Sager NP2096 Owners Lounge

somebody post some nice pictures of the laptop!

 

Mine's shipped too! Woohoo!

For pictures, there's a number of them early on in this thread.

 

I have user pinning enabled on my 2gb module. I had to do a little something special on install but I have all the features of the 4gb modules.

 

i just got mine! i gotta say, its pretty nice!
specs:
T9400 2.53ghz
4.0 GB
everything else except robson memory

the laptop build quality is very nice. keyboard feels good. screen is very nice.

 

Any test with the HDMI so far?? How's de audio??

 

Where can I access the WOW video options?

And how would I go about uninstalling it?

 

I am running Vista 64bit on my 2096, and after downloading the newer alps drivers you linked, when I click on the file to install it gives me the error I mentioned. I do realize 32bit and 64bit are included in the same download, but I do not even get an option to install the 64bit version.

The Dell drivers I downloaded installed without a hitch, even though the identical alps drivers on softpedia gave me the same not a valid win32 application error. I really have no idea why, heh.

Oh and whoever was having problems with their screen: yes, Barry is right you just have to uninstall WOW video. My screen was doing the same thing, and that fixed it.

This laptop is really fidgety actually.

EDIT: In add/remove programs, yoyoman.

 

Yeah, you guys were right, it was the WOW video. Uninstalled it, and it fixed the problem.

Now I'm really happy!

 

Sphinx, or anyone with the turbo memory II, did u do any tests or notice a difference in program load time with the user pinning? Any other comments on it appreciated 2.. Boot time? battery life improvement?

 

can anyone tell me what "green charger" does? i dont know what it does =(

 

Green charger?? You mean the button right beside the power button??? If yes, it lets you charge a USB devide even when the notebook is off.

 

no not that when you use the touch button above the keyboard the third thouch button it shows a green battery. its a program that is preinstalled on the laptop

 

No no-- green charger is the program the np2096 comes with that lets you set how full you want your battery to charge. You can set it to charge to 100%, to 75%, or 50%, to extend the long-term life of your battery.

It also has this "on-the-go" 100% charge button, that I think blasts the battery up to 100% really quickly. I don't know how it works really because I am afraid to press it, lol.

 

ok ty for clearing that up =P

 

New 'Signed' drivers available for JHL90 at Compal website.

NVidia v176.31

Synaptics v11.2.2.c (still no scrolling). EDIT. I wouldn't recommend trying this Synaptics driver .... I've just had to do a system restore to get my Alps driver (with scrolling) working again

http://www.compal.com/asp/driver_dnd/index.htm

 

The impression I got was that it lets you charge your battery to 100% for when you need a lot of battery life. So if you have it set at 50%, you can press the button and it'll start charging it to 100%, and then the next time it'll go back to doing 50%. I don't think it does it any faster than normal.

 

Hi guys,

Anyone know if LoJack will work on a Sager NP2096 with 64-bit Vista?

Thanks.

 

The LoJack site does not list Sager as one of those that their system can be setup in your system bios. Only can be run on your HDD. Hopefully it will be someday, I would email them directly to see if this info is current

 

Hey,

I just received my 2096 yesterday. The left palm, under the keyboards, get hot. Just about hot enough to be uncomfortable when playing games. Even when idling in windows both palms get pretty warm.

Is this Normal for the 2096?

Thanks!!

 

I noticed this on mine...it just doesn't bug me.

Anyone know how to reprogram the WOW Video/Audio buttons? I don't use either

 

Now that would be handy ... shortcuts to usefull programs like email etc would be better than shortcuts to the 'pointless' WOW Video/Audio

any ideas anybody?

 

http://www.compal.com/asp/driver_dnd/index.htm

32 and 64 bit available for JHL90

 

I have undervolted my CPU (p8400) to 0.975 v. I tried 0.950 and that didn't work. I lowerd my temp by aprox 10 C to around max 55 C
Pretty nice

I am a bit worried about the GPU, has been up to over 90 C which is not good...

 

can you tell me how you undervolted your CPU?

 

is it worth taking the 3 year warranty or i should stick with one year?

 

I am a bit worried about my GPU temps as well...
After running 3DMark 06 it runs in the mid 80s which isn't too bad...but at idle it goes from 70-75

Any ideas? Should I call Sager about it?

 

guys, any comments on the effectiveness of Turbo II?

 

That ALPS driver works great!!! It enables scrolling and you can disaple touch to tap.

Start downloading now but make sure you uninstalll your old touchpad drivers first

 

It seems that the Warranty question and the temperature question go hand-in-hand.

