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

Wait, now I am confused. Are you saying that if you only have one mSATA slot populated, the fullsize SATA port is disabled?? I am not able to wrap my head around why they would limit the system like that.

Meaning I can't run 1 mSATA and 1 2.5" spinner????

I have a 10TB array in my desktop computer so raw storage isn't that important, but I travel a LOT and really would like to have an internal HDD for ISO's (I am a sysadmin and always end up needing one or another). External drives are a PITA.

Can anyone confirm this??

 

mobile haswell can run at least 4 sata connections at the same time (asus g750) so there is no reason that you can use all 3 drives at the same time in the w230ss. there is no documentation that states that only 2 ports can be used at the same time, but there are plenty of manufacturers that will sell you this laptop with all 3 ports populated, so i assume they will all work simultaneously.

 

Some msi systems use an interposer in the 2.5 inch bay to fit 2 msata there, the sager does not do this.

 

They better work, I can run two mSATA + one 2.5" drive in the W230ST.

 

I had better clarify: I did not mean the machine was not capable of running multiple drives, I meant that some would have to be external.. I was under the impression there was only enough room inside the case to fit either 2 x mSATA drives, OR 1 x 2.5" drive.. but hell if it can fit 2 x mSATA AND 1 x 2.5" drive all internally at the same time as HTWingnut posted just above, then this machine just gets better and better in my view! LOL... and it's the same form factor as the W230ST so presumably it can! Woohoo!

 

I would like a sound-bar + a 4G LTE-A modem in M.2 + some stickers to protect and decorate my future w230ss.

Nothing on google.

 

So long as you have a wifi card with bluetooth built in....

Speakers:
Amazon.com: MINI JAMBOX by Jawbone Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Blue Diamond - Retail Packaging: Cell Phones & Accessories

Headphones:
Amazon.com: LG Electronics Tone+ HBS-730 Bluetooth Headset - Retail Packaging - Black: Cell Phones & Accessories

 

Philips makes a laptop soundbar that attaches to the top of the screen and isbusb powered you could check that out. I believe it is usb powered but i dont know the dimensions.

 

Are you speaking about this one ?

Philips Notebook SoundBar SPA5210B/27 review - CNET

 

Yup that would be the one. I see it gives the measurements which is nice. 11" long should be fine. It would probably block the camera, but you could put it down by the keyboard if you were using the camera.

There is really not very many options for good laptop add on speakers. I could use my sound link, but then the sound would be off to the side. I'd probably like a nice set of headphones instead.

 

I was wondering if anybody knew if the 1080p version of the screen was also IPS like the 3200x1800 is. As much as I want a higher resolution screen, the ultra high gloss and pentile arrangement has me unsure what the right choice should be.
And do you know if it is the same Chi Mei panel used in the previous w230st series?
I have my considerations down to the w230ss, msi gs60 with 2880x1620p, or wait for the lenovo y50 with 4k possibly.
Thanks
(I wonder if the 2560x1440p option for this chassis will come along soon and possibly be a good compromise too, being IPS and nonpentile but still over 1080p...but who knows how far that is out)

 

I asked this very same question to my reseller, but he doesn't know either - Sager has not provided any other information about the screen, and can't confirm that it is the identical Chi-mei one used in the W230ST.

The other options - 1800p & 1440p - are not yet available and Sager has given no information about when they will be.

 

Yeah, I guess Sager is having some supply problems with the higher res screens. It would be nice to see what the 1080p screen is at least. There should be a W230SS in my lap soon though.

 

It will be the panel manufacturer having issues with yields.

manufacturers want high res screens but they have to be made if they are to be used.

 

GeForce GTX 750 Ti (= GTX 860m Maxwell) Runs Battlefield 4 Better Than Console Counterparts

 

Ok, it is too quiet. 4 more days till shipping day!

 

New review that covers the 1800p screen option, but doesn't provide any additional details on the 1080p panel or other options.
Very impressive that the 860m gpu outperforms even the 770m!
Also very nice battery life.

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

 

If the eurocom listing is correct, the 2560x1440 panel used is the same one used in this: Review Acer Aspire S7-392 Ultrabook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

TL;DR, contrast ratio beats the 1080p chi mei, colour space does not.

 

To confirm, FHD panel in the W230SS / P304 is the same as the previous version of the chassis (ST), like the QHD+ one it is also IPS.

Though notebookcheck refers to the QHD+ as a "glossy panel", it is actually less reflective than other panels which are described as "glossy". If you were to compare the equivalent 15.6" glare and non glare panels, the QHD+ would sit somewhere inbetween, just biased more towards glare.

 

Yes it has a lighter grain anti reflection coating

 

Thanks for the info. Hopefully it stays the same for US models as well...

 

I can't 100% guarantee it will be the same for the US models, but would be 100% surprised if it were different The panel is pretty impressive in the flesh!!!

