Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Sa 3650!

Unfortunately no GB's (let's just call it that) spec. Finger cross for a 4850
Hope the spec sheets come out soon.

 

Interesting, like to see a review first however, haven't heard good things coming out of Fujitsu lappys.

 

Since the unmerge from siemens, we might see something better. Hopefully!

 

Since it was announced earlier this year, all sources have stated it will have a Mobility HD3870 with 512megs of ram.

The PDF file I posted a page back confirms this.

 

this thing sounds very interesting.
Might just be my new laptop!

 

This is a great idea, but I'm gonna wait until they come out with a new line of laptops for this XGP. It's silly that they have such a great concept but saddle it with a laptop that is one of the heaviest in the 13-inch category. 2.4 kg? Defeats the whole purpose of mobility if you ask me. 2kg is the max I'd accept for a 13-incher, anything beyond that I might as well get a 15-incher. Furthermore, I hope for further configurations of that graphics booster - a single 3870 mobility seems rather unadventurous to me, considering that the 4000 series is coming + there are gaming laptops out there packing xfire 3870s for massive damage.

That said, I like the stormtrooper design.

 

It seems like we have to wait untill january for the graphicsbooster.
Komplett.dk/no/se is a Danish/swedish/norwegian online retailer and they are the only retailer ive seen selling the graphicbooster.
They will have the sa3650 + graphicbooster in stock 16' january 2009 for a total of about 1200 euros.

 

Just talked with FSC. The graphicbooster only works with an EXTERNAL screen

 

That's kinda crap. there's a lot of situations that I could use it with the laptops screen, wich I tought that this idea would be perfect... not anymore though... Then again, at home I could use my desktop or play on my Xbox. Guess a good ol' 15.4 incher with switchable GFX is the best bet for occasional gaming and good battery life, if needed.

 

In stock in sweden for 9 990 kr about 969€ WITH GraphicBooster.
http://www.netonnet.se/?iid=se013326

 

Not bad that's about $1,235 USD.

Now how long until we can get this in the US?

 

Wow, not a bad price at all, I'm also really waiting for this to come to the U.S!
I hope that later on, we'll be able to swap out the 3870 with a Mobility 4850/4870 when they are released.

Too bad the ATI XGP (GraphicBooster) is limited to AMD notebooks so I hope we will soon see a version released for Intel notebooks, maybe by Nvidia?

 

Probably not, but if it catches on NVIDIA will surely make their own version. They already have an external GPU enclosure for high end workstations (NVIDIA Quadro Plex)

Other than that I think AMD has exclusive rights to the XGP interface for a year, at least that's what I remember reading when this first made the news this summer.

 

Hi
I am getting one SA 3650 with graphics-booster hopefully tomorrow.
Is it something you people out there want me to do? Take pictures? Testing and post results? Tell me and I will try to help out.

 

If possible, could you test the performance? I'm considering the 3650, but I'm worried about gaming. I would prefer replacing my desktop system completely, only using display, keyboard and mouse, so some kind of performance test would be appreciated, if possible by gaming. I haven't used a Fujitsu-Siemens notebook before, so a comment on the quality perhaps?

I've been searching for a performance review, but there aren't many on the Internet yet, I hope that will change.

Could I ask you about which country you bought it from, and what the price was?

Lot's of question, but I hope you are able to answer some of them.

 

That's great to hear, please share as much information as you can, especially benchmarks.

It looks as though its only available in Europe for now and it won't come to the U.S for a while if ever.

 

Really waiting for the review but I must say that Fujitsu-Siemens had it and blew it big time. Let me just recap:

You can't use the laptop display with the graphic booster.

A real letdown. The argument that FS makes that it is lighter to carry to LAN and is a "ultimate gaming laptop" (sort of) only fails to mention that you need to lugg around a external display to "game" on it.

And I who was waiting for this and the introduction of an external graphic solution to notebooks.

Oh and the testing part:

1)Run 3DMark06 the first thing you do, out of the box without installing/uninstalling other programs or modifying the computer.

Run it w/ graphic booster and without please.

2)Things included in the package (CD:s, manuals etc.)

3)If possible try to benchmark different games (only relevant with the booster though)

Of course, pics, pics and lots of pics

 

Why for godsake did they build this thing without the option to use the GraphicBooster with the Laptop Display? I cant understand it! I have the Laptop here and everything works perfectly - exept this little detail which offends me so much that I will send it back to FSC. Maybe I have to live with the fact, that there will never be a Laptop which is mobile and high performing.

