. The tip is identical, 5.5mm x 2.5mm barrel, so it plugs directly in, no adapter needed. It's 19.5V output voltage instead of 19V like the Clevo brick, but the back of my P650SG says it takes both 19V and 19.5V, so nothing to worry about.

 

Here it is: 5.5mm OD, 2.5mm ID, 10mm Depth. Remember, this is from an old NP8130 on which I can successfully use the Razer Blade 2015 150W adapter.
(I too am still curious about the NP8651)

 

Delta simpler suggestion IMO is to put your paste tube in a cup of warm water ( the bottom of the tube) and hold it there for 5 mins and then apply paste.. Works for me with IC Diamond and you don't need to remove the paste from the tube etc...

 

I actually did the repaste last night, and didn't need to do any of that. My tube of GC-Extreme ended up being thin enough that I was able to use straight out of the package. Since this was my first time doing a repaste, I put a line on my CPU and a dot on my GPU, then pulled them both off to check. The CPU was fine, so I just cleaned it back off and reapplied it the same way. The GPU, on the other hand, didn't have enough the first few tries. What I have on there now still might not be perfect, but my GPU temps stay below 60C in the Valley benchmark on Ultra, so who cares? It's not like the GPU temps were even relevant to begin with.

But the CPU temps were shocking. Even with a 60mV undervolt, I was hitting 99C in the XTU stress test. After the repaste, my temps are around 82C in the same test.

 

Thanks! Sorry I forgot to say I wanted pictures of the specs on the adapter (there should be a picture of the polarity alongside the Voltage and Ampere) but this is still good info! The NP8651 should have the same barrel connector(I didn't measure it exactly yet) . Like this (My Eurocom m5 Pro):

 

What is your cpu and how long did you do the intel XTU test? I got max 91 degree celsius in 10 minutes but eurocom does apply IC Diamond on all their machines... I have a I7-4720HQ and I didnt try undervolting yet but I think I should be concerned.

Edit: undervolting by 50 mv allowed me to drop it by 5 degree celsius to 85 degree celsius

 

AFAIK all recent clevo machines are negative on the outer barrel and positive internally.

 

Yeah i believe so to. On a side note, i dont know how htwinghut got 55 degree celsius in shadow of mordor I get 62 I think the IC Diamond applied by Eurocom didnt do much.

 

That's how it is in the Np8130 (which works with razer blade adapter). I also double checked each physically with a multimeter before plugging.

19V, 6.3A, 120w. Funny it weighs twice the razer blade, too

 

Alright thanks! So data point: razer blade 150W adapter is negative on the outer barrel and positive internally. Very useful info for people who are thinking of undervolting. I'm pretty sure XMG offered 150W adapter for the P650SE?

 

Yes. A 150W was sent in their notebook sample sent to notebookcheck.net in the review I linked above. It didn't have enough to power the system adequately per the claims of the review, but as I hinted at above there are several things warranting someone with one of these systems actually trying on the current, P650SE:

• They had tested with a beefier processor
• You could try testing with just an mSata or Pci-E HD and remove the spinner
• Different screen could use different power
• Undervolting like you said, could help
• Their exceeding the power adapter was during their stress tests-- if it holds during games and all normal uses-- then it'd be good!

 

the machine should be completely fine at stock in regular usage scenarios with a 150W psu. i just wouldnt recommend doing stuff like running prime95 + furmark in parallel for hours on end or overclock/overvolt the crap outta your components

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

For those not too bothered about their warranty I have posted up guides in the past to use any suitable brick in terms of voltage and amp rating no matter the stock cable

 

How is everyone's p650se with the 970m doing in terms of GPU temps on ultra? On Shadow of Mordor on ultra I'm getting 62-63 degree celsius. I have a i7-4720hq as a CPU. I don't know how htwinghut is getting 55 degree celsius especially with stock paste.

 

Laptop cooling pad? Undervolting the CPU? 62-63 degrees is still pretty cool, shouldn't give you any problems

 

Yeah, after repasting my CPU+GPU (which I don't think did a whole lot to GPU temps, although it dropped my CPU temps by >15C), if I use a cooling pad, I can't make my 970M break 56C. W/out the cooling pad, I think it's around 60C, but I always have the cooling pad hooked up when gaming since it puts the laptop at a more convenient height on my desk. For reference, I am using one of these from Targus, but it is 5 years old at this point, and I don't think the fans move much air anymore, although they *do* line up very nicely with the fan vents on this laptop. As a bonus, the cloth base and incline make it very nice for using on your lap.

 

I played a lot on this notebook using stock setup and paste, no IC diamond nor OC. Temps I get max when playing is 75C max on GPU and CPU is 90C max even with cooling pad under it. I'm bit concern on the CPU. I guess CPU should have been a dual fan setup too. Do you guys think my temps are too high and needs a repaste for IC Diamond or else better?
I regret not paying IC Diamond when I ordered it, just really don't like opening a new notebook for repasting...

 

repasting is not a big deal though, consider it as an oil exchange, also need to do that with a brand new car at some point

 

Right. Especially with these Clevos. It's very simple. I'll do a video on repaying this laptop if I haven't already. Can't remember LOL.

 

Today I did something I'm not supposed to.... :/

I'm trying to make sense on a sort of mod suggested before if it is possible to fit a 7mm ssd + 9.5mm 2tb hdd into NP8651 drive bay. Others once said it might work without the SSD's casing and just use the bare SSD w/ it's PCB. Well we all know only two 7mm drives or one 9.5mm drive can fit into the hdd bays for NP8651 unlike the it's elder brother xx52.

I don't have any latest model SSD to try on so I just used my old G.Skil Phoenix Pro 120gb SSD, no more warranty since I bought this way back year 2010 if I remember it right.
Silly but I thought it would actually fit in side by side with my 2tb drive since I was able to insert the bare pcb of the ssd on top of the hdd bay. But I noticed it's seems inclined position of the ssd's pcb.
SADLY some components on the PCB are taller on than the nand flash preventing the SSD's pcb to fit perfectly on top/below a 9.5mm 2tb hdd. ( No worries no damages afterwards....)


Upon rechecking this old SSD spec's on the height seems this old fella is a 9.3mm. LOL maybe that's is why.

So I looked on the latest SSD like BX100 and MX200 from Crucial and it say 7mm ssd's. The PCB and Components on MX200 and BX100 could possibly fit into the bay without the case of course. COULD BE!!!! Lol

Still cracking them will void the warranty and high risk damaging the SSD on bare naked without the case. Plus the fact that SSD nand flash get's hotter along with hdd during operation get's heat up too since they are too close to each other if we even manage to fit them in. It's a RISK to take if foolish enough to consider it.

Don't worry guys, I'm just playing with the sata port. I literally know that there are other rooms for the storage on the 2x Sata/PCIe ports for M.2 SSD's and you go get your own portable external drive

( PS: If someone dares to try it on a latest SSD if it can fit it in kindly share them here. Though I do not have intention of buying new SSD just to crack it open and void the warranty just to dare trying it out. )

 

IF running it bare, remember to have something there to insulate the parts from the casing of the HDD

 

So...does someone have a closeup photo of how the keyboard ribbons are attached.

I just received my US layout keyboard today(had UK before) but I'm not sure I secured the backlight cable well.

It's working but I'm not really at peace with myself

Here's a pic of how it looks.

Can someone please post a pic of theirs please so I can compare?