Devil 9000 DTX (Clevo M860TU) review & pics

It’s been almost a week since I finally received my long awaited Clevo M860TU notebook and these are my first impressions ……

Note:

I purchased the notebook from a German OEM / reseller Deviltech ( www.deviltech.de). They brand the Clevo M860TU model as Devil 9000 DTX and I refer to the model accordingly throughout the text. The previous version of Devil 9000 DTX (differs in regard to: NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GT, Intel Core 2 Duo P9500 2.53 GHz, and Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit) received an official (and still relevant) review by www.notebookcheck.net several months ago. You can read the review at http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Deviltech-9000-DTX-Clevo-M860TU-Notebook.11679.0.html .

I’ve taken a few high resolution snapshots of the notebook and peripherals and included them with this review. I am the first one to admit that I must be one of the worst photographers out there.

SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

I live in the Czech Republic, therefore my search focused on the EU Clevo resellers (as listed in the Clevo Guide v2.0). At the end of my search the choice narrowed to Kobalt Computers (UK) and Deviltech. And Deviltech won on price. The total price for my desired configuration (see below) was €1401 + €50 shipping fee. That was most likely the best deal you could find anywhere in Europe at the time, beating an identical offer from Kobalt Computers by approximately €100.

The configuration of my Devil 9000 DTX

15.4" WSXGA 1680 x 1050 LCD Widescreen Glare Technology + 2.0M Webcam
Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor P8700 / 3MB L2 Cache, 2.53GHz, 1066MHz FSB
4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1066 MHz (2 x 2048MB)
NVidia GeForce GTX 260M 1GB DDR3
HITACHI Travelstar 320GB 7200 RPM SATA
8x Dual Layer DVD+/-RW / 24x CD-RW Combo
Intel® High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192KHz) with Surround Sound
Intel Wi-Fi Link 5300AGN Modul
Integrated Bluetooth Module
Integrated Fingerprint Reader
2 Year DevilCare and 2 Year Warranty

Initially I didn’t opt for any OS, as I had mistakenly believed that I would be able to buy a localized OEM version here in the Czech Republic. I didn’t find out about the Microsoft licensing changes (in regard to Vista OEM) until about 2 days before the date my notebook was scheduled for an outbound shipment. I managed to stop the process and alter my order with Deviltech, when for an additional €105 I received the Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit + Windows 7 Free Upgrade package. However, this meant that the shipment of my notebook was delayed by almost two weeks, as Deviltech had yet to receive the licenses from Microsoft.

The entire “order to delivery” time was 5 weeks. Had there not been for the OS delay, for which I am entirely responsible, I would have received the notebook within 3 weeks from the order date. I don’t know how it measures up with the competition, but IMO it’s a reasonable delivery time. The company’s sales representative told me that they would start building my notebook the following Monday after they have received the upfront (full) payment from me, provided they would have enough time to order the parts (sounds like a very strict “JIT” management). Therefore, the build can start anywhere between 3-7 days after the receipt of the payment. Add to that 1 day for the order confirmation, 3 days for the wire transfer, 3 days for the actual build, and 3 days for the shipment and you will arrive at 2-3 weeks delivery period.

I wish the company had a better CRM management. I never received any confirmation that my payment was received nor that the build started, when I should expect the shipment etc. I did receive an email confirmation when the product was shipped via UPS to me, but there was no tracking number provided. I called the company and asked for the number and was assured they would send it to me in an email. I never received it and had to call again to get it. When I received the product, the final invoice didn’t reflect the additional OS purchase and the purchase date didn’t fall within the criteria / instructions provided by Microsoft in order to qualify for the Windows 7 upgrade (you have to present the invoice to Microsoft when applying for the update). Therefore I will have to call them once again and ask them to rectify. The company could use other delivery providers than UPS, as DHL or PPL would do the same job for half the UPS price.

On the other hand: I did receive what I paid for in a good order and that’s already something these days. The website could use an English translation but it’s intuitive enough to make a registration and order without any knowledge of German. The sales representative can communicate in English flawlessly. Deviltech (unlike many other resellers) offers delivery within the EU borders and 5 native language keyboard and OS options. The price is very competitive and the sales representative was very helpful and friendly (when you got him on the phone).

Would I buy from them again? I probably would. When judging these small resellers one must keep in mind that they operate on very tight margins, and the low price you receive has to be reflected somewhere (in some cases it’s the quality of CRM).

