Need advice before my Sager/Clevo purchase!

Hello NBR,

I believe this is my first post, but I have had this account for nearly two years. I need to make some posts to obtain PM permission as well as put some questions to rest.

As university is once again fast approaching, I have been weighing my options when it comes to a new laptop. My previous laptop has served me well throughout two years of university (ASUS G50VT-X5), but it is starting to get a bit slow compared to the newer laptops.

Early in my search I made the decision to configure the Sager 8150/Clevo P150HM. I like the 15.6" form factor and can deal with the weight (the ASUS was around 7.5 pounds) and lack of battery life (I consider 3 hours to be a godsend ). I used to have a general idea about the configuration, but it is a good thing I did not rush to buy the laptop, as I now have a few questions that I believe NBR members could help me with.

1. <s>I have read on these forums that the power adapter is quite the brick, but cannot seem to find pictures of it comparing it to other objects (not the most photogenic hardware to come with the laptop I figure ). I need the laptop and its adapter to fit in my backpack, but if the brick is anything like the original Xbox 360's adapter I will have a problem with that. For reference, my ASUS' power adapter fit snugly into a side pocket, which can fit a regular-sized water bottle (sorry, don't know anything more precise than that).</s> StoneColdCrazy's thread included photos and measurements of the power brick, and it will fit in my backpack
   
   
2. Second, here is the configuration I had in mind:
   • LCD: Matte 95% Colour Gamut (Not a fan of glossy screens; my ASUS had full-on all the way across the sky glare problems)
   • CPU: Intel Core i7 2720QM (I believe my tasks require a powerful CPU and VT-d)
   • RAM: 8GB (1333MHz or 1600MHz does not seem to matter much...right?)
   • GPU: AMD Radeon 6990M (I have been a long-time supporter of AMD/ATI, and this card seems to offer ~GTX580M performance at very reasonable prices)
   • HDD: 500GB 7500RPM (After SSD prices come down, and Sandforce drivers begin to cooperate with the BIOS, I am turning this hard drive into a secondary drive and ripping out the optical drive)
   • Wifi: <s>Intel Ultimate-N 6300 or </s>Killer N 1103 (Triple antennas for better range and future-proofed 3x3 MIMO) I like the manual priority control the Killer offers
   • Thermal Cpd: Stock (I can apply my own compound down the road and would like to save that $40)
   • OS: None. (I can get a license for free from my university's MSDN subscription!)
   
   My hope is that this laptop is capable of (well... not all at once ):
   • Video editing, rendering and conversion
   • Playing games at high/ultra settings (I sometimes play StarCraft 2, and would highly appreciate not being CPU-bounded)
   • Streaming my games as I play them
   • 3DS Max modelling and rendering
   • Programming, debugging
   • Running Linux VMs and mobile OS emulators
   
   Now that my background is clear, are the CPU and GPU up to snuff? How much RAM would be required, is 8GB enough? <s>Is the Killer N card worth the premium over the Intel one, or will the Intel one perform very well lag-wise and range-wise?</s>
   
   
3. Third, I am in Canada, so shipping is kind of a contentious issue. I am aware that UPS Standard charges a ridiculous brokerage fee, but what other options besides paying over $100 for expedited shipping do I have? I don't care how long the laptop takes to arrive, but I would like to avoid the brokerage fee and avoid paying over $100 dollars just to ship it over the border.
   
   
4. Fourth, and the least favorite topic of mine is the price. I don't want to cause any bad blood between resellers, but at the end of they day I am buying from whoever can offer the best deal. I have configured this laptop on Malibal and Mythlogic's website, and with 8GB of RAM (1333MHz/1600MHz does not matter to me), IC Diamond 7 and Killer 1103 card, Malibal's total price is <s>$1,904.00</s> <s>$1,874.00</s> $1,944.00 USD and Mythlogic's total price is $1,865.91 USD before shipping. Malibal only offers UPS shipping ($65.53 standard + $75 brokerage vs $171.81 expedited), whereas Mythlogic offers UPS ($67.26 standard + $75 brokerage vs $171.88 expedited) and USPS ($79.90 priority vs $145.40 Express). Am I right in thinking that with USPS, even priority shipping has no brokerage fee?
   
   Comparing Malibal and Mythlogic, with everything totalled up Malibal would charge me over $2000 for laptop+shipping, whereas I could go with Mythlogic and skirt under the $2000 mark by a sliver. <s>To add to my confusion, Malibal has an unadvertised RAM discount and apparently a shipping discount for NBR members and Canadians, which would possibly put Malibal at under $2000. I guess the price+shipping question would be better answered by Malibal and Mythlogic themselves, but I need some more posts before I can PM them </s>
   
   Also, if any other resellers can beat these prices, I might consider them as well, but I have not seen anyone else include the 6990M in their system builders.
   
