*** Official Sager NP8170/Clevo P170HM Owners Lounge ***

Just bought my Sager NP8170-S1 on Tuesday. Now I can't wait! AAHHHHHHH!!!! OK, I feel better now.

 

More than Furmark? With furmark, my GPU is ~ 90C. And notebook GPU's are notorious for running hotter than desktop counterparts. It's not uncommon to have GPU's run at 90C.

For the most part it's < 80C, may spike to 81 or 82C. I tried a cooler, but it only dropped temps a few degrees. I bought some cool balls, which raises the back of the laptop an inch or so, and dropped temps almost as much.

 

Kevin_Jack2.0

When I hit fn+1 for full fan speed my laptop does the same thing. I was thinking something was wrong until I saw your posts lol.

 

BTW I replaced the stock screen with a AUO B173HW01 V.4 and its a world of difference. Got rid of the horrible viewing angles on the stock screen. The upgraded screen is worth the extra money.

 

Buddy just picked one up. I am going to help him install additional memory. The manual says that it doesnt go into detail about adding a 3rd and 4th module. Does anyone have like an engineering diagram, walk through or instructions on getting to the "below the keyboard" memory dimm slots?

 

Hello everyone! I've come here frequently before for other reasons, but I can't find a pre-made answer for this one:

How compatible with Linux is this laptop? I'm an avid Linux user, so this is a very important issue to me.

I've seen a couple of people on here mention wanting to run Linux on it, but I wasn't able to see anybody give any actual test results with it?

If anybody runs Linux on this machine, are there any problems with this model? Any pitfalls I should be aware of prior to purchase? If you can provide some insight, could you please PM me?

Thanks,
Githlar

 

I have installed RAM under the keyboard and it is quite straight forward. There is a member of this forum called theriko that I downloaded the service manual from some time ago. Check here under the Clevo directory P17xHM ESM.zip.

 

Just use something small and flat like a screwdriver, or even your fingernails, to lift up each end of the plastic bezel where the indicator lights are located. It is just held on by clips. Then once you remove that there are five screws holding the keyboard in. Unscrew them, lift keyboard, and voila. You'll probably have to disconnect the keyboard completely to have enough room to access the slots. The keyboard is held in by a ribbon connector. You just lift the tabs on each side of the connector on the motherboard and slide the ribbon out to remove the keyboard completely.

 

If the first 2 RAM slots are already full and you don't want to change out those modules, then you don't need to go under the keyboard. Stock machines come with the slots under the keyboard populated and the slots on the bottom open. For this, just take out the screws holding the bottom cover in place, slide it off and there you are.

Ira

 

Finally got mine. Everything appears to be fine but for one thing. I tried to hook it up to a monitor via HDMI and it would not give a video output (monitor and cables work fine with a different notebook).
The strange thing is that the monitors I tested are actually correctly recognized. But the monitors do not get any signal. I have un-installed and re-installed the drivers, but it did not appear to do any good.
Has anyone encountered a similar problem?

 

I was surfing on the internet...my temperatures never reach over 80 celsius, so I don't think it was over heating. It's possible my power cord wasn't plugged all the way in, but then it should just transfer over to the battery so I doubt that's it either.

 

As said, first two RAM modules are underneath the keyboard from the factory. Unless you have compatibility with your additional RAM, no need to access it. Here's instructions from XoticPC on the NP8150, similar to 8170:

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T-0SeDlOKBI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T-0SeDlOKBI?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width='560' height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>

Well, if it's on battery, maybe the shock from going full tilt 100% CPU to 10% CPU on battery could have tripped something.

 

To access the RAM beneath the keyboard for the NP8170 can be easier with no need to use the flat head screw driver to push that access hole. You need only carefully remove the panel that covers the area along the power button and you have access. That is detailed in the service manual.

 

Right. I noticed that when I accessed them the first time, but at least the video gives them an idea, and it will still work to poke through that hole.

 

Either I'm confused, or you seem to think I have a P150HM.

 

I know you don't have the p150HM. It is just a hope that since a bios was released that fixed issues on that chassis, that one would also be released to fix P170HM users that also have that issue. That also shows that the Bios is what determines whether that issue occurs. Since you say you don't experience that problem, I am interested to know what bios version you have?

 

BIOS: 1/01/05LS2
EC: 1.00.03

Different?

 

You have a different version to mine and I have the fan ramping issue.

BIOS: 1.01.02
EC: 1.00.05

I had EC 0.3 before but tried 0.5 to see if it would make any difference to the fan issue. I am going to try to get the same version as you now.

 

My 8170 fans cycle on and off abt every 6-7 secs. They need to fix the 8170.

 

Sorry, I wrote it incorrectly.

It's 1.01.05LS2

Well, what BIOS do you gave?

 

Quick question... does it void the warranty to install RAM in the bottom slots or to change the thermal paste on CPU/GPU?

I have a "warranty void if removed" sticker covering one of the screws to the large plastic bottom cover.