I hate u FSC!

 

Before the original release date in the summer, FS promised a driver update after the release of the notebook which enables the option to use the notebook monitor with the booster.

However, it is pretty weird that after a half year delay, they still have not implemented this feature.

 

I trust you if you say so but can you please link to a source that confirms that?
Was it FS directly that said they would perhaps release a driver update?

Is it possible by the means of how to booster is built to accelerate the laptop display? I mean there is nothing that says there is impossible for FS to make a driver update in the future (a limitation in the XGP technology, it only works "one-way" etc.)?

 

arstechnica . com/news.ars/post/20081205-amds-xgh-external-gpus-may-soon-see-the-light-of-day.html

Unfortunately, I cannot find more detailed or valid sources now, but I am certain that a half year ago, they were talking about implementing this feature after the release, so it does not seem as if the hardware would prevent it, but why then is it so difficult to develop a software for that?

 

Thanks for the link.
I agree with you, there does not seem to be any limitation in a technical aspect to use the laptop screen together with the booster.

Although "The XGP connector allows up to eight lanes of PCIe 2.0, and a larger x16 connector is in the planning stages." and later " so this is not still a "real" graphic card for a notebook as they claim here:
"In theory, there should be no performance difference between XGP systems and the same GPU in a desktop graphics card implementation."

This worries me:
"When the platform was announced in June, AMD also announced new drivers for their Radeon GPUs that would allow them to drive the laptop's internal screen with the external GPU on systems designed for such a feat."

As they say above, what if the Sa3650 and its booster simply isn't "designed for such a feat"?

The external graphic cards carry a big promise to the laptop market BUT if all computer manufacturers make their own propierty connector it will fail, they should standardise a x16 connector so we can choose from graphic cards as we do with desktop computers.

Think about it, in the future you might choose a laptop and then choose which graphic card you want, not being "bound" to the internal graphic card.
This will add to the longlivety of the computer since you can upgrade graphic cards without buying a new computer.

This solution (link at the bottom of the post) is optimal which simply makes you able to buy "ordinary" desktop cards and use in an external chassi and then change them.

Although the price and the option of not using the laptop screen is not acceptable.

http://www.magma .com/products/pciexpress/expressbox1/

(For link to work please delete the space between the word "magma" and ".com")

 

The Amilo Sa 3650 with the graphicbooster has finally become available at a Norwegian internet retailer. I ordered the laptop today and hope to recieve it within a week (or less). Will post my experiences and benchmarks once I receive the laptop and get to test it. Will perhaps even write a full review (if time and mind allows). Have no previous experience testing laptops or writing hardware reviews, so we'll have to see.

Anyhow. I'm happy now that it's ordered. I simply just love the Stormtrooper design, and the e-sata port. Will give note once I recieve it!

 

Ok I got it and started with testing and taking pictures.

First look was quite impressive, feels sturdy when open the lid not flexing at all.
The keyboard flexed very little on the middle when I pressed on it.

I finish installed the pre-installed Windows Vista Home Premium and the only things I uninstalled before downloading 3DMark06 was MS Works, Google desktop and Google toolbar. I didn't remove anything more.

I am somewhat inexperienced with 3Dmark but i downloaded the demo version and just clicked run test.
The score with Graphics Booster is 7153
And the score without Graphics Booster is 1550
The result with Graphics Booster can be viewed here:
service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=9158609

All weekend I have been busy moving stuff from my old laptop that was a HP NX9420 that I have been very satisfied with, it is little to big now (17" screen).

I using my laptop for work and I always wanted something like this SA 3650, that you can connect to better graphics and play some games without any problem. When I spotted this SA3650 with Graphics Booster a while ago I was searching place to buy it. And now I found it on netonnet.se for 10990 SEK

I have not played any game yet but I will very soon!

To sum it up I can say that the laptop have a nice feeling and it is lightweight to carry around. The screen is very bright and is of glossy type.
The DVD is slot in type and on funny thing is above the keyboard to the right.
Is three dim red lights with some symbols on, one for silent mode, one for mediaplayer, and one for spit out disc inside DVD slot. When you hold the finger on it for a second it start mediaplayer, going to silent mode or spit out DVD, it works like a button.
One last thing... it is very quiet. Hardly any noise at all from laptop fan or from graphics Booster.

If I missed something, ask and I will try to answer.

