**Official Clevo P151SM1 / Sager NP8230 Owner's Lounge**

How are THESE DRIVERS working for owners here? ...

 

Just went to the bank for the wire transfer. Xotic should get it by Monday.

@borito44 Can you try running a few games that were benchmarked here and telling me how FPS you get? Mainly want the Battlefield 3 frames per second, as it's used to compare laptops these days.

@blankenship7 XoticPC told me they can deliver in 4-7 business days depending on how much things you changed. You will most likely get it before then.

@Larry borito44 is going to test it out and post the results.

 

Not seeing much of an improvement.

Getting ~30fps with drops playing CoH2 beta 1080p on high. Temps hit 90c+ and fans run at max. I may rethermal paste is again, might have messed up.

 

Sick!!! All i changed was the wireless card to the free upgraded Intel 6300N centrino. Other than that no OS and just 8GB of RAM + the 770M and that's about it! I plan on buying some kind of 120GB mSATA as soon as i get it. I can't wait!!! I really hope it does come by then! They haven't verified my payment yet obviously because i ordered it at night. Hopefully their finance department can get the ball rolling tomorrow-- possibly monday if they are closed over the weekends.

EDIT: I'm also going to do my best to post info on my experience with the laptop when i get it. Maybe even with more pics of the internals etc because the info is hard to find right now. Cheers!

 

I have been running the new drivers from sager that I posted above for a good 12 hours through a number of games. I don't seem to have any significant issues. The only real thing that is happening, and is an issue, is I am getting stuttering frames on starcraft 2. I have been trying different setting/vertical sync to try and resolve it, but alas have been unsuccessful. I suspect it is the video driver. Does anyone else have this issue?

 

I'm interested in this laptop, but I'm on the fence for 2 reasons:

1. Weight. Can't do anything about that, so moving on,

2. Fan noise!! Last years P151EM had a fan that is constantly running, even on light loads. I prefer the W110ER, which is dead silent. Does anyone know if there's a setting that shuts it up? I tried power saving mode, but fans keep whirring anyway.

 

@Blankenship7 I upgraded my WiFi to intel advanced, and 16GB RAM 8x2 instead of the 4x2 RAM. I might buy an mSATA, depending on whether or not I'll need it.

@WCFire From what I picked up, it has different Fan powers. Weight is pretty good for a laptop with these specs.

 

Fan has only really bothered me In company of heros. Never spun up fast enough in any other game for me to hear over my headphones or speakers.

I have mine loaded with the 6300n wifi, a 240GB msata and a 240GB m4 ssd and 16gb ram. The ram was too cheap to pass on.

 

I didn't jump on the RAM upgrade because I only run 8GB in my desktop machine and that has never been an issue for me- i feel like the 770M will be an issue well before the RAM ever will be. Also that 49 i would've spent on the RAM is budgeted towards my 525 series 120GB mSATA that i'm picking up shortly

 

I ordered one as well this past Monday

Though I got it with the Intel 6235 card cause I want the option of having bluetooth.

Impulse buy! I couldn't help it. I was trying to decide between this one and the NP7352 (Clevo W350ST) or waiting for one of the P150SM and W230ST models. But I kinda want it sooner rather than later and the release dates of these two models are unknown. Could be tomorrow, could be next year. Hope I made the right decision! :smile:

 

This is going to be a long 2-3 weeks wait. I'm such an impatient person lol

 

I feel ya brother!

Where did you order yours?

I just ordered mine this Monday from GentechPC. Haven't really gotten any updates yet so I'm not sure what their shipping times look like. I don't want to pester them quite yet though since it's only been a few days. I'm curious though about how long everyone else got there's. This is my first time ordering anything from a reseller and I've only recently heard of Sager . So I guess whether or not I'll make future purchases this way will depend on this experience. I'm not sure if they have the laptops stored in a warehouse or if they have to put in the order from the manufacturer when you place an order. But assuming it's the former, I'm guessing it takes about 1-4 business days to process the order, 4-7 business days to build it to your specifications, another 4-7 business days to test and stress test, and then 4-7 business days to ship (depending on your shipping method). Hopefully it's shorter though. Though I understand it won't be like ordering with Amazon Prime and getting it in two days

 

I think it's better to get more RAM because then you can partition it and you can run games faster.
Blankenship7, where are you getting the mSATA from for just $49?

