Clevo W740SU 14.1"

BIOS set for System76? What's the difference?

 

Yeah it has a System 76 logo, says "S76" behind the BIOS version and 'System 76 Inc.' in softwares like CPU-Z or HWInfo64...

 

I bought my W740SU also from Schenker. Have you got a new keyboard now?

 

Not yet.They've just sent me a new one, It should arrive in few days.

 

The new keyboard from Schenker arrived today!
Now it works properly even if I touch the keys lightly on a corner. It's a low action keyboard but the feedback is good. There are no aesthetical differences between the two, but I guess the rubber dome under each key has changed.
I think the problem has finally been solved

For your information my old defective keyboard has this model number: MP-12B86GB-4303W (GB is the UK layout), the replacement model number is similar but ends with 4306W.

 

Hi there

regarding the CPU Clock problems:
-Booting on AC gives me full power (incl. Turbo to 3,2GHz)
-Switching to battery throttles the CPU as expected
-Switching back to AC however does not unlock the higher Clock-States again, the CPU stays throttled

I am running Ubuntu 14.04 with Kernel 3.13.0-27-generic #50-Ubuntu

Rebooting on AC turns the high states back on -.-

 

Don't worry, it'll be fixed soon...

 

Hijacking this thread on the CPU clock topic: my W230ST does not enforce under clocking the CPU in anyway when losing AC. I can still config the CPU governor or Intel CPU freq driver to get whatever frequency I want. Is this normal?

 

IMO, its more GPU throttling that's an issue. It throttles slower than my Nexus 10 when on battery.

Sad that the implementation of such a great SoC is limited by a terrible battery.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Is anyone having issue with 14.04 LTS and HDMI audio out? I can not get sound through my Sony TV speakers when connected via HDMI, only the notebook speakers. HDMI shows up in Settings- sound and I can select it. Nothing is muted and there are no specific settings to control this on my TV. Win 7 works fine on the NP2740. I am using Intel 1.0.5 https://01.org/linuxgraphics/downloads (I tried a clean U 14.04 LTS install and the issue persists)

 

thx for your work I hope you can still offer a possibility to throttle while on battery?

 

For the Schenker version of this Laptop there has been a BIOS update released on 27 Mai 2014. It's version 1.03.04. Unfortunatelly there is no ChangeLog available. Has anyone information about it, whether it's worth flashing or not?

 

the new Schenker BIOS fixed the stuck in throttled mode after battery for me
and some BIOS options are gone (sata port enable/disable)

 

somewhat.. it sometimes needs multiple replugs to get the turbo working again -.-

 

It's been far, but I would reply to help if somebody will get such things.
I found original bios in System76 in their archive:
http://archive.system76.com/bios/laptops/galu1/galu1-shutdown-fix.tar.gz

Btw, thanks for their support.
After flashing it I got native firmware I had after receiving laptop.

______________

I see there are EU Schenker edition of Clevo has upgrade to 1.03.04. I am looking forward to try it, but may anybody please tell, does it have UEFI mode inside? Because System76 bios doesn't have UEFI yet.

Thanks

 

I upgraded my Schenker S413 to the 1.03.04 bios the other day, I just checked and UEFI settings are still available in the BIOS.

 

ok. I just let you know, system76 galago ultrapro (galu1) laptop for ubuntu doesn't have UEFI activated in their BIOS.

Do you have ability to switch UEFI and Legacy in 1.03.04?

 

I asked them this question before. As far as I'm aware, you can't. It has to be a BIOS update. I'll look up the conversation.

Edit: here it is.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

ok. here is a quote of system76 support from my account:

It was posted in 10th Febrary 2014.

My question is to update my system76 to schenker's 1.03.04. Wonder if it's possible to use it, to get some more things into stability and fixing issues.

 

Flashed today schenker's 1.03.04 bios to my system76 galu1. I think it's quite better right now, gpu throttle is working right.

 

haha sadness is arriving
i just noticed that after my BIOS update the ethernets MAC went to 88:88:88:88:87:88 -.-

udev still has my original MAC address saved, but I cannot simply write it via ethtool, since it is not a NIC eeprom but some part of the UEFI instead.

Is there any way to change the MAC in FLASH? So I would not have to send my Schenker to the service center... best would be a way to do it on linux, but I doubt it exists

 

I'm looking at the Sager NP2740/Clevo W740SU, as it has many features I really like, but the one thing that's concerning me is weight. I really had hoped for a laptop well under 4 lbs, more in the Ultra weight range. The specs list this one as 4.2, but in my experience specs are often way on the light side, like they weighed it on Mars gravity or something. And 4.2 would be really pushing it for me as it is.

