Random Freezes with the 8130 and 8150

So, unless I misread, now some people with the new batch of SB chipsets are reporting freezing issues? Not good news.

Assuming that this is not some, as of yet, undiscovered SB chipset flaw does anyone have any ideas on what is causing the freezing? I would really love to rule out the chipset as a possible culprit but with this happening on various brand laptops with various configurations (and now on Macbooks) and on laptops with SP1 and the latest RST installed it remains a possibility in my mind.

Mine still freezes. Sometimes 4x a day and sometimes once every other day, totally random. To address the poster who asked if people stopped posting because we fixed our issues...I'm guessing some of us are just out of ideas and have nothing new to contribute. The only new development for me is that I finally experienced a freeze while gaming (in windowed mode.)

One thing I keep thinking that nearly every time I have had some strange computer problem that is hard to diagnose it has ended up being related to RAM (either voltage settings, bad sticks, or single channel vs. dual channel config.) Has anyone with freezes tried replacing their RAM with higher quality or different brand sticks?

 

I think I figured out what was source of our problems. I will upload my combination of working drivers for P170HM. I'm working on it from last 5 days and no freezes. Previously I experienced random freezes 2-3 every day. After installing fresh Windows 7 SP1 again with drivers downloaded from components producers my problems disappeared.

 

You will be a hero to us all if it works!

 

I haven't frozen during a week of heavy use. I've steered clear of the USB 3.0 ports and my USB 2.0 devices. They are working happily in the other 2 USB ports.

 

Do you mean to say usb 2.0 devices are working fine on the usb 2.0 ports?

 

Mine freezes sometimes with only the AC power and RJ-45 (ethernet) connected. Pretty sure it's not a USB 3.0 (or any other port) problem. Did u make any other changes?

 

No freezes yet and with some gaming, lots of text editing, downloading backups, I've used the USB 3.0s for 2 full backups of about 100+ gigs so far and left it connected all night no problems. Only crash was during gaming using modded drivers after a few hours.

 

Can you post your temps please? Especially during and after gaming?

I'm leaning towards the 15" chassis but I'm worried about cooling compared to the 17".

 

For everyone who have problems with freezes on Clevo P170HM (Sager NP8170, XMG P701) try these drivers:
(Probably it can work also on Clevo P150HM and Clevo P151HM1)

I was testing this combination of drivers from 4 days and no freezes during all day and night working on my CLEVO P170HM. That's why I'm sharing with you.

Drivers for Windows 7 x64
Graphic Card: NVIDIA 270.28 Win7x64 (modded INF's by Atmosk)
Chipset: Intel Chipset Device Software 9.2.0.1025
Cardreader: CardReader Jmicron 1.0.51.6 W7x64_A ( here are newest but I didn't try)
IEEE 1394 Bus Host Controller: 1394 JMicron 1.00.13.00 W7x64 ( here are newest but I didn't try)
JMicron GigabitFast Ethernet Controller: JMicron GigabitFast Ethernet Controller 6.0.24.7 ( here are newest but I didn't try)
Renesas USB 3.0 Host Controller Driver: Renesas USB3 v2.0.34.0
Intel WiFi 6300 Ultimate-N: ICS_Ds64 v13.5.0

Audio drivers (original from Clevo)
Touchpad (original from Clevo)

Fingerprint drivers I have right now installed TouchStrip Fingerprint Sensor drivers 2.19 but although it fit for Win7 still fingerprint is not working correctly. I don't use fingerprint so I left this driver, if you want you can use original driver or try to find better which will match.

Optional:
USB 3.0 Host Controller Firmware Updater: USB 3.0 Host Controller Firmware v3.0.2.7

NOT INSTALLED:
- HOTKEY (software for function buttons FN+<F1-F12>) (for me it's useless)
- THX
- Camera2M
- IME (Intel Management Engine software)
- IRST (Intel Rapid Storage Technology) - I don't use RAID'a

In BIOS'e SATA set to AHCI.

 

For those who have problems on their ports, I think a BIOS flash is needed; reportedly it has been fixed after a reflash.

The cooling is pretty good, very good infact.

Here's mine after some hours of things done:

 

Mine are a bit cooler than his, its in another thread around here somewhere...

Here it is:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/565536-p150hm-intel-2720-temperatures.html#post7305742

 

Not so cold here in Australia . Some +-5C variations here and there.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I have a secondary monitor hooked up to the laptop. May affect temps I think

 

Off Topic @Thisisalamp

when are you going to add more screen shots w/fraps on your review for the other site? you mentioned you'd do a few games like black ops and DA 1/2, but i dont see the pics up yet

thats a fantastic review btw! +1 for you sir

On Topic
so what's the only variable that is consistent between all these laptops, laptops from other manufacturers, and even macbooks (? thought someone mentioned this), that could cause these issues in some laptops and not others? didnt some report it happening when using ubuntu/linux/whatever?

only thing is SB chips right? maybe there's some glitchy batches? any way to see mfg date or somethin on them?

 

Haha, sorry guys off topic as well.

Yeah I mentioned I will have it up soon. Weekdays I barely have time to do something though (and last night Crysis 2 multiplayer got me going and I forgot about getting the other benchmarks haha). Am planning to insert gameplay videos from my camera for users to refer to, as well as updated temps and 3Dmark scores. Might remove some screens (10 image limit there) and keep the main games up (will keep descriptions of the removed games though).

Thanks for reading by the way!

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...-clevo-support-modded-infs-3.html#post7315152

New drivers running cool, fans full blast though...

 

I noticed that too, my fans never seem to stop now. They were dead silent before, but now they're adding to the white noise.

 

where do we get the bios file for the 8170 ?