 

Nah i meant the RAM upgrade from 8--->16gb was 49 dollars. I plan on buying either a Plextor M5M 128GB for 109.99 or the Crucial M4 mSATA 128GB for 129.99 from my local Micro Center.


Micro Center - Computers, Electronics, Computer Parts, Networking, Gaming, Software, and more!

 

Thinking about ordering this tomorrow and have a couple questions. I was waiting on the W230ST but have doubts about it being too small with the 1080 screen and since I like to watch a lot of movies on my laptop. My main game of choice is Civ V, but I do play others like Mass Effect 3, Sim City, and would like to play future games like GTA V etc etc. What upgrades would be worth it to me, I'm looking at a budget of around 1500.

Is the screen upgrade through XOTIC PC worth it? How heavy is the laptop in real-use? I'll be traveling quite a bit with it and want to make sure it isn't a brick and it's durable. I'm coming from a Envy 14 first gen which has help up great these last 4 years but is finally crapping out.

Should I get the 128GB Crucial M4 mSATA SSD - Preconfigured as an OS Drive ( Operating System – Drive C: ) or can I find that cheaper online somewhere?

Lastly is the processor upgrade really worth it? I'm looking to get 4-5 years out of this machine.

Thanks for the help.

=Jason-

 

Laptop works really well for civ, cant speak to the others.
The matte screen is worth it. I have it on mine, and my buddy got it on his that came yesterday
msata ssd is by far cheaper on amazon/newegg etc. I picked up a 240GB msata for 159 or 169 last week..

Processor aint worth it. In 2-3 years when you need to upgrade it you can do it yourself for a fraction of the price.

 

Is it difficult to install the SSD on your own and configuring it as the OS drive? I can take a laptop apart and put it back together but don't have any experience with SSD's. Any suggestions on a decent brand? How's the glare on the screen update? It's stated as "matte-like".

 

Installing an mSATA drive is fairly easy. It's similar to plugging in a stick of ram or a video card etc-- it's just got a notch key and fits only one way into the mSATA slot. Configuring the OS is the same as installing windows on a fresh drive-- then you would have to do the drivers and manually format the storage drive once windows is installed.

As far as the processor upgrades go-- don't bother. The GTX770M will be a problem for your applications running ( games ) well before the processor will ever be the main bottleneck. If anything take the money you would spend on the processor upgrade and throw that into a larger SSD etc.

Both screen choices on this model are "matte-type" its just the upgraded one has better color gamut ratio-- which is a big deal for photo editing software but not huge for typical users. I went with the normal screen myself. The glare shouldn't be bad on either choice because it has a matte finish ( non glossy )

Hope that helps

 

Alright last question before I buy on Monday, how does this compare to the MSI GT60 2OC-022US. Looks like it's a little bit more expensive but anything better on it other than a lighted keyboard?

What would you guys recommend for a reseller? Looks like Gentech PC is a little bit cheaper.

=Jason-

 

I honestly don't think it really matters much-- i went with Xoticpc.com because i received free tax and shipping where i live. Also they had great reviews online so if need be i feel like i can trust their customer service hopefully.

I doubt that Gentech or LPC digital etc are any worse to be honest-- it's all the same product just channeled through a different vendor.

 

I have four questions:

1. How much flex is there to the keyboard?
2. How bad does the plastic construction (particularly on the bottom) feel?
3. How are temperatures? Consider running P95 and Furmark at the same time and reporting back on what the internal temps are as well as what the external temps (ie how the keyboard feels). How about just P95? Just Furmark?
4. How loud are the fans at low/med/high and have you found a way to control them to be quieter or control the settings?

 

I have a last year model, P151EM and I think it's quite heavy to be carrying around especially with the power brick. I certainly wouldn't bring it from place to place on a daily basis for example, class to class on a college campus.

If you like the look of MSI then go for it. You'll also get an illuminated keyboard, but it does come at a higher price.

If you don't mind a less powerful GPU then I personally would wait for the W230ST. The W230ST is only 4.40 lbs without the power brick versus P151SM 6.83 lbs. It quite a powerful package with a whole lot less weight. I would definitely have gotten this if I hadn't already bought one last year.

