Best Sager gaming laptop with a $2000 budget?

Hello. Just wondering, if you had $2000 to spend on a gaming laptop made by Sager, how would you build it? What model would you buy?

Just a little background. I'm hoping to play modern games on the highest settings. I'm hoping that buying that laptop will take me through the next generation of gaming. Is that a realistic goal? If not, are Sager's upgradeable? Can I just swap out a better graphics card in a few years to keep up with modern gaming?

Right now I'm leaning towards the NP9150 Special Edition. My biggest fear is spending $2000 and having a laptop that becomes obsolete in a year, hah. Probably an unfounded fear, but I've never paid that much for a laptop and I don't really know what to expect.

What should I know about Sager laptops? Is there another model that you would recommend instead of the NP9150 Special Edition? If so, please tell me about it.

How would you spend that $2000 to get the most "bang for your buck"? What configuration will take me the farthest for my money?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

What are you looking for specifically? A desktop replacement? Or just a mobile gaming rig?

If your looking for a DTR, look at the Clevo P570WM. Which is built on the X79 chipset. http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np9570-clevo-p570wm-p-3595.html

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk 2

 

I am about to buy one from a company called Mythlogic. They are a system builder out of Ann Arbor, Michigan that builds Clevo models. Clevo is the name of the Taiwanese company that builds what are known as barebone computers (essentially just the chassis with standard parts) and then has other sellers, such as Sager, to sell them. Sager is based in CA. Clevo computers are well known for their reliability and build quality, from what I hear and yes they are upgradeable. The GPU, HDD and RAM are parts you can upgrade to my knowledge. The current GPU set should be enough to last you at 2 years (based on what I know from having an old ASUS G73 with a 5870 which I could play BF3 at over 50 FPS). The main draw you should worry about Sager is the GPU. I'd personally go for the AMD Radeon 7970 GPU, as it is the strongest GPU for the price. The nVIDIA GTX 680M is the best, but only by ~7-10% more in performance, and costing about $200-400, depending on where you go. NOT worth it imo. The Special Edition should have that. That version will future proof you. If it were up to me, I would select the following (I am assuming you are going to buy from a reseller like XOTICPC, which resells Sagers, but Sager builds the computer, so all problems you have with it would get sent to them, not XOTICPC or another one):
Custom Laptops, Gaming Notebooks, Custom Gaming Laptops | XOTIC PC


Sager NP9150 / Clevo P150EM Sager NP9150 / Clevo P150EM
- FREE!!! – U.S. UPS GROUND SHIPPING (Use Coupon Code "FREESHIP" in Checkout) [U.S. Lower 48 ONLY / Restrictions Apply]
- SAGER Winter Sale!!! - $50 OFF When you spend $1350.00* or more! (*excludes non-sager parts, accessories, shipping, & taxes)
- 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen (SKU - S1R319)
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- NO Professional Monitor Color Calibration
- Sager - 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3630QM (2.4GHz - 3.4GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache, 45W Max TDP) (SKU – S2R174)
- -Stock OEM Thermal Compound
- AMD Radeon HD 7970M (2048MB) GDDR5 DX11 [User Upgradeable] (SKU - S3R155)
- No Copper Cooling Upgrade
- No Video Adapter
- No External Mobile Display
- 8GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (SKU - S4S423P)
- Sager Branding
- Standard Laptop Finish
- No mSATA SSD
- 750GB 7200RPM [Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache] - Default (SKU - S5T306)
- Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive w/ Software (When selecting a Hard Drive in the Optical Bay, No Optical Drive is Included) (SKU - S7R455)
- No Extra Optical Bay Hard Drive Caddy
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- NO External USB Optical Drive
- Internal 9-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo)
- No Back Up Software
- Bluetooth Included *With select wireless cards only* (See “Wireless Network” Section Below)
- Sager - Intel® Advanced-N 6235 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth™ 4.0 (SKU - S8R111)
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- No Carrying Case
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- No Car Adapter
- No Spare AC Adapter
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- No Headset
- No External Keyboard
- Standard Sager/Clevo Non Chiclet Backlit Keyboard
- No External Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- No Thanks, Please do not Overclock my system (Overclocking will add 3-6 business days to build time)
- No Operating System Redline Boost
- ~Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit (64&32-Bit CD Included (Supports up to 16GB of RAM)) + MS Office Starter 2010
- No Antivirus Essentials Software Bundle
- - No Microsoft OFFICE Software
- No Software Bundle
- Sager 2 Year Parts & LIFETIME Ltd Labor Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Support (SKU - S9R206)
- No thanks, standard double boxed packaging is okay with my order
- No Outside of US Shipping Coverage
- Standard Production Time
- No Xotic PC Gear
$1,608.00 (before 3% cash or check discount)


