*** Official Clevo W230SS/Sager NP7338 Owner's Lounge ***

Time this model gets a new thread.

Pre-orders are up on various sites.

Specifications are in the spoiler.

Spoiler

CPU
- 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4700MQ Processor (2.40GHz), 6MB L3 Cache
- 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4810MQ Processor (2.80GHz), 6MB L3 Cache
- 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-4910MQ Processor (2.90GHz), 8MB L3 Cache

Core Logic
- Intel® HM87 Express Chipset

Display
- 13.3” Full HD 16:9 Wide screen (1920x1080) LED-Backlit Display with Wide Viewing Angle in Matte Finished Screen

Memory
- Up to 16GB

Graphics Processor
- 2GB GTX 860M (Maxwell), Optimus Support, HDMI 1.4

Storage
- 2 mSATA, 1 2.5" HDD/SSD (RAID0/1 Supported)

Sound System
- Onkyo (Mediocre at best, possibly only critical flaw)

Keyboard
- Multi languages isolated illuminated keyboard

Pointing Device
- Integrated touchpad with multi-gesture and scrolling function

I/O Ports
- 1 HDMI™ 1.4a output Port (with HDCP)
- 1 DB15 VGA output Port
- 1 USB 2.0 Port
- 3 USB 3.0 Ports (One powered USB port, AC/DC)
- 1 Headphone Jack
- 1 Microphone Jack
- 1 RJ-45 LAN (10/100/1000Mbps)

Slots
- 1st for WLAN Combo module (Half size Mini Card with PCIe and USB interface).
- 2nd and 3rd slots for mSATA SSD Full size Mini Card with SATA interface.

Communication
- Built-in Gigabit Ethernet LAN
- Internal 802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN + Bluetooth Combo
- Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 AC Wireless LAN + Bluetooth Combo
- Qualcomm Killer™ Wireless-N 1103, 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN
- Qualcomm Killer™ Wireless-N 1202, 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN + Bluetooth 4.0 Combo

Other Features
- Built-in 2.0M HD Video Camera
- Intel® Rapid Start Technology
- Intel® Smart Response Technology
- Intel® Smart Connect Technology
- Intel® Anti-Theft Technology

Power
- Full Range 120W AC Adapter AC-in 100~240V, 50~60Hz, DC output 19.5V, 6.15A
- Removable 6 cells smart Lithium-Ion battery pack 62.16Wh

Security
- Kensington® Lock

OS Support
- Windows® 8.1

Dimension
- 12.99” (w) x 8.94” (d) x 1.26” (h)
- 4.6 Lbs including Battery Pack

 

A thread applies to me for once? Wow, I think I may be ascending to a new level of relevancy! Seriously though, the 28th can't come soon enough. My laptop died in February so I've been left just twiddling my thumbs for the entire month of March.

Anyone know anything about the 3G card in the NP7338? They were in the specs on Clevo but I haven't heard anything else about it.

 

.
Hah, I was wondering if a new thread would be made, or if it would continue on the W230ST/NP7330 thread. I am so looking forward to getting this machine.

I have already ordered and received the Zalman NC1000-B cooling pad in preparation for this new beast (the -B just means it is black instead of silver) - $50 at Amazon. Once I have the NP7338 I will edit this post with a couple of pics - may help others looking for a nice cooling pad.

A new ASUS RT-N66U dual band router is also en route.. I went N and not AC as I eventually went with the Bigfoot Networks Killer Wireless-N 1202 for this laptop. The ASUS RT-N66U is apparently a very good router with good range, and special thanks to NBR member TillerOfTheEarth for advice on this. Anyone considering this router, check this link for improved firmware.

Will be interested to see what the power brick is like. The one that came with my NP6110 was a huge heavy brick-like object which I quickly replaced with a far more practical slimline unit.. I hope Sager have it together more this time around in that regard.

Yes, Prema is already working on BIOS mod before the laptop is even out there. Is that guy good or what?

Useful links:

• W230SS / NP7338 Prema Mod.

• W230SS / NP7338 Drivers.

 

Even though it has the basic chassis of the W230ST / NP7330 this should be good for this NEW model to have it's own thread.

After all this NEW W230SS / NP7338 has the new NVIDIA technology....Maxwell!

