I'm considersing buying a 5796/9262

Greetings.

I've been carting my desktop back and forth from uni for the past year, and have come to the conclusion that I'd prefer not to do this again. That said, I've been researching laptop models that will be a suitable replacement. I am still unsure if I should go for more portability or performance, but a lot of that hinges on whether the performance available at this time, is sufficient for my needs. If not, then I'll probable get something cheaper and more portable, and save up for when nehalem comes to the mobile world.

I enjoy gaming, however my tastes are such that I have a small list of favourites. Among these are things such as:
-Jedi Academy (for Moviebattles II mod)
-Oblivion (plenty of eye candy, and resource hungry mods)
-Mass Effect
-Half Life series
-KotOR (I and II)
-SW Battlefront (I and II)

Games I don't have (or are yet to be released), but would like to be able to play include:
-The Witcher
-Crysis
-Spore
-Far Cry 2
-Mirror's Edge
-Mass Effect 2 (I know this won't be for a while)
-Half Life 2, Ep3 (nor this)
-Hmm, that's all I can think of at the moment.

My current desktop specs:
E6600 (mild oc to 3.2Ghz)
BFG 8800GTX OC
Intel Bad Axe 2
2GB Crucial 10th Anni's
WD 150GB raptor
Seagate 320GB 7200.10
X-Fi Xtreme Music
Corsair HX 620
Samsung 226bw
Aego M 2.1 speakers (black)
Currently running xp pro sp2 32bit (yes, I'll get around to updating to sp3 ).

Now this desktop has served me well over the last 1.5 years, and I have no reason to upgrade any components at this time (I'm fully satisfied with it's performance). It'll be staying at home in a nice TJ07, for my brother/mother to use (and other people who come to our house) - so the hardware won't be going to waste. I don't go back to uni (Southampton) until the end of September, so I've quite a bit of time before purchasing anything.
At the moment, I'm leaning more towards the 5796 over the 9262, mainly due to:
-esata port
-lighter weight
-do I really need sli?
-lower power requirements/more portable
However, I am concerned whether it will be up to the games (mainly heavily modded oblivion) previously mentioned. If it's neither here nor there (ie, not portable enough but still not powerful enough), then it's either 9262 or a 15".
The reason I'm looking at 17" laptops, is I would prefer not to carry an external monitor with me. Also, I'm concerned with speaker quality as I'd like to leave my Aego's at home - I do enjoy listening to music (classical/folk/new age/hip-hop/rnb). I will most likely use an external keyboard and mouse (when at a desk), though integrated board with touchpad when sitting on the sofa (is it comfortable to have the 5796 on your lap? Maybe if it's placed first on a cooler, then on your lap?).

As said, I won't be buying anything until the beginning to middle of September so I'll be waiting to see, for instance, if the 9800 gtx is worth it.
I've got a lot of questions, but they all depend on what sort of laptop I'll be buying.
Ie- My current 22" monitor has a resolution of 1680x1050, and I'm quite happy with it. What sort of performance increase is there from choosing wsxga over wuxga on a 17"? Is it better to get wuxga, and downscale - if for instance I need to play at resolutions under 1680x1050 to get adequate performance?

This'll be the first laptop I've personally owned, so it's all new ground for me.
My friend who had an alienware m7700 (I think with 7950gtx sli), and a macbook pro has advised me to go for a more portable 15", as his m7700 was too bulky for him.
However his situation is different, as he has access to his desktop very frequently, whereas I'm away for 2.5 months at a time. So for him, getting a DTR was unnecessary.
My only concern from this is when the 9262 becomes outdated, it will be a useless brick- whereas something more portable may last longer (is my logic in error?).

Ah, I can't think of anything else right now. I'm sure more questions will surface, following discussion.

 

I'd recommend getting the NP5796. It has the latest and greatest of technology, is lighter than the NP9262, looks better, slimmer, far better battery life, and in my opinion, overall a better machine. The 9800M GT will play every game out there at max settings, crysis the exception of course, without a skip. Even Crysis is playable though.

I'd recommend just getting the 1680x1050 screen. It is easier to run games at native resolution, and downscales beautifully. If you want full wuxga, you might want to wait for the 9800M GTX and the 1GB of vRAM.

