Sager NP2096 Review

Seeing as how there aren't enough of these around, I figured I'd post my review of this machine for you guys. Gaming performance will be included soon. Let me know if you would like me to include more pictures or any other info!

Overview and Introduction

The Sager NP2096 is a 15.4" notebook built on the Compal JHL90 and it has a 9600M GT GDDR2 GPU. The system that I purchased has the following specs:

- Display: 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super
- Arctic Silver: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Dead Pixel Policy: Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Processor: ~Intel® P9500 45nm "Montevina" C
- Video Card: 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9600M GT
- External Monitor Video Adapter: None Standard
- Ram: ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) D
- Intel® Robson Turbo Memory: None Standard
- Exterior Finish: Standard Finish
- Optical Drive: ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +
- Primary Hard Drive: ~ 200GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 3
- External Hard Drive (Back Up): None Standard
- Floppy Drive: None Standard
- Memory Card Reader: Internal 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/
- Bluetooth: Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Wireless Network: Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 510
- Wireless Network Accessories: None Standard
- Camera: Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- TV Tuner: None Standard
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audi
- Case: Carying Case Optional (Select if
- Battery: Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- Car Adapter: None Standard
- Spare AC Adapter: None Standard
- Docking Station / Port Replicato: None Standard
- Fingerprint Reader: Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Mouse / Keyboard Accessories: None Standard
- Notebook Cooler: None Standard
- Operating System: ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-B
- "Medialess" Microsoft Office Sof: None Standard
- Software Bundle (Not Installed): None Standard
- Warranty: 1 Year Parts & Labor, Lifetime


Reasons for Buying

Well, my wonderful Dell Inspiron 600m finally gave out on me one week before finals during this past semester so I was in the market for a new laptop. I decided to wait for the Montevina platform. My first choice was the NP8660 but I decided I really don't need all that gaming power, and I wasn't impressed with the size/weight or the price. I have an Xbox 360 and a PS3 so I felt it was unnecessary to have a powerful gaming computer, especially a portable laptop one at that. Most games are console ports anyway. I wanted to get a 15.4" notebook this time, preferably with casual gaming capabilities, but one that was somewhat portable (college classes) and not too expensive. The Sager NP2096 fit this description perfectly. I actually ended up buying an Asus G50V-A2 but then I returned it for the 2096 because you didn't get a whole lot more in the G50 but you pay a few hundred extra. I was also unhappy with its size and weight, whereas the 2096 has the perfect combination of these 2 factors.

Where and How Purchased

My NP2096 was purchased from XoticPC for $1471 (shipping included). I've been wanting to buy from XoticPC specifically for over a year now, and when the news of the NP8660 broke I ended up placing an order with PCMW and then later canceling for XoticPC. My experience with them, and particularly Justin, has been nothing short of pleasant during our initial encounters. However, as I changed my mind on which laptop I wanted and asked more questions, my overall impression of XoticPC went downhill real quick. Then when I FINALLY received my G50 laptop, I decided to return it and that didn't go too well either.

I will admit that I definitely asked more questions and had more complicated transactions than the average customer but I don't feel that the treatment I received was warranted by any means. After all the waiting, hassling, and even having a couple of unpleasant encounters with Justin himself you would think that they would include something in my order like they have with so many other customers but no, nothing. It was disappointing but I guess I expected too much from a company that so many people hyped up. Overall though, I got what I paid for and I got to exchange my laptop to get the 2096 without any additional fees so I guess I can't complain. Still though, experiences like this leave a lasting impression on you.

Build and Design

A laptop's build quality is one of the most important things to me. I'm happy to say that the NP2096 is a very solid laptop, much more so than my Dell Inspiron 600m. It feels very secure and sturdy. The appearance of the laptop is pretty plain, though as some users have already pointed out -- this thing looks a lot better in person than it does in pictures. Overall, I really like the appearance because it's simple and it doesn't have any kind of ridiculous color schemes like the G50.

Pictures:






Screen

I got the WSXGA+ (1680x1050) screen option with this notebook. The screen is BEAUTIFUL. Very sharp and crisp. I don't really know how else to describe it, it's miles ahead of my old Dell screen so it's not even a comparison. I'm currently running 177.98 drivers but I think I'll revert back to 177.92 since they seemed less glitchy.



