Check out the Sager NP8690 (W860CU) - Intel i7 Calpella - It's here!

Hi! I have been looking for a gaming laptop for a few weeks now. I have to admit, I am not very good at computers given how much time I spend on one.

That being said, the buzz about this laptop sparked my interest. Unfortunately, I have never seen or used a laptop with a numberpad on it and that turns me off, just because it seems like it could get in the way. How do others feel about it??

Also, what customizations would you recommend to get the best bang for your buck?

And finally, I read most of the thread and haven't seen anyone mention anything about sound/speakers. Can anyone give me a review on that???

 

Feel free to call me or any other rep and we would be happy to help!

As for the screen, I gauge it by the brightness and the appearance of whites and blacks. I think overall it looks very good. As for the screen manufacturer, I will post it here in a minute. (In the middle of a Vantage run). We have a video that will be on YouTube later on once it finishes uploading and a few benchmarks in our forums (HD Tune and HW Monitor so far).

EDIT Screen for the FHD 1920x1080 is a AUO10ED

 

XoticPC video review :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCOnNrzTDjA&feature=player_embedded#

Thanks =D

 

Is there supposed to be sound in that video review? Because I don't hear a thing...

 

I don't think so, it looks more more like a presentation of the notebook.

They don't even switch it on so not so much to say...

 

Thanks Justin for the info. Now I need to do a little research to find out if a AUO10ED is any good.

 

Looks great.

Justin could you please comment on the noise and battery time?

 

UGH! That just killed it for me. Any plans to use a better manufacturer like LG? Any idea what the W870CU uses? Please don't say AUO.

 

thats odd i thought eurocom listed it as a 1600 mhz bus? or is that the FSB?

 

Hopfully their new line is better. See link....
AUO LCDs for Notebooks

 

I wouldn't count on it. AUO has been the worst display manufacturer for years.

 

What makes AUO so bad? I know nothing about them.

 

Generally very poor viewing angles and washed out colors.

 

That's weird. If you look at the forums here for the Dell 1555 which uses both LG and AUO 15.6" 1080p screens, it's a mix between people that say LG is better and people that say AUO is better. In particular, one guy says that the viewing angles are amazing on the AUO. I'm confused.

 

That's because they're Dell users.

 

I beg to differ...the AUO screen I had on my Sager NP8660 was the best screen I ever had from any laptops that I ever owned. The viewing angles and the color was great...now if it wasn't for the low brightness...I would do anything for that screen again.

 

That's hard to believe, I've never seen a nice AUO screen and I've been through a lot of laptops. The best so far is the Seiko 16" RGB LED on the Dell XPS 16 though I heard the non-US Dell Studio 17 has an even better RGB LED. AUO displays have consistently been the worst with brightness, color accuracy and viewing angles. My G51 has an AUO and it has horrible viewing angles and washed out colors and it's an LED backlit one. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgJ6FbZdbn0

 

Well we just have to find out what these new AUO screens has in stored...hopefully reviews will start to come out soon but I wouldn't be to quick to rule them out yet. Again, I was very satisfied with the screen I had on my last laptop.

 

Sorry if it's been asked but when are we expecting the Nvidia 300 or ATI 5000 series in this notebook? Jan 2010?

 

Is this for all their models or some models? I'm just curious to know how you arrived to that conclusion or if this was just your opinion. I haven't seen any widespread rants about auo or more specifically this particular model since it only came out this year but maybe I haven't looked in the right places. Can you post some links/reviews or comparisons with other 1080p led screens in the same classs? thanks.

I also checked the 1555 thread at this site and on a german forum since that model seems to also use the AUO10ED. In general most people seemed to like the screen and I didn't see any harsh criticism over it.

 

It's mainly from experience but it's also based on knowledge of the type of panels AUO pushes out. They were big backers of TN displays (along with LG and others) and currently P-MVA (or AMVA). LG uses S-IPS which is noticeably better to just about anyone that sees them side by side or has used both. If you want more info, check out this link: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/content/panel_technologies_content.htm

 

okay, after doing some more research B156HW01 appears to be the exact model number of this auo lcd. Is this correct?

 

@ 5150Joker

I don't see where the article you linked to supports your hypothesis.

