Replacing My 6 Year Old Laptop (With A NP9262): Really Need Your Help

Hey everyone, I am in dire need of a new laptop computer. The laptop I have now can barely process videos on youtube without overheating and shutting off (seriously). I am a student who gets by waiting tables but would like to spend roughly $3000. I love gaming and currently use a desktop computer to satisfy my appetite but would like something more powerful (and personal).

I was really interested in a couple of the Dell XPS and Alienware models but have found that the Sager NP9262 may be more to my liking (thanks to this forum), despite the lack of bells and whistles, but I have some questions that my googling couldn't help me with.

To start, this is what I was considering:

SAGER NP9262 Ultimate Custom Laptop (Built on Clevo D900C / D901C)
- 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel Core 2 QUAD Q9450 2.6GHz w/ 12MB L2 Cache - 1333MHz FSB
- SLI ENABLED DUAL (2) 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9800M GT (1024MB Total) w/GDDR3 DX10 Video Cards (User Upgradeable)
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- Custom Laptop Skins [Choose from our designs or your own Graphic or Logo
(Details of design made after order)
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- HDD Raid Settings - OFF
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Parts & Labor Warranty 24/7 Tech Support

Sub-Total: $3,512.00 from xoticpc.com

Now the questions:

1.) I am Canadian and was curious what the best option was for me to order this sytem in regards to shipping costs, price, and customer service? I plan on using a CC.

2.) Is the WUXGA monitor option that much better than the WSXGA+ option? I don't mean to cut corners on this system, but is this worth it?

3.) Is the Quad 2.66Ghz a better option than the Duo 3.16Ghz? I know that not many games/apps take advantage of Quad core as of now, but is it worth the extra $150 to futureproof my system, despite using this system to game?

4.) The Sound Card. I currently own the Logitech X-530 5.1 5-Piece Computer Speaker System and was wondering which option would be able to push my speakers to their full potential. Are the Sound Blaster X-Fi 5.1 USB Sound Card or Sound Blaster X-Fi 7.1 Express Card Sound Card worth the money over the "Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio"?

5.) The warranty. Should I spend the extra $260 for a couple extra years of parts coverage, or is this just a cash grab? 1 year parts and 3 years labour are included, but is anything more than this necessary? How durable are these machines? For example, will the motherboard crap out after a year? I plan on having and using this laptop for a long time and I just want to be reassured that this is a worthwhile investment.

6.) Any other suggestions to future proof my computer?

7.) And finally...possibly the most asked question on this forum...Crysis?

I know its a very long post but I don't consider myself to know a lot about current laptop technology since I haven't had to purchase one for a very long time (and if things go to plan, I won't have to buy another one after this for just as long if I'm lucky). Being a student, this is a massive investment on my part and could really use your help. Any suggestions are welcome and if you have any questions, I will be able to answer them as I'll check in on this thread every now and then.

 

1) xoticPC, powernotebooks
2) defintely worth it, you will need it for gaming
3) don't you use 9262 more than just gaming?
4) what speakers you have? the creative soundcard are mostly software-rendering. if you have something like yamaha, might as well get yourself a $500 soundcard from M-audio or whatever
5) this machine is like a tank, but you def. want the extra warranty, considering how expensive it will cost to fix w/o warranty, ie $700 for a GPU
6) how about dual HDDs?
7) take a look at my sig, i ran crysis with all high, 1680x1050, 2xAA, average 30fps during gun fight.
edit: oops. you have Logitech X-530, any soundcard would be a waste of money for that.

 

1. Not sure. I am sure some of the vendors on the site can answer that one for you.

2. The WUXGA is a glossy screen with HIGH brightness, where the WSXGA is a matt screen. Not to mention the difference in pixels. One is 1680 and the other is 1900. The WUXGA you can run full HD, on the WSXGA you cant.

3.
Most games will be held back because of your Video card, that being said... more and more games will be made multi-threading in the future. For Future proof I would, and am, going with the q9450 Quad processor. Best bang for your buck processor.

4.
If your a true audiophile you will want to upgrade your sound card. However, thanks to our very own Gophn, I was told that you can reconfigure the ports on the front of the computer to be able to use your 5.1 speaker system. You can always get the sound cards later at your local elec retailer store. I'd test the comp the way it comes and upgrade as you need.

