I'm finding that information on the Sager upgrade process is surprisingly rare.

From what I understand, Sagers are upgradeable. But beyond this, I cannot nail down a good solid list of upgrade procedures and expectations for each part. I've never owned a Sager nor have I ever assembled a laptop (I've assembled desktop machines of course) so for the sake of clarification I figure I could ask you guys.

How accessible is the processor? I'm on the assumption that it is held in place much like on a desktop; held into it's socket via a latch based mechanism. Similarly, I assume the heatsink is going to be a part of the latch rather than removable in some fashion.

I have a container of Arctic Silver 5 on my desk (for my desktop). A very good brand of thermal paste, but how does it compare to the diamond compound Sager offers for an extra 40 dollars during configuration? I imagine it's not worth the extra funds when I can simply wipe the standard compound off with some rubbing alcohol and apply a pea of AC5 in it's place.

As I understand, the drive bay, network adapter slot and HDD bay are all screw-based. I imagine the HDD is 2.5" while the optical drive is Slim Internal. Having never had reason to purchase a Slim Internal before, I'm assuming that it would be little hassle to swap their face plates?

For the HDD, lets humor the idea of getting an SSD upgrade down the road for a machine that didn't come with one. Is there a vacant space within the computer to put it, or even a second 2.5" spot for another HDD? The model in question is the 15" Sager 8130, which does come with the option to purchase with an additional SSD, so I assume I have the option to upgrade to one as well.

The biggest question I have is the issue of GPU upgrades. Is there some soldering required here, or do Sagers carry some form of modularity for chipsets that I am unaware of?

How does Sager take to all this in regards to warranty coverage? Specifically if I change the thermal paste?​

 

Sagers are more user accessible than most competitors.

The processors are readily upgradable, assuming they're compatible with the generation of laptop chipset you've got (likely not if you're hoping for next gen one), and the cooling can handle it (likely can)

Sure you can repaste yourself if you're comfortable with it.
It's easy and trivial to upgrade HD or replace with SSD, or upgrade ram.

The GPU is a tricky story with variables not immediately obvious, probably should ratchet down your expectations a fair bit there.

There's the interface issue, and whether sager supports the upgrade with their bios, and the heat sink issue.

They can change interfaces on future GPUs leaving you stuck.
Sager might not support your hoped for GPU in their bios.
There's also a problem with how much power you get to the laptop from the power brick (power adapter), but you can upgrade it for some money. The 8130 is limited to GPUs of about nvidia 560M power unless you upgrade the power brick. The 8150 comes already with the stronger power brick, so perhaps a better choice if your goal is faster GPU.
You might need to buy a heatsink kit for the new GPU to fit your rig, or the heatsink might not fit period.
None of this is really the fault of sager, it's just the state of graphics upgrades for laptops today.

If you're planning on a much faster GPU maybe you should consider an 8150 in the first place and probably got a faster GPU to start also.

 

Check out theriko's sig for Clevo manuals. There are very nice colored photos depicting any disassembly process you might need to undertake.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/7251448-post1731.html

As for repasting yourself, I don't believe it voids the warranty, but I'm not sure.

 

Right, I figured that was all bread. However, what I'm wondering is how the Sager handles adding an SSD alongside whatever HDD might be in the machine already. I assume so since SSDs aren't' too big anyways, but it's good to be sure ahead of time.

I'm cool with that. I figured the GPU would be a tricky upgrade, and I'm fine with leaving it as is. Mind you I haven't bought the computer yet, hence why I can't yet poke around inside for myself.

Also, thanks for the link gwilled. I'll have to sort those files out later to find any I need.

 

If you describe your intended uses folks can give good advice on which GPU might be good for ya

 

You just have to make sure that the machine you're getting has room for it. For example, the P150HM only has room for one hard drive and one optical drive. If you remove the optical drive and install a caddy, you can do the SDD + HDD combo you mentioned. There isn't a lot of extra room in the machines ot just add a drive though, unless you swap out the optical drive or buy a machine with multiple hard drive bays (like the P170HM).

 

Oh hey, a Malibal rep. I was looking at your website a short while ago actually, but the lack of HST and end-customer brokerage fees meant that my Canadian order was probably going to come via a mailman equipped with the appropriate latex gloves to get the additional at-the-door fees from me...

Anyways, you guys get kudos for having the sleekest web presence out of the resellers I searched through.

In any case, the option to remove the optical drive in favor of an SSD later isn't so bad. Being a 15" profile machine, I imagine the 8130 fits this limitation as well. But yeah, that was what I was wondering; if the 15" frames could hold all three devices despite the limited space allocation.

As for my own usage, the Sager is basically intended as an extension of my home desktop. The details of my model hunt since arriving here on NBR can be found here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...reflex-notebook-sager-looking-some-input.html

Production first and gaming second, basically.

In any case, from what I gather the only components of a Sager you cannot easily customize are the GPU and chassis specific things like the screen and speakers. This is certainly more than plenty compared to the competition.


EDIT: Actually, now that I know you're here MALIBAL #2, mind if I ask a question? I'm wondering how often you guys do dealings in Canada. I'm literally as far away from Vegas as you can get on this continent (St. John's, walking distance from the most easternmost point in NA) so the two-way shipping warranty coverage would certainly be put to the test.

 

For a canadian probably best to buy from a canadian reseller like reflex or fortnax, many happy customer of both

 

The stickies at the top of the forum have all the info you need.

Look here for resellers in your area - http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...eller-info-read-before-posting.html#resellers

 

gpu upgrade soldering required!?
normally no, but if u want some unique upgrade then yes......but i think this gen clevo machine will detect gpu id from both core & bios when bootup , if find difference>>>black screen
just like i flash gtx570m bios into 580m get blackscreen, till i asked expert to mod 570m bios id 1210>>>1211 then succeed!
now im gonna try 480m bios(which id mod to 108a) on my gf110-375-a1 based 480m

 

Yeah, Reflex has been the top of my list since I started looking. Malibal came up as a possible alternative when I was checking all my available options.

Not...really...

Not to say that isn't a fantastic topic, but the issues I've been asking about aren't really covered in depth there (unless it's buried in the topic and I missed it). Upgrade basics, for example, for guys like me who have yet to physically handle or even see a Sager to see exactly how the ease-of-use upgrades are maintained.

It's through that topic that I noticed that Reflex lacks a BBB grade, while Malibal does. That's one of the main reasons I started looking them up as an alternative. Plus Mr. Mysterious wrote a great review for the 8130 that helped me narrow down my choice of model to that one.

 

Do a search in the mediafire link posted on theriko's signature for the P15xHM and you'll find the service manual. It'll show in-depth instructions on how to upgrade the components you have in question.

 

quick question, does this give you better battery life, when flashed to the 570m bios?