Sager NP-9170 Long Term Review

I have had my NP-9170 for almost two years now, and seeing as I received quite a bit of help from this forum when ordering the laptop I see fit that I write a long term review. The laptop has served me well overall, plays most games effortlessly, and went with me to school, power brick(literally) and all.

Here are my laptops specs:

CPU: i7-3610 QM 2.3-3.3 ghz
GPU: GTX 675m
RAM: 16gb, 1600 mhz
HDD: 750gb
WiFi: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235



So anyways, I ordered the laptop in September of 2012 from LPC-Digital and it started off working great! It played pretty much every game on max settings and was altogether delightful to use. I also ended up taking it to school for CAD in engineering classes and used it for rendering as well. It was easy to take apart and work on, granted I just took it apart for cleaning purposes and fun. However, midway into my engineering class problems started to crop up.


The first round of problems (And many more):
After using the laptop for around 3 months some problems began. Firstly, the bottom of the screen bezel would incessantly rub on the body of the laptop when the screen was down. This is because the designers did not see fit to put a rubber cushion on the bottom of the bezel like they did on every other side of it. This resulted in blemishes and scratches on both the bezel and body of the laptop. Secondly, the GPU fan started to make humming noises, especially while the laptop was tilted in any way. Lastly, the keyboard was having input issues and very uneven backlighting. I ended up needing to send the laptop in for service. While Larry at LPC-Digital was great to work with and service was completed relatively quickly, I was still mildly annoyed that the laptop had such basic issues, especially since the one with the bezel could have been fixed with a 10 cent part. When I got the laptop back I put some bumpers on the bottom of the screen and carried on with school.

Yet again the laptop performed admirably, and with Larry's help it was back on track. The GPU fan still made a bit of noise, but it was much quieter than before. However, after another month or two the optical drive stopped working. Initially it would only spin up but never actually read the disc and eventually it did nothing at all (didn't even open when the button was pressed). With Larry's help I ended up doing a cross ship (Sager sends a new drive, I send them the old one) and got a new drive. It worked again and I figured this would probably be the end of my problems. I was wrong again.

In March I noticed that the screen had developed a darkish spot in the bottom left area of the monitor. I didn't bother sending it in as, honestly, I was quite tired of needing to transfer all my files and send it off.

Kinda visible in this image:


After another few months, around June of 2013, the optical drive stopped working yet again. Optical drives are generally considered to be a very reliable part and due to this fact it was quite odd for me to have two fail within that short of a time period and even to have one fail at all. As a result, and based on Larry's recommendation, it was decided to send my laptop in for service again. In addition to the problem with the optical drive some new problems had developed. The paint on the left and right click buttons under the touchpad was wearing off (It actually would have looked pretty cool if it all came off but instead it was patchy) and the WiFi card was becoming unstable. It is worth noting that at this time the card was a Killer 1202 WiFi card. Anyways, the optical drive was replaced yet again, the buttons were replaced, and the WiFi card was switched to a Intel one.

After the warranty expired:
I hoped that this was the end of my troubles, and certainly did not look forward to the swiftly approaching end to the warranty. I ended up facing even more issues with the laptop the following year (2014). In February the optical drive failed for the third time. With it being out of warranty I decided not to replace it due to the apparently high probability that it would fail again shortly thereafter. In March I noticed something strange. The left speaker stopped working. I honestly don't know when this problem started as I almost always use headphones but naturally this is irritating when you want to play music, videos, and stuff like that for friends. I tried a variety of software methods of fixing the problem as recommended by Larry. Unfortunately, the speaker refused to work. Larry was kind enough to send me a few pages of the service manual for my laptop so I could take it apart and attempt to fix it myself. I needed to take the laptop almost entirely apart to do so. As I was quite busy with school at the time I could not do so for a bit and at the end of April the speaker suddenly started working again, albeit in a flaky manner.

I took the computer entirely apart in May (Which is actually quite easy to do, I hold to my statement that this laptop is just as easy to work on as your average desktop) and discovered that, in terms of wiring, the speakers should work fine. While I did put everything back together properly, the right speaker also failed to work afterwards (Even worse than before). As the speakers connect to the motherboard with one 4 pin connector it should have worked fine.

I took it apart again several days ago to try my hand at fixing the speakers one last time. I used an ohmmeter to check the socket on the motherboard for the 4 pin connector as well as the wires to the speakers to verify that a connection was present. I also verified the presence of a connection from the motherboard to the speakers after plugging the connector back in. I found no mechanical issues with the speaker assembly. However, as the speaker cord needs to be unplugged to fully disassemble the laptop (Which has happened around 4 times total so far) and the cables are quite thin I believe that the wires might have frayed inside just enough (due to being moved around and bent in the process of taking the laptop apart) to mess with the connection. To fix this I would need to solder in a new connector to the motherboard, solder new wires on the speakers, and a connector on the wires. I have not done this as I don't want to risk damaging the motherboard. I also discovered the cause of the noisy GPU fan. It is only secured to the motherboard on two sides, which allows one corner of the fan to vibrate. Simply putting a thin cushion between the motherboard, case and fan near totally eliminated the problem. Another situation in which a 10 cent part could have solved the issue. Or even better, it could have been properly secured to the motherboard in the first place.

