AVADirect Clevo M980NU Review Discussion

The Clevo M980NU is an 18.4-inch gaming notebook packed with an Intel quad-core processor and dual NVIDIA GTX 280M graphics cards. Currently starting for under $2,100, this rig can be configured with up to three hard drives, supporting internal RAID, to offer fast boot drives and high capacity additional storage. In this in-depth review of the M980NU from AVADirect, we find out how well this notebook performs in a variety of games, and how it compares to other gaming systems.

Read the full content of this Article: AVADirect Clevo M980NU Review

 

That's kind of unexpected. I thought you were going to make the M17x the winner and ditch the M980NU like notebookcheck.com did, but instead you gave an Editor's Choice.

Also, how come battery is so bad? Doesn't it have switchable graphics like the M17x?

 

it doesn't, the m17x does because it uses an nvidia chipset.

 

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REVIEW (August 11, 2009):
CLEVO M980NU QX9300 extreme
Purchased from AVA-Direct (delivered on July 31, 2009)

PICKING THE VENDOR:
I am a recent buyer of the Clevo M980nu QX9300 extreme. After looking at many of the well known and lesser known internet vendors of top Gaming Laptops, I decided to talk to only two: Xotic-PC and AVA-Direct. Eurocomm was too expensive and Alienware was as well. Most all the many other vendors either were too expensive, had average reviews, or not enough reviews so I skipped them. Let me say that both Xotic-PC and AVA Direct were very polite on the phone and patiently answered all my questions about their laptops leading up to the purchase. I made my decision for AVA direct for one huge reason that set them aside and above Xotic-Pc; that being that AVA-direct offered established manufactured parts and components where Xotic-PC did NOT. As an example, I know that I have Kingston CL-7 (low latency 1066 ddr Ram) in my new laptop, not some unknown brand that Xotic-PC would install. Since ram can be prone to instability (this happened with my Sony Vaio also with unknown OEM ram), I decided that AVA-direct was NOT selling me some unknown potentially unstable ram with NO NAME because they got a deal on it somewhere, AVA-direct was selling me the REAL DEAL. This example can be carried forward with all the internal parts and components that AVA Direct offers…with AVA direct I know all the Named Brand parts and respective parts numbers so I could and did research what I was getting, part by part.

CUSTOMER SERVICE OF THE VENDOR:
Note about AVA Direct’s customer service… I dealt mostly with a guy named Joe M. What a consummate professional he was throughout. Every email I sent with questions was quickly answered, and follow-ups never tried his patience, every phone call I made was patiently dealt with. This translated in growing confidence through the whole purchase experience with AVA-Direct. He was my one go to guy and he made it work. When I asked his opinion, he gave it to me and supported it with the “WHY” behind his opinion. For example I was also considering the Core i7 with 17” screen, but after hearing that machine (@ 130volts) can heat up an entire room, has more need for max fans running (loud) and a near constant need for an extra fan plate, I decided on the absolute top Centrino even though a Centrino Extreme QX9300 cannot compete with a Core i7… So in essence, I decided to give up some computing power to NOT have heat and loudness issues, and carrying an extra fan plate around, but also I wanted and value the new DUAL LAMP 18.4” HD screen with the M980nu over the older single lamp 17” with the Core i7 laptops. Joe consulted with me about these and every other issue I had in a non-biased manner to help me arrive at my decision for the QX9300 Centrino. One of the keys is that the QX9300 is OVERCLOCKABLE as well.

CONFIGURATION:
I decided that any computer is only as fast as its weakest link, so Core i7 is a faster processor but the processor is never the slowest link in the chain. I therefore opted for the XQX9300 but with Striping Hardrives which can increase overall performance by up to 60 %. I also opted for SSD hardrives (two 80gig to stripe, then included a Western Digital 300 gig as my permanent back-up drive to save my data (note how I paid for Acronis software to make backup as simple as pushing one button). In addition, I striped or SLI the two Invidia 280m cards as well, also for a huge 40% to 60% increase in performance. After much discussion, I opted to NOT get the 1333 ddr ram due to instability issues and higher latency (CL-9). Joe M told me how the OCZ 1333 shows different benchmark results due to performing differently all the time, I did NOT like that aspect at all, so I opted for the very stable Kingston CL-7 over the higher latency CL-9 with the 1333 ram even though the ram is slightly slower. Here are the parts and components and configuration I chose below:

