Got My Sager [Short Review]

First off I'd like to thank Donald at Power Notebooks for being so patient with me throughout the entire laptop buying purchase. This is my first ever laptop purchase and since I am going to college, I'll need it to last all four years. When I first got on these boards I was thinking about getting a Dell Inspiron 1705, then I realized that a 17" laptop for college wasn't a great idea, so I wanted the Dell 1505, then I heard about the upcoming 1520 and decided to wait for that. Needless to say I eventually heard about the Compal IFL90/Sager 2090. After thorough research I ended up purchasing the laptop from Power Notebooks on June 27th.

Specifications of my Sager NP2090:

4-in-1 Memory Card Reader (MS/MSPRO/SD/MMC)
Windows Vista Premium - (64-Bit installed - 64 and 32-bit CD included)
15.4" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) LCD w/PCI-e nVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT w/512MB
Intel® Core™2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz Processor w/4MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB
2GB (2 SODIMMS) DDR2/667 Memory
Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter
Combo Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11a/g/n
9-cell Smart Li-ion Battery
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
160GB SATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM Hard Drive
Built-in Bluetooth Wireless
Sager 3 Year Warranty - NP2030/70/80/90

First Impressions:

My laptop was scheduled to arrive today (8/13/07), but I didn't know what time it would arrive. I was hoping around noon so I could have most of the day to play with it but it only got here at 5:30 PM. When it arrived the first two things I noticed about it, contradicting my earlier two fears. My fears were that it would look took plain and frankly, ugly and that it would be heavy. However after taking it out of the box, I have to say that it is neither.

The laptop is not a Vaio or a MacBook, but it certainly doesn't look plain. The lid looks 10x times better in person that ANY pictures could try to prove. The keyboard and track pad also look very professional. Many people have described the laptop as a Gaming laptop disguised in a Business suit, but I have a new way to express it's looks. I would consider it more of a sleek, black Benz. Very minimalistic, with a few curves, shiny lid, a crisp, joyful keyboard give this laptop the same suave appearance that only someone like James Bond could pull off. I'll get people who strongly disagree with me on this, but honestly I say this as a person who almost canceled his order just so he could get a Vaio CR because of it's looks.

As for the weight, I was worried 7lbs would be too much, but honestly it felt so light. I'm not really a too big of a guy either (6ft, weighing 189lbs). I carried this thing with ease.

Bottom line the laptop is minimalistic, but because of that very design and form factor, it stuns.

Booting It Up:

After plugging it in and powering it up for the first time I was greeted with the option to chose a username and password, after that was done, Windows Vista was testing my computer performance. It was at this time that my laptop suddenly shutdown. I was alarmed and worried, but booted it back up again and it asked me to create my username and password again. A little distressed, I did as it asked and this time it quickly started up Windows Vista. The whole boot up time including having to start it up again after a surprise shut down was around 4-5 minutes. Not bad.

Sound/Visuals:

Since I got the WSXGA+ resolution, when I turned it on I was delighted by the amount of space I had on my taskbar and desktop. I'm a person that has a lot of windows open at once and like to have them all on the taskbar without Windows grouping them together. This resolution really helps for that. Only complaint with the resolution is that when I tried switching to a non-native resolution it was noticeably blurry. In addition you may have to increase your DPI for a slightly larger font size. As for the sound, I haven't done too much with it (yet to install iTunes), but it sounds like what an average laptop would sound like. Keep in mind the sound I am referring to here is the Audio Card, NOT the laptop's noise.

Laptop Build:

For college I was looking for something sturdy and durable. I am getting a laptop case for it, as well as a backpack with a laptop compartment, but I wanted to make sure it was still tough. The Sager 2090 feels solid. The lid is difficult to open with one hand (which is a good thing) and the overall build feels sturdy. However, the right and left sides of the palm rests do have some flex. I know flex is relative, so let me describe it as accurately as I can.

Sager NP2090 Flex:

When typing there is no flex on the palm rests to the right and left of the track pad. However, if you attempt to pick up the laptop with only ONE hand on either the left or right palm rest, you may be asking for trouble, as it flexes, more than I would like. Flex on the keyboard is limited to the top Function buttons. I don't feel any flex on surrounding keys when I click on one key.