Plus, something that also can't be fully appreciated until you use the panel yourself - if you turn in game res down to even HD+(1600x900), the quality of the image is visually very close to running the game at 1920x1080 on the standard FHD panel. So though you get a big performance boost with 860M over the older 765M, you can also enjoy an additional virtual performance boost by taking advantage of the high pixel density!

 

Im definitely going to have to check out the new high res displays. Its been a long standing tradition of mine to avoid them. I might have to pick up one to swap out on the 7338 just to play with it.

 

Just bought a 250gb Samsung Evo mSATA drive while I wait for the 230SS to finally start shipping.

Now I just need to make up my mind on thermal paste. I think I am going to try some Gelid GC Extreme this time around. I was considering the Coollaboratory Liquid Metal Ultra, but the longevity has me worried (lots of people report that it only lasts about a year before you need to re-paste).

I cant tell how long GC Extreme will last, but AC MX-2 lasts FOREVER with stable temps (rated for 8 years) so I may just end up going with MX-2/3/4 for familiarity.

http://www.amazon.com/Gelid-Solutions-GC-Extreme-Compound-TC-GC-03-A/dp/B002P5W4RU

 

I was also looking for a thermal paste this afternoon. All the Coollaboratory are hard to apply, you need to be an expert if you don't want to do a mistake....

So I'm going to buy a Prolimatech PK-3 (the third best on the market after the Coollaboratory) and a G.Skill SO-DIMM DDR3 2 x 4 Go PC17000 Ripjaws 1,35v for my w230ss.

Edit : I've the Artic Cooling MX-4 on my actual Alienware m14x and it's really a good one, but actually Prolimatech PK-3 is better

 

I also ordered some Prolimateck PK-3 for mine. That and my 500gb Samsung EVO msata showed up today in the mail. Next week is taking to long to get here. I can't wait to have it all put together and in front of me.

 

It's the same for me I'm gonna be mad I spend my free time on google to search informations about w230ss, accessories, gtx 860m maxwell etc..... With the doubt that the 3k screen is a good one and without know the french shipping date.... aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

edit : A 840 pro 256gb 2,5" is waiting for "him"....

 

I didn't have the patience to wait for the availability of the 3k screen as I couldn't even find it as an option yet on the re-sellers sites here in the US. Having a 1920x1080 screen in a 15 inch laptop is decent, so I figured in a 13.3 it should be pretty good. But once the 3k screen is out there and more people have hands on time with it and some reviews come in, I might just buy one after the fact and put it in. As long as the reviews are good that is.

 

I dont know if theres any availability difference between the 1080p, 2K and 3K panels.... But you get a good idea

 

I am in the same boat. I think I will end up flipping a coin to decide between the 1080p and 3K screens.

Basically, its superior colors and image quality VS resolution. And I cant decide because I am to damn indecisive

What I will probably do is go with the 1080P IPS screen for now, and swap in a higher res panel if they turn out to be adequate enough. I would love 3k, but if it has sub-par colors its not worth it to me.

 

Shin-Etsu X23 is a very high performance compound I have used in the past - probably one of the best I've used in terms of performance - however I always found it very tacky and hence somewhat difficult to work with, and as a result once or twice I had to reapply it. You also need a burn-in period before you know you've got a good application or not.. at least that's how it was a few years ago, unless they've changed their formula since then.

I've tried numerous other compounds as well (this is all on desktops, not laptops), but the tim I have been using regularly for the last couple of years is Arctic MX-4. I've found it easy to apply, it provides good thermal transfer, doesn't seem to need much of a burn-in period (if at all), and good longevity. It's pretty much apply and forget, at least for a year or so (depending how concerned you are at keeping your machine running near peak performance).

I have tried Prolimatech compound also - they gave me a tube of it with a Mega Shadow heatsink I tried a few years back.. it was actually pretty good from memory.

 

Anything above the Arctic Silver will probably be within minimal difference...

A while ago I had some weird craving for the best thermal paste, now I just look for the easiest-to-apply ones, like the MX-4...

 

Struggling to decide whether to buy this or wait for 20nm Maxwell

 

Well, I am going to finally stop draggin my a$$ and put my order in today.

XOTIC just reminded me of the 5-12 day build time through Sager that I had conveniently forgotten about. I wonder if I will be able to forget about it in the meantime (doubtful)

 

I know of a substance that induces memory loss. You need to be 21 or older to proceed.

 

That's how I feel. I am checking my 'new mail' box several times a day hoping to see an update on my order....even though I know they won't be doing anything before Friday. I'm am dreaming they will see my order and say "Hey, this guy looks like he needs this laptop right away, lets do him a favor and get it out to him in a hurry". But I'm quite sure I'm deep into the queue just like 100's of other people right now....so I suppose I will just have to wait. :/

 

Barely restraining myself waiting on this NP7338.. and out of nowhere my desktop is suddenly throwing BSOD's like crazy.. trying to nail down the cause but no joy so far and I really don't have the time... at least I am now able to log into windows and poke around a few minutes before the next BSOD.. couldn't even get into the BIOS for a while!

