Sager NP8660 vs Sager NP9262

Well, I recently posted another "what should I buy" thread and got a ton of people recommending the Sager NP8660. So many people suggested it, in fact, that I did my research, made up my mind, and that's that!

...or at least it was, until I noticed the NP9262 and the NP 5796!

Now I've started doing a little research on the other two models, and the truth is... I just can't decide! A little help?

My template has already been posted over on the original thread. It's kind of long, so I won't copy it here. You already know that I've narrowed it down to these three, anyway.

So here are the machines in question:

First, the NP8660, priced at $2836:

Second, the NP5796, priced at $2811:

And the NP9262, at $2946:

And here are a few of the many thoughts I've been balancing:

Screen:
On one hand, bigger is better: especially when you're trying to cram 1,440,000 pixels on the screen. Gaming, multimedia editing, and even web browsing - everything is nicer when your pixels have room to breath. On the other hand, bigger is also heavier. Much heavier.

Additionally, the 8660 monitor is "Matte Type" (which, hopefully, bears some resemblance to plain-old matte), while the 9262 and 5796 screens only comes in glossy. I must admit, I have never owned a glossy-screen laptop (or a glossy-screen monitor of any kind, for that matter). I'm not sure if I'm motivated by an irrational fear of change, or a legitimate fear of screen glare and haunting reflections of my own face while I'm trying to concentrate. Anyone who uses a glossy screen: how is it?

Right now, 8660's got my vote for better screen, simply because I'd take matte over glossy, any day. But like I said - I've never actually used a glossy. Maybe it's not as bad as I think?

Price:
The price difference is negligible. The 9262 loses a built-in fingerprint reader, but gains more monitor real estate [see above], quad-core processing, and more upgradeability, all for an extra $110 versus the 8660. Meanwhile, the 5796 is actually a little cheaper than the 8660, despite being larger and having all the same features.

Size:
You know how some people like to travel light? Yeah, that's not me. It doesn't matter if I'm going on vacation or just going down to campus: I pack everything I think I could possibly need, and then some more.

I don't see how people can survive without cargo pants pockets, and I laugh in the face of all those silly people who carry their laptops around in "sleeves." My laptop's carrying case is a home not only to my laptop, but to every laptop accessory I could ever need, including a massive AC brick, a Wacom tablet, a couple sketchbooks, and whatever games I'm playing, at the time.

Needless to say, I'm not terribly concerned about the extra weight or size a 17" laptop would add while traveling. I'm used to lugging crap around.

What I am concerned about is whether or not a 17" laptop is going to be significantly more cumbersome while I'm using it on my lap (or a laptop table). If I had access to a friend's 17" laptop, I'd just go try it out for myself, but I'm afraid most of my friends use those cute little white calculators (I think they call them "Macbooks") instead of performance laptops.

Build Quality: Aesthetics versus[?] Durability:
I'd rather have a functional brick than a pretty paperweight, but let's be realistic: both of these machines go above and beyond "functional." I don't think it's unfair to myself to consider aesthetics.

I must admit, the 9262 is somewhat bland and bulky, but both the the 5796 and the 8660 are snazzy, in their own regards.

On the one hand, the 5796 is sporty, sleek, and sexy. Definitely a gamer's rig. I'm a little worried about the machine's durability, and maintenance. Shiny surfaces mean smudgy surfaces.

On the other hand, the 8660 screams "I'm the Juggernaut, *****." It looks nigh indestructable, like something straight out of a 007 flick, and it also looks like it could take a serious beating without any noticeable scratches or smudges. I must admit, I hate cleaning my laptop's exterior, and chipped paint drives me nuts.

This really is just a matter of personal preference, I know, but it's worth mentioning. If anyone with the 5796 has any comments about the machine's durability, or if anyone with the 9262 thinks their machine is sexy, let me know.

Features:
The 9262 loses an integrated fingerprint reader, but gains the processing power of a rocket. A rocket with a lot of processing power, that is. <_<

Other than that, the machines are nigh identical. The one exception I've noticed is that the 9262 is going to be much more future-proof. Of course, both machines are likely to last me well into their third or fourth years without any serious upgrades, and there's a very good chance I'm going to start lusting for an entirely new machine way before I start looking for upgrades to this one.

-----------------

So what do you think, eh?

In particular, I would really like to hear from 9262 owners about:
-Speaker quality
-Aesthetics
-Glossy screen

And I would love to hear from 5796 owners about:
-Case durability (I do NOT want light and flimsy. I want solid, sturdy, heavy.)
-Speaker quality
-Glossy screen

 

Not to complicate things more but have you seen the Sager NP5796? It's kind of a compromise between the two far as performance vs. portability.

About the screen: Just as long as you stick to the high resolution screen, my understanding is you'll be ok. The lower resolution Sager screens of the past models pretty well sucked but the higher resolution ones (like the WSXGA+ matte screen of the NP2092 and the WUXGA screen of the NP5793) were alright.

