Sager NP9260

I've narrowed my list down to two laptops. The Area-51 m9750 and the Sager. Maybe you can tell me which is better. The Sager NP9260 is winning because of the E6700 @ 2.66GHz and 1066MHz FSB vs the m9750 with a T7600 running 2.33GHz and 667MHz FSB. Also the Sager has a No dead Pixel guarantee, 3 hard drives instead of two (RAID 5 maybe?), and an external USB Floppy not to mention the 24/7 lifetime tech support and a savings of $260 to boot. So people, does Alienware have the hotest laptop on the market (soon anyway) or does Sager?
I live in Phoenix, I have $7000 to buy the best laptop out there for under $7 grand. What would you do? I'm not buying this unit for it's battery life, I'm using it as a mobil desktop, but I do have an inverter in my pickup that will power any laptop, er, I think. Mostly to use on extended jobs out of town and that type of trip.

 

You can find NO BETTER of a laptop than the Sager NP9260, IMPOSSIBLE!

You will not be dissatisfied with it, althought both laptops are on preorder and will be released somewhat soon....

 

I hope your truck has a strong AC unit. If I were you I wouldn't go with either Alienware or Sager, I'd look into a business class machine from a popular vendor or something like a Panasonic Toughbook.

 

Since you don't say what you are going to use it for (e.g. gaming, engineering, audio editing...or???) it is tough to make an intelligent recommendation.

However if what you are looking for is the most powerful and fastest laptop in the world (that will support RAID 5) then the Sager NP9260 is it...period!

 

I would almost lean more towards a machine that has a special "outdoor friendly" screen... you won't be to in control of the glare and whatnot from inside your truck, and I believe both systems you mention are glossy....

 

Good point pyro9219...you are my hero

If use in the truck is going to be important the Sager NP5760 with the matte WSXGA+ screen might be the best choice.

 

Sorry, I had thought that had I listed the top two gaming laptops, well the question would be clear. This might however explain my brevity because my wife says I'm too windy so I may have over compensated.
Yes, I am looking for a "portable, desktop replacement." I have a desktop, but I travel on extended trips and wish to play instead of watching "hotel garbage, or "godforbid" a rental. A friend keeps harping how great the new Dell XPS is, but I can't see spending more for less. Or do I have it right? I can't find a better loaded, better backed, unit that does so much. I mean, wow, why even bother with my ASUS and it's 64 FX55 CPU and a low life video card like the 7800GTX? I however don't NEED RAID 5, I won't have anything on the laptop except games and some word docs, excell here and there. So, should I wait for the latest in 10x, or Santa Rosa or whatever is "
just around the corner? Or can I rely on the NP9260 to last 3 years before I have to spend another fortune to quench my techno thirst?

 

the Clevo D900C (Sager NP9260) is pretty much a high-end desktop with the appearance of a notebook.

It can easily last for more than 3 years, since its got a lot of future-proofing:
- desktop Core 2 Duo/Extreme
- up to 4 gigs of RAM (using 64-bit OS)
- dual SLI high-end modular videocard ready (initially will ship with 7950GTX's)
- up to 750gigs of HDD space (3 internal HDDs and 250gb 2.5" almost available)

Thats just unbeatable, no other notebook comes even close.
_________________________

If you really feel that all of that is too much, then I would wait for the upcoming Clevo M570RU.
- new Santa Rosa
- single high-end DX10 modular videocard ready (initially showcase with 7950GTX)
- SATA I and II support

Its a much better choice for portability, but with still a LOT of power and performance... with future possible upgrades.

 

First off - Take it easy on Donald, he sells these things for a living and he gets all sort of questions about what to buy, because most people honestly don't know. What they think they need, and what they truly need are typically not even on the same scale. Also, saying "best gaming machine" is a bit vague, because while you did choose two of the possible choices on the market (oh wait, soon to be on the market ) doesn't leave much room for things that might suite your situation better.

You also contradicted yourself by saying desktop replacement (as apposed to your gaming rig initial desire), because to an engineer a desktop replacement doesn't need flashy video cards, it needs massive storage, a big screen, horsepower for compiling...tons of ram... and probably a numpad...

Much as I said, you mentioned working from a truck.. that doesn't flag me as gaming rig lan party on wheels, that flags me as "the system is gonna be knocked around a bit, and it's going to be in direct sunlight during regular use".

This leads me back to my last post on the screen style, which Donald had an excellent suggestion about. You also didn't mention using the machine from your hotel for movies or games, you did mention your truck and being in it and powering the notebook from the truck...

