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

2 months since I got this laptop and paint on the left side of the palm rest is already fading. I have to put some sticker over there cause if I don't, in 3 months there will be a glowing black spot.

Oh and I had a chance to buy Asus Zenbook Prime 13 really really cheap. I have to say that machine has amazing screen, even though it's only 1366x768, it somehow looks almost as sharp as W230SS FHD screen and colors, particularly blacks, are much better. I fell in love with that little metallic thing... Wish it had gtx860m inside lol.

 

I have a 500-gb mSATA with the OS and all my programs installed on it and then a 1-tb HDD that I use for bulk game storage and movies. I have never seen/heard the HDD ever spin up unless I was directly using it. I ran my laptop with the mSATA only for about month before installing the HDD and have not noticed any appreciable difference in battery life from normal use. Honestly, there really wasn't any noticeable difference even when I watch a movie that is now stored on the HDD vs when I had it on the mSATA and NO mechanical hard drive installed. I can still get around 5 hours of use on 'balanced' power mode, dGPU not being used, monitor set at around 40% brightness and not doing anything power intensive on the CPU.

 

Basically, the Windows scaling/DPI system is a global setting that any application can (and should) be reading.
Modern games "should" be reading this, then scale their own interfaces accordingly. Torchlight 2 and XCOM happen to be excellent examples of this. If you change your DPI settings, it will scale the in-game interface accordingly to ensure it remains readable (even when running full 3200x1800). If you switch either of these games between 1600x900 and 3200x1800, the interface essentially remains the same physical size which is great.

However, some games do NOT do this and instead run the in-game interface at their own 1:1 scaling method (ignoring what Windows says), making the in-game interface TINY. Examples of this that I have are Age of Empires 2 HD and Endless Space. In these cases you are pretty much forced to run 1600x900, regardless of machine power, just so you can read stuff. For AOE2, I'd literally have to break out the magnifying glass just to see how much wood/food/stone/gold I have.

As far as mouse cursor issues, this is a quirk with Windows. Most games I've found, will always use the Windows DPI setting for the mouse cursor, regardless of that the ingame interface is doing. In my case (I run 200% scaling), at 1600x900, games like XCOM and Torchlight 2 still honour the Windows DPI setting for the mouse despite running the lower res, making the mouse cursor twice as big as it should be, but the rest of the ingame UI is fine.

Technically, there's no quality/sharpness loss in comparison to a 1600x900 panel of the same 13.3" dimensions. The "quality" is merely the lack of scaling artifacts due to a straight 2:1 conversion. Nothing will change the fact that 3200x1800 shows 4x as much content than 1600x900 in the same space though.
However you could argue the the difference RGB layout affects sharpness etc etc. I won't get into that here.

As above, I use 200% DPI scaling. Either side of that is too small or too large for my liking. The FireFox issue is not a problem with sharpness (looks great), but with performance. Firefox in particular is quite literally LAGGY at 3200x1800. Scrolling on websites hitches and isn't smooth. Chrome and IE don't have these issues so I suspect it's a specific problem with how Firefox hardware acceleration works (or doesn't). It'll probably just need some optimization since HiDPI is a pretty new thing and Firefox is a pretty damn old program.

It will look a bit blurry if you set Windows itself to 1600x900. Specifically because you no longer have the ability to use subpixel rendering (ie Cleartype) on fonts. Graphical elements in general will look fine, but text has a weird blurriness to it.
I've not checked if it's possible to get around this by using greyscale rendering though (Windows 8.1 is capable of both greyscale and subpixel rendering, just doesn't give you options to play with). I suspect that won't work either though. The problem stems from Windows no longer being aware of the fact that each pixel it renders is in fact 4 full RGBW elements.

 

Same issue with my W110er due to the soft rubber finish. This time round I splurged on a Carbon Fibre finish for my w230ss.

The zenbooks were known to have some of the best IPS screens on the market.

 

I just ordered (HIDEvolution), I should get it early next week. Didn't choose a finish.

Can I put Carbon Fibre finish on myself? Is it a film or different casing?