I used my 5793 on my lap all the time when I wasn't gaming. The cooling system is more than adequate, so long as you allow the vents to suck air.

You'll probably want to consider moving to Vista 64-bit. The disadvantages vista had are mostly gone. 3D Mark scores are slightly lower, but gaming remains top notch. And with games set to start coming out next year that are DX10 only (finally) you might as well jump in the crowd

 

the np9262 is more futureproof than anything out there today, the quad desktop processors and dual sli 9800m gt are plenty for any games that come out now and for the future. it is on the larger side, and heavier, but its reputation is well deserved.

in my opinion, however, the np5796 is sleeker looking and offers different array of ports, including esata and hdmi. but even with the montevina porcessors, it is no match for a quad core desktop processor.

the np9262 will (hopefully be able to support dual 9800m gtx in sli hopefully soon, which will be the new standard to beat.

the np9262 is in no way going to be outdated any time soon by ANY other laptop, and when it does, it's most likely going to be a new improved 9262.

plus you have the choice of 8 gigs of ram. and three harddrives

good luck, ps, i have the same dillema as im considerin one or the other. since im not a huge gamer, i'll probably get the np5796 with 9800m gt since its more than sufficient for my games

 

i think its kinda hard for the 9262 to be outdated? its running on desktop cpu ( supporting quad) which is quite future, if u ask me. most other laptops are still running on laptop processor (if not all) and the upgradability of the 9262 is just amazing. you'll be able to easily swap hdd from the 500GB avaliable now, to something of more storage when its released, and also GPUs when they come out.. all you need might me a update for the mobo.. and the cooling system for this is darn good, so OC-ing a little wouldn't bring you any heating problems at all. (4 fans!)

yeah so unless portability is your MAIN priority, then go for the 9262. its a true DTR if you really need to plant it in your school for 2.5 months. and not worry of any performance issues..

 

The 5796 will serve you well. It is very powerfull and will support your gameplay. It is more portable than the 9262 and cheaper as well. If you do not mind the rather noisey cooling system then go for it!

The 9262 howerer, offers numerous advantages: sheer power, super quiet cooling system and longevity. It is very high quality and very upgradable/extendable. Probably the best system by Clevo thusfar.

 

Hi Curunen

As you're in the UK can I point out that the 5796 and 9262 are Sager designations which you can only buy from N American companies. Clevo are the company that make the chassis (M570TU and D901C) which are sold by Sager as the 5796 and 9262, by Kobalt as the Mojave and Comanche etc etc.

In terms of gaming performance your desktop is sitting exactly in the middle with an M570TU (T9600 CPU and 9800M GT, 9,500 ish 3DMark06) on the lower side and D901C (E8500 and 2 x 9800M GT in SLI) on the upper side which will get you about 14,000 3DMark06. Also if you have a month to buy then the X9100s might be out by then which is a mobile CPU (for 570 chassis) @ 3GHz and with an unlocked multiplier .

You can easily use a 570 chassis on your lap but a 901 chassis is noticeably heavier and will get uncomfortable (though you can buy lap rests for laptops called something like Cushtop )

RE speakers the 901C's are noticeably better than the 570TU's.

As has been stated in the above couple of posts the 901C chassis is not really capable of being outdated as there isn't another laptop chassis that's even close atm. Having a desktop CPU riunning on a 965 chipset with 2 x GPUs, 3 HDDs and up to 8GB RAM is not something that will be out of date anytime soon - perhaps if you compare it to the desktop technology on the horizon but in the real world Nehalem isn't going to double your frame rate in games........

 

I would recommend going with a UK vendor if possible, for faster support and repair if its ever needed.
- Kobaltcomputers
- Novatech
- RockDirect

 

Thanks for the replies so far chaps.

Neil- If I do buy either of these notebooks, I will most likely buy from Kobalt.
[EDIT: Yes my 3dmark06 score is 11613 (measured in May 07- my hardware hasn't changed so it'll be about the same now)]

Well it seems now that the D901c/Commanche/9262 ( ) is growing on me.
Are there any updates for this chassis in the near future (such as esata ports, motherboard revisions etc..)?
Another concern is- isn't the p965 chipset close to 2 years old? Probably an irrelevant point, as this notebook can certainly perform.
Hmm, this thing's so bulky, I'm wondering is it worthwhile going small form factor instead?
I'd like whatever I buy to last me at least the remaining 3 years of my course.

