*** Official Clevo P157SM-P150SM / Sager NP8250 Owner's Lounge ***

Yay, Mythlogic just shipped off my Pollux 1613 today!
The wait has been torture...

 

Could you keep the deal going for like a week or two longer? Im on vacation right now and if I miss it I will have to settle for a p151sm1 from xoticpc...

 

Yea that shouldn't be a huge deal For a week or two longer..

 

Hey Mythlogic? I noticed your p157sm's come with Lucid's MVP software on them, at least in desktops I know it creates a virtual GPU that uses you dedicated and integrated graphics cards together, along with a few other things to boost performance. I actually didn't know they have it for mobile platforms. So the question is, is does it still make a big difference in a laptop?

Also, is that 8970m deal worth it? I haven't used AMD's mobile graphic since the 6xxx series and I've been through hell and back with the damn thing. I did not have Euduro and most of my problems where with switchable graphics.

 

hey giys I have 2 questions. is it necessary/advisable when planning to do a lot of gaming to buy a 240 watt psu brick to substitute the 180 watt which comes with the notebook? I read in a review under full load the notebook draws 220 watt but the psu which comes with the notebook is a 180 watt one. will it maybe break early over the time of use then? and the second question. what is this xtu u can download in the driver section for this notebook on the clevo website? thanks in advance for your help

 

Thanks its just to hard to order from a phone.

 

guys just to let you all know i fixed my immense 780m cooling issue, i actually had to add much more pressure on the heatsink itself, i had the same issue on my old P150HM with 6990m. I actually inserted 2 small springs into the heatsink where you screw in the screws, i think they are number 2 and 4 (where those little rings are) and now i'm maxing out at 74 °C which is great I'll add some photos later if you want.

 

Yes please!

 

I just copied the threadlink here, cause i actually dunno how to copy my post i made there

P150SM TEMPS

 

Just a bit more about the 7260 ac:
"This hasn't been officially released by intel--it's been launched. It's an OEM product meaning that you won't find it packaged for sale on a store shelf. There are Linux drivers (not available on the Intel site). The Windows 8 drivers have only been released for testing. And the Windows 7 drivers will be released but haven't been released yet."

i.e. unless it's possible to backwards shoehorn in win8 drivers to 7(never had to try so haven't checked if it's even remotely possible), and apparently can track down and likely able to compile the driver from source you'd be SOL w/o win8 and this card...

[EDIT]
I found this out as I'm STRONGLY considering purchase of the NP7330 w/7260ac and also so it happens win8 pro. So, I went and did some further research on that part as xotic has a parenthetical about it requiring win8 which I found to be odd.

Anyways, not really looking forward to the joys of stripping out that godawful mess that is the Metro UI, but decided that it would force me to experiment with "secure" boot as that machine would be multi-booting as well... win8 + linux distro(s) + maybe FreeBSD and experimental loader.
[/EDIT]

[EDIT2]
Mythlogic claims that they have win7 whql signed drivers for these and had them since the beginning...

I got the one above from someone claiming direct info from Intel, so... I guess if worse came to worse you could beg the win7 driver from mythlogic...
[/EDIT2]

 

Yes it does help with some games, it works just like the desktop version but in mobile. Sometimes there are a few rendering issues, (Flickering textures, but nothing too bad) but yea it improves performance

Is the 8970m worth it? Thats up to you It'll be faster than the 770 we know that for sure.

 

Finally my P150SM has been shipped, so hopefully tomorrow or Friday will I have it!

 

Well, better jump on the bandwagon! Just ordered my very own Sager NP8250-S from Xotic. Just hope I made the right call on size/weight by not getting the 150SM (which I couldn't get from Xotic anyway). Wish there was something between the two! I'm coming from an Asus G53SX which really should be dead for the most part. I was hoping to get something with a 15.6'' screen with more graphics power and less weight. Not sure much else fit the bill.