 

If you can't find it on the Sager website, ask your reseller for the latest copy

 

yeah same here, but this really shldnt be happening. im thinking its something to do with the drivers

 

Thanks ill give it a try!

 

Coming from a desktop user with an HD4870, when I set the fan to an *almost* inaudible 40%, temps dropped to around 30*C and stayed like that even through gaming. So I may be spoiled a bit, but aren't temperatures like 60-70*C bad, especially for extended periods of time?

I don't think I have a good grasp on laptop heat, I just want a machine that can last 3-4 years easily, and I'm a little worried...

 

If your GPU remains under 80C you're in good shape actually. 80-90c is running a bit warm, but tolerable. And not uncommon for laptop GPU's to near 100C in extreme cases, although not advised. Desktop GPU's have an entire huge dedicated heatsink and fan in a case with lots of air around it.

 

Ok, and can it run 80-90*C for 3-4 years. Obviously not every moment will be that high...but you know what I mean.

I ask because my computers have a habit of being on all the time..

 

Yeah, that's fine. Many performance laptop users have had GPU's that lasted them a solid 3-4 years with frequent gaming. I leave my laptop on all the time. It sleeps after two hours, but rarely ever turned off or restarted. And game probably 10-12 hrs/week. Used to be more, but just don't have the time these days.

 

I did that on my XPS 1530 and it's GPU lasted 3 years (was swapped for other reasons, IE the power plug plastic broke on the MOBO...) That one got to 100C sometimes...

This one maxes around 70C and is actually pretty cool.

 

Well I have my computer on all the time too. If you keep it clean and well taken care off, then it will last you for a good while .

 

I have had the laptop since Weds. and the entire first night nothing happened. I did get a little Warhead in and it seemed to play fine. Yesterday i was able to play Bulletstorm for a while and it was fine. I played BC2: Vietnam and the computer froze in the middle and had to be powered down to recover. This happened to me twice, the sound would lock up as well and the game just stopped. I was wondering if you think this is a similar freeze that is happening to everyone else? I havent moved anything recently so I am not sure what would have caused it all of a sudden.

 

Sounds like it is the same. Leave it on and let it just idle all night for a few nights. If you wake up to a frozen laptop then we will know it's the same issue.

 

I just had my first freeze after 3 months of heavy use (now i understand what it is all about). It happened while i was watching Youtube. Do we have any bios update link for p151hm?

 

Uninstalled RST and Installed all the drivers you listed, had 3 lockups since then. Now I am going to uninstall the other programs you listed one at a time and see what happens.

 

I actually left it on all night both nights and when I wake it in the morning it is fine.

 

Apparently you have to email Sager and ask for it. However, they are suggesting that you don't update the bios yet so that when you return it for the recall they get it in the original condition.

 

Well yours may have been a random GPU driver or sound driver issue or something else. If you continue to get random freeze-ups no matter what you are running/doing then you will know. Only time will tell.

 

These reports about the random freezes make me consider going back to last gen.

 

After reinstalling drivers on P170HM I didn't experience any freeze during 5 intensive days of working. And try to don't use a lot USB 3.0, for mouse I'm using USB 2.0. For all who have problems with freezes, please try my advices in my previous post about drivers.

 

ever since i used your driver set, using usb3 has been fixed, no more random device dropouts for days........so far that is

 

I also wonder if the freezes are related to the USB 3.0. Although it could be completely unrelated, my (Intel Dual Core XP) desktop only experienced freezes after I made use of my newly installed USB 3.0 PCI ports. The freezes made everything unresponsive until shutdown and restart.This could be unrelated but I figure I might as well mention it in case.

Edit: freezes on my Desktop USB 3.0 were traced back to strange behaviour with my 500GB 3.5'' WD Caviar Green HDD, perhaps it was related to its power saving or something because integrity of the disk checks out ok.

 

Freezes should be considered fixed with the new B3 motherboard...that's what the Sager representative told me as he was swapping out my motherboard on my NP8170.

 

I received my laptop on Thursday and am happy to announce I have not got any freezes! I was worried, but they clearly fixed the problem.

 

Well not everyone was getting the freezes. And updated drivers *seem* to fix the issue, whatever the issue is.

 

I heard at least one or two people received a fixed board after the SB fiasco who reported the freezing problem but they had the 8170.

 

Geez, what a pain!

 

I am still getting freezes with the updated drivers. Then again I haven't sent my laptop back yet for the recall fix.

 

When you getting freezes are you using USB 3.0 ? Try also to uninstall those things which I mentioned in post with updated drivers.

 

I'm trying to figure out what people are doing to get freezes so that I can see if my unit is affected but no problems in a week and a half of steady use so far...

I use USB 3.0, I use a Momentus XT and I also use all of the drivers Lightning uninstalled in his recommendations. Only annoying thing on mine is that wifi has to be turned on every time I resume from hibernate.

 

It's wierd WIndkull becouse I also have Momentus XT and everything works great no freezes from a week. Try to use mouse into USB 2.0 instead of USB 3.0. My WiFi always is connected even if I'm turning on computer from hibernation. Also there is new BIOS for P150HM here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/416916-clevo-bios-thread-113.html try to update it also

 

According to Logical Blue One,

Source

 

So now LBO is saying they know what the problem is (the RAM.) When will I learn....from now on if I can't diagnose a problem within 4 hours I am immediately going to buy new RAM. I could have saved hundreds of hours of troubleshooting various systems if I had done that.

 

pretty sure i hinted toward ram in the first few pages as well, urging people to do memtest

 

Oh, btw...I almost forgot to post in here.

I have not experienced any slowdowns or freezing on my Sager NP8130 so far. Quite happy with it.

Mr. Mysterious