Speakers

The speakers are nice, the sound is very clean. There isn't too much bass, but you can't really expect any from a laptop. Overall, I'm happy -- they do what they need to do.

Processor and Performance

As stated, I have the P9500 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 200GB 7200RPM hard drive. The system is extremely fast. It takes about a minute to boot up, and any application I throw at it is handled within seconds with no exertion whatsoever. That said though, I haven't really thrown anything too intensive at it just yet. Gaming performance is coming soon.

Benchmarks

HDTune:


3dMark06:


PCMark05:


CPU-Z:



GPU-Z:


Heat and Noise

We finally come to the most important thing (at least for me). I am very concerned and paranoid with laptop heat so I wanted something that is cooled well. I've heard great things about Compal laptops and the 2096 is also great in this aspect.

HWMonitor (Idle):


HWMonitor (after 3dMark06):


HWMonitor (after an hour of Civilization 4):


HWMonitor (after an hour of Crysis Warhead):


For some reason, the regular HWMonitor doesn't work on my system so I had to use HWMonitor Pro. I'll post a screenshot of the temps after I install some games.

I should note that I am using a Zalman NC-1000 cooler with this laptop. When the laptop was on my lap without the cooler, the temps were about 10 degrees hotter in their respective categories. It did feel pretty warm on my lap but it wasn't boiling hot.

Moving on to noise, I hardly hear anything coming out of my laptop. In fact, I think my "ultra quiet" Zalman cooler is louder than the laptop itself. When the system is under stress, you can hear the fans speed up but it's to be expected. The optical drive gets pretty noisy but these things are usually loud. It's nothing unbearable.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is GREAT. I don't notice the flex that some users have reported but I do hear a VERY slight rattling when I type. It's not a big deal at all though. One of the biggest problems with my G50 was the keyboard would miss keystrokes when I typed very fast and this was a big issue for me. I'm extremely happy to report that the NP2096 does not have this issue and I'm typing really fast right now with no problems. It is very sturdy and responsive. I'm not too happy about the Fn key being on the outside and the control key being on the inside but I'll live. The one thing that kind of bugs me sometimes is the touchpad. Sometimes when I type fast, my thumbs hit the touchpad and my cursor appears in random places. I believe there is a solution to this though (ALPS drivers?) but I'll have to look into that later. Besides that, the touchpad isn't as responsive as I would like but I hardly ever use it anyway so I'll be okay.



Input and Output Ports


The NP2096 has the following I/O ports:

1 HDMI output Port
1 VGA Port, 15 pins
3 USB 2.0 Ports (all are with Power USB feature)
1 Headphone‐Out Jack
1 Microphone‐In Jack
1 RJ‐11 Modem (56Kbps, V.92 Modem)
1 RJ‐45 LAN (10/100/1000Mbps)
1 S‐Video Video‐In Jack (optional TV‐Tuner Module required)
1 RF‐In Jack (optional TV‐Tuner Module required)
1 CIR for TV remote controller (optional TV‐Tuner Module required)

Wireless

The NP2096 comes with an Intel 5100 wireless WiFi card. It is not as good as the 5300 card, but it does the job. I get a very good connection on the 2nd floor of my house with my router being downstairs so I have no complaints. The 2096 also comes with a Bluetooth module but I haven't tested this out yet.

Battery

Battery life is perfect. My Dell barely gave me 2 hours of battery life. This thing gives me nearly 4 hours. I didn't record the exact length just yet but I will try to do this tomorrow. I'm very happy with it, it's perfect for school!

Gaming

Crysis Warhead











The lowest my FPS got was about 20-21 on these settings. Not too bad with this GPU, it was actually better than I expected.

Overclocking

This was my first time overclocking my GPU and I'd say it turned out pretty good. I practically managed to turn my card into a 9700M GT.



Here are my temps and GPU-Z immediately after 3dmark06:


I managed to push the core clock to 650 and my memory clock to 550 but the shader clock had to be adjusted to 1520 if that was the case. Someone mentioned that shader clock is more important so I dropped my core/memory clocks and blew up the shader to 1600 which gave me the highest 3dmark06 score. Pretty nice boost.

More on this to come. Gaming performance hasn't been assessed with OC yet.


Conclusion

The Sager NP2096 is great bang for your buck. It is a very solidly built laptop and the price you pay is outstanding for everything you get.

