*** Official Sager NP8180 / Clevo P180HM Owners Lounge ***

The power requirements for any card except the 560m are higher. The 560m requires 75w TDP, but the 6990/6970/485, etc are all 100w parts.

 

Yes and it seems the nVidia 485M and 580M pulls a tad more juice than the AMD 6970M and 6990M...
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For large values of tad... And its all about ze amperage thats what kills it

 

For your reference: I've already added the 8180 to the Clevo guide; I did it yesterday

Mr. Mysterious

 

how about a ESM

 

hello, first post, just got a p180hm chassis in a new build. got two questions which were touched upon in this thread but never realy answered,

1) the annoying pop ups when i use the touch screen buttons, how do i stop full screen applications minamising to desktop when using these buttons?

2) 8 gaming macro keys, i have the program installed, i tryed it out with some simple command macros, they recorded fine but nothing happens in any games i have tested so far, am i missing something?

 

1) Nope you can't stop it from happening, it sucks, we are working on a solution but it won't be until at least early next year

2) Reinstall the gamekey driver AFTER the hotkey driver? Thats my guess there.

 

So surely the question still stands? Dual 560s would take up 150w, right? Whereas the single cards would take up just 100w? So, I'm still in the same boat as "twigs"; I don't understand why Mythlogic claims that a single card config needs a bigger AC Adapter than the dual 560 config.

I talked to a Malibal rep in live chat again today, and was told (very bluntly and impatiently I might add) that the single 6990m config definitely DOES NOT need a 300w AC Adapter to power it. So my question shifts to Mythlogic: why are you telling your customers otherwise?

 

I think the problem is that you must press the key a little bit longer than what you normally do. I had the same problem first: With a quick click on a game key nothing happend. But if I keep the key pressed about 1 second, it will work as soon as I release the key. Not sure if this is a feature or a bug

 

i'd like to point something out that all the 18.4" series from clevo have had heat problems and sometimes unexpected shutdowns, i've tested a few models and have been pointing it out alot.

it's very possible that mythlogic could have tested a system that wasn't so good, again best bet would be to conduct a test with 10 different systems, to confirm if each operate the same, that will prove if there's a hardware issue or otherwise, again this is all based of my own testings with the 18.4" inch laptops, and you can easily go into the other 18.4" series threads and see people suffering from different problems which points out not every laptop(though the same model) was the same.

we've already conducted tests with a 485m in a x8100, it didnt require a 300watt psu, so you will have no problem running a single 100watt card on standard a/c fairly certain, as for everything else it does raise questions and i recommend further testing.

mailbal claiming a default 240watt adapter for a 6990m sounds good to and definitely contradicts previous tests, but again we need to have a indepth test to truly find out. same gear with a few quanitys

any chance for service manual btw.

 

This matter of the PSU issue, and what card works with it and which doesn't will clear up in the near future. Thanks for your patience.
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Thanks for your response. I appreciate it. However, the problem is that Malibal are putting this laptop together for me now. I'd hate to receive it and then found out that I don't have enough juice to run it.

Also, could you quickly clarify what the worst case scenario is in regards to running a powerful laptop through an insufficient power supply? Could you fry anything?

 

1. Power supply could get really hot... I mean really hot to the point of tripping.

2. Cards will throttle and have lower performance due to the inadequate amount of wattage.

 

Hey

We went with the blanket statement on the single cards with the 300W for the safety margin. Yes in real terms the 220W will power a 580 and a 6990m sure it will. In our testing, it just got very close to that limit and sometimes show'ed some stability issues. So it was our opinion for the stability to recommend the 300W PSU for them. Thats all, yes it will work, but we want to put out a high quality product hence our recommendation =)

 

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. I'm gonna upgrade to the 300w adapter when I install a second 6990m at the beginning of next year, so hopefully the 220w will tide me by til then.

 

Here is a little CPU benchmark (i7-2760QM) running the heaviest application which I've got: the video format converting and DVD authoring program TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4 . I used it to convert two HDTV movies (.WMV files), each one of them 90 minutes long, into standart DVD format (.VOB files, i.e., MPEG2). On my old Laptop this task took about 200 minutes. On the P180HM it took only 22 minutes, so about 10 times faster

I didn't use the SSD but my two HDD drives (source files on HDD-1 and target files on HDD-2). So probably I could reduce the 22 minutes runtime by some minutes if I would use the SSD either for the source or the target files.

In the TMPGEnc program settings I did enable the multicore/multithread option. While monitoring the process with the task manager I've noticed that only 7 threads where used, which is quite convenient because this way I was able to use the notebook on the thread #8 without beeing obstructed by the 7 heavy threads. I am attaching a screenshot of the task manager during this process.

Just out of curiosity: Why weren't the 7 threads used up to the 100% limit? I guess this is a constraint of the used software (TMPGEnc Authoring Works) which isn't capable of doing more things in parallel as it did during my benchmark?

 

When all 8 threads are used, the frequency goes down during turboclocking to prevent excessive overheating.

If one thread was being used, Intel's turbo boost would push it to the highest possible clocks.

