Sager NP2096 Owners Lounge

just in case anyone is interested in upgrading their drivers!

i installed the latest driver from laptopvideo2go.com (the 177.98) and my idle temps went from 70C to 65C there have been no problems yet, we'll see if it crashes any games or anything.

//edit: theyre actually down to 62C now, maybe theyll go lower. i was reporting from an immediate restart from 70C so it might actually be lower!

 

Hi Nikoli,

Excellent decision to go with T9600 ... since SPEED is your thing.

But, I would go ahead and get the 320GB 7200RPM Drive ... it will perform much faster than the 200GB ... and 200GB will be too SMALL for your applications and it WILL fill up faster than you think.

Also, what do you need a Costly Insurance like Safeware ...
Q1: Are you planning to DROP your laptop?
Q2: Do you think might get Stolen?

Just pay the $139 and get the 3-Year Warranty ... best money spent ... for peace of mind!

G!

 

i'm getting my np2096 today after work!

 

Let me know how those drivers are treating you in games and movie playback when you get a chance.

 

@docZ- sorry it won't be until this weekend as i have work to do this week... and i also dont have a vga cable (ive been using a dvi for my monitor)

but anyways ill post some benches on the games i have when i get the chance

 

Sounds good, thanks man!

 

so a preview...

this is idle temps with my new zalman 2000 i am happy.




k well i cant figure out how to make it bigger (or link to a bigger one, rather) but yeah it idles at about 25C for cpu, 52C for gpu, <40 for hd

 

Very nice!

 

Getting the notebook cooler is definitely a good idea. Those temperatures are great!
By the way, you ordered from XoticPC?

 

if youre asking me, i ordered from powernotebooks.com because they offered 3gigs ram; i got no operating system and am using xp 32bit. i believe xotic is slightly cheaper so go with that if you want vista 64.

so the 177.98 drivers were great, except when i ran battlefield 2142 on highest there was artifacting. it was not a heating issue; it only went up to 70C (amazing!) and it ran beautifully minus the artifacts so i still think other people should try the .98 (COD4 ran fine) i am trying to get other drivers to try out different ones to see which work the best with all programs, while still keeping as cool (or nearly as cool) as the 177.98

ill try out some other drivers and games hardcore this saturday or sunday...

 

By the way, I didn't know that drivers have any effect on how cool a GPU stays. Is this common knowledge or an assumption?

 

@vicariouscheese

I think you will find that there is no difference in the pricing between PowerNotebooks.com and Xoticpc...except maybe in the shipping price where PNB is generally a little cheaper.

 

If you ordered from XoticPC, what notebook cooler would you be getting? (brand)

 

@doc
i wouldnt say its common knowledge, but the reason it works is that in general newer drivers = hardware being more optimized, which = less power used when not going full speed. of course the drivers from laptopvideo2go arent made directly for the 9600m GT, so theres no guarantee on how it would perform.

i didnt realize that it could help, but i spent some time over at cooling central and they go over many things

@paladin
thats cool, i think it was slightly cheaper only because when i ordered mine xotic didnt offer 3gigs and i wouldnt waste money on 4gigs when id be using 32bit OSes...so it wasnt actually cheaper just configured with less ram. and im happy i bought from powernotebooks anyway

 

I am really just getting the extra coverage because something could happen. Especially since I am looking into study abroad programs. I am really looking forward to just getting out of the states for a year or so while I can and I don't want to have to worry about anything if something does happen to my laptop. I know it's a bit more but it'll be worth it if it keeps me from worrying about one more thing. With theft coverage and accidental it could make up for itself really quickly. Any other cheaper just as good insurance policies that cover the world? The 200GB drive is 7200RPM what makes the 320 faster? I don't really think I'll need the larger hard drive, anyone happen to look into how much it costs for an upgraded hard drive, after you've got it? How much is something like that, if this one can be changed at all?

 

Hi Nikolai,

Well now the pricey Warranty makes sense ... if you are Traveling abroad and there is good chance that you can Bang Up the unit in Airports and lugging it around.

You know stay with 200GB 7200RPM ... I think you will be as happy with it.

Looks like you have a good spec and plan to go ahead ... May be you can post back here and let us know how the laptop is performing with the Spec that you bought.

Enjoy your overseas trips and stay safe!

G!

 

There is no locking mechanism between the screen and and laptop itself on this notebook? I just read this in a review. Does anyone know if this is true?

 

Yes, this is true. There is no locking mechanism for the screen, but the hinge is so tight and sturdy that it would require a lot of force for it to open on its own. It always takes me 2 hands to open it up. If you're really worried about it, you should buy a notebook sleeve when carrying it around.

 

I will, now I just need to get all of the money together. I might actually end up going with the lower warranty so I can get the larger hard drive and maybe something else to go with it, like a really good bag. Any suggestions on security bags for 15.4" laptops? Nothing too big though, I wouldn't mind being able to take it on the plane with me.