It's also making think about a desktop replacement laptop... I love building desktops and watercooling rigs and tinkering around etc., but I just don't have the time for it anymore.

 

I hear ya. I'm the same. I used to love to tinker, well still do, just no time for it any more. I have a desktop, and it's more or less my "backup" machine. On a rare occasion I'll have a friend over and we'll play a game for a bit, usually BF3 or BF4 now, and nice to have my laptop and the desktop.

 

My main machine is a laptop (NP7280). Since I work as a software developer and travel to client's sites a lot, it just makes more sense to be mobile. I do have a tower that I run my various machines (Laser engraver, PCB milling machine, CNC Router, and 3D Printers) from.

The last real decent tower I built was back in 2007. A dual Quad Core Xenon beast with 4 WD Raptor HDs in RAID 0 and (at the time) a ton of ram (16GB). Now that machine pretty much sits idle. Don't actually leave it run like I used to. It sucks too much power and ran up my electric bill. LOL

 

I feel that the 3K screen is glossy. Gonna call on clevo to ask them !

Indeed, the 2k and 3k screens are glossy, even in france or UK.

I just switched for a 1080p IPS Mat

 

Looks like Sager has started shipping these out .

 

I asked the french reseller but can someone call Clevo US to ask them ? (about the 3 displays) please

U.S.A. Contract Service Center
ADD: 663 Brea Canyon Rd, suite 7, Walnut, CA 91789, USA
TEL: +1-909-598-2263
FAX: +1-909-598-0015
E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.clevo.com.tw/en/about/worlds_s.asp

 

:thumbsup:

I am excite.

 

Ditto.. mine is in Phase 2 (assembly), and since I am not getting any Xotic custom case work done, it should go straight to phase 7 and ship.. hopefully early/mid next week. Yay!

 

Hah yeah, I loved those Velociraptors before SSD's were around (and relatively affordable!) - them and Caviar Blacks FTW.

So the desktop seems to have stabilized now, but yeah.. still thinking of having the NP7338 as my mobile machine, and maybe getting a big SLI Sager NP9570 hooked up to my 23.5" panel and just selling off the desktop in parts.. grab a 2-3 year warranty on the laptop and upgrade it every couple of years and just be done with the whole rebuild process every 6-12 months on the desktop. Tough decision though.. my desktop is my baby.. the Mountain Mods case I use has seen multiple platforms and builds over the years.. awesome case.

 

I think I have more in to the 1.2TB (4x 300MB HDs) and card than most people have in a nice desktop. I know the Xeons were $1K/ea. Sad thing is I don't think I have even turned it on in the last 2 years. :-(

I had some projects that I were going to write that were going to put all that hardware to work, but got pulled away to other work.

I think I was having transfer rates north of 600MB/sec which was crazy fast for 2009. But a really good single SSD can do that now for like 1/4 the price I have in the HDs & Card.

This is the main reason I don't try to go bleeding edge anymore, I like to go a notch or two below and save a few bucks. But, on the other had you can't really cheap either. If you have serious work to do, time is money. One of the reason's I like Sager so much. For what you can buy a NP9570 for you can really load it up for a lot less then the competition.

 

I just got my 'Phase 2' email today also. It shouldn't be long now!! I hope...

 

Me too....Me too.... lol

I ordered mine with no drives so. I have a 256 Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" I was going to use as a 'C:' drive, but now I'm wondering if I should put two mSata drives in RAID 0 for speed. Yes I know the risks (twice the chance of losing your data) and most people say you won't see the difference, but it I still can't see how you wouldn't.

If your data is writing twice as fast, how could it not provide gains? I know I used to run two Intel 520 (160GB) in RAID 0 on my NP7280 for about two years and after I changed out to a single SSD the machine seemed to lose some of it's speed when compiling my code. But, I guess it could all be in my head.

I don't need a ton of space for what I want to use this for. I'm thinking two of these..... http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-120GB...TF8&qid=1395982124&sr=8-2&keywords=m500+mSata

or

http://www.amazon.com/MyDigitalSSD-...UTF8&qid=1395982396&sr=1-1&keywords=mSata+128

They are pretty cheap, and for $150 shipped I'd have an OS drive that would peek out well beyond 750GB/sec for large files.

 

Fouch,

Check out the new Crucial M550 series. They seem to have much better specs for the smaller (sub 250gb) ssd than the original M500 series. I know with the M500 the 250gb and 128gb variants where a good amount slower than the 500gb and 1tb counterparts. The M550 do much better with the small SSDs for not to much more cash.

 

Intel have just released a new 730 series SSD which looks pretty fast.. although not in mSATA, just 2.5" form factor at this stage. [ link]. The 480GB SSD has the following specs:

4KB Random Read: Up to 89,000 IOPS
4KB Random Write: Up to 74,000 IOPS
Max Sequential Read: Up to 550 MBps
Max Sequential Write: Up to 470 MBps

Pretty damn sweet. The 240GB has (comparatively) low write speed though, for some reason..