Sager NP2090/COMPAL IFL90 FAQ!

Sager NP2090/COMPAL IFL90 FAQ: Updated August 09, 2007 1:15 pm EST

How does the sager NP2090/IFL90 look like?

It looks like this:




Who is Sager?

Sager is a well-respected boutique brand that offers high-performance notebooks for power users at reasonable prices. For more information on Sager please go to the Sager FAQ here.

Who is Compal?

The world's 2nd largest laptop maker, Compal has designed and built laptops for all of the major brands as well as custom builders for over 22 years. For more information on Compal please go to the Compal FAQ here.

What is the difference between the IFL90 and the 2090?

There is no real difference between the two, they are both the same notebook.

Where can I purchase the NP2090/IFL90 ?

The NP2090/IFL90 can be purchased from xoticpc.com, powernotebooks.com, pro-star.com, discountlaptops.com, and sagernotebooks.com. For any residents in Canada I suggest that you buy your laptop from here M-Tech Laptops. They are all very reputable companies to purchase with, and offer amazing tech support, as well as provide superior build quality.

How much does it cost?

Well it all really depends on the buyer since you can customize it the way you want. The lowest price it starts from is $1122.00 USD from xoticpc.com and from powernotebooks.com, though both offer cash discounted prices that may change from time to time.

What are the specifications of the base configuration?

15.4" WXGA Glossy Type w/ nVidia 8600GT 512MB Video, Core 2 Duo T7100 1.8GHz w/ 800MHZ FSB (Santa Rosa), 1024MB DDR2 667MHz, 80GB 5400RPM SATA/150, DVD±R/RW, Fingerprint reader, and Built In "N" WIFI


What types of screens are offered on the NP2090/IFL90 ?

There are two types of screens offered currently: 15.4" WXGA Glossy Type (1280x800), and 15.4" WSXGA+ Matte Type (1680x1050). The 15.4" WSXGA+ Matte Type screen is delayed to start shipping the 2nd week of July and most resellers will still have to fill the preorders that ordered those types of screens.
Matte screens do work better outdoors than glossy screens, but none of them work well unless they are shaded. In direct sunlight all of them will wash out and be very hard to read. The biggest advantage of the Matte screen is they do not reflect the room lighting, sunlight coming through the window, or the user or others walking behind the user. A glossy screen can resemble watching a non Matte TV during the day with the window shade open behind you. There is a great thread discussing Matte vs. Glossy, including a Poll, here.

Whats the difference between 1x2GB module or going with 2x1GB modules?

If you order a system with 1x2GB module you can then later add another module of 2GB to make it DUAL CHANNEL. If I order 2x1GB module the ram will DUAL CHANNEL but then no further chance of upgrading unless you remove one of those 1GB sticks. Also to make 2x2GB modules to work you need Vista 64bit for both modules to be recognized. There is no such thing as DUAL CHANNEL Memory as opposed to SINGLE CHANNEL memory. The memory itself is all the same. The Intel chipset is what gives it the DUAL CHANNEL Memory functionality when you use 2 pieces of memory. While it is considered to be “better” if they are matched pieces of the same type from the same manufacturer, it only requires that they are the same type (e.g. DDR2 vs. DDR, and if you mismatch 533MHz with 667MHz it will only run at the slowest speed of the two). It does not require that they are from the same manufacturer since it is the chipset not the memory that creates the DUAL CHANNEL functionality.


If I order today (July 6, 2007) when will my system ship?

Well most resellers are booked with preorders and have shipping delays up to the end up July, until they are par with current orders, so you can assume shipping to begin in Mid-July which would include through the 3rd week for the WSXGA+ (1680x1050) and WXGA (1280x800) screens and Late-July for the WXGA+ (1440x900) with new orders shipping later.

***SHIPPING INFO UPDATE***
Sager has received new shipments of the NP2090 WXGA (1280x800) and will resume shipment.

All orders submitted on or before 7/5/2007 with select configuration will be filled, any of the following configurations will not be shipped.

