P1xxEM Chassis Material?

Hey, this is my first post, though I've been a lurker for awhile. Like many of you, I'm eagerly for the P1xxEM series plus Ivy Bridge and Kepler.

Well, the P1xxHM series has had a few types of materials: hard plastic (P151HM), rubberized plastic (P150HM), and aluminum (P170HM), where the different materials are on the palm-rest area and lid, with hard plastic on the bottom.

Do the P1xxEM series follow the same pattern?

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I have an ASUS G73JH, so I've lived with a rubberized plastic for a bit more than a year-and-a-half now. I've kept it in good order (It isn't wearing off on the corners or showing any scrapes), but it seems to grab fingerprints kind of easily. How similar is this to the P150HM's rubberized plastic?

My sister's fiance' has a Sager NP5135 (I don't know the Clevo model.) which has "plastic", but it's a strange textured plastic; I don't know if that's the same type of plastic that the P151HM used. I think my second sister's NP8690 has smoother plastic.

Alas, I have never lain fingers on an aluminum chassis. Would there be a chance for a 15.6" aluminum Clevo?! I'd willingly pay a $200 premium, or probably more, for that...

Anyway, what do others think of the materials used? Has your laptop held up to wear, from zippers or scrapes? What's your preference?

 

New models use exactly the same chassis as the old. P150EM is rubberized, P151 is 'paint coated' plastic.

The rubber finish on the P150EM hardly shows any fingerprints at all, whereas the display surround which is glossy black will attract them a lot.

The material on the G73 ASUS is not the same as used on the P150 but it is similar, but I know what you mean, handling one of those they do attract fingerprints quickly and they are also not so easy to remove.

Put it this way the P150 is better than that, and the G73 is much better than owning and glossy covered IMR.

 

I personally don't care for the rubberized finish. I wish they would just offer P150EM with or without rubber coating instead of all this rubber coating one gets bigger PSU and GPU options and plastic one gets limited GPU options and small PSU.

 

How feasible is it to disassemble the LCD Bezel to paint it? It'd be hard to find a rubber paint that matches the feel of the laptop, but I think it'd still be preferred to the glossy bezel--in my case, at least!

I wonder how something like this ( http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-75...rmance-15-Ounce/dp/B000PIEWLA/ref=pd_sim_hi_2) would look on a laptop.

I noticed that Malibal allows you to upgrade the P151HM to a more-powerful GPU, as long as you also get a required AC Adapter upgrade.

However, that brings us to the question of whether the P151EM can be outfitted with the back-lit keyboard in addition to a higher-end GPU...

 

Most likely yes.. Last year mythlogic offered to put the P150 guts in the P151 shell and vice versa if you could find someone to swap with..

Now if you're asking if the backlit keyboard can be added to the P151 later, that's a different story.. We'll need to see the mobo.

 

NBR member soundsyst64 did just that
Here is his tutorial:
Sager : Mobile Gaming @ Its Best v3

 

Nice! Thanks for the link.

I had a bad experience where I snapped the LCD bezel on a Dell Inspiron 1420 because I didn't know that they used double-sided tape on the bottom.

I might get cracking on a few paint samples and see how they adhere to... hrm. Maybe the PSU brick? I guess those vary a bit... But the heat might be good to stress-test the paints. Not that the LCD bezel ever gets that hot, but better safe than sorry.

 

You could check with mythlogic and see what their procedure is for painting.. Actually I'm sure they send it out, but they could probably gets some tips from their painter..

 

Put it this way it is easier to paint coat the P151 again than the P150, while both will work the P151 will provide a better finish.

 

Backlit keyboard isn't the end of the world for me but it is a nice touch. If I can go with P151 with larger PSU and GPU (if needed) and backlit, that would definitely be my preference.

Still only single HDD bay then on the 15" models. Surprised they didn't shuffle things around and make it two bays considering competitors tend to fit two inside theirs. I know you can swap ODD, but it's not always ideal to dump the ODD.

Also, manual notes 675m in models A&B. 6750m with a 120W PSU? Seriously?

 

Just a quick question - can anyone clarify whether the P170xM's "aluminum finish" means that the lid and palmrest area are actually covered by a sheet of aluminum with plastic underneath, is aluminum entirely, or plastic entirely with the look/texture of brushed aluminum? Thanks.

 

I might try to paint the palm rest or possible the entire chasis in different color schemes on my lappy

 

I picked up a can of Rust-Oleum Black Night Metallic Spray. I'm going to try applying it heavily and then using a brush to get a faux brushed aluminum look. Unfortunately, with a clear coat, it won't feel anything like anodized aluminum. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, though.

I'll let you guys know tomorrow! It isn't exactly high-end stuff (It was only $6 + tax), but I hope it'll be a step up from the P151xM's basic plastic.

Just for clarification, I'm trying this on my Delta Electronics ADP-120ZB BB AC adapter. It's already kind of textured, and I'm not certain how much that'll show through or how much will get sanded away.

 

Definitely try a few coats. And take pics

In my experience Krylon Fusion is the best to paint plastics though..

 

i personally prefer this finish on my laptops and my tablet it gives a good feel RustOleum.com