Specs:
- Independence Sale: No Independence Sale
- Free Shipping: FREE!!! – U.S. UPS GROUND SHIPPING (Use Coupon Code "FREESHIP" in Checkout) [U.S. Lower 48 ONLY / Restrictions Apply]
- Display: 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Sager Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (SKU - S1R303)
- Dead Pixel Warranty: FREE! - 30 Day No Dead Pixel Warranty
- Monitor Calibration: NO Professional Monitor Color Calibration
- Processor: Sager - 4th Generation Intel® Haswell Core™ i7-4700MQ (2.4GHz - 3.4GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache) (SKU – SPU201)
- Thermal Compound: FREE! - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- Graphics Video Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 780M 4,096MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11 [User Upgradeable] (SKU – SGC304)
- Copper Cooling Upgrade: No Copper Cooling Upgrade
- External Display Video Adapters: No Video Adapter
- External Mobile Display: No External Mobile Display
- Ram: 16GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (SKU - S4S822AP)
- Branding: Sager Branding
- Exterior Finish - Skins & Wraps: Standard Laptop Finish
- Exterior Finish - XOTIC PC Laser-Sketch™: No Laptop Laser-Sketch™
- mSATA SSD Drive ( Slot 1 ): 256GB Crucial M4 mSATA SSD - Preconfigured as an OS Drive ( Operating System – Drive C: )
- Primary Hard Drive: 750GB 7200RPM [Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache] - Default (SKU - S5T306)
- Second Hard Drive: None Standard
- Optical Drive Bay: 6x Blu-Ray Reader / 8x DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive (SKU - S7R558)
- Optical Drive Bay Hard Drive Caddy: No Extra Optical Bay Hard Drive Caddy
- External Hard Drive (Back Up): No Back Up Hard Drive
- External USB Optical Drive: NO External USB Optical Drive
- Bluetooth: No Bluetooth Standard
- Wireless Network: Sager - Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1202 + Bluetooth™ 4.0 (Dual Band) (SKU – S8S008)
- Wireless Network Accessories: No Network Accessory
- Memory Card Reader: Internal 9-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo)
- Camera: Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- TV Tuner: No TV Tuner
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Case: No Carrying Case
- Battery: Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Car Adapter: No Car Adapter
- Spare AC Adapter: No Spare AC Adapter
- Port Replicator / Dock / Adapters: No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Fingerprint Reader: Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Headsets: No Headset
- Keyboard (External): No External Keyboard
- Keyboard (Internal - Laptop): Standard Sager/Clevo Non Chiclet Backlit Keyboard
- Mouse Accessories: No External Mouse
- Notebook Cooler: No Notebook Cooler
- XOTIC PC Redline Boost™ Extreme Performance: No Thanks, Please do not Overclock my system (Overclocking will add 3-6 business days to build time)
- OS Redline Boost: No Operating System Redline Boost
- Operating System: No Operating System Standard - Drivers (Windows 7 & 8) + Utility Software Only
- ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE: None
- Antivirus Software: No Antivirus Essentials Software Bundle
- Back Up Software: No Back Up Software
- Microsoft Office Software: - No Microsoft OFFICE Software
- Software Bundle (Not Installed): No Software Bundle
- XOTIC PC Global Anti-Theft Protection: No Global Anti-Theft Protection
- Warranty: Sager 2 Year Parts & LIFETIME Ltd Labor Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Support (SKU - S9R206)
- The XOTIC PC Difference: * 24/7 LIFETIME U.S. based telephone technical support
* Extreme QA testing by dedicated technicians
* 72 Hour stress testing and benchmarking to ensure top performance and stability
- Build Time: Rush Build (Ships in 1-4 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed) (Subject to Parts Availability) [List Unique Delivery Requirements in Comments Box] (XPC Service)
- Outside of U.S. Shipping Coverage: No Outside of US Shipping Coverage
- White Glove Premium Packaging: No thanks, standard double boxed packaging is okay with my order
- XOTIC Gear: No XOTIC PC Gear

 

No monitor calibration on a 95% gamut screen?

Weight-wise, I think it's 0.25 pounds heavier than the P150SM. Not much.

 

Congrats on the order! If it ends up being too big dont forget about the return policy
I noticed no Windows, which is fine if you have your own to install, just always like to point that out.

 

Heh, no worries about either of those things! I have a copy of Windows 7 Home and got an upgrade key for it a while ago to get it up to ultimate. I work IT at a local hospital and can almost image computers in my sleep . As for the monitor calibration my uncle has a Spyder 3 Pro and I can just get that taken care of later. If the calibration doesn't add to build time I might add it though, if you noticed I did opt for rush production. Size and weight wise I am coming from a G53SX, so it is smaller and lighter even though it has the same size screen. I think the power brick might be a little larger though (120W vs 180W). I can always mod one of those thin dell supplies (or get an adapter) if its size becomes an issue.

