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

hello guys i want to know how much max core occ u can do wit stock volts and increased on 580m in np8170? and what is its 3d mark 11 score?

 

Overclocking is something that's fairly unique to each system. You have to bump up the clocks a few Mhz at a time, run stability testing, check temperatures, and rinse and repeat. Just be careful when doing it as you can potentially fry the card. (Less likely when you don't do anything to the stock voltages though).

 

so generally can it be oced to 800 on the core on all models? and what about 850 with a slight v tweak?

 

Quick question, how do you compare IC thermal paste to stock ? Thanks.

 

Are you asking how you can tell the difference? Or just what the difference should be? On average IC Diamond is about 6C cooler than stock. Though depending on ambient temps, this can vary. There's no way really to check that you got the upgraded over stock other than watching your temps unfortunately

 

I know Riddhy's asking about the 580M, but for those with the 6990 who are wondering what a relatively safe OC is (for me), I run a very conservative OC of 740/960.

I've seen some people hit 850/1100, and some peak out as low as 760/960. As Malibal #2 said, increase your clocks by 10MHz or so each time, then run Furmark/3dmark11 and monitor your temps and watch for artifacts. How long you want to do this is up to you, but the longer the better. Once you've reached the limit and temps are too high/artifacts appear, scale down the clocks a little and there you have your ideal clocks.

 

Here is a question for you guys. I was running S.T.A.L.K.E.R - Shadow of Chernobyl and was running fans at full speed (fn+1). I had it in 1920x1080 and all options at full eye candy. My machine hit 94C. Is that too high a temp to run it for a long gaming session?

 

It won't cause any damage of sorts, but if you want your machine to run for many years, it's probably too high. You'd be aiming for below 90C, ideally. Try repasting your GPU/CPU with a good paste like ICD or MX-3/4 or using a notebook cooler during long gaming sessions. Lifting the back of the laptop up ghetto-style also does wonders.

Also, concerning long-term reliability, Fn+1 is very certainly detrimental to that. The fans are bound to get worn out fast.

 

Can someone tell me what program you would use to run temps test?

 

I use HWMonitor HWMonitor Pro (64-bit) - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

 

Quick questions. Does every NP8170 have the same GPU heatsink? Or do you have to replace them to switch from Nvidia to ATI? And do the base spec models (with a 560m) have a lesser cooling solution and lower wattage PSU (I heard this was the case with the P151 vs. P150)?

 

There are different revisions of heatsinks between cards. However, if you buy a new card to install it typically will come with the heatsink anyway. All P170HM's come with the same stock 220w power adapter unless you change it yourself. Cooling is the same as well.

 

So i THINK i heard that switchable graphics is is disabled in these notebooks correct? My real question is this, if i am just going to be typing an essay or browsing the internet is it possible to disable or turn off the graphics card? (ill be getting a 6990m on mine) or did i hear wrong and you CAN switch the graphics off?

 

No, you cannot switch off your AMD Radeon HD 6990M 256bit w/2GB GDDR5 video card.

Optimus only works with nVIDIA cards, but not with the high end cards. You will notice that no one is really offering Optimus with high end video cards. Even though it is theoretically possible to implement Optimus with high end video cards like the nVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M w/1.5GB GDDR5 and above there are compatibility issues with several games, STEAM, and even Linux. You will see it with the mid-range cards like say the GT 540M or GT 555M, but not with the high end cards. It seems that when you try to compromise you don't do either thing well.

So, you have to decide whether battery life or powerful graphics is most important to you, and make your choice accordingly.

 

but how about disabling it in device manager or something?

 

The only thing you could do is uninstall the drivers, and work with just generic Windows 7 drivers at a very low resolution, then install your AMD drivers when you want to game...pretty awkward

As I said, you have to make a choice between a high end video card, and slightly extended battery life.

 

and i will most definitely be taking the gaming power Thanks for the answer!

 

You can disable it, but the integrated GPU is not hooked up at all, so you'd just revert back to the generic adapter. Models that have optimus or switchable graphics with a hard switch both require the iGPU to be wired to the display in some fashion.

 

Guys, I think my temperature for the mobo is pretty high. ~70C on load. How do I solve this?

 

There is nothing wrong with 70C...particularly on load. That is a low temperature.

Also remember that both your CPU and GPU have automatic shut off if they should ever get too hot.

GAME ON with no worries.

 

Thats what I was afraid of. My CPU idle temps 95% of the time range from 46 to 49C. I wish there was a way to verify IC paste without disassembling.

 

Well I finally joined the ranks of Sager owners today when I placed an order with Xoticpc.

Standard options on the NP8170 with the upgraded 6990M and IC Thermal (as I'm terrified of temp as overheating on my HP Envy 17 caused me to make this purchase).

This was a long and painful process for me as I lack the vast amount of knowledge of this board but I feel confident in my decision. I look forward to a nice, professionally built, powerful machine that I can turn on and play games without concerns of overheating, noise, or insufficient CPU/GPU to experience all that the game has to offer.

