First week with my NP7330 - Previous Alienware Owner

Just wanted to give you my first impressions after 1 week's use. I have been an alienware user for the last 5 years and finally decided to try something new.

Let me start by saying that I got my computer from Xoticpc. Even though their customer service was great when placing the order I have a couple of complaints. 1. I payed extra for the "no dead pixel guarantee" and surprise surprise, I have dead (or stuck) pixel. 2. A copy of Batman origins was supposed to come with my purchase. I didnt get it.

Now, on to the pc itself.

Build/Case

Coming from the alienware aluminum chassis I was expecting an obvious downgrade but I pretty happy with the build quality. The case feels solid and since i dont move the laptop much from the desk that wont be an issue for me.

Keyboard

The keyboard lighting is solid. After so many years with the colored lighting I can FINALLY have a white light backlit keyboard. And the two intensities is also a nice addition. I have a huge problem with the keyboard though. Some genius thought it would be a good idea to place the "sleep button" right next to the "volume down button". In a week's time I've put it to sleep several times when all i intended was to lower the volume. That is just bad design considering there are many other buttons they could've placed next to the volume buttons that wont disturb you work if you hit the wrong one. A layout that makes sense to me (from left to right) would be: mute, vol down, vol up, brightness buttons. Is it just me or is this a terrible design flaw? The other thing that bugs me is that there are no "previous" and "next" song buttons (not sure if that is what they are called). Other than that the keyboard (physically) is great! I really like the layout and feel of the keys. Can the "Fn" keys be remapped?

Webcam

The webcam is kind of a fail and I'll explain why. When I say I fail i dont mean a fail in image quality. The problem I have is the fact that it seems to be zoomed in. So much so that when I skype with someone I really have to get away from the laptop. Otherwise my face takes up the whole screen. It is so zoomed in that it even cuts my forehead and chin when I'm sitting at the regular distance you would to type something. Is this a setting that I can change? If so plz let me know as right now the webcam is kind of useless to me.

Sound

I know I was not getting the best speakers but my god these are really really bad. Probably the worst I've owned. I thought my alienware m11x was stupid for having the speakers at the bottom front of the computer but this sager has them in the back, under the laptop! I knew this beforehand but I never expected it to sound so bad. Whenever I need sound i know use headphones as the sound is honestly terrible. Unfortunately when i use headphones and there is nothing making sounds on the pc, I can hear some kind of static. With the constant static (even though it is pretty low) there is never really any silence when I have headphones on. I'm really saddened by this. Is there a way (by software) to get better sound from the speakers? Any ideas on how to get rid of the static?

Touchpad

It's ok. I can safely say it performs just as all other touchpads I've used. It didnt have the two finger scroll out of the box but a simple driver install solved that for me.

Ports

I'm really happy to finally have USB 3.0 on a laptop as I move tons of data from and to external hard drives. The one thing that baffles me is why all the ports are on the right side which is the same side where you would use the mouse. Sometimes wires get in the way but I guess I can live with that minor annoyance.

Screen

The screen is really nice and was one of the main reasons why I decided to get this computer. Yes, there is some bleed from the bottom but in all honesty I can only notice it when the screen is 100% black which is not often. It is really crisp and really bright. I'm really really happy with it (I'm trying my best to learn to live with a dead pixel).

Fans

The fan or fans come to full blast (really loudly) for no good reason. This happens randomly even when the computer is set to power saver and Im just using a web browser. I imagine there is a bios fix for this? If so, can you point me in the right direction?

Temperatures

I feel this laptop runs really hot. Bare in mind I keep it on a Cryo LX aluminum cooler at all times. I sometimes get temperatures from the processor in the mid 90's even with the cooler at max speed. These temperatures I got from running CIV 5 for about an hour. I'm afraid to check temps without the cooler. I'd probably get somewhere close to the 100's. Is this normal? How much of a beating can this processor take? I have not overclocked or messed with the processor at all.

