My initial thoughts on the 5720

I've had a couple of days with mine now, so I thought I'd share my thoughts (without writing a full review) -

Pentium M 2.0GHz, 2GB Ram, 80GB 7200 rpm HD

1) General Build Quality

Definitely a cut above most branded laptops - your HPs, Dells, Compaqs etc. The case feels solid, not much flex - the lid is VERY nice. The difference between this and my old Averatec is incredible. This is no Panasonic Toughbook by all means, but you're definitely getting a nice solid laptop with the 5720. The BEST thing about the build is the port layout - power cable and internet connection through the BACK and not the SIDES like some other laptops - much tidier and more convenient. Plus the side USB ports are on the right - I don't know why some laptops have them on the left, when most people are right handed. You can tell they've put a lot of thought into the design of this model.

2) Keyboard

Again, the keyboard feels quite solid with not much give to it, EXCEPT - the area where the backspace key is seems flimsier and gives a lot more to pressure, which you can see visibly. This seems to be the only area of the keyboard that feels cheap. Not the best keyboard I've tried, but very good all the same and definitely a cut above more popular brands. I wonder if everyone elses seems flimsy at the backspace area like mine, though.

3) Screen

Mine came with the WSXGA+ (1680x1050) screen - I selected this resolution because while my eyes aren't bad, they ain't perfect either. I also have no need for TONS of screen space. I was a little worried that I wouldn't get on with the super clear glossy display as I have heard people complain about the reflections and I've seen them in brightly lit stores and they always look too reflective. I'm totally pleased with it though - in my apartment, with a desk lamp and a corner lamp on, it was absolutely stunning and you don't notice the reflections unless the screen is black. Colors are vibrant, it's as sharp as anything and totally clear. I got ZERO dead pixels which I'm delighted about.

I have also heard people mention that the screen could be a tad brighter - well, out of the box maybe so but cranking the screens brightness up full with Fn+F9 gave me absolutely perfect brightness in my opinion. This screen is much brighter than my Averatec. Stunning, in fact!

4) Gaming

Well I ran 3D Mark 2005 and got arond 6650 straight out of the box, which is great. I'm sure it can do better with tweaking and updated drivers. I don't have any new games yet to test on it, but I did install Call of Duty and Battlefield 1942. No suprises - I could run them both at 8x anti aliasing with settings 100% maxed out in all ways possible, and they were perfectly smooth, even when the action gets crazy. I kept setting the fps cap for Call of Duty higher and higher, at 150fps I figured there wasn't much point in any more! I do however use the Audigy soundcard, don't know how much this improves the fps though.

5) Touchpad

I've heard people complain about the touchpad feeling cheap - I can't say I share that opinion, it feels very nice to me. The perfect amount of friction, definitely much nicer than most other touchpads I've tried. I will however be using a trackball mouse most of the time.


PROBLEMS -

The first thing that struck me was that the 2 USB ports on the side were loose. Not in the sense that my mouse would disconnect itself, but they have a lot of side to side movement. I would be interested to hear what other peoples are like. I informed Powernotebooks and they're contacting Sager about it. The 2 at the back seem more stable. Not something I'd expect to find on a $2300 laptop! I'm in two minds whether to send it back for something so relatively minor, and risk it going through transit again. Hmmmm. Maybe this is fixable myself? Haven't checked yet.

OK so onto the CD tray. Very cheap and flimsy! Again, very suprised to see a CD tray this cheap on a $2300 laptop. It's like they used the cheapest one possible. Of course, when you insert a disk you find yourself having to support the underneath of the tray because it feels like it would snap very easily. I don't know why laptop manufacturers insist on using these flimsy trays, every machine I've owned has had one like this. I would much prefer to see a front loading system like you get on Toughbooks, or of the slot loading variety you get from Apple. I guess it's not THAT much of a big deal, it's just that I always feel nervous about loading CDs into these types of tray.

All in all though, I think the 5720 is a beautiful computer and I've been blown away by its performance so far. It also seems to run very cool - even after 3 hours of Call of Duty both palm areas were 100% cool - the keyboard throws off a LITTLE warmth but that's about it. The fans seem to do their job very well and throw a lot of air out of the back.


Definitely the best laptop I've ever owned - I think this is going to make a few people very jealous!

 

The lid is very nice on the 5320/5720 series - no flex at all. I even put my cat on there, only budged very little. It's understandable of course . . she's not exactly 'lightweight'. And, the port placement is well thought-out, agreed. All the VGA ports, etc in the back, and nice to have a USB or two in the back as well. Don't want to be hitting the mouse cord all the time.

Hm, I'm surprised that the CD drive is flimsy . . mind is quite solid, and the 5320 has the same bay as the 5720.

Cooling is very important in a high-performance computer, the Sager 5720 definitely does a wonderful job. If you take off the bottom panels and look at the cooling, well designed indeed.

Thanks for posting. I'll link this into my Sager models guide as a review for the 5720.

 

Hmm. I wonder if I'm supposed to have a sturdier CD tray then? This one is definitely flimsy. Makes me wonder if companies don't intentionally build the first few of a model to be stronger, so that initial reviews are as favorable as possible, then they cut corners on the later ones - my friend has one of the first IPods and the build quality is obviously better, plus he's had it 4 or 5 years or so and the battery is still good, not usual for later model IPods. I wonder!

Seems like no other reason that mine has a super cheap CD tray and yours doesn't. They are similar models. What about your keyboard? Does it seem sturdy and solid in some places, while hollow and bouncy in others?

 

Well, my 5320 does have a different keyboard. Mine is very solid, the only place where I found it could flex is in the upper left, all the way in the corner. It gives way under pressure. But, I harlly use that area, soi don't care.

 

I was one of the first around here to get a 5720. I've had no problems, whatsoever, with mine. It's rock-solid. The CD/DVD tray is no more flimsy than any other desktop or notebook I ever used. You might want to contact your reseller to see if they'll send you a new drive to swap out. I tried to install a slot-loading drive, but the bay isn't compatible with anything I found.

The ONLY things I'd advise someone who's considering a purchase is be definitely sure you're a long-term, hard-core gamer OR are involved in heavy 3D, graphics, CAD, modeling work. Also, despite its sleek build, for a 17"-er, the 5720 is still not suited for frequent/everyday travel.

These issues hit me square, recently. I've lost interest in anything more than occasional gaming and I'm going to be travelling a lot more for work. Had I known this six moinths ago, I'd have gotten a different notebook.

For pure performance in a mobile desktop package, I don't think there's a better choice than the 5720.

 

I agree with you, the 5720 isn't so mobile, but for someone like me who will be moving it once every 3 or 4 weeks, it's ideal. Definitely "carryable", although you wouldn't want to carry it around all day. Probably the lightest notebook I've seen for the performance, though.

Can I ask you a question about your CD tray then? Would you feel comfortable loading a disk with just one hand? Or do you have to support the tray with the other? The actual tray feels no lighter than most other notebook trays (ie quite cheap) but it does have a lot of movement on the Z-axis (away and towards) as well as a lot of flex and wobble on the Y-axis (up and down), I dunno, I guess I just expected it to be a little stronger than this...I'd be interested to hear what other 5720 users think of the tray.

 

Wow, if your CD tray needs 2 hands to load due to that much instability, there's something wrong with it. My tray opens/closes smoothly and I use one hand to load it all the time. Definitely call your reseller about it. I'll bet they'll send you a replacement if they can avoid having you return the notebook for refund/replacement. Good luck!!