Sager NP2090 Owners Lounge

Civ 4 is not that intensive graphically, but it takes a lot of resources from your CPU. For example if you download the World Map and play that with 17 AIs plus yourself, usually during the middle ages the game will start to take 1-2 minutes between turns. I wanted to know whether a dual core 2 ghz laptop with 2 gigs of RAM could handle a game like Civ IV easily.

You are correct though, graphically and maybe overall for posting benchmarks it is not a good indicator of what the laptop can do. However, it's a sweet game.

 

i noticed prices on powernotebooks is a lil lower.....once i'm back from my 2 week college orientation i'm ordering

 

It took me long enough, but I finally have the stress test results.

(All are at 1280x800 resolution)
Max settings, No Antialiasing, No Anisotropic Filtering


Max settings, 4x Antialiasing, 8x Anisotropic Filtering


Max settings, 8x Antialiasing, 16x Anisotropic Filtering


The 8x AA, 16x AF is still playable, but I prefer to leave it at 4x AA, 8x AF, still looks great.

 

Those are pretty good framerates, even with such high settings.

 

meh, it's CS:S, it's been out for so long now.

 

A lot of people still play it though. I'm really glad to see it performs that well at that game in particular...

 

More good news, I have been playing BF2142 on max settings with 2x antialiasing and my laptop handles it great. I don't have any FPS information, so maybe I will download fraps and get an average FPS on one of the maps.

 

Can you do 4x AA? I personally think that looks a lot better than simple 2x AA, and for some reason, BF2142 won't let me go above 4x AA on my desktop anyways.

 

Yes I can do 4x and I will give average FPS's for it along with 8x. So far, I have only tested at max settings with 2x AA, heres the results:

Verdun: Min FPS: 19, Max FPS: 54, Average FPS: 36
Belgrade: Min FPS: 33, Max FPS: 50, Average FPS: 40

Both maps were very playable with no slowdowns. I will do 4x and 8x next.

Edit: Wouldn't let me play it with 8x AA, but I do have the results for 4x:

Verdun: Min FPS: 16, Max FPS: 48, Average FPS: 30
Belgrade: Min FPS: 20, Max FPS: 38, Average FPS: 30

Again, both maps were very playable.

 

I know this is pretty noob-like, but what exactly is Antialiasing (aka 2x, 4x, and 8x), and what is Anisotropic Filtering?

 

http://www.tweaktown.com/guides/601/the_simple_antialiasing_and_anisotropic_guide/index.html

Read that guide, it should have all the info you need for Antialiasing and Anisotropic Filtering. If you just want the basic definitions then you can just skip to page 2 of the guide.

BTW: I should note that all the stats I posted from the games were taken using the stock speeds for my graphics card. I haven't gotten around to overclocking it yet and I don't think I will for a while, seeing as how I don't even really need it.

 

So the 2090 will run Red Alert 2 well, right?

Ok so maybe I'm not being serious, this wait is just killing me.

 

Oh believe me, you aren't alone.

 

I'm looking for some real advice here. I ordered on the 25th of June. I need this computer the last week of July at the latest b/c I'm leaving the US. Do you think it will happen? I hate to even think about it, but I need a computer... If this can't come through...

 

The best way to get real advice is to wait until Wednesday and then contact your reseller. They are the only ones that can tell you what to expect, and even they won't know for another couple of days.

 

I'm petty sure you should get it before august, almost absolute, but hey anything can happen. Just like Glueeater's rampage at the sager factory just a couple days ago, and that delayed us just a little bit...(but not much)

 

Thanks Donald. I appreciate the advice. I've grown very attached to the idea of this computer. It would be painful to have to say goodbye to it just like that.

 

I think everyone is feeling the same way. Delays and such are getting to our minds...all we can do is remain on MBR Forums and put an auto alert on our emails. ?_?

 

Yeah I too need my laptop the last week of July because I am leaving the country then. Hopefully I receive mine before or on the 21st. I've read so much about this computer and really want it.

 

Compal should have a live feed of np2090/ifl90 production factory. I'd pay big bucks to just watch those laptops get made, and seem them leave the factory.

 

I'd like to see how they're made on How it's Made.

 

The host's voice is so boring

 

My wife and I are totally mesmerized by that show. A week or so ago, I saw that episode where they showed how Matrox graphic cards are made.

 

I found a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i28yoxQjTJQ

Not in English, but still: its a video of the np2090/ifl90!

 

*sigh*, if only we could understand that.

 

lol, i love that show so much. they did laser eye surgery today and it was amazing. they take the most mundane things and makes me captivated for a full 30 min!

