Official Sager NP5165 / Clevo W150HR Owner's Lounge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T9RPe7lyto

After seeing this, I stopped worrying.

 

Hay that's my video, i just uploaded it. The only problem with running games so far is that the temps get pretty high even with a cooling pad.

Anyway here's my question. I downloaded the latest drivers from Nvidia and now im trying to set it so Minecraft always uses the GT555m. When i go to the Nvidia control panel it doesn't allow me to set what graphics card a program uses, it just shows the option but its not something i can change. anyone know what im doing wrong.

[Edit]
Wow never mind. I forgot to restart my computer after installing the new drivers. So now its working. Feel kind of stupid now.

 

Lol, live and learn, my friend

Mr. Mysterious

 

Upload more videos please.

Edit: Oh, you did. Arkham asylum looks beautiful on this. With each video I feel safer with my choice. Temperatures suck but what can you do.

 

So I'm not liking what people are reporting for temps.

I'm thinking about returning it for the 8130. Does XoticPC do a full refund without a restocking fee? Are they generally forgiving with returns? I went through a nightmare returning my m14x for a full refund (but eventually got it).

I just think I need a laptop with a better cooling system. Foolishly I didn't do my homework on this until after I purchased it, thinking because it's a Clevo it's going to have ample cooling.

 

Could you point me to a link where it talks about overheating? Is it as a result of the overall design or because of the video card? I wonder if the np5160 is any better with cooling..when gaming I would probably be using a cooling pad of course, but I really dont want to have to use one when I take it to classes.

 

sorry for going into a different direction from overheating, which might be a problem for me. But I was wondering how well the Optimus tech works? I have been reading some convincing stories that turning it on during or for gaming can create lots of problems, such as black screens, freezes, games dont load ect.

I did how ever talk to a friend who said that the stories that I did read sound like defective laptops, and I am not talking about just the sager ones, MX14 had a lot of trouble with optimus. Any input from owners or people who have used this laptop?

 

Hey Saosin,

Just caught your post as I was passing by the thread, feel free to contact me either by PM or email for our return policy. It's also listed on our website but linking there is a no-no on NBR

Either way let me know if I can be of assistance.

 

Don't know what qualifies as overheating for you, but my 4 yr old dell has always idled @ 56C and seen temps as high as 90C running Folding @ home and it's been a non issue and it even has a 8600M GT. In comparison my new NP5160 never passed 60C during the heavy usage I gave it last night downloading programs, watching youtube videos, listening to music.

Did a few benchmark runs but didn't record the temps... but the fan a full speed wasn't loud at all.

 

*removed by user*

 

Like I said, heat might be a problem, Might not, a little warmth isnt bad. I am still wondering about the optimus tech is buggy

 

That was my problem with this system and why I returned it in favor of the one in my signature.

 

I had a couple BSOD's related to the NV diplay driver last night... updated to the latest drivers and so far have had no issues... but then again... the only graphic intense thing I've done is run 3dmark06

 

is the 2630qm worth it over the 2410m?

i'm not sure if i need the hyperthreading and extra cores.

 

If you're keeping an eye to the future, then know this:

In 2012, according to Intel, quad cores will become mainstream with the launch of Ivy Bridge.

Mr. Mysterious

 

Just got mine delivered today, haven't really put it through the paces yet but haven't run into any problems.

 

Lol, what else? Do you like what you're looking at?

Mr. Mysterious

 

Is the mythlogic setup any good?

 

How much battery life does the NP5165 get just web browsing/email? On Xotic PC it says 3-5 hours, but this is a pretty broad estimate. Can anyone who owns one through in their .02 please?

Thanks.

 

the 5165 is basically the same as the 5160 except for the GFX. For web browsing you can expect about 3:30 to 4 hours... it's what I get from my laptop

 

I never said people are reporting the 5165 is overheating (well, maybe some people). Just that the actual temps that are being reported are a bit too hot for my tastes. I like the peace of mind that comes with running a laptop that doesn't push beyond high 70's*C on load.

 

The CPU/GPU are rated for safe operating temps up to around 90-95C. Only once you start pushing those temps do you have anything to worry about. Laptops will always run a bit hotter than desktop temperatures just due to the space constraints, and 70C would be pretty low temps for a desktop depending on the hardware. If you are keeping temps around that even under load, you're doing pretty well. You won't shorten the lifespan of the parts as long as you're within safe operating range.

An analogy would be like saying 60mph is harder on your car engine than 40mph. While it may be at higher speed/RPM, you're still not redlining the engine and it's well under the maximum speed- you'll not do anything bad to it.