Orders with Bluetooth module option, will not be shipped. ETA late week of July 16th.

Orders with TV-Tuner module, Will not be shipped. No ETA

Orders that has been submitted after 7/5/2007, will begin shipping late week of July, 16th.

Where can I find some reviews about the NP2090/IFL90 ?

You can find them here,
another review here and video review here.

Where can I find an online user manual?

It can be download from here.

Where can I find a disassembly guide?
You can find one here, but WARNING DO NOT make any repairs/modification/upgrades without the resellers consent/authorization and first contact the reseller for tech support. If you do happen to do something, me, the notebook forums, and the reseller are not held responsible.

Is the nVidia 8600M GT 512MB Video card GDDR2 or GDDR3?

No one knows for sure yet whether the memory is GDDR2 or GDDR3 even though some have posted their RivaTuner screen shot showing GDDR3. The problem is that software tool is not an “official” (read “reliable” tool recognized by either Compal or nVIDIA. Compal has confirmed their specs that say GDDR2, so until the new production models come into the US we won’t know for sure. However the bottom line is that it really doesn’t matter to the performance of the video card at stock core/clock speeds. It will kick butt just the way it is, and you couldn’t tell the difference in your gaming experience without overclocking them. The GDDR3 will usually overclock higher than the GDDR2, but there is really no need to overclock this card for the few FPS that you gain, and it will be at the expense of more heat and less battery life if you overclock them.

What’s the difference between Vista 64 bit and Vista 32 bit?

64-bit version takes advantage of the hardware to offer some attractive security features that are exclusive to that platform. On the downside, you'll still see weaker downlevel compatibility on the 64-bit platform: for example, we don't support 16-bit code from the Windows 3.x days (which is a little more of an issue than many people realize due to the inclusion of 16-bit code in the installers for some decidedly 32-bit applications) and less driver support. 4 GB ram is only supported on 64 bit as well, so if you’re getting 4 GB ram make sure you get a 64 bit operating system. Also if you wish to find out more about the differences between the two, I suggest you read this over here.

If I want to dualboot vista 64/32bit is there anyway to do it.

The OEM license you purchase with your Sager NP2090 only allows either the 64bit or the 32bit version to be installed at one time even though you get the media for both versions. If you want to switch versions you have to uninstall the one your are replacing A dual boot installation of both the 64bit and 32bit versions is illegal unless the OEM system builder has a special license agreement to do it, and the user has purchased a separate license for both versions. These special license agreements are not at the regular OEM prices and they are very expensive for the OEM. Sager does not have this special license agreement and I doubt that any of the Sager resellers do either, so it cannot be done by Sager and probably cannot be done legally by your reseller either. You can try it yourself, but you will have to buy both licenses, and it can be a bit tricky getting the boot manager to work correctly. It is much easier to dual boot XP and Vista, but you will still need to buy both licenses.

What is Intel Robson Turbo memory? And what does it do?

It’s a 1 Gb flash ram that does the following:
• Reduce boot time. Faster access to boot-up files lets the system start up more quickly.
• Improve application responsiveness. Data coming from Intel Turbo memory instead of the hard drive increases access speed.
• Accelerate application loading. Fast access by the processor to information needed to launch applications cuts lag time.
• Enhance Windows Vista. Support for Windows Vista performance features like ReadyBoost*, ReadyDrive*, and Superfetch* helps you take better advantage of the operating system.
• Save energy. Pre-storing information reduces hard-disk spin time, which saves power.

Most benchmarks show it doesn’t affect the system that much unless you have less than 2 GB ram, and most forum users are reporting BOSD and crashes on their laptops sometimes. Vista Service Pack 1 will have significant improvements to ReadyBoost and therefore improvements to Turbo Memory’s effectiveness). The best discussion of Intel Turbo Memory (Robson) including a Poll is here.