Pros

-Great price
-Exceptional build quality
-Cools very well
-Beautiful screen
-Great keyboard
-Excellent battery life

Cons

-The keyboard rattles a bit, though it's very slight
-The touchpad issue is a little annoying, but it happens very rarely
-The top cover is a fingerprint magnet
-Fn key to the far left, control and Fn keys should have been switched (even my old Dell has them switched, come on now)
-Awkward arrangement of ports, would have preferred to have some wires sticking out the back instead of sides/front
-Purchase experience wound up being a bit on the disappointing side

That's about it really. Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with this notebook. It was just what I was looking for



Please feel free to ask any questions or post suggestions as to what you would like to see me post in this review and I'll be happy to help!

 

Thx for your review.

 

your temps are better than mine! maybe the nc1000 is better than the nc2000 for the 2096... i might have to replace my cooler...

undervolt your cpu and youll get some even nicer temps there, i idle at 24C after undervolting

 

Updated with some pictures! Gaming performance is yet to come.

 

Great review, thanks for posting. I'm really starting to lean towards getting a Sager...

 

nice job, thanks for posting

 

WOW great review. I believe the Np2096 is the best alternative to the Dell XPS m1530 as the best 9600M GT laptop . I'm jealous of your hard drive temp =[ lol

 

Absolutely, I'm very happy with it. All the other 15.4" laptops with better GPUs are a lot bigger and heavier than the 2096 so I think this is the perfect combination between power and mobility.

 

Oh that's great to hear. Now I can tell everyone to ditch the Dell XPS

 

Yeah pretty much stay away from Dells, I learned the hard way lol

 

Updated with Crysis Warhead performance!

 

Wow, that's great. I just got into Crysis Warhead, I should check that in the next days and turn off that stupid AA 4x. Btw, on the first mission, on the beach, I don't get what you have to do...I mean, you have to clear the beach but there's that tank that keeps shooting at me and green objective that I don't get...:S

 

I'm exceptionally jealous of your temps! Sitting on a flat surface w/ the back raised I topped out at 95c after about 30 minutes of playing Warhammer. I really need to get my cooler ordered.

 

The cooler definitely helps so I highly recommend it. Like I said, without the cooler, my temps were about 10 degrees hotter while idling...I haven't even tested gaming without the cooler cause I'm sure it will get a lot hotter.

 

MP ... NICE Review!

For Vista 64-bit ... use Regular HWMonitor 32-bit and it will work just fine!

G!

 

I'm gonna try to update some sections to make them more thorough as I've been using the notebook quite extensively. More thoughts to come.

 

Updated with overclocking results!

Shoutout to JWest for helping me with the OC.

 

hi, i am going to order the np2096 this weekend and your review helped a lot. can you share your steps to OC'ing the GPU?

edit:
nevermind. i am reading JWest's guide right now.

 

Glad I could help! It's the perfect time to buy a 2096 because they're running that special promotion right now and you save around $200. I was really pissed about that...of course the price drops less than 2 weeks after I get my notebook lol

If you'll be getting Vista 64-bit, then you would use the Nvidia System Tools version 6.03 program to OC your GPU. It's incredibly easy, all it does is add an extra tab to your Nvidia control panel that lets you change the clocks of your GPU by typing in whatever values you want. Then be sure to test the stability by either running a game or 3dmark06, and keep an eye on your temps.

 

..and i thought overclocking was going to be difficult. thanks! my setup will the same as yours but lower CPU (P8600) and higher HD. i hope to see your gaming benchmark results soon. i plan to increase gpu and memory clock by 25% (to 500 mhz) and shader clock by 20% (to 1500 mhz). it is a bit lower than yours but i hope still a noticable gain.

also, can i bug you with some game-related questions? i haven't met anyone who has a geforce 9600M GT DDR2 card and plays the same games as me.

 

Absolutely, feel free to ask anything you'd like and I'll do my best to answer your questions.

The only problem is I've pretty much only played Crysis Warhead on this notebook because I haven't had any time for games lately. I'm really excited to test the OC during gameplay so I hope to have that up soon.

