**Official Sager NP5160 / Clevo W150HNQ Owners' Lounge**

I already got the IC diamond compound. I will probably have to invest in a laptop cooler if I find the heat to be...hot.

 

Can you add your rig to a signature so we know what you have, then maybe post some of the temps your getting, people around here are in need of more information on the temps people are getting on their 5160's, including me.

Anyone with a 2520m have some temps yet?

 

Just a FYI..

Digital Storm sells Sager Laptops as well.

Gaming computers, custom gaming computers, gaming pc, custom gaming pc

 

you know, I got the stock wireless card from xotic, which states it's combined with bluetooth, but I can't get it to work.
Anyone with the stock card get bluetooth to work?

 

I will be getting mine tomorrow with stock wireless card as well, will update you if I get bluetooth to work ok (I will be installing Windows 7 Ultimate x64) that is unless you have gotten it working already ok

 

The default one is Atheros, right?

I don't really know this brand, any thought on that?

(Mine's coming with that too, I like to have both wifi AND bluetooth 3.0)

 

I was hoping this would be the Intel 1030. Can anyone confirm Atheros is what they have?

 

Why? By most accounts, its a huge disappointment.

Mr. Mysterious

 

I saw the benchmarks for it. It's not the fastest, but for someone who doesn't have an SSD anything is an upgrade, and I was already going for the X25 in the summer.

I'm not going to fret milliseconds in differences in the benchmarks. I can't imagine those being really noticeable in real world. Especially when I won't have two laptops sitting next to me running two different SSDs. I prefer reliability and Intels have the lowest failure rate.

 

Lol ok, suit yourself. I'm going for the 64GB Crucial C300 myself for a boot drive. It's going to handle everything I throw at it. But I'll probably get it after a couple of months, once all the manufacturers get their new lines out and established.

Mr. Mysterious

 

Exactly, most people in everyday use would notice little to no difference between different drives. The only way you would know there was a difference is from benchmarking. I myself just bought a G2 Intel 120Gig SSD at such a good price point that more than makes up for the added cost of a new generation unit.(Being one of those awful penny pinchers because
I have to right now, knowing I would not like a spinner in my laptop)

 

According to Clevo's site, these are the options:

Code:

	
	 (Factory Option) Intel®  Centrino®  Advanced-N 6230 (Rainbow Peak 2) 2x2 AGN + Bluetooth
	 (Factory Option) Intel®  Centrino®  Wireless-N 1030 (Rainbow Peak 1) 1x2 BGN + Bluetooth
	 (Factory Option) Intel  Centrino   Ultimate-N 6300
	 (Factory Option) Wireless LAN 802.11B/G/N + Bluetooth v3.0 +HS Combo Half Mini Card module
	 (Factory Option) Wireless LAN 802.11B/G/N Half Mini Card module

But those were the options I had on a local Sager reseller:

Code:

Atheros 802.11 B+G+N Wireless Lan + Bluetooth Combo
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 - 802.11/A/B/G/N Wireless Lan + Bluetooth Combo  + R$ 59,00
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11/A/B/G/N Wireless Lan + Bluetooth Combo  + R$ 69,00
BigFood Networks Killer Wireless-N 1102 - 802.11/A/B/G/N Wireless Lan + Bluetooth Combo  + R$ 99,00

Actually, I cut the deal with other reseller, which didn't gave such option and since that I believe it comes with that Atheros one...

Is there any problem with Atheros?

 

I don’t have any firsthand experience, but have seen it mentioned around here from time to time as not as good as an Intel adapter.

 

Hey, so I was referred here to ask about sager notebooks because I'm kind of in the market for a new laptop. Frankly I'm fed up with my Dell Inspiron 1520 dying out on me every 6 months. I've already burned through 5ish adaptors, 3 batteries, a front bezel, and now my backlight is dead. I've been looking at laptops with a good build quality and I have about a $1000 budget. My brother said he'd be willing to get me a Thinkpad T-series or a Macbook Pro. But I'm trying to widen my options a bit more if I can get a cheaper powerful laptop. I know Thinkpads are built like tanks and that really pushes me towards that series of notebooks. Macbook Pros are kinda outa the question though as I hate Apple and how they overcharge for what you get inside the notebook.

I do light gaming, but I need a laptop that can handle school and work. So I came here to ask you guys whether the NP5160 or any other Sager notebooks are worth its money. I don't want to have problems with its a few months down the line and have to try and buy parts to fix everything every few months. I need it to last me at least 3 years. How does this laptop hold up against the tank of all laptops (Thinkpads?). The NP5160 has absolutely stunned me with its specs for the amount you pay. Does it have good power because it skimped on the build?

 

The c300 was the other one i was considering. But the real world performance didn't outweigh the reliability for me. Looking at benchmarks from the 320 and this 0.6 secs faster opening applications? 0.1 sec opening under stress? Nah...

Yep yep. I'm a penny pincher also. I wonder how much the X25 will drop...