Other more moderate problems:
While I have never dropped the laptop, it has developed cracks in several locations (namely the interior). One of the most notable of these is that the support thingy that the middle screw of the bottom panel snapped. It is only about a quarter inch thick at most, made of plastic, and instead of being a solid piece going all the way to the motherboard or another part that could brace it, it is suspended thus allowing it to bend. I highly question why the middle of the laptop (Which one would assume is a point people might use to hold or carry it) would be supported by such a flimsy piece.

The laptop is also rather bendy for lack of a better word. Putting even moderate pressure on any region seems to result in flexing. For example, simply resting my hands on the case while typing. This problem continues to the screen, which has some small divots in it from the keyboard. This means that it has bent in by around a quarter of an inch. I don't stack things on the laptop, which means that this has occurred over time as I have carried it around in a laptop bag. While one might attribute this to the bag more than the computer I would like to think that a device that is meant to be portable wouldn't be so delicate.


The Good:
While I have had quite a few problems with the laptop it has still been a pleasure to use when it has worked. The GPU is an excellent overclocker, I have been able to use a (Generally stable, some games don't like it though) 18% overclock without increasing the core voltage. It is far more powerful than your average desktop, and does 3d tasks marvelously.



Furthermore, although the screen does have a rather annoying dark spot its colors are very nice. It also has almost no back-light bleed at all. Speaking of colors, the keyboard is also quite the attention grabber. I have received a ton of compliments on it, which is a bonus above the fact it is also very nice to type on.

While the cooling system is quite loud (Sounds like a hair dryer at full speed) it certainly does a good job of cooling the laptop. Even with the high overclock on the GPU it has never seen 80 Celsius. (Note that I am using a coolermaster U3 cooling pad) While I am inclined to complain that the fans and heat-sinks don't line up too well (Simply putting some aluminum tape over the gap results in a temperature drop of around 2-4 degrees) the temperatures have always been fine.

The battery life on this laptop is also quite stunning. Even with the high power components it still gets around 3 hours top when browsing the internet and doing other light tasks. It has managed up to an hour of battery life while gaming, and honestly it would be somewhat unfair to expect any more.


Conclusion:
Ultimately, it is hard for me to decide if I regret purchasing the NP-9170. I have certainly been disappointed by its lack of durability, design flaws, and apparent lack of quality control. However, the price vs. performance essentially made it my only option. I have seen other Sager models as I initially recommended the company to a friend (who purchased a different one) and they appear to be better designed and more well constructed. It could be that the NP-9170, a 17.3 inch, 8 pound (Approximately, with the charging brick) monstrosity wasn't really intended to be a "carry around, take to school everyday" computer, but rather a workstation that could be easily moved and occasionally used in a different room. However, it is a gaming laptop and simply stated I had higher expectations as such.

It certainly has its good points: Excellent performance, aesthetic appeal, very effective cooling, and respectable battery life. These have certainly counterbalanced the negatives and the fact that it is so strong in these areas is the only reason I have a relatively neutral view on the computer. Furthermore, the support I have received from Larry at LPC-Digital has been far beyond the customer support I have had at or from any other business. We exchanged around 45 e-mails and 2 phone calls before I even purchased the laptop (Wanted to make sure it was exactly what I wanted) and likely even more e-mails in dealing with the large number of problems the laptop has faced.

Ultimately, I am left with a bit of a conundrum. While I would recommend LPC-Digital any day due to the excellent customer support, the product simply has not matched up for me.


To stick a number on it, I would rate the laptop as a 6.5/10, would not recommend. While it has its strengths the problems I have faced with it are not able to be ignored. Here is a list of unresolved/unfixed problems with the laptop:
1. Damage debate-ably due to design flaws: Cracks in case, GPU fan noise (Improved, not totally gone), marks on screen
2. Hardware issues: non-functional left and right speakers, dark spot on screen, non-functional optical drive


The final issue that I now face is selling the laptop. I am going off to college soon and will have a school provided laptop. I don't need two laptops, therefore I intend to sell my NP-9170 and use the money to build a desktop for gaming and CAD purposes. While I did expect the value of the computer to drop by around 30-45% that was assuming that the computer would simply have cosmetic flaws due to being carried around on such a regular basis. However, the problems with it result in a further drop in value.

 

Thank you for the detailed review, and I'm very sorry your laptop developed these issues over the 2 years. Did you have a DVD drive by any chance? I've heard that the DVD drives these days are complete garbage with what seems like a lack of QA. Blu-Ray drivers (reader or writer) seem to do much better in this regard. The Toshiba in my sig is 3 years old and the Blu-ray driver hasn't had a single issue.