 

Incredibly detailed review, nice job

 

Thank you very much

 

Hmmm... now that the N2096 is on sale, I'm torn between this and the Sony Vaio FW290JAB from Newegg. If I configure them both with the same specs, the Sager comes out to $1,204 and the Sony comes out to $1,199. What to get, what to get....

 

They're both great notebooks. It all comes down to size I'd say - the 2096 is smaller than the Sony. Besides that, they're both even in terms of performance.

 

The Sager has a few upsides. First, it gets much better battery life (4-4.5 hrs compared to 2.5-3 w/Sony). Although, I think the Sony would probably get closer to 4 hrs with the extended-life battery (which the Sager comes with standard). And it also has a fingerprint reader which I really like, whereas the Sony doesn't. Also, I can save $95 by getting the Sager without an OS (I already have an OS that I can use). So those are the things that are tipping the scale towards the Sager for me.

And even though the Sony has a larger 16.4" chassis they both weight about the same, so weight/portabilty isn't that much different. And I imagine the overall performance between the two would be pretty much the same since the specs are nearly identical, so it's a tough call. Thanks for your review by the way - it is what first made me interested in the Sager!

 

Absolutely, I'm glad I could help. If you have any specific questions that may help you decide which notebook to choose, feel free to ask away.

Normally I'd be biased and just say choose a 2096 but honestly the Sony is a great machine as well. I probably wouldn't buy one personally just because I haven't heard the greatest things about Sony notebook quality but this is one killer machine. Of course size is very important to me so the 16.4" chassis wouldn't work out at all but hey that's just me. I don't know what the overall consensus reaction to the Sony is, but at least you know that the 2096 has gotten very positive reactions with very few, if any, problems.

 

Well, since you offered - how do the speakers in the Sager compare to other laptops? I have been somewhat spoiled when it comes to speakers, because my last few laptops have been HP's with Altec Lansing speakers which sound incredible. I went through 2 Dells - a Studio 15 and an XPS M1530 - and I returned them both because the speakers were absolutely unbearable. I don't expect studio quality sound from a laptop, but when you listen to a song and you can't even tell what it is (due to complete lack of bass), or when the audio in a movie is so bad that it sounds like a bootleg movie shot in a theater with a camcorder, I consider that a deal breaker.

I have listened to the Sony and they sound okay/acceptable, but still not as good as an HP. Can you offer any comparisons of the Sager's speakers to other laptops on the market?

 

The speakers definitely offer great clarity but I do have some negative things to say about them. First, they don't go as loud as I'd like them to. Even if I max out the volume, sometimes it just sounds normal rather than loud. There is barely any bass as well. The most annoying thing, however, and this may only be an issue with my particular laptop, but when the volume is too high sometimes the speakers sound as if they are about to blow. I don't know exactly how to describe it but my old Dell had this problem as well so I'd imagine it's fairly common with laptops...it sounds kind of like a squealing/tearing sound when there's a lot of noise? It's that sound that happens when you max out your volume when there's a lot of noise. I hope that makes sense lol

 

Well that's kind of disappointing to hear. I don't know why more brands don't use high-quality speakers in their laptops - or at LEAST offer them as an upgrade option. For people who watch a lot of movies and/or listen to a lot of music on their laptops, poor quality speakers can be a deal breaker. Or maybe I'm just a picky customer!

 

I had a toshiba with Harmon Kardon speakers, great stuff. The m860tu that I have can easily achieve the same results by changing the equalizer to rock and turning on virtual surround sound on the realtek HD manager. I guess the same can be said with the NP2096 if they have the same sound card, and possibly the same speakers.

 

hi again.
have you had time to play with your overclocked GPU? i'm going to the bank today to deposit some cash so I can buy the np2096. i've been thinking of getting some ASUS laptop but i'm going to stick with compal. for much less, i get a real nice setup with the np2096 plus a simple & elegant design (most important!) the geforce 9600M GT DDR2 should be plenty for me anyways. i play MMORPGs.

also, do you think the price will cut down anymore? maybe i should ask PowerNotebooks or XoticPC.

 

I haven't had time to play any games, I don't even have any installed at the moment (I bought so many too!). I'm afraid it will be quite a while before I can play anything. If you're playing MMORPGs you should be fine with the 9600M GT.

Asus notebooks are nice and in some ways, a better deal. But having owned the Asus G50V myself, I definitely prefer the 2096 more even if it has a lower GPU.

