*** Official Clevo P37xSM-A/Sager NP9377 owner's lounge ***

But I think you can overclock the 4940MX to 5Ghz and two power supplies would be great for this. Can you still get the two power supplies?

Yes the 120HZ screen would be nice though. Probably for sure would have to install in it my self.

 

4940MX you'll be lucky to sustain 4.3GHz. Even with the thermals, the voltage needed will cause the machine to reboot even with two power supplies. But I've never seen a 5GHz 4940MX. The average overclock seems to be 4.2GHz and that's using liquid ultra on the CPU. 4.3GHz just won't stabilize on mine because I hit that max voltage that triggers the watch dog to reset the settings.

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I love you <3

120Hz screen is LP173WF2-TPB1

Depends on what you're doing. If you use CPU based recorders while gaming or do livestreaming and want to overclock, then two PSUs are for you.

If you really want the extra PSU for it, you can buy a P377SM-A PSU and converter box from RJTech. It's $230 for the pair.

 

Seems like this laptop is perfect in every way except for the hard drive speed. It is not a m.2 drive. So even if you can upgrade the CPU and overclock it how much do you think this would hinder the the performance vs having 4980HQ and m.2? What do you think the differences?

 

This is good for understanding the drive and access types: http://rog.asus.com/308552014/label...a-and-sata-express-the-differences-explained/

 

So is m.2 faster than regular SATA? Or are they the same speed? Or is the Titan just faster because its in RAID?

 

Hmmmm I've been noticing scanlines on my screen when displaying darker colors. Never really noticed it until I calibrated my display, after the calibration it stick out like a sore thumb. Happens regardless of SLI, only 1 GPU enabled, or both GPUs disabled and running off integrated graphics. Bummer.....
Might be a good excuse for a 120hz screen though. Are these pretty much PnP or is there more to it? Never done a screen swap on a laptop before

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VUO88U...TF8&colid=3J2OI1763HSLO&coliid=I24RVPE5FMXZYO

 

I did find some speed tests (but not ATM) that was basically saying they were very similar and went SATA/mSATA > M.2 SATA >M.2 PCie
A striped RAID would give faster results AFAIK, you get to spread the bandwidth. Are you going to be chasing benchmark numbers? That's probably the only place you will 'see' a difference.

 

The M.2 SATA port is just a different physical implementation of the same electrical standard so assuming both are SATA III, with the same controller and NAND then they would run at the same speed.

 

Used some mini cutters I found at home depot. And a lot of patience. I've not had any issues with any foreign objects getting in. Dust doesn't really make a difference to me as I blow the vents out once a week with an air compressor. I chose this way over cutting the whole thing out since I don't need a screen of some sort. Never liked the look of it, just personal preference

Here's a link to those cutters
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Xcelite-4-in-Shear-Cutter-Plier-Set-2-Piece-S2KS5/100163974

 

Looks like @Ethrem got you answered before I did
Let us know if any other questions come up.

 

That's a hell of a thing... why are the AW18s and M18x chips able to go higher? Is it a better PSU? Would modding those 330W bricks to be used on the Clevos grant the extra needed voltage? It's not like those chips can't sustain those clocks for daily use; it's been done in other notebooks. I wonder if the P570WM bricks are a better choice? They appear to be slightly different.

Super fast M.2 PCI/e SSDs don't even benefit greatly from their transfer rates. Most programs or games are bottlenecked by CPU and RAM when loading from those SSDs, so the benefit is only really there for raw file transfers. As they stand, with the intense controller heat they get these days, I wouldn't even want a M.2 slot.

As for the CPU, you may wish to get the P370EM CPU and Slave GPU heatsinks if you want to overclock that CPU highly. Assuming you can hold the speeds, temps are your next concern. Maxwell is not hot, and haswell is, so sacrificing slave GPU cooling on 980Ms for CPU cooling is a great tradeoff currently.

Also, the 4980HQ is a TDP locked chip. After the maximum turbo boost power window expires, they lock right back down to 47W TDP. The MQ chips are far superior in this respect; a 4910MQ or a 4930MX would both hit 4.3GHz and stay there as long as you had the power for it.

 

They do? I am fairly certain they are the same Delta 330W bricks, it wouldn't make sense otherwise.

