N240JU General Discussion

Just wanted to start a thread for this particular model.

I recently bought mine from Sager -- their model # NP3240.

Mostly happy with it, except experiencing some touchpad lag.

Also disappointed it doesn't have a backlit keyboard. So I'm thinking about swapping it out for one that has LED lights. But I haven't been able to find anyone discussing this.

 

The LED backlit keyboard require an extra connector to provide power, they don't usually have that connector on the motherboard in models that ship without the feature.

Have you looked for some updated touchpad drivers?

 

Yes, you're right.

I haven't checked out whether this mb can support an LED keyboard yet.

Just bought the laptop, so don't want to crack it open just yet.

I've already updated the touchpad driver. Seems a little better. Maybe it's temperature sensitive, since it's quite cold where I was initially testing the laptop.

 

Could you tell me what the make & model of the mb in the NP3240 is?

 

I don't have the service manual to hand at the moment, you could try looking to see if someone has it online.

 

Hey phugimiya,
I was planning on buying this laptop model as well and was wondering what if there were any heat issues, how long the battery life was, how sturdy it is and how good is it's build quality.
This is my first time posting in these forums, so if I have made a mistake please inform me. Thanks

 

So far, it's been very useful.

Pros:
- Fast
- Quiet
- Decent build material & quality
(I say decent material because the plastic just feels like medium quality. But that's the trade-off I guess for being lightweight. Having said that, the actual build quality seems solid: all functions are working fine (except the touchpad lag mentioned earlier); keyboard isn't too loud, but not whisper quiet either); no weirdness (yet).
- Quick response from tech support

Cons:
- Power button is a little too recessed
= So some times have to push a second time to get it turned on
- SD card doesn't fully go in
= About 3mm of the card sticks out, so some times it will pop out after being in the backpack
- No backlit keyboard, as mentioned above (but that's my mistake for not reading carefully)

Further notes:
- Fan is quiet on the few times it comes on
- Haven't experienced any disturbing or excess heat
= But there is a warm spot on the left side of the touchpad
- This computer is very minimal in design: no light indicating Caps Lock or anything extra, except airplane mode

The reasons I chose this computer over others like Dell's XPS 13, are:
- VGA port (sounds silly, but I do a lot of presentations in rooms with projectors)
- For about the same price I could get higher-level component, namely CPU, SSD, and RAM.
= I opted for all SSD for both OS and storage. Even though I've got less GBs (512gb) than the original configuration, my machine is faster for it. And honestly, you don't really need all that space, unless your downloading a ton of videos. (In that case, get a bigger screen. And you can always use an external drive or cloud storage)

Lastly, I didn't choose touchscreen because it's a luxury I don't need. I simply wanted a fast work machine. I don't watch movies on it or play games. It serves the purpose well enough for video clips. But most of my work is internet searches and editing office documents.

 

Sorry, forgot to answer one of your questions.

I haven't fully tested the battery length because I'm mostly plugged in, but it seems battery life if around 5+ hours, depending of course of your usage and how bright you like the screen.

 

Cool, that sounds very positive overall. I am also looking for a work machine as I am in my second year of electrical engineering, and my previous computer killed itself in many ways. I was debating this vs the lenovo thinkpad series, as I had read on multiple sites that clevo laptops had bad build quality and durability, and this was a big concern for me as it would be transported daily to and from university. The battery life also seems adequate and for the price, it seems to be the better option than the thinkpads.
WOuld you suggest any other factors that I should consider in regards to picking the laptop or would you think this would be a good for my uses.
Thanks for your detailed and insightful response.

 

Of course the Thinkpad series has a good reputation because they've been around a long time. But I decided against them because of 1) price, 2) features, and 3) performance.

Comparatively you get some features in the Thinkpad and similar laptops that you don't get in the Sager. But ask yourself: Which features are important to you.

For most people, an i5 chip is good enough. But I'm a big multitasker: I'll have multiple internet tabs open, while working on Word and Excel, and also having Outlook open. So for me, I prefer the i7.

Also, I don't need a touchscreen nor one that bends over backwards. (Having said that, those features are cool, and I do wish the screen on the N240JU would lay down a little lower: it only goes back about 125 degrees.)