I paid an additional $149 for two more years of warranty from Sager. Is it Sager who puts the warranty sticker on the screw-hole, or I wonder if RK Computers did that. I know my sig says I'm running 16gb of RAM, but I'm actually running 4gb until I install my 4x8gb modules.

 

What? I would call your reseller and ask what is up with that! One of the huge selling points about Sagers are their warranties. They obviously won't cover a component that you changed or added, but adding ram or changing thermal paste should not void anything, period.

If RK actually sells the computer physically and warrants it themselves, then that's their prerogative. But if it's Sager, they don't do that.

 

That's what I thought. I used a razor blade and removed the sticker without breaking the tamper-proof layer. I could put it back on and they'd never know... but I don't appreciate them doing that to me. Maybe they forgot that the RAM is under that panel... I know most laptops have RAM under a small panel. Well, all that said, the guys at RK Computers are good folks and I can't image they'd refuse a warranty job if the sticker was missing. Especially in this case where Sager is doing the work.

 

Bios Date: 04-06-11 ver 04.06.04

 

I got these at Newegg... ordered on 4/20 even though my laptop wouldn't arrive until 5/5. I was afraid they'd be out of stock later, and I guess I was right!

I'm using the XMP utility included on the Sager driver disc and so far I've had no problems running the 1600 MHz profile.

 

They are 4GB modules, aren't they? so Max 16GB or am I getting htis wrong. How much is the difference to the 1333Mhz? Do you have any reference, because for that price I'm really interested

 

It sure won't hurt matters, but 1600MHz won't offer any real added benefit over 1333MHz. Only way it could help is if CAS timings are faster at 1333MHz which would be better to run at 1333MHz then, than 1600.

 

After having a crappy Medion notebook for 3 years it was time to upgrade the notebook. After spending hours of browsing the internet looking for a great gaming notebook i ended up at Clevo.

Seeing as how there is 1 good shop that sells Clevo's in Belgium (Bytesatwork) i placed my order there.

Notebook P170HM Clevo rev.B3

1 x 17.3'' 1920*1080 Glare € 0,00
1 x Clevo Barebone P170HM 17.3'' - AMD HD6970/2GB € 1.069,00
1 x Keyboard Lay-out Azerty Belgium € 0,00
1 x Intel Core i7 - 2720QM 2.20 - 3.30 Ghz € 372,00
1 x Intel WiFi 6300 LAN (Half Mini Card) 450Mbps € 42,00
2 x Corsair 4 GB SO-DDR3-1333 CMSO4GX3M1A1333C9 € 72,00
1 x Corsair F120 Force Series SSD 120GB € 205,00
1 x Western Digital Scorpio Black 500GB WD5000BEKT € 64,00
1 x LG CT30N slimline Blu-ray ROM € 85,00
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit (English) € 99,90

However, i recently got an email from Bytesatwork saying i have to wait till week 21 because the Clevo's are backordered .

 

Congrats, that looks like a nice kit.

And hey, have any of you ever had your machine shut off, after plugging it in to AC?

 

Right after plugging in AC, or just while running on AC?

I was playing Bad Company 2 the other day and my machine just shut off. Someone else mentioned it happened to them, but they thought their connector in the back had come loose.

 

Nice Rig indeed. I have the SSD / Scorpio Black 500GB combination too. It's awesome.
I thought that with the 1 x Intel WiFi 6300 LAN you loose bluetooth. Are you aware?
You might want to "upgrade" the screen, have a read through the posts.

 

Yes, they're 4GB modules. I've been told this motherboard maxes out at 16GB, but one reseller was offering up to 32GB configurations... so it may very well take 8GB modules if you can find any.

I ran Memtest86+ and saw 14.6% increase in memory speed over the same RAM before enabling the XMP 1600 profile (it had been running at 1333 by default). As for real life gaming results, I really don't know. It can't hurt though! This RAM also has a 1333mhz profile that uses 7-7-7-20 timings instead of 9-9-9-27, but I didn't try that...

If I remember correctly, before turning on XMP it was 1333 9-9-9-x.

 

I have 8gb (2x4gb) of the default Samsung DDR3 1333 memory in my Sager NP8130 config and want to expand to 16gb. My current Samsung memory information is attached. I am looking to purchase an additional 8gb (2x4gb) of the same default Samsung memory. It's my understanding that some Sager/Clevo owners are upgrading to DDR3 1600 memory and might consider selling their current Samsung default memory. Please leave me a message if you are willing to part with your Samsung memory for a reasonable price. Again, my Samsung specs are attached and I am looking for matching Samsung RAM sticks. Thanks in advance for your considerations.

 

I considered selling my 2x4gb Samsungs, but wouldn't I need to put them back in to have warranty work done?

Edit: Oh wait, I ordered my comp with 2x2gb since I knew I was upgrading.

