Sager 9261 Updated

Sager News 9/20/2007

NP9261 Pre-Order date to be pushed back one week

While we are just as excited to release the new NP9261 as our customers are to receive it, uncontrollable delays from Clevo are forcing us to push back our pre-order date for the unit by one week. This unfortunate delay has forced us to move the first day for pre-orders to the 26th or 27th of September’07.

Sager understands that all of our customers have been patiently waiting on their backorders and placing new orders. We would suggest that all customers currently waiting on the NP9260 revise their orders to the NP9261 once pre-orders are open. This will make the revised FSB1333 motherboard available to all customers regardless of their processor preference. This should provide improved performance for all customers.

Sager would also like to announce that having worked closely with both Clevo and nVIDIA, that both V4.x and V5.x version of the D901C (NP9260 & NP9261) will have hardware support for the nV GF 8700M GT in SLi. Software driver pending.

Customers that have a backorder of the NP9260 (M/B V:4.x) with the Intel X6800 Extreme Edition Processor that wish to keep the order without revising to our new NP9261 will receive a $100.00 discount as an apology for the long delay. While we have the unit itself in stock, we happen to be out of stock on the VGA cards. The ETA for the VGA cards will be around the same time as NP9261.

We do not currently have a shipping date for the NP9261, but will make an announcement when preorders are open. Sager believes that our customers are best served with accurate information backed by our supplier. Thank you again for your patience and, as always, we appreciate your loyal patronage as Sager customers.

 

woooo thanks!

 

Man, that's what I call customer service.

When I get the chance to order my 926x, I'm getting it from Xotic.

 

Wow, thank you Justin for the info. Looking forward for figures around the 8700M GT in SLI and Quad Cores.

Trance

 

Thanks for the info Justin!

Can you confirm if the back-ordered 9260's arriving this month are 9261s?

 

Awh Cr@p. Does anyone know if Eurocom is in the same boat? I would assume so but I didn't know if it mattered that they are supplied directly by Clevo.

 

Yes, Eurocom is directly supplied by Clevo.

As well as Pro-Star/M-tech and Sager.

Most of everyone else gets their barebones through the 3 from above.

 

Any chance of getting this model with the 8700 sli for under 3,000 ?

 

This is a nice news post, thanks Justin.

I am glad to see Sager taking care of their customers like that. Dell didn't do anything like that for customers who waited almost two months for their machines.

 

Great news indeed. I have been waiting ever so impatiently for a new top of the line DX10 card to come out before ordering a 926x. But if the 8700 will do SLi, drivers pending, I am very tempted to buy one now.

 

is it for everyone? back ordered? cause pcmicroworks is selling the black-hawk (9261 i think?) with one week shipping unless its not the 5x?????

 

Do you know if this new motherboard is a final version or it is some sort of BETA version. Since a few months I was almost ready to buy the 9260 I do not want to buy this new 9261 and find out that I have to replace the motherboard in order to have a new feature or fix a bug.

Any idea how much it will cost this BB (starting price with single video card) ?

Thx

 

Looking forward to seeing this model finally orderable! I am curious whether there will be a price increase based on the newer motherboard.

 

We anticipate pricing to be available soon. I will be sure to update everyone as soon as pricing is available.

 

pcmicroworks says they have it in stock. but sager and all others dont? so i dont know the sysem i want is


System Data Sheet

The PC MicroWorks Advantage:
> Rigorous 300 Point Burn-In Test
> Professional Technician Hands On Testing
> Industry Leading Benchmark Performance
> Industry Leading Shipping Turn-Around
> Reliability and Support When it Counts

Components:
*LAUNCH SALE* Intel® Core™2 Quad Q6700 (2.66GHz/1066MHz/8MB)

**SALE** 4096MB Ultra Speed DDR2 800MHz Extreme Performance Memory

400GB @ 21,600RPM SATA300 Storage RAID 5 (3 x 200GB 7200RPM)

No External Storage

8X High Speed Dual Layer +/- DVD-RW Drive

SLI Dual nVIDIA Geforce GO 7950GTX 1GB RAM X-TREME GPU

17" WUXGA+ Ultra Resolution GlassVision Wide Screen Cinema Display

8 Channel Advanced SRS WOW Surround Sound System

High Speed 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Networking Adapter