--

 

It's a sweet looking machine. I wish I had an excuse to buy one.:thumbsup:

 

Prema BIOS Mod link for this model in my signature!

 

Bah well, I opted not to start a new thread, but alas, here it is!

 

So it comes with an integrated fingerprint reader??

 

I dont think so at least not per Sagers or Clevo's site, that spec above maybe need to be updated.

 

I'm looking forward to this machine. I am replacing an aging, but decently speced dv6t-7000 that has treated me well, besides the fact it runs very hot and the processor is always throttling under load. My order for the 7338 was put in earlier this week and the waiting has begun. The next week and a half will go by very slow.

 

I had several HP DV-9000 series laptops over the years. I think you will love the Sager. Since I bought my first in 2008, this NP7338 will be my 3rd. They hold up really well.

 

That's quite a nice jump lol.

 

So it's a typo by Clevo on the Integrated Fingerprint reader on W230ss?

 

Hi,

First for all sorry for my bad english (I'm french)
I bought one the last saturday on anyware (a french reseller for clevo) : Here is the advanced specs I wrote after some research

Model : Clevo W230SS / Sager NP7338 / SCHENKER XMG P304 (April 2014)
Display : Samsung 13,3" QHD+ 3200x1800 16:9 LED IPS 700:1 400cd/m² Mat 276ppi
Motherboard : Chipset Intel HM87 Express - 2x DDR3(L) - 1x 2,5" SATA3 - 2x PCIe 3.0 M.2
CPU : Intel Core i7-4702MQ Haswell 22nm 4x2C @ 3,2ghz L3 6Mo HD4600 20sp @ 1,15Ghz 1,7Go TDP 37w
RAM : Kingston HyperX 2x4go DDR3 PC17000 @ 2133Mhz Cas 12-12-12-36 1,5v
GPU : Nvidia GTX 860m Maxwell 28nm 640sp @ 1097mhz 2Go GDDR5 128bits @ 2500Mhz CUDA TDP 40w
SSD : Samsung 840 Pro 256go MLC SATA3 (R:540Mo/s - 100100 IOPS / W:520Mo/s - 90000 IOPS) TDP 0,069W
Wifi : Bigfoot Killer Wireless-N 1103 802.11a/b/g/n 450Mb/s
Sound : SoundBlaster Cinema + HP 2.0 Onkyo THX
Battery : Clevo 6 cellules 5600mAh 62.16Wh (Autonomie 2h-7h)

The SSD, RAM & wifi card come from my ex Alienware m14x R1
It's not still available and they said I will have it to early april

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me

 

I know the chances are slim, but I'm really hoping they'll tamed the fan profiles this iteration. The bursting on the W230ST was a really big annoyance of mine!

 

I have a i7 3720 processor that never has been able to run full speed in my dv6t....well not for more than a few seconds. ThrottleStop has helped keep the cpu stabilized at higher clocks vs just letting it run on autopilot. It also has the gt 650m which worked pretty good after they unlocked it. The thing over clocked like crazy. I only run the OC when I had it hooked to the tv and there was a dedicated fan blowing right in the intake. There was about a 20-30% improvement on frame rates running the OCed gpu. I'm sure this new sager will beat it hands down. I might upgrade to the 3200x1800 screen once I see how people like them. I just ordered a 500 gb samsung evo msata to go along with the 960 gb M500 ssd that I will be stealing from my dv6t. I also have 16 gb of 1866 gskill ram I will be stealing from the old HP. I kind of thinking the 4702mq might have been a good option since it is a 37 watt part but the 35$ for the 4810mq upgrade got me picking the bigger cpu. We will see. I'm sure I will be sold once I have it in my hands. Personally it was a toss up between the np7358 or the np7338. I like the 15' size but I didn't want anything bigger than what I already have. Since I take the HP with me a lot the 13 incher might make things easier.

 

Hey guys, how exactly is W230SS giving that extra 1.5-2hrs of battery compared to the W230ST when both have the same 62wh battery, same chassis. I know you guys are going to say because of the new tech Maxwell gpu but this one is using optimus, so most of the time it'll run on integrated.

How is Maxwell gpu suppose to influence and improve battery life when only doing productivity work like ms word, or web browsing etc??? How and where is the W230SS getting the extra 1.5-2hrs battery from when only using the intel hd graphics?