 

The number one disadvantage i see with this laptop is its battery life, how long does the battery actually last when doing normal web browsing, and surfing?

I am torn between this and the sager np 8130, I save about $350 with the 5160...however price is secondary (budget of 1500), however i need max battery life, since im not a heavy gamer....

thanks

 

chinny, please don't cross-post between threads. It's against the rules.

Mr. Mysterious

 

Not to mention this is the laptop with better battery life so the post makes no sense

 

I would expect better battery life on the NP5160 then on NP8130. The second's GPU take double the power of the first, that also has Optimus. I don't know if its bigger battery can overcome that.

 

o my bad, i just thought it would take less time for a reply

 

Well since we deviarted from the topic anyway, i have a question.

I just ordered a 5160 with an i7 and a 1080P display but i was just on sony's website looking at the new CB series they introduced. It only has a I5 but its is a 2.60ghz 2540m. The graphic card is also a AMD 6630M.

So the my main dilemma is how does the graphic card measure up to the GT540M? I am not a major gamer, just do some minor games.

The main thing that attracts me to the Vaio is the looks (i know they are subjective) and the backlit keyboard as well as the extended battery life of 7 hours definetely entice me. The price of the laptop is about 100 bucks or so more than the Sager but the additional battery life and the backlit keyboard kind of make up for it.

What do you guys think? any possible arguments to enlighten me to forget about the viao?

 

If you compare using notebookcheck.net the AMD 6630 is below slighty below the 540, but not by much.

 

What are the best drivers for the GT 540m? Just the ones that were included with the disc?

 

Bad news guys (good news for those who are still considering ordering/haven't had their orders in production yet): CLEVO has got some new W150HRQ/HRM shells loaded with the GT 555m. Maybe consider waiting?

CLEVO - Products

Just FYI, 555m is the best card you are going to get that still has Optimus.

 

U ARE AWESOME SIR!

 

noooo that's so not fair wish i didn't have to get the 5160 now...

 

Looks like it's going to be super popular. This is what I was hoping for back before I decided to get my 8130.

Shall I make an official owner's lounge?

Mr. Mysterious

 

I think before jumping the gun, we need to find out if the Sager Resellers will be getting these first.

Edit: Resellers will you be getting the W150HRM?

 

It would suck though if that computer DOESN'T cost less than the 8130
I think the only laptop that had the 445m was the xps 17
or at least I never found another that had it.
good to see the top-mid card in a 15 incher for once

but i have a feeling it will be, at best, only marginally cheaper than the 8130, like $50

and I can't figure out anything definitive about the wireless+bluetooth card
its a realtek rtl8188ce
the bluetooth transfer program is there, but it can't find my phone
anyone get theirs to work?

 

Are you kidding me...?

Arghhh!!! lol

It would probably be a while before resellers got it though.....right? right?!

 

Well, I think the W150HNQ already fits my budget fine. Also, I'm not that much of a gamer.

Wouldn't this other GPU be even hotter?
If they could fit that and assuming they haven't change every other things, I'll be less frightened by the NP5160 cooling capacities

 

OK, I have finally received my NP 5160 from Mythlogic. I will do a more comprehensive review in a few days, but I would like to just share my first impressions.

First the laptop itself. The chassis is much more rigid than I had anticipated, as is the keyboard. It is also much lighter and compact than I had imagined... especially compared to my old Compal IFL90.

The noise is not completely silent, but it is absolutely not bothersome at all. I hear much more ambient noise just from opening my window on a quiet day in the burbs.

The screen: Ok so some of you know that I chose MYTHLOGIC mainly because they were the first to offer custom matte screens for these machines. I have been using a Dell IPS monitor as my main screen now for a very long time on my home PC and love its color quality. After having been burnt by the crappy screen quality and near mirror finish of my Compal IFL90, I decided that my next laptop I would put screen quality as one of the most important features in my purchasing decision.

My jaw dropped from first sight of this screen in person. I am amazed at its vibrancy, balanced lighting, and brightness. The funny thing is, I thought it was really quite bright as I was installing my programs until i realized I only had it at 65%!! I want to add also that the viewing angles on this screen are better than any laptop I've ever seen except for the HP with the IPS panel in it. Needless to say, the 95% color gamut matte screen is worth every extra penny I paid for it.

Thats it for now with my initial impressions, I will post some images and videos of this screen side-by-side to my IPS dell monitor just so you can all see how bad- this screen really is.

A little note on MYTHLOGIC: I was EXTREMELY impressed with the attention to detail that Mythlogic puts into their machines. Unlike the majority of other resellers, these guys actually get the Clevo shells from Sager then they hand test each one with a multitude of benchmarks and burn-in software. They even saved all the testing results for my specific machine including the temperature graphs for the varying tests. Then they create your own utilities disk with the newest/stable versions of drivers for your machine and they put it in a custom CD carrying case along with a T-shirt and a nice, thin branded mousepad. That level of care harkens to the type of customer service you would get with much more expensive brands such as Falcon Northwest. Overall it gives me great confidence that my computer was sent to me in tip-top shape. Kudos to Josh and the rest of the team!