Internal High Speed V90k Dial Up Modem

**FREE UPGRADE** Built In 802.11AGN 300mbps Ultra Speed Wireless Adapter

Integrated Advanced Bluetooth Wireless Adapter

No EVDO (Evolution Data Only) High Speed Internet Connection

No GPS Location Device

No TV Tuner

No Floppy Drive

No Extra Mouse

No Biometrics

No Controller

Microsoft® Windows Vista Ultimate Edition 64 Bit **NEW**

No Notebook Security

No Laptop Cooler

No Extra AC Adapter

No Extra Battery

No Car Power Adapter

No Notebook Carrying Bag

No Burning or DVD Software

No Virus or Spyware Protection

Dead Pixel Protection Not Included

3 Year Diamond PLUS Blanket Protection Advanced Coverage

No Office Productivity Package

$4729.00

i just hope its the 9261 like they say. im waiting for everyone to get they to c the best price

 

You'll only get the best price by contacting sales for each distributor/manufacturer.

 

We now have the 9261 up for Pre-Order with Quad Core Support and with the option for 8700GT SLI

 

Justin, et al
1. Any word on when the higher end Quadro GPUs such as the 3500m might be available?

2. I see where the Extreme 6800 cpu is priced higher than the quad core 6700... is the performance of the X6800 superior to the Q6700?

 

I can help with that:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=155136

 

ok thanks i will call the sales reps when everyone has them

 

Great update there Justin. I just placed my order order for one configured with a Quad Q6700 and 2 8700's in SLi. I have been waiting 3 months to place on order on one of these beasts and I have finally done it. I must say though, I was very tempted to go the Toshiba X205-SLi3 route. 2 x 8600 GTs in SLi with 2 HDD in raid 0 with an HD Dvd drive for only $2,500 is very tempting.

 

Can't wait to get mine! Oct19th at the latest woot woot!

 

I will sit on the sideline once again waiting patiently for the 8800 series.

BTW, Dell's XPS m1730 with dual 8700GT SLi only garnered 8019 on 3D Mark 06. The beast turned out to be quite tamed. Fugly and expensive as well.

 

I can sit on the sidelines no longer...

And after all of this waiting for SLI 8700's, I'm going with...drumroll please...

...a 9261 with a single 8700 card

Also, I had no interest in a quad-core CPU, but in the end, I'm going with the Q6600 and 4GB of 800 Mhz ram (Vista 64)

My reasoning for all of this is that I don't need my notebook to be a gaming rig at the moment...won't be on the road again for a few months. So in the meantime, I'll be focusing more on a desktop for gaming (dual 8800's).

If in the next few months, a better card becomes available and is compatible with the notebook, I'll upgrade. If not, I'll get a second 8700...I'm figuring that at the very least, a dual 8700 rig in a 9261 will churn out 9000+ in 3DMark06 (once there are proper drivers and perhaps with a bit of overclocking).

I can live with that, so just knowing that the 9261 can definitely be upgraded to dual 8700's, seals the deal for me!

 

and no wsxga glossy version on sager's site?

 

After much debate I have decided to return the HP DDV9500t I ordered and save up a bit more to get the Sager 9261. This laptop looks like its a beast and for me its worth going without a laptop for little bit if I can get my hands on one of these. The best part of this laptop is the fact that it is easily upgradeable. Before this forum I didn't even know about Sager laptops and I'm glad I was introduced to them, I mean how many laptops can you upgrade and change out the video card?

I'm so excited for one of these! (I'm actually talking to HP right now to return the laptop so I can save up for the Sager, lol)

One question I do have though:
Is the dual 7950GTX SLI that much better than the 7950GTX by itself. I don't need overkill and would like to save the money if the 7950GTX will do it by itself. I want to play Bioshock with full graphics, will one 7950GTX be able to do that? Also, say I just purchase the one, can I purchase another down the road and still get SLI support? (I really don't know too much about SLI and how it works).

Thanks in advance!

 

The SLI will work well with new and upcoming games that are going to support it.