Battery

When set to power saver and light use (such as using an internet browser) I get about 3.5 hours. I hope this will improve with future bios and drivers. Am i dreaming or is it possible? I understand this laptop is a beast but I hope that since it has optimus there might be a way to get more juice out of it?

Software

I got it with win 8.1. Everything is working great except for the fact that there is no "battery timer" that tells you how long you have left in battery life, I can only see percentage. Any idea how to bring it back?

Drivers/Bios

Luckily I havent had much need to get to the latest drivers as everything (except for the touchpad) was working as expected right out of the box. However I would like to know where to check for new drivers. Is there an official site for this? Where can I find the latest bios and its pros and cons?

Overall, even though I have complaints and the laptop isnt perfect, I'm pretty happy with the omputer's performance. There is really no other 13" laptop that is as powerful as this one, or if there is I couldnt find it. I would recommend it if you need power and portability. However, take your time as I did and research, a lot.

I hope this is helpful for anyone out there. Bare in mind this is only after one week of use and this is my first sager.

If some sager owner can help me answer some of the questions posted I would really appreciate it!

Cheers

Alex

 

Thanks for the review!

When you get the dead pixel guarantee Sager does have 4 techs visually inspect it and run software made specifically to find any dead pixels. Unfortunately they can happen during shipping. The guarantee is 30days so we can get it set up to get sent back to Sager for a screen swap.

The Batman code is something we email you after you have your computer, its a download not an actual physical copy. Since its an Xotic PC promotion and not a Sager one, they do not include the code with the computer. If you PM me your order number I can get the instructions and code emailed to you.

 

Sager Drivers are here: custom gaming laptops - Welcome to Sager Notebooks,
To get BIOS updates you need to contact sager support and supply serial number, they will email you, or contact your reseller. DO NOT FLASH a CLEVO BIOS ON A SAGER...

 

Thank you for the reply.

This was explained to me by one of the reps. And was the main reason why I got the guarantee. I told them I was leaving the US right after getting the laptop so i had to be sure I wouldnt have to send it back. They said the techs check the screen thoroughly when you purchase the guarantee and so i did. The first thing I saw when booting the pc was the dead pixel. Unfortunately, I left for the UK 2 days after getting the computer. I wont be going back to the US for a few months which then renders the 30 day policy useless for me. I had faith in the 4 techs.. i guess they missed it. Is there anything I can do about this?

I will pm you in the next few mins.

Thanks for your help.

Alex

 

Thanks for the info!

Alex

 

If you paid for the dead pixel guarantee then I think Sager covers shipping costs both ways. Of course they'll probably be more reluctant to do international shipping, but the onus is on them to fix this problem since you paid them to ensure this wouldn't happen in the first place.

 

Im trying to solve that right now. Since its international shipping it will be a little more complicated or even impossible. If that fails I'll try to get a refund.

Alex

 

Sorry, but you are wrong. As long as the EC and BIOS are flashed at the same time (removing the shutdown command from the flash bat, check Prema's stock BIOS to see the correct way) and are compatible with each other, it will work fine. You can also flash from Clevo to Sager using the same method. This was a false rumor started by Sager when someone didn't update EC and it was not compatible, resulting in a brick, unfortunately people still think that it's true.

You can get the latest stock and modded BIOS's from Prema, check his profile to find his website where you can download it. I have Prema's mod (based on Clevo BIOS) flashed to my Sager NP7330, and it works perfectly.

 

No offence, but many people suffered because of the "I think" and "I reckon" on this forum. If you're not sure don't give advice. The warranty explicitly says it's U.S only. Hence in the first 6 months after purchasing I replaced a lemon power brick and a lemon keyboard for an excess of 400 USD on my expense since I don't live in the U.S. It'll be a cold day in hell before Sager ships anything from/to outside the U.S on their expense. I highly doubt "4 techs inspected the screen" as well, but hey marketing is marketing, and Sager assumes that when a dead pixel is found (and is an annoyance) the owner will send it back for warranty anyway, so it's a good extra 30 bucks for nothing.