Outside of the flexing, the laptop is very quiet. I can barely hear the laptop when doing normal tasks such as using Word, AIM, Firefox, etc. I am about to install Civilization IV and Beyond the Sword and will let you know if the noise level increases. In addition I feel no heat whatsoever on the palm rests, keyboard, or underside of the laptop when using normal applications. Once again I will update this after I've played a few games.

The fingerprint reader setup is pretty annoying the first few times you try it. Eventually I got the hang of it, but since I still haven't shut it down after I got 1 hour and 45 minutes ago, I haven't had the chance to really put it to much use. The touch sensitive buttons at the top (WOW VIDEO, WOW AUDIO, Mail, Mute) are easy to use and everything worked right out of the box for me.

The FN and CTRL keyswitch didn't seem like it would bother me, but it does. It's pretty annoying, definitely not a factor to keep you from buying this laptop though. I assume it'll become easier with time. In addition I have some issue with the keyboard's space bar. It seems like while typing I have to press it a smudge harder than I do for other laptops.

Gaming and Disk Tray Noise:

I installed Civ IV Beyond the Sword and the game runs so quietly even with graphics turned up to High. I was running the game along with AIM, and Firefox open and my laptop was silent, I could barely hear the fans. However whenever you put a disc in, the laptop becomes really loud for the first minute or so. After that the disc noise goes away.

Well that's pretty much all I have for you right now. In case anyone was wondering I got a 4.5 score on Windows Vista Experience rating. My lowest score (4.5) was due to the graphics card.

Hope this helped. Feel free to ask any questions.

 

Great Review, thanks for sharing. now go take pictures!

 

I can take pictures if you guys want, I just figured you guys had your fill on the pictures, guess you can never have to many though, right?

 

its nice to know your touch sensitive buttons are working...hopefully all later shipments will work too =)
hows your smart battery button working?

 

Are you talking about the button on the left side of the keyboard that allows you to charge usb devices, when the laptop is powered off? I haven't tried that feature yet.

 

No the Buttons that say WOW Vid and WOW aud

 

He's referring to the button above the USB charge button, which enables "smart charging" for the laptop battery.

 

Oh, yeah I see that, haven't used it since my battery is already at 100%.

 

Congrats on the new notebook.

The review is very informative.

As for the sound, I would recommend that you tweak it to improve the quality.
_____________________________
Also, lemme give you my pre-requisites for owning a gaming notebook:

Remember these things to have your notebook be healthy for years:

1) Battery: to maintain the longevity of any rechargeable battery
- you must NEVER overcharge it [especially for long durations of time] by keeping it plugged into AC
- when it reaches 100% you should unplug it and let it discharge to 5-15%, then plug it back to power
- OR you can just charge it to 50%+ and remove the battery and store in cool place.. not the fridge [remember to use it occasionally 3-4 time a year to charge and discharge it].

2.) Heat: to prevent a healthy notebook from overheating
- ALWAYS use the notebook on a hard & flat surface
- RECOMMENDED to be used on a notebook cooler... namely the Zalman ZM-NC1000
- check your fans underneath occasionally (at least once a month) for any dust clogs [clean them out with Q-tips and air cans/compressors]
- ALWAYS monitor the temps (CPU, GPU, HDD, etc..) to watch for fluctuations, which would indicate overheating

By doing these simple things, your entire system will easily last for more than 3 years.

 

Thanks.

I haven't been able to pry myself away from this computer. From 6:30 PM onwards I've been on it, and now it's almost 12 AM in the morning. I have to golf tomorrow, hopefully I'm not too exhausted.

This laptop rocks, I still can't get over how sleek and professional it looks, with the amount of power it has under the hood.

 

how did you get it so quick, thought they were only shipping orders made through july 16th, and you ordered 11 days after that

 

That's a great review, Ninjazn! I've gotten my Sager NP2090 and I've been loving it as well, my only gripe would have to be the swapped Fn and CTRL keys, which I'm not used to.