 

i installed the 177.98 drivers last night and noticed a significant decrease in heat while i played portal/tf2.

i want to dual boot ubuntu on this machine, will it decrease the overall performance of my computer if i do this? ie while gaming in vista. and how hard is it to accomplish?

 

whats the average 3dmark06 score for the np2096? Do you think that the 2096 would be able to run starcraft 2 well when it comes out?

 

ahh bamitsbrian i am jealous that you are using the 177.98 drivers. i am using the 177.92 drivers, which are about 7C hotter but the 98 drivers caused artifacts in my main game so cant have that...

dual booting would not decrease performance (the ubuntu install has no effect on windows) but you do need to resize your windows partition to make room for it, so you will have less room in windows. it is simple, although if it is your first time make sure you look at some howtos. check out ubuntuforums.org, theyre very friendly there and will answer all your questions

 

I have had mine for a week and love it. I'm not too crazy about the heat though.

Where would I go to get the newest drivers for the video card? I assume that is what people are referring to when they say 177.98.

Are these computers Santa Rosa?

 

Sager NP2096 is montevina, santa rosa's successor

 

check out laptopvideo2go.com/forums

try the 177.98, they work for me except not with battlefield 2142, so now im using 177.92 (which dont work for mass effect, but thats not important to me, and thats not saying that it wont work for you!)

you apparently dont know blizzard very well... their games are never very demanding. if you buy a new computer the year (or the year before... or before that...) a blizzard game comes out it will run amazingly. unless you buy a laptop with integrated graphics sc2 will run fine, and even then i still think it would run ok

 

Hi Nikolai,

Since I use my Old Buisness Leather DELL 15.4" laptop case I have no interest in reading up on Laptop bags ... but if I had to get one I would be reading thru these threads ... and everything else fails do the google thing ...

BTW, some of them are on the PRICEY side ...

8 laptop bags that will speed you through airport security
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=Mobile+and+Wireless&articleId=9114295&taxonomyId=15&pageNumber=1

Targus Blacktop 15.4" Laptop Case Review
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4265

Logitech Kinetik 15.4 Briefcase http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3888

Samsonite L35 XL Laptop Carrying Case
http://www.buy.com/prod/samsonite-l35-xl-laptop-carrying-case-fits-15-4-screens/q/loc/16234/208461165.html#cRevSec

MobileEdge Premium Backpack
http://www.mobileedge.com/items_him.asp?cid=3&scid=3&pid=5

BEST BUY 15.4" Options
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&id=pcat17080&type=page&lcn=Computers&sc=abComputerSP&st=processingtime%3A%3E1900-01-01&usc=abcat0500000&cp=1&sp=%2Bbrand+skuid&nrp=46&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1%7E%7Eq70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031%7E%7Ecabcat0500000%23%230%23%2313l%7E%7Ecabcat0515000%23%230%23%23c2%7E%7Ecabcat0515025%23%230%23%232q%7E%7Ecabcat0515028%23%230%23%231f%7E%7Enf108%7C%7C31352e342671756f743b

Nikolai ... also call XoticPC and see what kind are they SELLING ... and check it out. BTW, the Samsonite one doesn't look bad and good price!

Well ... hope this was some help!

G!

 

Hi webdancer,

Here you go ...

nVIDIA ForceWare X 177.98 for Windows Vista 32bit
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/drivers/vista/177.98

G!

 

Good deal, thanks!

 

Quick question, I have had my np2096 for a while now and love it. The only question I have is what does the button to the right of the video and sound settings do? It's one of the 3 pseudo-buttons above the f6 f7 and f8 keys all the way to the right. I still can't figure out what it does. Also, does anyone get a rattling sound when typing and/or tapping anywhere on the notebook in general? It sounds like it's coming from just under the spacebar.

 

I have the Microsoft neoprene sleeve
It is perfect! It has great padding and a very useful cloth handle.
I carry my laptop around in it all the time and it is holding up well when I take it back and forth to programming.

I bought it off amazon for $19.99

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-15-4-Neoprene-Laptop-Sleeve/dp/B000OY71LS/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1221372272&sr=8-1

 

I have a rattling sound on my Force 3310 (same as the 2096). I had been wondering the same myself. Mine seems to be worse in the upper right section of the keyboard however.

 

does anyone know how to switch between dedicated and integrated graphics? i ask because the cd comes with intel and nvidia graphics, so i think this would be possible.

 

Are people really having problems with their keyboard already?
Also, does anyone know whether or not Sager/Clevo are planning to release another version of the NP2096 with an Ati graphics card? Or is this unlikely?
I wanted the Ati HD3650...

 

My NP2096 has been working fine except for one really annoying error I can't seem to fix.

Every time I try to get back on my computer after it goes on standby it just freezes and the screen remains blank, and I am forced to reset it manually. I've installed multiple graphics card drivers from laptopvideo2go.com but the problem remains. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Hi Joe,

What OS are you running?

