Looking For Clevo Recommendations

I have had one Clevo in the past, a Sager NP8660 a few years back. Since then I've had a MBP for a short time but primarily functioned on my desktop. Now that I am looking to part ways with my desktop I believe I will be picking up a laptop to utilize on the go as well as with my current mouse/keyboard/monitor setup.

Problem is I have zero understanding the Clevo nomenclature, and little idea where to start.

I am looking for the following things, and if anyone can comment, it would be much appreciated.

• ~15" screen
• Intel/Nvidia based
• Two HDD bays, I can part with the optical if needed
• Highest resolution possible, 1920x1080 or 1920x1200
• Quad core processor, preferably with HT
• Moderate gaming responsibilities...I primarily play Source games now, but want to be able to run Diablo III as close to maxed out as possible
• Price...<$2500, but <$2000 ideal
• Longevity: I'd rather pay a premium today for top of the line and hope it retains some value as opposed to getting any other laptop that is listed on eBay daily.

The primary function is business/databasing and Excel type work, but presentations pop up here and there so a good design is important...thus Clevo compared to the plastic and rubber of some competitors.

What's out there?

 

Welcome.

The P150HM seems to fit your needs, with your budget you will be able to get the GTX 580M paired with the 95% NTSC Gamut matte/glossy screen.

You will have to part with the optical drive if you want 2 HDDs though, that is the catch.

Can you wait 2 months or so? The new P150EM will be out with the intro of IB, and it will have switchable graphics as well as the backlit keyboard. With your budget, I wouldn't worry about the prices as $2000 is more than enough to max out what you are looking for.

 

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Thanks Ryan! I'll get to looking around based on those model numbers immediately. I will preface the following comment that I doubt any Sandy/Ivy or even the Westmere/Nehalem mobiles would have an issue with this....that said:

I should have added that an ideal world would allow me to hook up to my external 1920x1200 and run both external and laptop screen simultaneously. Immensely helpful for some of the data mining and processing I end up doing.

 

Yes it would. DVI port should be able to provide you with that resolution.

 

Just to add to Ryan's reply you will also be able to get the resolution you need with the HDMI out port.

 

Ryan or Hutsady...can either of you comment on the addition of Ivy Bridge to the mobile market? It was not something I was worried about at the moment with my desktop, I planned to keep the same Sandy Bridge stuff for quite some time.

The switchable graphics with improved battery life would be nice, but how much of an improvement are we talking here....substantial or just 15 minutes here and there. I realize this won't be a slim and light mobile unit as much as a desktop replacement, and definitely plan on purchasing an additional power cord.

The backlit keyboard is of note, but I am not sure that I can justify waiting two months for "the next big thing" which will end up surpassed in an additional two or three months as it is.

 

I would say def wait 2 months. Buying a GTX580m with $500 upgrade price is the most stupid way to spend your money with new tech just around the corner. the gtx 660M is supposed to almost tackle the 580. So basically throwing money. With ivy you get 15-20% gain for the same money. like you would get 2.4ghz instead of 2.2 plus better onboard graphics and optimus. I just got my laptop in dec, but Ill upgrade to this again year end. with $2000 in april you could pimp the hell out of any clevo systems! p150 is ideal!

 

Ugh. Maybe I'll keep my desktop for a few more months unless some outstanding deal comes around...

Thank you all for the commentary, particularly when you were able to reference percentage point differences. I accept that they may have been pulled out of you know where and have no factual basis, but I will still err on the side of good faith in fellow man and take it as the gospel.

 

acroedd thats some real weak logic. Once the new tech comes out it will be much more expensive then the current one thats already dropped in price and is discounted. And even if you wait to get the ivy refresh in a few months theres going to be something new in the next few months and so on and so forth. Are you always going to be waiting for the next new tech? Ivy bridge will only bring a 100-200mhz increase in clocks so thats hardly worth the wait. IF the 660M will be comparable to the 580M as said the P150EM will still cost more and you wont get the laptop cheaper as a similarly powerful P150HM. The only goodies that might be worth the wait really are optimus (if it works properly this time or has a manual switch) and the backlit keyboard if any of those are important to you.
I dont really need long battery life as im plugged in most of the time and dont really care for the backlit keyboard so i just went with the P150HM now and im really happy with it.
Also used primarily for work with databases btw.