 

Thank you for the review

It scores 1000p less (7 000 in contrast to 8 000) in 3DMark06 which
NetOnNet claim (and they must have taken the figure from Fujitsu-Siemens).

Link below the NetOnNet which claim it scores 8000p:
http://www. netonnet.se/?iid=se013326
(Remove the space between www. and netonnet.se/ to view the link)

If someone (swedish) would contact them and ask them how you need to go about to get (as they claim) 8000p instead of 7000p I would grateful. Thats a 1000p difference, so its not like 50p or something.

I have already contacted them and made them state that the graphic booster can't boost the internal laptop display in their product information and I don't want to nag.

If you can't reach 8000p as they claim then they are making fraudulent claims and misleading consumers (which is illegal in Sweden and a lot more countries)

 

Ok, I will install new graphics driver and run 3Dmarks06 again, to see if it make any difference.

 

Go to laptopvideo2go .com
(Delete the space between laptopvideo2go and .com to make the link work)

Download the latest driver for your OS and the modded .inf and follow instructions there.

Although you should really just call them and ask them how you need to go about to make it score 8000p. If they cant answer, send it back to a "repair" since it should as they state score 8000p, something must be wrong else right?

This might be childish but they should not lie or misslead consumers.
A guy in Sweden named "Sverker" will go postal on them if they do

Edit:

Which graphic driver did you have pre-installed?

Do you use the one below for testing?
3DMark06_v110_oct07_installer.exe
find it @ http://www.futuremark. com/benchmarks/3dmark06/download/
(Delete the space between futuremark and .com to make the link work)

 

aren't laptopvideo2go for nvidia?
I could not find anything for my ATI card, but I found beta catalyst 8.12 RC3 on users.pcflive.co.za/12999/index.html
and tried again with 3DMark06 v110. The score is now 7209.
If i remember correct was catalyst 8.10 pre-installed.

 

toyish, thank you for nice review.

Could you please confirm if graphic booster really cannot send picture back to the internal display?

If this is the case i would be very disappointed with FCS (incomplete) implementation on XPG. XGP enables this option (called CrossDisplay) and this was actually most desirable feature of this laptop for me.
I am travelling a lot and usually I do not carry LCD monitor with me and hotels usually do not provide monitors in the room either.

Anyway this is still nice laptop, but without working CrossDispaly it just isn't desirable for me any more.
If it is not really working it is big shame that FCS did not implement XPG completely (i.e. missing CrossDisplay feature). And it seems I will have to wait for another laptop with XPG (or similar technology by another company?) enabling sending picture from external graphic card back to laptop screen.

 

Yeah i wanna know this too, thinking about buying this little cutie after christmas, even tho i have a decent external screen at home, i would still like to be able to use "only" the laptop screen for everything.

 

Embarassing, I will go and poke myself with a stick.

You are truly correct, I simply was not thinking

 

Great review! Seems like the CPU score is quite low.

Has anyone heard anything about version with faster CPU? The only one available in Sweden has the AMD ZM-80 (2.1 GHz).

 

How about battery life? (idle, min/off everything vs. load with all/max everything on)
Does it work with the internal display?
Can the external GPU be upgraded if the case is cracked open?
How's the display in general?
***How about a reinstall of the OS without any MFR junk on it? (unless that's what you were doing in that one pic) How does it score then?

***optional since I don't think you'll want to go this far

 

Hello, i am new on this thread. I stumbled across it when i discovered the amilo Sa 3650. At home i have the dell studio hybrid which is rather mediocre regarding the performance. How about using booster box with my hybrid i thought. Someone out there who thinks its possible? worth mentioning is that i connected the hybrid to a projector with hdmi.

thanks in advance.

 

Hi PaulVingate,

You will only be able to connect booster box to any laptop with XGP (eXternal Graphic Port) port. It is special port developed by ATI and as far as I know FCS Amilo SA3650 is currently the only laptop on the market that has this port.

Btw anyone heard about any future laptops possessing XGP?

 

Can someone confirm that you have to connect an external monitor to the laptop in order to use the gfx booster to play games etc.

Im hoping to be able to use only the internal screen

 

No news on other manufacturers using this technology in their notebooks. I have a feeling we may hear of such news in January during the CES 2009 show.

 

I have been in contact with Fujistu-Siemens in my country (Sweden) and you can't. Read the entire thread, the same thing is said over and over again.

But if you want "proof" then wait for one of the people who owns it and writes in this thread to just answer you.