How can I find out what position I am in for my preorder?

Sager expects to have all pre-orders shipped by the end of July, there is no point in contacting your reseller as they only know what position you are in their line, not Sager’s.

Where can I download drivers for the NP2090/IFL90 ?

They can be download from here, here and here.

If I want to order one of these to Canada, where can I get it and how much will I be charged on shipping?

As far as I know right now xoticpc.com does shipping to Canada, and you will be charged customs and duties upon arrival. While Sager does not have any resellers in Canada, there are several Compal IFL90 system builders that private label this model in Canada and the US (and elsewhere worldwide) that will ship throughout Canada. You will find them HERE. Also, there will probably not be any Customs Duty (due to the NAFTA treaty between the US, Canada and Mexico) as long as the shipper declares that the product is manufactured in the US. Only Customs brokerage (which is waived by UPS if you ship via Expedited or Express as opposed to Ground, and about 14% in GST and PST (Government Sales Tax and Provincial Sales Tax) would be due on delivery. To aviod any customs and to buy from within Canada, a new reseller M-tech Laptops is selling the 2090/IFL 90 here.

How can I maintain my notebook to live for 3+ years?

No post about notebooks can be complete without Gophn's notebook maintenance post.

________________________________________________________________________
Credit to: Donald from Powernotebooks, Justin from Xoticpc, Gophn, and Mixxster

If I am missing anything or if you need anything to be answered please pm with your questions and feedback.

 

Very nice! Rep ^^

Another retailer is discountlaptops.com

 

thank you i'll add that in

 

sticky............

 

amazing!!!!!!!

 

Very nice! It'll help all the new guys who don't know much about this brand or this notebook!

 

Maybe a temporary sticky or soemthing, until this wave of 2090s cool off.

 

Great job on this!

Just a couple of additional questions that seem to be asked frequently:

Who is Compal?

What is the difference between the IFL90 and the 2090?

They also offer the wxga+ screen on the IFL90

 

This post was really needed, we were getting about 15 new posts a day asking the same questions, got to the point were all the info about the 9020 was being scattered around threads that I couldn't keep up with, its nice to have this all organized. I also vote this be stickied.

Edit: Another promising reseller: http://www.pro-star.com/index.cfm?mainpage=productdetail&model=9020 (Credit to Ghost1988)

You should also add the drivers link: http://www.bizcom-us.com/support/TechSupportDriversDownloadPage.htm#FL90

 

Drivers link is there . I'll also add that reseller in. Donsell I'll answer your questions asap

 

This is one awesome post that saves me a lot of Googling....

 

glad I could help you out themadhatter

 

LOL. I like the last part.

 

lol, yea I figured you would get tried posting that everywhere.

 

i was tired of 30 posts ago.

 

30 it seems to me that you probably pasted that same one a couple thousand times, thats how you have 3000+ post

 

Sticky please... This is a great post!

 

Thanks for all the reps guys

 

At least according to this post by Donald, http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=2124560&postcount=91

A shipment of Compal IFL90s should be in on Monday, although that's up for grabs as usual ;(

 

A needed post for all of my 2090 questions. Thanks a lot Harry. +REP

 

Thank you very much for typing this up. This thread is now a sticky.

 

Thanks for the sticky Chaz

 

hm...just a quick question...for the Sager and Compal models, are they branded differently?

Say on the back of the laptop it Sager, is it also Sager for the compal model?

also if I order it from pro-star.com it is a Sager right?all it says is 2090 and I don't want them to brand their own things onto the laptop.

 

on pro-star.com

is it just a typo or did they label the 2090 the 9020?

 

also about prostar...

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Pro_star

a 6.6 rating isn't so good in my book.

 

also about prostar...

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Pro_star

a 6.6 rating isn't so good in my book.

