*** Official Clevo P151EM1 / Sager NP9130 Owner's Lounge ***

That is a great temp. What are you using for thermal compound?

 

I am using IC diamond but I had to reapply it myself. I ordered the IC diamond upgrade from Prostar but they botched the job on the thermal compound. Other than that absolutely no complaints. I love this laptop.

 

IC Diamond does a great job, its what we always recommend. Glad to hear the rest of the computer is working out for you!

 

So, after a month of lurking and researching, I have my new sager 9130 (just received it today), and I'd like to comment on it!
So far, I haven't had a ton of time with it, but I am pretty impressed. I'm going from an old HP 2009 model, and this is my first real gaming laptop, so there is a huge difference! I'll just run down the pros and cons so far, and hopefully those in the hunt for a new laptop will find this useful:
Pros:
+ Great value, paid just under 1200 for mine from xoticpc, got the 3710 processor upgrade and windows.
+ Beautiful screen: this is my first HD laptop, and 1080p makes a huge difference. Maybe I just got used to my crappy HP screen, but this is very vivid and going back to 720p just looks washed out and not crisp. I chose the stock screen and I'm not disappointed. Viewing angles seem pretty descent too.
+ Good performance: after making a few adjustments (see the cons...) I've been able to get great performance in everything I've thrown at it. I think only the most demanding games are going to require changes to settings. Specifically, I can get crysis 2 running between 30-40 fps in extreme settings with dx11, which I thought was awesome (I turned shadows down to just high though). I can get arkham city to run at 60 fps with just a few setting set to medium in dx9 (at 1080p), but it's inconsistent (more on that later).
+ Cool and Quiet: The thing barely heats up, the fans are pretty silent, they are noticeable at full speed but its really not bad at all. I'm not sure how to read hwmonitor, but the highest it got was 65 C after 2 hours of playing different games.
+ Great build quality, very solid, I look the neutral look

Cons
- I think there are some problems with the optimus technology: All my games were running like crap until I went into the Nvidia panel and forced it to use "High Performance Nvidia Processor".
- The keyboard is going to take some adjusting; it is rather loud and is just different that what I am used to. I do like how the keys require some pressure, but it is just different than what I expected.
- Speakers are average, well, about what you would expect for a laptop. Not bad, just not great. They can get fairly loud though.
- You will need to adjust some setting on the most demanding games if you want fluid consistent gameplay. (Hint: shadows are performance hogs)

Ok, now a few questions for people who are more knowledgeable than me
- I used the CD it came with to install the nvidia 296.xx drivers (I think that's what it was). It came preloaded with a different driver (304.xx something). Did I do the right thing? Do I need to install every driver with the CD, or is it preloaded with the stuff I want?
- In HWmonitor, which reading gives me the GPU's temp? The cores are easy to spot, but then there is the package temp, and one other thing. Which one is it? (BTW, the highest temp reading was like 67 C, which came after 2 hours of play. I was using a laptop cooler)
- Anyone know how to fix stuttering in Arkham City? I can get 60 fps, but every 30 seconds or so it drops down 15-20 for a short moment, then boosts back up. It happens when it's loading I presume. It's just super annoying because it doesn't happen in any other game.

Thanks in advance. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. I know I could have spent 300 more bucks to get the 7970, but I feel OK being a little richer and having a computer that can handle everything very well, with some adjustments required.

 

I'm pretty sure that the beta 304.xx drivers don't work well with Optimus yet; on the occasions that I've tried them, Optimus completely broke (the 670M didn't turn off when not being used, and games wouldn't always use it), and I noticed slightly worse performance in games. 296.xx doesn't have any of those problems, though, so sticking with it is definitely a good idea.

HWMonitor will only display the GPU when it's running. Open an application with the Nvidia GPU (either a game or something basic like notepad using the "run with graphics processor" option in the right-click menu), and then open HWMonitor, and the temperatures should be listed under "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M".

I only had that problem very occasionally in Arkham City (mostly when opening doors), but my laptop has an SSD, which of course greatly reduces loading times. Other than getting an SSD, I don't have any advice for fixing it.

 

Thanks for your reply. I will try opening a notepad with the nvidia later on tonight. I fixed my problem with the weird FPS stuttering in Arkham City, I made two changes to the settings: in the nvidia control panel I turned off Vsynch (but left it on in the game), and I turned up FSAA to x4, and now it runs like butter. Sometimes just playing with settings works wonders.

 

Are you getting those speeds with the stock power supply?