   
5. Finally, since I am in Canada I must ask about warranty. If my laptop has a problem, I don't want to also worry about surprise costs when it comes to shipping it back for repairs. <s>Will I have to pay Malibal to ship my laptop to and back from them? If they ship it back, will I have to pay and hidden/brokerage fees?</s> Recently, Malibal offers a $50 1 year free 2-way shipping Canadian-based warranty. I know Mythlogic sells a $75 1 year free 2-way shipping to Canada warranty, but will I have to pay any hidden/brokerage fees?

I am aware that there are two Canadian resellers (okay three, but Eurocom is just playing stupid with me and trolling NBR; 8GB RAM upgrade costs over $100?!) that offer Sager notebooks, but they do not sell the 6990M yet, nor are the prices as low. I would love to buy locally (less warranty+shipping headaches), but US resellers have the lowest price and 6990M for pre-order.

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Sorry about the long post; guess I have started my posting on NBR forums with a bang. Thanks to all that read this, and much thanks to those that help me.

 

first post since OCT 2009. Congrats!

Anyhow I don't know much about Sager/Clevo.

 

Welcome to the forums! Moving from a ASUS G50VT, I remember those quite well.

1. From your ASUS G50VT, if I remember correctly, is a 120W Power Adapter. The Sager one will be a bit larger. I will let some of the others users here comment on its size and mobility.
2. Looks like a good config for your intended needs. I think 8GB would be a good start and always add more later if needed.
3. You can try USPS. It is best to go express. There are a few threads around here on its advantages and that there are no brokerage fee's on express shipments. (Plus you get it faster )
4. Your best bet is to contact all sellers you are interested in. Nearly all sellers will Pricematch. In case addon's make a difference allot of sellers are providing Ram Discounts, Shipping Discounts and some include Extra Labor Warranties and 24/7 Phone Support with the purchase.
5. That is a good question. You will want to find out with the seller you are interested in if they cover shipping to Canada. We cover shipping for the full warranty term back to the customer.

As for the 6990M, it may be in your best interests to give it some time for release from all sellers. You do not see it listed from all sellers due to disclosure agreements with the manufacturer. In the past Sager has always been the first to ship new technology. Sellers that get their machines from Sager and are advertising the 6990M now will be shipping behind sellers that are not advertising now. Sager Branded will ship the soonest out of machines purchased from Sager.

 

Thanks Justin! I am hoping to order and receive a laptop by mid-September with the 6990M, so I thought now would be time to act on my purchase.

 

Most of the Sager Resellers should be posting the 6990 soon.

If I can help with anything don't hesitate to ask!

 

Our expedited shipping charge would be around $103. And, of course - there is no additional brokerage with this service. Please PM us if you would like details on our RAM Promotion.

Edit: We also pay 40% of Express shipping charges on warranty work for Canadian customers.

 

Thank you for the response! I just got to get PM permissions (5 posts?) and I will inquire posthaste.

 

Just a slight bump for the weekend, but what are some of your opinions on the Intel Ultimate-N 6300 vs Killer N 1103? The Killer N 1103 is pricier, but since I cannot find reviews/benchmarks on the Intel 6300, I don't know which one to finally pick

 

The Intel Ultimate-N 6300 card has been out for several months now with a very high user satisfaction. The rated speeds are simular. You can read more in the links below...

http://www.bigfootnetworks.com/assets/Products/Wireless/BF-KILLER-WIRELESS-N-1103-DATASHEET.PDF

http://download.intel.com/network/connectivity/products/prodbrf/323017.pdf
_

 

The price on our 6990M just came down today - so the totals in your first post have changed.

 

Thanks for the replies, greatly appreciated. I will update the post to reflect the price change as well.

 

There's not much difference between the 2720 and 2630. The former has vPro and some virtualization bells and whistles. You dont need the 2720 unless you're an IT admin and need the OOB management vPro provides or the virtualization for VMs. I'd save some coin and get the 2630. The performance difference is negligible.

 

One of my needs is to run Linux VMs for programming purposes. I am a computing science major and VT-d would help tons with running VMs. While performance in other departments may be negligible, I think the 2720 will help with running VMs and reduce some CPU bottlenecks when playing SC2 on high/ultra. Thanks for the feedback though!

 

Sorry I missed that piece about the Linux VMs in your OP.
That was the clincher for me: I realized I don't run as many VMs as I used to, and couldn't convince myself that I would actually play IT admin on my small home network.

Would there be that much of a performance difference in SC2?

 

The slightly extra CPU power will help SC2's framerates, especially during campaign missions or complex fights where hundreds of units are on your screen. Nevertheless I really need that VT-d that the 2720 offers, so it will be worth the upgrade.

