Clevo P370em

I dont believe that there is a different MOBO for AMD/Nvidia... I will check Tuesday as its a long weekend. But the interface is the same, so...
cj, what set up are you looking for? Also note that AMD Enduro issues do not effect the 370EM as it does not use the iGPU.

 

Well I would want a high end set-up and I already decided to choose Sager NP9370 over Alienware. My budget is around 3000 USD w/o shipping, 500 of those budget will be expend on xoticPC enhancement/gimmicks like vinyls, copper cooling, calibration, etc. Now I had read on this forum about the utilazation problem of 7970m so for now I'm leaning on 680m. But since my set-up will only have a single gpu, (I'll upgrade for dual gpu if I ever needed it) I want to have the flexibility of chaging bet. AMD & NVDIA cards since the next generation of gpu will be out next year. I don't want to be limited on a sing gpu brand in the future.

 

the MOBO takes both cards im sure, there is not Enduro or optimus so there will be no under utilization issues, for $3000 before tax and shipping I wish... I would have splurged on CF 7970m and a 256GB SSD
The copper cooling... Isnt that just copper heatsinks glued all over the heat spreader? I think it would be better to buy a decent notebook cooler. Just my opinion.

 

$500 on gimmiks like that only leaves $2500 for the system, that's kinda cutting it close for a good setup IMHO. Also there are no utilization issues with 7970m in this platform.

 

As an NP9150 owner, I feel offended. That is a slap in the face by Clevo.

Congratulations, Clevo, on making NP9150/NP9170 owners feel like they have obsolete laptops only a few months after release. I want my money back.

 

^^I know what you mean.. I want a 15" for portability, but I'm having a hard time committing to the p150em. I'm sure I'll end up with it still, but it;s gonna sting for a while

 

wonder if this machine have single vga config?
bcz the cpu heatsink must share the fan with slave vga, so if theres single vga config, whats on it? complete slave vga hs? or a dedicated dummy? or empty?

 

Actually thats is not the slave, but rather the master. Mine is ordered with only one card.

 

obsolete? no. bleeding edge? yes. besides, you're not really even comparing the same thing--a notebook that supports dual gpus to ones that don't...

 

A 7970m in a non Enduro-mode is significantly more reliable. Yes, obsolete, because Sager has ALREADY moved on from Enduro with this new laptop.

 

I dont think Clevo bothered with Enduro/Optimus because the P370EM is a desktop replacement, not ment to run off the battery. It comes with a 300 Watt power brick (600 Watt for SLI/CF)
Again, apples to watermelons lol. At least the 9150/9170 get more than an hour surfing the web on the battery, thanks to Enduro/Optimus.

And, IMO, I dont think Clevo has "moved on" from anything. Reducing energy consumption is becoming extremely important (to most consumers) and Enduro/Optimus will remain apart of Clevo's more portable lineups.

 

The P370EM is NOT a replacement for the NP9170. It's a laptop to complement their arsenal. P150EM/P170EM were designed to use Optimus and Enduro, period. The P370EM is a dual card laptop completely omitting the IGP from the equation. They both have their place. Just unfortunately in the case of the 7970m it's an unfortunate set of circumstances. Both because of AMD's poor driver support and Clevo's implementation of the technology forcing the dedicated card to run through the integrated.

P150EM/P170EM get 3+ hours on battery. This machine likely will not exceed 2.

 

IMO, you can run this thing with only one 7970M and do not suffer from Enduro issue -- That reason alone makes me prefer P370EM over P170EM any day...

 

who wouldn't prefer a newer/superior p370em over the older/inferior p170em in general?

Spoiler

NOTE
p370em:
16.5” (w) x 11.54” (d) x 1.55~1.96” (h)
8.6 lbs with single graphic card, ODD and battery pack configuration

p170em:
16.22” (w) x 10.87” (d) x 1.65~1.79” (h)
8.6 lbs with Battery Pack

 

Enduro doesn't even SAVE ENERGY. All it does is tell windows which GPU to use without having to restart. If the configuration were rid of Enduro, we could still enable the iGPU in the BIOS/with hotkey and restart just like in an Alienware, and you get the same energy usage. Enduro was literally created SIMPLY to switch between the dGPU and iGPU without restarting, and that ONE advantage has caused drastic problems.