Speedwise, the i7 is pretty fast, and the 6500U, specifically, is supposed to save battery. If you want faster, then you're getting into gaming territory. In which case, then you'll also want a different GPU to go along with it.

All said and done, Thinkpads are rated well, as is the Dell. But most reviewers just concentrate on the Big Boys.

Sager (Clevo, essentially) has 2 factors that tip the scale:

1) Geek factor - Not too many people know about Sager, so you'll most likely be among the few who own one in your circle, if not the only one.

2) Configurability & Price-to-Performance - Sure, you can configure most laptops, but there's a limitation of what you can option in. And in general you'll be spending more on a Big Boy laptop for the same spec'd machine.

To be honest, the Sager won't win any beauty contests or wow you with any cool features. In fact, you might be underwhelmed in those categories.

But if you want just a pure work machine, then for the price you'll get a pretty fast computer.

 

Just a note that the power button on battery will be picker about input, make sure you hold the button down for a sec. This is to avoid it turning on by mistake.

 

Starting to have a little buyer's remorse.

Two things that are bothering me in this early stage of ownership:

1) Viewing angles of the FHD screen aren't great.
- The screen starts to darken noticeably if you get off center.
2) Plastic casing is easy to scratch
- I'm not rough on my laptop, put it in my backpack with only papers or a book, and seeing some scruffs on the lid.

Other niggles:
- It's hard to find a rubberized keyboard cover that matches this Sager laptop because it's just not a mainstream product.
- Same is probably true for a lid cover. I haven't started to shop for one yet; but I should, or this laptop will look old soon.
- I notice a slight light leak glow at the bottom edge of screen. Only noticeable when screen is near black, but I have a sharp eye. And now it's in my mind.

Other complaints are with Windows 10 and Intel and probably not Sager's fault.
For example, I paid for the Intel Dual-Band AC 8260 network adapter "upgrade" but it failed to see the wifi router at my friend's house. But all my other devices (Android phone, iPad) didn't have a problem.

 

We don't sell the N240JU as an XMG or Schenker model but we do "have experience" with this chassis. I can confirm that it is not possible to install or connect a backlit keyboard in this chassis - to avoid any confusion it IS possible in the N250JU but NOT in the N240JU. The service manual will confirm this info.

Apart from that unfortunately I can't help further as we don't sell this model.

 

Aw shucks. Wish I knew that sooner.

But thanks for the info.

Do you know of any accessories that fit the N240JU, in particular lid cover?

 

@phugiyama No problem. In general, if a laptop doesn't have a backlit keyboard option on the website then it's not available - most companies will now choose a backlit keyboard option to sell if both are available, but asking the seller first shoudl also get you the right information.

Can't really help with anything else to do with this laptop unfortunately, as I mentioned we have had some experience with the model but we don't sell it ourselves directly so no real support or product feedback that I can give.

 

There are places that will do custom wraps and other things, I suggest asking them.

 

Thanks for starting this thread phugiyama. I've been searching around trying to find more info on the np3240, but haven't able to find much. Are there any glossy surfaces? And would you mind posting some pictures? The only ones I could find are the promo ones.

 

Can you go into device manager and provide the device ID for the LCD? Thanks.

 

Hey guys, just made an account for sharing some user experience and pictures if wanted. I just got my N240JU from Schenker (mysn; in the German shop they named it "S406"). They price is unmatched for what you get and Schenkers service is awesome.
My first thoughts: Super fast and super quiet. The automatic fan behaviour is working good and you also can also use your own profile.
The screen is a non-glare IPS-Panel with FHD (1920x1080). The used model is LG LP140WF1-SPK1 (info taken from mysn website), the device ID however is AUO113D (Maybe because I sent back the first device I got because of some major backlight bleeding, the returned devices display is great, no noticeable issues).
Will upload some pictures shortly and answer occuring questions.

 

I'm not really sure if I could call it 'glossy' because it doesn't shinny as the glossy surface usually does. But it also doesn't look like 'matte'.

Does anyone have an issue like sudden freezing?
Mine is
- i7-6500u
- 16 gb hyperX RAM
- Samsung 850 PRO 250gb SSD
- Windows 10 pro
Mostly I used my laptop for data analysis using matlab, but the freezing issue really annoy me since I need to force the laptop to reboot :'(

 

I have almost the same configuration: just an 840 EVO instead
The freezing was happening to me using Firefox! No Firefox no freeze for me so far.

