NP9170 - 2 issues- power supply and powered usb

hey all,
i've searched internet and xoticpc and came up empty.
i have the NP9170 which i do love EXCEPT for the incredibly stupid SHORT length of the power cable and can't figure out how to get the powered usb to actually charge my phone.

issue #1:the power cord (3 prong wall plug to brick) is almost 60" long, then you have your brick. then you have your 43" 4pin section going into the laptop.
really?!

what this means is that unless the back of the laptop is sitting right at the edge of your desk, the brick has to 'hang' and for those of you know why it's called a brick, basic gravity plays into this scenario. my last sager had it right with the cord from the laptop to the brick longer than the 3 prong.

i called sager, they said sorry, they are all like that.
called clevo, they said email them, which i did, then they responded and told me to call sager. so that was a closed loop.

called FSPgroup (makers of the p/supply) who were awesome, but basically said, they are manufactured in china and not really able to get me an extension.

and i've been searching the world wide web internet super information highway with no luck on where to get a male / female extension. i've attached a jpg to show what the p/supply specs and the plug needed.



issue #2: what's the trick to actually get the power usb to be a power source when the laptop is shut down but still plugged in? my phone (or any other usb device) doesn't show that it's being charged. (and yes, i've got it plugged into the right usb slot)

any help and advice is really appreciated.
thanks,
jw

 

For issue #2: Press Fn key + Power button, make sure your USB is connected to the USB port at the top left of the laptop.

 

i have the steelseries keyboard and that basically put the lappy to sleep, and still doesn't power the phone.

 

No you did it wrong, press Fn + power button when the laptop's power is off, not when the laptop's power is on.

 

that did it! the doing while power off was a key bit of info. THANK YOU!

now if we can get #1 resolved, i will be HAPPY!

 

No problem. My table is only 28.5" high so I didn't run into that problem, by the way for P150EM power brick the length of the cable from the brick to the DC connector is around 67.7", much longer than the P170EM power brick.

Also that 4 pin connector is a little special I've only seen Clevo 17.3 series and Toshiba use that kind of connector (female tip on the connector coming from the brick). Some bricks for alienware are using the male 4 pin connector, so extender might be a bit hard to find.

 

thanks for the info. yeah, it's really really crazy they did this. my last sager NP8760 was perfect. of course a longer cord can only be better, but why they shortened it i just can't wrap my head around.

other than that, i'm loving the laptop. it feels better (that small foot at the back) sounds better, having an ssd drive makes boot time / app launch crazy fast. the full set up is 32g ram/ nvidia 680/ivy 3280 and the steel series backlit. i use it mostly for cs6 no gaming and then for some cad. but that friggin cord...

 

Since you got tons of RAM, you can look into FancyCache and make more use of your RAM for caching. For video editing 16-24GB will be enough for 1080p film making (CS5 premiere's case), if you can split about 4-8GB for the SSD caching and 2-4GB for the 2nd drive, it'll make more use of the free RAM.

 

jdubz

have you found any solution for your 1st issue , i`m in the same situation ....

 

The fsp brick i got with my clevo has a longer lead than the delta I got with my msi. You could resolder a new longer cable if you can find one.

 

i ended up getting the same type of cable (but it had a different connection) cutting off the both ends and frankensteining it to my brick. kinda ghetto, but it works. i was hella nervous plugging it in the first time but it's all good. really REALLY horrific that sager / clevo / fsp can't get and extension to vendors to sell. call FSP in the states (california) and speak to them about the right cable to use etc if you go this route.

 

It's much more durable and safe if you replace the entire cable....

 

that's what this whole thread was about. but since the cable is connected directly into the brick, we all need to get sager/clevo/fsb to offer a new brick option.

 

You can unscrew the bricks and do it yourself

Of course only if you know what you are doing.

 

why not get an extension for the end that goes to the wall rather than the end that goes to the laptop? That way you can rest the brick on the table/ close by.

 

Or secure it to the underside of the table and get a second travel brick if desk space is critical I suppose.

 

Good thinking, Meaker. Use a Velcro strap and strap it to the table leg.

 

Seems to be the easiest method, I only redid mine as I needed to change the connector. Plus it acts as cable management.

 

Post #15 is the correct answer. No need to do anything else. Very surprised that the Original Poster didn't think of that.

 

Because its the brick hanging off the table that is the issue here that has nothing to do with the length of cord from brick to wall.

 

I think the point is to add an extension cord at the wall to give enough cable to leave the brick on the table, thus eliminating the need to let it hang off the table. If the OP wants the brick to sit on the floor, then that's a horse of a different color.

 

That is the impression I get since he dismisses the length of the cord from the wall to the brick.