One thing that I don't understand is whether or not the iGPU can be used at all in the P370em. Can it be enabled?

One final thought: why would Clevo do this for the P370em? If they thought Enduro was "fine" for their enthusiast single-GPU notebooks, then why didn't they think it would be fine for their dual-gpu notebook? Obviously they got rid of Enduro for this model because they realized how crappy of a stage it was in. Enduro in a working state SHOULD be used because it makes things easier. If Enduro were used in the P370em, no one would buy it with the 7970m. Or, Clevo could have planned this the WHOLE TIME, knowingly using Intel's selfish, crappy GPU configuration with the single GPU notebooks and using their own deal with the P370em. That would be pretty f'ed up.

 

OK guys this is my planned set-up, need some advised, anything that I should change, removed or add.


1.) 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 72% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080)
---is the glose type a better screen?

2.) 60 Day No Dead Pixel Warranty (On any screen) ---Is this worth it?

3.) XOTIC PC Professional Monitor Color Calibration w/ Spyder 3 Elite (Will add to Production Time) (Operating System is required) (XPC Service) ---Is this worth it?

- Sager - 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3720QM (2.6GHz - 3.6GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache, 45W Max TDP) (SKU - S2R202)

- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU

4.)AMD Radeon HD 7970M (2048MB) GDDR5 DX11 [User Upgradeable] ---well since this mobo don't have 7970m issue, I chose it since its more cheaper upgrading. I'll upgrade to dual if ever I needed it. Is this a good choice

5.) COPPER COOLING UPGRADE - Extra Cooling Copper Heatsinks Applied to the Heatsink/Heatpipes (XPC Service)
--- Is this worth it?

- FREE! - 16GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (4 SODIMMS)

6.)Carbon Fiber Modification - Custom Fitted Carbon Fiber Textured Skin (A, B, + C Panels) *Will add 7-13 business days on order (XPC Service)--- well I want my laptop to be unique. Is it worth it?

7.) FREE! - 500gb (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid (Serial-ATA II 300 - 32MB Cache)
- 256gb Crucial M4 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III)

Tthis will be my hardrive set-up. In xoptic config. they offer this free(hard to resist) 500gb hd for the primary drive. But I want an ssd so I add a crucial HD to be second drive. Is this a good set-up? Where does the OS be installed? Should I make the ssd my primary? is there any performance change if I do this?

8.) HDD Raid Settings - OFF --- do you recommend this?

9.) Bluetooth Included (See “Wireless Network” Section Below)
- Sager - Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3)


in choices in xotic pc, the N1102 have bundled bluetooth. Dont understand why N1103 don't have. what do you think they mean by this. Are Bigfoot Products worth it?

10.) Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Wireless Sound Card System (Broadcast Xtreme Fidelity Audio from PC to other audio devices wirelessly)--- 3 choices in config., this one is the most expensive around 140. Is this worth it?

11.) Integrated Fingerprint Reader ---is this worth it lol?

12.) No Thanks, Please do not Overclock my system (Overclocking will add 3-6 business days to build time)
- No Operating System Redline Boost
Are these 2 worth it?

13.) Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit (64&32-Bit CD Included) + MS Office Starter 2010 -[ Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 (Directly through Microsoft) ] ---Should I go with professional version?

14.) LIFETIME Ltd Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Telephone Support (Labor through XPC)
Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Parts Warranty Repairs (SKU - X9R009) I'm living outside US, is this enough?

Sorry for the long post.

 

-personal preference.
-no.
-if you have to ask, no.
-yes.
-not sure. haven't seen any before/after temp results.
-if you're looking for unique, that gets you closer. 'worth it' is another story.
-make the ssd your primary and the hdd your storage drive.
-no raid configuration necessary.
-yes, go with either killer over centrino. 1102 if you need bluetooth keeping in mind that if you go with the 1103 you can still get a bluetooth usb dongle.
-depends entirely on what you plan to listen to and how important (or not) sound quality is to you.
-no but you're stuck with it anyway. the only missing driver in my rig. ****in' biometrics...
-refer to my third point.
-probably unnecessary.
-very much up to you.

