Sager NP8150 Questions

I'm planning to get this notebook for college, just have a few questions about components.
I'm not all that knowledgeable on this stuff, so bear with me.
Here's my build:


Display 15.6" Full HD LED-Backlit Display with Matte Finished Surface (1920 x 1080) [$30.00]
Video & Graphics Card AMD Radeon HD 6990M GPU with 2GB GDDR5 Video Memory [$145.00]
CPU Processor 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM Processor ( 6MB L3 Cache, 2.20GHz)
Thermal Compound IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU [$40.00]
Operating System Genuine MS Windows® 7 Home Premium 32/64-Bit Edition ( 64-Bit Preloaded )
Memory 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 4GB [$40.00]
Primary Hard Disk Drive 500GB 7200rpm SATA 300 Hard Drive
Optical Drive Bay — Optical Drive or Hard Disk Drive in Optical Drive Bay with Caddy case 6X Blu-ray Reader/8X DVD±R/2.4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software [$80.00]
Wireless Network Card Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module [$60.00]
Primary Battery Smart Li-ION Battery Pack
Integrated Security Device Fingerprint Reader
Microsoft Office Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Student Edition [$139.00]
Warranty Sager 1 Year Limited Parts and Labor Warranty

Should I upgrade the CPU, or anything else I left stock...I don't plan to play tons of games, but I may need to run some engineering software, which is why I'm leaning toward gaming notebooks. Included Microsoft Office in there for school too.
Thanks

 

Check with your school to see if you can get a discounted or sometimes free copy of Office, you can apply that towards other upgrade. Some even offer Windows if you're comfortable installing it yourself.

Engineering software is usually CPU demanding so upgrading that would be something to consider.

Depending on the Engineering software you're using it could be better to go with the Nvidia GTX 560M. The CUDA cores in it will help out over the 6990M. If you were gaming the 6990M would be better but as you mentioned it's not your main concern.

Upgrading your hard drive to a Hybrid or a full SSD is always a good choice as well. That will help boot times and program start up.

The Wireless card and RAM you have selected are good choices.

 

I don't think you need the Bigfoot 1103 card - the cheaper 1102 should be perfectly fine. Most people don't have the internet speed to support the 1103 anyway.

 

Thanks for your fast reply...Can you explain what CUDA cores are, and why some software would work better with them and other without?

 

The 1103 does have 3 antenna vs 2 on the 1102. This will help pick up weaker signals better and hold them better. If you're using your computer at school and might be a distance away from the access point, having that extra antenna will help.

CUDA is basically processors on the graphics cards which can be much faster then using the regular CPU. Alot of professional software programs including engineering programs are written to take advantage of them. If you know what programs you will be using, look it up and see it it uses CUDA technology.

 

CUDA is just a way Nvidia has come up with to allow certain types of programs to make use of the GPU rather than the CPU. GPU's are excellent for running large numbers of parallel processing, whereas a CPU can really only do linear processing. Programs that can take advantage of CUDA or hardware acceleration in general benefit greatly from that speed bump.

CUDA - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Software that works well with CUDA is essentially software that was written to use it. It's not a passive technology, you have to actually write in the necessary components in C to make use of it.

 

Dude, dont get anything less than 6990M or 580M. its 2012 and the next gen are coming out in 2 months! you will be kicking yourself if you did not buy a good graphics card.
Let me clear out some of the "engg software" you guys are talking about
I just graduated with a masters in MEch. Engg. you dont need CUDA processors!!! seriously guys come on. Now I would say getting a lot of ram and atleast 2.2 to 2.4 quad is good. If I were you I would wait another 2 months for the next gen unless you really need it now. you dont have to pay a $160/$300 premium to get 2.6ghz. its the stock speed
I recommend nvidia anyway because of the drivers. I get a BSOD 1-2/ month.
get a hybrid 750 xt is $199 on amazon

 

I agree with Hutsady please check or post what software you use to see if it will better run on ATI or Nvidia cards. The Bigfoot card won't help you, it's a waste of an upgrade in your case.