Here's hoping that I'll be deliriously happy with my Sager and be an avid supporter of their products for years to come.

 

Don't think anyone has answered this, but this is a documented problem that occurs because GTAIV causes the 2630QM to throttle for some reason. Running throttlestop should give you a nice boost (unless of course that's more of an Asus problem and I have no idea what I'm talking about).

 

Hello, everyone. I'll be an owner of the Sager 8170 soon, too. I'd like to say thank you to everyone at this forum. I would never have known about the Sager line of products or XoticPC if I hadn't read about them here. I also would have been worried about quality if I hadn't seen the great reviews on this board. Then I would have spent way too much on some other brand and not have gotten nearly as much power. Thank you all!

 

what will be the consequence on turning usb 3.0 monitor at start up??
any start up application you guys recommend for me to turn off?? thanks

 

Man I hear you I am typing this on my Envy 173d and it is warm. Temps get crazy with this thing when I game. Skyrim puts the GPU at 99 to 100c. That is with the 5850 downclocked. I had a sager a long time ago and when I buy again it will be another one. I am done with HP. I guess I could cook eggs on the left wrist pad if I wanted to.

 

Currently looking into buying a Clevo P170HM barebone from RJ Tech and transferring the CPU, and hard drives from my G73 as well as some HyperX RAM I bought for the ASUS but haven't opened yet. On a tight budget so I'm most likely going to stick with the base 560M and plan on trying to get a faster card as a gift later down the line (and if things work out right that'll be a 7970M or 680M, provided they're compatible). Still thinking about springing for a 6990M straight off though. Regardless, I really just wanted something that's easier to maintain (cleaning the fans, repasting and such) than the ASUS and with better build quality. Pretty excited about it!

Can anyone tell me how solid this laptop seems in general? The ASUS is rather creaky, too plasticky, and seems to bend enough under medium pressure to concern me and I want to make sure the Clevo has a more solid build.

 

Well, the P170HM is a solid beast, there's liberal use of metal throughout the chassis with no creaks or panel gaps. However, you might want to apply a protector on the flat brushed aluminum lid - it's pretty susceptible to scratches.

 

Try this one out for flavor. I was getting concerned that my laptop was starting to heat up. I used to idle at about 100F. Then lately it went to 110F. Thought i had a problem. I was messing around and now dual boot to Linux Mint 12. Linux said the laptop was idling at 100F ... so I went back to Windows and now am idling at 100F again. STALKER is back to 180F from the other day at over 200F! Any ideas?

 

It's strange that you're using Fahrenheit instead of the more universally accepted (when talking component temps) Celcius.

I'm at 179F right now, but that's only 82C. Your temps aren't at all abnormally high.

 

sorry, i'll convert next time

 

Hey, I for got where to find it but one of us put out how to keep the temps down with dual monitors. I am running at 72C and I am unable to find the post.

 

Nvidia Inspector has an option to prevent your card from upvolting when running dual screens, just right click on the "Show Overclocking" button and then select "Start Multi Display Power Saver".

 

thanks bud!

 

No problem, I've gotten used to using that feature to keep things cool while I have 2 screens running to look at 4 documents at once while working on research papers and such.

 

Hi, I ve been experiencing some stuttering during games on my P170Hm recently. specially in single player of MW3, Skyrim and Rage. What could this be related to. I ve tryed all the graphics driver and graphics option in games. could this be SSD related? My specs are 2630qm, 6970m (12.1), 8Gb ram and 128 M4 crucial (09). Any suggestion/help will be much appreciated.

 

I can't say anything on MW3 or Rage but Skyrim is poorly optimized for PC and the stuttering may not be directly related to your hardware...

 

Hello All

I will be ordering NP8170 from xotic in few days. I will be ordering with ATI 6990M .

I wanted to know that if I can upgrade GPU in 1-2 years. I asked the xotic guys and they say its upgradeable.

Does anyone have some specifications about motherboard used in NP8170.
or has any idea on what points I will need to keep in mind before upgrading GPU.?(any documentation/links will be welcome)

This will be my first gaming lapto as I only have used desktops so far. I dont mind upgrading the GPU myself in the laptop.

Thanks

 

hi nere,
The NP8170 uses a MXM III B socket so any others down the road will physically fit.

An upgraded card will need to be supported by the BIOS so not every card will work.

On the NP8170 if you get an ATI card you will always have to use ATI. Different motherboards are used depending on if you go with ATI or Nvidia and those brands are not interchangeable with the motherboard.

 

I am sorry Hutsady, but what you say about the Sager NP8170 and the ability to swap from AMD to nVIDIA is not true. All you have to do is swap the video card using its own heatsink, load the drivers and go.

Anyone that tells you the GPU is upgradeable beyond whatever is currently being offered (that is upgradeable to something that does not yet exist, or that does exist but is not offered with that model) is leading you down the wrong path by telling you what they know you would like to hear. Alienware was famous for doing that, and then selling you a complete new motherboard and video card when you came back a couple of years later, or just telling you "sorry, it just can't be done". Unfortunately some others have copied that style.