 

@cocci

dunno if you have gotten the bluetooth to work but I did not use the driver from the cd, just got it from windows update automatically, you do need to enable bluetooth from bios, advanced tab, hope this helps

 

yeah i enabled it in the bios
at least I did when i got it
for all I know it went back to disabled

edit: Also, I had this strange problem before with shutting down and starting up my computer
I was working off site on battery power and switched to UMA mode using the button, but had to go, so I shut the computer down (cause sleep on windows 7 is HORRIBLE, one thing that my macbook did extremely well after disabling smart sleep)
but when I got back to the office and turned it back on, the computer was stuck at the starting windows screen for like 20 minutes before I did a hard reset.
I don't know how it was able to get started up again, but I have a suspicion that the problem is that I was in UMA mode when I shut down.
I haven't tried to replicate the problem, because I don't know how to fix it.
Just a "warning" (may have been a fluke too)

edit2: GOD, THAT WAS STUPID!!!!!!!
I got bluetooth to work
turns out i had to us FN+F12 to TURN. IT. ON.
AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I'll go over to the corner of my cubicle and cry now

here's a picture of the brick and laptop

 

Dang, I already preordered my NP5160!

 

The GT 555m is the ONLY thing that changed in that link, so I wouldn't expect a major (if any) price increase.

 

although it isn't a very good indication for clevo laptops, the price difference between the 525 and 540 with the dell xps 15 is $100.
That's only for a slightly faster clock speed.
the 555m has more shaders, so I expect the price increase to be even higher.
The approximate difference between a stock 8130 and a somewhat equivalent 5160 (can't really get the same screen) is $250.
and that's ignoring the structural differences, like two fans+heat sinks.
so I find it hard to see the 555m clevo being priced realistically between the 2.

 

you don't think sager would just quietly replace the 540m's in the current model? Sure there might be a price increase, but I do agree that it would be weird to have two almost exact configurations being sold at the same time.

 

they won't just replace the 540m because it is a different type of card than the 555m
that's like saying they would replace the 460m with the 480m
the 540m has 96 shaders with 128bit memory bus vs the 555m's 144 shaders with 192bit memory bus
that would make the 540m a mid range card and the 555m a low-high end card.
not to mention, the 540m has a smaller power envelope than the 555m

on another note, the 555m is a weird card
GeForce GT 555M
looking at the specs for ddr3 and gddr5, the gddr5 has better performance, but less cuda cores (144 vs 96) and smaller memory bus (192 vs 128)

 

I have a question, is there a way to throttle the 2630's frequency when it's not in heavy use (below 2GHz); also how do I disable HT?

 

The power profiles can be changed to allow the CPU to downclock. If you need to know exactly how and where that is changed let us know.

HT can only be disabled in BIOS. Most likely we will have to screen to the resellers and Sager to enable the option in an BIOS update. (Assuming its not already, I did not see a setting in the manual for it)

 

The windows power profiles? I don't see an option that downclocks and undervolts the CPU. Or is it something else?

 

The 6770m in the HP dv6t beats the 555m in all benchmarks while sucking less power than the 540m. I think the 6770m takes the cake for fastest card you can have with optimus. Too bad the dv6 have a crappy screen and no backlit kb. I guess you can't have everything lol.

 

whoo! 555m at the same price as the 540m would seal the deal for me!

 

Control Panel >Power Options>Change Plan Settings>Change Advanced Power Settings>Processor Power Management>

There is a setting for Minimum Processor State: Set it for 5% on both Battery and Plugged in.

With those settings my CPU clocks down to 1.2GHz when idle.

 

Is the thermal paste need to apply it myself?

 

So unfortunate. I already pre-ordered my NP5160.

 

I also already ordered my 5160 but I have no regrets. A more powerful video card = more power consumption = more heat = more heatsinks/fans = more weight and lower battery life.

I got the 5160 because of it seems to be the best 15" Sandy Bridge when it comes to weight and battery life; I don't think I'd want a bigger video card if it was an option.

 

Yeah, I'm with you.

They shouldn't replace 5160, its the better value for those who don't put gaming in first place.

 

you two are on crack. all you need to do to extend battery life with the 555m is, same as with the 540m, just turn off the vga and switch to the igp. max battery life should be the SAME with 540m or 555m, and roughly equally short if you do anything that actually requires the vga, like gaming. neither chip is likely to go much past one hour for gaming. extra power equals extra heat and power consumption yes, but anyone who would turn down a 555m in a 5160 at the same price as a 540m would have to be nuts. however, the price will likely be higher if they upgrade to the 555m.

most resellers let you cancel or revise your order, especially if it has not shipped yet. I believe xoticpc would allow you to return it for any reason within 30 days after shipping.