 

Nobody planning on Overclocking the Card that's with the CPU then? That's a major bummer.

 

Notice that the fan for the 2nd GPU and the CPU is taller, they also used a rubber like thing to block the fan from sucking some of the air from internal area at the 2nd GPU area. Which on the right side isn't blocked.The hot air dissipated from the copper plate at the 2nd GPU area has no place to go to. Maybe it's why the temperature is so high on the 2nd GPU.

 

Well those copper plates are attached to the heatpipes lol.

 

Sell your card to an HM user (flashing it with the right bios), plump for a GTX680M and join the fun.

 

The thing is the while the heat is being transferred it'll also be dissipated into the air. When the leaked heat builds up it does get hot.

On the 1st gpu it didn't have that problem because the gap between the fan and the back panel allows the leaked heat from the copper plate area to be able to get taken out from the air intake on the fan.

 

It does save energy by turning off the dedicated GPU when not in use, hence saving energy. IGPU cannot be enabled (or shouldn't be able to) and won't do anything because it's not wired to anything. Video outputs are wired directly to the dedicated cards.

Enough with the conspiracy theories! The P370EM supports both nVidia and AMD GPU's so it's not like they decided to rid of switchable graphics just because of AMD and sacrifice something for nVidia too. It takes time to develop such a system and would have not had the time to design and manufacture this machine and remove the switchable graphics for the couple months that this issue with Enduro had surfaced and become an acknowledged issue. NP9150 and NP9170 share a similar motherboard and components, always have, giving users a 15" and 17" option. Switchable graphics was a USER WANT so they implemented it in the next version of their laptops.

Now users have two options, one with switchable graphics, which works great with nVidia machines offering 3-3.5 hours of useable battery life. Or now you can opt for a dual card configuration with which you're probably lucky to get 2 hours battery life.

The one thing I'm curious about is that they still support 2 SSD's, 1 mSATA and an ODD but still 2 video cards. It's like they didn't sacrifice anything to make this work. Hopefully they can carry that into the next single card design to improve cooling.

 

My opinions:

(1) Glossy or matte are personal preference.

(2) I think the no dead pixel warranty is worth it for the price they offer now, but personal preference. Bottom line is if you get a laptop with a dead pixel you can't return it for replacement unless there's at least 5 dead/stuck pixels. You can still return your machine with 30 day warranty, but you pay for return shipping and have to order a whole new laptop. With the warranty they expedite your order for replacement or I believe even replace just your LCD if you desire.

(3) I don't think calibration is worth it even if you need it for photo work. Why? Because if you require calibration for best representation of colors, then you'll have to do it on a regular basis, so you're best to buy your own calibration hardware, even an older Spyder 2 or 3 will do.

(4) 7970m is still a gamble because driver support for dual 7970m's is questionable at this time and support lies with Clevo/Sager and you see how the whole Enduro issue was handled by AMD (I'm not hating on AMD, as I've been a staunch supporter of them for decades)

(5) NO on the copper cooling upgrade. It will likely make little to do difference without airflow over the copper, and if it does work you can buy a set of 8 copper heatsinks for $7 on Amazon.

(6) Carbon fiber totally personal preference, but it will make it unique of course.

(7) If you meant Crucial SSD, I'd definitely make your Crucial SSD primary with OS and common apps. Put games and storage on the HDD

(8) Leave RAID settings off if you're not doing RAID. Can't do with your config anyhow.

(9) 1102 has bluetooth. 1103 has an extra antenna usually used by the bluetooth for a boost in power/distance for wi-fi. Personally I think Intel is just as good and have great driver support

(10) The stock sound system is kinda average at best so if you're an audiophile might want to consider

(11) Fingerprint reader is standard. Use it if you want don't if you don't

(12) No, do not have them redline OC. Since they will be running stock voltage/BIOS you can easily OC these yourself within those limits

(13) Only go with Pro if you want to eventually go with more than 16GB since 16GB is max Home Premium can recognize

(14) If you live outside USA, then don't choose warranty. If you live in Canada, then get the Canadian warranty obviously.

