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

Always worth a check I agree

 

What is this PDF file exactly? I think it has to related with IC Diamond but couldn't figure it out what it is

 

Forget it. Let bygones be bygones.

 

Yes, that branding is horrible. My P651Se has XMG branding, but this is very nicely done, just subtly laser etched onto the lid. You might also want to consider the bead-blasted, rather than brushed finished, which I think looks smarter

 

Finish is up to the reseller/rebrander. Beadblast (P651Sx) seems to be only outside NA. NA is brushed (P650Sx).

 

Hi I think I got a model with a faulty keyboard, when I pressed fn f8 (to put the brightness down), I felt it click into place, and ever since then there has been very obvious flex when using the top part of the keyboard, even when lightly pushing on the keys. Can I get this fixed by going to any computer store? I live in Canada I and don't really want to have to send it all the way to sager just for a keyboard issue. Is this easily fixable? ​

 

The ease of fix really depends on exactly what happened. If they keyboard itself is bad or broken you will need to get an exact replacement model as they are not universal. However a keyboard is something your reseller should be willing to ship to you for user install. If your local shop can't fix it contact your reseller to set that up.

 

Do note that the top part of the keyboard on this laptop does flex....alot from my experience.

I think your key was just not properly attached and it just snapped into place and has nothing to do with the flex that you experience.

This is just my 0.02$

 

If I use a lot of pressure I can make the whole keyboard flex, but it takes a lot of pressure, nothing that you would see during regular use.

 

Exactly, you can make it flex proof but it adds a LOT of weight and/or expense, they have made it to avoid flexing under normal use instead.

 

I bought a 3XS (UK reseller) version of this laptop this week and I am incredibly impressed with it's performance. However, I have noticed that my spacebar does not always register key presses, especially if pressed from the bottom half of the spacebar. Does anyone else have this issue or is there an easy fix?

I'd rather not send it in for such a small (though annoying) issue.

 

Moved question to owners lounge.

 

Hey guys
I'm going to buy this laptop next month via XoticPC, but i'm living in South East Asia so can you tell me if i can buy a spare battery for this laptop because it's impossible for me to buy one in my country.
And can you guys tell me how's the build quality of this machine, or anything that i should take into consideration?
I'm going to buy the base version, with TN panel. Is that a good choice? because i want to save a bit money to buy Windows, and if i choose the IPS one then i'll have to return to pirate until i can get a genuine version next year, which i want to avoid

 

I'm sure if you ask they can supply a 2nd battery with your order. The TN panels are perfectly serviceable so don't feel bad for keeping your budget in check

 

Thanks you for your advice.
May i ask more about the TN panel? I dont really mind the bad viewing angle of the panel but what about color reproduction? Is it really bad compared to IPS?

 

It depends panel vs panel but usually no worse at face on.

 

This particular TN pannel is very bad.. I'd strongly suggest spending the extra $45 and getting the LG IPS pannel... Since you don't live in the US, you shouldn't have to pay any taxes and that should help you save some money..

 

I advise on getting the IPS as well. TN panel just is poor all around.

 

How hard is it to re-paste the P650SE?

 

No harder than a regular desktop since it's under the main hatch.

 

Lol, for some odd reason when I read "Soldered" I thought the heat-sink was also soldered. Thanks for the quick reply!

 

If it were soldered no repaste would be needed lol but it's a very expensive and risky process in comparison

 

I'm really impressed with this review and what I'm finding elsewhere, but still overall on the fence. Is IPS panel upgrade offered at Xotic PC and the IC Diamond thermal compound upgrade really make the NP8651 worth it when compared to the NP8268-S? Currently dunno which of these models is the better choice.

I need a new laptop that I'll really enjoy and that'll last, and from what I've seen these are both excellent options between performance, cooling, and potential to last a few years for under 1400 USD. With the NP 8651 I'll definitely have to either find an external super multi DVD optical drive, or just get the one from Xotic PC offered for $25, if it's decent.