Could one of you who actually has one of these maybe weigh it to see? Though I guess if the specs of your particular version are different the weight could be too - looks like the Sager I'm looking at has a 6-cell battery, and non-touch 14.0 FHD (1900x1080) display ( XOTIC PC | Sager NP2740 (Clevo W740SU) - New 14" Sager Notebook) - so if the features on yours are ones that might make the weight more or less, that would be useful to know.

Thanks!

 

JCat mine does weigh just over 4 LBS with the battery in place. It is the exact specs you mentioned.

 

Thank you! If you don't mind me asking, how big/heavy is the adapter?

Edited to add: And also, are you happy with it? What do you mainly use it for?

Thanks!

 

Glad to help JCAT, Power supply is this model - Chicony Acer 90W Notebook Adapter [A10-090P3A]: specifications, reviews, discount offers and more | Hardware.Info United Kingdom (I know it says ACER but this is the exact model I have) - weight ~ 1 pound
I am very happy, but did have to have the display hinge replaced ... Mini review is here AnandTech Forums - View Single Post - Looking for a good source of notebook/ultrabook reviews, also Yoga 2 Pro?
Note I have given up trying to get HDMI audio out to a TV with Ubuntu 14.04 but it works perfectly with Win 7.
Typically I am running mundane tasks and at least 1 Virtual Machine . It also doubles a Media center for OTA TV recording, storage and replay.
I would buy this again if I had a do over.

 

Yes, there is. After flushing the firmware there will be new file mac.txt. It has 888888888788 mac in it, so you need to change it to the desired mac address. After this, edit flashME.bat and remove following 2 lines:

Code:

@if exist MAC.TXT del MAC.TXT    
Eeupdate /NIC=1 /MAC_DUMP_FILE 

Flash firmware with updated flashME.bat and you will get your mac address back. It worked for me today after I faced same issue with broken mac.

 

wow thx a lot, will try this as soon as possible

 

Hello guys! CLEVO W740SU with Win8.1 64-bit.

I've got 3 questions for this model:
1) I've got this laptop under warranty and would like to replace the keyboard (doesn't register all key strokes) by either Clevo Germany or UK.
2) The laptop throttles a lot on battery. Seen people getting BIOS fixed on other brands like Sager 2740, but I'm not sure if it would cause any damage to mine.
3) Installed Clevo Control Center v8.0153 and it doesn't show Bluetooth option to turn on/off like other things. (On Win7, I don't know CCC version, there was BT option for on/off). To have it turned off, I have to disable it via Device Manager. Any fixes for this?

I'd be happy to cooperate to solve these problems as well as I believe other people have them too.

 

as you mention UK and Germany did you buy from mySN? if so contact their support page on their website. if not who did you buy from.

battery is not designed for demanding tasks and its the easiest way to kill the battery of early.

no idea on your model but normally bluetooth on/off is Fn + F12

 

mine from Schenker with US-Keyboard does not allow for BT and WIFi switched on and off separately, I can only go to Airplane Mode with Fn+F11

 

1) Replacing keyboard is a piece of cake. All you need is a screwdriver. You can replace it without removing all the 15-20 screws at the bottom. It's rather accessible through the long cover plate/strip around the power button.
2) The latest BIOS version from Schenker is 1.03.04 and it doesn't fix this issue. I've flashed it recently and still the CPU throttles down to 2 GHz and the GPU to 1.3 GHz or the like. I would like to have control, when I want to throttle and when I don't need it, but MrDJ has a point here, that it would reduce the battery's lifetime.
3) This control center is buggy. I've got a lot of trouble with it a few months ago. If you press the wrong buttons in its interface, then you're stuck in forever-throttled-mode even if power cord is plugged in. Only an uninstall helps in that case. It's not giving you any extra features in Windows 8.1, which Windows 8.1 wouldn't provide you anyway.

By the way: Bluetooth requires usually less than 3% of the power consumption of WiFi in cases where both are doing the same task. If you're worried about power consumption, then you can easily leave Bluetooth on.

 

1) Alright, keyboard seems rather easy then. I can do that. I wish Clevo helped me solve this problem since it is their laptop and covered with warranty...
2) About the BIOS, are there any news on where it would be possible to have control over everything?
3) Yeah, I installed CCC v7.0018 and it didn't help either. I know what you're talking about. Fired up a game and saw low FPS. I changed battery to Performance mode and nothing. Restarted the laptop and it went back to power saving mode. Then I fired up CCC and saw that Quiet mode was on. After choosing User mode, game went back to full FPS. So yeah, I uninstalled it.

I was rather curious if the BT would drain much battery, but since it doesn't just like you said, I might leave it on then, or maybe disable if I really don't need it at some times.

Thanks for the help thought!

I do have one more question... If Clevo doesn't help me with the new keyboard, I'll have to buy it on my own. Are there any services in EU that sell new redefined keyboards?