5.
Cant really give you any advice on this one. From what I have read... most people dont have large problems with Sager, so the extra warranty may not be warranted, however... its personal prefference I think. I never pick extra warranty and it has, yet, to bite me in the a^^.

6.
I would wait for the 9800GTX SLi option. Personally I am getting a np9262 aswell, and I am waiting for August and the release of the 9800GTX single card, hoping that it will simply be a bios flash or something simple like that in order to be able to add another 9800GTX card in the future. As I have been told on this site though... there is always new technology on the horizon. If you want a comp now... get it. The ETA on the 9800GTX card from sager is "early august" (sager website).

7.
Is an awesome game?? lol... naw jk, I know what your asking. People with dual 8800GTX cards, which is damn near the same as the 9800GT, are reporting fps of around 30 or so at high settings. I am not sure if that is 1680 or 1900 though. 1900 is going to tax your Vid card A LOT!

Hopefully that helps
Oh... and for future thinking... even with the amazing cooling capacity of the NP9262 you may want to consider spending another 35$ and get a Zalman 2000 notebook cooler.

~E

 

Do what Gophn said and your laptop will back to life.

 

1) Battery: to maintain the longevity of any rechargeable battery
- you must NEVER overcharge it [especially for long durations of time] by keeping it plugged into AC
- when it reaches 100% you should unplug it and let it discharge to 5-15%, then plug it back to power
- OR you can just charge it to 50%+ and remove the battery and store in cool place.. not the fridge [remember to use it occasionally 3-4 time a year to charge and discharge it].

With the D900c, how are you supposed to leave the battery out, when one of the feet are on it... Plus umplugging to drain 15% would be impractical, because without the AC, gaming performance is serverly crippled.

Im just asking because i want my battery to last a while, what do you other D900c owners reccomend?

 

you do not have to remove the battery, just remember to give the battery a full charge cycle at least once a week for moderate use.

if you are going to use it a lot and have it plugged in, I recommend to do a full charge cycle once a week.

 

its even said in the Clevo user manuals.

 

I appreciate the feedback regarding my old laptop, but really guys, it is ancient. I have had it on a cooling pad the past couple years just so it doesn't overheat and turn off during the summer. I will post the specs of it here just so you can laugh at my misfortune of having to deal with it for so long:

Intel Pentium 4 2.40 GHz
512 MB SDRAM
15.4' 1024x768 32 Bit Monitor
40 GB 5400 HD
Radeon IGP 34xM (Hey, it can sort of play Starcraft)
Broken CD-RW Drive
Legacy Audio

I think its time for a new laptop...don't you agree? Keep the suggestions coming guys. This is great.

 

1.) No idea. asking XoticPC would be better. i'm from Singapore. kinda far.

2.) Yeah.. less than hundered bucks for a better screen, enhances your 9262 experience!

3.) Well, i went with the duo core (mine is 3.0Ghz) mainly coz of the higher clock speed, which would mean i should be slightly faster at loading games now.. until newer games come up to support quad then i'd be alot slower, but hey, you save the money now, and its a desktop processor, so i'm guessing it should be kinda easy to buy a quad next time..

4.) sry, no idea bout sounds.. i just love what i'm hearing now.. =/

5.) well, if you want to be reassured, then go with 3 years.. they cover any parts you might happen to destroy during these 3 years.. 3 years is quite a long time to me.. but i din't extend coz i'm living so far away and just paying for shipment for my laptop to US would leave my bank account empty (i'm a student too, @16 years old), so i wouldn't have enough money to ship it back.. so no point for me.. but if you move around alot and game overnight at friend's house etc, then 3 years would be good..

6.) can't really future proof it? if u need additional stuff like HDD, you can buy it where you are.. maybe after awhile you wanna upgrade GPU, then go ahread, but i think this system already kicks ass.. and hopefully would stay on top as king for sometime more.

7.) should be able to? haven't tried it, not gonna try it anytime soon. government took my 7% of the computer when i imported it in.. so i'm dead broke now..

here. hope this helps

 

every question has been answer.
but for 6. Do you watch movie? get a Blue Ray drive

 

In Summary that system rocks hope you get it and if you do ...no question about it...you'll love it!