After owning a Clevo P370SM/Sager NP9380 for 8 months now, I'm gradually starting to think that Clevo laptops are best suited for those who are good/have an interest in modding, so they can correct some of the design flaws and make the most out of their laptop. There's nothing inherently wrong with them nor are there any fatal flaws ( debatable I guess), but the small things do add up, and over time they manifest as the problems that you present above.

I will say this though: like you I also went through a period of regret with my Clevo purchase, but thanks to the active modding community here and over at TechInferno, I was able to get into the modding scene. Now not only do I appreciate having a laptop that's exceedingly easy to work on, I also thank my Clevo for getting me stared and helping me develop my modding skills. Seriously I've never used a Dremel tool until I decided to cut some holes in my bottom cover, nor have I ever lapped (sanded down) a heatsink prior to this Clevo.

If I'd bought the Alienware 18 instead, I'd probably never have done any of this, mostly because I wouldn't have needed to, but also because the AW18 isn't as easy to work on for a complete beginner, and I'd probably be worried of breaking something in an expensive AW machine. Some days I do wish my P370SM had better build quality, but all things considered I really can't complain too much.

 

Yes, it is/was a DVD drive. I do appreciate the idea of what you wrote, although the extent to which I modded my laptop was improving the airflow between the fans and heatsinks with aluminum tape. However, I would have preferred that modding be focused on improving the laptop beyond what one would expect instead of to simply keep the thing running.

 

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with your lappy. My lappy has so far been perfectly fine. The only thing I really didn't care for is the keyboard, with the occasionaly miskey when typing.

 

An interesting review.

Surprisingly I bought my clevo one year before your one (it has no backlit keyboard) and have nothing but praise and continue to be impressed with the product itself.
I am not suggesting that QC dropped one year after mine but I am wondering if the service received by your seller has caused these issues.

Chassis faults is one thing but I can infer opening and closing many times (due to repairs) may lead to increased faults and damage.
As for the optical drive and the screen YMMV but these are lottery tickets. Thankfully my AU-optronics screens have been flawless and the optical drive (blu ray continues to work till today).

Good luck with your new notebook venture

 

Thank you for the long term review. :thumbsup:

I too, would be disheartened by the issues you have had.

Like n=1 stated, I had some mild regret purchasing my Sager NP8278 with a GTX 880M. But after addressing some of the issues (mostly cooling related) I am quite happy with it. I am hoping to get 3+ years out of my machine. If I do, I will buy whatever high end laptop that suits my needs at the time.

 

Call me dramatic, but i honestly think I went through the 5 stages of grief with my Clevo.

1. Denial: lolwut? Clevo has terrible build quality and cooling is worse than Alienware? Homey don't be drinking that AlienAid mmmk?
2. Anger:
3: Bargaining: Please, I'll do anything if you let me play Crysis 3 without turning my GPUs into a blast furnance
4: Depression: It's hopeless, nothing I do will prevent the CPU + GPUs from going into the high 80s when gaming
5: Acceptance: I did all I could, but the laptop still runs like a blast furnace, just the way it is

Fortunately for me, it didn't quite end there thanks to NBR...

6. Discovery: Hmm all those cooling mods involving a Dremel and sandpaper look kinda cool, oh and that Liquid Ultra stuff gives delicious temps. -10C across the board? Man that's just unreal
7. Hesitation: But but all those are hard mods, and may void the warranty, and I've never used a Dremel before, and this laptop cost me over $3500. But those temps ARE enticing
8. Transformation: Screw it, it's better to burn brightly for half as long than to be a dim lingering light. I bought this 3.5K laptop to game and I'm gonna f**king making it perform. 120mm fans? Check. Dremel mod? Check. Heatsink lapping? Check. Liquid Ultra? Motherf**king triple checked.
9. Profit: YES! I CAN GAME FOR 4 HOURS IN A 28C ROOM WITHOUT EITHER GPU GOING A HAIR ABOVE 82C AND THE CPU ABOVE 78C.

Temps may not sound the most impressive, but to put things in perspective 82C is the peak temp recorded on the slave GPU. Average was about 78C, while for the master GPU peak was 77C and average was 73C.

 

Holy crap I actually LOL'd at that n=1!

 

Thanks for the review OP. I too got my np9170 almost exactly 2 years ago, and have about the same feelings towards it that you do. Found this thread because I'm currently replacing a fan, and going to repaste the GPU while i'm in there. N=1, freaking awesome links for modding man. I'm most likely going to take a dremel to mind following your guide, and try and better link together my heatsinks. The two that stack (near rear) do not align, so tons of dust gets caught. I also had no idea about the pch and heat problems, will most likely attempt that too. Thanks again!

Edit:
Ironically, I have the exact same wear issues on the screen, bottom of the plastic theres tons of lines from where its not supported. Structural integrity of the case also kid of sucks. I had a TON of issues from the 7970m and driver installation, but other than that mine's been good. Took out the optical and have 2 ssds and one hdd in here. Speakers are mediocre at best and the sound card blows, so i got an ASUS U3 xonar and it is seriously mind-blowingly different.