Guide to Buying a Sager in Canada

Sager will ship without an OS but I don't believe they will ship without a harddrive or empty caddy to a reseller because of the way their agreements work. This is how Aikimox explained it to me when I wanted to do this for my laptop shipped to Calgary. Try to negotiate no HDD in the primary bay but an HDD included in the caddy? I don't believe they will ship with an empty caddy. I took the 750GB drive I bought with the laptop and put it into the caddy myself and then installed an SSD into the main bay afterwards.

Perhaps contact Eurocom in Ontario about whether or not they will do this.

If you want to avoid brokerage, find a reseller that will ship USPS. fortnaxnotebooks.com did this for me and it was the cheapest shipping option also. Reflexnotebook.ca on the previous page said they would offer USPS also. Some US resellers will also ship via USPS to Canada if you request it. You can also have it shipped UPS Worldwide Express. If you do that, brokerage is built in, but you do pay more for shipping. You do get the added bonus of faster delivery though.

Eurocom sometimes has a bad rap on these forums but their rep here once said that you could contact him and he might be able to get a better price because Eurocom's own prices for their fellow Canadians are pretty bad and don't take into account the current exchange rate.

If you have paid your reseller GST for your laptop, because the laptop is arriving to you from Sager in the US in most cases (unless you go through Eurocom), Canada Post may also charge you GST again. If that happens, make sure to get a refund from either Canada Post or your reseller by getting the GST number from your reseller or requesting a refund by them. This happened to me an Aikimox wrote me a cheque for $75 promptly.

 

Hi Hightowerz,

All Sager units need to ship with a Primary hard drive. Sager does this to ensure quality and compatibility. As for the caddy you get 15.00$ off for removing the ODD but you still have to pay 40.00$ for the drive.

As for the cheapest shipping method, We recently changed our ground shipping pricing with UPS to include the brokerage at 49.00$. You will have nothing to pay when the laptop arrives.

This will happen every time you ship USPS because there is no broker involved. We simply ask the customer to send us a copy of the invoice and refund them.

 

Hey guys, first post.

I come from OCN (a very weird place to say the least), so I'm getting use to digging through the interweb looking for dirty laundry prior to buying new products...

Been looking around for a Clevo notebook now for about a week (I hate Dell with a passion). I was leaning towards Eurocom, but just saw the debacle that has been going on. So I'm now pretty much set on two companies Fortnax or AET. The later probably being the best choice for me, as their head office is a 20 minute ride from where I live (get to save on shipping and/or visit them).

I have a couple questions.

1) Can we choose the TIM that is used? (no problem with extras here)
2) Do we void the warranty if we decide to apply our own TIM?
3) Can notebook CPU's be lapped? (lapped my i7 2600k, but not sure about laptops)
4) Do Hyper X's from Kingston with the HS's fit in the NP-8150 (cheaper to buy some and install it myself). I'd be looking into buying 8GB of the 1866 CL11 memory.
5) I have an extra 2.5" 240Gb Corsair Sata 3.0Gb/s SSD lying around, that'll fit where the ODD is, but is there something that covers up the hole made by the missing ODD?

A future Customer,

-Rog

 

Hi Rog,

I can tell you are from OCN since I don't often have to look things up

I'll do my best to answer some of your questions.

1 + 2) Sager, by default, only offers stock or IC diamond thermal compound. We can replace the compound at our location. I do not think this would void the warranty, but I will have to confirm with Sager and get back to you.
3) I don't know. I have never attempted lapping myself and could not assess the risk or result to lapping a notebook cpu for you. I can tell you that notebook CPU die-s are quite bit smaller than desktop CPU-s. They are also much thinner.
4) I am assuming you mean would they physically fit. Yes they should. I will test a pair in my 8130 on Tuesday and let you know.
5) The ODD can be replaced with a HDD caddy that covers up the hole.

Hope that helps!

-Nova

 

1) I want either Prolimatech PK-1 or X23-7921-5, but only the PK-1 is available retail (where I would be the one applying it.). X-23 needs to be bought 100+ apps at a time (hint hint)... which is a no go for me. So IC diamond is not TIM I think is worthy of a 2k plus lappy. I'll await your response, but the vids I saw seem to point in the direction of enthusiasts.

3) Good, I need to take the CPU out of the socket to lap it, so if it's removable without much of a fuss then I can get it lapped. On to better thermals!!!