Links: http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8651-clevo-p650se-p-7690.html
http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8268s-clevo-p150sma-p-6987.html

 

The NP8651 is going to be thinner and more portable. However you are not able to upgrade the CPU and GPU like you can in the NP8268. You can decide which is more important to you there.

IPS is nice if you want the better color accuracy, for things like photo editing. TN panels are tpyically better for gaming as they have a faster refresh rate.

 

Alright. They're both very solid as far as build quality and cooling though? I'm also aware that CPU and GPU upgrade-ability are being pushed to the side these days, so more than likely I'd only do an upgrade/replacement if one of them dies out of warranty before I'm ready to get a new laptop, like the GPU on my Dell Studio 1558 did.

I'm honestly leaning towards the NP8268-S, simply because it has more already put into it for the money, and if the panel really bothers me (considering I think the panel on this 10 year old Inspiron 1501 is okay, I kinda doubt it will), then I can always get an external monitor that's acceptably better for just a couple hundred bucks at most. I'm considering building a desktop in a couple years anyways, when I'm done with college. Or I can plug it into my TV via HDMI when I'm in my room and use my bluetooth mouse and get a bluetooth keyboard.

 

Drives are the ways of the past, haha. Everything is usually offered digital-downloadable now so you shouldn't have any issues with installing software. You could also load the software on a flash drive as well. I've had the NP8268-S and it was too big for my taste. Don't get my wrong it was a great machine but lugging it around school was not fun. For myself, it was a debate between the 8651 and the 8652. I figured no matter which machine I choose I will want to upgrade to a new mobile rig in 3 years anyway... I ended up with the slimmer 8651 machine and the 970m provides a significant increase in performance over the 880m that I had in the 8268-s so I'm not going to miss anything there.

 

I'm afraid I don't share the sentiment on optical drives. I have a lot of old games that I'd rather not repurchase, if I can hunt them down on steam or something at all. And my office 2010 32 bit professional plus suite is on a disc. So assuming the key lets me reuse it on a second laptop, I need an optical drive to install it. Also, I live in an area where my only high speed option at home is Verizon Homefusion. It's pricey and has a 20 GB data allowance, so digital distributions systems aren't convenient. They really...aren't.

Back to the laptops though. My Studio 1558 was about as hefty as the NP8268, so I'll find it easier to bother with than you seem to have. As long as it cools well (I'm not sure how this particular CPU and GPU combo would affect the results I've seen as far as cooling performance for older builds of it that used the stronger CPU's and 880m GPU's), I may go for the bulkier one.

 

Well, I do have an external drive that I use to install software for laptops that are not equipped with one. But, after all of the installs I don't even carry it around. I don't think I've used my drive for anything more than just getting my laptop ready to go. It really is a really a trade off... The all in one sacrifices portability and the other is slimmer. It really depends if you're okay with carrying a bigger laptop around. To make my decision it was either get a really powerful laptop and go for the 980m and get rid of my gaming rig or get one that is decent enough to play new titles and keep my rig.

 

Understood, and I feel like I can handle the bulk of the older laptop just fine. Really, my biggest question at this point is: will the IPS screen upgrade in the NP8651 really look all that much better than the TN panel in the 8268-S? Sure it might be worth 45 bucks...but just how good is the screen? I dunno that. I'm not a photographer or anything, and as I've said before if I need better color accuracy and stuff down the road, 6GB of vram (I know that vram is where a couple frames at a time are stored as they're prepared to display, and unless I mirror the screens it'll be building a different frame for each display every time, I assume) should make it fairly easy to just add a decent external monitor I can reuse when I build a gaming rig later after college.

 

The IPS pannel is much better... The 8278 is also End of Life quite soon (In June, Clevo will phase it out globally)... If you have part failures etc, getting parts will be more difficult... As for optical drives, you can always buy an external one and it's not too expensive..

At the end of the day, the 8651 is cheaper, has better screen, supports newer gen tech such as M2 SSD's and is much slimmer and lighter... If you don't like soldered components, spend the extra and get the P750ZM (Sager NP9752)...

