Help with some tough decisions on NP9150

This is the current build I am looking at:

Sager NP9150 / Clevo P150EM
- 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (SKU - S1R303)
- 60 Day No Dead Pixel Warranty (On any screen)
- Sager - 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3720QM (2.6GHz - 3.6GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache, 45W Max TDP) (SKU - S2R202)
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- nVidia GeForce GTX 680M 4,096MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11 with Optimus™ Technology [User Upgradeable] (ETA: End of June) (SKU - S3R406)
- 16GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (4 SODIMMS) (SKU - S4P761)
- Remove All Branding
- Standard Finish
- 40GB Intel 310 Series mSATA SSD - Preconfigured for Intel SRT ( Smart Response Technology )
- 750gb 7200rpm (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache) (SKU - S5R306)
- 6x Blu-Ray Burner/Reader / 8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive (SKU - S7R556)
- Internal 9-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo)
- USB Bluetooth Adapter
- Sager - Intel® Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module (SKU - S8R112)
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Steelseries™ Chiclet Backlit Keyboard (adds 4-7 business days)
- 3 Year Parts & LIFETIME Ltd Labor Warranty 24/7 Tech Support w/ LCD Accidental Damage Protection for Sager Machines (SKU - X9R203)
- 3 Year - Two Way Ground Shipping Coverage for Warranty Repairs (Canada) (Must be Combined with Sager 3 Year Parts & LIFETIME Ltd Labor Warranty)

Wondering if you guys can help me with some tough decisions:

A) Should I go with AMD Radeon HD 7970M (2048MB) GDDR5 DX11 and 32GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (4 SODIMMS) OR 16GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (4 SODIMMS) and nVidia GeForce GTX 680M 4,096MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11 with Optimus™ Technology

B) Should I get the Standard Sager/Clevo Non Chiclet Backlit Keyboard OR the Steelseries™ Chiclet Backlit Keyboard

Any other recommendations would also be appreciated

EDIT: Sorry for not mentioning this before. I am in Computer Engineering and there is a high likelyhood of me using CAD programs, development, gaming, and I am a photoshop artist in my spare time (not that I have much) I am wondering what is the max amount of actually useful RAM

 

A) If you can wait and have got the money, take the 680m
16GB of RAM will be enough, dont spend money on 32GB

B) I havent actually got the steelseries keyboard. I think the stock one is pretty nice aswell. Just note that the FN keys of the SS keyboard are messed up.

 

As for now unless you've got a massive amount of money to waste 16gb of RAM is not needed, 8gb is enough.

The 7970M is strong, the 680M is strong too but way more expensive and we don't really know anything about it... your call.

The standard stock Clevo keyboard is nice, basically made by the same manufacturer the Steelseries keyboard should be slightly better to the touch and have "better" illumination check THIS out.

 

I'd definitely swap that Ssd for something better. 128gb or 256gb crucial m4 or Samsung 830. 40gb just isn't enough and the 310 is pretty dated now. Msata is lower as well.
Otherwise, 32gb ram? Is there a reason for so much? Even 8gb is more than enough, and also easily upgraded later.
Keyboard is a matter of taste. Go for what you like.

 

If I were you I would get the 16GB ram with the 7970M. You don't really need more than 16GB and the 680M is expensive. I'd just use that money on faster ram or a the steelseries keyboard. Which keyboard you should get depends On personal preference.

 

I had the same setup as you but I got the 7970 card (680 is just to expensive for 5-10% better performance), 8gb of ram (don't really need more for gaming), 2.3-3.3 processor (again don't need really need more for gaming), standard keyboard, 95% gamut screen matte, and a 128 crucial m4 ssd (with an external 750gb hard drive)

Pretty good for only $1750. Im using it as a gaming, college, and portable military lifestyle laptop.

 

I posted an update of what my uses will be for the laptop hopefully that will help people tell me if I went overboard as well XD

 

well in that case i would recommend the 32gb, but im no software engineer so i havent got a clue

i dunno 16 might be enough though, but ram isnt that expensive. the gpu is your concern. i heard that newer programs eg. CS6 now support openGL very well(7970m)
and the kepler series arent so good for such work anymore...

 

With the ram, you could always start with 16gb in 2 x 8gb, and see if you need more latter. It would probably be cheaper anyway. As I said before, dump the msata and get a proper Ssd. Cheaper and faster.
GPU, the 680m is not out yet and is likely to be a considerable premium for marginal benefit. Stick with that screen. Perfect for what you're doing.