That said, if you started noticing any kind of artifacting or random shutdowns while still in the safe temp range, odds are you've got a pre-exisiting hardware problem- not one brought on by heat.

 

Ok, thanks.

 

I am not new to notebook computing Malibal. I haven't even owned a desktop in three years. My m17x R2 keeps two 5870m's at 74*C during full load, and never goes beyond 82*C even during Furmark runs. My 920XM runs extremely cool as well.

I returned an m14x I briefly purchased because temps were breaking into the 90's and I wasn't comfortable using a laptop that gets that hot internally.

It has everything to do with better and better hardware being put into shrinking package. 14 and small 15 inch laptops with high end quad cores are no doubt going to run hot unless you have a cooling system like the one found in the 8130 with two heatsinks for CPU and GPU.

I didn't do my research before purchasing the 5165 and ended up having the exact same scenario as when I purchased the m14x. Personally, for me, I don't think it's worth having a laptop that small with that much power if you have to deal with temps in the 90*'s, whether it's within operating specs or not.

Hence, I'm waiting for my 8130 and I couldn't be more excited (and more relieved, as I finally settled on my dream secondary laptop).

 

So, having played around with this thing for a few days, I have to say I'm quite happy. Aesthetically, it has a nice clean and professional look. With regards to the touchpad/keyboard, I'd heard some complaints that the touchpad was 'rough', but I like how it feels a bit firmer to the touch. The keyboard is well laid out -- I especially enjoy the full num pad.

In terms of gaming performance, it maxxes out Starcraft 2 on 1920x1080 resolution (and didn't lag even online) which is about as good as I could have asked for in a laptop at this price range. The optimus switching tech seems really intuitive to me, haven't had any problems. The webcam/microphone seem good enough for any casual use I'll be giving them.

The two main complaints I've seen on these boards are the DVD drive being loud, and it pumping out too much heat. For the first one, it's not unusually or unbearably loud. Sure, it lets you know it's there, but it's not at all something that bothers me. As for the heat, for sure it does pump out a lot of hot air when under pressure, and I wouldn't try to game on my lap without a heat shield. But as long as it's within safe levels for the hardware, not really a problem, since I'll only be gaming while it's on a table or something. Nothing your hands rest on/touch heats up noticably.

The only thing that isn't amazing is the speakers, but it's a laptop and I doubt I'll be using them much anyways. When hooked up to an actual speaker system or headphones, it has good quality sound.

The one thing I haven't tested too much is how it works for the long haul on battery, since I'll be using it to take notes in lectures.

Also, the one surprise I got was the fingerprint reader. Sure, it's not cutting edge tech anymore by any means, but it wasn't something I was expecting so was a nice bonus for those days when I want to feel like a spy.

 

Can anyone explain to me the Power Life program? It's the icon in the tray that looks like a laptop. When mousing over it pops up 3.203 and right clicking will bring up "Power Conservation Modes" and allow me to change from Performance/Balance/Energy Star.

What's the difference between using this and the battery properties in Windows 7? It seems redundant and Im having to go in there and change that one as well when I change battery profiles Im using.

Also how fast does the SD Card reader transfer at? Is it equivalent to USB 2.0, 3.0, what?

 

Hey MasterMunk, can you post the specs for your laptop? Because I was wondering how you are able to run SCII at FHD

It might be my RAM (1333 MHz), or the that I don't use an SSD.

 

Hi, I know I asked this before but could other people let me know about how much battery life they get out of this laptop while surfing the net/ word processing? Also if people could say if they are using an i5 or i7 that would be great.

Also no offense intended to Luis_GT who kindly answered my question the first time I just like to get multiple samples to get a better idea for how much battery life the laptop has. Since I haven't been able to find any reviews about the 5165 I figured I'd ask here again.

(Also sorry if the owners lounge isn't the best place to ask this but I figured it was, if someone wants to direct me to a better spot I'll gladly move my question there)

Thanks again!

 

I don't by any means get good framerates, but I only once have gotten noticable lag, during one of the huge battles in the campaign. I don't have a SSD, and my ram is 1333 as well.

 

New BIOS available:
ftp://cftp.clevo.com.tw/ALLBIOS/W1x0HRx/BIOS_104.zip

Can someone tell how to install it please ?
It doesn't work on windows 7 64bits...

 

BIOSes have to be flashed via a DOS prompt. You can create a bootable USB drive to do this.

 

Thank you for the reply !
How do I create a USB bootable USB drive (with official softwares, not megaupload or rapidshare exe) ? Windows dont allow me to create one when formatting my 1GB usb drive.