My computer that I am getting for my use has the following specs:
Total Price:$1,698.12
Winter Specials 2012 - PICK ONE Cooler Master NotePal Notebook Cooling Stand for 15"-19" Notebooks Winter Freebie
Mobile Chassis MYTHLOGIC Nyx 1712 Chassis (Clevo P170EM) with backlit keyboard
What da Puck?? None
Exterior Finish None
Mobile Display 17.3" Full HD (1920x1080) Matte LED Backlit LCD
Dead Pixel Guarantee None
Monitor Calibration Free MYTH Professional Monitor Color Calibration
CPU Intel Core i7-3630QM 2.4GHz, 6M L3 Cache, 22nm, DDR3-1600MHz, Quad-Core Processor $100 OFF!
Thermal Compound Free IC Diamond Thermal Compound
System Memory 8GB (2 x 4GB) , PC3-14900, 1866MHz SODIMM
Video Adapter AMD 7970M 2048MB GDDR5 DX11 Compliant Video Card
Optical Notebook Black 8X DVD+RW/CDRW Combo Drive
Bay Accessories None
External Optical Drive None
RAID [Requires Identical Hard Drive Selections] None
mSATA Solid State Drive None
Hard Drive 1 750GB 7200 16MB Cache SATA Notebook Hard Drive
Hard Drive 2 None
Hard Drive 3 None
Keyboard Standard Backlit Keyboard - NON Chiclet
Mouse None
Network Card Onboard Gigabit (10/100/1000 Mbits/sec) LAN subsystem
Wireless Card Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 2*2 802.11 a/g/n + Bluetooth V4.0 350MB Total Bandwidth
Bluetooth Integrated Bluetooth 4.0 Only With Intel 2230/6235 AND Killer 1202 Wireless
Wireless Router None
Operating System No OS, format drive only.
Anti-Virus Software Microsoft Security Essentials
Productivity None
Extra Battery None
Extra AC Adapter None
Laptop Sleeve | MYTHLOGIC Recommends SLAPPA Gear None
Laptop Case | MYTHLOGIC Recommends SLAPPA Gear None
Wireless Display None
Notebook Cooler None
Laptop Soundbar None
MYTHLOGIC Assurance MYTH Lifetime Assurance with Lifetime Labor + 2 Years Parts Warranty, 2 Yrs 2-Way Shipping Cont US
Phoenix Upgrade Plan Lifetime Phoenix Upgrade Plan
Accidental coverage and Insurance None
Total Price:$1,698.12


That is the 17" Clevo P170EM (or what Sager bills the NP9170 or Mythlogic the Nyx 1712) from Mythlogic. Really just make sure you get a strong GPU, a good warranty (which I hear Sager's is good), and possibly a good size bag to fit it in. I recommend this one:
Targus Compact Rolling Laptop Backpack - 16" - eBags.com
Hopefully with all that said, you now know of something that will help you with your purchase. If you need to know anything else, just ask!

 

dpas I can pick it up for you and test it. I live 30 mins from AA

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk 2

 

First, I'd like to say welcome to the forums.

Sagers are excellent bang for your buck machines. Just note a few things, while many do have the MXM 3.0b GPU slots, it depends on how future cards are manufactured and if they can work within the MXM 3.0b spec. I'd like to say yes, you can, but unfortunately they're not like your standardized PCI-e slots in desktops, although it's at least more standardized than it used to be. That being said, your chances are likely high that the 700m series of nVidia GPU's and 8000m series of Radeon GPU's will be compatible, but beyond that is anyone's guess.