4) Gonna wait and see the results.

5) That option doesn't seem to be there on your website. Seems to be the HDD with caddy or ODD's. If I get the ODD with it (initial installation needs etc) does the caddy come as optional or standard equipment?

Thanks!

 

You don't get to save on shipping or visit them. The notebook is most often drop shipped to you from Sager in California regardless of whether or not you bought it from Fortnax or Reflexnotebooks. At least that way you get it the fastest. You will have to pay for the shipping and/or brokerage from Sager to Canada in any case even if you pick it up locally or have work done on it locally.

Sager offers IC Diamond for a premium price ($25?) with most resellers. It was not worth it to me when you can apply it on your own.

No

Again, not worth it to me. The i7 mobiles run ridiculously cool and you can't overclock mobile Sandy Bridge anyway so why bother? CPU cooling is not the issue on these laptops. It's GPU cooling. Also, the GPUs have a lot of room to overclock while you cannot overclock on SB. Also, even if you lap the CPU, you not be able to lap the heatpiped heatsink module well enough and the retention mechanism might not provide enough pressure. You are welcome to try if you like though. I don't think it will have a large effect on temperature or fan noise as the most noisy culprit is the GPU.

I don't think 1866 memory is supported by the chipset/bios. The memory does not need heatsinks nor do faster timings have any effect. You cannot buy the laptop without memory or a harddrive due to reseller agreements. There are 4 ram slots (2 on the bottom and 2 under the keyboard) but space is tight. You cannot fit sodimms with heatsinks.

You never want to put an SSD in the ODD because the ODD is SATA II while the HDD bay is SATA III. The ODD bay is good for buying a harddrive caddy ($50 from Sager or you can try your luck with the Chinese ones on Ebay) to replace the ODD and put a mechanical storage drive in there. An SSD in the ODD will just slow it down.

 

Well that's good to know, but I'm guessing I'll still save on shipping if EVER this notebooks hits a snag. With the reflex warranty I'm guessing that they take it back in Quebec first then send it off to Sager for additional repairs if needed. I can just drive there if it's needed.

Yeah, I've got 5Gr of Prolimatech PK-1

Good!

I heard that the H67 boards allow OC's on the ram and CPU (NP-8170). And I just like to get the best thermals as I'm liquid cooling my current desktop. It's a disease!!!

Wierd, as his pic would say otherwise...

Spoiler

SATA 3.0Gb = SATA II
SATA 6.0Gb = SATA III

My SSD is a SATA 3.0Gb, but you can still plug a sata II in a SATA III port, the only thing is you'll be running at the SATA 3.0Gb speeds with the SSD. Which is ok with me, it's a hell of a lot faster than a regular HDD. So I just need to buy the caddy and I'm good!


Thanks Guys, now to find a buyer for my old lappy.

 

I might be wrong about the ram, I haven't tried it myself. There didn't look like there was enough room when I opened mine up I know the latest models only ship with 1600MHz ram

 

Fits just fine.

 

Apologies for the slight thread necro, but I think this question belongs here:

Can we get a French Canadian keyboard from Sager through Canadian resellers?

 

Just to confirm since this whole brokerage thing is confusing, ReflexNotebooks now offers as its cheapest shipping options UPS ground which will cost $49.00 total? Further your current special is free shipping within Canada?

 

Currently all Shipping and Brokerage at Relfexnotebook is free. We cover all shipping related charges.

 

Awesome. I've been in contact with someone at ReflexNotebook by email, but this clears things up nicely.

 

Waiting for Ivy Bridge, when it's released I for sure am ordering from ReflexNotebook. I exchanged emails with them, they answered promptly and were very nice to answer my questions.

 

Same goes for me

When i'll see ivy bridge released.
They will probably have a lot more order suddenly. =P

 

I think if I decide to buy that 11.6" Clevo, I'll be getting it from Reflex. Sucks that I'll have to pay the QST, but it'll probably work out to cost around the same as ordering it from XoticPC with the duties and shipping etc. I'll just go to the warehouse and pick it up.

 

It's always nice to meet the clients in person, just stop by and introduce yourself and see some of our goodies

 

That'd be cool, I'm holding out for Ivy Bridge pricing info, will you guys have that 35W quad core Ivy Bridge available from your site on Monday? Also, will you eventually have a Matte screen option for the W110ER like some of the other resellers?