 

Use this utility to create the drive. It's quite old but works just fine on Windows 7.

 

Anyone found an alternate power adapter for these?

I've posted a thread about it here : http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/589171-w150hrm-alternate-power-adapter.html . But I haven't been able to find anything yet.

 

Hey just ordered mine. I didn't add anything special but i did get the Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 110. Did anybody else get this upgrade because im contemplating if its worth it for an extra $40?

 

Unless you game a lot and need the software tweaks in the Bigfoot card, the 6230/6300 are going to be faster throughput speeds in everyday usage.

 

well i only game occasionally so would you say it would have been better to get the 6300 card?

 

No, the 6230. The 6300 doesnt have bluetooth.

Mr. Mysterious

 

i get about 3.5 hours max. this is with an i7-2720. i might be able to stretch it to 4 hours if i lowered the screen brightness and turned off wifi.

 

I'm also searching for a second "more" mobile adaptor for my clevo 2630qm/gt555. This solution looks great!
My adaptor looks the same as on the picture, it's a LiteOn with on the output 19V - 6,3A.

What do you mean with kinda hot, is there a chance it will overheat, because the laptop is stressing the power supply? Or don't i have to worry, and just go for it?

I want to be sure it won't kill my new laptop/battery.

 

it gets warm, sometimes a bit hot, but it works great. i'm sure it won't explode. even if it does, i'm sure i can survive the blast. i am very hardy. i eat rocks for breakfast.

 

Ty for the answer, I think I gonna give it a shot.
Can you please confirm the output voltage and ampère?

 

Cant really find out, does this version have Optimus and how is the noise level? I am waiting for a good priced Thinkpad W520 but my seller have delayed it again and again and Danish reseller is selling this laptop rebranded laptop link but is the fan noise always load like an Envy 14 or can it be silent if I am just using Visual studio for example

 

That's answered in the very first post of this thread.

 

Just received mine. I got mostly base end specs, nothing fancy. Base i5, stock screen, 4 gigs of ram.

I didn't have much time to test but I'll give a couple of my first impressions.

The glossy screen, while a lot of people have griped about it, isn't nearly as glossy or unreadable as the m11x r1 screen I came from. It's actually very pleasant and more than suits my needs. It's also brighter than both of my desktop monitors, though I wouldn't say they're best in class either.

As far as heat goes, I'm usually idling around 55, and the numbers go from 65-75 in games, MAYBE hitting 80 occasionally. This is without a cooling unit.

This heat is hardly noticable on the palm rest for me. It gets slightly warm, no warmer than if I were wearing a pair of gloves or so. Nowhere near burning.

The THX sound enable is an absolute must on this machine. Prior to this, it doesn't just sound bad, it sounds practically unbearable. With THX installed the speakers are just 'okay', however the headphone port sounds near as good as the output of my Creative X-Fi Go USB. At least tolerable enough that it's not worth pulling it out otherwise for casual listening.

I've owned a powerbook g4 , and a Macbook pro 13" in the past, and I have to say the heating issues on those far outweighed what I'm experiencing here. I find this a bit amusing since quite a few people here were griping about the heat issues, meanwhile you'll read a macbook thread and they'll say something along the lines of '90c is normal usage you'll be fine!! BEST ENGINEERING IN CLASS'

My only major gripe is as mentioned previously in the thread. The space bar on the keyboard outright sucks. The keyboard itself is iffy to begin with but the space bar can feel like you aren't even able to press it down sometimes. It's still functional and it definitely registers when you need it to, but it doesn't 'feel' right.

I tried L4D2 and UT3 on default settings and saw no framerate lag whatsoever.
edit: These were at 1920x1080 , needed to clear this up in advance.

Thought I'd just chime in here, since I seem to be one of the few who got the base i5 rather than one of the i7s, so I wanted to clear up any doubts of it's capability. It won't be phenomenal, but it definitely gets the job done and I have no complaints with it so far.

 

Did you get the thermal compound upgrade? or is this the stock thermal compound?

 

Can you game on battery with this machine, and does it underclock the GPU when on battery?

 

nospacebarnoproblem!

 

I got the upgrade on that one.

 

After a few days with the unit, the space bar feels slightly more responsive with the tactile feedback, I think it loosened up a bit over time, which in this case is a good thing. It's still not perfect, but its better than it was.

Ninja edit: I've found that forcing the fan to go loud ( Fn key + 1 ) can get me to 35 C when not gaming. In this state it 'idles' cooler than my desktop machine, which usually hovers around 40-42 I also forgot to mention this is when forcing integrated graphics.