 

Yes I am still using the stock PSU

 

Okay guys i have to ask something important:

I am thinking of buying a Sager NP9130 for Christmas from Exoticpc.com with the current specs:
- Intel Core i7 3610QM
- Nvidia Geforce GTX 670M
- 8GB 1600MHZ Ram

But one thing that is especially important to me is the computer temperatures during Idle/Load. I am totally confident in the machine's fan system, and I am NOT an overclocker, but I tend to restrain from buying laptops that will go over 50 celcius (external temp) during loads because for my last computer, it was noticingly difficult to use the keyboard during graphic rendering or gaming because the left side of the computer tend to get REALLY hot. This is why I am choosing the Sager NP9130 over the MSI GE60 because the GE60 have external temps over 55 celcius on the upper left keyboard during load.

The dual fans are ensuring, but to those that currently own the Sager NP9130, could you be kind enough to post info about the average temperatures during Idle/Load for either the NP9130 or the NP9150??

I REALLY appreciate it



EDIT: Does the fan boosts (FN + 1) also help in reducing temperatures under load?

 

I can't comment on actual temperatures as my NP9130 will be arriving tomorrow, but I just want to clarify that it's XoticPC.com, not EXotic.

From what I've heard the FN+1 combo will help if you want to lower temps very quickly after load or if you want to keep load temps down a few degrees.

 

+rep

Thanks. If you don't mind much, it would really help if you would somehow tell us about your experience with your Sager after it arrives.

Oh, and yeah, I meant xoticPc, not Exoticpc

 

This is from xotic; it's the 9130 during max load
Sager NP9130 (Clevo P151EM1) Video Review by XOTIC PC - YouTube

 

On my p150hm fn+1 means at least 10 degrees Celsius. Batman AA goes from 88 degrees to 77 degrees when I crank the fan. It is a nice quick solution for cooling under load

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

Not sure if anyone's discussed this problem...
But it seems Optimus is having a ton of problems discerning programs and switching GPU's.

I got the Sager NP9130 just about a week ago, with the GTX670m, but after a couples of days, it seems the dedicated card just stopped being used.

It tells me there's activity, but any game etc. I run gets horrible performance as compared to 2 days ago. Where I could run fine on max before, I struggle with low.
I've set it to use the dedicated GPU in the Nvidia controls, but it just doesn't seem to be working.

I checked the BIOs and... I'm pretty sure there's not option to force a certain card...
So, has anyone else run into this problem? ... and is there a fix?

 

Again, all speculation as UPS says my laptop won't be here for another 15 minutes (UPS MyChoice tells me when it should arrive by).

What drivers are you using? Apparently the 302.x beta ones do not work as intented. Try going down to 297.x(I think) and see if that helps out. Also look in the nvidia control panel, not the BIOS, for GPU forcing.

 

I'm on 295.62.
I've tried updating to the beta drivers, but the installer claims that I do not have compatible hardware.

From the Nvidia control panel, when I search for driver updates, it tells me that none are available...

Maybe I should roll back further? If that's possible of course...

 

Sadly, Nvidia hasn't yet released official non-beta drivers for the 670M, so that's why the control panel can't find updates. It is somewhat odd that the installer isn't finding the GPU; are you able to try a clean install of Windows to see if it's a software issue of some sort?

295.62 should be fine; I haven't been having any trouble with it. I'm not sure if there are any earlier drivers which support the 670M that you could roll back to, either.

I've been seeing idle temperatures of 40-50C and as high as 85C under a heavy load. The keyboard and palmrest don't seem to heat up at all, and even under heavy load the air going out of the exhaust vents isn't horribly hot.

 

Well, one problem solved. I did ANOTHER uninstall of the driver, and I finally got the beta drivers to install.

I'll see how that works for me. If it fails, I'll try using the older version again.

Edit: And it would seem that fixed it. How odd.

The latest beta version is working great for me so far!

 

And there it is again. The problem is back after I restarted my computer...
Guess I'll reinstall the driver again.

It seems like the switching feature is just shutting down completely.

It says there's activity, but the performance is on par with integrated performance. Thus.... it's not really switching

 

I am playing Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box and I can't get the cast shadows to show up in Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box like the pictures in the link below

Burnout Paradise (PC): Visual comparison and system requirements - Burnout Paradise PC, system requirements, graphics, comparison - PC Games Hardware

Could it be drivers related? By the way, I'm using v301.40 drivers. I've set the game to use the dedicated GPU in Nvidia's control panel and in the game I have everything on the highest settings, but still no shadows. Can anyone tell me what I may be doing wrong?

I tried updating the drivers to v304.79, but the shadows aren't showing.

 

would someone be willing to run the FINAL FANTASY XIV Official Benchmark on this laptop please!

 

Using the high setting, mine gets a score of 2683. However, at the end of the test the program claimed that it was using the HD 4000 rather than the 670M (despite there being activity on the 670M throughout), so I'm not entirely sure what's up with that.