+ CUSTOM NOTEBOOK, Clevo M980NU Core�2 Gaming Notebook, 18.4" HD 1080 TFT LCD, NVIDIA� GeForce� GTX 280M SLI� Graphics 1 $4903.00 $4903.00
• CLEVO, M980NU Core 2 Duo Notebook Barebone, NVIDIA� MCP79, 18.4" TFT HD 1080 Glossy, PCIe x16 MXM-III Discrete Graphics
• INTEL, Core� 2 Extreme QX9300 Quad-Core 2.53GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 12MB (2 x 6MB) L2 Cache, 45nm, 45W, OEM
• TUNIQ, TX-3 High-Performance Thermal Compound, Electrically Non-Conductive
• VIDEO, 2 x NVIDIA� GeForce� GTX 280M 1GB GDDR3 Mobile Graphics Card for M980NU, SLI Configuration
• KINGSTON, 8GB (2 x 4GB) PC3-8500 DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM SODIMM, CL7, Non-ECC
• INTEL, 80GB X25-M Mainstream SSD, MLC, 250/70 MB/s, 2.5-Inch, SATA 3 Gb/s, Retail
• INTEL, 80GB X25-M Mainstream SSD, MLC, 250/70 MB/s, 2.5-Inch, SATA 3 Gb/s, Retail
• WESTERN DIGITAL, 320GB Scorpio� Black� WD3200BJKT, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache, 2.5-Inch, SATA 3 Gb/s, OEM
• RAID, RAID 0 (striping), min 2 hard drives required
• CLEVO, Dual Layer Super-Multi DVD�RW Optical Drive for Clevo M980NU (Included)
• NETWORK, Built-in 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet LAN Card
• INTEL, Wireless WiFi Link 5300, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/Draft N, 11/54/450 Mbps, Internal PCIe Mini Card
• CLEVO, Internal Bluetooth for M980NU Notebooks (Included)
• NOTEBOOK ACCESSORY, AC Adapter 100-240V (Included)
• ACCESSORY, Standard Carrying Bag w/ Strap Included (Choose upgrade)
• MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Business 64-bit Edition SP1, w/ Free Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon, OEM
• ACRONIS, True Image Home 2009 (Complete System Backup & Recovery Solution), w/ Media
• SERVICE, AVADirect System Binder
• WARRANTY, Standard 1 Year Warranty for Clevo Notebooks

BENCHMARKS AND PERFORMANCE:
At the time of this review (August 11th, 2009) I have only been playing one game so far on my new m980nu… that being, FAR CRY 2. Anybody who knows that game would not compare it to Crysis or some others that are video hogs but I can say this. Inside FAR CRY 2 there must be about 10 or 15 options to adjust. These adjustments go from off to notching upward toward full MAXIMUM, or ULTRA. I have only run this game with every single choice maxed to the absolute ULTRA, from anti-aliasing to whatever all the other choices are… I can honestly say, I have not seen even one pixelization, fps stutter, not one sticking aspect, the detail is extraordinary and this new laptop runs it without so much as even one sputter of any type. I might add that this is accomplished without any overclocking and running full 1920 by 1080 (full maximum) screen resolution. Windows Vista performs a check on performance and every aspect comes out maxed at 5.9 on windows scale of 1 to 5.9. below are the benchmarks based on ZERO overclocking, so to take the QX9300 from 2.53mhz up to over 3.53 or 3.73 could seriously increase the 3Dmark results probably up around or possibly exceed what the ASUS W90 puts out (15,000 3Dmark 2006) since it has the slower ATI cards with half the video ram of my 280m Invidia cards, but all this is speculation at the time of this review. The cooling fans are automatic but can be turned on to maximum with the push of a key on the keyboard; they are mostly run on idle so this machine is quiet and extremely cool to the touch unlike my Vaio which was always hot.