One of the big turn-offs to the 150SM to me was the rubberized touch pad, I tend to actually use my touch pad a lot and for games usually use the keyboard or a Xbox 360 controller. Looks like the 157 also has more room to breath underneath too.

I was actually pretty fond of my G53, until this happened.

Spoiler

THREE. TIMES.

After two 2 Week long RMAs the third strike was the last and I just put my own plug in there. Soldered right to the motherboard. Been working like this for 4 months.
Sorry if I got a bit off topic.

 

Yeah, I noticed the rush-production. Unfortunately, calibration does add to the production time since the laptop would be shipped to XoticPC for calibration and then shipped to your house.

Wow, you did a clean job on that plug.

I got the Dell PA-9E 240w slim PSU. It's slimmer (which is great for portability), bit I think it's a bit bigger and it weighs more than the original PSU (around .2 lbs heavier). I don't have my laptop yet though, so I'm using specifications found on the web.

 

Heh, thanks. Its apparently a pretty common occurrence on the G 5x / 7x computers and Asus fought me tooth and nail on both RMAs. Having the plug on the side also is not helpful. It took a long time for me to get that good at fixing/modifying things. Having skills like that come in handy, you would not believe what people throw away when a cheap fix can solve a problem. Just a few months prior to the plug breaking on that laptop someone tossed a 56'' Toshiba DLP TV. It needed a new color wheel, 80$ on ebay later and I'm up one giant TV for cheeps.

I probably agonized over burning so much money for a bit too long, I was hoping to get the thing before the 19th but with so many choices it took a while to narrow things down. I was briefly even considering a Ailenware 17, but it was just too big and pricey, and Dell definitely doesn't give the same personal touch that having someone on a forum to talk to like Xotic or Mythlogic does.

 

I also noticed you have selected a M4 256GB Msata SSD.

Since you're installing OS later, you could just buy the MSata SSD on Amazon. Much cheaper.

$192.44 vs $230

If you have sales tax when purchasing from Amazon, it still should be cheaper than $230.

Amazon.com: Crucial m4 256GB mSATA Internal Solid State Drive CT256M4SSD3: Computers & Accessories


The Alienwares are expensive, but they do have metal casing. Not justifiable for a $300+ increase in price though.

 

I had considered going that route but because of the time issue by the time sales tax and the faster shipping got factored in it just didn't add up.

I do have a question that I had actually forgot about. When my Asus took its 3rd dive I actually considered just replacing it then, but being in the middle of the semester it was just too much to deal with. At the time the P150EM had been my replacement of choice but I remember reading in several places that the headphone audio output quality was really bad. Has that issue since been resolved in this next generation of systems?

Also does the professional monitor calibration really make that much of a difference in picture quality on an already 95% Gamut screen?

 

Not sure about the audio problem. Maybe someone who owns both the P150EM and the P15XSM models can answer that.

I think they use the same Spyder calibration software your uncle has. You'll be fine. Just go borrow it from your uncle any time you want.

As for the differences, try taking a quick read at this review: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Eurocom-X3-Clevo-P157SM-Notebook.95124.0.html

Scroll to the display section.

Calibration profile should be saved in (by the program) to: C:\Windows\system32\spool\drivers\color

 

Actually doesn't having a monitor calibration done at Xotic require the purchase and installation of an OS from them?

 

Yes, but that's because they need to run the program, etc. If Spyder had linux compatible software, then I don't think that would be needed. Then again they could use a hard drive with Windows already on it, but drivers are a concern. Maybe VGA drivers, once installed, affects the image displayed?

 

Anybody has a older Bios Version for me? I flashed the latest ones for my P150SM and it look's like XTU is somehow locked now.

Upgraded from 1.00.01 to 1.00.06 BIOS
and EC from 1.00.02 to 1.00.04

but i think the EC isn't the culprit actually, afaik it only controls the Fans and Keyboard and not the OCability, right?



Edit: But i found out now that even with that sort of TDP Lock, my settings are now applied on bootup and my self set Multis 38-38-38-38 are even used now, with the stock BIOS i had my Multis aren't used i set them, so actually it's a fix?

