NP9150 Questions Before Buying

:hi2: Hi everyone, this is my first post but I've been reading the forums here frantically for the last week or so. I am starting to look for a new laptop because my Toshiba is starting to show its age, and it is also getting very hot...even if I am just typing or sending an email the palm rest on the left side and the touchpad get unbearably hot.

I decided I would like a laptop with a dedicated GPU so I could do some gaming, video editing, and other nice things that I could never do before. I was looking at several options at Best Buy in the $500-800 range but after some research found out that most graphic cards on those computers were very basic and can't run certain programs I'd like.

Long story short I did a lot of research and discovered Sager computers. After reading here that XoticPC seems like a reputable reseller, I am highly considering getting the NP9150. However, with the build I want that will cost at least $1300, which is around double what I was initially hoping to spend! So before spending this much money (I've never spent more than $700 on a laptop before) I wanted to get some input from people to get the latest information and wasn't sure where to post it so I just made a new thread...I hope that is ok.

From reading the forums, it sounds like the NP9150 is overall a great computer. But one major complaint is that the sound is terrible. I constantly have music playing, so I would like decent sound. It doesn't have to be perfect, but I hope it is at least decent. Can anyone that has bought this model recently confirm that this issue has been resolved, or is sound quality really that bad?

And the biggest complaint I've heard about Sager laptops is that the keyboards are no good-keys don't work, you have to push them down hard exactly in the center, etc. Can anyone confirm if this is still a problem? I am on my computer most of the day and type a lot, so I'm worried about the bad reviews of the keyboard. If the keyboard does mess up, will I be able to replace it? Will XoticPC take care of me if the keyboard is bad or the laptop has any other problems?

And finally, and this is not laptop specific...should I pick Windows 7 or Windows 8? I am using Vista right now, and I'm not sure which option to go with. Win8 is newer, but I have heard that it is really confusing.

Sorry for such a long thread, but I've never spent this much money on a computer and just want to make sure I won't end up sending back the Sager. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

 

I've got the 17in NP9170. Sound and keyboard on the same. Following is just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

I like the keyboard. 7 different colors over 3 different zones. Very responsive, no problems with ghosting. The trackpad, however, is flush with the laptop, so if you have fat hands like me, youll want to lower the sensitivity.

The sound is fine. Would I play a symphonic orchestra for 1,000 of my closest friends? No. Can I hear all movies/music/games fine? Yes. The systems ship with THX, so you have to enable the THX settings to get decent sound. All that being said, many members on this forum have opted to go with a 20-40 external USB sound card and have reported excellent results.

Win7 or win 8 is really a personal preference. I like win 7, and I had my machine shipped with it. I can always upgrade to win 8, but it is harder to downgrade (sometimes impossible) from win 8 to win 7. Either one will be much, much better than vista.

I had never heard of Sager/Clevo before this purchase. I used this forum quite a bit, and after my research I decided that the Sager gave me the best bang for the buck. Xotic pc is very active on these forums. If you search the Sager/Clevo forums, youll find a few of the reps on here who will be very helpful.

The main benefit to Sager is that they are upgradeable, even the graphics card. This means that even though you can only afford 1300 right now, in a year or so you can always purchase a new graphics card and switch it out.

Good Luck!

 

Solid advice from Ajfountains,

We really don't see complaints on the keyboard anymore. When the systems were first released it was a lot more widespread but now they're very few and far between.

Sound will be adequate is a typical thing we say. It's not going to be the greatest for sure, but it's not going to be so bad that you aren't going to be able to hear what's going on. External soundcards are a great solution if you don't mind having it plugged in.

If you're using Vista now, I say might as well jump to Win 8. I use it myself, find it more responsive than 7, and its usage is virtually the same in my opinion. You have to relearn how to do a search and navigate the live tile screen (not my favorite) but in my every day usage I go into live tiles about once and have everything else pinned to my task bar. You can also always install mods to the OS to readd the normal start menu functionality, but I don't find not having it really limits usage much.

 

That is just what I wanted to hear. Glad to know the keyboard isn't as bad as some of the reviews I've read. And as for the sound quality, I am glad to see it is not as terrible as I've heard either. I understand that with any laptop the sound isn't going to be perfect, but I would like to have decent sounds when I travel around with FL Studio.

One more question...I am not a very technical person when it comes to computer specs and I am confused on which wireless option to go with. Is the default option ok, or I should I pay the extra $30 for Intel® Advanced-N 6235 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth™ 4.0?

And thank you to both of your replies, I really appreciate it!

 

I just ordered the 9170 this week. I bumped up to the 6235, just because I've read that the performance difference is well worth the $30.

 

It's worth getting one of the higher end wireless cards as it just helps improve range and speed.

 

Ok, thanks for the replies everyone. Hopefully I can place my order for the Np9150 within the next day or two. I'm really excited about getting a nice computer but I'm also scared because I don't want to spend this much money and get something that has problems. It sounds like getting a dud is pretty rare though, but wish me luck!

 

Lol well good luck, if you get a dud hopefully who you get it from would sort it out for you

 

Actually, I have one more question...maybe a dumb one. I was on XoticPC starting to put in my order, but when I was customizing my laptop I noticed that all the GPU options say [User Upgradeable] after them. Does this mean I, the user, have to install the GPU myself, or will they put in the GTX 675MX for me?

 

XoticPC will install the GTX 670mx for you, but you can upgrade it to something else if you want.

 

Also the heatsinks are pretty generic so apart from moving/getting some thermal pads you only need to get the card too.

 

Ok, thank you for all the input everyone and sorry for all the questions. I am glad the GTX 675MX will come ready to go because I wouldn't know how to install anything myself. Hopefully that GPU will be much better than what my current computer has. I'm not interested in Battlefield 3 at all, but I saw it was on sale the other day for $9.99 so I bought it just to be a good test for my new computer's gaming abilities. Hopefully I will order the laptop tonight and if all goes well in a few weeks I might try to write my own review. Thanks again everyone, I appreciate the help!

 

Instead of purchasing a game just for tests, even though its just $10, you could download some free benchmark programs like 3D mark which also will let you know how well the computer is doing.