The CPU and GPU heatsinks are easily accessible and easy to remove to repaste and/or clean out the heatsink fins periodically. Hard drives/SSD, RAM, and Wi-Fi cards are also very easy to access and swap out if needed. 680m is top of the line GPU at the moment, and is still a great buy to hold out with newer games for the next couple years.

That being said, the Sager NP9150 is an excellent gaming notebook and the "Special Edition" has a great configuration. Just note a few things:

1 Consider an SSD, even an mSATA SSD for your OS drive, minimum 128GB. mSATA port is only SATA II in the NP9150, but it's still world's faster than any HDD
2 It comes with the Killer Wireless NIC, which does not include Bluetooth, so just a note in case you want bluetooth, then pick a different wireless card with bluetooth
3 Windows OS does not come pre-installed, so either buy it yourself or be sure to select it while configuring
4 Choose a warranty for at least 2 years. Nobody wants anything to go wrong, but protect yourself if you plan on keeping the system for a while, nothing's worse than forking over $2k and 13 months later when your warranty is out, having something poop out on you.

Even if you add the OS and 128GB mSATA SSD you're still under $1900. Great deal IMHO.

Don't be afraid to solicit a quote directly from the Sager resellers here either. I can highly recommend Larry from LPC-Digital, he has offered great prices and support. XoticPC also has been able to pull through for people too.

 

Really? Then you could save me about $1700 and then I could go over to Europe! I borrowed to get this to replace my old ASUS.

 

Listen to HT. He knows far more than me about this. I only research my information. I am not that far into computing. For this excellent post, you shall get +1 rep.

 

If you want personalized service for your laptop, then Mythlogic is definitely a solid choice too. They typically cost more, but you also get your machine built and serviced directly by them. Other Sager resellers take your order and can help organize any warranty concerns but the machines are shipped to and warrantied by Sager. For a Sager notebook I can highly highly recommend LPC-Digital. For a Clevo personal built notebook, go with Mythlogic.

 

The 9370 with one 680m and a 3d screen is worth a look too.

 

If you're saying with a single 680m, then yeah it's within $2k budget. Although depends on if OP needs/wants decent battery life. 3.5 hours with the NP9150, 2-2.5 with NP9370. But will give options in the future to add second video card for ~ 50-60% performance boost.

 

Well the 9170 can't use a 3d screen as a rezult of optimus of course so it is a trade.

 

Okay, first of all, thanks for all the helpful replies. Very much appreciated.

Lots of information to go over. Here's some more info from my end.

Battery life is not that important. The laptop will be plugged in most of the time.

I don't mind is the laptop is a little bulky. That's fine because I don't really need to lug it around anywhere, it's just gonna stay at home for the most part.

Okay, now questions. Why would I want a "desktop replacement" instead of a "mobile gaming rig"? Here's what I want. I want the most powerful gaming rig I can run for $2000. It's mostly going to be used for gaming, with the odd audio production software here and there (Propellerheads Reason and Fruity Loops). Of course I want to run other apps, such as Microsoft Office, and various things like that, but I imagine a gaming rig can handle that type of stuff as well. I don't think the apps I will be running will be that modern or demanding.

But I also want to upgrade when necessary. If I choose the NP9370 instead of the NP9150 Special Edition, does anything change in terms of being able to upgrade it properly in a few years? In a few years I would like to add more RAM and possibly a second GPU (which is another question I have, someone mentioned I can add a second graphics card for a 50-60% boost.. I would be very interested in that if it would help to keep my laptop up to date with modern gaming in a few years. Can I add a second card to either of those 2 models I selected?

I'm leaning towards the NP9150 Special Edition at this point, since I can customize it a bit and still have room to do so with my $2000 budget. The NP9370 starts at about $2000 and doesn't leave me much room. I would like to customize a bit and add a few upgrades.

Which brings me to my next question. Does the copper cooling upgrade make a big difference, and should I consider buying both the copper cooling upgrade as well as the laptop fan cooler? I would really like the laptop to run not so hot because the previous laptops I've owned have ran so hot that they shut down unexpectedly. I don't want that, so I will buy as much cooling as is necessary to keep them cool. Would you guys suggest buying every cooling upgrade I can when I customize the laptop?

Thanks again for all the helpful replies. I'm a noob when it comes to this stuff but I'm trying to learn as quickly as I can.