 

Thanks Stooj for your extensive reply. Didn't expect that, but appreciate it! :thumbsup:
Didn't know that DPI scaling in windows affects games at all, but only the windows icons, windows, buttons and so on. So without this DPI scaling or when it's not working properly (like you mentioned on AoE 2 for example) playing in native res is barely possible because of too small gui i guess....?

 

Hi, I've been reading a lot of this thread along with some reviews on the net. Just wondering how it is to use the w230ss on your lap. Does it feel like its cooking your legs, like my alienware m14x r2 does? Thanks!

 

Not under browsing etc, but due to the heat output it's unhealthy to game with any notebook on your lap.

 

Typically done as a vinyl wrap. The gist of the option is to cover the chassis of the machine so that any wear and tear doesn't affect the chassis itself. Vinyl wraps are easily removed and leave no residue and so the typical thing to use. Can be done by yourself but can be pretty tricky if you haven't done a wrap before.

 

Not at all. But it does feel a little bit heavy on my laps, even though it's only 2kg.

 

Hi Meaker thanks for the info on the w230ss's heat output.

 

Hi Meaker thanks for the info!

 

Hi CyberTronics, thanks for the info. I can't see houw 2kg can seem heavy. I used to use an Asus g74sx that weighed 8.8 pounds on my lap!

 

Exactly right. If you want an easy way to demonstrate the effect of a non-scaling program, have a look at VLC.

As far as heat from above, I have no issues with it for general use or lighter gaming. However, the annoying bit is the fan intakes from exactly where it would sit on your leg and chokes it.

 

Does anyone know what memory ICs are used for the 860m?

Now I feel bad, I paid $200 for the Carbon Fibre finish on mine

 

It's nothing to feel bad about. A lot of the cost is the labor involved just like any options you'd ask to be customized for you. As I mentioned the wrap is pretty tricky to do but like any customization can be done by the user if they have the knowledge of how to do so.Same applies for this, you might have to go through multiple attempts at wrapping before you ended up with a result even close to being similar to one done professionally and that would cost you both time and materials cost.

 

playin civ 5 at max everything @ 3200x1800 and no lag... pure awesomeness.... less the annoying fan (thats minor tho)

 

Ahh yes Civ 5 - it looks great on this laptop, although mine is the standard 1920x1080 res.. I play Civ 5 at work often (on my breaks.. of course).

 

Hi All,

First post here. I've had my W230SS (from mysn.co.uk) for a few months and absolutely love it. I've got a couple of issues that I haven't been able to get sorted (not through lack of trying!).

1. When using Steam Big Picture Mode the screen flickers constantly. This only happens when Steam is using the 860M, the Intel graphics run fine without flickering - but the interface is a bit laggy. I use the laptop as a steam machine hooked up to the tv regularly so it's a bit annoying. Has anyone had similar issues with steam?

2. In the last week the laptop has powered off regularly when playing games and restarted. Initially I thought it might be temperatures (the 860M peaks at 84 degrees c), the guys at mysn suggested this is fine for temps on the 860M. Do any of you have peak temperatures for the GPU in that region?

Thanks

Rich

 

I have the same problem if I click on the 'big picture' mode. I didn't know anything about what big picture even was until a friend was talking about it the other day. I figured it was a bug with Win 8.1 compatability since my friend is running Win 7 and it works fine. I have to do a force shut down when I click on big picture. Even 'ctrl+alt+delete' won't bring me out of the flickering mess once I go in. I just stay away now.

 

Must be some sort of GPU acceleration bug, have you tried forcing steam itself to use the IGP?

 

Anyone here with a working windows 8.1 multitouch driver as mine does not work.. thanks in advance

 

Has anybody disassembled the display yet?

I have the Sierra Wireless 3G module and it has available connections for a GPS antenna. I picked up a low (well, lowish) profile antenna since they are very cheap. But for it to work, it would have to go in an unshielded location. This means the bezel around the LCD. Presumably I will have to void all my warranties and run the lead through a hinge. Sooooooo:

1) Does anyone know if there's room to run another wire through to the display?

2) Does anyone know if there are any 1cm x 5cm emptyish spaces in the bezel?

Because if both aren't possible I can stop trying to talk myself into taking my new toy apart.

