Help setting up my new NP8170

"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

Sorry for the noob post, but this is the first customized laptop that I've ever purchased, and I'm going to need some major hand-holding through the setup process. I was hoping someone here could help to walk me through it.

Let me preface this by saying that I have zero experience when it comes to any technical aspects of computers. I know how to surf the web, watch movies, and use Word. I know nothing of BIOS, drivers, AHCI, IDE, or any other words I've read on these forums. I just know that I'm intimidated.

Here is the machine that I ordered from Xoticpc yesterday:

Sager NP8170

-17.3" FHD 16:9 120Hz 3D "MatteType" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Screen (1920x1080) - With 1 Pair NVIDIA 3D Glasses (Can only be used NVIDIA 485M)

-2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 2.2-3.3GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache)

-IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU

-nVidia GeForce GTX 485M 2,048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11 (User Upgradeable)

-8,192MB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) I have 2x 4GB of RAM from Newegg that I'm going to install to bring it up to 16GB

-Crucial M4 128GB SSD Purchased from Newegg. Installing myself when I get the laptop

-500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)

-Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive w/ Software

-Intel® Advanced-N 6230 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth

-Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's + Microsoft Office Starter 2010 - Included with OS Purchase

Is there a thread(s) on the boards that would walk me through the setup for an SSD as a boot drive with an HDD as a data drive? I want to try this myself, but I don't want to screw my brand new system up. Installing the hardware (SSD, RAM) will be straightforward; JP from Xotic emailed me a disassembly guide for the NP8170. My problem will be with installing the OS, software, drivers, and any other terrifying setup requirements.

I hope my post isn't a jumbled mess. I'm just hoping for some serious paint by numbers guidance here. I appreciate any help anyone can offer. I'm sure I'll have more questions as folks respond to this. Thanks!

 

The first thing I would do is hop on to the Sager web site and download all the drivers for your particular model. You'll get a driver CD in the package, but the ones on the web site should be more up to date.

For adding the SSD, you'll want to put that drive in where the 500 GB one will be. That way you'll be able to take advantage of the Crucial M4's SATA 6 Gb/s connection. After putting in the SSD, install Windows right away with the OEM disc you'll receive with the machine. That way, the drive will be properly aligned for optimal performance.

Once you've installed Windows and all the drivers, then you can set to the task of installing the original 500 GB hard drive. You'll need to buy a caddy in which to put the drive. Remove the optical drive per the instructions you were sent. In order to preserve the aesthetics of the notebook, you can remove the faceplate from your optical drive (it's held on with plastic tabs) and snap it into the caddy. Once that's all put together, slide the assembly into the optical drive bay and secure it. When you power on your system, go into the BIOS and make sure that both the hard drive and SSD are recognized, and make sure the SSD is the first boot device. Save any changes and restart. When you get into Windows, it should automatically detect the new drive. It may ask you to reboot again, so do so. After that, you can format the 500 GB hard drive and use it for your data.

For specific SSD-related questions, look through the NBR SSD subforum.

Good luck and enjoy your new machine.

 

Hey genomics,

Once you get your new computer, get a hold of me and I'll help you out getting everything installed.

It is pretty straight-forward when swapping out drives, and Sager includes a driver and utility disc, so we'll get Windows installed and use that disc to get all the drivers back up and running.

 

Thanks guys! Do I need to get a caddy? I thought the NP8170 had room for two hard drives while still being able to utilize the optical drive. Forgive me if I'm not understanding properly.

I will definitely be getting in touch with you J.P. as soon as the machine arrives. I've read that Crucial m4's require some tweaking to get them running properly.

 

Yep, NP8170 has two drive bays. Sager includes hardware for both of them so we can install it when it arrives.

 

OK, that's my bad. I was reading that you had the NP81 50, so no, you don't need a caddy. You can certainly get one if you want to add another hard drive down the road if 500 GB isn't enough.

 

No problem. It's scary to think that 500 GB not being enough is a real possibility. Lol. I'm considering changing the second hard drive to a 750GB HDD. It's only a $45 upcharge and I'll get 250GB more. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

Thanks!

 

If you plan to do a lot of things on your machine, do it. I have two 500GB drives here and sometimes I have to delete things I don't want to just to keep a solid 200GB free for in-game footage if I decide to record.

 

I went ahead and upgraded to the 750GB HDD. For $45 more, it just made more sense to me. Man I can't wait until it arrives!