 

The 9370 is a more upgradable platform, if you go for the 3d screen edition you are limited to Nvidia cards only, but it does have 2 card bays so you can run up to two cards.

The 9370 non 3d model is agnostic in terms of card so could take a pair of 7970M cards, though the second card can be a little hot but is a lot cheaper.

If you go with the 9370 3d edtion you can at any point get the heatsink and a second card and slot it in for a performance boost.

So you can either "pimp out" a 9150 now, or get the base 9370 and upgade as you go.

 

Well you can get the NP9150 Special Edition which comes with i7-3630QM CPU and GTX 680m GPU or the NP9370 with same CPU and GPU, but the 9370 will have another free slot open to add the second GPU later. Personally if your machine doesn't need to be that mobile, go for the NP9370. If I were to do it all over again I would have gone with a 17" notebook. After reviewing the NP9370 I fell in love with the larger 17" screen. I didn't think it would make a difference but it does. I also don't need that much battery life as I thought. I have my trusty Clevo W110ER for that.

You can see reviews of both in my sig.

 

I'm leaning towards the NP9370. Seems like the right choice for me. Thanks a lot for the incredibly helpful advice to everyone who posted in this thread. Makes figuring this stuff out much easier.

 

That's not a problem, let us know if you have any more questions, maybe about if you want the 3d edition or not.

 

At this point I'm probably going to skip the 3d edition. For one, it will keep costs down since it seems like the 3d monitor is an additional $150 to the stock price. I can instead use that $150 to do other upgrades, so I think I'm just gonna pass on 3d.

A question that comes to mind now is - which graphics card should I go with? Would dual 670MX's be better than one 680M? The price would suggest dual 670MXs are a bit worse than one 680m.

Here's the configuration I'm leaning towards so far:

17.3" Full HD LED-Backlit Display Matte type (1920 x 1080)
30 day Guaranteed no dead or partially-lit pixels**
NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 680M 4GB GDDR5 Memory
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz)
IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
Genuine Microsoft Windows® 8 64-Bit Edition
16GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 4 X 4GB
750GB 7200rpm SATA 300 Hard Drive
8X DVD±R/RW/4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software
Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module

For a total of $1982.68. Just at the peak of my budget.

Thoughts on that setup? I am thinking that is probably the best I can possibly do with $2000, and with the option to add a second graphics card later, I should be set for quite awhile with those specs.

 

Dual GTX670MX will be faster than a single GTX680M but will consume more power and will be reliant on SLI functioning properly at all times.

The 680M is a beast when properly tuned. Look at the 7970M though, a single one offers excellent value if you had your heart set on another area of the system.

 

Is there some reason why SLI wouldn't function properly at all times? Someone told me to avoid dual GPU setups, because the drivers can get "messy". Is it easy to keep dual cards running properly?

If I downgraded to a 7970M, I would save another $250 or so that I could put to another part of the laptop. I would then change the RAM to 2x8GB instead of 4x4GB. Not sure what else I could do. Maybe upgrade the processor to 2.7ghz-3.7ghz for an additional $150. Hmm, not sure yet. Gotta think about it more.

 

Someone talk him out of the downgrade

 

I know people have issues with the 7970M in enduro but as a stand alone card in a non enduro system it provides excellent performance. Maybe go for an SSD instead.

 

I can add a 128 GB SSD if I downgrade to a 7970M. That is definitely an option. I can also upgrade to 2x8GB RAM if I do that. So my new setup would look like this:

17.3" Full HD LED-Backlit Display Matte type (1920 x 1080)
30 day Guaranteed no dead or partially-lit pixels**
AMD® Radeon™ HD 7970M 2GB GDDR5
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz)
IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
Genuine Microsoft Windows® 8 64-Bit Edition
16GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 8GB
750GB 7200rpm SATA 300 Hard Drive
Crucial® 128GB CM4 Series mSATA SSD - Preconfigured as an OS Drive (Primary Drive C)
8X DVD±R/RW/4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software
Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module

The only thing I'd be worried about is the 7970M only has 2 GB of dedicated RAM while the 680M has 4 GB. How much of a difference will that make in the future?