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The first thing I noticed when I received the package was how light it was relative to its size, and that nothing was moving inside when I shook the box. The contents were tightly packaged and the notebook itself very well protected by a pair of foam holders.



The package contained (besides the notebook): Windows Vista installation CD + Windows 7 upgrade voucher, Clevo manual, CD with drivers and another box with the notebook’s battery and power cord.





The notebook’s surface was protected by foil sheets taped to the edges of the lid and the chassis.





SOFTWARE / DRIVER INSTALLATION

It is highly advisable that you don’t start installing anything unless the next day is your day off. The process is lengthy and time consuming.

The notebook’s BIOS was already set to boot from the CD-ROM. The installation of the Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit OS took only about 20 minutes, but the installation of the security updates and the SP2 seemed to be never-ending.

This is the sequence of my installation process: Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit CD installation >>> Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 installation >>> Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 definitions update >>> Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit security updates + SP2 installation >>> manual installation of all drivers included on the enclosed CD with Clevo drivers >>> Intel Storage Matrix installation >>> Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 upgrade >>> HP Photosmart C3180 driver installation >>> Logitech MX518 driver installation >>> SB X-Fi Notebook driver installation >>> installation of additional software programs: CC-cleaner, Winrar, Adobe Reader, Master Splitter, Kremlin Encryption, Evidence Eliminator, K-Lite Mega Codec pack, PowerDVD, Amibroker, QuoteTracker, Interactive Brokers offline WebTraderStation, and 2 internet banking applications + security certificates …. Then cleaning with CC-cleaner, a full-system scan with Kaspersky, C-drive defragmentation, restart and you are good to go.

Of course, the individual applications installed will differ from user to user, but I perceive myself as an average PC user and the listing above illustrates my point that you will spend an entire day installing or searching for updates / drivers.

The one software I didn’t manage to install on the Vista 64-bit OS was Microsoft Office XP Professional (full license). The installation quit on me in the middle no matter what I tried. The Microsoft customer support representative was very regretful, clueless and unhelpful. The last straw was his recommendation to buy their 2007 Office package at circa $500!! And that broke the camel’s back and pushed me towards something I have been considering for quite a while = migration to Open Office. Good bye Microsoft!!! I wish I could say the same words in relation to the OS system. No wonder the system is so slow. It looks like the Noe’s Arch of bloatware and useless “pretty” cosmetics. I wonder what they had been doing in Microsoft between the release of Windows XP and Vista. It seems that nothing much. And I am not holding my breath for the Windows 7 either. While I am happy to hear that it will be a stripped down version of the Vista system (which should make it faster), it will still be a Microsoft product and those need zillion security upgrades and fixes no matter how they are called. Enough said.

DESIGN AND BUILD

The notebook is outrageously beautiful! Whatever expectations you have build upon images you’ve seen on the Internet, they will be met end exceeded when you see the notebook with your own eyes. The sober, sleek and elegant design of the brushed black aluminum casing, silver edges and the pitch black (very) glossy screen create together a very compact product.





But there is a price for all this elegance. With the exception of the keyboard, whatever other surface you touch, it will bear the mark. The good news is that fingerprints and smudges can be easily wiped off with a damp soft cloth. It doesn’t really bother me much, as my notebook sits on a cooler with the lid constantly open and I type on an external keyboard, therefore the only part of the notebook I touch is the on/off button. But if I were to transport or handle the notebook on a frequent and regular basis, I’d have to undergo some fingerprint tolerance counseling. But don’t let that turn you off, because you would face the exactly same issue with a vast majority of the other gaming brands (Asus, MSI, Toshiba Qosmio etc). IMO the manufacturers are going overboard with the “looks” factor as one of the main selling points. Since when are gamers a bunch of sissies? I’d much prefer some simple rugged design with no fingerprint surfaces. But that’s only my wish, and back in the “fingerprinting reality” I am happy to own something that looks simple and elegant as opposed to some ridiculous color schemes and strange sculls staring at me from the lid.

The notebook (with the lid open) looks more like 15.1” notebook rather than 15.4” machine. It sort of reminds me of my old Toshiba Satellite (2002 15.1” model) with its chunky “rear”. For comparison, see below the notebook side by side with my old Sony VAIO notebook (2004 15.4” model).