 

Heh that's my problem about ordering from mythlogic although OTOH I could just drive over and pick up whatever I order when it was finished, or loiter around their store asking "Is it done yet?"

Weird thing that I noticed the other day, after doing that msata install(buying these online is cheaper for me, at least for now, also bought one of those new 7mm 1TB hdd from WD and another identical 16GB, the msata is an experiment(1st ssd, always concerned about write cycles but might work out for boot and a few common apps)) and fresh win7 + drivers install that the steam client is no longer forcing the discrete GPU on when it's running... weird... I guess that I must've been at least partially correct in pointing a finger at rollback... of course now steam es about having to clients connected at once on different computers, what a PITA.

 

I saw your post in TEMPS with the photos and made, for the moment, just a few more turn in the screws. I was at 93°C max and had the same problem but after the manipulation on the screws, i was at a max of 85°C.

I'll go to buy two small springs as you took to do the same and hope to have the same result

Thx a lot for sharing your experience

 

Just received my P150SM, and will probably do the same cooling mod and repaste asap, hitting 90C in Unigine Valley. Also my CPU fan get's stuck even though the CPU temp hovers around 38-40C, only way to unstuck it is to run FN+1 for a brief moment then the CPU fan stops. Runnig Bios 06 and EC 04

 

where can I find the new bios files? I checked the clevo website but only found drivers, but no bios?

 

i found it at hardwareluxx.de but i don't recommend them yet, XTU gets locked -.- but here is the link anyways, down there @ # Clevo P1xxSMx - BIOS & EC Firmware

 

Scerate, I made the same as you, by putting little springs on screws 3 and 4, exactly as i saw on your pics.

On Unigine Valley, full HD with 8x, i finish the test at 86° C...

I installed EVGA Precision and asked to have max temp at 80° C.

Re-run of Unigine Valley, i finish the test at 78° C but GPU fan is blocked at max throttle...

I had to reboot.

Any idea ?

 

have the same issue somehow the internal EC Bios, which controls the fans, are getting stuck but i read somewhere thats due to the fact that when you play games the internal GPU (HD4600) gets turned of and somehow the EC thinks that the sensor is damaged and as safety measure kicks in the 100% fans.

 

That's kinda weird.

You can't turn off the iGPU on a Optimus/Enduro machine. It's always working. Otherwise you won't get any video output.

Some parts of the iGPU could enter a low power / idle state, but the chip is always powered on.

 

yeah that low power states seems more plausible, it actually was the other way around dGPU is idleing

Here is the source i got it from btw

 

Ok, thats good to know, I'm sure there will be a fix in later bios revisions.

 

Hmm that is kind of annoying, so this happens on older models and now the new ones. Makes one think Clevo cut some corners on quality control. Fan profiles should have been easy to catch in testing and deal with before release. Just as the mSata is known to have issues. Worries me that bios won't fix all the issues and they make a new mb revision and we get shafted

 

Not trying to start a Win7 vs win8 debate, just wondering what OS would be best on my new P150SM, I read somewhere that Win8 is more optimized for haswell. I have installed win 7, but have a win8 pro key. I tried win8 once but could not stand the interface even though I bought start8. But to get the best out of my investment, would win8 be the better choice?

 

Any news on Sager picking up the P150SM? I don't see any signs that it'll be released anytime soon.. :[

 

No, but why not go with Mythlogic instead? They have it right now.

 

It's too expensive really, with their base price I could go with a regular NP8250 with 780/8970 elsewhere. I'm not dying to buy it, I'll most likely stick with the W230ST and then buy the P150SM later.

The thing is it should be cheaper than the regular P157SM considering it has less features, and I guess even Mythlogic has it this way.

 

FWIW if any of you have a Sager model or purchased from a Sager reseller and have the Fan issue please let them know.