 

Do not get caught up in the RAM numbers HYPE for video cards, unless you are using super high resolution multiple displays you will not see a difference. I would get the best video single video card you can afford, and have it pasted by whatever professional you choose. I would recommend GenTech PC - Systems
And you may well be happy with a 7200 RPM conventional hard drive. You can always buy an SSD later and reinstall win 7 or 8 on it yourself, then put the 7200 RPM HDD in an enclosure for system images and file backups.
Also in your secnario 16 GIG ram is overkill unless you intend to run multiple Virtual Machines.
BTW good choice Matte Screen - I have glossy on my ASUS and did not like it at all.

 

Without enduro the 7970M is indistinguishable from the 680M unless you push both to the limits.

An SSD will make general tasks and loading go so much quicker, you will wonder how you coped with a mech hard drive.

 

Awesome. Never knew SSDs existed until this thread, hah. Now I am definitely getting one.

Pretty sure that last setup I posted will be my final choice. I won't have the money for another month so there's still time to change things, but I'm pretty happy with that setup. And with the leftover money in my budget I will buy a nice cooler for it.

 

Raise the back slightly with a book or bottle caps and that will be plenty.

 

Personally, I think you are going to regret the 7970M *if* you are the type to keep a laptop for a number of years. The 680M is going to have the legs and video cards are 99% of the time the bottleneck as the laptop ages. The RAM upgrade as stated above is fairly inconsequential. SSD is great, but not at the expense of a better video card. My SSD boots fast and its dead quiet, but ingame it doesn't matter much. The opinions of others here should have more weight than me though...

 

Why do you say that? They really are very close and the AMD card might actually have more life in it due to the much greater memory bandwidth available to it.

By that time he will likely be able to slot in a card from the next gen and be happy.

 

Maybe my data is aged but most benchies put it 15-20% faster than the AMD equivalent. Of course for 6 months the AMD drivers were pretty bad no? Didn't the card have all sorts of throttling problems?

 

In enduro systems yes, something the 9370 does not use. Otherwise they are neck and neck.

 

hmmm... well I'll take your word for it that enduro is the only negative. This is the last thing I read on the topic which left me sort of unimpressed with AMD and their 12 month driver cleanup cycle. I can't be bothered beta testing hardware these days! http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/705676-7970m-vs-680m-rematch-driver-updates.html

 

Which is why going for a platform like the 7970M in a non enduro setup that is a style that's been around a long time is much safer, much like in the early optimus days.

The other nice thing is AMD is sticking with the same chips though most of this year so driver development will continue.

 

I agree with Meaker here. In a non Enduro system the 7970M is going to be a beast and save some cash too. Nice choice. I have a 17" Asus and I bought a 15" Sager because I needed a bit more mobility, but I love the large screen on the Asus. It is now our home computer. I think you will love your last config with SSD and a 7970M. And you could always add another card later.

 

Its going to be a great laptop no question. So moving on to other stuff:

Staying within budget he could do this:
7970m
16GB (4x4)
3740QM
180GB Intel 520 series (primary)
750GB 7200 (secondary)
<defer msata>
Total $2031 (xoticpc)

 

@op

be aware that although the hardware may be capable of handling future upgrades, clevo has been quite notorious for not supporting bios/firmware updates that will allow you to use such upgrades, usually beyond a year after the laptop has been launched.
we do have some guys here who can mod firmware, but to me this has become an increasingly frustrating issue about clevo/sager.
so if you plan on using your laptop for two or more through upgrades, be aware of this fact.

just my 2 bits.

 

Well one would hope that they learned their lesson from the HM series 7970M issues.

 

Fwiw to the OP. I decided on the p370em with a 7970m. One for me and one for my wife. I already have an ssd and tons of extra ram so ill be upgrading that on my own. It would have been way too much for 680m in each laptop

 

Well P370EM with 7970m is a good combo, no enduro, no problem. I don't know if CrossfireX or SLI has better drivers and implementation though. From what little I've read on it, it seems AMD's has better overall performance and regular profile updates and tweaks.

Congrats on your purchase btw. That's awesome, TWO laptops. So I take it your wife is a gamer too then?

 

This is worrying. Very worrying.