So what exactly will you benefit from a 9260 if you don't want raid? and a glossy screen is a bad choice (you should clarify your opinion on this)... Well, I see SLI being what you see as the thing you need... What I see is SLI only gives on average 20-30% more FPS, and in the 3 years you say you will use this hellaciously expensive machine, you will find that your uber SLI will probably be outdone by a single card 6 months down the road, and then feel dissapointed with your system.

So, where does this leave my recommendation? I agree with the system Donald mentioned, it's got all the glamour you want, it's available now, and for the price, you could save half your money for another machine in 1.5 years that will again be the shiznit...

Wrap this up with stating that you shouldn't take any offense to this, just perhaps put more care into your thoughts when asking the advice of others... Nobody here is obligated to help you splurge your cash, they do it to help people be smarter shoppers. To do that, we need more information


***EDIT****
Thanks for clarifying in PM *not sure why you didn't share this with everyone* that you won't be using the notebook from your truck...

Also thought I'd tag on the fact that if you are in and out of hotels a lot, a heavy system might be a concern to you... Those 9260's are back breakers...

Also: Check into this system.. it might be getting a nice refresh with Santa Rosa.. and might be more up your ally... XPS M2010

 

Well, lack for a better reply, ouch! ok then. It would seem I don't know the difference between a desktop replacement and a laptop such as the likes of a NP9260. I would like to clear up the pickup remark. It was not meant as I would use it IN the pickup, just recharge it on the way to the hotel. And secondly, the last thing I was attempting to do was blast anyone. I read these replys and end up only with more questions. So as not to take up anyones time, and bother "the elite ones" I'll just go back into my cave and beat my woman, kick the kids, the dog, and see if I can't get that thing called fire to light. Sorrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyy!

 

What? lol... I was just speaking of this comment you made after Donald asked a reasonable question... "Sorry, I had thought that had I listed the top two gaming laptops, well the question would be clear." - Rather a harsh remark to Donald about a question that I seeded by misunderstanding your trucks relationship to your needs...

Much like I tried to state in my post, you asked a very simple question with a HUGE potential answer... You lacked some definition that I and apparently someone else noticed, and thought we would dig deeper to give you a better answer.

I can't even begin to tell you how many rich old ladies I used to work with when I built and repaired desktops that got advice on a computer from their grandkids... They only wanted to stay in e-mail touch with the family and surf for recipes, but their grandkids made them think they needed some uber gaming rig *many of which I'm sure wanted to play games while at grandma's house! *

Let me give you a simple analogy...

I've narrowed down my choice of meal down to a hundred dollar carrot, or a hundred dollar cookie *you pick the kind*, money is no option and you can get as many as you can eat for the next three years..

Alot of people would say the cookies... little do they know that I'm type 1 diabetic and shouldn't eat the cookies.. It's not their fault for recommending the cookies, cause I agree they are tastier most of the time... but it wasn't a good choice for my needs

As I said in my last post, you shouldn't have taken offense to the post *maybe you skipped at line since I placed it at the end? Ooops* I was just trying to help you get better answers..

 

Sorry, I had thought that had I listed the top two gaming laptops, well the question would be clear." - Rather a harsh remark to Donald about a question that I seeded by misunderstanding your trucks relationship to your needs...

But you cut off half of my paragraph. I oppoligized for (and in the SAME paragraph) that I try now to keep my questions brief because I am always told I'm too detailed and I talk too much) hmmmmm, and sigh.
So beside all this bantor, did you get my pm?

 

Yes, and replied..

Still not sure why you are PMing about this... was just a miscommunication... Doesn't change the things I said about trying to dig out better information to give you the best answer we can.

 

In light of free information for the sake of everyone's benefit (the internet) be as worded as you need. Someone out there might actually benefit from more detail.

 