 

Heavencry. first of all!!! wassup?lol
anyway i dont wait around for new tech, i buy new tech every year for the last 5 years. I have a upgrade cycle which falls on q4 for the good deals here in the USA. now coming back to the thread. let me help you out a lil bit. after ivy and 28nm graphics comes there is NOTHING going to be coming out worthwhile atleast for the next 12 months.

Am I not reading correct or... are you complaining for the free 200ghz and 22nm processor upgrade with better graphics and heat output!?

I will $1000 right now P150EM will not cost more the current p150 with gtx580m. do you want to bet?

I dont care about blacklit, but he might, I care about how my energy I use, I am a Mechanical Engineer working in the renewable energy field, we are building advanced Metal Air battery systems. so it optimus will allow me to use the laptop without my crazy graphics card which is 80% of the time, i am all for it! hope this helps yo!

 

Ivy Bridge will be nice but don't expect a real big noticeable difference on most use. When Sandy Bridge came out it was benchmarking at 25% faster then the first gen core i but in real world use its tough to see much if any difference. With the release of it being fairly soon it could be worth waiting for.

Switchable graphics is going to be nice, in theory anyway. We wont be able to tell how much of a difference there will be but i'd guess more substantial then not. The GPU is one of the most power demanding components in a notebook and if you can switch it off when not needed it will help.

Backlit keyboards are nice, you get used to them pretty quick. But as you mentioned if you wait two months for something there will be something else to wait, then again, and again.

Current prices are really good right now so it might be the perfect time to order one.

 

acroedd, you are indeed very confusing.

He isn't complaining but rather showing disappointment, 200MHz is an improvement, but so slight that most users wont notice it. And that "upgrade" is definitely not worth playing premium for.

You statement "I will $1000 right now P150EM will not cost more the current p150 with gtx580m. do you want to bet?" does not make sense.. I assume that you are betting 1K$ on the P150EM which is going to be released soon, is going to cost as much as the current P150HM with the GTX580M. That's slightly impossible Example: The P270WM is currently the most EXPENSIVE 17" machine out there, now it is way more expensive than it's predecessor.. I rest my case.

I did not understand the last part of your comment, care to detail differently?

A side from that. To the OP.
Don't expect much from the so called improved battery life, Optimus might sound as if it would do wonders but trust me, that would definitely require a manual switch! (which I doubt will be there..) besides, who would want such a strong computer with Optimus, I wouldn't, although it's a plus indeed.

And to the last but not least, the illuminated keyboard isn't going to anything special, it might look beautiful to the naked eye and to your viewers but all reason towards and it's just as ridiculous as a touch-button.

 

sorry my friend, a lot of typos! let me explain a lil bit

I understand that 200mhz is not a great improvement, i get that! what I dont understand at all is why is everyone whining about it???? for the same price you get 2.2 sandy, you are get 2.4 ivy with 22nm instead of 32nm!! and other features, why would anyone in the world complain??? its free!!! I would not wait if there was 6 months to be released, but less than 2, I will.

p270wm is totally a different class than 170m i hope you know that. I do not follow the heavy rigs so much. I can tell you one thing, there will be a clevo laptop for $1300 with gtx 660m. You probably will not be able to buy a HD 7990M for $145 that i can tell you! atleast when it launches.

last paragraph I talked about how much energy or power your laptop consumes when working normal apps and internet browsing! why wont anyone NOT care about it? low power req = good, high power req = bad ! hello??? also i was talking about how we can save the word by using less energy. why do you think they keep going smaller and smaller with electronics? more transistors, less energy.

yeah i dont care about lit keyboard, ill be using wireless key and mouse.

 

if you want to buy a 6990M and sandy its fine, but I still stand by saying. buy 580M now, you are throwing away 500 bucks! If I were you, ill wait till april, but its just my opinion.

 

I. Started. A. War.

Sorry all! Never the less, very happy to see all of the information that you are all able to provide.

 

Talking to me or the OP?

But I agree, I would rather wait a little, time is money, so why not wait

Wouldn't say a war, rather a misunderstanding. Good luck with your future purchase.

 

There may be many def'n for the phrase "way more expensive." In order to quantify this, the P270WM is roughly about $275 more than it's predecessor, the x7200, when equipped with (as many as allowed) similarly configured components.

 

I am talking as in now. The P150HM right now vs the P150EM, I mean there's going to be large price difference

 

I don't think the price difference will be big. All you have to do is look at past releases and notice the incremental increase.