Is there another laptop company that allows for easier upgrading and keeps up with the bios/firmware updates? I was set on getting a Sager but if I can't upgrade it I will look elsewhere. Still open to suggestions so feel free to put me on to something else. Thanks.

Also, I've been told that actually trying to upgrade laptops after a few years is a very troublesome process. Apparently, the upgrades are expensive but worst of all, they require more PSU than the laptop has, so the laptop really can't be upgraded. Can anyone comment on this?

One more question. What difference does "Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module" make compared to an internal wireless card? I can either get the wireless card upgrade, or 60 more GB on my SSD.

 

Usually newer graphics cards and cpus use the same or even less wattage than previous gens.

....ttalk

 

Dell /alienware does a better job at updating firmware. But as a middle aged self employed gamer, I could never use an alienware in a meeting.
The sager, with its business like looks and gaming prowess is perfect except for the firmware upgrade issues.
Prima and some other guys do a good job at modding gpu bioses, but again they don't work all the time. Some dealers like mythologic offer trade ins for upgrades; that may be a viable option for you.
I have been out of the loop for some time, but afaik nothing has changed about clevos bios support.
With regards to the killer wifi, it is a much better card than the default. Better signal.
Lastly, you won't probably be requiring more power for cpu /gpu upgrades as they will usually be more power efficient designs. But even if you did it's not really a big deal since you can purchase the required psu from your reseller or through eBay.

Sent from a Galaxy far, far away

 

Thanks trvelbug.

Everything sounds fine except for that bios/firmware updating thing. Can you please explain to me though how that would exactly affect me in the future? They don't update the bios/firmware, but why do I need that stuff anyway? In other words, what am I going to be missing out on by not having the latest bios/firmware updates?

My plans are, in the future, to add a second graphics card to increase performance, and to possibly upgrade the CPU. Those would both be done a few years down the road. Would I still be able to do these things? Will it be a hassle or impossible to do? I'm just a little unclear about what updated bios and firmware actually mean.

 

Well it's hard to get guaranteed overclocks but MSI notebooks (particularly their branded ones) look very sleek and have very few lights once the keyboard lights are switched off.

 

Just be sure to read this (and accompanying similar posts/articles) before jumping into an Alienware: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...osoft-what-does-future-hold-alienware-10.html

 

Without derailing too much, yeah we game together. Neither of us is too serious but it's something fun to do together. Also the laptops should be here tomorrow. Woot!

I'll let you know how it goes OP

 

If you want a stable wifi with great range then get the Intel 9300 if you don't mind not having bluetooth. You could always get a BT4.0 adapter from amazon for $15 or so.

If you are interested in Killer wifi, google for people's experience. Some have had great experience while some run into disconnection issues.

I personally went with Intel 9300 for stability but Killer is good also. Just depends on what you want. YMMV with either model.

-Sent from my SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 2 LTE using Tapatalk 2

 

the bios upgrade is needed because it lists and identifies the different system components (ie gpu) that the laptop can work with.
so for example, a year from now a new gpu comes out that can be physically attached to our mxm3b video slots and is within the thermal envelope allowed by the laptop. for all intents and purposes that card should work with the laptop. but if there is no bios upgrade to identify and support said card, you wont be able to use it with your laptop.
there are certain ways to go around this. on the easy side the gpu may just work or may just require a modded inf file of the graphics driver (easy to do). on the other end of the spectrum, it will require someone with vast software and hardware knowledge (such as prema) to mod the vbios ( and maybe the bios too) and you will be required to blind flash that into your machine. or, the gpu may not work no matter what.

but check htw's arty on alienware. it seems like dell may discontinue that line, so they dont seem like a ligitamate option atm.
there was a petition to clevo to support future tech, especially gpu's, a year ago. im not sure what became of that.

 

I hope Sager or Clevo would offer a 3 year BIOS support. There's no reason if new hardware comes out and is physically and electrically compatible why some software code to make it work should stand in the way.

 

Well we saw some support with the 7970m, hopefully community pressure will keep them in line.

 

This bios stuff is making me very worried about purchasing a Sager. I don't want to purchase an Alienware either if they are going out of business.

Are there any other companies that fully support bios updating for at least 3 years, if not more?

I find it pointless to buy an upgradeable laptop like a Sager and then not being able to upgrade it.