BAREBONES CLEVO SHELL:
I had read about the glossy screen complaints, the shiny laptop shell for smudges, and other issues. I can say that I am used to the shiny LCD since I have a Sony Vail Xtrabrite WUXGA and the shiny brings out the colors much better than the matte, so I would always opt for REFLECTIVE to get better clarity and color every time. But yes, it is glaring if you have a light shining into it from behind you, otherwise no problems only great performance. I have had it for two weeks and no pixels have failed and normally if you get a failure, you get them real quick, so I am gaining in my hope for this screen never losing a pixel like my 4 year old Vaio never did as well. The main interface with the computer is the screen so it has to be clear and vivid, this one surely is with its Dual Lamp brightness and Invidia cards. I don’t like the shiny encasement for the laptop, that should have been made in a matte, so I suffer with having to wipe it down all the time since the smudges do show if I don’t. The game buttons on the left side of the keyboard are NOT used by me since I use a Logitech blue tooth keyboard and mouse most of the time, but I also have a usb keyboard and mouse as well for better performance. So I think the Game Keys are mostly moot but this is only my opinion. Speakers could be louder even on maximum volume, but it has I think four speakers and one small subwoofer that perform okay. The over build quality blows away any cheap Dell like my girlfriend has.

3Dmark 2006: 12856
SM2.0 Score: 4924
HDR/SM3.0 Score: 6174
CPU Score: 3635
BurnIn test (normal)
Everest V5.02 scores and tests to numerous to list here
Stability tests were run as well to prove stability.

I don’t have the knowledge base or expertise to discuss all the testing information that AVA-direct sent me, but suffice it to say, they sent me all the performance benchmarks, they sent them mostly as screen shots (jpegs) instead of just typing a number.

CONCLUSIONS & SUMMARY:
I am extremely happy with this laptop and AVA-Direct. This laptop has exceeded my expectations, and speeded up my internet work (I work on a computer all day doing running my import-export business). Every long page of jpegs loads instantly, all videos run flawlessly while on line. The machine has had no glitches with games or otherwise, and runs smoothly, cool and quiet with max performance. I can only hope that it runs for a long time as well since reliability is very important. NOTE: AVA-direct forgot to include the computer carry case in the shipping box but they immediately sent it out once I told them they had forgotten. My follow-up questions have also been handled quickly by JOE M at AVA-direct. All in all, this purchase has been a truly great experience with zero regrets. Thanks to you, JOE and all the builders and assemblers who did the job right at AVA-direct.
Regards,

Bill B.
Tacoma, WA

 

i'm now regretting getting the m17x

 

Wasn't this supposed to have the Nvidia MCP79 too? When did that change?

 

Great review Kevin.

Just some things, is this LED or CCFL?
What was the runtime when using power saver mode?
How come the Asus W90, which debuted 6 months earlier, or so, keeps beating them using dual 4850HD?

 

Keep in mind that the mobile 4850HD at least has the same architecture as its desktop cousin whereas the GTX280M is a G92-style chip that has very little to do with the desktop GTX280.

 

ooooohh that would explain it, because this surprised me too in the M17x review, where the Asus W90 again beat the M17x, as in here...
It seems the 4850HD can be very high overclocked, and AFAIK these where the GDDR3 versions...the GDDR5 must be some monsters!!

 

They both use the same chipset.

 

At Kevin, can you please check what the chipset is?
Is it a Intel or NVIDIA?

 

Well in terms of overclocking, I'd say the OCing abilities of the GTX 280Ms and the MR 4870s are even when you take into account overvolting and also at stock volts. But, from my experience, it takes a lot more effort to really max out the 4870s and it's still a work in progress. Also, The GTX 280Ms in the M17x have MUCH better driver support compared to the support for the cards in the W90 (if you want to call it driver support).

Also, these are just synthetics, and the M17x will beat the W90 in most games if the W90 is using stock VGA drivers.

 

That beast runs really cool for what it has in it.

 

My thoughts exactly....

 

Great review!
A little disappointed in the 3DMARK06 score considering my NP9262 gets around 14890( see sig. for details) but I really like the way it looks.

 

Looks like a well designed full-sized gaming notebook. Clevo did a terrific job, if you can look past the shipping delays.

I would have preferred it been delayed for the i7 chipset, but I suspect we'll see the replacement rather soon.

Thanks to your Q9650, your score is higher. You've got about 500mhz advantage on 4 cores, and 3dmark06 is CPU bottlenecked even on sli 9800s.