 

Is the deal for the free shipping/brokerage still happening for the next while?

 

I am also wondering about the matte screen and will the IC Diamond thermal compound be necessary for an i5 cpu since the i7 quad core needs it to keep the temps ~90dgrs and under?

 

NovaH,

I have a bunch of questions for you concerning a new build I'm going to be putting together (most question concerning discounts and options not explicitly stated on the website). I can't seem to send PMs yet, even though I thought I had five posts total. Is there an alternative way I can contact you?

 

Reflex Notebook - Your Canadian Source for Notebooks - Contact us

You should call him, that's the official site and contact number.

 

I had a great experience dealing with Reflexnotebook this week. They answered all my questions via email. I placed my order two days ago for a 9150. It'll be awhile before it's delivered because of the 7970. Can't wait.

 

So far, I have yet to find a company in Canada that has Matte screens for the Sager NP9170

Although i have no problems ordering from a US Provider that has free shipping/brokerage.

 

While not strictly a Canadian reseller you can try MALIBAL for the Matte screen, they have the Canadian warranty option at no extra charge. (for the 1st year) Satori P170EM - MALIBAL You will be charged only taxes at customs if you choose UPS express or faster methods. Taxes which you certainly would pay with a Canadian vendor.

 

We'd pay taxes on delivery with any method. It doesn't make a difference AFAIK

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

 

Yup thats true, but we can be excluded from brokerage payments depending on which shipping methods we choose.

 

I agree with this statement. Malibal has a repair shop inside Canada and there Canadian warranty costs no extra including free shipping there and back for the duration of warranty. I don't think you can beat that so far.
As for shipping, you just have to worry about brokerake fees. Canadian dollar is stronger than American right now so it'll be a bit cheaper for you, but be wary of brokerage costs! In my experience of ordering stuff from the states, Fedex charges the most for brokerake, then UPS, then USPS for the least. USPS doesn't have up to date by the minute tracking and they can be somewhat slower at times, but they are by far the cheapest. I actually like USPS, especially since they use Canada Post for delivery in Canada who have post offices all over the place and most likely close to you.

 

Brokerage is included in the fast shipping methods by UPS. Talk to MALIBAL and they can explain which ones will incur brokerage. USPS has practically no brokerage fees AFAIK ($10, which is almost irrelevant at the price of laptops)

 

Though Brokerage is included with fast shipping methods from UPS, the shipping itself is substantially more. As I clarified a question in an earlier post in this thread, we cover all brokerage and shipping fees.
Also please note that though the Canadian dollar is on par with US at the moment the banks will still make a % on that amount so you have to calculate 2-3% depending on the bank/CC you use.

 

Why would I buy from Malibal (reseller) that's located in Los Vegas, when I can purchase from Reflex (reseller) who's location is Montreal?

I'm in Toronto, and buying from Malibal is just plain dumb. Reflex is actually cheaper.

P.S NovaH I need the forum signature and GO HABS GO!!

 

Wow, what's with the belligerent attitude? Are you saying that Canadians who buy from MALIBAL are dumb?

To actually be constructive here for me MALIBAL was more cost effective, plus they do service in Canada, have a great rep., awesome communications, EMS shipping... So they are certainly an option. That's not to say I may not buy from Myth or Reflex in the future, so I'm not going to say things like buying from XYZ is dumb, because statements like that are immensely ignorant of the variables of reality.

 

​

^Typical Habs fan we have here

Here's why I would order from Malibal:
-Repairs are done in Canada. So you don't have to wait a week to ship to the US then wait for the repair to be done then wait another week to receive the the laptop.
-They pay for shipping for warranty repairs both ways!

 

Here's why I order from Reflex:
1)Repairs are done by Sager or by Reflex (depending on your warranty), and shipping is covered.
2)Don't have to pay for shipping + taxes (its just taxes).

But hey, what do I know.
I wasn't trying to be rude, it just makes no sense at all, I guess people want that shinny Malibal symbol.

Sorry did that come off as belligerent or ignorant of the variables of reality?