 

When I went to the checkout the expedited shipping was $190. Why was it so high? Posted to BC Canada.
Thanks

 

Shipping costs to Canada can vary quite a bit depending on where you're located. You also have to remember that this Expedited service includes all brokerage fees, which will cost you another $105 or so - if you were to get the UPS Standard Ground Shipping to Canada.

With our 40% OFF discount, you can get the Expedited shipping for $114 total - and your notebook should arrive in 1-2 days, with no additional cost to pay except your local GST/PST/HST.

Also please note, that we offer local warranty service in Canada, and FREE shipping both ways for Canadian customers - so you can have the same exact coverage as our US customers.

 

I would stick with the Intel 6300N unless they start offering an Atheros based wireless chip.

 

Right, I forgot how much SC2 is CPU bound, though I thought it was optimized for 2 cores. Do the i7's overcome this somehow?

And, just curious, how many VMs do you run simultaneously?

 

Which resellers are offering this? Do you have it in Malibal P151HM1?

Thanks!

 

Hi, the 6990M is available on our Lotus P150HM, Satori P170HM and Nine X7200.

 

I think the i7's and their Turbo Boost technology allows two cores to be clocked at higher frequencies while the other two cores are underclocked, so two cores generate more heat while the other two are almost dormant. Heat generation would be the same as having all four cores moderately turbo-boosted.

The number of VMs I would simultaneously run would probably be two or three; one Linux VM and emulators for mobile app development.

 

We also have the 6990m on our 1611 / 1711 / and 7200 machines.

 

Mythlogic, will your website's laptop configuration be updated to reflect your back to school promotion?

 

They already are, just hit the NAv at the top and you can get to the configurators.

 

I think I need to clear my cache. Sorry about that!

 

Mythlogic, when do you expect to begin shipping the 6990?

 

I have the same question, also for MALIBAL. They mention mid-august on the websites. So, in 2 weeks ?

 

Hi, we'll be shipping the 6990M by August 15th!

 

I'm simply wondering who will be first out of the gate with them.

 

Sager and their Resellers have always started shipping first in the past of new Technology. We will soon see. Stay tuned....

 

Malibal is the price on the Dual 6990 accurate? I am a EU citizen and thinking of buying an 7200 from malibal so i would like to chat with you somehow directly on some discount options that i may have available

 

Hi, the 6990M on our Nine X7200 is a $195 upgrade from the 560M or a $675 upgrade for 2 X 6990M. We also offer warranty service in the EU now as well - so you can have your laptop serviced nearby.

 

What is the exclusive deals & discounts that you provide for NBR members? i am a student as well but i dont get any discount for that and the laptop price as well as the shipment will be very high :/

 

Hi Pratis, please drop us a PM and we'll discuss our deals for NBR members.

 

THere arent any more deals, i talked with one of your colleagues and he said the ram promotion is over etc i only get 40% discount on shipping since i am european but overall the price of the laptop is way too high and i am a student also the price of crossfire 6990 went up like $200 over a night!

 

It went up $70 but yeah, their base config has changed. Sucks because I had a model put together that I was going back and forth on buying and now it is gone

That's what I get I suppose. I'm indecisive when large chunks of change are leaving my wallet lol.

 

They still do a price-match, and other resellers are usually also willing to price-match. Shop around, configure your dream system at different resellers' websites, and you will find that you still have a ton of choice as a consumer.

EDIT: Oh gosh I just read about that price bump on the 6990M. I was going to make a purchasing decision before mid-August, guess that was a tad too late

 

Apologies if this was an unnecessary bump (can't contain the excitement!!), but I have bought a Malibal Lotus P150HM! Their communication was top-notch and they dealt with me with respect and patience.

After months of research and spending a week to make a final decision, I want to also thank Justin@XoticPC, Larry@LPC-Digital, and Mythlogic for chiming in. You have all been a ton of help, providing answers to many of my questions!

 

Very nice.

 

Glad it worked out for you. I found the best price and communication from Justin@XoticPC.

Like I've said before, I don't think there's a bad reseller (they all help everyone out), you just have to find the one you're comfortable with.

 

Hey, does anyone know if 15.4"/15.6" laptop skins fit well on the P150HM/NP8150? As in, covers up a large portion of the lid, so I barely see the original surface of the lid? Gelaskins allows custom sizing, but sites like Engrish.com Laptop Skins come in one size they call 15", and I haven't seen a measurement for the lid itself (although I guess it would be exactly the width of the laptop, minus maybe an inch for the hinge?).

 

Most of those are sized to fit smaller screens, so you'll have a bit of edge showing on the sides and possibly top depending on the manufacturer. The P150HM lid is ~14.875" by ~9.75". (not counting the hinge)

 

I appreciate the lid measurement. Maybe I should hold off until I get the laptop and see for myself, because the lid angles off around the edges, and I am not entirely sure if having the laptop skin cover the angled portions would look good.