My guess is that Clevo didnt anticipate such high clock speeds being attained so their circuitry isn't built to be able to handle pumping that much voltage to the chip. When I hit that cap, it shuts the machine off completely then comes back on. I'd have to fuss around with it to find the limit again but I know it was not even 1.3v and I know it's a Clevo thing since I've seen Mr. Fox pushing like 1.4v on his Alienware, maybe even higher than that and just to make sure it wasn't a clock stability issue, I set it to that voltage at stock clocks and it did the same thing.

Also Maxwell isn't as cool running as you think when it's getting hit hard. It runs 70s until you push the envelope with ridiculousness like 8xMSAA in Watch Dogs, create your own custom resolution and downsample with AA maxed out, etc. Maxwell loses its efficiency when it gets a full load and starts to heat up fast.


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Maybe. We'll see I guess. It should be able to at least hold 1.26v which could get a decent clock out of them. Either way, 4.3GHz should be enough for me if I ever upgrade; might result in me going with a 4910MQ since I found they're plug and play for me.

Also, I know Maxwell can get pretty hot, but it's never going to be nearly as hot as Kepler was. Even then, I'd likely be using CLU on the things, so my heat transfer should compensate. I always game on max fans and propped up too, so that should help as well. If I can get 980Ms and the EM slave heatsink to run as cool as my slave 780M runs now, I'd never be in trouble. The only time I managed to make that chip hit 80 degrees was in furmark. After 8 minutes. Then it just sat at 81-83 and never got hotter. Without CLU.

 

Just don't expect a miracle if you push them to the max. All it took to push mine to 85 and 82 respectively in just 10 minutes was maxed out Bioshock Infinite with a custom 1440p resolution. Ironically turning off AA and rendering down from 3K resulted in better image quality and a max 75/72C. I'm not aware of what paste they used, machine works perfectly so I haven't repasted but I use max fans and the back is propped up.

They replaced my CPU heatsink... 4.2GHz with the stock paste @ 70W doesn't hit 90C. If I ever decide to mess with CLU again I'd probably be able to go full on 4.2GHz with no TDP throttle.

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Yeah, I don't expect miracles and downsampling is not something I'll be doing often. I prefer keeping my FPS closer to 120 and adding post-process effects like AA. Downsampling would be done with older titles mostly.

 

I was kind of shocked my 1440p downsample resulted in an average of 105 FPS when I had everything jacked up. I didn't think the impact would be so bad when it runs around 250 at 1080p.

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It could just be the game being bad at high resolutions. Some games are like that; like Halo Combat Evolved. 1600 x 1200, runs like crap on most any machine. as little as 1280 x 1024? Runs like buttery sauce.

 

I suppose but BI is just an Unreal Engine 3 game (which is why I use it as a burner test, utilization is 98-99 across the board, only engine I've seen optimized so well). Can't wait to see the UE4 games.

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Yeah, UE4 is more optimized than UE3 by far. I don't even know how to describe. I bet you'd get 120fps constant at 1080p in UT4, at max, on a single card. Hell, you probably could downsample a lot and hold 120 constant too. Far less when DX12 comes and all our GPUs overheat =D

 

**** I didn't even know they had a playable build of UT4! I'll have to grab that when I'm not feeling so lazy.

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Played it since last year. Minimum 100fps on single 780M at stock, max graphics. Even on the more fleshed out maps. Looked pretty nice. Not Crysis 3-esque, but better than Toxikk etc.

 

Hmm... I used to spend all my free time on UT from the original through 2K4... I guess I'll have to get a proper desk or figure something else out to be able to play lol

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just got my new used NP9377 today I like it so far not bad for $1800
Cpu 4810MQ
GPU 880M
16gb ram
Blu-Ray
killer wireless
256 sdd and 1tb drive
120hz lcd screen 72% color Gamut
2 year warranty with LCD Accidental damage protection

 

OH GOD NO 880M I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU. RMA IT AND GET 980M NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW

 

Get rid of that 880M as soon as possible, they are nothing but trouble. 1800 is a rip off for that machine.

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WE'RE NOT KIDDING @Ford-Racing22 GET RID OF THAT 880M RIGHT NOW.

 

I just need to know that if I played BF4 for 4 hours straight, and had Intel XTU up in the background. Would the Turbo be held at 4GZ the entire time and would the CPU temp be nice and low with a fan being directly on it?