 

I assume you mean that they're phasing out the Clevo P150SM-A too? And I suppose that was another question, as far as the M2 SSD support. I wasn't too concerned though since I'm a novice at PC gaming (my internet access is fast, but on 20GB a month data allowance that prohibits much use of all that lovely digital distribution stuff, and this computer can't cut it at any gaming at all. My old one just barely may have, but I didn't use it for that much), who's used to dealing with an Inspiron 1501 taking forever just to open chrome (usually it takes 30 seconds to a couple minutes for it to load in a usable state). Just having a solid state drive would be improvement enough for me. In a couple years when I'm out of college and have an apartment to myself and a decent job, then I'll be looking at building a desktop when I feel like my laptop isn't enough anymore.

I do like the 8651, but it ISN'T all that much cheaper once you factor in adding the upgraded screen, the IC Diamond paste job (it's not that expensive and I have no inclination to get into doing that myself yet), getting an external optical drive (maybe I'll just add the $25 option from Xotic onto the order), and then going and getting at least one SSD at some point, if not right away, then it's really not cheaper.

Edit: I double checked on Xotic (from what I've seen all other quality resellers have identical prices all around, though part of that is probably them simply going through Sager for the upgrades Sager offers themselves), and: with the IPS panel upgrade, IC Diamond paste upgrade, the $25 external dvd optical drive, and adding a 128 gB drive in mSata slot 1 for $50, it comes out to just a few dollars more than the 8268-S. Which still also comes at base with twice the vram on its video card, a full super multi DVD/blu ray reader drive, and a 30 day no dead pixels warranty.

And as far as the vram quantity...I know for this review it did fine, but will it really cut it for pushing the GPU as far as it can comfortably go with clunky pc ports of games for the 'next gen' consoles that just came out last year? I understand there's a lot of talk about how some popular titles (and I will be considering this laptop my next gen system/replacement my xbox 360 for the next couple years, at least) are eating/will almost certainly eat a lot of vram.

And lastly, from what I can tell there are no major issues, but would you agree this machine should last few years very well, and that the older model I've been leaning towards should do the same? I know there are no guarantees, but after my Studio 1558 died in under four years I was shocked to find that for most people it didn't even make it 3 years. I'm not into just buying a new computer every couple years. I don't have the budget for that and really won't until I have my computer science degree and a decent job a couple years down the road, at minimum.

 

The current set of hardware should last a fair bit. For 1080p 3-4 gigs should see you ok, you may need to turn down a setting here or there in future that is particularly memory hungry but that will be more towards the end of its life span.

 

Thanks for the input. And what about the older model? I wouldn't be too surprised if it really is getting phased out soon, but is it really at any high risk of actually needing replacement parts within the first five years of use? It's been out long enough that I'd think it would be easy to tell if there's anything seriously hindering its ability to chug on. If M.2 msata drive compatibility is really the only thing the 8651 has tech-wise over the older model beyond an IPS screen option, there's really not much I feel I need to spring at. When I want the best speeds (data and otherwise) possible and an amazing screen I'll build a desktop finally, heh. Right now I just want the most reliable bang for the buck under 1400 USD. I'm not planning on dumping much, if any, money at all into meddling with making better than it will be when I first get my hands on it. Might add another 8 GB of ram within the first year or two, but that's probably gonna be about it, besides maybe getting a second mSata drive, eventually.

Sorry, it's probably clear I'm still leaning towards the 8268-S, but I want to be sure there isn't some massive downside to that choice that I'm missing. The 8651 is still a very close second choice right now, after all.

 

It's unlikely to be left in a state where one would be repairable and the other is not. The older chassis has more replaceable parts like the gpu and cpu after all and a potential for future gpu upgrades.

 

Alright, thanks for the info. Though, now that there's an 8651-s I may reconsider. But to be honest I think I'd take an integrated optical drive over 8 more GB of ram. That extra ram stick is something I can definitely add myself later. And of course even the enhanced model of the newer laptop lacks an external optical drive, and the IPS panel upgrade isn't part of it. I'll probably still go with the NP8268-S.

