Just a few questions

I have been reading these forums for a few weeks after learning about Sager laptops and greatly appreciate all those who post helpful info. I was debating between a few brands of laptops and all the info posted definitly told me these are the best laptops for the money. I just wanted to ask a few questions while I am waiting for the 6990m to be available.

1. I plan on going to college soon and am wondering how much more distance the 6230 wifi card will get than the stock one.

2. I plan on getting the stock thermal compound and adding better stuff if I need it later on. Is it fairly easy to add this myself?

3. I hear the laptop stays very cool, but like any laptop can get hot under heavy use. Does anyone have suggestions for a quality laptop cooler or if I would even need one.

4. How long is the average build time for a Sager laptop from a reseller.

5. Im coming from a old HP laptop with a old screen and I still think it looks good. Would I even be able to tell the difference between the non-95% gamut and the 95% gamut.

Thanks to anybody that reads and answers any of my questions.

 

1. That's a bit of a red herring. The 6230 won't give you better range- it will however give you a better connection at the same range as the stock due to the extra antenna (e.g. your connection may be 100Mbps on the stock and 150Mbps with the 6230 at 50ft from the router- just an example).

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the reason you won't get "extra" range is that WiFi is limited to ~250ft by design (and limitations of 2.4ghz frequency due to attenuation and transmit power) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11

Also related, Happy WiFi day for those that missed it today! (8/02/11 - aka 802.11)

2. Yup. Just unscrew the bottom compartment (two screws) and then unscrew the heatsink from the GPU/CPU. Then you just have to clean off the old paste, apply the new, and put it all back together. It takes maybe 20 minutes the first time.

3. Which model were you looking at? I'd run it at home first and monitor the temps before you decide if you need a cooler. You probably won't even need one.

4. That depends on the model, reseller, and exact config. The 6990 is obviously still in pre-order so that throws a wrench in things

5. If you're coming from an old machine and don't think that screen is bad- probably not . Check out this thread for a comparison though:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...-between-different-screen-options-photos.html

 

1. The 6230 uses two antennae, instead of one. Not sure of the range increase, but I hear it's significant.

2. Yes.

3. Try it out first and see. You can always get one later.

4. Some report getting laptops in a few days. If you're waiting on a part (like the 6990) who knows.

5. Yes, you can tell the difference. Check the thread on the screens here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...-between-different-screen-options-photos.html

EDIT: Ninja'ed by Malibal. Of course.

 

I would say get a 95% gamut screen. Good screens are 75%...so you can guess a 95% is stunning, and yes you will notice thie differance.

 

You will notice the difference, but it is by no means a must get. You could use that money towards other components of the laptop that will do more for you over the long run (i.e. upgraded wifi card, IC Diamond, etc.). You would probably be very happy with the default matte screen.

 

Agreed, I have the default screen and I am very happy with it. I didn't know I was supposed to be dissatified with it until I read these forums.

 

Is it possible to have the AMD 6990m on the P151HM ?
Getting the P151HM instead of the P150 would save me a lot, since I just want that card with a matte screen. With the P150 there's only the 95% matte, and the P150 is already more expensive.

I'm still not sure why a rubber finish and larger PSU warrant a $100+ increase in price. Aren't they exactly the same, inside?

 

I thought the same thing myself when Sager started offering the upgraded screens. While they are noticeably better screens, I have always been very impressed with the stock options for Sager models. As many have mentioned, you will notice a difference but you have to weigh that cost against other upgrades.

 

Thank you for answering my questions so fast. Im sure you all have answered these questions before and thanks for helping a newbie. I'm probably going to get the stock np8150 because I don't mind a little glare and use that money toward a ssd.