 

Sometimes I catch myself watching that show and going, "Dude, how the hell did they come up with that?".

They could make the grass growing interesting, if they wanted to.

 

Good find mixxster... I'm kinda mad I didn't pay more attention in Spanish.

 

Lol, I love knowing spanish But seriously, Spanish accents (Spain) are sooo different from typical Mexico spanish

 

Is there anything anyone is particularly interested in in that video? I lived in Spain for a while. Its a little tricky b/c the audio quality is low but I can listen more closely to a section if anyone is super interested.

 

Okay. Several things of note to me.

#1 Something about the memory card slots seems to piss him off, I think it's b/c it doesn't have the one he needs but he's ok with it.

#2 That laptop in real life on that video is sexier than ever. I have never been so attracted to its appearance as during that. Anyone else?

#3 Yeah, I'm a nerd. But anyone who watches Cartoon Network see the Shin Chan doll on his desk? It's huge in Spain.

 

Did you see this video? Shows quite a bit of keyboard flex....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj9amA0BKYc&NR=1

 

Gosh. That sure is a step short of fantastic. With all the varying reports maybe its a more individualized thing on the basis of builds that just the model as a whole?

 

Sure does not look good. Looks like it has more flex than my current Inspiron.

 

We need GlueEater AND flippoet to tell us how theirs compares to that video.

Edit: In the google translated version of that video, the last comment is "They already fixed it." So maybe this one was just a defect.

Although it is by a different user who is also 24 and lives in spain, maybe he got a new you tube account.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=134370&page=38

Thats some people chiming in on flex. Its not a video, but it does seem to indicate at least in his experience, its not too too much. "Somewhere between none and horrendous."

 

Is flex really that big of a deal? I'm not too knowledgeable on what could happen if the keyboard flexes a lot.

 

Too much flex can cause a rip in the space-time continuum.

Seriously, I think it's just a matter of feel.

 

the flex does kind of scare me. i\
keyboard flex doesnt have anything to do with the build quality of the notebook? no detrimental effects?

 

Well, I presume really bad flex could result in pressure being transmitted to some of the components underneath the keyboard but then again what this *really* means is anyone's guess. What I saw in that clip does not look good but does not look dramatic. As a general rule I don't panic unless I have a real reason to panic. I don't see a real reason to panic in this case.

 

I don't either. We're liable to see varying flex from one machine to another and you don't really know anything about that dealer. It could just as easily be shoddy build work as a keyboard defect.

 

also i agree in the varying flex. me and my dad both had r32's and mine was solid when I first got mine while my dads was flexing more than the clip. switched them since i wouldnt need to move around with mine.

 

ok so when i saw that video i was like wtf and tried it myself. so after i figured out which button i pressed to maximize the screen like superduper maximized(f11 btw) the answer is his keyboard is real bad. my keyboard is nowhere near that flexy. there is a very slight flex and it only appears if you press really hard. my finger kinda hurts from pressing so hard. if you type normally there is no flex whatsover but if your punching each key like a typewriter then its gonna flex a little

 

I hope you're right, flip. GlueEater, can you confirm/deny the flex issue too?

 

yea i can only get the same amount of flex as he got when i press really hard on the keyboard. like my finger sort of hurts hard

 

Flip I am sure you've been asked this (and answered it) before, but the heat really doesnt seem to be much of an issue, correct? I wonder again now because the C90 appears to be as hot as advertised, and the G1S seems to at least run hot. After reading the quick review on the C90 the IFL90 looks even better than it already did, out benching it and without the jet pack on the back!

 

yea it runs relatively cool for me. it does get hot but not in scalding hot kind of way. its more of like a nice back massage with warming oil kind of hot... and its so quiet!

 

Been trying to set up my dman wireless network. Still haven't gotten it.

Anyways, I think I might have a little more flex than flip's, but a lot less than that video.

As for heat, I was playing Medival Total war 2 on higher than high, but not quite maximum settings with the lid closed (I was using a monitor) and it overheat. It said something about a fatal error. I think that might just be because the lid was closed, as a lot of heat escapes from the keyboard for laptops.

I've been trying to get 3d06, but it's not installing for me. I don't know what the problem is though. I'll download rvtuner and see the temps.

One last thing, has anyone tried using external speakers? I have som 2.1 speakers and when i plug it into the lime green headphone jack they don't work, it might be the speakers because it isn't getting identified.

 

You should never close your lid while the laptop is running for more than half a minute...it needs to breath through the keyboard.

 

Thanks for taking one for the team Glue, I now will never do that!

Noob question, if you are using an external screen and dont want to run the screen, do you dim it or is there a different way?