Sager / Clevo with AMD CPU / GPU?

Now that I've had my taste of the new AMD Llano / Fusion APU and GPU's, I like them. The HP is actually quite nice except that I had to disassemble the whole damn machine just to change the thermal paste because what was in there was hard as a damn rock and running hot as hell, now with IC Diamond it's running cool.

In any case it made me wonder why Sager doesn't offer a mid-level AMD Fusion machine. The CPU's and GPU's are great, and inexpensive. It won't beat any Sandy Bridge quad, but for the cost you can't beat it. I bought it over the NP5165 because of its better battery life and much less cost.

 

What differences have you seen between the A6 and A8?

 

It's just slightly sad that HP is going out of the PC business. Customer support may be spotty.

I was also interested in the Llano platform, and was leaning that way instead of intel+Nvidia optimus. That was before I decided to go all out with a performance machine. If there was a Llano version with 6970m performance, I'd have gone with that.

 

Compal is more AMD-friendly, so they might put out some Llano machines, but I wouldn't expect anything out of Clevo.

I'm not sure if the Compal PCL10 is for sale.

 

HT,

what is the difference betwween Llano's mixing of IGP and GPU and Optimus?

Jason

 

I was able to get the A6 to clock the same as the A8. The A6 runs a little hotter, but can run it at 2.2GHz. I run my A8 at 2.2GHz as well, but can run at 2.4GHz if needed with a little temperature penalty, but still reasonable.

The technical differences are the integrated GPU is a little slower in the A6 than the A8, and the A8 integrated GPU can offer a significant performance advantage with 1600MHz RAM. I can actually play Bad Company 2 on battery for 2 hours using the integrated GPU @ 720p, CPU @ 1.8GHz, with medium detail at 30-40 fps!!!

Well I don't think Llano is targeting machines with high end GPU's. But it would be nice. The 3530MX was the highest end mobile GPU that had a VERY short life, like a month, now the 3510MX is available, but they can all pretty much clock the same, and all run at well below stock voltages. I think paired with a 6750m like they are is a good match, something a little faster would be nice though.

I would much prefer a Sager or Clevo branded laptop with same tech over HP, but they don't offer it. For the price, it's a great mixture for everything, long battery life, cool running, and can play games too. If you are into max detail and resolution, then it won't satisfy you. But if you just want a decent laptop that can game if you need it to, it's a good solution especially for the cost.

Well as I see it the A8 with 6750m is a fair competitor to the NP5165, and reasonably less money. With all said and done, the HP will cost me about $700 with coupons and discounts with A8-3510mx, 6750m, 1080p matte screen, 9-cell battery, blu-ray. It can score 3DMark11 of 2100 with reasonable overclocks of the CPU and GPU and still run < 80C.

With overclocks and crossfire, it's nearly equivalent to a GTX 460m, although on a 128-bit bus.

Well the Llano makes use of asymmetrical crossfire, but can also be disabled so you can use discrete or integrated GPU's based on application. Optimus is nVidia's GPU switching technology.

 

I have to give HTWingnut props for being on the cutting edge and willing to be open to the idea that perhaps an IGP / GPU combination may be viable for all bar the most intense gaming applications. The more i hear about asymmetrical x-fire and how one can boost the other (sorta like if we think of the onboard GPU as an IGP and the vidock'd gpu as the GPU, but both working together), the more i'm coming on board to the idea of gaming ability through a midrange card + IGP that is lower in TDP than a single high-end card. That HTWingnut can play a game at 720p (normal HD) and average approx. 35fps means that for most people who play casually, this is the solution that allows for casual gamers to play without worrying that mid-flight, or mid-bustrip, the battery will be excessively jeopardized by the constant consumption of the GPU.

I saw HTWingnut's video where he compares the 560m-laden NP8130 to his DV6t, and I was amazed that a mid-range card can come dangerously close to the performance of the 460m, last-gen's mainstream 15" gaming card. (I reserve the 485m / 580m as Clevo goin insane.) My only concern with AMD' Llano GPU tech is whether it is stuck in the embryonic stage a la HD3D, which pales in comparison to nVidia's GPU Video ability. Is Llano going to be a stillborn Optimus? Optimus may be cruder in that it doesn't allow for "asymmetrical SLi", but the 12 months that nVidia has provided optimus to end-users has allowed for outside-the-lab feedback from users and resellers / suppliers on the pros and cons of Optimus, and it has taken a foothold in everything from entry-level notebooks to the m17x / m18x alienwares - the latter two being machines NOBODY would question their credentials as legitimate gaming machines.

And because of their cred as gaming rig suppliers, I think that Llano won't make a foothold in the 6990m department, although in 6750m, and even 6870m, yes. There is an expanding - albeit still a tiny niche - market for gaming rigs as companies expand to make GTX-carded and x9yym carded rigs. MSI (GTxxxR / DXR), HP, Toshiba Qosmio, Alienware, Sager, etc., are all in this game, and as far as I can see with Sager, they're a small company and want to stay small. A company like DELL / Alienware can, due to sheer volume, coerce a motherboard maker such as FOXCONN to make motherboards that are capable of handling Optimus / Llano and then BIOSes that have the options of switchable graphics. A small company like Sager may have to accept what CLEVO sends to them and whomever CLEVO commissions the mobos / BIOSes to; Sager doesn't have the buying power. Would I like to see Sager / Clevo make a proper gaming rig with switchable graphics / Llano? Absolutely. It would make the gaming rig I want infinitely more usable in a classroom setting where a power outlet may not be accessible, and when plugged in I could still tap the full power of a 560m or a 485m.

I would like to see these switchable and hybrid techs integrated more, but until the cost of integration drops for smaller resellers and smaller computer companies, I'm afraid that the bigger computer dealers will have more and more time to meld Optimus and Llano into novelty toys for thin and light notebooks and mainstream notebooks and increasingly ignore gaming rigs; a subsection where such switchability would arguably benefit the user the most.

 

Well keep in mind that 35fps with Bad Company 2 is ON BATTERY. I can play with the dedicated + integrated crossfire at 60fps plugged in at 1080p with medium details.

The advantage of AMD is that they own both the CPU and GPU so can tightly integrate them. Unlike Optimus which is nVidia's best attempt at working around Intel's restrictive environment. Intel desperately does not care to support nVidia's endeavors, but to this day I don't understand why because Intel graphics suck and always have, at least for gaming.