Will high temps (90c) cause the NP2096 to fail sooner? Was the NP2096 designed to operate at such temperature for extended periods of time, since it is a "gaming" laptop?

My NP2096 really does get scary hot every time I play TF2.... and it hasn't crashed yet

 

if you are programming savvy at all you could probably try the and use any key compo u want
http://www.autohotkey.com/

for fun i started making simon using the three keyboard lights on my desktop

 

Thanks i was thinking of that...I found out the key's scancode using a simple AHK script and tested it with another simple script making the wow video key open notepad

Code:

SC175::
run notepad

scancodes are
wow video: 175
wow Audio: 176
Program Dj(one on far right): 178

Edit: here is a compiled AHK script. Unzip the program and put it in your startup folder on the start menu. It will make the WOW video open display options, the WOW audio open volume mixer and the Program DJ open control panel. This has not been tested on XP...can someone try it...i only have vista. also after placing it in startup make sure to start the program. A "H" with a green square around it will appear in your tray, this means the program is running. Also you do not have to put it in startup, that is only if you want it to start when you logon

Download

 

tried it with vista x64? otherwise I will do it tonight

EDIT sorry, i didnt look in your sign, you have vista ultimate x64

 

Well a bit off topic but i'd like to join the ranks of the Sager 2096 owners as i purchased a Sager 2096 just a few days ago and completed the wire transaction earlier today.
Specs are; Sager NP2096 Custom Laptop (Built on the Compal JHL90)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050) `
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9600M GT DDR2 DX10
- None Standard
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- None Standard
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 200GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Internal 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5100 802.11 a/g/n
- None Standard
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- None Standard
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- None Standard
- None Standard
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Sager 3 Year Parts & Labor Warranty, Lifetime Sager Toll Free Support
$1,488.00
What do you guys think?
Is there a quick list of things yous can suggest that i do to optimise my 2096 experience, i'm aware that there are tweaks i can(should) do with the touchpad and that.
How about it? Give me a list of optomisations for the 2096

 

That looks fine

 

what do you guys think about not getting the 3 year warranty? Cant really afford it, and getting it would mean I wouldnt get to upgrade to 2.4 ghz.

 

Hi Jason,

Q1: Where are you located at? USA, What State ... or Outside US ...
Upgrading to 2.4GHz from the Standard 2.26GHz only costs $55 and 3 year warranty is $139!!!

Q2: What will you mainly do with this Laptop?
Because you might not need the 0.14GHz faster clock, but for $55 more ...

Q3: How savvy are you with Laptops?

Q4: How long do you plan to keep THIS laptop?

Thanks,

G!

 

I would just like to point out that while the difference is only $55 between P8400 and P8600, his budget might allow him to get the 3 year warranty but it will not allow for both.

By buying P8600 and 1 year warranty, there may be more leftover cash than there would be with P8400 and 3 year warranty, but both within budget whereas P8600 and 3 year warranty would be outside the budget.

 

I am located in California. I can afford an upgrade to 2.4 OR a 3 year warranty...I can't really do both. I might even be able to upgrade to 2.53ghz if I don't get the warranty...But I can't do warranty AND something else.

Is Sager a brand I should be worried about and get a warranty? I have a dell, and only had a problem within the 1st year warranty.

I will be playing games and using it for college. But mostly playing games is why I am upgrading from my current dell notebook, which has only integrated graphics and is nearly 4 years old...

I am somewhat computer savvy, but probably only moderately so with a laptop. I have built my own desktop/installed software etc, but I haven't really done much with my notebook. I'm sure I can learn though, when I need it.

At least another 4 or 5 years.


Thanks for your help!

EDIT: also, is there much difference between the 1680x1050 and 1280x800? Should I really consider the better screen or will the difference by negligible?

 

I like the 1680x1050 really much, not to big at all

 

I use this resolution on my 20" LCD, it's really fine, but I think is too much for a 15.4" screen. Plus, when gaming one would have to downsize to a lower resolution if it's a demanding game, thus losing some image quality.

 

I think that any more added to that configuration is unneccessary.
I think that my configuration is the best bang for buck tbh. Probably just me though.
I can't wait to get however like i mentioned in a tonne of posts before. The system always finds a way of screwing you out of more money.
Like the bank charged me another £25 for the wire transfer and then their exchange rate was inflated which added another £40 to the price and then ontop of all of that i will have to pay VAT of about £150 ontop of the postage and packaging. All the extra charges were very disheartening.

 

I got mine today! Ordered it on Friday, August 15th from powernotebooks. Not bad timing considering the delay on parts that was known when I ordered it.