Can anyone say if the keyboard is really all that different between the NP8268 and the NP8651? Buttons have been moved a bit, but overall it looks about the same as far as key sizes and spacing.

 

Horses for courses, I'd reject outright any notebook that had an integrated optical drive these days, as I don't want to have all the added bulk and weight of something I only need to use occasionally. Am much happier using an external USB3.0 Blu-Ray drive on the occasions I need to

 

Well that is the thing, some people use them more than others. I moved to steam quite early so the only thing I use my optical drive for are movies.

 

Indeed, but I have to admit I hadn't researched external optical drives much yet. If I were making a desktop, I would go for a drive that actually performs as only a proper desktop drive every could with DVD's and Blu-Ray discs, but that looks like a reasonably priced portable option, should I get an NP8651. Still...might prefer just not having to worry about keeping track of the drive in addition to the adapter and the laptop. Or realizing I suddenly need it during a trip for whatever reason, and OF COURSE it's at home, since there's no need to carry it around usually. Trivial points, maybe; but still.

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8651s-clevo-p650se-p-8223.html

As far as the Killer wireless chip that comes standard in that model (Sager - Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Dual Band Wireless-AC N1525 [M.2 Chip] - 802.11 AC/A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth 4.0 | (2x2) ), is it really any better than the intel 7260 and the intel 7265 (which are essentially the same chip as used in the NP8268 and the NP8651, respectively)? I seem to recall gripes showing up about the bluetooth being sketchy or the chip in general not really being all that great, but maybe those were people who got lemons.

 

Nope...no lemons...only needed clevo to update their bios as killer made a rolling production change on the cards.

Starting with bios/ec 306 the killer is MILES ahead of the intel when it comes to stability and such.

There's tons of people having the intel that complain about high pings and other issues

 

The external Pioneer BDR-XD05B drive I bought is excellent, it's one smallest and lightest BD/DVD/CD portable burners and supports BDXL discs (these have over 100Gb capacity, though are currently still very expensive - I mostly use 50Gb and 25Gb discs). It has a convenient top loading system and a metal body. It's USB 3.0 and one cable is enough to provide all it's power, inlike some USB 2.0 drives.

 

Given that, I assume you'd recommend getting the Sager NP8651-S over the NP8268-S, if I'm interested in a Sager with a very similar configuration to the latter? Far as I can tell no one's had gripes about this model at all, but the gripes about the other model seemed like they were mainly over the screen not being IPS and the hunt for perfect TN panels, at least on here.

Next part is a bit of a ramble, I won't deny that:
For the first couple months, doing research into finally getting a much needed new laptop was interesting. It's pretty much been my hobby for quite a few weeks now. But I won't lie, starting to get frustrated. Obviously no one can guarantee perfect experience, but I need something that should definitely work for 5 years without any real problems, and not go north of about 1400 while still being something I can have quite a bit of fun with. Either of these Sager/Clevo models seem like a good choice for that. This is the first time I've looked into getting a more high end laptop and the second laptop I'll have ever purchased. My Dell Studio 1558 died after less than four years, and caught me totally off guard when it did. Getting a laptop that should actually handle gaming pretty well needs to go A LOT better. I really don't need and can't afford fiddly bullcrap right now. Building a desktop and leaving laptops behind isn't really viable for the next 3 years at least yet, and I figure I might as well finally get into PC gaming to a decent degree in the meantime anyways instead of getting a 'next' gen console. Two birds, one rather expensive stone, basically. I know budget gaming laptops are sketchy, so that's why I'm looking at these instead of something around $1ooo USD or less.

 

Alright, thanks for the info. Definitely makes me a little less hesitant to consider ditching the internal optical drive, at least in a laptop. In a desktop, I dunno; I'd have to do research into just how powerful a full size desktop optical drive can be, but I won't be worrying about that for at least 3 years. Hence why I'd like a laptop that should still do me very well for finally entering the world of PC gaming (without breaking the bank) and leaving my 360 and the next gen consoles behind.