 

I used google chrome.. Mine got this problem since I purchased it. First I think it was an issue with intel RST and samsung magician (I read it somewhere else). So I uninstall intel RST (which is a little bit tricky) and run samsung magician in rapid mode. But the freezing issue still happen to me, although it is better compare to when I first purchased it. I was curious, is it only me or other users also have the same problem

Spoiler: my N240JU

I have mine painted in black, since I am addicted to black
(just ignore the messy table)

 

Thanks for posting the pictures. I ended up getting one through sagernotebooks. Straight-forward and quick I didn't realize the inside and the cover were silverish. Coming from the np8130, I'm a little disappointed that the bottom cover is a bit tricky to remove. lots of screws and careful prying

Still in the process of setting up W10 so I can't speak to the freezing issue, but I'll let you know if it pops up

 

anyone know what each button in the sager hotkey control center does? some are self-explanatory, others not so much

edit: nvm found out what they do

 

not sure if you still need it, but I found the manual book from my local reseller
ftp://server.visioncomputer.dk/webdrivers/N2X0JU/W10/Manual_V15.1.10.pdf

 

thanks for looking into it. i decided to look at the manual on the sager site as well.

been using w10 for a few days and haven't noticed any hiccups. i've got intel rst and samsung's thing installed as well. I did go through a clean install and for the most part followed the clean install guide Phoenix wrote up: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/nbr-windows-10-clean-installation-guide.781178/

 

MONITOR\LGD0446

edit: and i agree with phugiyama. the viewing angles aren't amazing, but i'm usually centered when on the laptop. the screen on my np8130(AUO11ED) looks better(to my eyes), but i'm happy with the laptop overall.

 

Hello all. Thinking of getting one. Just wondering if anyone has booted it up with Linux or even usb boot and used the wireless?

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Tmar

 

https://system76.com/laptops/lemur
check this page. It is essentially n240ju preinstalled with ubuntu, so I guess, other linux distros should also work

 

Thanks so much dennisakai ; completely forgot about that company. Now time to order one.

 

Just tried booting Remix OS (basically Android for PC, so a Linux-Distr.) from USB Stick (only UEFI, legacy didn't work but you can switch it in bios) and worked with no problems.

 

Would be cool if someone could post a vid on this unit or provide a link.

 

Hi tmar,
Check this out,
I don't watch the entire video (just skim on it), but I am pretty sure that is clevo n240ju

 

Just realized there are two different color-options for this device. In the Video above the body has a brighter grey tone, the pictures from dennisakazai's device show a version that's dark grey just like mine. In addition since the 3 weeks I use this device I notice little backlight-bleeding (since I am using a dark wallpaper) at full brightness. Good thing is the display panel is so good I can use it at 20-30% brightness so no real bummer and it saves me a lot power in mobile use. I think it's not really a display issue (since my first got replaced already) but more a quality build of the case. It's made of hardened plastic, especially the display is very thin and its kind of flexible.

 

Nooo, grey (as one in the video) is also my 'original' color, but I get mine painted in black satin by special order

N240JU come with grey color
N241JU come with gold (light yellow-ish) color
Both of them have the same build. That is what my reseller says

 

Many many thanks to dennisakazai for getting a vid link. A big Cheers!

/* Updated

Everyone - was disappointed and now glad I did not get this book. Just bought a ASUS Zenbook UX510UW for about the same price as what I was going to expense. And it runs Ubuntu 16.04, and 14.04 I would say. I am writing this on the book right now in Ubuntu. Great book - very happy. As I state below if the book did not have excessive bleeding or a bad snap perhaps I would have kept it but I am soooo happy I did not.

I will actually write up a review on the book and perhaps make a tutorial about ubuntu 16.04 with it.

Enjoy!

*/

/* Updated after trying it out for a little bit. I edited this a few times to remove the really bad remarks.

Returned for refund - and taking loss and major time.

*/



Arrived on Monday 4/4/16 - 5 weeks from order date for anyone else ordering Sager in CA.

First, This is nothing against the reseller here as they are just the middle man. I did met them when I picked up the unit as they are here in Montreal.