I've discussed this issue with pyro and have had a couple of days to "think" about the whole thing. Ok,
1. Weight is not an issue
2. Clear and glossy is a must, (no outside use)
3. Budget of < (7K)
4. I would expect to be able to upgrade (this unit) at least a little bit
5. I have no idea if it's worth waiting for the Santa Rosa 10x thing
6. Someone mentioned that the whole industry is going to explode with "new Technology" very very soon. (but what does that mean?)
7. I have a new Dell 24 w i d e screen at my desk. 1920 by 1200 pixels
8. Currently I'm running a 7800GTX 256K and a home built tower running XP Pro(32 and 64), an AMD 64FX55, 4 gig memory, couple SATA 10,000 Raptors one a 74 the other a 150gig.
9. I do a little video work, (tape to disk) (kids don't ya know)
10. I have to travel and can't take a tower with me.
11. The company (Dell) can't play anything faster than chess
12. I have a surround sound 7.1 Logitech THX system
13. I surf a lot.
14. I always max out the video settings unless it won't run.
15. I like L O N G warranties, just in case.
16. I like 24/7 tech support
17. I like Ron Baird (Powernotebooks.com), he was very well versed.
18. I like the NP9260 with all the trimmings.
19. I like the way the m9750 from Alienware looks better, but looks don't count here.(well they do, but I'll force myself to behave)
20. I like XP Pro but I don't want to miss out if VISTA 64/32 Ultimate is a hit.
21. I believe SLI is worth the 500 bucks.
22. I believe SATA in a 0 raid 32 bit and a third HD running 64 bit would be awesome
23. A built in microphone and camera would be nice.
24. A wireless mouse (bluetooth maybe? for gaming)
25. WiFi is a must. I have wireless-N at home. G at work. And I need to run a VPN.
26. A driver for my lazer printer Brother MFC would kick
27. Have the ability to run any pc game at maxed out settings would be nice.
28. Be a little durable, I don't need Titainium but I do fly (Carry-on of course).
29. I work a lot so when I want to relax, I'd like to turn "it" on and have not only be fast (wicked fast) but dependable, useable, look great (I think you get the idea) Pop in a movie maybe, no limits mate.
30. I run MS OFFICE and do presentations and I use PALM handhelds for myself and employees so I need compatability. The office laptop will do most of that but I use a Palm for personal use too.
31. I don't plan on running much on just batteries, possibly not at all.
32. I don't really want to wait more than two months
33. I wouldn't mind the thumb print security gizmo. maybe lo-jack too?
34. A really nice case. A DVD RW maybe even a Blu-Ray??? A floppy drive too.
35. Let me know If I missed anything.

 