The bottom line is you cannot upgrade your video card with something stronger than is in existence now (e.g. if only the nVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M 192bit w/1.5GB GDDR5 is offered on a particular model, you cannot upgrade to the GTX 485M or GTX 580M in that model). Nor can you count on being able to upgrade to a next generation card that does not exist now. While that could be theoretically possible, it almost never is, and no one can know for sure until it exists and can be tested successfully.

However in the case of the Sager NP8170, if you get an AMD Radeon HD 6990M 256bit w/2GB GDDR5 now and want to upgrade to an nVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M 256bit w/2.0GB GDDR5 later you can easily do that. You just have to be sure to get the video card and its heatsink...you cannot use the AMD heatsink with the nVIDIA card or an nVIDIA heatsink with an AMD video card.

 

Thanks for the clarification Donald.

I was basing that information from the Sager sticky post

"Sager News: 4/7/2011
The Sager NP8170 system will be split into 2 internal models, one with an NVIDIA GPU and the other with an AMD GPU. Note that these two models each require their own system version and GPUs will NOT be interchangeable. So, if you order an NVIDIA GPU system you will not be able to swap to an AMD GPU later, and vice versa. "

If I understood that wrong, my apologizes

 

So what i understand is that its not usual/possible in laptops to upgrade graphics card.

But theoretically in future, a more powerful card comes, with power requirements similar to ATI 6990m, it is possible to upgrade.

Well thanks. I think ATI 6990m with NP 8170 should be good for next 2-3 years anyway,

Thanks

 

Correct, for most laptops they use soldered on GPU's, or you void your warranty in swapping it out. On Clevo models, they use MXM based cards (version III b on current models) that swap in and out just like RAM. The only thing that might need to be changed out in addition is the heatsink on the MXM card.

The limitations on upgrading are basically two fold. 1) Your machine needs to support the power requirements. Most of the higher end cards are 100w TDP right now, so the machines with lower end upgradeable cards (the 560m) may need a larger power supply and. 2) The MXM revision needs to be the same. If they change to say, MXM IV in the future, it will most likely not be backwards compatible.

 

No worries Hutsady, but unfortunately that sticky from April of last year is old information and is no longer accurate. I have asked the Moderators to amend that post appropriately.

 

^^^This is the latest on this topic from Sager...

"Later revision units are able to support both brand GPU, however since there are different revision hardware at the customer ends,
it is best if they contact support to verify if their units can or cannot be swapped between GPU brands."

-

 

Quick question -

I currently have an ASUS G73. It's been having a few issues and I am considering selling it on Craigslist and getting a Clevo. I am attracted to the XoticPC Sager 8170 because of the size and ability to remove all branding; I need a professional-looking laptop for my business that can also serve as a desktop replacement for gaming.

I customized a model on XoticPC that includes the following "upgrades" -

Step up to Radeon 6990
Step up to Q2760 processor
Step up to 1600MzH 8GB RAM
Step up to Intel N 6230 LAN card

Total price is ~$1.5k after the $100 discount. I already own a 128GB Crucial SSD that I plan to use as my main drive.

Question is - should I buy this laptop or wait until the next wave of Clevos? (very possible that the Asus can tide me over that long, although it may become harder to sell and will cause more frustration and lost time if the recent problems keep recurring; also love the backlit keyboard on the Asus, a bit bummed that it is not available yet on Clevos) Also, if the common wisdom would be to go ahead and order; what should I change about the configuration. Finally, to you Xotic-PC types, how long does it usually take for orders to process? (I will provide my FedEx acct for overnight shipping)

Thanks for your help.

 

hi Shaithis,
The commonly mentality for computers and waiting to purchase is, if you wait for the next thing to come out you'll always be waiting as there is always something better coming down the road.
But right now there could be an exception to that, especially since you mentioned the backlit keyboard. The next Sager models are expected to have backlit keyboards, the new Ivy Bridge CPU's, and upgraded graphics cards as well (timing permitted). We're expecting these to show up around April/May so if you dont need a new computer right away it might be worth waiting for.

Your specs look great. I would suggest downgrading the i7 2760QM to the i7 2670QM and putting that difference in price towards an SSD. You'll see a bigger jump in performance with that then you would in the CPU upgrade.

Build times do vary. Sager is currently quoting 3-7 business days, with rush production available.

 

Thanks for the reply sir. I already have a SSD, so that was my logic there; I was planning on installing all software and OS on it, while using the 500GB hard drive in second bay for misc storage (I don't have a bunch of music, etc, do a lot of cloud-based stuff).

Also, thank you for the candid advice on waiting; I do understand the "next best thing" aspect of it, and it is really cool to know that you guys have no problem suggesting that potential customers hold off from immediate purchase.

I have another factor that may influence this decision and that is price; do you have any idea where you would expect to see the new Clevos starting at (presuming that the starting specs slightly outperform the machine that I have configured above)?

Also, do you happen to have a picture of the NO BRANDING P170HM handy?

Thanks again.

 

Good Advice Donald, I was tole the 8170 were upgradeable but your statement is very true.