On the other hand, the M570TU/Mojave/5796 looks nicer (subjective), is lighter, has more battery life/portability, can be used on one's lap - at the expense of slightly worse speakers, and noisy cooling.

I'm not really the sort of person who would carry a notebook everywhere with me- if so, I'd consider a 15".
Oh at least I've started asking these questions well in advance, so I have over 1 month to decide, heh.

 

It may be an old chipset, but its still a desktop platform that fully supports 65nm and updated to fully support 45nm Penryn CPUs.

So its one of the most robust P965 motherboards you will find... desktop or notebook.

 

Yep, the disadvantages of the M570TU are loud cooling system and average speakers.
It's worth to mention, though, that the M570TU is pretty quiet when not doing intensive work.

 

I'd echo Gophn's points about the 965 chipset, performance wise it is unbeatable for a notebook.

There won't be any updates to the D901C chassis in the immediate future so if you're buying for Uni what's available now will be the most up to date in September apart from:

-9800M GTX support in Mojave, but we're not expecting a large performance increase.

-9800M GTs will be available from us in the Comanche tonight

-Q9650s might be shipping in time for you.

Apart from the portability of the different chassis they are pretty different machines. One has desktop CPUs, SLI capable graphics, up to 3 HDDs but presently no HDMI or eSATA. The other has mobile CPUs, 1 GPU, 1 HDD but eSATA and HDMI out.

3 years in IT is a long time but either choice will last - pretty much everyone here would agree that both chassis are on top in their catagory atm, especially performance wise. An SLI E8400/Q9550 setup would arguably be the better long term purchase as you have more performance at the start which will still be pretty capable in 3 years. However if you don't need SLI or 3 HDDs and are not doing anything more intensive than casual gaming then I would say a Mojave is the better option.

 

Aren't they both 17" notebooks? How much larger can the 9262 be?...hmm, can anyone provide dimensions of these two? (and perhaps their little brother too?)

 

It's not so much the dimensions, it's the weight and the thickness, a difference of almost 3 pounds in weight, and a little over half an inch in thickness:

Sager NP9262:

11.55 LBs with Battery Pack
15.5" (w) x 11.75" (d) x 2.35" (h)

Sager NP5796:

8.35 LBs with Battery Pack
15.6" (w) x 11.5" (d) x 1" ~ 1.8" (h)

 

Hmm, is the weight of the 9262 with 3 HDDs and SLI configuration?

I am a bit worried for being allowed to take it with me on a plance. I don't like the idea of having to hand it in as the other luggage.

 

umm if i'm not wrong some guys here already managed to get that into a plane as an hand carry item in a notebook backpack.. so i figure it shouldn't be a problem.

 

Just for comparison, witha little tweaking, I managed to get a 3dMark score of 11021 on my 579 3. I'm sure a 5796 would be able to beat this (even if only slightly) with the x9100 and 9800M GTX (or even just the GT)

 

Does anyone know what the weight of the d901c is with only a single video card, and one hard drive?
Also, regarding ocz's new 17" whitebook: any ideas when this will be available through UK vendors?

 

Weight is still around 12 pounds.

the videocard and HDDs do not weigh that much.

 

airlines dont judge carry on on the basis of weight. As long as it can fit through the scanner, its ok.

If they ever did say its too heavy and you will have to pay extra charges, point at a fat guy (i cant say it any nicer) and say "well since that guy must obviously weigh 200lbs more than me, does he have to pay more?
Worked for me when my weight was over.

 

Hi there,

Nice to see someone else at Southampton! Are you a CompSci by any chance?

Pesonally, I'd recommend going with the D901C, the reasoning being that if you're going to get a good laptop to last you a long time, you might as well throw out portability and get a good system that will last you, be upgrdaable, be as powerful or more powerful as your desktop and offer you what you need for quite a long time.