If you can be patient then wait for the Clevo refresh if not then upgrade the CPU, downgrade the Wireless card.

Everything else looks good to me.

 

Do you know what CUDA is?

He isn't going to game a ton of games, and it sounds like a game on medium would do him just fine. Better off doing great in school than having a greater gaming experience and a bad grade. The main programs I use and I am not even a highly experienced engineering student (but working towards that ) are: CATIA (CAD / CAM), Pro-Engineer (CAD / CAM), Fluent (CFD), NASTRAN / PATRAN (FEA) and MATLAB (Mathematics) and sometimes MAPLE.

Now I don't know if he is in high-school or college or UNI? But one thing I know is that the 6990M isn't to benefit him as much as the 580M. nVidia is just superior in that sector.

 

I dont know much about those programs so I checked them ouut
Looks like all of those except Pro-Engineer (still could) take advantage of CUDA. Jefé94 if you plan on using any of those get an Nvidia card, it will help

 

Thanks...I think I'll try to wait for the 2012 stuff, I don't really need the computer until fall. I'm really not sure at all what software I'll need to run yet, as said I'm not starting school until fall. If I upgrade the CPU, what would be the benefit of Core i7 2760QM (6MB L3 Cache, 2.40GHz) vs. Core i7 2860QM (8MB L3 Cache, 2.50GHz)...the 2960 is way out of my financial reach.
Everyone has been really helpful, thanks a ton!

 

Yes if you can wait...2012 is going to be a big year for the Sager-Clevo models!

_

 

You haven't included the 2670QM but I'll explain anyways.

The i7-2670QM (6M Cache, 2.20 GHz) supposedly (works for some, even though it doesn't support) supports to the max a speed of 1333MHz RAM and a max of 16GB of RAM.

The i7-2760QM (6M Cache, 2.40 GHz) supports up to 1600MHz and a max of 32GB of RAM

The i7-2860QM (8M Cache, 2.50 GHz) does nothing else than being a i7-2760QM replica with a higher clock speed and better turbo boost

SOURCES:
2670QM: http://ark.intel.com/products/53469/Intel-Core-i7-2670QM-Processor-(6M-Cache-2_20-GHz)
2760QM: http://ark.intel.com/products/53474/Intel-Core-i7-2760QM-Processor-(6M-Cache-2_40-GHz)
2860QM: http://ark.intel.com/products/53476/Intel-Core-i7-2860QM-Processor-(8M-Cache-2_50-GHz)

Take in mind that tings may vary irl and these are just guidelines and specs for the Intel processors, which means that alternately things may bend differently for some.

 

From this, I'm thinking that for my purposes it would be best to upgrade the CPU to 2760, and downgrade GPU to GTX 560M if I were to purchase now. I'd really like to have it by the end of March, so if 2012 models haven't been released by then I may go with the current model. Also, I'd like to keep my budget at $2000 MAX...If I wait for a month, will there big even bigger discounts on this year's components? If so, would that be the way to go? I'm really not a big time gamer and the school computer labs will likely be where I use the hardware-demanding programs most frequently.

 

with a budget of 2000 you can even consider getting hte gtx 580

 

For that budget, the sweet spot would be:

2760QM
8GB RAM
6990m
Hybrid drive/SSD

The rest is up to you and is optional, without affecting performance much. The 6990 is the best you can get with current tech, and the 2760 is the best placed for price/performance if you want a step above the stock.

 

thats the spec im looking at except im going for 500gig hybrid drive instead of ssd.
i am waiting though as want to price/performance on newer models

 

When should I order my computer? I'll probably order from xoticPC, and I'm just wondering when I'll be able to get the best discounts on this year's stuff. Will there be any deeper discounts than there are now, or should I just pull the trigger in the next week or so when I get a chance? As of now, I'm thinking I'll go with 2760, 8gb ram, 6990m, and 500gb hybrid with 4gb ssd. If I ever run the eng. software, It will likely be at least 2 years down the road, so I don't think it's worth the $300 premium for gtx580. I also intend to drop the blu-ray drive to save some money, and replace it with the regular dvdrw/cdrw drive.