 

Thanks. The benchmark is pretty outdated when it comes to some newer cards. I belive there is a small fix that can be done to insure the benchmark uses only the dedicated card. Also, from what I can tell from other peoples experience is that the game actually runs better than what the benchmark suggests.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

Yes.

There's a slight problem as the benchmark itself doesn't take the patches and small updates into consideration.. those patches and updates have cured some retarded moments in the game, thus creating smoother gameplay for the most part lol, so weird if you ask me
- but still, the benchmark is a good indication of one's power

 

Still in the mail. I plan to put IC-7 on mine when I get it- I'm traditionally a desktop user and have a few tubes laying around. I've stripped dozens of laptops before so I don't imagine getting at the heatsinks on this to be hard, but is there a disassembly guide someone can link? I want to be careful with my new machine.

 

I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a NP9130 today, but would like to know a little more about the configuration of the primary and secondary hard drives. Which drive should I have Sager put my SSD in so that they'll load the OS onto? Or does it not really matter since I should wipe the drives when I get it anyway?

Also, is there any real difference in the performance of the SSDs that Sager offers and the top of the line SSDs? Sager offers the Intel 520 series and Crucial M4 series.

 

So, I've had this laptop for a month and a half now and I haven't had the time to ask here, but is anyone here able to hook their laptop up to a TV? I've tried different drivers (30x, 29x, etc.), but my laptop will never display on an HDTV. If I use the HDMI port, DVI Port, etc., on a monitor, it works fine. Any suggestions? I've also seen that it detects the TVs, but it still doesn't work. I'm probably going to re-install Windows or something soon and start from scratch and see what I can do, but has anyone else ran into this issue?

 

It's fairly simple, as there are 4 screws to remove, then you have access to both heatsinks, CPU AND GPU. The 9130 and 9150 both use essentially the same chassis, so i'd look for a 9150 disassembly guide (I saw one floating around somewhere)

Set SSD as your primary drive as that's the one you want to have your apps + OS on, the secondary drive is for media storage etc where speed (esp random read/writes) isn't necessary.

The Intel 520 and Crucial M4 are top of the line. Those two as well as the Samsung 830 are pretty much the best drives you can get (in terms of 3rd generation SSDs).

Can you see if it's the TV problem? Can you hook up another computer to your TV and make it display there?


---------------------------------

my 2 cents re optimus, I personally would prefer if Sager had just given us a physical switch to switch graphics cards, that'd make life easy as all I'd have to do is flick a switch and get good performance vs. starting up a game and hoping the 670 is select or manually selecting and assigning the GPU for each process.

I personally think optimus is a gimmick in terms of auto switching. I'd rather the physical switch like on my old Vaio Z. That'd also help with the crazy enduro problems on the 9150 thread.

 

I've had no problems connecting mine to a HDTV via HDMI, though I haven't tried DVI or Displayport yet. I'm using the stock drivers that Sager provides on their site, if that's any help. Is Windows able to see the second screen? Have you been able to hook up other devices to the HDTV, and have you ruled out issues with the cable?

 

Hey all,

I've been lurking around here for a while now and am currently in the final stages of ordering the 9130 from Xoticpc. From what I have read, many people complain about how bad the speakers are. Do they really sound atrocious? I'm currently using a four year Asus M50VM laptop and the speakers sound phenomenal especially when I'm listening to music or watching movies. Finally, do you guys recommend upgrading to the 95% NTSC Color Gamut from the stock screen? My concerns revolving around this is whether it would be a MAJOR jump like going from a TN monitor to an IPS.

Looking forward in hearing from you guys.

 

The speakers are mediocre.. but people tend to have mixed reviews about them

Regarding the screen... the stock screen is more than beautiful versus your asus laptop, and the 95% gamut is just amazing. A matter of money spending, want something amazing? or something perfect?

 

What is your personal opinion on the onboard speakers? Also, if I were to plug a pair of headphones via 3.5mm plug would they sound mediocre as well? Reason why I'm asking is because I'm confused as to whether the speakers are crappy or if it is just bad onboard sound.

Thanks!

 

It is the mediocre on board sound. Headphones will not get the bass and volume. It's not terrible though, but for anyone who needs accurate and quality sound, an external USB sound card solution is preferred.

Gaming and whatnot, the speakers handle fine I think. Not great, but fine. Same with headphones. 3/5 stars.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

Thanks for replying. Just to clarify, do all Sager laptops suffer from terrible sound or is it just the 9130?

 

My p150hm also has mediocre sound. From all the reading I've done here, all the recent Clevos have same onboard sound "issue". I cant comment on anything previous to last year's models.