 

New Build

- 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (SKU - S1R303)
- 60 Day No Dead Pixel Warranty (On any screen)
- Sager - 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3720QM (2.6GHz - 3.6GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache, 45W Max TDP) (SKU - S2R202)
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- AMD Radeon HD 7970M (2048MB) GDDR5 DX11 [User Upgradeable] (ETA: Early June) (SKU - S3R155)
- 24GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (3 SODIMMS) (Windows 7 Pro OS Required) (SKU - S4R779)
- Sager Branding
- Standard Finish
- 256gb Crucial M4 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III) (SKU – S5R062)
- 750GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache) in Optical Bay (SKU - S7R412)
- Internal 9-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo)
- USB Bluetooth Adapter
- Sager - Intel® Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module (SKU - S8R112)
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Standard Sager/Clevo Non Chiclet Backlit Keyboard
- Sager 3 Year Parts & LIFETIME Ltd Labor Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Support - Special! (SKU - S9P211)
- 3 Year - Two Way Ground Shipping Coverage for Warranty Repairs (Canada) (Must be Combined with Sager 3 Year Parts & LIFETIME Ltd Labor Warranty)

Here is the new build I am looking at based on the suggestions I saw (Not sure is I should go for Blu-Ray drive or 750GB HD)? Again any recommendations are welcome Currently looking at $2,707.00 would like to get that to $2500 without losing the ability to play skyrim on Ultra and do the other stuff I mentioned before

 

It's common to have an external optical these days as it's rarely used. 256gb is fine for programs, but you will probably need the 750 for data. Apart from dropping down one on the cpu and loosing a bit of ram, there isn't much scope for savings there.

 

One option for savings is some DIY upgrades, such as ordering the laptop with minimum RAM and then order more yourself & install. This will also let you see if you actually need more than 8gb. RAM is cheap & easy to upgrade.

 

As is an Ssd for that matter. Good plan.

 

idk man thats a lot of money i would rather spend like 1,600 on a laptop and buy a new one at about same price in like 2 years

but idk how much u have to spend just saying

 

ask yourself if you really need the 256 ssd. if you take the 750gb drive in the optical drive bay you will have more than enough space. not all programs have to be on the ssd

 

Well I thought I would like to have at least 1tb of space if I'm not including a disk drive. Wondering if anyone knows what duty is on this laptop when shipped to Canada?

 

Or use the mSATA port. A 80GB mSATA drive + 750GB HDD, and you get to keep your optical. I would do all this aftermarket upgrades though. Including the ram. Save youself the money and do the upgrades yourself. Thermals included. I bought the best TIM tested last few years and the best thermal pads with shipping for $10, save 25 right there. Got 16GB of G-Skill CL9 1600 ram with heatsinks for $80 and a 120GB mSATA for $130, got free shipping on all of em. Save so much money....

Also don't get the 3720QM, highly doubt you need that. CAD, photoshop or gaming won't stress the 3610QM, no problem.

Personally this setup just looks like a bragging rights, see how much you can spend. There are just so much smarter ways of building this system and getting rid of what you don't need.

 

The RAM upgrade is pointless.

 

Reduce the amount of RAM. That's throwing money away. If you decide you really, really need that amount (you don't), you can upgrade the RAM yourself, which is cheaper.

Also, I would recommend dropping the CPU to a 3610QM. Once again, there is no need to pay the extra money for the marginal improvement that provides.

 

I would dump some of that RAM in exchange for the chiclet keyboard

 

Wish there was a way to order barebone systems so you wouldn't have to pay inflated a la carte prices.

 

Ok well I took your guys advice and chucked the ram for the downgraded 8GB 1333 so I save an extra couple hundred not including taxes, and will do the upgrade myself. Anyone know where I can order some good cheap ram (would still like to do the upgrade to 24/32GB myself)? as well where can I order a cheap mSATA?

 

You CAN order barebone Clevo systems. There are a few resellers who provide that..

 

You do realize that the msata Ssd would be slower and more expensive than a proper sata 3 one?

 

It's still something to consider for those that don't want to lose their optical drive, and need a lot of space. The 120gb for $140 isn't badly priced, and while it won't be quite as fast as a sata3 setup, it's not slow.

 

I see what you mean. I thought when I got my Ssd that I would be using my external optical all the time, but in reality there is little need for them these days. I hardly ever use it now.

 

Ya I think I will opt for the 750GB HDD and 256 SSD, and maybe an mSATA later when they go down in price, if needed. Anyone know where I can get RAM (32 GB or 24 GB) for this device for a good price?

BTW I do intend to run a couple VMs which is why I want the RAM and CPU increase

 

newegg.com, tigerdirect.com, and amazon.com are the first 3 that come to mind for getting RAM. There are quite a few places you can check out if you do a Google search.

Just be sure you are looking for DDR3 SODIMM memory and also make sure it is PnP and not the XMP if you are going over 1333Mhz memory.

The XMP requires BIOS configurations in order to set it properly, this is something you won't be able to do on the Sager/Clevo as they tend to lock down the BIOS on these machines.

 

There is some good hardware info here. Thanks!