SAGER NP8278-S vs SAGER NP9772

Trying to decide between the two

SAGER NP8278-S
Advantages
slightly cheaper
72% color gamut screen upgrade available
out longer
mobile processor (less bulky? power savings? cooler?)
optical drive
mSata included
9 instead of 6 in 1 card reader
more ports

SAGER NP9772
Advantages
Newer (better layout?)
improved cooling (claimed)
more powerful desktop processor
no optical drive (less bulky?)
slightly more usb 3.0 and one or two other types of ports

an insight or commentary to add to this?

 

You've got most of the important stuff laid out there. The NP9772 also has PCIe x4 slot available for faster read/write times. The biggest thing is the CPU. Do you need that type of CPU power?

What will you be using the computer for?

 

If you're going with a comparable CPU (4910MQ) then it probably won't be much cheaper at all.
72% screen may be available for the P770ZM as well; even if you need to add it aftermarket. In fact, if the mounting orientation is compatible, you might be able to put a 120Hz screen in the P770ZM
Heat output and power draw will be exactly the same under the same loads at the same speeds for the CPUs. The P770ZM might be a BIT better with CPU cooling, but the GPU cooling suffers slightly as a result. This isn't a problem as Maxwell is so cool however.

The power of the desktop CPU on the P770ZM isn't "better" or "worse" than the laptop chips, if you clock them the same. A 4910MQ at 4.2GHz will act exactly like a 4790K using its 4-core turbo boost of 4.2GHz at stock. If you get your thermal paste and stuff in order on either model, prop up the machine a bit for better airflow, etc? Both models would be sufficiently fine for cooling. Especially with Fn + 1 for max fans.

Finally, Hutslady mentioned the M.2 PCi/e x4 slot, but it doesn't actually benefit you a whole lot. Most of the benefits would only really apply to SSD v SSD interation. With games/programs/etc you'll FAR quicker run into a CPU or RAM bottleneck in load times before the SSD fully stretches its legs. So don't worry about mSATA vs M.2 vs SATA III slots. As far as programs/games/etc go, they'll probably perform within about 1 second of each other.

Also, a benefit the P770ZM has that the P170SM-A does not have is that there is no optimus. You lose a little battery life, but you have full control over your display options via nVidia control panel. Good luck!

Anything else you want to know, feel free to ask.

 

Optimus can be a bad thing? What control does it take away?

 

It limits your display options to the iGPU if a display port (not to be confused with the tech "Display port") is routed through it. It also removes nVidia control panel's ability to handle displays; your display options are handled by the intel graphics. It also has problems with certain programs like Battle.net etc; it won't switch to the dGPU easily. And you can't disable it either.

For most people it's not exactly much of an issue, but for someone like me, I hate it. Its only merit is better battery life, and I don't consider that enough of a benefit for the downsides it presents.

 

I checked and the specs say both come with optimus. Don't all the mobile geforce cards come with it nowadays?

 

The P770ZM does not have Optimus due to a desktop chip. The CARD supports it, but the machine is not wired to use it. Same with my P370SM3, but that's because I have SLI

 

Hey grump. I was in the same dilemma as you. Some of your reasons and a couple more. Keyboard layout looks funky on 8278. And though I don't really need pcie ssd support, there aren't any msata ssd's that qualify for my needs. 850 evo msata will be out soon supposedly, but by that time I am quite sure there will be some 'better' m.2 ssd's out as the ones out now tend to run hot hot hot.

I ended up going with the 9772. Why? Sleeker and more modern looking though that wasn't a high priority and clevo doesn't exactly make 'cool' looking laptops and their attempts at flashy are gaudy. And getting a desktop CPU clocked higher is much cheaper than it's mobile counterpart. I also picked the 4790k so I have more control over it. Basically you can tweak it to sip power like a mobile chip when a little extra runtime/backup is needed. Also, to get near that 4.0ghz+ speed you end up spending way more than a mobile chip. Also, the prospect that we might at least get a broad well refresh upgrade on the cpu, and long shot but maybe skylake also. I also liked the fact that all the ports are usb3. I prefer the usb port on right side near back like 8278, but that is a very minor convenience since I will only have mouse dongle there. Also, the only time I need an optical drive is to make archive backups, but more importantly and more often to rip CD's to FLAC format. So external drive is more flexible, though a slight burden since it needs to be carried around for those just in case moments. I really like the keyboard layout and tocuhpad layout also on 9772. It looks more usable out of the box. I hope I'm right because not many people have commented enough on touchpad. 8278 touchpad looks similar to the sandpaper on my np5160 and it took a couple years for it to wear to a more usable state and I don't use it often. I also definitely wanted a high end laptop this time since I went from a mid range to my low mid range np5160. I hate vents going to the side and am tired tired tired of it. The 6 series was out of the running because of the side and rear vent layout. I also really like the more symmetrical rear vents on the 9772 even though that is not a strong point really.

But also consider, most people love their 8258/78's. It's reliable and proven. I don't think it's a bad choice and I was hurting this week thinking which to choose. You also have a screen option the 9772 currently doesn't have. 2 more thinga to consider are it's thcker, but weighs same as 9772, and more important, it will cost more, significantly more to get comparable performance of 9772.

I don't know my final price yet because I didn't make my order in time today but it will be close to ~$1800 minus factory ram and HDD. If you got the top of the line mobile chip you'd probably be looking at ~$2000 for the 8278-s and you can't delete the ram and HDD on the -s models as some of the options are preconfigured for savings. My config also included a 330w PSU though I quite sure I won't need it. I just know having a better supply is better for longevity and will let my.9772 have room to breathe when it does get pushed.