Although most of the current and previous games might not take advantage of the SLI.

A single 7950GTX can easily play Bioshock at high settings and high resolution.

 

So 8019 is a bad score? A 9260 with stock 7950's is in the low 9000's so I'm not sure what your complaint is. It's still better than any single GPU solution of any kind . I expect the 9261 with 8700's to beat the Dell, but still be sub-par to the 7950's.

I find it very curious that Dell would release an XPS with SLI 8700's when there's all the rumors floating about mobile 8800's. Dell is in the loop with the hardware manufacturer's so why not wait 3 months and release then? Sort of a big investment in hardware/reputation just to gain 3 months. Especially since their SLI configuration is completely custom... 2 GPUs on a single card.

 

One big question I have is about DirectX 10. I want to go with the 7950 because it is a better video card, but it doesn't support DirectX 10. Is DX 10 really worth it? I mean what are the advantages of DX10 over DX9 (I know that XP doesn't support DX10 only Vista does)?

 

That's really a matter of preference. No one can say much about it unless they're playing DX10 games now. To me it was important so I went with 8700's. The pics from Crysis and other games (call of juarez) look awesome. The new lighting effects are photo-realistic.

 

Can the dual 8700GT handle all current graphics demanding games at the highest quality? I want DX10, but at the same time I'd rather go with the 7950GTX SLI if the 8700GT SLI can't handle all current and upcoming games at the highest quality.

 

If the 8700M-GT wasn't DirectX 10, no one would even glance at it.

I have seen Crysis in DirectX 9 and it looks gorgeous. If you have looked at the DX9 vs. DX10 Crysis videos, you'll see that there is not much of a difference.

Just get the Go7950GTX.

 

i know that its dx10 for the 8700 but is there that much of a differance between sli 8700 and the sli 7950 besides dx10? u know night and day ? are u giving up alot to go with the dx10?

 

You're awfully quick to assume everyone should just use a 7950. If the 8700 had a 256-bit bus you'd be all over it. Half a dozen of one, six of another.... DX10 or 256-bit bus. The larger memory bus is awesome, but SLI mitigates some of that bottle neck. The 7950's are not limited by memory bandwidth so performance gain from SLI is not as large as the gains for 8700's in SLI. In fact 8700's may not be limited by memory at all when in SLI -- instead by ability to perform the operations. I don't think that's true, but if it is then the extra memory bandwidth is useless.

I see a huge difference in the lighting effects. To me the shadows and contrasts are way more realistic.

Most of these forums are opinions anyway... make your own judgments by doing your own research.

 

Wouldn't crysis be considered a shader intensive game and therefore faster on the 8700 because it has 3 times the shading power?

 

U guys are my reseach. u have the 8700 and chaz has the 7950. what better way then to ask u guys which is better? so do u like the 8700 better?

 

I don't have it yet . It's on order and I should receive it by Oct 19th.

I've researched it quite a bit and my driving factor is DX10. I want it. The 8700M-GT is the best mobile DX10 GPU available right now. I don't have any other choice -- and waiting is not a choice for me. I need something now and the funds will not be available to upgrade later.

Based upon what I've read the 8700M-GT is a very good performer. Two in SLI should rock since it takes the pressure off the memory bottleneck -- think of it as driving two half-screens. Yes the 8700M-GT has a hard time driving 1920x1200, but in SLI it only has to drive 1920x600. That's exact same screen resolution as 1280x900. And it fewer pixels then the default 3DMark06 resolution of 1200x1024.

The 8700M-GT does very well against the 7950 at lower resolutions. SLI is the same as driving lower resolutions (even though you are rendering in total at 1920x1200).

So to me the 8700M-GT in SLI is just as good as the 7950 (or VERY damn close). So it's a no-brainer to pick the 8700's in SLI to get DX10.

 

i agree with u. i read PC GAMER mag. and it shows dx9 next to dx10 and all i can say is WOW!!! i want to order the d901c too but i gotta research the keyboards first. if they are all like that then ill take the plung but if someone has a multi ill go for it. its that important to me . whats the differance in the 8700 =128? 7950 =256?

