Fixing to buy 8170, Benchmark Q's and Screen Q's

So, I will be buying an 8170 soon. I have not been doing research long, but it seems that the 6990 is probably the best bang for buck GPU solution correct? That seems to be the consensus, but just how fast is it? I have not been able to find any benchmarks at all for this configuration. If there are any, I would appreciate being pointed at them. I would like to know how it handles Crysis 1, SC2, Metro 2033, and whatever else especially compared to the 485M which is the other part in the same price point.

Also, just how much of a difference do the higher color gamut screens make? Is it really worth the 200 bucks for the 90%, for gaming and general web surfing etc? I dont know much about this, and I have not been able to find many real world comparisons of this.

My Sager 9262 died on me today, and while I did not plan on getting a new machine anytime soon, it looks like its forced on me. Cant be without a gaming laptop. I want to be sure I choose my components wisely. Thank you all for your help.

 

AMD Radeon HD 6990M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

The 90% gamut provides more vibrant colors and a brighter display. Whether or not its worth $200 is in the eyes of the beholder.

 

I forgot to put this with my original post. I hope im not being a pest.


I understand there were some issues with the stock screen on this laptop at one point, something about the v.3 and v.4 types. Im wondering, were these issues ever resolved? The last mention I can find of the issue was months ago. The extra 200 dollars for the upgraded screen is a significant amount to me. It puts the machine over budget by a little bit, and my buyers-stress would be alleviated greatly If i knew the stock screens quality was not based on a random chance of getting the "good" one when they put my order together.

I have been used to the screen on my Sager 9262 (glossy 17inch, 1680x1050) for years now, anyone have any idea how the 8170 screens compare to the 9262 screen? I know im asking alot of questions, but this is a big purchase and I appreciate the help. And thank you Lazard for your link, it was useful to me.

 

I suggest looking at the most recent pages of the 6990M thread that is on here for a German translation of a 6990M review (give kudos to the person who found it too!). In short, it declared the 6990M ~8% slower on average, compared to the GTX580M. It beat the 485M on average, if my memory serves correctly.

The stock screen issue I believe has been resolved. <s>It is now the upgraded matte screens, ironically, that have issues. Sager and the resellers are carefully scrutinizing the screens now after being alerted by multiple reports of issues.</s>

If you are afraid of dead pixels and do not buy into the dead-pixel guarantee that many resellers offer (at a substantial price, in my opinion), then I think it is a toss-up as to whether you get a quality screen; however, people who have no problems with their screens will not post about it, but the ones who do have problems post about their problems on these forums. This sometimes causes an incorrect perception that all is doom and gloom.

The 8170 screens are full HD (1920x1080), so they are higher resolution, which may make some icons tinier. Most get used to it, but you can also increase the DPI via control panel.

 

Let me tell you something. The $200 I spent for the 90% screen is the best part of the $2k I paid for the machine. It's breathtakingly beautiful, no exaggeration included.

As far as gauging the 6990M goes, it's a downclocked 6860, so look up some benchmarks on the desktop 6850. If you intend to overclock, expect 6870 levels of performance.

That issue is only affecting the matte screen on the NP8150.

 

Whoops, yeah, the matte issue isn't related to the P170HM. Hopefully I didn't scare anybody, sorry about the misinformation.

 

I have had the NP8170 with stock screens for about 3-4 months now; personally, I find the stock screens to be fantastic. It really depends what machine you are coming in from- I came in from an HP pavilion (oh god T_T), so the stock screens on the Sager were a HUGE upgrade in my eyes.

 

Not sure about other resellers but Malibal confirmed that the stock screen which ships with their Satori P170HM is the Hannstar HSD173PUW1. Anandtech did a review of this screen in the Asus G73jh and gave it a great review. Based on this, I decided to stick with the stock Hannstar and use the $200 towards the Intel 510 SSD. If I decide I do not like the stock screen, it's easy to source good AUO or CMO screens for around $150.

 

Last question: The "Stock" wireless option (specifically at xoticpc) actually does include a wireless card and bluetooth right? I am pretty sure it does, but I want to make for certain, also if so what brand is it? Is there actually any advantage to the upgraded intel ones? As soon as this is clarified im ordering, and in gratitude I will certainly do a review when the machine gets here. This forum is a godsend.

 

Yes, the stock wireless has bluetooth. I have that one.

I'll let someone else tackle the Intel part.

60% color gamut though, and the minimum expected brightness can fall below 200nits.

There's a risk for it to be too dim for some people.

 

The difference between the wireless is thus:

Stock: 1x1 antennas, 150Mbps, Bluetooth
Intel 6230: 2x2 antennas, 300Mbps, Bluetooth
Intel 6300: 3x3 antennas, 450Mbps

If you have a router that supports 300Mbps or 450Mbps Wireless N, then you'll see a decent speed boost with the Intel cards, as well as better performance at the same distance. (Not better range, but better signal at the same ranges compared to say, stock cards).