 

A German company called Schenker sells them EU-wide. You can get a replacement from them. For me the replacement keyboard was for free, because I bought from them. Normal price is 40 €. You can call them or send them an Email. mySN.de | SCHENKER XMG | Schenker Technologies or mySN.co.uk | XMG | Schenker Technologies - Gaming Laptops

 

I have the System76 Galago. Its BIOS throttles the GPU to 200 MHz when on battery. Does the 1.03.04 BIOS throttle the GPU this much?

 

Yes all machines throttle the GPU right down on battery.

 

I realised I made a mistake when I was writing my last post. GPU goes down to around 200 MHz, not 1300 MHz when on battery.

I just tested it, unplugged the power cord, started a GPU-intensive programme, GPU got almost 100% utilisation. So even with this current BIOS version of 1.03.04 it throttles down to this fixed clock speed of around 200 MHz.

 

So, what you guys want to say is that BIOS update would not solve anything at all?

Because, when I resume my laptop from sleep mode, I cannot recognize the machine. It is so slow, especially in Chrome. Lucky thing is that I have SSD inside so rebooting it is not a time issue. But, it would be nice to have it ready, nice and fast, right from sleep mode.

Also, does that mean, I would not be able to game on battery?

P.S. I will have my keyboard replaced by Clevo Germany service soon. But I wanted to say that I rarely make a mistake with this 1st edition keyboard. I do not know what people have been complaining. Some of them might have problems with their typing system. Maybe?

 

Yes the battery can't power the machine at full speed as it would have to be twice as big and last less time to deal with the discharge rate.

 

Well, does it remove the lag at least after firing up the machine from sleep mode?

 

Would this laptop be very good for online poker? I currently have an asus u45jc-a1 thats an i3-m370 processor from many years ago but it lags a lot when playing. I was recommended to get this one as its an i7 processor and its a quadcore one and not one of those i7 4510u series or so.

I don't play any games whatsoever.

I use program such as holdem manager 2 and tableninja. Anyone have opinion?

 

The CPU is likely a little overkill but you will certainly get no lag with it, try to get an SSD if you can too.

 

Hey. I have ssd already. Well the thing is i want to get an i7 processor, i took a look at

http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Ultrab...8&qid=1409627827&sr=8-1&keywords=lenovo+i7+14

Lenovo Y40 Laptop | 14" High-Performance Gaming Notebook PC  | Lenovo US



Someone told me these aren't going to be that much better than my i3-m370m processor. They say its i7 but 4500u and its a dual core and not quad core like 4700 hq or mq. Do you agree with that?


They basically say get a 4700hq or mq one and thats why they said look at the sager one... i also said i wanted a 14 inch laptop and thats the one they said they saw. Of course the two llinks i posted i thought it was good enough but they said its not the i7 i should be getting?

 

Online poker... i7... something doesn't sound right here.

 

A fast dual core will likely do, though it depends on exactly how many windows you have open and how intensive each one is.

 

A 4500U would have been a noticeable improvement over the 370M still. 4500U CPUs are limited to reduce power consumption and heat, but you're looking at a microarchitecture 4 generations newer.

Intel Core i7 4500U vs i3 370M


What do you need the power for?

 

~ Drew01, if you are not overly concerned with battery life (4 hours is the max I have seen) and want to be somewhat future proof I would go for it. If you do your own upgrades the base model + 256 GB SSD is only ~1200.00 US. Plus it does work very well with Ubuntu (other than the touchpad) if you want to install Linux down the road. I really do not need a powerful processor now but my needs may change in the future, plus win 7 drivers are available which may not be the case going forward with some brands.

 

What's the problem with the touchpad?

 

Thanks for asking Mr.Koala,(In Ubuntu 14.04.1 ) If I use the buttons for right and left click at the bottom corners of the pad they work perfectly, but I try to double click or even single click with the upper 80% of the pad nothing happens. I am able to navigate with the pad (move the cursor) though. I do not have any special mouse SW install in Ubuntu.
Everything works perfectly in Win 7. \
Apparently I am not the only one with issues Jumpy Trackpad
Virtual core pointer id=2 [master pointer (3)]
⎜ ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer id=4 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad id=13 [slave pointer (2)]

 

That sounds more like a default config issue than real driver support problem. The whole pad tap function can be enabled via X settings. Jumpy touchpad is very likely a wrong tap timeout. Can you query the options for this device with xinput?

 

"xserver-xorg-input-synaptics" might be the package you need.

Otherwise, use this config in /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-synaptics.conf

Code:

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "touchpad catchall"
        Driver "synaptics"
        MatchIsTouchpad "on"
        Option "TapButton1" "1"
        Option "TapButton2" "2"
        Option "TapButton3" "3"

I'm not sure about what value to use to address the jumpy tap problem. (Mine appears to be fine on defaults.) The Xorg documentation on Synaptics configuration should help.