 

The $100 off a configuration of $1500+ is a killer deal and the best i've ever seen from Sager. Combine that with the free UPS ground shipping and $100 off the 6990m there really isnt a better time.

 

I have a question about that. When the refresh models will become available for pre-order, do you expect the older models to drop in price? Will the current models be immediately phased out after the refresh models begin shipping or will they stay around for some time?

 

It's hard to say if they will drop in price. They almost have to since they wont be the latest/greatest anymore. They will probably stay available for purchase until all stock is gone. We wont know for sure until the new ones are released.

 

Any last thoughts before I pull the trigger?

Current build:

Display 15.6" Full HD LED-Backlit Display with Matte Finished Surface (1920 x 1080) [$30.00]
Video & Graphics Card AMD Radeon HD 6990M GPU with 2GB GDDR5 Video Memory [$145.00]
2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2760QM, 2.4-3.5GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache)
Thermal Compound IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU [$40.00]
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's + Microsoft Office Starter 2010 - Included with OS Purchase
8GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)
500GB (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid (Serial-ATA II 300 - 32MB Cache)
Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive w/ Software
Wireless Network Card Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module [$60.00]
Primary Battery Smart Li-ION Battery Pack
Integrated Security Device Fingerprint Reader
Sager 3 Year Parts & LIFETIME Ltd Labor Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Support


Comes to just over $1900 after cash discount and $100 off promo

 

Looks very good, but i have to plead my case again, do you really need the Bigfoot wireless module?

 

I'd say drop the 2760QM and bigfoot card, then get Carbon Fiber skin from XoticPC and take a bunch of pictures for all of us J/k The build looks good.

Spoiler

No, seriously do it, I want to see it!

 

Also change the screen to the 95% gamut matte, not just the regular matte upgrade.

 

I decided to keep the Bigfoot card because it's not the most expensive upgrade and from what Hutsady said it could be useful in the busy on campus wireless environment. I added the 95% screen, still under $2k, so that will probably be the build I go with. The school doesn't offer free Microsoft office, but I can pick it up for less on it's own.

Is the blu ray drive a pointless upgrade if I don't intend to watch movies on it?

 

Yes, because there really isn't anything else that's delivered on bluray. If you decided you wanted to watch Bluray down the road, you can always get a cheap external reader. They only tend to run around $60 for BD readers.

 

Ordered it yesterday, now the big wait...
Final Build:
Sager NP8150 / Clevo P150HM
- Sager Winter Sale: SAGER Sale!!! - $100 OFF When you spend $1500* or more! (*excludes non-sager parts, accessories, shipping, & taxes)
Confirmation of discount will be provided after Order Processing.
- Display: 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (SKU - S1R317)
- Processor: 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2760QM, 2.4-3.5GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache) (SKU - S2R202)
- Thermal Compound: - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- Graphics Video Card: ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 6990M 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11 $100 OFF (SKU - S3R151)
- Ram: 8GB - DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (SKU - S4R365)
- Branding: Sager Branding
- Exterior Finish: Standard Finish
- Primary Hard Drive: 500GB (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid (Serial-ATA II 300 - 32MB Cache) (SKU - S5R413)
- Optical Drive Bay: Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti DVDRW/CDRW Drive w/ Software (When selecting a Hard Drive in the Optical Bay, No Optical Drive is Included) (SKU - S7R455)
- Wireless Network: Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 (3x3) (SKU - S8R056)
- Operating System: ~Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's + Microsoft Office Starter 2010 - Included with OS Purchase
- Warranty: Sager 3 Year Parts & LIFETIME Ltd Labor Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Support - Special! (SKU - S9P211)

Any final thoughts?

 

Im in the same boat, but decided to wait till April and see the new line. Hopefully we will have a lighted keyboard. I would have done with the 95% glossy gamut screen, and gone with the 750 8gig SSD hard drive from Seagate. I would have left out the killer nic card and added the blue ray player.

Overall you got a nice rig.

 

Congrats Jefe94!
The build looks great. I think everyone will have a this or that, that they would have done differently per their needs but I don't see a single bad thing about it.