If I wasn't so busy with school at the moment, I might do a review but alas, time is an issue for me now.

 

I had a typo, I ordered it on June 27th. Sorry about that, I edited the original post now.

 

great review, i think im going to write a short one in the next few days, though i dont want to clutter up the board if other people write reviews too so i hope it's ok.

the keyboard flex seems to be more situated on the left side IMO and around the edges. it's more than what i would have liked but definately not a problem. I do like how the inside of the notebook looks, very professional. even reminds me of IBM ThinkPads.

 

I'm glad to hear that it looks professional in person. Mine should be here tomorrow. Can't wait.

My day won't be too busy tomorrow so I should have time to play with it sufficiently =).

If people want me to review it / post pictures I'd be glad to, though many people have done that at this point, of course. But I know that seeing new things written about it or seeing new pictures helped my wait, maybe I can help others with their waits

 

Many have not done a full review for NBR though... only one recently.

So you can be the second.

 

do more reviews!!!! =)

 

Also incase anyone was wondering, my laptop has all the features of the IFL90, fingerprint reader, black case, etc. All the packaging says IFL90 as well, however on the bottom of the laptop it says FL90. Odd.

 

Nice review. Pictures are always welcome, the more the merrier - pix from actual owners give a good counterbalance to the posed (and who knows, airbrushed?) pix put out by the manufacturer and resellers.

 

The FL90 was the European version. It had a slightly different case and normal buttons rather than heat sensitive buttons above the keyboard. That's weird it would say that, though.

 

I got mine today at about 1pm. I also have the FL90 just like yours. I got the sager2090 from powernotebooks.

My specs are:
15.4" WXGA (1280 x 800) "Glossy"
Intel® Core™2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz Processor
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
1GB (1 SODIMM) DDR2/667 Memory
1GB Intel® Turbo Memory (Robson) - (Vista Only)
80GB SATA/150 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM
Built-in Bluetooth Wireless

My benchmark from 3DMark06 is 3400.

Btw guys anyone know how I can check my Arctic Silver 5? Is it possible to configure it?

So far I am really happy with it. There is a bit of heat on the left hand side of the keyboard though. Not really a big deal. I am still messing with it.

 

Arctic Silver 5 is a thermal compound used on components such as the CPU, it distributes/transfers heat. You don't do anything with it.

 

Congrats on the new notebook.

lemme give you my pre-requisites for owning a gaming notebook:

Remember these things to have your notebook be healthy for years:

1) Battery: to maintain the longevity of any rechargeable battery
- you must NEVER overcharge it [especially for long durations of time] by keeping it plugged into AC
- when it reaches 100% you should unplug it and let it discharge to 5-15%, then plug it back to power
- OR you can just charge it to 50%+ and remove the battery and store in cool place.. not the fridge [remember to use it occasionally 3-4 time a year to charge and discharge it].

2.) Heat: to prevent a healthy notebook from overheating
- ALWAYS use the notebook on a hard & flat surface
- RECOMMENDED to be used on a notebook cooler... namely the Zalman ZM-NC1000
- check your fans underneath occasionally (at least once a month) for any dust clogs [clean them out with Q-tips and air cans/compressors]
- ALWAYS monitor the temps (CPU, GPU, HDD, etc..) to watch for fluctuations, which would indicate overheating

By doing these simple things, your entire system will easily last for more than 3 years.

P.S. I know that I just posted this in this thread already... but people NEED TO BE INFORMED.

 

Gophn on my current laptop after it charges to 100% it says AC power so i assume that it is using the juice from the plug and therefore not overcharging my battery am i right to assume that

 

Here is my desktop, I just felt like sharing it. I customized a lot of things last night as I was toying around with this new baby.

 

Here are some pictures of my laptop.

 

Yumm Nice plasma

 

Do your USB power and Smart Charging buttons work? Mine don't seem to work, and I'm not sure what drivers to install to fix this.

 

I'll try them tonight. For USB power do I just turn it off, plug in an iPod and click the button and see if the iPod charges?

BTW Onimun, it's actually an LCD, but thanks, I love it.