Sager 8760 GPU's and 8690

Hi all,

I was originally planning for so long to try an get a 15 inch laptop for gaming as a desktop replacement, but the more I think about it I think a 17 inch might be the better way to go coupled with a small netbook to bring to school.

I think I'm pretty set on the Sager 8760-s1 but the problem is I'm not sure if I should go for the 460m or just stay with the 5870. I've heard both sides and it seems the general consensus is the 5870 is a little better even though it's older an cheaper? I just don't know if I should get the 460m because it's a newer card and therefore might eventually perform better or be supported longer.

Also what is everyones thoughts on a 15 inch vs 17 inch. Is the 17 too big? I was originally going to get the 8690-s1 but I figured for around 100 more I get a 17 inch screen and a spot for a second hd later down the road. Anything else I gain with going for the 17 inch over the 15?

Also in open to other suggestions of any laptops that might be similarly equipped that you guys might think is better. Thanks much

 

i've had a 17 once and sold it for a 15, and have had 15s since. I currently use the 8690 and find it to be a really good size. At home i have a 23.3 LED display i dock it to, and on the road the 15.6 is fine for all my gaming needs. Some text is small but thats going to be the case even on the 17. As a side note, a 15.6 gaming laptop is roughly the size of a NORMAL 17 inch laptop, so with that said a 15.6 is still large. I for one would pay more for a 15.6 than a 17 for the size and weight. The only time i myself would consider a 17+ is if i wanted dual GPUs. With all that said, my 8690is the best machine i have ever owned, and thats 5 gaming laptops and many desktops.

 

Any opinion on the 460m vs 5870?

 

Take the 5870. The 460 is slower in general, except for tessellation performance, where it's a battle of unplayable frame rates anyways. That's my oppinion.

There's a giant thread on this topic in the gaming forum.

 

With high rez screens that all the kids like these days, like 1080p on a 15.6" screen, there is no need for a 17" screen.

But if you want two GPUs a 17" chassis is the only choice.

 

The only caveat being, if you like quiet computing then get the 460m. Clevo's 5870 modules have powerplay disabled.

 

The AMD Clock Tool makes this a non-issue.

 

ALso i dont think the 5870 is even an option any more, its been discontinued from what i hear b/c the asus notebooks were having alot of issues, so the only choice is Nivida now, and thats a shame since the 5870 is such a great card.

 

Asus had a lot of problems mostly because they made their own inverted version of the card. If they had stuck with the reference design, they would have been better off.

 

Yup, none the less, vendors have pulled all 5870s.

 

Power notebooks and XoticPC still provide the 5870.

 

Xotic just changed their -S1 model. Apparently Clevo has added the 470m to the list GPU's available on the 870CU/871CU models, So i'm guessing they are trying to get these things to sell quick. It comes STOCK with an 840qm.


Sager NP8760-S1 (Built on Clevo W870CU) Custom Gaming Laptop
- Student Promotions! Ask us about our Cash Discounts or FREE Promotional Items & Accessory Bundles for Students - Up to 50% OFF! - Student Verification Required for Promotion
- 17.3" FHD LED Backlit 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1080)
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Intel® Core™ i7-840QM, 1.86-3.2GHz, (45nm, 8MB L3 cache) - Special!
- - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD5870 1024MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
- No Video Adapter
- ~ 8,192MB DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires 64-Bit to utilize Full 4GB)
- Standard Finish
- ~ 6X Blue-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive-
- ~ 500GB (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid (Serial-ATA II 300 - 32MB Cache)
- ~ 500GB (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid (Serial-ATA II 300 - 32MB Cache)-
- Raid 0 Stripe Enabled (Requires 2 or 3 Hard Drives. Combines Hard Drives for performance)
- No Back Up Hard Drive
- No Back Up Software
- No Floppy Drive
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Intel® Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module
- No Network Accessory
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- No TV Tuner
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- 11.1V Smart Li-Polymer battery pack 3800mAh, 42.18Wh
- No Car Adapter
- None Standard*
- No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- No External Keyboard or Mouse
- No Notebook Cooler
- No Operating System Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- No Office Software
- No Software Bundle
- Sager 2 Year Parts & 3 Year Labor Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Support
- No Xotic PC Gear

Do you guys think I should jump on this at a price of $2083.47 after cash discount? Or should I send $30 more and get the 460m? Ooooorrr should I just wait for the 470m?
Also, would I be able to just throw a 470m in the above config later on down the road?
Another question, Would getting the two momentus hybrid drives in raid be worth it or should I just get the 80gb ssd and a 320gb 7200 hd. Or maybe just get the normal 500 gb 7200 and buy another ssd in a while?