 

I think they sacrificed a lot of empty space... The space many people have been using to implement mods to improve cooling?

The layout of the P370 is neat though. I like the CPU HSF setup (not sure about the idea of shared radiator with GPU though...). I still have many reservations on their cooling implementation. It'll be interesting to see real-world performance that users report and how it'll perform with proper cooling mods.

 

I should hopefully see first hand in a couple weeks.

 

u are indeed one crazy m0f0 mr. wingnut, seeing how many machines u buy in such a short time span good for us nbr users tho, always profiting from and thus appreciating ur cutting edge reviews keep it up!

cheers

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

Any news about the new Ivy bridge refresh for mobile cpu? When will it be available on retaillers?. I believe the price was release today. Is it worth the wait? The problem for me waiting for this cpu is since I will buy my hardware on XOTICPC, I don't want to miss the back to school promo that they offer.( free 16 gb mem. & 500 xt hard drive). What you guys think?

 

Worth or not is up to you and how soon you need a laptop. With the back to school deals you are saving $100-150 dollars I think from most sites. CPU refreshes generally bump 100-200mhz and yield 10-15% boost in synthetic benchmarks, based on the sandy bridge mobile cpu numbers.

If you don't know if you need the extra juice of the CPU, then you probably don't need it. So go get a laptop now and enjoy the savings.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

 

Well I know that current i7 ivy bridge cpu's are enough for extreme gaming & cadd used but sine this is my first expensive laptop, I want it to have at least the newest hardware in the market. I hate that feeling of buying news things and then after 1 month their wiil be a new version of it w/c is much better . Can someone please reason with me.

 

According to Prema, there's a 3D version coming based on the P370EM on Clevo's roadmap. So this one is just a regular version, there'll be another one just behind this.

 

There will always be new hardware shortly after you buy the latest and greatest. I researched for over a month before I purchased mine. Before it was even delivered newer parts were available for preorder. It's the nature of the game, but I do understand your desire for latest tech for your money

Unless you find yourself in need of a laptop, it seems for you the best choice will be to wait it out

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

 

I can reason with you. Buy now. It is a great time to buy, with all the free upgrades from sager and other back to school discounts, you get more for your money. as for waiting for the next best thing, you will be waiting for ever my friend. Electronics are always improving, always something new to come out. Take the plunge, enjoy the machine, as it will still out perform most computers a couple years from now. And there are always upgrades

That would be a Nvidia only set up im sure..

 

3d Version of P370em ?
Any time frame?
With one gpu only?
Thinking of getting one with 680 and add one later.

 

He only mentioned 3D version on Clevo's roadmap, didn't say time frame.

And I believe you can still choose single GPU for the 3D version of P370EM.

 

x2, thank you for posting this. There is so much wrong information in this thread!!

Muxless graphics switching was designed by AMD/ATI and nVidia NOT CLEVO. AMD/ATI and nVidia come up with the design and then Clevo and other people simply implement the design. Muxless switching is the latest design, muxed switching is the previous gen. Clevo actually has the latest tech in the P1x series by using muxless switching. They did not move on to new tech with this model, it's just that this system is targetted at an entirely different audience and graphics switching is not an intended feature. For some people (including me) that is a negative, I like the graphics switching. Also, I can guarantee you that future models of the P1x series will also include graphics switching! It will be whatever design is the latest from AMD/ATI and nVidia is what they will use!

 

I like graphic switching if it actually works. You have a GTX 680m, and you don't have the pain of being a 7970m owner with a P150EM.

 

Actually me too, I liked the idea of using iGPU for normal stuff and dGPU for heavier applications. Just this time on the AMD part the Enduro wasn't well optimized.

 

AMD screwed something up this time. They will fix it and then everything will be fine.

 

So.... ya.

Who here is going to order a P370EM? Who will you order from? Will you splurge for a SLI/CF set-up?