 

Just an FYI. I opted for an external monitor instead of a better internal screen. Going to be using this Asus 21.5" 1080p with my laptop 80% of the time mounted to the wall. This way I get a 21" monitor most of the time, has built in speakers for the occasional use, and HDMI input

 

What are your settings for the 485M and how do you connect the laptop to the display. Do you get 2 separate displays. I have seen folks where I work where they can just mouse over to the other screen and have like photoshop on 1 screen and email on the other screen. I have tried it with a LCD TV with HDMI connected but could not figure out the settings. Just got my wallpaper and nothing else. The laptop did recognize another display. Do you need to have it as the same resolution as the laptop?

 

just ordered from Xotic PC
(stupid asus for not giving the G74 a date yet)

1 x Sager NP8170-S1 / Clevo P170HM
- Processor - 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 2.0-2.8GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache)
- Graphics Video Card ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD6970 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
- Display 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen w/ 90% NTSC Color Gamut
- Dead Pixel Warranty Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Thermal Compound - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- Ram ~ 8,192MB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)-
- Optical Drive ~ 6X Blue-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive-
- Memory Card Reader Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Primary Hard Drive ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- Second Hard Drive ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- Wireless Network Intel® Advanced-N 6230 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth

Hoping to get it in 1 month from today

 

Congratulations on your new laptop!

nice setup, I also bought my laptop from Bytesatwork , good service !
2 weeks from now is not that long! Hold on
I had to wait almost 3 months "waiting for the new intel cpu's --waiting to fix the new intel chipsets---- waiting for the now REV B3 clevo barebones!
I got my laptop 2 months now and am still amazed at his power!!
Not for a second i regretted the GTX485, but the AMD 6970 is a worthy alternative and with the extra money you can buy a nice SSD.

 

Thx, gonna be a long 2 weeks lol. Don't think i could wait 3 months lol, kudos to you for waiting that long!

After reading through this entire thread (took me a while :s), i noticed a few people complaining about the screen but the shop i ordered the notebook from only gave me 2 screen options, glare or non glare. Think i'll email them asking about the screen quality.

Yeah i opted for the AMD to be able to buy the SSD, i've never owned a SSD but ive been looking at youtube video's and boy are they fast!

Coming from a crappy medion laptop i really can't wait to see the power that comes with this one!

Yeah i'm aware, ive been thinking about that and concluded that i don't really need the bluetooth, the only time i use bluetooth is to transfer some music to my phone but now that i have a smartphone i can just use the usb cable.

I've read through the entire thread, i had to google a few things seeing as i don't really know alot of technical computer mumbo jumbo, before i understood what you guys were talking about lol, but yeah alot of people were complaining about the screen. As i said above, ill send Bytesatwork an email asking about the quality.

I actually got TONS of info from you guys from just reading through this entire thread, info like : which prosessor to choose if you mainly play games, how much memory you really need, ... you guys are really helpful.

 

Don't know. Just ordered the monitor. But I don't plan on using both the monitor and the laptop lcd simultaneously.

But I do know that in the nvidia control panel there is an option to set up multiple displays. Just set whichever one to primary or monitor "1" and the other to "extend display to this lcd". I use two LCD's with my desktop, and it was pretty easy to do.

Will see once I get my monitor.

 

I have a dual screen setup, and it's pretty easy to have 2 separate displays.

Like HTwingNut said, if you have an Nvidia card (after connecting your second display), the Nvidia Control Panel has settings to extend your desktop (instead of cloning) and change primary and secondary displays.

Resolution does not matter though unless it does not support it...where it will be displayed at a very weird aspect ratio. Take note that your fans will spin twice as much, at a constant rate. My NP8150 idles at 62C on dual screen, but idles at 35C when disconnected.

 

I have a bit of a fan cycling issue as well; though not nearly as bad as the NP8690

My Bios: American Megatrends Inc. 4.6.4 3/14/2011

 

Btw, which Zalman notebook cooler works best with the Clevo P170HM? I'm thinking of buying 1, summer is almost here and its gonna get quite hot so i'd like to keep the notebook as cool as possible.

 

What's in the F2 Setup menu, under MB Series, BIOS revision?

You need to look at the 1.xx.xx number.

 

I know this was discussed somewhere, but now I can't find it... is there any way to stop the fans from ramping up as soon as an external display is plugged in? I use my 8170 mostly with lid closed using a DVI connected monitor. The laptop is extremely quiet until I plug in that monitor.

 

Yeah, my bios is by AMI also. I do not think my 8170 is getting too hot but the constant re-cycling is annoying.

I'm running a Cryo cooler under it but the cycling does not stop. Perhaps Clevo/Sager will give us a fix as they did the 8150 folks.

 

Bios Info from the F2 boot:

American Megatrends

MB Series: P170hmx

Bios Revision: 1.01.05LS2

KBC/EC Firmware Revision: 1.00.03

 

my Intel Core i7-2820QM is stuck at 797mhz !?!?!? according to HWINFO. Help

 

Are you forgetting the multiplier, dunphy?

Mr. Mysterious