Sager 1950 Special Edition Review from Xotic PC after 1 week

Hey all,

This is my review of the Sager 1950 from Xotic PC. The computer ordered was of the following specs:


I also added my own 256 GB SSD as the main HDD and removed the optical drive, replacing it with a caddy and using the 750GB HD it came with as a secondary.

I have owned the computer for a week and explored all of the features contained within. In the end I ended up paying around $2000, though the machine was somewhat discounted because of the Thanksgiving sale.

Let me start with the negatives so I can talk about the positives at the end of the post, because on the whole I am very impressed with the machine.

-The chassis of the computer feels slightly rubberized or silicone, which makes it feel pretty good and easy to grip, however, is an insane dust magnet. After a few days I had to thoroughly wipe the machine down as the dust was sticking to every surface. Also, the crease in the hinge of the laptop, dust gathers but it's almost impossible to reach down there except if you use cotton swabs or something. This is something you'll need to get used to if you end up owning this machine.
-The laptop screen came with 1 semi-dead pixel, if I lightly press on the area with a microfiber cloth it goes away, and reappears only after a few hours of use. It hasn't been back in a few days so I hope it's gone forever, but if you're anal about this I suggest getting the dead pixel guarantee. I am using it mostly on an external monitor set up so it doesn't really affect me much but here's a fair warning.
-The backlight on the keys isn't as even as it should be, some keys, specifically the function key and a few others appear somewhat dimmer than the rest of the keyboard which does distract from the look. I usually use an external mechanical keyboard and will probably keep the backlight off anyway so it's not an issue to me. Again though, if you like perfection and symmetry in your hardware like some this might be a sore spot.
-The microphone is near the keypad and keyboard so if you're typing and talking on Skype at the same time for example, your keystrokes are heard very loud. Again, not an issue for me due to my external keyboard.
-My machine came with some kind of loose particle (I can hear it bounce around on the inside of the computer if I turn the machine in different directions). I've even opened the machine up and blasted it with compressed air in an attempt to get it out (not sure what it could be) but it still persists. Every now and then it sounds like it gets caught in the fan area and makes a HUGE clipping noise. Basically this is the worst part of the experience for me and kind of makes me wonder about the build quality; I would send this in to Xotic but will not because of next point:
-I ordered this machine from Xotic right before Thanksgiving and it did not arrive until around a month aftewards (20th of December). I understand that it might have been because of the busy Christmas season but that's an extremely long time to wait, as their website says they take 5-10 business days to "build" the machine, but there was about a week of processing and they also ship it to Nebraska to avoid CA sales tax (I can agree with this) which also adds time. Towards the end of 3 weeks I was getting frustrated and emailed Xotic asking why it's taking so long and I got an email that the machine had shipped shortly after.. coincidence or was it lost/stuck somewhere? Not sure. I also contacted Xotic to make a change to my order: to remove Windows 7 because a rep told me that getting Windows 8 required that I buy Windows 7 as well.. but after ordering and doing my own research I realized this isn't true. Though Xotic removed Win 7 from my computer and I set up Windows 8 from a copy I bought on Amazon with no issue, they did not subtract the $70 from my order. I emailed them about this a week ago with no response (I understand Christmas was on so I am taking my time). Also the advertised deal came with free shipping but still charged me shipping after I made my order, even though a rep. told me to place his name in the "memo" line of the order to get free shipping, I had to contact Xotic again to get it actually applied. My point being is that I am not too satisfied with Xotic PC's customer service but I seem to be the anomaly on this forum, so I am chalking it up to a busy Christas season. None the less I don't feel comfortable mailing them back the Sager for repairs.

Positives
Other than the issues above, I absolutely love the computer. My loadout seems to be optimal and everything is blazing fast. I use the computer for intensive programs for work (I do internet marketing) and haven't seen this lag in Windows mode. Everything happens basically instantly and I can have 20 programs open and Chrome with 30 tabs and it's working just fine even after installing all my drivers and programs. I am loving Windows 8 and the new features, and the combination of the SSD, fast processor and RAM allows it to work seamlessly with zero lag that I don't even miss the start Menu. Take it the Metro apps are basically of no interest to me, and I actually laughed that the Skype app takes up your whole screen, on the whole I am impressed with Windows 8's features.

I am a gamer as well and this computer performs well. I have played Hitman 2, Deus Ex, XCom and Serious Sam and by default have set those games to Ultra settings without any lag. Really impressed and everything runs smoothly. The 15 inch screen is perfect size and the keyboard feels nice as well. I am installing Max Payne 3 soon and hope to get FarCry 3 later and it's sounding like it should have no issue with those either.


Bottom Line

I was a little skeptical buying a Sager as I hadn't heard of the brand before and I usually stick to brand name stuff, but for the great deal, this Sager did not disappoint. Aside from some issues of customer service and the fan clipping sound, I am still very happy with my decision.

-West

 

I'm on my second Sager from Xotic and I couldn't be happier that I found them. The Special Edition is one hell of a deal, congrats on the new laptop. I hope everything continues to go smoothly, the NP9150 is an awesome laptop and the 680m is an absolute beast for a mobile gpu. The guys at Xotic have always been really good to me, and I can assure you the shipment time isn't the norm. The first laptop I ordered from them arrived 9 days after ordering it online, the second took only 8. That was with regular ground shipping from California, and I'm on the east coast so it, so it was very quick considering the circumstances. Anyway, glad you're enjoying it and welcome to the club!

 

Grats on your Sager. Had my first Sager for a week now, and I'm loving it! Clevo/Sager is too underrated IMO.

 

i think you mean 9150, not 1950

 

concerning that "loose particle" in ur machine: id get rid of that as fast as possible. if its smth metallic it might cause a short in ur mobo or some other component while ur machine is switched on. and even if its plastic it could very well destroy one of ur fans.
try the following: remove the backplate, turn the laptop around and then gently/slowly tilt it from one side to the other to see if that object comes falling out. if it doesnt, even after several tries, then try to locate it by sound and get it out manually by using a small thong or smth.

otherwise, congratz on ur new beastly machine, it sure is a good price for that config

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

Thanks for taking the time to make the review.
I do apologize if there was any confusion about getting Windows 8. To qualify for the -$15 discount you do have to get Windows 7 on the configuration. That discount is there so you can get Windows 8 Pro essentially for free since Microsoft is offering a discounted upgrade price of $14.99. That promotion through Microsoft does require you purchase a computer with Windows 7 on it. You dont need to get Windows 7 to get 8, but to qualify for that price you do. There may have been some confusion on that.

 

Hello

I want to get the Sager N9150

Do you have any resellers in Dubai


like XoticPC in USA


where i can config & build one


Thanks

 

There are no Sager/Clevo resellers in Dubai, you can find a list of resellers here http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...eller-info-read-before-posting.html#resellers

Many on there do ship internationally though, send them a PM for any details about doing so.

 

Gotcha, though there is a very easy but unofficial fix (as simple as changing one registry entry) wherein you can install Windows 8 Upgrade edition even if you didn't have Windows 7. Not sure if MS endorses this but the same work around has been around since Win 7 and has not been patched yet, and is fairly well known so I'm sure MS knows about it.