Choices: W170ER vs Asus N76 vs Samsung NP700z7

Hi guys,

Been asking some questions on these forums and others within Notebook review and got some great help and aswers to date. However, I am still a bit uncertain as to which laptop to go for. I will try to highlight what is important to me and especially what I like/worry about the laptops in the title.

First off, my needs are not for a gaming laptop, but one for multimedia use, including some photo editing and video editing. Therefore I think I am pretty much in the right ballpark with my selected models above.

Bear in mind that i will highlight prices that I can find here in Germany or the EU in general, since that is what I would have to work with.

The W170ER:
Like:
- Can upgrade screen to something really nice (90% gamut gloss or 72% matte)
- Can configure already from the start with SSD drive
- Overall configuration and customisation options very nice. Especially that one can upgrade some things at a later stage if needed.

Dislikes (subjective from what I read):
- Keyboard not fullsize, and typing on it apparently not so awesome (loud?)
- Can get very hot and loud, but that is under full load.
- Built quality seems to be so-so? Too few reports from users here (including the W170HR, with which I asume it is sharing its body?)
- Sound quality so-so
- Webcam sucks?
Price: for my config: roughly 1400 euro

Asus N76:
Like:
- Very nice design and built quality (sturdy)
- Includes backlit Keyboard
- Screen seems to be CMO1720, while not on the same level as AUO, is pretty decent it (Close to full sRB according to some reports)
- Sound quality seems to get great reviews
- Price: 1100 euro
Dislike:
- Very new, so no reliability reports. But Asus seems to be generally good
- Cannot get one with SSD preconfigured, but with price difference I can install one myself
- Cannot upgrade the screen before buying like Clevo/Sager. CMO1720 screen seems to have issues with excessive grain...especially in Dell M6600.
- DDR3 version of GT650

Samsung NP700Z
Like:
- Thin and light, with seemingly good construction
- Subjective reviews by owners give the screen a very good rating (But as of yet unknown model: CMO0008)
- Also highly rated for sound
- Backlit Keyboard
Dislike:
- Samsung does not like you to delve into the laptop
- Single HDD
- No info on gamut range of screen currently
- Expensive at 1400 euros compared to two above

Actually if I want to spend 1500 euro's I can get the Asus G75 base model with the 660 model video card and the LG matte display with also 72% gamut display...

These laptops have roughly the same specs. W170ER is configured with 120GB SSD drive and no secondary. While Asus has a 1TB drive, for the price difference with the Clevo I can put in a 256GB SSD myself...and still save a few bucks. The Samsung is quite unknown but gets good feedback from users. I would first like to see a review though with measured color gamut before I consider it more seriously.

So, considering the above...what would you guys suggest? Am I too paranoid with the problems of the W170ER? (Keyboard, noise, heat, webcam).

I know some of the resellers in the US also sells the N76 Asus alongside the W170ER models. But not sure if they would chip in with an opinion on built quality, sound, keyboard and overall value of the two notebooks...considering the price I am paying.

Any and all opinions appreciated...hope you are not asleep yet and thanks for reading up to here
If you have further questions for clarification...do not hesitate to ask
And thank you in advance for your replies!

 

Well... the asus computers I have looked at have all been pretty good, but the thing to worry about is voiding the warranty by upgrading it. The samsung laptops tend to be so so, but not as good as the macs that they are so obviously copying.

 

Since this is a multimedia laptop, I'd say go for the one with the best screen (Clevo). The cooling is pretty good, but it can get loud. The poor sound quality is fixed with the THX drivers/setup.

Check out mysn.de. The XMG A702 is based off of the Clevo W170ER.

 

Obviously, there will be a few people here telling you to go with the Sager/Clevo. Given, they are excellent machines, but you also stated it won't be used for gaming but simple photo editing and some media apps.

I do see that you are considering an Asus laptop. Check around with the resellers there in the EU and see if there are any resellers that can offer a custom built Asus N76 or even the Samsung.

Here in the US, there are a few resellers, ourselves included, that can do some customizing on an Asus. I don't see why there wouldn't be a company in the EU that could offer the same for you.

Asus doesn't have that great of a sound system for a laptop. I felt that the Sager had a better sound system, but that is only my opinion on it.

Further, the 170ER keyboard IS a full keyboard (numpad is on it) and I really don't understand the claim that the keyboard is loud, it is a standard chiclet keyboard and those are generally quiet.

The W170ER is not built on the same chassis as the 170EM to my knowledge. The access panels at the bottom are completely different as is the battery.

Build quality on Sager/Clevo laptops is excellent and very durable so long as you aren't playing rugby with it.

Build quality on an Asus is also excellent but some components are not as easy to access and service as the Sager/Clevo laptops.

I can't comment on the Samsung laptops as we don't offer those systems.

Hope this information helps, and good luck in your laptop hunt.

 

Thanks for the feedback!
I know about MySN, and generally would not mind ordering through them, but they do not offer the higher gamut screen options as some of the US retailers do. So far I have only found PC-konsulten in Sweden and Pwn-pc in the UK that offer these options. If I do go for the W170ER I will for sure order from one of these guys.

