Buying my first Clevo/Sager laptop

Hi everyone! This seems to be a forum filled with a lot of helpful information, so I joined in order to ask for some assistance in buying a new custom-built laptop. I'm not a gamer at all or someone who knows how to build laptops or anything like that. My 5-year-old Toshiba's HD recently failed and I need a new laptop. I wanted one with Windows 7 (I don't like Windows 8), a SSD, and a backlit keyboard, so I figured custom-built is the way to go if I don't mind spending a little extra money.

I'm planning on purchasing a Clevo W230SD barebones from AVADirect.com, and configuring it with these specs:

• Core i5-4210M Dual-Core 2.6 - 3.2GHz TB, HD Graphics 4600, 3MB L3 Cache, DDR3-1600, 22nm, 37W, EIST HT VT-x XD, OEM
• 8GB (2 x 4GB) PC3-12800 DDR3 1600MHz SDRAM SODIMM, CL11, 1.35V, Non-ECC
• 512GB M550 SSD, MLC Marvell 88SS9189, 550/500 MB/s, mSATA, OEM
• GeForce® GTX 960M 2GB GDDR5 Mobile Graphics Card for W230SD
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM w/ Media

I basically just wanted some input into whether or not this computer is decent for what I'm using it for (everyday computing, nothing extraordinary), if anyone knows whether AVADirect is reputable, and whether or not an extended warranty would be worth the price. I've heard of/researched Xotic PC as well but the specifications would vary slightly. Any advice at all is appreciated, and I apologize in advance if these are silly questions. After perusing the forum postings, most people seem way more knowledgeable than I could ever hope to be.

 

how exciting, first clevo! welcome buddy

the W230SD is definitely a powerful little beast and best thing about it: upgradeable! so should u need moar powah down the line for your everyday work, cpu/ram/ssd are all exchangeable, only the gpu is soldered
whats the price on that config btw?


Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

There are no silly questions. Stick around you'll gain knowledge from the many helpful people here.

I wouldn't buy from AVADirect after reading this http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/avadirect-restocking-fee-on-items-not-in-stock.775760/

I bought from Mythlogic. So, I would recommend them if you are not in a hurry to get it quickly. They have the best QA testing but that takes time. They aren't listing the i5 with their Chaos 1315 (Clevo W230SD) only i7s but ask if they can put one in for you if you talk with them.

I would also get an extended warranty. One other consideration, if you buy with a credit card, the machine will be covered for an additional year from the 1 year base warranty. Check with your CC company, of course.

 

extended warranty FTW, i myself got a 4yr platinum one from mysn/schenker, would do it again any day, especially after my last machine dying on me *sigh*

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The HM died? Only 3yrs is available here, which I got.

 

it did! mobo was gone, gpu was gone, display cable was gone, just way too much to make repairs anymore *sigh* in any case, it served me very well and i wouldve loved to keep it a year or two longer if i had been able to

yeah, XMG removed the 4yr option quite recently, i was one of the very last customers to get it. sadly, the amount of customers going for that option was so small that they didnt deem it profitable anymore... really too bad, since that was one of THE main arguments for me to go with XMG this time around

 

We do carry the Sager w230sd (NP7339), but you are right there is some variation compared to that build, mostly having an i7 instead of an i5. But it is a good computer, and should be plenty powerful for what you are looking for I would think. Welcome to the forum!

 

Thanks for the replies and advice everyone! It's about $1172. Bye money.

 

From what I've been reading about Xotic PC, it seems like an extremely reputable website, so I may end up purchasing from there. The only reason I wanted an i5 was because I was afraid an i7 might use too much battery power...does that seem like a legitimate concern?

 

good thing about cpus is you can always downclock / undervolt them and thus save on battery power

 

This is the truth right here. I'd say you're better off with an i7 because then you can control exactly how much power you want/need. If you want a lot of power and are okay with somewhat high temps and maybe not as great battery life, you can stick with stock clocks (and maybe undervolt if you want to). Or, if you're like me, you can underclock and undervolt for extra battery life and a LOT lower temps. i7 gives you a lot more power and you can make the decision if you need that extra power.

 

Also, the upside of an i7 is that is it will give the computer a bit longer life span as well. It might cost a little more up front, but upgrading the processor down the road if you wanted to would probably cost more having to buy a whole new CPU at full price.

 

Mobile CPUs don't tend to decline in value quickly it's true, they do drop slowly though.