I received it at work so all I've done is copy the driver DVD to my hard drive and install Adobe Reader so I can read the manual. Beautiful screen and Vista looks very cool. Hopefully I'll have more to say about it later. My plan is to take some pictures next to my 20" Dell Widescreen Monitor with WoW so you can see the difference (they're both the same resolution).

Thank you to everyone for providing great information about laptop...you helped me make my decision and it was clearly the correct one for me!

 

i wanted the MSI-1651 but i cant wait too long so i opted for this

same specs as yours garner but 320GB 7200RPM, 2GB turbo, P9500

1568$ with 1 year warranty and waiting for wire transfer

 

Can't wait to get mine...returned my Asus G50 for this. I won't be getting it for like another 2 weeks though.

 

Sager says that with heavy use the WSXGA+ GPU temperatures up to about 95c are normal, and with the WXGA they will go up to about 90c. Nothing to worry about.

 

Hi Jason,

Thanks for taking the time and providing your answers to the Qs ...

1) Sager 2096 is built on "Compal JHL90" ... and Compal it seems pretty "Solid" laptop. Sager is the company that custom build your unit (adding the CPU, RAM, ...) and sells it under "Sager" brand. Sager is also is a good company.

I had a Sager 2092 and the laptop looked great and felt good & solid.

Make sure that you ORDER your laptop thru either "Power Notebooks" which are located in Nevada http://www.powernotebooks.com/category.php?catId=78 OR "XoticPC" which are located in Nebraska http://www.xoticpc.com/custom-gaming-latops-tablets-laptops-ct-95_51_149.html.

2) If you are "Gaming" mostly with this and using it for Normal College work ... like spreadsheets and word documents and some power point and presentation ... a P8400 CPU is more than enough. Your Gaming gets done by your GPU (Graphic Card) NVIDIA 9600M GT ... which is a good gfx card ... here is the Benchmark data for it ... http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-9600M-GT.9449.0.html

OK ... now I am not sure if this NVIDIA card will have the same "Packaging" problem that NVIDIAs G8400 and G8600 cards had ... they heated up and caused problems ... some of the DELL, HP, and other companies that used these cards were trying to fix the problem by kicking in the laptop FAN in fast mode earlier than normal time. Usually the fan kicks in when CPU gets intesive workout and you hear the fan to kick in.

So, for this "Uncertainty" ... I might Opt to do "3 Year Warranty" over upgrading my CPU ... to get a peace of mind ... that if the things go sour in your laptop then at least you are covered for the 1st 3 years and your $1200+ investemnt is not going poof. Or roll the dice go with 1 year Standard warranty and push your laptop in the 1st 30 days (30 days MBG no Q asked) and see if it holds up and then work the heck out of it GAMING ... the first 9
months (but don't fail your College Classes ) and see if the GPU will give you any problems ...

3) OK as far as Screen goes ... as one other Poster said earlier ... when gaming you usulaly go with 1280X800 res anyway ...

I personally took the WSXGA+ Glossy screen on my Sager 2092 and I LOVED IT. If you are on Interent with this higher resolution you can look at the whole page instead scrolling from side to side or whatever ... also it might be helpful for your College work when you have to have multiple windows open side by side for comaprison or whatever ... so, your call ... either way you should be A-OK.

FYI ...

- RAM: if you are getting only the 2GB RAM ... make sure you choose the Single card ... so later you can upgrade ... by adding one more card.

- HDD: if you are upgrading your Hard Drive from standard 160GB ... then pay the $60 anf get the 320GB 5400RPM SATA II ... BEST Hard Drive ... Space Wise & Operation wise.

OK ... I hope this was helpful.

G!

 

Hi, I just got my np2096 20 minutes ago.. and had a quick question. I ordered from xoticpc. I ordered a 3-year warranty and with my laptop came no warranty information or anything... I'm just wondering if I was supposed to receive something or what?

 

Wow what a helpful response. I was already planning on ordering from powernotebooks (sadly they dont offer the student discount anymore ) anyways for the cheaper price, but thank you for everything else! Especially about getting the DDR2 memory in one stick instead of 2...I actually have a gig of memory in my current laptop that I was planning on installing.

 

ok just a question why 1280 x 800 is better for gaming?

 

Did anyone try playing crysis on high settings at 1680 x 1050 res?
Max fps I could get was like 10 =[
Only way to get a decent 20 fps would be to set it on medium settings and 800x600 res.
Is there something I'm missing here cuz I thought the 9600 GT could take the high settings no prob.