On paper it just seems that the Asus is better value for money? But maybe I am missing something. Therefore my long post and request for help

 

Hi Heihachi!

Thanks for the comprehensive reply! So far I have not found any reseller offering the Asus, but I will keep on looking for a while.

Regarding sound:
So in your opinion, the W170ER model sounds better than the Asus with the subwoofer? I know the P170EM has the Onkyo speakers, but I understood that the W170ER does not have this. Or am I missing something?

Regarding keyboard:
Yes as I understand it includes the numpad, but its apparently the same keyboard as the W150EM, and not scaled up to fit the 17 inch frame. Correct me if I am wrong please

Built quality:
The laptop will be just moving in and around the house. No outdoor excursions And no Rugby. Mind you, I will be using it to watch rugby online

Thanks for clarifying the built quality and keyboard issue. It seems the few reports I have read might just be defective models. Unfortunately there are not many people coming on here giving their opinion/review on the laptop. At least you are able to compare (in a neutral way) the Asus and Sager/Clevo.

Thanks again!

 

Whoops! I thought I edited that sound part out. ><
I need to learn to proof read a little better.

You are correct, the 170 ER lacks the better speakers in the system, so the Asus may win this category.

for the keyboard, you are correct that should be the same keyboard as the 15-inch laptop. It was not scaled up for the frame size, this is generally to save some money by having common parts.

Most, not all, but most folks that pick up any of the models we are comparing here may not have an interest in posting on these forums possibly because they don't know about these forums or because they only find these forums when they have a problem and so they post here hoping to get an answer to their problems.

If you are up for doing your own review, regardless of which laptop you get, we would love to see it up. It may help others make a decision on which laptop they should get.

 

Thanks for clearing it up

The better sound would be nice, but I would also not think it absolutely essential. I understand that the Logitech Z305 if I am correct with the model number is an excellent laptop speaker system with great sound. And the price is not a killer.

For the 170EM would you say on top of the better sound, video card, backlit KB and better cooling it also has better built quality when compared to the 170ER? While I dont need the better video card as such, the others might convince me....although its a hefty price tag to move up to for me.

I can already see all the extra software I can buy with the money I save when going for the 170ER model.

Thanks again, and yes if I get any of these notebooks I probably will post a decent review/overview of it...especially with regards to my decision making process and how I ended up with the laptop

Cheers!

 

I would say the build quality across the Sager/Clevo line should be fairly even as far as durability and reliability if that is what you are asking about when comparing the 170ER to the 170EM.

The EM just offers the premium goodies that you have mentioned on top of the already durable and reliable build on these laptops.

 

Thanks! Its exactly what I was asking
As long as the W170ER is reliable as the EM model then I am more relaxed.

Also, you guys sell the 90% glossy and the 72% matte upgrade screens. Since I am quite into my photography and video editing, especially to get prints as close to the screen as possible, would you say its then better to go for the 90% screen?

As stated before, this laptop is not really leaving the house, so its not facing outdoor light sources. I also have a 2008 macbook 13 inch model with glossy screen, and I do not have any issues with reflections as long as I dont have the window behind me.

Saying that, I only work in sRGB (which is 72% NTSC), and if the matte screen covers full sRGB then that might be an option as well. There is a huge amount of positive reviews on this screen.

Anyway, thanks again for the help! There is a +1 rep in there somewhere

 

Hi,

I have EXACTLY the same problem of choice

I would totally go with the 170ER if I had not read about the emissions (heat, noise) and the not ideal keyboard. Also I read about a lot of malfunctions for the Clevo-based laptops within the first year (maybe the mainboards are not as good as the ASUS ones?). I actually do not care about warrenty, I want a laptop that does not break down at all.

The only thing that nags me about the ASUS N76 is that you cannot get it with a GDDR5 GT650M. I maybe would not notice a difference, it is just that I feel bad about spending a lot of money on equipment that i am going to use for ca. 3 years and have totally outdated RAM in the GPU (GDDR5 has been around for 3 years now and DDR3 is stone-aged).
Oh, and here in the US you can get the ASUS N76 with e.g. a 90% color gamut display. Maybe in EU too ...

The Samsung, I heard, pays the price for being so thin by having cooling problems, same as the MBPs which down-clock on heavy load ! Pathetic ...

Since you want to do Videotranscoding which is the heaviest load imaginable, maybe not a good idea to go for ultra-thin.

Best,
Felix

 

the 72% should be fine for your work, if I am reading this correctly, it covers the majority of the sRGB range, so that should work just fine for you.

If this article is correct, it should also help you in your decision. LCD Monitors and Color Gamuts
I can only tell you that the 72% and the 90% are both excellent displays, but to the photo level of color details, I will leave that open to other laptop artists to assist you with.

 

Another disadvantage of W170ER: CPU cannot turbo when GPU is at load.

 

Oh really? Sounds discouraging. How's that? Does that have to do with the mainboard?