It is a laptop afterall. You're not going to get exceptional sound regardless of which company you choose. MSI reportedly has nice laptop sound, but even then, its like having a nice Toyota. It's nice, but in the grand scheme laptop sound is capped by hardware. You can only be nice within your class. Anyways, my analogy is probably off but you get the point

Ps. My first car was 1996 Toyota Camry. It was nice

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

From my experience, the sound on my Sager 9130 is about the same quality as my HP dv6; both are average, both have laptop speakers if that makes sense. Personally I don't really care too much, but I could see it being annoying to an audiophile.

Question to those who have been overclocking - how far have you been going? Using MSI afterburner, I've been running at 675/1600, and I haven't noticed much of a difference in temperature. After playing Arkham City for 45 minutes, the GPU max was 73C, normallly hovering around 60-65 C, and that is about what it did before the overclock (keep in mind that I always use a laptop cooler when gaming). Playing Crysis 2 gave me similar results. Honestly, the overclock doesn't make a huge difference in performance, but it is nice to know that I can do it.

 

I tried to PM you but I guess you are a 'newbie' like me! I was just going to mention that you don't say what video card you have. I don't have anything helpful to say about your question, just letting you know. Privately would have been best Maybe those who do overclock will assume what card you mean according to your numbers.

Maybe put your laptop and build in your signature!

 

I just pushed mine to 750/1700 and maxed out at 76C after running 3dMark11. Will post temps in skyrim after I get a chance to play an hour or so. At 725/1650 my temps maxed at 78C after an hour or two of playing.

 

I'm posting this in the 9130 owner's lounge, so I assume that we all have the same video card (is there something I don't know....). Yea, I've been meaning to put my rig in my sig, will get around to it eventually.

 

My bad. I am laptop shopping and am looking into the 9130 and the 9150. I thought I was reading about the 9150. You are correct, 670m is standard.

Edit: Oh wow, I'm a notebook enthusiast now! But I don't feel any different.

 

Haha it's okay, we all make those mistakes

I personally wouldn't dare OC in this SoCal heat. But i will be back in the Bay Area next week where it should be cooler. I was in Seattle all summer, but I didn't get a chance to OC much... i figured 15%-20% wouldn't help my games much . Maybe when the 670M's getting long in the tooth I'll try it more

 

I ordered the 9130 from XPC on Friday and I'm waiting for them to verify the credit card purchase. It'll probably take 2-3 weeks for it to arrive though so I'll check back to this topic and write a review once I get my hands on it. ^__^ I'm pretty happy so far with their customer service though and that I get to avoid the tax if they ship it to me from Nebraska instead of getting it from Sager in California. I'd rather wait a week or two longer if I can avoid the tax haha.

 

Np So what laptop are you leaning towards? I know personally I was also making that same decision between the two laptops, I ultimately chose to save a few hundred bucks and choose the cheaper model, and I don't regret my purchase at all. What I like about the 9130 is the stability (once you install the video drivers it comes with), and the low temperature.

 

You're right, it doesn't make a big difference since in almost every game you can get 60 fps at max settings, if not just by adjusting a few settings. But it's nice to have as an option down the road

 

Has anyone found or used a good backpack that fits the 9130? I've been trying to look for a backpack that I can take to college with me but most of the backpacks that I'm finding has a better fit for the Macs instead of a regular laptop much less a gaming one. :/ It's mostly the 1.38" 0 1.69" (H) measure of the 9130 that's making it hard to find a good laptop backpack.

 

I have been using a Mountain Hardware Iguana backpack since my junior year of high school (I just graduated college) and the laptop and all accessories fits easily. I used to put my Gateway 17inch FX laptop in it and it still fit. I don't know if they still make these backpacks but if they do I highly recommend them. If I recall it was like $80ish.

 

Hey guys I had a quick question concerning the CPU turbo throttling on the 9130 (i7 3610QM). So the *unofficial* workaround is to install throttle stop. My question revolving around this is once you deactivate the throttling, will the CPU be running at turbo boosted clocks 24/7 (vs the stock 2.3GHz) and will it downclock back down when there is nothing going on? I just want my CPU to turbo up to 3GHz+ when I am gaming. Also how would this impact battery life? If someone could shed some light on this issue that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

hmm what's this throttling you talk about? My CPU turbos to 3.3 occasionally when i need it (courtesy of the Intel Turbo Boost Tech Monitor).

As for games, your CPU only turbos 1 core to 3.3 GHz, if the application uses more than 1 core, you won't see 3.3GHz turbo.

 

Alright, thanks for the rec., I'll try finding one and see how it goes.

 

Review Schenker XMG A522 (Clevo W350ET barebones) Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

I was under the impression that a select few of Clevo's 2012 line of laptops were affected by CPU throttling.