 

Which cooling pad will be great for this laptop?

 

The better power consumption comes from the display. Indeed the 3200x1800 is a RGBW display (a Samsung SDC424A like in the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro) which use less power for the same luminosity (vs. a simple RGB). We can also suppose that the motherboard isn't the same and should be optimized for less power consumption. And combined to a core i5/I7 which use only 37w (vs 45w) like the i7 4702MQ/HQ and a geforce GTX860m Maxwell which use 30w less than a 765m (75w vs 40-45w) with ~35% better performance, it's not mad to think we gonna have an average of ~30% more battery life.

edit : the maxwell GPU use less power even when it's not used (idle)
The GTX 860m Maxwell is a GTX 750ti. Look at that :



http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_750_Ti/23.html

And also (If you want to know more about the amazing GTX 860m Maxwell's Power Efficiency) :

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=nvidia_power_maxwell&num=1

It's really the perfect laptop GPU to have....

 

Optimus shuts off the gpu compared to a desktop though, it does not simply idle.

However maybe the card sleeps even better now, maybe better handling of the bus.

 

With Optimus I found the GPU is never truly "off". It's still consuming power. But with Maxwell perhaps they improved it so that it consumes next to no power. Who knows.

 

Well you need to have a way to wake it up, so controlling the pcie bus and chip powerup can impact usage along with how much of the chip stays awake to look for the signal.

 

Does anyone know if this has UEFI? I'm planning to dual boot Windows 7 and Linux, and I've had unsuccessful attempts with dual booting Windows 8 and Linux. I'll be working with the "No Operating System [Drivers & Utility Software Only (Windows 7 & 8.1)]" option. Thanks!

 

It will be uefi capable but iirc it should be able to turn it off if required. Check the older St model as it should be the same.

 

So you're saying that only the people that upgrades to 1800p will get the better battery life and the people that sticks with the 1080p default display won't get the better battery benefit?

 

Yes. You gonna have a better battery life thanks to the maxwell chip but not thanks the 1080p RGB screen if you take it... I almost did this mistake when I bought it, but fortunatly I saw a review about the lenovo yoga 2 pro

 

The notebookcheck's english review of the Sager XMG P304 is available since this afternoon....

Review Schenker XMG P304 (Clevo W230SS) Barebones Notebook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

Keep in mind that the Sager has a glossy screen unlike the basic clevo one. (I suppose)

 

After reading that review, I wish I DID order the 4702mq vs the 4810mq. Oh well, maybe it will work at full speed if I take it outside during some below freezing nights.

 

Don't worry you just have to put a modded bios from prema to stop the throttle ! And to set you max CPU load to 95-99% in the power management to keep power when you are running on battery

 

2hrs gaming on battery is pretty impressive too. I might opt for this upgrade, but still looking for a decent 17" thin and light gaming notebook, but with high res screen. MSI has the 870m but only 1080p screen, so perhaps Aorus will offer a 17 inch SLI 860m config with a 3k display. Or maybe Clevo will surprise us with a 17" Aorus competitor. One can only dream I guess.

 

Lol. Or maybe an hypothetic MSI GS70 GHOST PRO ? 17" with a 3k display and a gtx870m

 

Hi guys, making my first post on NBR in the W230SS thread

I cant wait to get my 230SS, been waiting for ages for this refresh! Already wanting to upgrade it though and I have a question -- What mSATA SSD are you all going with?

I cant decide between the ~240gb versions of the Crucial M500, Mushkin Atlas DX, Plextor M5M, or Samsung Evo. Basically looking for the overall fastest drive, with reliability still a minor concern (I would prefer that it not flake out on me)
Or is Raid 0 really worth it? I could always do dual ~120gb drives instead which sounds very enticing.

I plan to have a 7200rpm 1TB mechanical drive in the 2.5 bay for storage too, since game sizes are skyrocketing (damn near 50gb for Titansfall, and BF4 uses almost 30gb as well). Maybe when I can afford it I will get one of those ~1TB 2.5 SSD's but for now 240gb is plenty.

 

They're all as reliable as another. Take your pick. I would just skip RAID. Performance really isn't that different between RAID and single SSD, at least where it matters. Crucial, Samsung, Plextor I can all vouch for personally. Although I'd recommend installing BF4 on the SSD since load times are important at the start of each round, you don't want to be left standing alone while everyone else is capping a flag or already taking down the enemy. That 50GB for Titanfall is ridiculous though I think, and isn't as sensitive to load times like BF4 is.