 

The GT60 is a pound heavier and has an allegedly improved cooling system involving a thermal bridge and "Cooler Boost 2.0", whatever that is. If you look around in the MSI forum they tend to agree that the newer GT60/70s run quieter due to reduced fan activity, but this feature has the negative effect of cooking the hardware while running intensive software unless you press a button that turns fans to max speed. Apparently it is quite loud, probably about the same as the Clevos on max fans.

If the backlit keyboard is all that intrigues you on that machine, I can't see why you wouldn't just go for the P150/157SM instead.

 

Anybody tried running any of the Total War games on this unit?

 

1. Fking love the keyboard. Wish it was backlit but otherwise 9/10
2. For plastic, this is great. Very durable feeling while not being "cheap" like samsugn plastic.
3. My temps suck. 85+ regular during games and benchmarks. But I dont feel the heat in the laptop. Allready re-pasted twice
4. Quiet - Silent Medium - not bad at all loud- still not very bad considering the power of the laptop

 

XoticPC will have my laptop ready in 5-12 business days(I think 5-7 because I didn't change much), and then I will have the laptop here in another week.

Why did you have to re-paste it? Is the fan unable to cool down the laptop?

 

I dont consider 89c+ to be acceptable under my normal operating conditions ( proped up on a laptop cooler, 75f air, no obstructions etc)

 

85 is fine, I just start worrying when it hits 95 which, coincidentally, my GE60-2OE does, though that is without any sort of laptop cooler.

 

Im hitting ~95-98 in CoH2 with a laptop cooler.

 

When i get my unit i'll test the thermals out as well- i would have figured they'd be better considering it has two fans? One for the cpu and one for the gpu? Anyways i'm hoping it runs a bit cooler than what you have found. Although i'm glad to hear that the keyboard and construction is nice.

Can't wait!!!

 

CPU or GPU? I've got a GE60 with a thermal bridge and both the CPU (4700MQ, like this one) and the GPU (765M) get up to those temps. I've heard of high temps in the MSI GT series as well so it may just be that high temps go with the territory for Haswell/700M series computers. Honestly, Ivy Bridge/700M seems to be a better choice all around considering none of the battery life gains have materialized from Haswell, they run hotter, and perform within 5-10% of their ivy counterparts.

 

Gpu.
Even as I sit here idling while working on a server im getting ~55c idle. Even while the Intel gpu is selected.

EDIT:
New nvidia beta drivers released yesterday now officially support the 770m. I am downloading them and will report back with my finding.
Drivers | GeForce

 

I have had my eye on this laptop for some time now. Either this one or the new MSI GE60. I will mostly be using this computer for schooling/gaming/web browsing and streaming. Would you recommend this one over the MSI? Or would the GE60 better suit my needs for current gen gaming, portability, and longevity.
Thanks for any input

Edit: I`ve found threads with many people worrying about the battery life for casual use e.g taking class notes or browsing the internet. The only mention of battery life in this thread seems rather positive, and it would be great to see more input from other owners!

 

You will get better gaming performance from the 770M vs the 765M in the GE60. For portability the GE60 is a little less weight and thinner. You'll have to decide which is more important to you.

 

Interesting, I was unaware you could get the 770M on the GE60. Where would this be available, I can`t see it anywhere on xoticpc? Or did you mean the Sager?

Edit: Nevermind! Sorry I, misread your post. Thanks for input.

 

Assuming that you are just taking notes or doing basic tasks while using the battery it should at least last a few hours thanks to Optimus. ( Switchable discrete graphics ).

The 770M is a good 30% faster than the 765M in terms of say a desktop video card comparison-- the 765M would be close to say in between a GTX 650 and a GT 640 in terms of performance. The 770M is closer to a 650 TI and a 660 desktop card. Both cards can play most games sufficiently at high settings although the 770M will give you much higher frames and more desirable settings in titles such as Crysis 3, Far Cry 3, Metro Last Light etc.

 

New drivers just came out, so this might increase the video performance of the GTX 770M.