Really I think your only concern to weigh are having convenience of ODD built in and maybe up to 2 more hours battery life. Being frugal off the plug it seems people are getting ~2h on the 9752 and ~4h on the 8258. So the 17" model might get about 10% less because of bigger screen.

Anyways, I'm gonna stop babbling. My sleeping pill is kicking in. I think the previous paragraph is probably your deciding factor.

 

It was a design decision based on the target market. Optimus would work with the desktop chip.

 

I figured it would, but the machine is thankfully not wired to use it. I'm glad Clevo at least had that foresight.

 

Double edge sword. Kind of wish they implemented the boot optimus at least. On the fly optimus is convenient for power mizers.

 

You can't have one or the other, and using a MUX switch for it limits the ability to use certain screens (like the 4K 60Hz eDP screen) as long as it's wired to go through the HD4600 iGPU. Even with optimus turned off, Optimus is a limiting factor in what you can attach to a machine and how it can be wired. Even the Alienware 17 R1, which was sold with a 120Hz screen as an option? When you bought the "3D edition" with the 120Hz screen, you were 100% disabled from using the iGPU at all, because it can't be wired to such a display. If HD5x00 has no such limitations, then fine, maybe a MUX will work. But the only currently available iGPU from intel which works well enough is the Iris Pro 5200, and that requires the higher end HQ line of CPUs, which as we've already established are TDP locked to hell.

In other words, there is no "best of both worlds" option. You sacrifice something no matter how you do it.

 

Sounds like Intel needs to up their game in the GPU department then.

 

That has been true since their first IGP but they have been improving.

 

So far a lot of good arguments have been made for the NP772. I guess my biggest issue now is the display. How good is the standard compared to the 72 gamut upgrade available on other models? Is it easy to replace myself?

 

Standard panels I believe are 72% NTSC gamut IPS. I could be wrong, but you can check.

 

According to the NBC review of the P771ZM, The Chi Mei N173HGE-L11 is used.
Test One K73-5N (Clevo P771ZM) Notebook - Notebookcheck.com Tests

CEG is also listing the 17.3" FHD LVDS AU

 

About the m.2 pci-e. I've seen video where boot time to win7 was 45 sec!!!! any thoughts?

 

If it was 45s it was with a HDD.. For M2, boot time should be 10-20s tops... Also not to mention, the 9772 now as a 1080p IPS screen option and not TN..

 

The boot process on that machine is likely just not optimized properly.

 

The screen shipping on the NP9772 is the matte IPS screen model # LP173WF4-SPD1. You can Google the screen to check on this more.

It is a Slim eDP 30 pin screen that can be a delicate operation to replace unless you have experience on doing this on laptops...

 

I've asked that on youtube chanell and guy from Xotic replied that they were puzzled too, and he said that the speculation is , that it has to do with BIOS POST??? which i consider not the case... Anyone got this lappy with these specs ???

 

It will be how the bios is configured, it should be in the region of 10-20 seconds.

 

Hey man, after having had your 9772 for a few months, what do you think about it? I'm looking to take the plunge very soon, maybe in the next day, for a souped up machine customized maybe on xotic perhaps... what do you think so far?

 

Awesome. Definitely think most people would be happy with this laptop if battery life is not a concern. It definitely tips the scales heavily as desktop replacement, but still semi-portable if you don't mind being plugged in wherever you take it. I'm glad I went with the 980m though I definitely didn't need it. The 4790k was also overkill for me but being tweakable ootb with xtu was a big plus and only $50 more dollars.

I have my system maxed out now. 32gb ram. And I just installed a Samsung 256GB sm951and 256GB Samsung evo for a virtualbox Linux install, which I am having trouble with for some reason. The Ubuntu 14.04 sees my screen as 2560x1440 I think. The problem with it is I can't change resolution because I can't scroll or get to the setting that might fix it. Haven't had time to troubleshoot it, 3 different installs in, but it is not high priority right now. ~$3300 for the ram, two m.2 drives and two 850 pro 512GB SSD's and the laptop itself bought with no ram or drives at purchase.

No regrets. Hardware has been almost flawless. Calling it a beast is an understatement. The thing has accomplished 5x more seti@home boinc modules in 3 months than my np5160 with 2630qm/540m did in 4 years. Boinc runs hotter temps than any game I've thrown at it which is amazing, but those temps are also lower consistently than the previous laptop. The Batman might actually make a 5 year run, when I usually upgrade every 3 years. Only thing I think I will watch from the fence is USB type c, which isn't a big deal as USB 3.0 serves all my needs and having to flip USB cables occssionally doesnt bother me.

Take the dive already if you the cash. I don't think any Intel or nvidia GPU in the next two years will make anybody envious.

 

AWESOME! Thanks for the in depth respondse! I also heard that clevo might be making some announcements this month about new models or something, plus they are on back order now till next week, some issue with the screens. I was hoping to get a bigger 17.3" screen with 4K or 3K, but i doubt that is coming soon. Plus Skylate and Broadwell will be coming out this year, maybe in august, september, so I'm still debating whether to take the plunge today or not, but thanks for the reccomendations pukemon.

 

Screen options depend on what the screen manufacturers come up with, hopefully higher res 17.3" panels will be released.