 

Priced from both resellers:
Malibal
Lotus P150EM SE (P150EM-SE)

Customizations:
Promotions: $50 OFF Configurations Over $1500
Display: 15.6" 1920 x 1080 FHD LED AUO B156HW01 V.4 95% NTSC Matte Display
$95.00
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM, 6MB L3 Cache, 2.3-3.3GHz
Memory: (8GB) 8192MB, PC3-12800/1600MHz DDR3 - 2 SO-DIMM
Graphics Card: AMD® Radeon HD 7970M 2GB GDDR5
$200.00
Hard Drive: 500GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA 300
Optical Drive Bay: 8X Multi DVD+/-R/RW RAM Dual-Layer Drive
Operating System: None
Wireless: Intel® 6300 Ultimate-N 802.11A/B/G/N LAN Card
$35.00
Cooling: IC Diamond 7 Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU
$35.00
Keyboard: English: US & Canada
Power Cord: US & Canada
Branding: MALIBAL
Build Time: 5-7 Business Days (Estimated Time)
Warranty: LIFETIME Ltd. Labor and 3 Year Parts Warranty with 24/7 Support (CA)
$149.00
Extras: Standard Black Carrying Case

$1906.80 US


Reflex:
everything the same including the 3 year warranty and the extra to get free 2 way shipping.

$1965.24 + 13% tax

As you can see price is about the same when you include the conversion rate. THe only difference I can see is the time it takes to fix your laptop IF something happens to it. I understand Reflex can do SOME repairs at their office but I'm sure parts are limited since they don't build their laptops there. If they need parts they would have to order them from the US, which takes time.

So, all in all. I prefer Malibal for the faster repairs in case something happens. This is just MY opinion. So don't flame!

 

Further to that Reflex had no option to order without primary HDD, RAM.

Now comparing a P170EM setup

Mali:
Subtotal: $1,863.00
Shipping: Express Mail International (EMS) $123.80
Total: $1,986.80
-$30 if you got their discount from NBR or -$50 if you post useful stuff on their forums
$1956.8 (used $30)
Add tax + USPS brokerage = $2220 (and the tax is not 100% guaranteed, you could get lucky)
With conversion at 2.5% (standard credit card) $2275.7 CDN

Reflex shipped with tax (all inclusive) $2,308.01 CDN


So yeah, MALIBAL can be cheaper, plus you don't need to order the HDD and RAM if you don't want it right on the web GUI. Plus you could get lucky with EMS and not pay taxes

 

Nvm...I'm not going to bother.

 

Hi novah, do you think you could help me out choosing a new sager laptop ? Maybe I can exchange email ?

Thanks

 

Just call Reflex and ask for him.

 

got mine from reflex and they were pretty helpful.
can't really say anything bad about the whole process.
shipping was a fast, their response time is good, overall a good experience.

the laptop even though purchased from reflex (montreal) starts it's journey from L.A (tracking info)
so i don't see anything wrong with buying from US as a Canadian, if the broker services up north.

 

I got mine from Reflex in Montreal. They are an excellent company that has great service and
as far as pricing they are very competitive. USA companies are indeed a tad bit cheaper but in
Canada I can on find Reflex and Eurocom. Reflex being far less expensive. Eurocom having more
options to chose from.

PS: All Sager's will start the journey in Cali.

 

I ordered a Sager NP9370 with them on March 25 and it finally shipped yesterday from California, 18 days later. However, the delay obviously isn't their problem, as I imagine it was caused by the "back order" for the AMD cards I keep seeing on Sager's website. So far the customer service has been very good. Prompt and polite replies to emails. They even phoned me to confirm all the details of the order before charging my credit card. I purchased the full Reflex warranty so that they will arrange and cover all costs for RMAs and repair what they can themselves at their offices. I'll let you know how they are if I ever have any problems with the machine, as that will be the real test.

I chose them because even though the base price is higher than the US dealers', they cover the brokerage and shipping costs, so in the end it is cheaper for me. Plus if I need to send it to them for repairs which they can perform it will be quicker than sending it to California. And I like the personable service. When I talked to Xotic (a couple different reps), their customer service was prompt but somehow felt insincere, like they were just trying to grab my money and pressure me into a purchase (I dont like that hehe).

Anyway, can't wait for my machine!

 

Glad you guys liked the Reflex Experience (TM pending)

 

[deleted post]

 

hello, why reflex do not offer the AZERTY keyboard with the sager np7370 ?

edit : reflex offers it for +200$ (typing mistake ??) extra ! + 8 weeks shipping time ????

gonna PM the reflex guy cause there must be a sort of mistake !