 

Raid 0 using SSD's is not that big a difference in normal operation from a single SSD I hear, and at the same time you increase risk of data loss if one of the SSD's should fail.

I believe you can have either 2 x mSATA drives or 1 x 2.5" drive (be it SSD or mechanical), but unfortunately not 1 x mSATA and 1 x 2.5" drive at the same time.. at least I don't think you can (if you can, I am going to be very happy, lol). NOTE: apparently I was wrong about this. I am very happy that I was wrong! *

I plan to use a 240GB Intel 520 series SSD which I will be pulling out of my existing laptop. I have a desktop with 4 drives, and a 1TB external drive for storage also, so it's not a big concern for me having only the 240GB drive in the NP7338. If I only had the NP7338, I'd be going for 2 x mSATA SSD drives for sure with no RAID - one a 240GB mSATA SSD for o/s and regular programs, and another mSATA SSD the same capacity or bigger for media, frequently used storage etc.. and then a giant external USB drive for less-used storage.


edit: I see HT beat me to the punch there regarding RAID, lol.

* edit #2 : it appears I was wrong about this, and the W230ST can fit 2 x mSATA drives AND 1 x 2.5" drive internally - all at the same time! The W230SS has the same casing, so apparently this capability will be the same as well. This is just awesome!

 

All good.. so may as well get the cheapest. Crucial M500 by far.

 

There is something to be said for performance consistency for snappy operations but the difference for any modern ssd over a hdd is just so huge...

 

And here i was about to order the w230st. so glad I waited (thanks wisdom teeth). 40% faster gpu wise with lower power consumption is a real winner. now, if they could just get temps under control..

 

I wouldn't say 40% faster, maybe 15% faster, but it also uses less power and generates less heat.

 

Take a 37w CPU and buy a good thermal paste (like an artic cooling mx4) if you want to give you the best possible odds. Trust me

 

I'm also looking for a good sound bar. Can we search together to find the better solution ?
Here's my idea :

Same color (dark grey)
Same size
Self-powered or with a battery
Attachable to the front or the back of the w230st/ss

Any ideas ?

edit : or any other solution to improve the speakers

 

depends on the game. from the notebookcheck review: "The GTX 860M is around 40 % faster than the GTX 765M and 20 % behind the price-performance champion Radeon HD 8970M when we combine all benchmarks"

percent faster in games the 860m is than the 765m:
titanfall-16% faster
theif-23% faster
CoD:ghost-32% faster
Battlefield 4-32% faster
F1 2013-20% faster
SRIV-26% faster
dota 2-43% faster
bioshock infinite-45% faster
tomb raider-29% faster
crysis 3-25% faster
far cry 3-37% faster
hitman absolution-44% faster
guild wars 2-27% faster

the average seems to be ~30% faster than the 765m, with some games seeing as much as 40%.

 

Unless they went back and updated drivers for the 765m, some of that could be driver improvements. If that is truly the case though, then it will be truly a significant improvement over the 765m.

 

on second look....yeah. some results are from the 311 driver, but others are from a "mixed driver" whatever that is. so perhaps they are skewed. either way, the 860m is impressive.

 

No 3k panels are produced in 17.3".

 

Wrong quote, first time for everything! So, does anyone know if both Msata ports can be used in conjunction with the 2.5" drive?

 

EDIT: Quoted wrong post.

 

I believe so. the w230st could, IIRC. you could have 2 msata in raid 0 and a hdd for storage at the same time.

 

I'm also looking for a 4G LTE-A PCI-E M.2 card

 

Is this the same 3200x1800 that will come with a factory configured np7338 with the high resolution option...when it is available. Or is this just a hi-res screen that would fit and the quality and color of the screen may be better or worse than what has been tested by the above notebook check review? The price seems extremely low for a 3200x1800 screen but I have also never looked for comparable prices on screens like this.

https://www.laptopscreen.com/English/model/Clevo/W230SS/

 

Your foray into the smaller laptops is finally coming to and end HT? I've been watching a bunch of your reviews on you tube and it help cement my view on the w230ss laptop as a great choice. Thanks for your hard work!