As of this moment Sager has advised me none have reported any fan issues... :/

 

I think i have to RMA my P150SM, i actually think there is something wrong with the bios, i was actually at a good friend of mine and played the last 2 days RIFT and occasionally i got BSODs with WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR and POWER_DRIVER, i don't have OC of course cause i don't need it. I even reinstalled Win8 at him with the stock Clevo drivers and even there the BSOD greeted me after 2-4hrs, and yeah i know where this BSODS are related from, they are actually CPU Errors but i bet that this CPU doesn't have any flaw, so i will RMA it as a whole or even look if i maybe can upgrade it to a P170SM for the 230W PSU for OCing the 780M further than that 180W one allows.
Bad Luck i guess but i know that this things can happen

Edit: Second Notebook i got from Nexoc runs without any issues ran 8hrs straight in RIFT (was standing in Meridian only) without any BSOD

 

Finally got 5 posts on the TechInferno forums. Their requirements are just archaic and unneeded!

Here are the service manuals for the P157SM and P150SM. Credit goes to Prema!

P157SM_ESM.pdf
P150SM_ESM.pdf

 

Thanks for persevering on this... [EDIT] Garbage for me ATM... I'll try again later... [/EDIT]

On the fan problem, I played Skyrim(just starting again) for about 1.5h, quit and my fans kicked right back down with temp drop...

OTOH I had weird behavior doing optional win7 updates on a factory install -> borked networking altogether -> rollback -> weird IGP/dGP behavior -> msata/fresh install -> all goodness(so far)

 

Hi guys, have you ever encountered frequent BSODs with your P150SM's when you've added an SSD or internal RAM?

Just bought a Samsung SSD and added it in the MSATA bay just below the hard drive. Also, I added another 4GB ram making
the overall RAM capacity to 12 GB. The problem is, I'm having frequent BSODs with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. Just to be sure,
I left the system running overnight with memtest86+ and so far there were no issues.

Could this be related to the SSD that I recently added? Thanks for your inputs.

 

Which Samsung SSD? Model number?

Did you buy a Sager branded model? If so, you've just voided your warranty (By removing the stickers hiding two screws to remove the shield and access the MSata slot)...

Are you on Windows 7 or 8?

Do you have RAID?

That MSata below the HDD is known to be unstable with certain models.

Just move the MSata to the 2nd MSata slot, and reinstall Windows (Not sure if this is necessary after moving the SSD...).

 

Nope, I don't have RAID. SATA is running in AHCI mode. Mine is a Clevo P150SM, not a Sager rebranded model.

I didn't know that the MSata is unstable under the HDD. Hold on, let me try to move it and tell you the results. Thanks!

 

Try installing the latest Intel RST drivers from station-drivers.com maybe they help you out in that case.

Btw instead of getting a new heatsink for the 780M they send me a completely new P150SM, GPU still hot but i have to change the thermal paste first and hope that my BSODs are now gone too, stay tuned.

 

I'm using the latest RST drivers.

I've also switched the SSD to the other MSATA bay, but encountered a slight problem. Had a stripped screw head when doing this process. So right now the SSD on the new slot is "unfastened". Is this ok for a couple of days until I can get this one removed? So far, I'm not encountering BSODs.

 

I have the 8250-S(157SM), added an msata ssd(crucial m4 1238GB) and the new 7mm WD blue 1TB 5400RPM(2nd bay under DVD which you guys lack) on 7/4 and last week added 16GB(Patriot, turned out to be the exact same part #s and everything which was what I HAD been hoping for) and have had not had a problem yet...

No real noticeable decrease in batt life either, although it may be being offset by having the SSD as boot with commons apps such as web browser(s) running from it, although I did leave the pagefile up but have it running off the 7200RPM Seagate 750GB drive... didn't shrink hibernation file or turn off "system protection" either as restore points can be handy at times....

[EDIT]
Yeah the msata bay under the main hdd in the 8250s has a warranty void if removed sticker. These being pretty the same motherboard I'd presume same problem with the 150s. I put my msata in the bay visible in the main component compartment... (as in oops, I missed the post pointing that out...)
[/EDIT]

 

You're lucky. I spoke too soon. Got two consecutive BSODs when I tried to move the Samsung SSD to the main compartment bay. Now I've returned it back to the previous slot.

I tried running whocrashed and based from the findings its most likely a driver issue. Also forgot to mention that I am running Win7 SP1 X64, but using the drivers from Sager instead of Clevo.

Could this be the culprit? Previously I was running all the drivers from Clevo but its stated for Win8 but it works anyway. Then when I reinstalled Windows 7 on the SSD, I switched to the drivers provided by Sager