 

I will grab a screenshot of Everest in the morning.

 

Yeah know, but still when my buddies M860TU with a single 260M GTX and QX9300 get's around 12000 I thought the score would be better.
Maybe I'm expecting to much.

 

I love this laptop, except for the keyboard. With all of that extra room, they still couldnt get a 4 key number pad in... that makes me sad.

But other than that its a monster that runs ice cold and in some cases runs cooler than my rig which has no where near that much tech strapped in it

 

Chipset is the NVIDIA MCP79 as indicated by Everest.

 

Very good and excellent review! This laptop is awesome but it's way to over my budget.

 

Thanks.

Maingear PC lists their rebrand of the Clevo M980NU as having a PM45/ICH9-M chipset under the tech specs, which is why I have to keep asking if something maybe changed during the delayed launch of this notebook.

 

Looking at the Clevo site it even mentions this:

Best Performance
- Overclocking CPU
- nVIDIA chipset
- 3*HDD capability
- Dual Graphic Card (SLI)

Core Logic
MCP79

I can't imagine there are two vastly different versions of this notebook floating around.

 

>.> This laptop is really to little to late, seems like for once alienware is the proffered laptop to buy.

 

Shouldnt it then suppot the 9400M G and be switchable as AW's?

 

Possible the 9400M could be disabled in the BIOS. M17x owners have had to often do that with the IGP to get some driver versions to work.

 

my only question is at what time does 2.8ghz Quad become a possiblity w/ WUXGA or better RGB LED screen

working w/ photos on the road and wanting both a large crisp FULL RGB LED screen(only Sony/DELL have them in their laptops currently) seems to be a losing battle w/ the price cutting moves leading to smaller batteries w/ less cells
and lower rez 1920x1080 "FULL HD" but not 1200 P HD screens....whats next

any help would be much appreciated

 

The three main workstations... Dell Precision 6400, Lenovo W700, and HP Elitebook something. You can just overclock the QX9300 to 2.8ghz if you want, I'm sure it will be quite easy. The Clevo D900F is good too, but it doesnt have an excellent screen or a workstation videocard. You should post about it in the "What notebook should I buy?" section.

Also:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Clevo-M980NU-Notebook.18377.0.html

 

Wait, then the fact that having the NVIDIA GPU does not mean that you get the 9400??

 

It would be nice if they use a 4 column number pad like the one on the M1730. There's plenty of space for them to do so. I wonder too when will gaming laptops get LED screens.

 

RGB LED or bust

 

no there is no 9400m on the M98nu

it is there but it is disabled on a BIOS level or possibly by design

 

unlocked BIOS FTW

 

lol...you are kinda biased The_Moo...you have a M17x yourself...lol
But I agree, clevo got it wrong without the 9400M G...
Kudos for Dellienware for applying the switchable!

 

it was the choice to make for a unlocked BIOS and a 9400m that net's me 3HOURS of battery


.... call me bias ....

 

lol ok ok...you are right...AW got it right here.
Clevo should not have given up the 9400M G...
I wonder if there is a way to get around the BIOS.

 

if you mean overclock yes you can do it on the M98nu but its done by software


if you mean the 9400m i am not sure ....could be hardware

 

The 9400m is the hottest thing in M17x. It might have forced Clevo to review the whole design.
Sealth mode is working fine for me, I have no probleme to switch between hybrid SLI and 9400m (turn down discreet). I don't have to restart either.
However what made me take the AW is the price, it's cheaper than Clevo where I am. And in the end, I am glad to have an AW, I was a clevo fan but the AW design is so impressive...I hate XPS but this M17x is surely a beautiful thing, I can sell it in no time.

 

What makes the Clevo M980NU is the ability to upgrade components at a cheaper cost.

If you are looking for something that can last you for years to come, without have to replace it, then this notebook will serve your purpose. Also, driver support is great and overclocking the M980NU is possible through soft-mods.

A previous customer of ours (bbanddog) purchased this notebook and overclocked it with some software utilities. As long as you monitor temps, and make small changes step by step you can't go wrong.


Kind Regards,

 

yes Nvidia System Tools will work for this laptop

it works on the chipset in the laptop and it allows you to overclock your FSB just like SetFSB would.