Edit: XoticPC finished my laptop, and it will reach the US on Tuesday. I should be able to test out the laptop next Saturday.

 

Yeah i just got the notification that Sager has finished building my laptop. Now it is shipping to Nebraska and then shipping to California. So maybe a couple weeks? If Xotic could comment on that i'd be grateful.

Any driver updates that affect the 765M or the 770M should in theory bump up any 600 series cards as well considering that aside from GPU Boost 2.0 they are both still based on the Kepler architecture and share very similar GPUs.

The 770M is based off of GK106 i believe which is the same GPU as a GTX 660 desktop card.

 

After having a nightmarish time with Lenovo and returning their Y500 model after waiting three weeks for it to arrive with defective speakers I decided to order this laptop from XoticPC and holy crap I am simply amazed. I placed my order midnight on Sunday and it was sent into manufacturing that Monday night. They said the average build time currently was 5-16 business days but it ended up taking NOT EVEN THREE days and has been shipped. Bravo XoticPC. If the laptop comes with no defects then you have earned yourself a life long customer.

 

If you're not needing any additional work here and its just coming her to be reshipped back to you we're looking 4 busienss days each way if you have ground. Keep in mind we have the 4th of July next week so that could delay it a day.

 

Awesome to hear you're being well taken care of Once it arrives to you let us know what you think. Happy lifelong customer are our favorite!

 

I had a similar experience with my order so far-- they quoted me 5-16 days days also but mine was already shipped the morning of the third day. Awesome! I think they may just quote the extra times just in case something happens ( DOA parts inside the laptop or something that would require it to be rebuilt ) but either way i'm impressed so far.

 

K.

Newest beta drivers are a solid ~15-20% increase across the board. Also nice to finally see it up on vidias website. Still having temp issues, may give the fantastic people over at xotic a call. Now other than the temps I can say this is one of my favorite laptops!

 

I'm getting mine tomorrow! I can't find my phillips screwdrivers though. I ordered some Wihas just now on Amazon for 1-day shipping lol.

 

can't decide whether to get this or Y500 750m SLI that's on sale in Canada right now. I'd be saving $350 on Y500, but this sound like a great machine too. any suggestions? those of you who already have this, are there any serious problems?

 

I was also considering the Y500 but i chose this for a few reasons:

1) I prefer having a single GPU over SLI. The 770M is about on par with 750M SLI without the driver issues / compatibility issues / Micro Stutter problems.
2) I like the expand potential of the Sager: 32 GB of RAM, mSATA ssd, optical drive HDD etc.
3) I like being able to save money on opting out of the windows license.
4) Didn't have to pay tax or shipping where i live from xoticpc.com
5) People seem to enjoy the np8230 whereas i've read some issues with the wifi card, trackpad and other minor blemishes on the y500 line.

 

I also picked the NP8230 for the reasons mebtioned above.
Another reason would be because Xotic offers Sager but they don't have Lenovo, and they're an awesome company. I also checked the other Lenovo Idea Pads, and there seemed to be a lot of faults with them. Especially the trackpad and sound.

@borito44 I somewhat expected the temperature to rise with the new drivers, so if it stayed the same, it's good news. Have you tried copper cooling to decrease the temps?

Edit: Did you install windows 8 or windows 7? It seems as though a lot of laptop manufacturers are targeting the new laptops operate using windows 8, so that might cause some issues.

 

Bleh, train derailment. Weather on the East Coast is such garbage. Why do I continue living here!

 

Anybody done fairly intense gaming on the np8230 for multiple hours and checked out the temps at which it runs? Also the overall quality and durablity of the laptop. I´m concerned about the longevity of this laptop, if I´m going to spend around $1,200 plus, I´d hope I can game on it and use it for everyday use for a solid 5 years or so (not refering to whether or not it´ll run new games on high etc, only refering to it´s cooling and reliability).

Also, would windows 7 or 8 be recommended? (I´m considering 7 due to game compatability, however I´m not 100% certain on this.)

 

I was looking into the Lenovo and saw this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ideapad-essential/720343-ideapad-y510p-56.html

...where a guy claims he burnt his fingers on the computer. Apparently, it gets very hot and heat comes off both left and right sides of the computer. That convinced me to forget about the Lenovo.