 

eh, well, not everyone can be as perfect as, say, Power Notebooks or Xotic, but they're still better than Dell: http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Dell, HP: http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Hewlett_Packard, and iBuyPower: http://www.resellerratings.com/store/iBUYPOWER. So hey, it's not the best, but could be worse.

 

Great post! It might be worth adding that the firewire chipset is a Texas Instruments (according to an email response to my question from Xotic PC).

 

Pro-Star is the brand of that system builder, just like Sager is the brand of that system builder, and PowerPro is the PowerNotebooks.com brand...etc.

They are all separate system builders that use the Compal IFL90 as the barebones and brand them with their own brand. So a Pro-Star 9020 is not a Sager 2090, but they are both built on the Compal IFL90 barebones, just as the PowerPro J 10:15 is. The differences are the warranty, and the label that goes on them.

 

Put this on the FAQs (why is that a link?):
Great Review: http://fake91.webpark.pl/english.html

 

And now you might want to update shipping dates from the info Justin and Donald posted.

 

As soon as Justin or Donald pm with the shipping info I'll update it

Edit shipping info updated

 

nice work harry

 

Would 3 or 4 GB of RAM be supported in Ubuntu?

 

If you use the 64bit version then it will support all 4GB. Or you can use the 32bit version and activate PAE to use all 4GB.

 

4 only in the 64 bit version. same as windows.

 

Might be a dumb question, but you think there is ever a possibility to unlock GDDR3 performance with a BIOS upgrade? Or do you think compensation is in order since it's not GDDR3 like with the Dell laptops?

Purely speculation, of course. This seems like the best laptop to buy! I will definitely jump in and purchase this if the good reviews continue to flood in. Hopefully someone will post benchmarks of T7500 and T7700 performances soon, as well as actual battery life when not gaming. Here's to also hoping you can change the functionality of the keys, flip the Fn and Cntrl keys around, while also to upgrade the video card later.

 

It seems like the difference in gddr2 and 3 is the clocks and what you are able to OC it to. Performance doesn't seem too great. I think the underclocked cards in the compals are matching (somewhat) the stock cards in the Asus.

 

Does anyone know if this laptop is MXM or the graphics are upgradeable?

If u can upgrade the graphics I'm buying this laptop.

 

For a 15.4" laptop the 8600M GT is probably the highest video card that will be available for it until the next generation comes out.

It is probably not upgradeable.

 

Does anyone know for sure if its upgradeable or not?

 

No one can tell you if you can upgrade to a card that doesn’t exist. The next generation cards may have power and thermal requirements that exceed the current specs of the laptops that are out now. You can only hope and wait to see if it will be upgradeable.

 

Yes I know.
What I'm asking is, would it be possible to upgrade the graphics?
Is the card a part of the board?
and does it have MXM?

 

the IFL90/NP2090 is not upgradable.

 

Where'd you hear that from? I mean, as far as I know, the Dell laptops don't have MXM inside of them, but you could upgrade the video card. I don't see why you couldn't on an IFL90 unless there are measures in place to prevent them entirely. Got proof?

 

READ POST #42 AGAIN.

That will hold true whether it has MXM or not. Now, if you refuse to accept that then you can live in your own fantasy world if you like.

You will not find any legitimate manufacturer or reseller who will tell you any differently.

 

Is there a link to the motherboard specs/manual?
what board does it use?

And ya post #42 may hold true even if it has MXM. I could breathe easier knowing it has MXM because If I need to upgrade the possibility may be there.

If it dont have MXM I'm not so sure u can upgrade at all...
This is why I want to know if it has MXM or not.

 

Pretty sure the vid card in the IFL90/2090 isn't upgradable.. most likely soldered directly onto mobo..

 

Please stop asking if the graphics card is upgradeable. In 99% of cases it isn't. My best advice is to buy a notebook with the graphics card you want - never plan to upgrade that card. As Donald said, you can't count on being upgrade to cards which may not even/never exist.

 

What about warranty when I move back to Germany?