I think the OP is kinda screwed on the screen and will have to live with the dead pixel because in all likelihood by the time he gets meaningful response and shipping it'll be either over a month or on his expense. By the 6th month my screen (which has rave reviews) had developed at least 15 dead pixels, some strange greyish bleeding in one spot ..etc. Shipping the entire laptop back and forth to the U.S could easily pay for a new screen, hence international customers are the best customers because they have no recourse if anything fails, the local American ones are lucky because if it weren't for free/cheap shipping within the U.S Sager would've ended in the gutter if you consider the number of RMAs we see on the forum.

 

OK maybe I should've specified that Sager covers shipping both ways IN THE US. The "I think" was me not being sure about international shipping. My advice (if I gave any) would've been simply to contact XoticPC and figure out what could be done. While Sager provides end warranty service, OP bought from XoticPC, so the first point of contact would be through the reseller.

It's also not 30 bucks for nothing, the dead pixel guarantee is there for a reason. If you don't buy it, and the number of dead pixels you have is within manufacturer tolerance, than you're stuck with the screen, unless you want it replaced at your own expense.

 

Sorry to hear your bad experience. Everything you stated of concern was clearly noted about this laptop by users on this forum, although there are ways to improve some of your concerns, I just don't have time to lay them out at the moment.

Regarding the screen, if the cost and annoyance of international shipping is too much, swap it out yourself. It costs about $80-90US. It does suck, but also there's always the possibility it could have occurred during shipment. Or see if Sager will refund you the cost of a screen, or just send you a new screen. Shipping would be cheaper and you wouldn't be out your laptop.

 

Hey wingnut!

Dont get me wrong, even though the computer has its flaws I had a pretty good idea of what i was getting into. Having said that, i am happy with my purchase. Could it be better? Hell yes! But hey, these specs were hard to find on a 13" laptop so I have no regrets (except paying for that dead pixel guarantee). Worst case scenario I just sell it here before I leave the UK were I will actually make a profit and buy a new one when I go back to the US in 6 months or so Sager prices here are higher which in this case works in my favor.

I really like your idea of asking XoticPC to refund the price of the screen or even ship the part to me (to a US address). That seems fair considering I did pay the extra money. I will emaill them right away. I'm actually surprised the screen is about $90, any idea what the part of the name is? Perhaps a link to it? I'd like to look it up online just for curiosity's sake.

When you get a chance I'd really like to hear your ideas on how to improve some of my concerns.

Cheers

Alex

 

If you download HWINFO64, it'll tell you the exact model of your screen. And yes LCD screens are relatively cheap these days, my 17.3" 90% gamut screen costs "only" $125, so I imagine a 15.6" screen would be cheaper.

 

Chi Mei Innolux N133HSE-EA1

 

Terrible speakers and headphone jack is an issue which is spread across all Clevo models. they just seem to cheap out in that area, year after year.

 

Yes, and there is no excuse really. My V5-122p AMD 11.6" notebook and 10" Asus Transformer T100 convertible tablet/notebook both have very good sound quality and these are $350 notebooks.

 

I actually am not a fan of matte screens; I prefer high-gloss for the sharper image, and since I usually use the screen in the dark with no reflections, the extra glare isn't a concern to me.

So I've heard good things about this online store, where they sell both the matte version and the glossy version. I haven't used them, nor have I even bought the computer yet, but thank you for your tough-but-fair review. Seems like that PREMA modded BIOS is definitely going to need to be used to kill that fan noise...every single review has mentioned it unfortunately.

 

Wow there are like 4-5 detractors of Clevo speakers/keyboard quality, no wonder we don't have the same resellers explaining it away as odd lemons and what not. Don't let this thread die