Leaning towards a Sager NP8157 (Clevo P650RS) and have questions

The time has come to upgrade from a Sager NP8150 (Clevo P150HM) that's held strong for over 5 years of use. Based on initial research it seems that the newly released Sager NP8157 (Clevo P650RS) would be the most direct replacement as everything else has a port placement or hardware configuration that I'm not that fond of. It would be purchased from XoticPC.

Normally there'd be no question about purchasing it, but there are a couple of issues that keep appearing in reviews of the P650xx line of Clevo models that this one will likely have: The screen and the hardware throttling.

So the normal IPS screen on the NP8157 will likely carry on with light bleeding issues. My old NP8150 has a fantastic 95% color gamut screen so would it be compatible with the NP8157 if the two screens were swapped out? I wouldn't mind the loss of G-Sync if there's an alternative. Also I'm wondering if the 120Hz/5ms screen option is any better than the default one in terms of image quality, light bleed, or response time.

The hardware throttling problem exists in the P650xx line and can apparently be fixed by using a custom BIOS update that goes by Prema in the community, but I wouldn't know if one will be available for this model or if it the vendor will ship it with their fix. What are the known options to fixing this at the moment and how/when/where can the BIOS update be acquired?

Any other information/warnings/suggestions that existing Clevo P650xx owners can contribute would also be greatly appreciated.

 

Contact [email protected] about the Prema bios you may be able to get it. They still sell the Sager NP8157.

Not sure about the 120Hz display quality, the stock 1080p is alright, but backlight bleed is the problem. The 4K GSync panel is much much better (RGBW though).

 

@Sabin17 Did you end up getting the 8157? I am using one now, also coming from a 95% gamut screen. I like everything, except I notice a screen door effect on mid-blues and similar colors. If you did purchase the 8157, what are your thoughts on the screen?

 

Those 95% glossy finish LCDs looked gorgeous. Definitely some of the best laptop monitors I've ever seen. The P650HS screens look fine, but are a little underwhelming by comparison.

 

Am I spoiled for life? Should I lower my expectations for Clevo/Sager machines? It's been suggested that the 120 Hz or 4k TN panel upgrades might alleviate the screen door effect. @Prostar Computer — any thoughts on this?

 

Can you show an example of, or describe this screen door effect?

I'm just partial to the "pop"/vibrancy in the 95% NTSC panels. It's not that current options look all around bad. The 4K panels are definitely sharp. Play a modern game on one of those and it's like... wow.

 

Yes. Below are a JPG and PNG (same image, different resolutions) of the effect I see. It reminds me of a low color depth or dithering issues. [EDIT: The effect I'm describing is in the blue portion above the tabs. ]

JPG: http://imgur.com/a/v99MK
PNG: http://imgur.com/a/sBlAt

I can do without the vibrancy, but the screen door effect is a deal-breaker for me. Where I don't see the effect, I like the brightness, color, etc. The vendor reps (and several forum posts) have variously attributed it to the matte coating, poor build quality, pixel pitch, or a combination of these.

 

Ah, I see it. I haven't noticed this in the 4K panels, and can see it in lower resolution screens only if I get within a few inches of them (and even then, it varies from one screen to another). As far as the 120Hz panels, I'd have to take another look at one before I can give an honest answer.

Mind you, my vision is not great.

 

My eyes are about 18-24" from the screen, depending on where I am, and I consistently see the effect in at least the mid-blues. If you have the opportunity to view a 120Hz panel, I'd appreciate hearing about your experience. Otherwise, it sounds like the 4k may be what I need. I'd initially stayed away from the 4k because of scaling issues...

Thanks again for taking a look at the post.

 

@Prostar Computer — just following up to see if you've had any experience with the 120 Hz panels. Thanks!

 

Hey! Long time no post - in this thread, anyway.

We have seen a couple of the 4K panels come and go with said issue. There have been very few reports on it, and looking at as many as I could in assembly and in RMA, it was seldom noticeable. Possibly there was a bad batch of screens.

As of late, we haven't had a single call or email about this (which did, as you said, appear to be a dithering issue).

 

@Prostar Computer — thanks for the response! Looking at the picture, would you say this might show a dithering issue that could be addressed by swapping out the screen? I won't quote you on it, I'm just trying to determine whether this is normal and whether I should temper my expectations accordingly.

 

You're welcome! I'd say that, given the lack of the issue more recently, that seems like a fair possibility. Keep in mind that Clevo, at any given point, can decide to go with a different panel, too. Our stock changes based on their specs/whims.

 

Understood. Just glad to have some confirmation that I may not be crazy and this may not be normal. /grin