The build quality is solid. I’ve been lucky so far with my notebook choices in terms of quality. Both of my previous notebooks (Toshiba Satellite and Sony VAIO) were of an exceptional build quality and my Devil 9000 DTX is almost at the same level. The hinges are strong and stable and the screen wobbling is minimal. The chassis and the lid are firm with only a very slight flex. The keyboard isn’t flex-free but the flex isn’t too bad and unless you like to “smash” the keyboard when typing, you will never notice it. Actually, the typing experience is surprisingly pleasant. I feared much worse. I’d rank this keyboard among the top 15% amongst the current notebook line-up presently out there. Just a few weeks ago, I took a trip to one of the computer mega malls and tested build quality on about 40 displayed models. My conclusion is that these days the overall build quality is atrocious and must have gone down from what it used to be. About 50% of all models had trampolines instead of keyboards, with cracking and squeaking sounds experienced (when pressing the chassis and other parts) in the vast majority of the models. There were only 2 or 3 models that were on the same build quality level as my Devil (Clevo M860TU). So if the build quality is one of your major buying points, then this notebook is your thing.



But it’s not entirely problem-free. I don’t like the position of the DVD player. It’s positioned too much to the front. When ejected the DVD holder doesn’t seem very stable and I definitely don’t like the eject button. The player can also get very noisy when installing. Another feature that I don’t fancy is the fingerprint reader integrated within the touchpad (see picture above). The fingerprint reader is completely useless and I wish it hadn’t been included in my notebook. When you click on the touchpad buttons close to the fingerprint reader, you will hear some scary cracking noises. I wish that whole area was redesigned, some other button solutions provided and the fingerprint reader excluded at all.

The position of the 7-in-1 card reader on the right side of the notebook panel right below the express card slot is very inconvenient. When I plug in my SB card in the express card slot, the 7-in-1 card reader is no longer accessible. I also don’t like much the headphone, microphone and S/PDID jacks pointing right at me at the front of the panel. But since I am using an external soundcard, this issue is just theoretical one in my case.

But that’s about it from the “complaint department”. Nothing from the (perceived) negatives I stated above, and I have to stress it again – NOTHING that relates to the design or build quality of the notebook, is serious enough to constitute a deal breaker. This is one beautiful machine with a very solid build quality and elegant design!!!

HDD AND HEAT ISSUE

For some reason (I can no longer recall) I was convinced my notebook was coming with the WD Scorpio Black 320GB 7200RPM HDD. But it wasn’t the case. The HDD I have installed on my Devil 9000 DTX is Hitachi Travelstar 320GB 7200RPM HDD. And it is one nutty hard drive! Right after I installed the OS and AV software, I let the notebook restart and checked the temperature of my HDD after 15 minutes of idling (that’s when I first realized I had the Hitachi HDD installed instead of the WD HDD I was expecting). The temperature was 53 C and I thought: “Oh boy, here we go”. I disabled the indexing services, downloaded the Intel Storage Matrix, rebooted and let it idle again. The temperature didn’t move at all and still hovered at 53 C. The good news was, it didn’t get much hotter than that. No matter what I tried (installing, scanning, defragmenting, wiping out, playing music, downloading, transferring, running 3DMark2006 and having 20 websites open – all of that at the same time didn’t impress my HDD much and the highest temperature it achieved was 57C.

The next day my Zalman NC 2000 arrived in the mail. The cooler is absolutely fantastic! It has the ideal size for the notebook; it’s extremely quiet at low RPM and still much quieter than my notebook’s fans at the maximum RPM and most importantly it stops the notebook fans from kicking in (as they can be quite noisy). I like the way it has elevated my notebook screen.

(The only issue I have with the cooler – at low RPM the cooler starts making a quiet rattling noise that reminds me an old cinema projector. The rattling sound appears randomly, but usually it takes an hour or so of using the cooler before I start noticing it. Has anybody experienced this? If so, can you provide me with some advice before I start dissecting the cooler?)







