XoticPC NP8150/P150HM and 580M review and benchmarks

I wanted to share my purchase and benchmark experience. I'm upgrading from an Asus G72. I originally looked at the P170HM3 (for the 120Hz screen, not 3D), but after careful consideration, the P150HM fits my lifestyle and accommodated dual HDD configurations so without further ado....


Configuration:
Sager NP8150, Matte-type 95% Color Gamut, i7-2720, Nvidia 580M, 8GB (2x4GB, Samsung 9-9-9-24), 750GB SATA-II HDD (Seagate), Intel 6230
BIOS/VBIOS info:

NP8150 BIOS: 1.01.011bLS1; KBC/EC: 1.00.11SA2
580M VBIOS Rev: 70.24.26.00.01; VBIOS Build Date: 4/20/11​

Self-installed hardware:
60GB OCZ Vertex 2 (OS boot), Win7 Pro
Other Configuration Notes:
ZERO dead/stuck pixels (I didn't purchase the ZDP warranty); No IC Diamond thermal paste

XoticPC Customer Service Experience:
5 Stars! Brett S is a fantastic advisor. I changed my configuration several times from P170HM3 to P150HM/580M, and he was courteous, helpful and knowledgeable. Once my final order was placed, I received my custom system in only 9 days.

Benchmarks and temps:
As a former system builder, I rigorously test my hardware configurations to absolve the vendor from hardware defects and configuration issues from self-installed hardware/software. In the benchmarking tests below, I performed all tests on the stock 750GB HDD first; then, re-ran them after my SSD installation.

Windows Experience Index:
with 750GB HDD as primary HDD: 5.9; forgot to clock boot time
with 60GB SSD as primary HDD: 7.5; Boot time is 25 sec from power switch to logon (logon to desktop is instantaneous)

CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1 (default test - 1000MB):
750GB SATA-II Seagate Momentus on primary controller
Test/Read/Write (in MB/s)
Seq/109/104
512k/39/47
4k/.5/.7
4kQD32/.5/.7
750GB SATA-II Seagate Momentus on secondary controller
Test/Read/Write (in MB/s)
Seq/109/107
512k/42/39
4k/.5/.5
4kQD32/.9/.6
60GB OCZ Vertex 2 on primary controller
Test/Read/Write
Seq/194MB/65MB mad: only 65MB/s write speed!)
512k/181/64
4k/17
4kQD32/.5/.7
I'm very disappointed with the SSD read/write speeds and lower 3Dmark scores - I definitely think there is something wrong with the SSD/primary controller combination. My previous Asus G72 typically scored 200MB/s/180MB/s read/write speeds.

3Dmark06:
with 750GB HDD, Nvidia Driver 268.49: 19,932
with 60GB SSD, Nvidia Driver 275.50: 19,843

3Dmark11:
with 750GB HDD, Nvidia Driver 268.49: 3131
with 750GB HDD, Nvidia Driver 275.50: 3457
with 60GB SSD, Nvidia Driver 275.50: 3418
On the scores, definitely install Atmosk's modded .inf files and use driver version 275.50!

Temperatures at 78F/25.5C room temp:
Idle CPU temp: 37-40C
Max CPU temp: 70C

Idle GPU temp: 42C downclocked, 50C stock clock
Max GPU temp: 91C (running Furmark for 15min)

Notes on Temps: I have a Zalman NC-2000 laptop cooler that typically drops these temps another 5C. I bought a tube of IC Diamond, but I'm happy with the thermal performance so far. At some point in the near future, I will apply the IC Diamond and re-run these tests.

During my testing, I have uncovered 2 technical issues that I have not resolved yet:
1. My self-installed SSD is not being detected immediately by BIOS so I need to Ctrl-Alt-Del a few times so it can be seen and booted - FIXED with SSD firmware update; however, SSD write speed is still 65MB/sec
2. My USB 3.0 transfer speeds are not faster than 2.0 (only about 30MB/s); however, I only have 1 USB 3.0 device so I need to rule it out first.


Some thoughts on the NP8150 design:
The Good...
The keyboard is nicer than the Asus; no flex; no key repeats
The matte-type 95% color gamut screen is AWESOME and a bargain at $95
The power cable length is ok for me; the power brick is slightly larger than my Asus G72
The bottom disassembly is very easy (pro tip: bottom panel slides to the rear)
While the case/keyboard area are rubberized, the LCD bezel is a glossy finish

The Bad...
The hand rest should be rounded instead of the sharp edge
The rubberized touchpad material was a poor design choice
The memory under the keyboard is difficult to access
There's no lid latch
There's no screw to secure the primary HDD; Clevo uses friction tape
The AMI BIOS is very basic. No 'fast boot' option.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the product and the reseller. I don't have any regrets about purchasing the laptop or the 580M (over the 485M or waiting for the 6990M). Now the SSD performance, that's another story...

If anyone wants additional tests run (except overclocking), please let me know before I load more software on it.

 

Thanks for the great review, the more the better!

As for your SSD issues, three quick ideas:
1) Did you check to be sure you were running in AHCI mode?
2) Do you have the newest bios on your machine? (Check with your reseller if it's running the Sager bios)
3) Do you have the latest firmware for your SSD?

Not sure if any of that will help, but it's the first few things I could think of to try to get you running at full speed again

 

how are the speakers?

 

can you overclock, and run crysis at veryhigh 1920x1080 no aa