 

1) there will be.
2) there should be enough space behind the lcd itself between the lid and itself, not ideal for reception but not terrible.

 

Hi Meaker, yeah that's what I'm doing currently. The flickering stops but the bpm interface is a bit laggy with the Intel graphics. The interface is silky smooth on my desktop, not a big deal for the laptop but a bit annoying as I use it hooked up to the tv alot of the time. Hopefully a steam or nvidia driver update will sort it at some point.

At the moment I'm more concerned about the laptop suddenly switching off while gaming, at first I thought it was temperatures but now I'm not so sure. Think it may be time to send it back to Schenker.

 

Can people who own the 1440p (WQHD) display comment on your experience with it - brightness, sharpness, windows scaling issues, text size, etc?

Also, is there any word on when/whether this display option will be available in the US?

 

Thanks! Now I just need to work myself up to taking the whole thing apart.

 

Just take your time and have an area set out where you wont loose things

 

Hi guys. Is there any way of knowing the Intel HD graphics framebuffer size? I get odd glitchy screens in OS X, which need to be fixed with a framebuffer patch.

 

Just a question about using a smaller power adapter.

I plan to install PermaMod to undervolt the laptop for better battery.

I have a spare 90W adapter (from an Acer Travelmate 8473t) which is much smaller.

Should the plug fit (and assuming I don't game on it), could it:

Damage my laptop?
Damage my battery, or would it just never 'fully' charge?
If I use the bigger charge on the Acer 8473 (ie 90w vs 120w) could it damage that PC?

Thanks

 

You need to make sure it's 90W at the same voltage 19.5V otherwise you may damage the adapter (most have over-current protection but still better to avoid it).

If the voltages match, I suggest undervolting as well as underclocking (<3ghz should be fine). I've found mine will top out around 80-85W at the wall with -70mv undervolt and underclock to 2.99ghz.

 

You're more likely to damage the Power brick, which then dies and potentially damages the laptop. A good PSU should just die and save everything else connected to it. From experience, the OEM Power bricks are some of the best, they tend to be able to handle wattages up to 20% in excess of what they're rated for. The most important thing to check is if the Voltage is similar.

 

I am using a Thermaltake 90 watt power adapter right now as I type this on my W230ss and it is only showing 34-39 watts measured from the wall. This was measured without underclocking/undervolting the CPU, playing a ripped Blu Ray movie in the background, screen at full brightness while also using a cooling pad plugged into a USB port. If I add ripping a DVD to the previously listed settings I am still only drawing 70-74 watts. If I underclock the CPU down to 2.0ghz and add a -50mv undervolt while still watching the movie and ripping a DVD at the same time it drops to around 64 watts. The 90 watt power adapter is plenty for this laptop playing movies, light programs and not using the dedicated graphics for games. I have used them on several laptops that came with 120 watt PSUs with no negative results. As long as you don;t do anything that required the use of the dedicated graphics or other super intense use of the CPU, the 90 watt power adapter is ok to use. Just make sure the voltage is the same on the replacement power supply and all will be good.

On Edit:
These tests where done with an already fully charged battery so the watt usage is lower than what you would see while having to replenish a low battery, but even then I have never had an issue in the past. I will let my battery drain for an hour or two and retest and post here in this post the wattage used under normal conditions while having to recharge the battery.

 

Using my watt-meter, charging occupies anywhere between 25-35W on top depending on the battery condition. At lower level it will draw more to charge faster. At 80-100% it only draws 10W or so to trickle-charge. Below this point is where you really need the bigger adapter if you're charging and fully taxing the CPU/GPU.

I've just put in my order a 95W slimline adapter and will do more tests. Note that there can also be ~5% variance due to the efficiency of the adapter itself.

 

See how much ram is showing as not present from your 8GB will show it's dedicated allocation but it should be able to use more as required.

 

Right now at 16% battery level, screen at 100%, ripping a DVD, watching a movie from the HDD in the background and being hooked to the laptop cooling pad I am drawing 100-115 watts from the 90 watt PSU....definitely to much for the little adapter. When I plug it in to the 120 watt PSU it draws the same amount. It would make for a very short for the 90 watt PSU being pushed that hard.