Regarding the price, I highly doubt it will drop even more. Last I checked, they're running a special promotion that saves you $200 so if that's still in effect then I would assume that's the best deal you could get on this notebook for quite some time.

 

that is great to hear but is playing on 1680x1050 resolution asking too much? and i'm just curious. on a scale of 1 through 10, how good did the Asus G50V-A2 look? (from pictures alone i give it a 3 but you've held it before)

anyway, i'm ready to order it now. does it make a difference if i get it through XoticPC or Powernotebooks? it's still built by Sager either way, right? also, is the Zalman NC1000 better than NC2000 for np2096? i read a comparison guide between the two (on a 15.4" notebook) and the NC2000 cooled it a little bit better. but, i hear a lot of people say NC1000 is actually better for the np2096 specifically. is it loud by the way? (the NC1000)

i ask a lot of questions. thanks for helping me out MrPresident!

 

I've played Civilization 4 on 1680x1050 on this system before so it's definitely possible with certain games. The G50V was hideous to me - I don't like flashy notebooks. But the new G50Vt is a bargain in my opinion. It's the same price as the original G50V but it comes with a 9800M GS so you may want to take a look at that. Still, it was just too bulky for me and the keyboard was terrible.

It doesn't matter whether you order from Xotic or Powernotebooks. Keep in mind that Sagers are built in California so you may want to go with the reseller that's closest to you if you care about faster shipping times. PNB is in Nevada and Xotic is in Nebraska. If you're not particularly close to either one, then it doesn't matter. In regards to the cooler, a couple of users have mentioned that they didn't get temps as good as mine using the Zalman NC2000. I've been using the Zalman NC1000 and I'm very happy with its cooling...my temps drop significantly. And it is loud by the way, at least to me. The Zalman NC1000 is louder than the notebook itself, but it's not too terrible.

 

All sager notebooks are built and shipped by sager from sager, xotic/powerNB does not even see them. Shipping times will not vary, only tax.

 

Ah right, it only matters if you live in California. If you live in Cali, then your system will be shipped to PNB/Xotic first to avoid taxes.

 

Are you sure about that? I've never heard anything about that before?

 

Yes, that's what happened to me. My notebook had to be shipped to Xotic first and then to me, so I had to wait an additional week and a half or so. This happens only if you live in California since that's where Sager notebooks are built and shipped from.

 

I had Sager send mine to me directly since I live in CA. Of course I had to pay tax on it then but I was on a tight time frame to get the computer so it was worth it to me.

 

if you buy from lynnbay.com (prostar) they will ship after 2 days once they receive your money..........
that what happened with me

 

i'm going to bug you on the OC'd performance again! :] any updates so far?

this is wonderful. i wait a while more and the price drops another 50 dollars. but, it seems an updated JHL90 is coming...
just a thought.

 

Not just yet...sorry it will be a couple of weeks before I can get to that. Where did you hear that a JHL90 update is coming?

 

it is just speculation. don't companies do this kind of sale to get rid of old units? i thought maybe a new 15.4" model is about to launch

 

I doubt it, the reason for the sale is likely due to low business/interest.

 

Even if they are, the new computers they might launch are going to be far more expensive than the ones on sale... the ones on sale are still good deals.

 

yeah, maybe they do the same with 5793 and 5796.
But still old and new one are really nice products and prices are good.

I read the review long ago but made a user just yesterday.
Awesome review... +rep

 

okay you may be right guys.

i hate being so indecisive. i will decide after i see how well Left4Dead runs on my crappy GT5228 gateway PC with BFG geforce 7600 GT OC'd. if it runs well, i have no doubt the np2096 can run it many times better. i'm comparing our GPU-Z reports and the geforce 9600M GT seems a lot better. also, it stomps all over my crappy AMD 4200+ CPU and 2GB DDR2 266mhz RAM.

 

I wonder why your 3DMark score is so low... Mine is 4535 stock clocks, and using nTune @605/505 (no shader overclock option somewhy) i got to 5361. Will push it further some time later, for now thats fine

Nonetheless, nice review!

 

You probably have the GDDR3 version of the 9600M GT. Either that or you're running 3dmark06 on a different resolution than the default trial version. I agree though, I was really surprised at my score the first time I ran the benchmark.