Something like:

Stock clocks: 2.0Ghz
1 core turbo boost: 2.9Ghz
2 core turbo boost: 2.6Ghz
3 core turbo boost: 2.4Ghz
4 core turbo boost: 2.2Ghz

I don't really explain it all that well but that's the general principle.

But then again, clock frequency doesn't tell the whole story. The overall efficiency of the SB chipsets are much higher and better than previous generations.

Mr. Mysterious

 

Thanks for the explanation

 

I've got a question about SLI: In the service manual I've found this:

My question: Do I really need to do this manually everytime before switching to battery power? Or is there a way of automating the switching of the SLI option when changing from AC/DC to battery or viceversa?

 

Just ordered one from illegear. Can't wait to try it out.

 

Is there a PSU issue with this laptop? I am considering getting it soon for games such as BF3 and arkham, but with SLI are there problems with the PSU?

Also how is the trackpad and keyboard?

 

There isn't an issue with the PSU. In SLI mode it just won't work on battery too well, as there is just too much power draw, but nothing that is concerning.

The keyboard and trackpad? Pretty standard if you've ever used a X7200 or really any other clevo.

 

Unboxing, pictures, a video and the like are needed in this thread. Feel free to do so.
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Placing my order now. I'll post pics when I get mine. Hopefully next week!

 

Can someone upload the Hotkey driver for this machine. IIRC its the newest one out of all the current models.

 

Will do so

 

Hey everyone, I've been considering getting one of these beasts and this thread has been very informative.

I've been debating whether or not to upgrade to the dual 6990's or stick with the 560's. Based on my configuration it would be about $600 more for the 6990's. And that would also lock me down with Mythlogic.

Are they really worth it? I've never had an ATI setup before so that would take some getting used to.

At this point, the 6990's would be the top solution, but in the future will they be upgradable?

I plan on keeping the laptop for a while.

 

We like to think we are worth it But anyway

Yes you will be able to upgrade in the future so long as they update the BIOS's to support the new cards (We have no specific confirmation on that), and you have to remember that the power requirements vary so you might not be able to upgrade to all cards depending on power draw and heat.

 

This is my first post here, and I hope this isn't considered off topic.

I'm in the market for a new laptop, or at least will be within the next few months. Barring anything major getting released, I have been researching and have been drawn to the P180HM and the P170HM. I have currently been given a budget of about $2000 from my wife. I'm sure I'd be able to talk her into an extra couple hundred if needed.

I have included a snapshot of quotes for each model. I am currently looking at ordering from Malibal. They seem to have the best prices that I have found. The main difference between the 2 models is the graphics card. I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me on which is truly better, the GTX 560M SLI or the single Radeon 6990M. I looked them up on NotebookCheck.net and it seems that the 560M in SLI is better than the 6990M. I'm fairly knowledgeable about computers, but at the same time there is a lot I don't know. I don't really know what to look at when reading about graphic cards.

Any advice would be much appreciated.



edit: If you know of any site that offers a more competitive price, please let me know. I know some sites offer a military discount, so that is something I am looking to take advantage of also. Thanks.

 

It is always good to check the thread below and contact the resellers as to the deals being offered

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/592609-clevo-guide-v3-0-faq-reseller-info-read-before-posting.html
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Thanks for the help. Another question, does the laptop have lighting that comes from the vents and on the deck lid? I was told by one of the resellers that showed it in the pics that it wasn't custom and it was standard on the clevo chassis. Is that true?

And can the colors be changed on the vents, decklid, and on the keyboard?

Also, I've seen that the g-keys and touchkeys on the top are lit, but is the qwerty keyboard lit as well?

 

Hey

The back of the LCD has a pattern it, along with the other things you mention. However, the keyboard itself is not backlit.

And none of the colors can be changed =)

 

Kinda bummed that the keyboard is not lit, I've gotten used to that. What color are the lights in the vents and on the lcd? Blue?

And ifI was to take advantage of the free painting of the decklid, would that cover the design?

Plus I see you guys offer free 1600 speed ram, but whenI go configue an erebus the 1600 speed is not listed. Do you just do that automatically?

 

Yes there are blue lighting all around the keyboard but not on it.
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Thanks, I found that thread after I posted. I will definintly be making some phone calls when the time comes for me to place my order.

I was also wondering what you guys think about the CPUs. Is it worth upgrading to the 2860 and maybe sacrificing the GPU? Or would getting a lower end 2660 or 2760 but getting a better GPU like the 6990m or 580m?

Anyone have the 6990m? What are your thoughts on it?

I plan on keeping this laptop for some time and will be looking into upgrades later on. My thoughts are that it is easier to upgrade the GPU then the CPU so I was going to go for the 2860 and sacrifice on the GPU for now.

 

It's definitely better to max out the GPU unless you don't plan to game at all. The 6990 or the 580m will bottleneck your CPU to the point that even the 2670QM will play any game you throw at it. You have to remember that the 580m or 6990m only equate to middle of the road desktop cards (560Ti), while the 2670 or 2760 are fairly close in performance to their desktop versions. You might increase FPS by 1-5% going to the 2860, but you'll increase it 100% going from the 560m to the 580m or 6990m.