My Comments:

I normally make it a rule never to buy something I don't hold in my hands and this is a perfect reminder to me and why nobody should either. Even though I paid a premium for this unit, 1200+ because of exchange and tax, I don't think my reaction would be any different if I lived in the US.

I waited 5 weeks to get this and I will most likely have to wait for another 6-8 weeks minimum trying to exchange, or cancel the order and loose a few hundred (contemplating this now). I am stuck with no way to satisfy my cognitive dissonance. Never again.

Cons

Excessive bleeding. Screen is nothing great - my 5 year old Panther has a better one. I won't dare pick this up by the screen - it would certainly damage it.

Broken snap or a snap that won't hold on the cover that surrounds the keyboard right above the heat sink on the left. This is really nothing that major but reflective of the build quality. Seriously, I have seen a lot of Clevos and even the not so great ones are better than this.

Materials and build quality are just bad - think cheapest best buy product.

No back plate so you have to pry snaps to change the HDD or anything else. I wonder if the tech at Sager just ripped this thing apart and damaged it. Most likely this is a return unit but how would I be able to contest that.

Pros

None really. If you buy an ultra book and it's not heavy it's not a PRO. If you buy a notebook and you know it's peppy in the first place it's not a PRO. Those are a given.

Keyboard is ok for the size and spacing of the keys, but again I knew this and it's not a pro. But such cheap quality.

Not wanting to see any bleeding I tried to lower the brightness and a half setting will do for normal use but it does not do much for the bleeding. There are pressure points in the lid that cause this - again, very cheap build quality.

Conclusion

Don't buy.

There is no way Sager test their units before they ship; that or they don't care.

 

You will often get a slight model difference to denote a slightly different style, even if the actual boards are identical to make it easier to be sure which you are getting.

 

Got a question for fellow notebook owners:
My cursor's animations are kind of bad looking. In the picuture you can see it. On the left "how it should look like" and on the right "how it looks". You got the same results? Bugging me since a few days...

 

As I recall back, you're using Linux right? Have you check for the new graphic driver? I am using windows 10 and don't have any problems like that..

 

Nah using Win 10 as well, gonna get rid of it in the next days though and try with Win 7 since my reseller published the drivers.

 

Is windows aero on?

 

Is aero possible to (de)activate on Win10 without 3rd party software? You don't need bothering my request anymore btw since when I am on Win 7 in a few days I can shrink down the possible reasons

 

There are few reviews of this machine kicking about so the above comments nearly put me off. Thankfully I think Clevo may have made some improvements or the example above had some issues. But I plain disagree with the "think cheapest BestBuy product" part.

I love this little piece of kit. Windows 7 and Ubuntu work a treat, no bloatware, the screen is beautiful imho (and perfect size - I find 13" a bit too small for comfort and 15" a bit too bulky for travel), no track pad issues people complain about, no bleeding on the screen. In fact I'd say the screen is better than my P170SMA in terms of colour vibrancy.

A lot of the Clevo good points can be seen here, ie upgradeable CPU, HDD, removable battery. I'd be willing to bet it's well made inside and will still be operational long after it becomes obsolete.

I ran a 2 hour movie on battery followed by 1hr of heavy surfing and downloading and the battery still had loads of juice (indicated 1hr+) for a 32Wh.
For this sort of money I really can't fault it especially if you don't want your OS "as a service".
Anyone wanting to put Win 7 on, grab the intel usb 3.0 creator tool or google's advice to switch usb ports on the normal "dvd driver missing" error will not work.

 

Hi,

I bought a N240JU too, and I'm also facing sudden freeze too. Did you find a solution ?

Thanks !

Regard,

--
Veance

 

Hi Veance!

Well.. It turns out to be samsung magician (which is I used for my SSD) has some sort of compatibility issue with Intel RST. I am not sure if you are using samsung magician as well. But when I uninstall Intel RST, boooom! Problems gone forever

 

Hi,

Thanks, its working well now.
But I have also update the graphic card driver in the same time, don't know what resolve the issue.

Regards,

--
Veance

 

Bought this the other day and I'm quite happy (quite as it didn't have serviceports). The battery though, takes 2h 30min to load, this cant be normal though? Or?