 

@gewinnste:
I agree that the W170ER has quite a few shortcomings. Problem is as you see as well, there seems to be no perfect notebook I have not read anything yet on MB failure of the Clevo computers, but I think one thing that makes the Clevo/Sager line so nice is not the laptop itself, but the resellers. I dont really see Dell, HP, Acer, Asus themselves writing in forums and giving advice.
And from most if not all resellers active here, I get a sense of pride from what they do, and that they are willing to do everything in their power to keep you as a happy customer. This is very important. Its something even Apple does not do so well....despite their reputation.
I would dare to say, I am almost willing to take the slightly inferior laptop in terms of built quality (if in this case there are any?) and have good backup...then a good laptop with crappy backup.

I cannot remember where, but I also read conflicting reports on the DDR3 vs DDR5 in the video RAM. Some have tested it to perform equally, while others suggest a 10 to 20% improvement in performance. The last one I am in doubt if its that much....but nonetheless. It has been suggested Asus chose the DDR3 to keep temperatures down. Not sure if that's true, but from the three laptops its the coolest it seems...

Regarding Asus with resellers: I have not found any here in the EU. Maybe have not looked hard enough...hehe, but I also don't want to keep on looking forever. I am actually switching back from Mac to PC....and that means I have to look into software solutions as well for my photography and video editing...something that I am willing to invest more time in exploring at the moment

Yeah...down-clocking is not an option for me. One of the many reasons I switch back to PC...Cool design is not always functional design. Samsung is in the serious business of making copies of Apple products in the hope to attract customers by design. I think they have good products, but they might as well introduce their own designs...

@Heihachi_1337:
Thanks for the heads-up on the article. I pretty much know all of the theory by now. But discussing with one reseller here, your recommendation and also some others, I think the 72% matte is probably the better choice. While the 90% gives more colours I also do not see myself doing photo editing on a laptop for 10 years. Now I am a bit space limited due to the size of my flat, but in 2 years time or so I can see myself buying a desktop as well with a big screen. There one moves completely into another realm...(screen wise) and then having a matte screen on the laptop might be very handy. Future proofing in a sense of possible use

@gewinnste and allinwonder:
I read it as well, but I don't really see it as serious. Due to the nature of the design of the notebook, having turbo on the CPU and a full load on the GPU is a recipe for disaster. I don't really see where a combination of the two would be needed except hardcore gaming or very intense graphic design software. But then you probably need not this one but the P170EM with better cooling. Also...graphic design usually works best with a Quadro card.
I doubt the Samsung and Asus hits turbo as well....especially the SAmsung since it already downclocks the CPU...

All said...I am strongly leaning towards the W170ER and might order over the weekend. I need my brain to digest some info on specs...I am also looking at some software options at the moment...and that can suck up some serious time...ehehehe.

Cheers!
PS...I will post some short review of some sorts from my buying experience as well as laptop on the user review part when the dust has settled.

 

@Bosveld
Thanks for your info on the heat emission of GDDR5 vs. DDR3 - I didn't consider that. Weird, however, since it'd mean that the GDDR5 card should have a higher TDP which, according to specs, it does not. Hm ...
Welcome back from the Mac-world! You must be shaken - can you already talk about it? Just kidding ...
Since it's not yet out for me, your opinion on the W170ER (if you buy it) would be much appreciated!

 

Hehehe,

The Mac is not a bad computer There is a lot of things I would like to take from a Mac back to the PC....:
1. Installing and uninstalling software
2. Hit a corner and all your open windows are visible (but I think this is also in Win7??)
3. The speed of the OS in general including stability
BUT, Apple likes to control you very well. Software wise, OS wise and hardware wise. Windows give you much more freedom. And I tend to like my freedom. In the end costs was also a big consideration, I can get a good 17 inch laptop with all the specs I want, plus all the software I want for less than a new 17 inch macbook....
Plus...rumours have it Apple is going to drop the 17 inch version.

Anyway, regarding the DDR3 vs 5. Thats just speculation I read in forums etc...so I would not take it for fact.

I am tihnking of ordering this weekend. Focusing on some software issues at the moment, but I will post back here and in the W170ER user forum

 

I have an exposé - clone (Switcher) macroed to one of my mouse buttons so I have this "view all open windows"-option with a click. But admittedly, it's not as nice and smooth as OS X exposé.
One more thing, I liked about OS X when I worked with it: You can move or rename open files which is not possible in Win7. But that's really all I regret about it.
On the other hand, I hated that Finder jumbles folders within all the files - there's no way to sort folders to the top per default (also not by "sort by kind" btw). And there's no folder tree. And until Lion you could not even cut --> paste files (only copy --> paste). That drove me nuts!
Further, I think you won't experience that Win7 is less fast or stable than OS X.
And about installing/uninstalling, I guess you mean that in Win7 you have to click "Yes" or "Ok" 3-4 times instead of just drag-dropping an App on the desktop ...

And, yes, I think there won't be a new 17 inch Apple laptop, so ...