With this build configuration ...


NP9377-S Notebook
$4,752.00 X Update

Edit

$4,752.00

Components
- 17.3" Full HD LED-Backlit Display with Matte Finished Surface (1920 x 1080)
- Guaranteed no dead or partially-lit pixels for first 30 days of purchasing
- Dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M GPU with 8GB GDDR5 Video Memory in SLI Mode [+$650.00]
- 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4940MX Processor Extreme Edition ( 8MB L3 Cache, 3.1GHz ) [+$880.00]
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- Genuine MS Windows® 8.1 Professional 64-Bit Edition [+$50.00]
- 16GB Kingston HyperX CL9 Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 8GB
- RAID-0 Storage ( Data Strip - Requires 2 or more identical drives )
- 250GB Samsung 840 EVO Series mSATA3 SSD - as an OS Drive (Primary Drive C)
- 250GB Samsung 840 EVO Series mSATA3 SSD in RAID configuration [+$165.00]
- 2TB 5400rpm SATA2 Hard Drive [+$85.00]
- 2TB 5400rpm SATA2 Secondary Hard Disk Drive [+$145.00]
- 6X BD-R Blu-ray Burner/8X DVD±R/2.4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software [+$35.00]
- Killer™ Wireless-N 1202 802.11 A/B/G/N Wireless LAN + Bluetooth 4.0 Combo Module
- Smart Li-ION Battery Pack
- Fingerprint Reader

Software & Services
- Microsoft Office 365 Trial - Included in Price
- Sager 3 Year Limited Parts and Labor Warranty [+$199.00]
- Rush Order Service - Guaranteed shipping within 2 business days of your order (not including day of order) [+$49.00]

Accessories
- ACA-9377, NP9377 330W 110V/240V autoswitch AC Adapter [+$165.00]
- BAT-9377, NP9377 Smart Li-ION Battery Pack (8 Cell, 89.21Wh) [+$130.00]

 

Unlikely to stay at 4GHz the whole time unless you replace the IC Diamond with liquid ultra and give the chip 90+W TDP but it should be fine at 70W with stock paste which will cause some dips but nothing major. If you get a good sample, you can undervolt and thus maintain higher clocks longer. It's a lottery. My chip does 4.2GHz at stock voltage with 70W TDP set it averages 4-4.1GHz in regular usage but will tank fast if all eight threads get taxed to the max, generally around 3.7GHz on a core or two. If you get a great heatsink, you may not have that issue and if you're comfortable with 90s for temps on the CPU, you can try 80W. It's a lot of tweaking.

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What is wrong with it enlighten me it does have a 2 year warranty on it if it quits

 

Won't even hold stock clocks, runs incredibly hot... I had mine replaced twice since May before I went to 980Ms. There's threads all over the forum about those cards.

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Firstly, get it from a reseller like XoticPC, GentechPC or LPC Digital.. don't get it from Sager.
Secondly, get the 4910MQ.. the 4940XM isn't worth
Thirdly, get your own SSDs.. For the price Sager charges you you can get even better ones...

 

Didn't even notice that wasn't from a reseller. Definitely don't get it directly from Sager. Xotic has done me very well, I highly recommend them.

Agreed on the MQ instead of the MX. They're more power conservative and tend to be binned better than MX chips from what I've seen.

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So why is the MX Chip available? What is it for?

I do like the 4GHZ of the 4980HQ. So I was wanting to match that.

 

4980HQ doesn't hold it... Its TDP locked and 47W is not enough to sustain 4GHz on all four cores. Even the 4940MX with a stock 57W TDP doesn't do 4GHz when all four cores are loaded. The difference is that you can change the TDP with the MX and some have reported with the 4910MQ as well.

Its just a marketing gimmick by Intel.

http://ark.intel.com/m/compare/78940,83503

Direct comparison of the two.

MX has a higher base TDP, is 3.1GHz instead of 2.8GHz, and the TDP is unlocked for you to push to the limit and it has 2MB more cache too.

MX is for people willing to spend hours tweaking or want to really push their hardware.

HQ is board soldered and can not be upgraded, MQ and MX can be upgraded or replaced.

Neither chip runs 4GHz when all four cores are in use stock. One core is 4GHz, two is 3.9GHz, and four is 3.8GHz TDP permitting.