Also, can you run HWMonitor 1.11 to see what are your Temps and especially the GPU Temps! http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php

Thanks,

G!

 

Earlier on, I had read about people having problems with the tap function on their mouse pad. I just recently started having the same problem and was wondering if anyone had the driver that Sphinx used to resolve this issue. Would you please repost the link?

thanks

 

So what GPU drivers are you guys using? I heard 177.98 had minor issues and some people were having other issues with 177.92. I have 175.61 currently its ok but I want to bring down my temperatures a little if possible, even though I'm maxing out at 89C and idling at 60C (Normal?). Also, will I see a difference in performance if I get a later one? any downsides? I know they aren't released by Nvidia, are they safe? (I don't know much about using third party drivers as you can see)

thanks guys

 

XP 32-bit. All of my temperatures are reading fine. I've also downloaded multiple graphics drivers from laptopvideo2go.com and I'm still getting this issue constantly.

 

@ idoubtit

http://support.us.dell.com/support/d...&fileid=223707

I have this one. (Originally posted by iudsis) Its perfect. Has scrolling (2D), tap to click On/Off. Sensitivity settings, the whole 9 yards.

Enjoy

 

go to laptopvideo2go.com and try out the 177.92 and 177.98 drivers yourself- make sure to read the faq and "have disk method" howto.

i used the 177.98 drivers for a bit and my temps were amazing, but there was artifacting at high resolutions for battlefield 2142 (my main game) so i couldnt have that. then i tried 177.92, also great, a couple degrees C hotter, but that couldnt play mass effect

so now im on 176.37 (i think thats it, the latest 176 driver anyway) and everything works fine, but when im done with mass effect ill move up to 177.92 or maybe even try to work out the issues with 98.

//edit they are safe, downside is that since its not a driver made for your card (its modded to work with laptop cards) its not guaranteed to do everything you want it to. i.e. i am playing mass effect on full settings perfectly, but when it first loaded up at default settings the screen was off-center so you couldnt see half the menu

i guess another downside is that if it doesnt work or you want to change it, drivers require two reboots, one to uninstall and one to install.

 

Thanks vicarious! I guess I'll have to try my self for the games I play

 

hay... bad news i got my sager like a week ago .. and it some times turns on fully but most of teh time it just revs up then just dies down and does nothing
does anyone know what might be the problem
4gb ram
windows vista
250gb hdd
2.4 ghz
9600m gt

 

@lumanaty: i would try a linux liveCD ( www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download) to see if that boots; if it does i think its an issue with windows and i would simply back up what you have and reinstall. otherwise its hardware and i cant help too much of a software guy.

does anyone know if theres anyway to set fan speeds?

 

Thanks a bunch, Amaracuracuf.

At first, i thought I could deal with it by not placing my wrists on the laptop, but after a while, it really got annoying. I didn't even have to disable the tap to click; just lowered the sensitivity.

+rep for you my friend.

 

kool! glad to help, I actually read this whole thread a few weeks ago looking for it so it was easy to find now lol

 

Just got mine yesterday with the p8400, 250gb 5400, and wsxga+, 2gb RAM, and win xp

Temps are fine, its been averaging 65-75 for the gpu, and around 30 for each core and 35-40 for the HDD

The 1680x1050 screen is fantastic, looks great and i love all the extra room i have now. No complaints with the keyboard, and i'm happy w/ the touchpad now that i've gotten the ALPS drivers, but is there a way to use the fingerprint scanner to scroll? I'm a bit upset that the ctrl button is small and to the right of the option key...bad for counterstrike.
One more question, is it possible for me to use my laptop as a monitor for my PS3 via the HDMI?
I'll try to answer any questions that anyone has. btw battery is doing well so far, been browsing for an hour and only used up 25-30% of battery.

 

Unfortunately not because that HDMI is output, but you can plug your PS3 using conversors, just search the forum to see what you have to do.

 

If you'd like to use the fingerprint scanner as a scroll (even though you can add a scroll section to the pad itself with the new ALPS driver that you installed), you can double click the icon labeled "fingerprint software" in the task bar. It'll take you to the Protector Suite where you want to click on system settings near the bottom. Once there, click on the last tab labeled "scrolling". This is where you can assign a hot key and adjust the sensitivity and acceleration. I've used the Scr Lk hot key in the past (Fn + Num Lk) but I find the scroll section of my touch pad to be much more effective. The fingerprint scanner can allow both vertical and horizontal scrolling, which I found kinda neat, actually.

Hope this helps.

 

This one's for advanced users.

I can'st create a partition on my 320GB Hard drive. I tried everything. When I input any amount to shrink, the "shrink" button does not light up, I can't click it. Only "cancel" is available. In the command prompt, I try to "shrink desired=(I tried everything) and it says specified desired size is too large.

I went to properties and gave my self full control of everything under security tab. Still nothing.

Did anyone else have this problem??

HELP!!!

 

What program are you trying to use to shrink your existing partition? What type is that existing partition? Did you defragment the existing partition first?