Before I used the cooler, I checked the idle temperatures again and it went down somewhat – from 53 C to 49 C and the maximum temperature when using the notebook was 54 C. That has gone down to 52 C when I switched on the cooler set at the lowest RPM. The day after the idling temperature dropped again to 45 C and now it starts to idle at around 35 C. Once I start using the notebook the temperature quickly builds up all the way to 52 C (but since I started using the cooler it has never gone above this value). When I stop using the notebook and let it idle, the temperature will decrease but in a very slow fashion and it will not go below 45 C. Sometimes the temperature idles at 52 C and when I start doing something that should increase it (like transferring or downloading files) it does the opposite and drops below 50 C. I really have no explanation for this chaotic behavior. I am no longer trying to explain it or understand what’s going on there. I am just happy that the maximum temperature of the notebook doesn’t rise above 52 C. The biggest temperature test is still ahead of me (long hours of gaming), but I am confident the HDD will handle that just fine when I increase the cooler’s RPM settings.

The screen shot below shows my temperature profile after 4 hours of continuous use (during which I did just about anything – with the exception of gaming – that I could do to my HDD).



SCREEN

My Devil 9000 DTX came with 15.4" WSXGA (1680 x 1050). The reseller didn’t offer the WUXGA format, but it didn’t bother me at all as I consider the resolution of 1680 x 1050 to have the ideal parameters for 15.4" screens. The screen is very glossy. I haven’t tried it outside (as I never use my notebook outside of my favorite half-light indoors), but I assume it can give some unpleasant reflections. If you intend to use the notebook under in the outdoors, then you may want to consider the mate alternative. This review claims that the mate screen version is just an outstanding as it’s the glossy one >>> http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-mySN-XMG5-Clevo-M860TU-Notebook.17146.0.html . And outstanding it is! The screen is bright, crisp and the colors are beautiful. The color scheme is slightly on the “cold” side but that’s they way I like it. There was some critique regarding the brightness being rather average. I have the default screen settings still on (where the contrast and brightness are set at 50%) and I won’t be changing it. Trust me; there is no issue with brightness! I thought I’d miss my excellent VAIO screen but this one is just as impressive. I love it and so will you. (I plan on adding a second screen (22” to my setup).

SPEAKERS AND SOUND

The onboard speakers are of a below average quality. The sound is very flat and weak. The Realtech sound manager has gone a long way and I was actually impressed how much it has improved compared to the version I had on my XP. I tried the sound on my old Logitech Z-2300 external speakers and I have to conclude that I could live without an external sound card (if I never intended to use my headphones). My external speakers have enough power to make even a walkman sound punchy. But when I connected my headphones, the power deficiency / lacking volume capacity of the sound system was suddenly very obvious.



I have the Fatal1ty Gamer headset that I bought in a discounted combo with the SB X-Fi Notebook sound card. I tried this combination in a promotion organized by a computer mega mall and I must admit I was totally amazed and won over by the 3D properties of the X-Fi technology. Absolutely stunning! I was trying the headset and the soundcard while playing the Call of Duty 4 and when the barrage started next to me, behind me, all around me, I felt like ducking and crawling out of the store! Word of caution: unless you have small years, don’t buy the headset and unless you can handle all the crap that you will receive from Creative Labs customer support and unless you like to be solving compatibility and driver issues and puzzles, don’t get the sound card (even though the gaming experience is extraordinary and even the audio experience is very good). I have gone through all of that with my old Audigy card and as I could see this time around, nothing much has changed at Creative Labs.





INPUT PERIPHERALS

I got my Logitech MX518 gaming mouse as a present. Initially I was slightly concerned it would be too big for my rather small hands, but this must be the most comfortable mouse I have ever laid my hands on. The programmable buttons are very useful, the sensitivity and traction of the mouse is awesome and the design fits perfectly with my Devil 9000 DTX. I’d greatly recommend this mouse to anyone.





For now, I am using my old external Genius keyboard (that isn’t all that good), but I am searching for a better alternative.



PORTABILITY

This notebook isn’t an ideal commuter (just as the rest of all 15.4” notebooks). The notebook is slightly bigger and heavier than the peer group average and together with the power cord they will “consume” a considerable room in your bag. The power cord must be one of the longest ones I have ever seen (a big plus IMO).



As I already mentioned, I don’t commute or move the notebook at all. But I move countries on a rather frequent basis and therefore I cannot afford a desktop. But if I were to enter into college (again), I’d give my preference to the combination of a desktop + cheap 14.1” notebook with basic specs for my educational needs. You should be able to get both for approximately the same price (as Clevo860TU).

If you have to buy a notebook and the portability is one of your major concerns, then you will have to either compromise on the GPU performance or put up with the size and weight of the notebook. Other 15.4” gaming machines will not provide much if any advantage in terms of portability.