 

And... haven't you actually confused the chassis of the NP 5796 with that of the NP 9262? Sexy orange highlights? That's the NP 5796. It's the NP 9262 that looks nigh indestructable, is a huge brick and... believe me, considering it's almost twice the weight of the NP 8660 you will notice it. Visit www.xoticpc.com, they have all three on their front page so you can see which is which. Also, I'll warn you about the resolution of the NP 8660 you chose... everything will be TINY. If you can live with that, then there's no problem, but it may cause significant eyestrain while reading/surfing, etc. If you really want 1080p I suggest 17" or an external monitor. Also, I'd suggest looking at the recent 9m series benchmarks. The 9800m GTS only loses about 2 frames to the 9800m GT since even though it has less shaders, they're clocked higher. Also, I'd wait for reviews of the NP 8660 to see how it handles heat and noise.

 

*gasp*

You're absolutely correct, I was looking at the NP 5796! Dangit, now I need to ponder this third option! ><

 

Unless you really want 2-3 hard drives, 2 videocards and 4 processing cores go for the NP 5796. By the time you absolutely need 2 gpus, directx 11 will be out and not even 10 of the last gen gpus will help you there =P. As for upgradability; both are upgradable and both will most likely require motherboard revisions to handle new hardware (except that the NP 5796 might also need cooling revisions). Also, in favour of the NP 5796 it's only .3 lb heavier than the NP 8660 and it features hdmi and esata ports, whereas the NP 9262 does not.

 

Oh, also, the NP 9262 is just about the most solidly built laptop out there. You can also probably overclock the processor safely to around 2.8 ghz (it's the only processor that oc's with the motherboard as far as I know, others simply won't). Also, I've had a glossy screen on my g1s and was just fine with it. Glossy screens offer better brightness and colour than matte screens, but I wouldn't recommend sitting with your back to any window.

 

Fantastic, thank you for the very helpful feedback. I've updated the OP to include the 5796.

 

I'd suggest 320 gb 5400 rpm hdd's - they perform almost as well as the 200 gb 7200 rpm drives, heat up less, drain less energy and... obviously offer 120 gb more space =P.

 

Hey, I am comparing the Sager NP5796 to the NP9262 as well. The NP8660 is out of the question because of its smaller screen size. Anyway, yes the question really is mobility vs power. How useful will that Quadcore be in the upcoming years? From what I've read, the NP9262 may be heavier and have less battery life, but it is more upgradable and will have more longevity for its user because of its unmatchable power. The NP5796 runs on a mobile processor instead of a desktop, like the NP9262. How much of a difference will this be? I want power, but that extra weight and low battery life worries me. I want to make an investment that will last me for at least 3 years, and I can't decide if the NP5796 is up to the challenge. Will is still be able to run top notch games and such in the upcoming years?

I know this question was already pretty much asked by Fex, but the longevity aspect to it is a bit different, and I for one do worry somewhat about weight (though more about battery).

Thanks!

 

I think the first thing you have to decide on is how portable do you need your machine to be and what you need it to do. When I was traveling around Iraq and Afghanistan doin contract work, I would not dream of taking my 9262 with me. The 8660 would be the prefered choice. Now that I am back in the states and only go on trips once a month, the 9262 fits the bill. If I were a more frequent traveler, say 2-3 times a month, then I would go for the 5796. I just a matter of selecting the right tool for the right job. None of my laptops are used for "work". Strictly gaming.

 

Hey Fex... heres our real problem. Believe me, I'm with you on this, it's crossed my mind to start looking at other computers also, and why? because the one that I already researched, and decided was ULTIMATLY the best one... is not here!

See, if your like me (and the rest of the USA) we want what we want now. So the only reason we even comtemplate these other choices, is because were stuck in this "unknown" waiting period. I'm sure once that np8660 is in our hands, we'll forget all about any other choices, just wait it out bud. haha

 

^^you took the words right out of my mouth Steven.
exactly the same as when we were waiting for the m15x
its 8600/nexus all the way for me.

 

I think that your config is a wee bit off man. You have the 200gb 7,200rpm HDD selected for your 8660 wheras you have the 160gb 5400rpm for your 5796.
This could make up the price difference between the 8660 and the 5796 as you thought the 8660 was more expensive.
I think looks wise and portability has to go to the 8660. It also has everything the NP5796 has except the larger screen and the 9800GTX graphics card (which isnt available yet).
It's all personal preference really man. None of us can tell you what to go for but i agree with Steven and DJ, just wait like 2 weeks and im sure ppl will be telling you how amazing the 8660 is (or isn't).
Make your decision when you know what your buying i say.
Lastly man, you can't go wrong with any of these machines. Sager is an excellent company and PNB/Xoticpc.com are the best resellers you could hope for. You would be happy with any of those machines.

 

I've been lurking on the boards for a bit going through my own debate about what laptop to get. I ended up going with the 5796 (ordered at the start of this week) - I'll go over my thought process about how I ended up deciding on it (maybe it'll help you out - sorry for the long post).

I was looking far a portable laptop with pretty high gaming performance. I did what alot of people have done - looked at all the mainstream stuff, looked at the mx15 (rejected it due to all the problems people are having and then found out about Clevo and Sager. This led to the debate many people are having between the 8660, the 5796 and the 9262.