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Can either one sustain it on one core for like BF4 continously?

 

Well BF4 doesn't use just one core, you'd have to use Intel's XTU to set the chip to all four cores maxing turbo at 4GHz on either chip. It's still not guaranteed though. It will go up and down depending on the load as the chips balance power consumption, heat, and core clocks. That's how they're designed. The 4940MX with sufficient cooling will generally hold 4GHz 24/7 with a TDP tweak. It's a power hungry beast that will eat anything you throw at it while the MQ and HQ both try to use as little power as possible while maintaining the highest core clock possible.

There really isn't a noticeable difference between 3.8GHz and 4GHz though unless you're benchmarking. These chips tear through anything you throw at them.

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What he said is right; the MX is for people who are willing to put in elbow grease and get things working properly. Neither chip runs at 4GHz stock on all 4 cores. A 4910MQ is likely to be the best choice; I hope you didn't buy that machine already so you can change it.

It's not even that good. 4980HQ has 200MHz boost increments. It's a 4900MQ essentially. It does this:
Base = 2.8GHz
4 cores = 3.6GHz
3 cores = 3.6GHz
2 cores = 3.8GHz
1 core = 4GHz
Which is why I keep making it a ****ing huge point for reviewer websites to specify the four-core load tables so people don't get confused.

Ain't happening with BF4 unless you're at 60fps, in which case you won't need 4GHz (but it should hold on 4 cores).

get 4910MQ
good RAM choice, but 1866MHz CL10 might be better
Avoid 840 EVOs. Get Crucial M550 or Plextor M6M instead. MUCH better SSDs
Get intel 7260ac instead.

 

3.6GHz... Ouch.

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Can the np9377 switch between dgpu and igpu . I know It don't have optimus. I'm pretty , maybe , almost sure it can't but I just wanted to make a 100% sure . Thanks

 

The iGPU is completely disconnected, its a direct link to the nVidia cards.

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That would make the Titan attractive there because you can manually force it to go into Intel mode. But I think in either mode you only get 2-3 hours of battery life which doesn't even really matter.

 

Clevo SLI machines don't have Intel graphics presumably because they started making 3D (120hz) models that have to be directly connected to the graphics cards. They could have worked around it like other manufacturers but what's the point of 2 hours of battery life in a gaming machine that will run the battery down in 45 minutes of a game?

Its nice to know when you lose power you have time to shut down the machine though.

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I see. How much battery time do you have on normally?

 

I don't bother with the battery. I used it once when the power was out and basic browsing using my WiFi to connect to my phone it died about an hour and a half later. That was on balanced. Battery saver is completely intolerable for me, my cell phone runs faster than my laptop on battery saver. Also if you choose to mod your vbios, sometimes the card doesn't down clock fast enough and the system will shut off. You can destroy the battery if the failsafe doesn't kick in as it's not able to support that kind of power draw. This was an issue with 880M, no idea about 980M

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So if you had to buy another laptop or do it all over again would you get the Titan or get the Sager NP9377-S again?

 

9377-S with a 4910MQ. I'll never get suckered by board soldered parts and the 4940MX was a big cash waste.

But the biggest thing is that I had issues. I had a lot of issues with those 880M cards and Xotic and Sager went that extra mile to ensure that I would be happy with my machine. I don't believe any of the big companies would have gone the lengths they did to make sure I was happy.

The only thing that makes me slightly envious is the super raid 0... But really my msata raid 0 is fast enough, I don't need the bragging rights or the cost of such a setup.

This machine is ridiculously easy to service as well. My desktop is ridiculous in comparison.

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It does make a fair difference but then again the Titan is not likely to be moving around much anyway ^-^

 

I am just so torn between the Sager NP9377-S and the Titan. I do really like the 120HZ screen that you can get for the Sager and the interchangeable CPU. But if you get the 4980HQ you will never really need nor can get anything better.

 

Doesn't happen even with overclocked 780Ms for me. That sounds exactly like an 880M problem. Usually what happens is I just lose power and the game slows down. Hell, I can sometimes get really really good performance out of it too. I can play CS:GO at max graphics on battery at 120fps+. Same with Black Ops 2.
Here. I did a video once. Lost power at the end while recording. Kept recording on battery while maintaining 120fps.