Now, with the battery at 24% and having the browser open and the movie in the background, screen still at 100% with an undervolt/underclock to -50mv and 2.0ghz, stop ripping the DVD and watching a movie I am drawing 69-72 watts out of both the 120 or 90 watt PSU. With stock clock and voltage it jumps just a little up to between 73-75 watts.

I would say even with a dead/low battery the 90 watt PSU would be plenty sufficient for basic light use, i.e. movies, web browsing and light programs. The ripping the DVD is not something I would normally do hooked to the small PSU but I just did that to simulate extra stress to the laptop. I'm impressed this little Thermaltake could even push out 115+ watts, but I'm sure it would quickly kill it if it was pushed that far for very long. The 90 watter definitely would not be a good idea for any game or program that use the 860m graphics card.

I only use the 90 watt PSU when I am looking for light weight power when I am packing the laptop in my backpack. While at home or if I now I will be playing a game when I'm away I always have it plugged in to a 120 watt power supply.

As of right now my battery is already up to 42% from a start of 14% when I first plugged it in, with about 30 minutes of charge time hooked up to the 90 watt power supply for all but a couple minutes when I had the bigger PSU plugged in for a quick wattage measurement. So it seems to have plenty of reserve charging capacity all while staying under 75 watts power draw with light use.

 

Even with an 80% efficiency you are at the peak of a 90W adapter I suppose.

 

Just got my W230SS

Wow, I lost the Silicon Lottery this time, my 860M has 65% ASIC quality.
However, getting +250Mhz core and +295Mhz Mem (overvolted to the max) so far with no issues. Though I suspect it will level off to +250mhz on the VRAM.

OK gonna have to settle for +250Mhz Core and +270mhz VRAM. Decent +25% performance boost. Temperatures level off at 72 degrees on Heaven 4.0

One of these days, I may attempt de-soldering the VRAM chips for 6Ghz binned ones for science.

 

ASIC quality readings mean nothing. It's a random number generator, period. There is no correlation to ASIC quality and OC potential, it's all over the place.

 

Also tested power consumption.
Holey cow, Prema is amazing, with CPPC ACPI 5.0 + WIndows 8.1. Idle power consumption is around 5.3-6.4W with the Monitor to 45% and Balanced power profile. dGPU ASPM settings were set to L0 only root - endpoint. Haven't enabled the DMI ASPM or PCIe ASPM due to instability. May try to undervolt but XTU is doing funky things.

 

I would be happy with your 'loss'. My 860m core will only run stable at +180 to +200 on most games with a few allowing me to go to +220. My memory is way worse than yours. I can only do +100 reliably across the board. Some games I can go up to +140 maximum.

 

Are you talking about the touchpad 2-finger scroll, pinch zooming, etc.?

 

Ok guys. For some reason I'm now only getting about 4 hours of battery life. I used to get about 5 1/2 hours. I don't know what I did, but can someone help? It's the case even with low brightness and a -50V undervolt, plus a underclock to 3 GHz. My estimated discharge rate in BatteryBar shows about -15 W. Why is this so high? I used to have only about -9 or -10 W. How do I figure out what's using so much power?

 

Before I pull the trigger with this machine, I'm looking at SSD options to try and squeeze some more battery life out of it along with performance. My two thoughts thus far are this- an mSATA ( Mushkin Enhanced Atlas Series MKNSSDAT120GB-V 120GB Mini-SATA (mSATA) MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - Newegg.com) coupled with the stock 5400rpm 1tb drive in it, Or full-size SSD ( SanDisk Ultra Plus SDSSDHP-128G-G25 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) for Notebook - Newegg.com). What will be the best for battery life, or will it be next to no difference?

 

Best way is to look at reviews. You may want to step up to more mainstream drives like the m550 or Samsung evo.

 

Laptop has been updated to phase 7, shipped! Should have it by Friday!

 

@dreville I need two finger scroll more than anything


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

The Sandisk Ultra Extreme has the best battery life because it supports DevSleep.

 

xoticpc just raised the price, I was about to purchase it last night and today the 4810mq is 100$ more

 

i think the discount was only an time limited special - by Intel.