If you want something with even a bit of power, you're making sacrifices on portability and battery life. You could go with a more portableish 15inch or 17inch, but you'd likely still find it a pain to lug around, poor battery life, and most often probably wont be using the power. Therefore, it's often best to throw out the concept of portability and just have a less portable machine you can take with you when you need to (holiday, your house, occasional times you need it with you) and keep it there (way more portable than a desktop at least).

The nice thing is, with wifi and the internet being so prevalent and accessible, you can do well to get a cheap ultraportable laptop (in addition) for taking with you for notes in lectures or internet surfing or chatting (and better yet, remote desktopping into your more powerful machine, so you get all the power and the portability for more demanding things, although not the games). Quite often when you want the portability, you dont need the power.

Plus, if you do lots of multitasking and work, as well as games, having a desktop quad core processor like you can get in the D901C is invaluable - you can just leave all your things open, multitask like crazy, get things done very quickly, it's very worthwhile. If you deal with demanding stuff, and if you want your computer to last a while, two cores just dont seem enough anymore. The Q9650 at 3ghz and a quad, or the lower quads, aren't too expensive, perform amazingly and will last well and perform well. Plus, having everything on your system happen instantly is always nice!

Nehalem is interesting and might be nice, but it's not going to be too far ahead of the current generation based on the reportrs and analyses so far, at least not for a while. By the time it really takes off and we start seeing some real improvements, it'll probably be quite a few years later, and you might as well pick up another machine then. Get something high specification now, and it'll last you until then. Make compromises, go lower performance, go cheaper, and that may well not be the case.

If you are into computing and use your computer a lot, I'd say a desktop replacement would suit you better. More power, more speed and more flexibility. If you want portability, get something portable to complement a DTR.

 

Thanks for that info.

Hi. No I'm going into my second year of physics.
That's a very compelling argument for the D901c.
I would probably use an external keyboard and mouse with it, which leads me to another dilemma. Would I be better off with a sff desktop (like a shuttle)?
Though having said that, I don't really want to have to carry a separate monitor + speakers.
The thing is, I don't really need/want sli now, and though space for three hard drives is nice, I can live with one with a few partitions. The more silent operation over the M570TU is very appealing however.
Ah I can't think clearly now, I need to sleep.

 

Viz an sff desktop (small form factor desktop), just my two cents' worth, but I'd avoid that route at all costs, unless you either have no alternative, or have absolutely no interest in trying to upgrade the system at a later date rather than replacing it. I have an sff desktop that I use as a home server, and while it's sufficient for my needs as is, I've been a little annoyed to find that it's almost impossible to upgrade anything significant on the sff such as graphics cards and the like - I can't even upgrade the power supply because it has a proprietary _Dell powersupply that no aftermarket vendor uses to make higher output power supplies.

If anything, an sff desktop such as the _Dell GX270 I have, is even less upgradeable than the typical notebook, and certainly than the NP9262.

 

Nah, already went for the 15.4". Partly because of the newer technology in it (although no Quad Core cpu), partly because of the smaller factor, and mainly because of the smaller cost even with the same configuration.

Also, I couldn't do that with the "fat guy", I doubt I would be able to find one on the plan that weigh 200lbs more than I do and is not an endagered species transported to a zoo for a mate.

 

the extra thickness of the 9262 is the deal breaker in my book, an extre 3/4" inch would be uncomfortable for typing/gaming

 

Ah - hope you have a good next year

I've been down the route of small form factor PCs, and although they appear cheaper, if you want a good monitor, you reach the same price point as the D901C anyway. Plus, you will never find as portable and high resolution while small monitor as those on laptops. 17" WUXGA or even WSXGA+ screen is great and standard on these DTRs, but you cant find anything portable like that for a sff.

Shuttle used to make an expensive but portable 1280x1024 screen, but they've stopped, so unless you always want to be lugging around a TFT with you (and if you want a good resolution, a large one! WUXGA = 24"), not the best route to go. Having it all together just means that although it's slightly heavy, you can just take it around with you, without needing to pack up a large monitor as well.

As a poster above said also, they're also not particularly upgradable and a lot more awkward to get at than a nice DTR.