Can you provide some sort of proof that LG...or anyone for that matter...is using S-IPS technology in screens that are 15.6", or that any laptop from any manufacturer for the consumer market is using S-IPS technology for screens below 19"?

 

I couldn't load it either but I found the article in google cache. I also found a brochure from LG explaining the tech and it's advantages however none of the notebook panels in the brochure uses this tech. There was only one 1080p 15.6" listed and I couldn't find any laptop using it anyways:

http://www.lgphilips-lcd.com/homeContain/jsp/download.jsp?fileName=LGD_product.pdf

Sounds like great technology however I only see it being used in TVs and stand alone monitors. Here are the monitors I found that used this tech and most of them were expensive.

http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/s-ips-lcd-list.php

 

I guess if people are fed up with the AUO panel, they can always buy the LG LP156WF1 panel for $200.

 

Most users aren't willing to pay another $200 and their own time and effort to swap out the screen. Personally, I can care less about screen quality, so I don't mind if Clevo switches to a speculated poor quality AUO panel. However, that won't discourage me from swapping out the screen to an LG later on.

 

Have to say there is a lot of BS being posted about AUO.

I have 2 Dell XPS M1330 with LED screens, one with an LG screen and the other with AUO. When this issue about AUO screens came up I did a few tests with some friends, nobody could tell the two screens apart. I've got a friend who does ISF calibration and he was able to tell the screens apart right away but after calibrating both of them a ittle (can't do full ISF because not all options are tweakable) they both look outstanding.

I've got an AUO matte screen in my Kobalt Nexus (8882) and whilst not as bright as the Dell screens its perfectly adequate and similiar brightness to Dell Lat D630.

Neil.

 

- I've had far below average LG screens, ones which were suppose to be the LCD you prayed would come in your notebook, so I won't count the AUO out without seeing it myself. I know the M86 had at least five different manufacturers, so I guess we can assume that there's going to be a mix of LG, AU Optronics, and whoever else makes 15.6" LEDs.

 

how many pci mini slots does the machine have?

 

It has one for the wireless (half sized) and a slot for a optional 3G module.

 

Anybody still show many concerns about the screen...well you can finally put them to rest. Check out this link from Xoticpc forum from Joseph who works there. Quite a statement he made.

http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?t=5084

"To put a lot of peoples concerns to rest about the AUO screen. From the first time I turned the computer on and set the screen to performance mode I was blown away. I stare at a lot of the screens day by day from every model that we carry and I will say this is one of the best I have seen. It is lit evenly, has great black levels and the colors are vibrant and accurate. Even though AUO has had a bad reputation in the past with some people I think this version of the panel will change a lot of minds."

WOW! Anybody excited yet?

 

Looks like AUO is making a comeback. This is good news indeed.

 

I'm sure this is good news many people was patiently waiting for including myself before pulling the trigger. This just got me sold into buying one now!

 

Sweet, hey don't forget to post that spec.

 

Still would be nice to see someone here say that versus someone who makes a living selling the system.

 

Exactly ^^

 

I wonder how this panel fares against other LED-backlit panels on the market, since I would expect even an average LED screen to outshine (sorry pun) most current LCDs.

 

Did anyone notice that CPU temperature from Justins benchmarks reached very dangerous temp of 89C ? I was reached only in 3Dmark or some gaming, try to imagine what temp that beast might reach after 10 minutes of Wprime or any other CPU stress app? Probably 90-100C easy.

What do you think about it. I know its 55W CPU but still....

Is it issue????

 

manual is up on the sager site.

 

Thanks. Downloading it now.

 

The all mighty Crysis in action on the NP8690




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With no AA it works good in 1080p...

Am I wrong o I've seen some ram overheating problem with 1080p and AA (last scene)???

 

Omg, looks like GPU overheating to me =/

I have always hated seeing these artifacts appearing ='(

 

Because it was overclocked to 639/982/1651, maybe little bit too much.

 

Haha that's why !

 

Yes that's why , I tried to go beyond 639/982/1651 but system freeze.

 

What are your temps at that point? I know these nVidia cards are capable of a lot more so I'm wondering if it's chipset or heat related.

 

so, how's battery life?

 

If it was overclocked, it's ok!!!

I was going to cry if mine would have such problems

 

With Crysis you just need to find the right tweaks. OC'ing should even be necessary.