 

Finally the reason !!! I was just waiting for someone to bringthis up!!!! BRAVO!!!!!

 

I have put extensive research behind determining that the Go7950GTX is the superior gaming card from a sheer performance view. The 8700M-GT's only real advantage is its DirectX 10 capability. The DX9/DX10 differences are subjective, yes, so let people do the research and then decide.

There are no benchmarks for Crysis yet so we can't make any conclusions. They will have to wait for the game to come out in November.

 

true true... But Hopefully they will release performance info on what gpu would be good, great, exelent, and then maybe future gpu's for insane gameplay.

So we can all buy our lappies before Crysis release ...

 

Yes I would not wait two months for Crysis to come out if you need the laptop now just to find out what kind of performance you can get in it. I think it is safe to say that both the 8700M-GT and the Go7950GTX will run Crysis at comfortable settings and you'll have an enjoyable experience on both.

 

I will most definately take your advice... 8700gt single or dual?

And any news from nvidia? what about 8700gts or 8700gtx? any plans?

Because the sounds of 22w 8800m is amazing... in sli... ooohhh mama well any possibility that a 8800gts 320/640mb would fit in a lappie? what about different clocks and stuff... maybe thats what they're doing

 

There isn't a 22W 8800. All that mis-information was based upon a single thread in the UK. That post references a model number that's equivalent to the current 8700GT.

Gophn has stated that the next release by nVidia this winter is the 8700GTX. Exactly what it kind of animal it will be is still a mystery.

I wouldn't get an 8700 in a single card configuration. I agree with everyone else that it's not as good as the 7950 (I've never disputed that in any of my posts). The 128-bit bus is not good at driving native 17" display resolutions. However I think two in SLI is a different story (which I hope to prove when my 9261 arrives). So if you can't get 8700's in SLI, I would think twice about choosing it over a 7950.

 

Sager NP9261
Date: 10/3/2007
Sager thanks everyone that has been waiting patiently with us for the official word on Quad Core support. We are happy to report that we have received our new revised motherboard D901C shipment a few days ago and have completed our testing. The NP9261 with Quad Core support will begin shipment this week. Below are some quick photos of quick testing results on freshly loaded systems.

Attach Photo: Ver5_2A.jpg
Finalized motherboard revision V5.2a to officially support Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 & Q6700 G0-Stepping & Intel E6850 Core 2 Duo w/FSB1333.

Attach Photo: NP9261_Q6700_1.jpg
3DMark06 Default test (NP9261, Q6700, 2048 DDR2-800, 2x nV GF 8700M GT w/512MB SLi Driver version 156.55, 200GB 7200RPM SATA300, Windows Vista Ultimate x64)

Attach Photo: NP9261_Q6700_2.jpg
wPrime

Attach Photo: NP9261_E6850_1.jpg
3DMark06 Default test ( NP9261, E6850, 2048 DDR2-800, 2x nV GF 8700M GT w/512MB SLi Driver version 156.55, 200GB 7200RPM SATA300, Windows Vista Ultimate x64)

Attach Photo: NP9261_E6850_2.jpg
wPrime

Attach Photo: NP9261_7950.jpg
3DMark06 Default test (NP9261, Q6700, 2048 DDR2-800, 2x nV GF Go 7950 GTX w/512MB SLi Driver version 156.55, 100GB 7200RPM SATA150, Windows Vista Ultimate x64)

WUXGA In stock will ship this week, WSXGA+ Matted Screen ETA on or before 10/19/2007.
Pending issues (nV 8700M GT w/512MB SLi under Windows Vista x64 and 4096MB of system memory) SLi mode cannot be enabled Software fix pending.

 

Oh no, those scores are lower than I expected!

 

Excellent, nice to see some benchmarks.

 

Wow the Quad pushes the 3DMark06 score up by 1200 points?

EDIT: ah no... the quad is equipped with the 7950's .

 

Ah!!!! NICE!!! But I dont think ill be walking around with a 3.00ghz c2d in my laptop... Cuz im not an overclocker...

When you compare scores and stuff... do you count the cpu score with it?

 

Well lets hope the 8700gtx goes on par with 8700gt or better