Size and Weight
Since I had to carry it around campus and everywhere else I was leaning towards the 8660. The 9262 really started dropping out of the picture at this point - it was already 3 lbs heavier than the 5796 and 4 lbs more than the 8660. Throw in the power brick, all the other accessories and a bag (more on bags later) equals carrying 18+ lbs before books or other gear. The 1 lb difference between the 5796 and 8660 doesn't seem nearly as bad but the lighter the better right?

In terms of size, I'm not that worried about the footprint size since I know most classrooms at my school have enough desk space for using a 17" laptop. As far as carrying it around, I don't plan on carrying my laptop without a bag much (again more on the bag later) so it's kinda a wash for me since since isn't a big drawback for me.

Performance
The obvious winner here is the 9262 especially in terms of games. The desktop quad doesn't impress me as much as some other people though. For most applications it doesn't come into play and for games the gpu is the biggest key. Plus while I know desktop replacement/gaming machines will have low battery performance and I'm concerned about how much the desktop quad affects battery life. By this point the 9262 pretty much dropped out. The 5796 and the 8660 look like they will have similar performance levels (cost between the two at similar performance setups is about the same as well). I'm not interested in the 9800m gtx at this point - so the pretty a tie here.

Screen
The 8660 can come with the matte 1920x1200 WUXGA screen compared the glossy screen on the 5796. Everything I've read is that it's a matter of preference between glossy and matte. Matte's big benefit is less glare but at the cost of a more diffuse image and less rich colors. The glossy screen benefit of is a bit vague but I have seen a difference in the store - in the right lighting system a good glossy screen can look really nice. I could probably go with either one since I'm not sure how bad the glare would be in class. The other factor is the benefit of 1920x1200 with a 15.4" screen. It's certainly a little less and things get pretty tiny. If you decide to go back a level with the 8660 - glossy vs matte is no longer an issue. I give the edge here to the 5796.

Chassis
The 5796 chassis is based on the well tested 57xx chassis. While there may be differences - most advantages and problems from one modell to the next stay pretty constant. I'm pretty sure the 5796 will be pretty solid construction and the 2 big worries are the audio jacks and fan noise. The fan noise seems be much better now for most people now and things will hopefully be quite enough for the classroom. I'm already was considering alternative audio options so the jacks aren't a huge issue. The 8660 has no such history - the fact that only other 15.4" gaming laptop has heat issues I've heard of kinda worries me. I know Clevo and Sager have a pretty good reputation for build quality so the 8660 will probably run well and the fact that the 8660 chassis is a bit larger than the mx15 helps as well. I lean towards dealing with problems I know over potential issues I have no idea about at this point.

Expected Delivery time
I prefered a delivery in early August over mid-late August so that means the 5796. The 8660 isn't expected till ~8/8 - factor in build and delivery time means mid-August is the earliest I would expect to see a 8660. Getting the computer earlier gives me more time to set it up the way I want and more time to deal with any potential problems. The last thing I want to need to do is deal with laptop issues at the start of classes.

Bag
So here's one issue that most people don't bring up. Since I'm spending 3k+ on my laptop, I've been looking at a nice protective bag with room for books etc. My preference is for removable protection/bag combo like Spire and Tom Bihn have. I also lean towards a backpack over a messenger bag style (unless the messenger bag is well designed). One thing I noticed while searching around - many 15.4' bags will not fit the 8660 - it's too wide for the protective section. That said most 15.4" targus messenger bags can fit the 8660 - they're not the bag type or protection I want. In terms of protective sleeves/cases - I'm not a fan of neoprene style cases (they provide a pretty minimal level of protection) so I didn't check them out much but I could imagine it being a possible problem there as well. With Spire, both would require a 3XL boot which means the only bag choice is the **** (which they say weighs 5lbs empty). The 8660 also doesn't fit in the laptop compartment of Spire's messenger bag. With Tom Bihn, the 8660 might fit a size 2 horizontal brain cell (it's 14.3" the case fits 14.2" otherwise it needs a 2xl) and the 5796 requires a 2xl horizontal brain case. Neither fit any of the vertical brain cases. I'm not a fan of the Soft cell - when I called Tom Bihn they say it's designed for protection from scratches and not drops, bumps etc. So that means no backpack there - just the Super Ego messenger style bag (which is probably one of the few messenger style bags I'm considering). The gist of this long passage is that for me the 8660 won't fit in any of the 15.4" bags that I was looking at (again there are bags it fits in - I just don't like them) - so in the end the 5796 and 8660 fit the same bags. In terms of portability, this also kinda equalizes some of the size diffences.

Conclusion
So in the end I picked the 5796 because screen is a little nicer (the matte choice not enough of a difference), it's not that much harder to carry around for me (I'd probably use the same bag either way), I know a little more about since early reviews have already popped up and chassis history is know, and I can get it in my hands earlier than the 8660. I think both could be great machines but the 5976 edged out the 8660 for me. I hope this helps out.

Now all I have to get everything else I've been thinking about getting for this laptop - guess I'll have start a couple threads for some advice.