For all other people, No, you can only use the Graphic Booster with the FS Sa3650.

 

Hi Swede, did you ask Fujitsu-Siemens about the reason why this is not possible?
Is it because of any software issue or is there any hardware obstruction preventing CrossDisplay work on SA3650?
If it would be software issue there would still be some hope FCS could enable this in future.

 

As discussed here earlier you might see a driver update.

Start reading from this post and you'll get the picture:
http://forum.notebookreview. com/showthread.php?p=4237721#post4237721
(Remove the space between notebookreview and .com to make the link working)

Actually now, as I understand it its technically possible but there is no support for this in the drivers. This is sad since A LOT of people (me including) won't buy it if it can't boost the laptop display.

They are really losing people who would buy it because of the lack of the support for the laptop display.

Edit:

Oh and sadly FS support didn't seem to have so much knowledge about the computer (I'm sure its outsourced as everything else in support these days) so I didn't ask.

If someone were to ask Fujitsu-Siemens why/when/if a driver update is due to be able to use the laptop display I would be grateful.

 

Many of us would be.

 

Im not planning to buy my new laptop until after christmas, you can usually make some good deals then

I hope to see some kind of driver update making it possible to use the internal screen. Then i'll buy it for sure.

 

The only thing that I think will happen is that FS will say that AMD is developing the XGP technology and the drivers, so if/when a driver update is due and why it hasn't been implemented yet is out of their hands.

But the answer I WANT to hear is that it will be released within a week
Then I would buy one directly.

EDIT:

Check this out:
http://driverheaven .net/modtool.php
(Remove the space between driverheaven and .net to make the link work)

That tool seems SWEET, making drivers from ATI's homepage work so you can get the most updated graphic drivers.

I am thinking about starting an online petition so FS allows ATI's own drivers to work on them:

"AMD (formerly ATI) introduced the concept of Catalyst Mobility which is a generic driver that works decently for most laptops. The only way we are able to do this is through permission by a laptop manufacturer (OEM) to include their device in the Catalyst Mobility. We were the first company to provide graphics drivers for laptops to the general public, and we believe there is great value in this. At this point we only have permission from a few vendors and I personally wish more of them would let us. My suggestion is you contact your manufacturer and ask them to have your laptop included in Catalyst Mobility. As for Vista specifically we do not have permissions yet, but as soon as we do we look forward to releasing Vista drivers for laptops."

See above link for source.

So if I were to start an online petition so FS allow ATI to be able to make their drivers work with FS laptops, would you sign?

Also:

@ toyish:

If I were you I would contact "NetOnNet" and ask them why I don't get 8000p as they advertise. If they say its "up to 8000p" then they should write "up to" not just "8000p".

If they don't know then demand that THEY not YOU find out and get back to you. This would be of interest of us all since we all want to get maximum performance out of this little beast.

 

What processor is in your Sa 3650? I am sure they scored 8000 with the 2.4 Ghz model and not the 2.1, so that would explain a part of the "low" score (still incredible for a 13" and about 1200 Euros)

Yes, there are like 4 or 5 options, fastest would be the ZM-84 with 2.4 Ghz

 

He bought it from "NetOnNet" and it's on that site that they claim it will do "8000p" in 3DMark06 so its impossible.

See for yourself here:
http://www. netonnet.se/item.asp?iid=137458
(Remove the space from www. and netonnet.se to make the link work)

Thats the product he bought, from that store and on that page they state "8000p". Don't want to nag but I wanna make 8000p if I can and if not they shouldn't write so.

 

Hi guys,

Two days ago I sent email to Czech FCS customer service asking if they plan to release new drivers for Amilo SA-3650 enabling sending picture from graphic booster back to notebook display (CrossDisplay).

Just a while ago I got response saying something like:

"Hello,

According to statement coming from Germany such drivers are planned. But there is no release date yet. Unfortunately I did not manage to get more information.

Best regards, ...
"

This sounds promising, doesn't it?

 

any gaming benchmarks yet?

 

found some benchmarks here: ww.youtube.com/watch?v=pyfCy0OzZrk&feature=channel_page

 

Hi ,
First sorry for my poor english.
I've bought an amilio SA 3650 with grphic booster. I'recevied It Today . It come wiith ZM 82 2.2ghz. I'll test it and post some screenshot .

 

Yay! Can you answer some Q's that I had a while back?
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=4249579&postcount=83