BATTERY

I haven’t tested the battery at all. For my needs it’s sufficient to know (from other reviews) that it can last in a power saving regime over 2 hours, as I hardly ever use (will use) the notebook outdoors.

The Clevo manual clearly states that the battery should be first discharged to absolute minimum (I suppose once you are done with the initial installation) and this “discharge” should be repeated once a month to keep your battery in an optimal state.

PERFORMANCE

I opted for the P8700 processor. I don’t need to have the fastest hardware, I don’t suffer from cognitive dissonance, and I don’t frequently use any video or audio rendering or CAD/CAM applications that would require the use of a more potent processor. P8700 has so far handled everything I have thrown at it with ease. I prefer to utilize the processor for the next year or so and then upgrade to some new line up that will be available at the time, if the parameters and/or price will provide me with some incentive to do so.

My 3Dmark06 score is 9796 and as far as I can judge according to other submissions, this is approximately what it should be given my hardware configuration.

But the real performance test comes when I finally start gaming. I have to admit I don’t have a single game installed on my notebook - yet. The last time I was gaming was in 2004 and since then I haven’t kept up with the new game development. I am looking at the many new titles, trying to decide what to buy and I would appreciate any suggestions regarding any game titles I shouldn’t miss. So far my shopping lits contains only Crysis and Mafia 2.

CONCLUSION

I hardly ever watch TV anymore and more and more of my activities (whether they concern business or entertainment) are being relocated to Internet. Therefore the capability of my notebook is paramount to me. For a long time I had been looking around for a portable machine that could be made into a desktop replacement with the help of a few peripherals, could handle gaming and would look good – all of that at a reasonable price. And I have found the best solution that is currently out there – Devil 9000 DTX a.k.a. Clevo M860TU. It is truly an awesome machine and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone whose computing needs are similar to mine.

 

Well done. +rep

 

+1 for your review. I just bought the EXACT same system a week ago (should be in soon) and you've really made me feel comfortable about my purchase. For comparison's sake how small of a person are you? Regarding portability I feel like this may actually be a decent system. For a reference I'm a 6' 1" 215 pound male. Great review!!

 

Fantastic review, with a pretty unbiased view of it's pros and cons.

Rep+

(Also, I have the NC2000, and mine definitely doesn't make the weird noises at a low RPM; maybe you have a faulty unit?)

 

Thank you. I am not small at all (just my ears and hands are kind of smaller). I am a 6' 2" 200 pound male. The portability won't be an issue for you. But I wouldn't want to carry the notebook around a whole day every day. I used to work as an analyst and had to travel frequently around the globe in the course of my employment (and along with me my Sony VAIO that weighs about the same as this notebook) and believe me - no matter how taugh or strong you may be, you would be soon wishing for a much smaller and lighter notebook. Let me know how your experience matches mine when you get your notebook. Trust me - it will make your day!

Thank you. Even if the unit was faulty, I am kind of stuck with it. I'd have a hard time proving there is something wrong with it. The noise doesn't appear until after a few hours of continous use and sometimes not at all. I am using the cooler now at the maximum RPM hoping to wear it off a little bit. Maybe this will help.

Thank you.

 

Another very good review, thanks for taking the time to write it.

 

Just a quick edit: I just finished 3 hrs session playing the titles from "the orange box" on STEAM. I had my cooler at maximum RPM and the highest recorded HDD temperature was 52 C. I like this Hitachi Travelstar HDD.

 

Awesome review! With all these review shows the popularity level on how well the clevo m860e/tu(Sager NP8660/2) is perceived as one of the best notebooks around.

 

After many many hours of Crysis, and Crysis Warhead, my HDD temps top at 55C

I would say thats perfect!

this laptop truly is a wonderful piece of hardware. I love it very much! And runs Crysis VERY WELL!

 

Yeah i just ordered mine from xotic yesterday. Hopefully it will be at my house in about 2 weeks. I am soo stoked. A 15 inch laptop that runs crysis well enough at high settings in amazing in my book.

 

True, true. I cannot think of many other products that would actually make me want to write a review about them.

I see you went (right after the installation) for the ultimate. Chuckle, chuckle.

Yeap. I am blown away. Just playing Fallout 3 and it works like a dream!

 

thats one of chilling laptops you got there wow..
congratulations