I have already ordered with Eurocom, so I hope to see it late next week - early week after. I did not get a crossfire setup. 1) I was already pushing my budget 2) I dont think it is necessary for today's games.

 

Then why didn't you get a P150/170EM? It seems silly to buy this and only get one card...

 

I don't think you understand how bad the 7970m utilization issues are. It sucks not having the HD 4000, but having a 7970m in a Sager without utilization issues is appealing. In the end, the P370EM would be too expensive anyways, even with one 7970m.

 

I understand, that's why I went with a 680m My point being, why buy a P370EM with one card (even a single 7970m)? When you could get a P150/170EM with a 680m for a similar/less price and have working switchable graphics? Seems like a win win to me. Unless you need/want sli/cf, then go with the 370. I mean yeah you could buy the cards later, but honestly they are so expensive you are better off with a P150/170 again as by the time you muster up the cash to buy a second card for the 370 the next gen would be out and you could just buy one of those and sell your current card and have similar performance for way less money again.

 

IF the nextgen card is actually compatible,that is... with the p370 u at least have a guarranteed upgrade option to gain 50-100% performance, depending on how optimized the drivers are at that point in time

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

^ Exactly. The P370EM is a no brainer. If I wasn't so starved for gaming already, I would certainly have waited and ordered a P370EM with one card and just add another card a year or two down the road, it's really the best decision you can make right now, especially since the P370EM is just a tiny bit more than a comparably specced P170EM.

And getting rid of the switchable graphics stuff is an added bonus, not a setback. For browsing the the internet on the road I wouldn't be using my behemoth 17" gaming desktop replacement, there are much better alternatives for that.

Now that I'm not so starved for gaming anymore with my machine, I think my next laptop 2-3 years from now will definitely be SLI ready.

 

Right. Switchable graphics are a good thing. I'm not real fond of Optimus or Enduro. Would much rather have seen manual switching but no such option, but do like having it for unplugged time.

 

I have the option to upgrade to a duel 7970m setup, or maybe even the next gen cards. :EDIT: And the price for the upgrade is the same later as it is at order... So i dont get how you think it is more expensive
But as of today's software demands, a single 7970m is more than enough to play on high or ultra. Maybe Metro Last Light will be too much.... or Crysis 3... Or BF4.. but I have time before those come out.
Also, looking at game benchmarks between single and duel GPU, of both AMD and Nvidia, some games benefit where others dont.

 

It's pretty simple, if you go with a single 7970m now, its ~$500 for another 7970m later.

Or you go with P150/170 and single 680m now, for basically the same price as the p370 with 7970m, and have a faster setup now (as 680m is faster) and then later when 780m or 8970m comes out you can sell the 680m and get the next gen card for a lot less out of pocket.

It really only make financial sense to buy the p370 with 2 cards out of the gate, unless you plan on putting the second card in soon (as in before next gen comes out) otherwise you'd be better off with one of the next gen card than two of the current/last gen. I mean yeah you have the capability to go 2 cards later, but in every scenario you are paying more for the performance than the p150/170 platform. Again, the only way the P370 makes financial sense is if you have two cards in it!

Also, your last statement about ho9w SLI/CF only benefits some games is another reason that 1 fast card is better than 2 slower cards.

Buy 2 cards now -- then get P370.

Buy 1 card now, then get P150/170, and spend less for same or better performance, and then upgrade later for cheaper than a P370 with 1 card.

I mean you could buy a P370 with one card and then sell the one card and get the next gen card, but then the whole time you are only using one card and might as well have the P150/170 and have spent less in the first place!

 

I still dont understand your argument about the cost of upgrading.. its 500 now, or 500 later... so I will upgrade when I need to or want to. at least I have that option. Also the 7970m is very close to the performance levels of the 680m, and in some applications, slightly better. So I dont think that "better" performance holds as much ground over price (at least for me).
And many games are not utilizing duel GPU support right now, but as graphic become more and more demanding, they will support duel GPU more and more. Again, I have that option.
Yes a 170EM is basicly what I ordered, and I was never going to get the 680m (and I could afford it), I will have no issues with Enduro, I can upgrade to crossfire later. I like the flexibility of the 370EM.