Looking to purchase my first Clevo (W230), possibly through Xotic.

I've had an AWFUL experience with Dell and the AW13 and the AW15 (2015 models, I've owned both in the last 2 months).

I'm looking to make the move to the Clevo W230 (4710QM, 860m, 8GB RAM). I was wondering if there's anything I should know prior to purchasing a Clevo or from Xotic -- I'm looking to try to save a bit of money and I've seen you can save on shipping if you're an NBR member. My brother is buying his from Mythlogic but I guess i'm not sure who to go with on this.

I know the W230 has been out for a long time, should I wait on an updated model?

Thanks guys!

 

W230SD is coming fairly soon...I believe march... So definitely wait..

 

Oh awesome, I'll keep on the lookout for it. Do you know what changes will be implemented in it?

 

I believe the only thing worth mentioning is a 9 series update on the GPU...there's just been speculation about everything...either 960 or 965...

 

We haven't seen anything official but I'd agree with the GPU being changed to the 960M/965M as we are starting to see computers with those installed.

 

W230SD is nothing but a rebrand (GTX860M > GTX960M) with higher clocks...

THX@NVIDA for changing 3 resistor on the mobo to alter the GPU hardware ID.

We had better 9 months ago with our good old W230SS: http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/8456658

 

Can you elaborate? If that's the case I'll just buy one now.

 

NVIDIA tends to sell us the same chips for years in a row and only changes the vBIOS and some resistor on the boards (to alter the corresponding hardware ID) then overclocks, and if the yields allow, undervolt them a bit and there you go the next best thing.
That's what happens when you have a monopoly...

Anyway the W230SD is about 2-3 weeks off before you can hold it in your hands (depending on your location), so either way you will be fine.

 

Do your diligence and ask for a quote, see who can get you the best price for your Clevo/Sager. Larry at LPC has consistently offered me the very best deal by a decent margin and by far the most prompt communication, in my SIG is my second order from Larry.

That's my experience. Find out for yourself. Find out who can offer you the best price and offer best customer service.

 

The Nvidia 8XXM series were originally "Kepler" architecture cards. The 9XXM are the new "Maxwell" cards. But some of the newer 8XXM cards actually were the new "Maxwell" including the 860M 2.0 GB version for Clevo. So you're not going to see that big of a performance increase when going from a 860M 2.0GB to a 960M because they are both "Maxwell". There still will be a performance gain, but not as much as we saw from 870M < 970M and 880M < 980M.

 

NO. That'll have an HQ CPU. It WILL be an inferior machine. No doubt.

As far as I am concerned, the W230SS is better than the W230SD because of Intel's terrible mandate about HQ chips. If you find the 960M is a chip you rather wait for since we have no overclocking available, I wouldn't blame you for waiting though. *sigh* I hate the laptop market right now.

 

Wait so is it confirmed 960m and to have an alleged HQ? Source?

If so then..960 isn't worth the wait at all for this laptop..considering it's the same design..

 

All new intel mobile CPUs are either socketed ULV or integrated i3/i5/i7. It's a pile of crap. Any "new" machine *WILL* be using integrated intel CPUs if it isn't using ULV chips. Even the GT80 Titan is slain from surpassing the P37xSM-A and P570WM machines because even though its CPU cooling is apparently pretty good as well as the GPU cooling, using HQ chips limits the TDP and overclockability of it, therefore making it inferior to even a simple 4800MQ which can't pass 3.9GHz on 4 cores.

 

Whoa. This is huge news for me then. I'll deff pick up the W230SS then. I'd like to have the option to upgrade down the road.

 

You'd likely never get a better CPU exactly; since socketed Broadwell chips are likely never coming, but you would be able to CHANGE the CPU, or get a better one in the same family, and those chips would be able to have TDP adjusted if you want. If you're lucky, nVidia will re-enable overclocking on mobile chips in the future, and your 860M will be a banshee, even in that small chip.

 

W230SD does not use soldered CPUs...it literally is a W230SS with a rebranded GPU:

http://www.clevo.com.tw/clevo_prodetail.asp?id=779&lang=en

Clevo had no choice but to go with NVIDIAs annual scam and update it, simply because people will compare it with offerings other manufacturer, think a GTX960M to be superior to a GTX860M and make their purchase decisions based on that.

 

960M is indeed the same stuff as 860M. That's amazing. Maybe a small 15-20% clocks bump

Is it final the W230SD will have a 960M and not 965M?

 

You can kinda look at it as the NP7338 was one of the first Clevo/Sager models to offer a Maxwell GPU. The computers that currently offer the 970M/980M now had to catch up to it. Even though it was labeled a 8XXM series its the technology in it thats important, not so much the name of it.

 

You are not really paying for the technology, but for the features, performance, warranty, and so on.

In that manner, the $1000 "sweet spot" (first world sweet spot), is not longer the sweet spot, as you get almost x2 the performance for only 30-50% higher price with the 970M offerings.

 

So...Hutsady, what do you recommend I do?

Or...'if you were me'?

Or...theoretically, if someone were buying a laptop...etc

 

If you are not in a hurry for a notebook and can wait the 2-3 weeks as Prema mentioned, I would do that and see what happens.

 

Thanks for the clarification Prema! I guess Clevo wants to keep the board design and shells for as long as they have to without going HQ. I'm glad to see that, and to be corrected so I know what info to spread.

 

The 965M would have called for a different cooling system a different chassis really as far as I can see.

 

In Europe maybe in April...

CEG-hardcorecustom -
your UPGRADE base for Clevo & Alienware notebooks - for NBR & Techinferno users always something special

 

http://forum.techinferno.com/clevo/8580-next-clevo-13-line-up.html

Apparently the details will be confirmed once GTC2015 starts http://www.gputechconf.com/
So March 16 to 20.
If Nvidia pull a trick and the W230SD has a 960M I will not be impressed as I could have picked up a W230SS back in August 2014, instead of waiting till March 2015 for the same hardware.
On Clevo's website for the W230SD it states:
NVIDIA® next generation graphic
http://www.clevo.com.tw/clevo_prodetail.asp?id=779&lang=en
Also the W230SD doesn't have a DisplayPort connector, so I think it'll be a 960M.
Very disappointed indeed.