PCSpecialist Optimus V (Clevo W355ST)

My PCSpecialist Optimus II (Clevo W150HRM) is 3 years old this year so time for an upgrade. I'm looking at the PCSpecialist Optimus V which according to their website is a Clevo W355STQ. I read on another thread on this site that this model has been discontinued although that was a model with a GTX765m not the GTX860m.

I don't want to buy it find that a new model is released immediately after but can't find any info about new Clevo models. I'm not desperate to buy now but I'm only in the UK until the beginning of September so it needs to be before then.

 

Clevo typically comes out with new models when there is a refresh of the CPU or GPU. The last refresh was when Nvidia came out with the 8XXM series. Since their model offers one of those and a current CPU it would be as current as pretty much any other Clevo.

 

On your website you have the W350SS, it looks the same as 355STQ on the PCSpecialist website so what is the difference? There seem to be other models of the 355 with suffixes, ST and SQ, do these suffixes have any specific meaning?

 

Unfortunately I am not aware of what those differences at the end of the model number mean.
The configuration options also look the same. Since we dont offer the W355STQ I just dont know the differences.

 

The W355SSQ (like the XMG A504) has a backlit keyboard whereas the W350SSQ doesn't have a backlit keyboard, that's the only real difference The SSQ models come with an 860M, the ST were the previous generation with 765M. So the SSQ is the new and current version!

 

I've ordered the laptop so I'm really looking forward to the unboxing. ;-)

I read in the manual that it does support UEFI boot so does that mean I can install my Windows 7 or 8 with a GPT partition table. I usually dual boot with some version of Linux, currently running kubuntu and mint on different machines so it's preferably not to have the MBR number of partitions limit.

 

Yes, many of the current Clevo models (if not, all of them) support UEFI. The W355 is a great little unit! Let us know what you think of it when you have a first impression.

 

My Optimus V is awaiting dispatch.

 

I'm trying to install Windows 7 home basic on a GPT partition on my new SSD. I've enabled UEFI in the BIOS and created a UEFI bootable USB drive but I can't get it to boot from the USB.

I'm getting the following error:

file: \efi\microsoft\boot\bcd
status: 0xc000000d
info: an error occurred while attempting to read to boot configuration data.

 

Verify that the Windows installation isn't damaged. If you downloaded the image, you can try a hash checking tool to verify the download, or you can skip that, format the USB disk, and put the image back on it, then try again.

Where did you get the Windows image from?

 

I used imgburn to create an ISO from my original retail box Windows 7 home premium disk. When I turned off UEFI in the firmware setup I successfully managed to install Windows but with an MBR partition.

I've used both diskpart and rufus to create the bootable USB installer with 2 different USB flash drives. I also tried removing the SSD from the new laptop, putting it in external case and using diskmgmt.msc to create a GPT partition table after deleting the partition using GParted just in case something was wrong with the existing partition on the SSD.

According to Microsoft's website it is possible to boot from a GPT disk in Windows 7 64 bit so at least that is clear.

 

It seems I need to enable the CSM (Compatibility Support Module) which doesn't seem to exist on my laptop. As I just received it I have been assuming it has the latest firmware (it seems it's technically incorrect to call something a UEFI BIOS). Odd that Clevo used a firmware without this feature.

So finally I've given up and I'm going to install Windows 8.1. With ClassicShell everyday use is no realy different to Windows 7 and some of the extra personalization stuff I quite like. Also I think it should boot a bit faster hopefully even some of my older games will still work.

 

I got Windows 8.1 installed directly from the ISO. Now I'm stuck in a DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION loop. The computer won't stay up for more than a few minutes and needs me to pull the power out before it will restart.

I'm now trying to uninstall Comodo firewall which is the last thing I installed but it crashes even before it finishes the uninstall is halfway through. I will install Windows 8.1 again. Maybe I should put a mechanical hard disk in and do all this testing on that and save the SSD for when everything is working.

 

Windows 8.1 update 1 successfully installed, updated and running smoothly. So far I've installed Grid Autosport which I can now play at 1080p with maximum detail, looks great, MXGP, WRC 4 and PES2014.

I really like the laptop now, I prefer the slightly softer keyboard, the dedicated home/end/PgUp/PgDn keys. I would have liked to still been able to turn off wireless but not Bluetooth as I use a BT mouse but sometimes need to disconnect from the internet.

The slimmer power brick is an improvement, the USB ports on the right are too close together, on my older W150HRM there was space between each port. Another minor thing is with the latop in UEFI mode there is no splash screen, seems like an odd omission.

Overall the upgrade from the older W150HRM from which I swapped out the Segate Momentus XT SSHD hybrid disk for my data drive in combination with the Samsung EVO 840 SSD as my boot drive make this is very zippy machine.

 

turn on/off wifi = Fn + F11

turn on/off bluetooth = Fn + F12

 

That's how it worked on my old laptop but now fn-F11 toggle airplane mode and fn-F12 toggles the keyboard backlight.

 

really, thats a change for clevo then.

just had a look through the manual and you have to use the charm bar for wifi and bluetooth.

looks a bit kak if you ask me.

 

I just looked at the network options accessed from the settings flyout (Win key I). I'd wondered where the manage wireless networks and other options had move to. I do love the easter eggs in Windows 8/8.1. I have a netbook running Windows 8/8.1 and an older, no longer in active service, gaming desktop running it but this laptop is the first daily use computer that I have that is running Windows 8.1.