 

Lol man...optical drive...powerfull...the thing is just there to read cd/dvd/bd..what for??

Is it so important for you if it writes a disk in 1 minute instead of 30 seconds?

To answer your previous question yes I do recommend the clevo p650se....it's a newer model that supports newer tech (pciex ssd and the m.2 killer wifi) has a better build quality and is much more sleek.

Also there are already a ton of resellers who offer it with the two best IPS panels out there (AUO & LG)

 

There are two choices I saw online.
Alienware 15 with GTX 970M costs $1425 (included offer discount)
SAGER NP8651 with GTX 970M costs $1182
If there is some better laptop than these, tell me. I am buying from US in the end of May.
I concluded:
The advantage of alienware over sager for an extra $243 is that I will get an IPS panel 1080p display, 8-cell battery, genuine pre-loaded windows 8.1, ability to shift country warranty, brand value in India as well reselling, because I live in India.

The advantage of sager over alienware is that it is the cheapest option with my requirements, thinner (25mm) and lighter weight (2.6kg), even it has smaller 4 cell battery, it will provide good battery backup of 3-4 hours.

 

As to the optical drives...I'm just wondering. I haven't researched optical drives, but unlike all you fine people with cable internet I'm far from ready to brush them off as 'inferior relics of the past to avoid using whenever possible' (you did not say this, but I know it's the sort of vibe a lot of laptop and desktop forums tend to emanate). I live in an area where high speed unlimited (or at least many times more than 20GB a month) data internet at a rational price is not available. If I didn't, we wouldn't be talking about gaming laptop recommendations at all, heh. Anyways, that means that using steam and such to download anything at anytime won't be happening; data use must be rationed for when I really need it, and any big downloads must wait until I'm on campus or somewhere else with reliable wifi.

From what I've gathered looking around, both models have good build quality that no one has griped about, save for the keyboard sometimes being faulty in this model, and part of the palm rest in the other model rarely being oddly creaky on arrival or soon after. Rubberized touchpad on the the other was a dumb choice, but that's more design than actual build quality as far as an issue, I would think.

And as far as those resellers, do you have any you recommend? I get the impression Xoticpc-sold Sagers are usually good, but if there's anyone known for better customer service (should anything be wrong with the laptop I receive, or go wrong far sooner than it should), more reliable modification jobs, and so on, for about the same or just slightly higher prices, I'd be curious to take a look at them. I'm also coming to understand that a cash discount may not be worth the trouble of dealing with any reseller directly if anything should go wrong, compared to the safety net having used a credit card can be in the case of such a situation.

 

There are some good external options available if the ones without are really tempting you.

 

I can highly recommend XMG and their reseller MySN, I used mysn.co.uk, but I think XMG only sell in Europe, I'm not sure where you're located

 

Indeed. like the USB 3.0 model I recommend by Pioneer

 

Doesn't the SAGER NP8651 have an IPS panel? My XMG p505 (a re-branded Clevo P651SE, which is basically the same as the Sager) certainly does! Battery life is better on the Clevo/Sager than the Alienware (yes, really), it's much thinner and lighter, and I *much* prefer the styling of my XMG over the Alienware, especially with the matte bead-blasted finish (not sure if that is an option with the Alienware, it's far more "restrained", rather than looking like it was designed by an over-enthusiastic teenager. Both offer high build quality, the Alienware may have the edge, though it doesn't have an almost all-metal case like the Clevo/Sager.

 

The Sager default model does not come with an IPS panel. It comes with a TN panel which many have expressed their dislike. You can upgrade to the IPS display for an extra $45.

I have to agree that the styling is much more to my liking on the Clevo than the Alienware. And it certainly is nice to have a thinner and lighter laptop if you plan on traveling often. Another thing that the Alienware offers is their ability to use a desktop GPU if you get their enclosure.