Also of note, upgrading the CPU yourself shouldn't cost much more than the upgrade price, most of the time. Upgrading the GPU yourself will start around $500 and go up for the higher end models.

 

Can anyone recommend a backpack for this monster? I figured with the weight I'd rather carry the load on both shoulders instead of one.

 

I do plan on doing some gaming. I suppose I could go for a lower model CPU and get a higher GPU. I'm really leaning towards the 6990m. The 580m is appealing, but the price is just too steep, plus when looking at NotebookCheck it seems the 6990m may actually be just as good, if not better.

I'm still torn between the P180HM and the P170HM. I like the look and size of the P180HM (do the vents really have blue lights standard or is that an option?), but I could actually get the 2860QM and the 6990m in the P170HM for a similar price as the P180HM with the 2760QM and the 6990m.

I'm going to have to sit down and go over what I feel are needs rather than wants, like a BD drive and amount of RAM. I suppose those things will be easiest to upgrade later on. I'll see how much sweet talking I can do to the wife to up my budget a bit.

 

I received my P180HM yesterday and so far I'm pretty pleased with it. However, I thought I was going to be able to change the colours of the lights, and I also thought the light vents were coming standard. Is there any way to tweak this or will there be at some point in the future?

 

Some have used the one in the link below.

Amazon.com: Toshiba PA1453U-1BG8 18.4 inches Gaming Backpack: Electronics

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If I decide on the P180HM and go with the 6990m or 580m, do I need to upgrade the AC adapter from 220W to 300W?

 

Hi, you can use the 220W with either of those cards.

 

Ive read through the whole thread and still have some questions. I really only will be playing Battlefield 3 on the 8180. Will the 560SLI play this game well? And at what settings and FPS? Are the 560SLI better than other setups with a single 580 or single 6990? I cannot afford to get the 580mSLI at this time. Is it easy for me to upgrade to 580SLI from the 560SLI? I have never upgraded a computer ever. Will the 8180 be able to be upgraded to the new 6xx series video cards coming out next year? And since it is 560sli now is it possible to upgrade to just one 6xx (new video card) or would they have to be SLI.

Basically is the 8180 a good choice for me to play Battlefield 3? I know a desktop is the way to go but I am always on the move and a laptop is what I need.
Thanks in advance!

 

I too have been doing a lot of research on this. I have been trying to find out if the 560m SLI's are as good as a single 580m or 6990m. From what I have gathered, the 560m's should suffice, but you probably wont be playing many games on max settings.

I am currently debating if it is worth getting the 580m over the 6990m. I have heard that the 580m runs cooler and can overclock better then the 6990m. Not sure if any of that is true. I'm still reading through the many pages of the 580m vs 6990m debate in the alienware forum. I wish I could find some benchmarks of the 560m sli, 580m, and 6990m from actual people running those cards. I'm still going through the forums, so I may eventually find my answer, but if anyone already knows, please post the results or the threads that have them. Thanks.

On a side note, I was wondering if the blue lights on the vents of the Veda P180HM from Malibal have the blue lights in them standard? I have checked other sites and Malibal seems to be the only one showing the blue lights.

 

^^^^ All of the Clevo P180HM / Sager NP8180's have the blue lights surrounding the keyboard and vents. It is the way Clevo built this machine.

Also generally speaking the 580M has been running a little cooler than the 6990M from the input we have received.
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Thanks for the reply. I just wanted to make sure about the lighting in the vents....

Perhaps FadingShapes may have a defective unit?

 

My P180HM gets here in a few hours. Fingers crossed that I don't miss the UPS man.

 

Hi there, first post, so hello all.

I didn't read most of the thread, but what I did see I wanted to comment on.
It is my opinion that I do not have a defective unit, at least not in the manner of having a bad light system.
The only lights my machine has are as follows:
1. Above the keyboard, the touch-buttons.
2. Number lock, caps lock, hard drive, and lock.
3. Gaming keys, right of keyboard.
4. Touchpad.
5. Power, battery, below touchpad.
6. Rear of monitor (I'd be curious if anyone knows what dictates whether those LEDs are red or white, I haven't found an answer. Same for the touchpad, which is randomly white or blue).
There are no lights in the vents, nor around the keyboard.

Now, I have a question for everyone regarding the speaker system.
I have noticed that they appear reversed, and would like to know if I'm correct, crazy, or perhaps misunderstanding the logic behind the placement.
Let me explain. There are six speakers, three directly under the LCD in the bar, two under the palm rest, and one on the underside (the "subwoofer"). Logically, wouldn't one assume that front left would be in the sound bar, next to center, and front right, also in the bar?
My system has rear left and right in the bar, to the left and right of the center channel, and the front left and right under the palm rest. I don't get it, unless they were installed incorrectly (I'll cry if that's the case, I don't want to be without this thing for another week).
I called Sager, but they seem to be having some problems with their call center today.

Congratulations to you all on a fine purchase, I love this thing.

 

Is it possible in the future there will be some graphics card that require as much power as the 560's and produce as much heat but be able to outperform them ?

 

Technology in the way it has been going, yes it is possible.

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