I've discussed this issue with pyro and have had a couple of days to "think" about the whole thing. Ok,
1. Weight is not an issue
- Glad you have your health in shape!
2. Clear and glossy is a must, (no outside use)
- Easy enough!
3. Budget of < (7K)
- Flexible enough!
4. I would expect to be able to upgrade (this unit) at least a little bit
- Don’t hold your breath, sounds like you plan to max it out, nothing faster that is going to be compatible is coming..
5. I have no idea if it's worth waiting for the Santa Rosa 10x thing
- Santa Rosa will up the bus from 667 to 800mhz, decent overall speed boost, other features like extended battery life (not something you care about), Robson technology, some other cool stuff with VPro will be added to the centrino pro line. That stuff is more enterprise and IT related though..
6. Someone mentioned that the whole industry is going to explode with "new Technology" very very soon. (but what does that mean?)
- Santa Rosa is the current roadmap for processors, DX10 cards (All sorts of new features for realistic physics and shading etc) are also hot on the list, spindle-free drives are going to be this year (much faster then SATA)
7. I have a new Dell 24 w i d e screen at my desk. 1920 by 1200 pixels
- 17” screens will be small compared to this, and you can’t take it with you. (you can, but I doubt you will)
8. Currently I'm running a 7800GTX 256K and a home built tower running XP Pro(32 and 64), an AMD 64FX55, 4 gig memory, couple SATA 10,000 Raptors one a 74 the other a 150gig.
- Be careful with buying 4gb of ram… The system isn’t really able to use more then about 3gb worth because of physical memory addressing… New stuff in the near future(this year) will be addressing this better. Software also doesn’t honestly use that much ram because of the way the systems are designed still, some programs are exceptions, but for the most part your HD will still slow you down (until the spindle-free drives) – You might want to make sure you get 7200RPM RAID 0, the HD’s are a crucial part in gaming, they are what get the data into the other parts so it’s technically the slowest point in the loop. CPU speed isn’t all that much a huge deal for gaming or anything else you described, once off the HD and into memory/GPU the games are almost all the same from about 1.6ghz up on a dual+ core system. Also remember that not all games are optimized for multi-cores, so some games my not seem to be as uber on your new system as others.
9. I do a little video work, (tape to disk) (kids don't ya know)
- Anything modern can help with this..
10. I have to travel and can't take a tower with me.
- They make carry straps that make towers very portable… =D
11. The company (Dell) can't play anything faster than chess
- That m2010 is very close to being as bad ass as the systems you want, plus is “larger” like a desktop which means you won’t have to adjust much for using it as often as you sound like you will be. X1800 is still a kickass card, and if you are willing to wait for the Sager to come out, you will probably also see a faster version of the ATI card released + some other goodies.
12. I have a surround sound 7.1 Logitech THX system
- May look into that 5760 Donald mentioned, it includes a bass speaker.
13. I surf a lot.
- This is how you keep yor weight down (joke from #1)
14. I always max out the video settings unless it won't run.
- Get the lowest resolution screen you can, will help with this “condition”
15. I like L O N G warranties, just in case.
- Powernotebooks has a great warranty
16. I like 24/7 tech support
- See above
17. I like Ron Baird (Powernotebooks.com), he was very well versed.
- See above
18. I like the NP9260 with all the trimmings.
- See everything I’ve said till now
19. I like the way the m9750 from Alienware looks better, but looks don't count here.(well they do, but I'll force myself to behave)
- Glowing alien eyes don’t make the system faster  (And racing stripes don’t make cars faster!)
20. I like XP Pro but I don't want to miss out if VISTA 64/32 Ultimate is a hit.
- If you want the best gaming experience, get XP pro 32-bit and wait till the end of the year for SP1 to be released on Vista… Many games are still having issues.
21. I believe SLI is worth the 500 bucks.
- It’s your $500 bucks, but please do your research. 20-30% is the typical improvement you will see, but the 7950 will already play pretty much anything coming out maxed already. If you really want the video to shine, you need to wait for DX10 cards I mentioned above.
22. I believe SATA in a 0 raid 32 bit and a third HD running 64 bit would be awesome
- 32bit raid? 64bit raid? You mean dual OS? Sounds like fun!
23. A built in microphone and camera would be nice.
- Pretty much any modern machine worth buying will have these, good/bad/ugly.
24. A wireless mouse (bluetooth maybe? for gaming)
- Logitech VX Revolution is the best!
25. WiFi is a must. I have wireless-N at home. G at work. And I need to run a VPN.
- Powernotebooks won’t be selling N cards for a while, talk to them or check their site for reason’s why not.. G will be on any current system. VPN is more about software then hardware…
26. A driver for my lazer printer Brother MFC would kick
- Maybe an issue for vista? PM me the model and desired O/S and I’ll find you one if it’s there…
27. Have the ability to run any pc game at maxed out settings would be nice.
- The second someone tells you “Sure!” a new game will come out and prove them wrong.. again.. DX10 if you want this…
28. Be a little durable, I don't need Titainium but I do fly (Carry-on of course)..
- Most machines are durable enough for this. Just watch the size of the notebook, the larger the more prone to being smacked around by yourself and others on a plane. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been on a plane that I could comfortably have my notebook out for the flight..
29. I work a lot so when I want to relax, I'd like to turn "it" on and have not only be fast (wicked fast) but dependable, useable, look great (I think you get the idea) Pop in a movie maybe, no limits mate.
- Watch out for the bright LED’s (Like the ones used for most notebooks )
30. I run MS OFFICE and do presentations and I use PALM handhelds for myself and employees so I need compatability. The office laptop will do most of that but I use a Palm for personal use too.
- Not sure if you mean you need IrDA for this, or just sync with USB, but that might be an issue.. Also need to make sure that you can get PIM software/driver for Vista that works well. As for the office stuff, might need to make sure you get either S-VIDEO or standard VGA out… not sure about the alienware, but I know the sager has this covered.
31. I don't plan on running much on just batteries, possibly not at all.
- Buy a block of modeling foam from a hobby shop, make yourself a battery insert to cut the weight down and preserve your battery outside of the system for the person you sell it to then.
32. I don't really want to wait more than two months
- DX10 and Santa Rosa and all that might not hit your calendar dates… but maybe Ron or Donald can give you a better estimate on that.
33. I wouldn't mind the thumb print security gizmo. maybe lo-jack too?
- Fun, but will make you forgot all your passwords after a few months =P.. There is a lo-jack plan you can buy for notebooks, defiantly something you can check into.. I believe it’s only software / subscription service though, so I’m not sure how well it really works if they format your machine without loading Windows..
34. A really nice case. A DVD RW maybe even a Blu-Ray??? A floppy drive too.
- Floppy will need to be USB on pretty much any system, maybe you could convince yourself to use USB pen drives instead?
35. Let me know If I missed anything.
- Let me know if I missed anything.

 

ROFLMFAO THANKS, you're a trooper. I need to digest all this, but 3 AM comes pretty early in the morning.

 

OK, sigh, I thought the NP9260 was a laptop. It's in the laptop section, but it's not a laptop, it just looks like a laptop? Is it because of the cpu? The weight? The screen size? "It's a desktop that only looks like a laptop" And WHY would I need to buy pixel insurance? Doesn't the warranty (3 years for $399. or so) cover a dead pixel???

 

Laptops have been using desktop CPU's for years...this is nothing new.

However the Sager NP9260 laptop is one of the first to use the desktop "Conroe" Core2 Duo processor.

As for dead pixels...look around...no manufacturer guarantees that there will be no dead pixels, and very few even offer a "No dead pixel warranty". They all have a "dead pixel policy" and Sager's is as good as it gets in the laptop industry. Just check IBM's or DELL's for example...they require 2 to 3 times as many dead (really meaning permanently lit sub-pixels most of the time) pixels before it is a warranty issue.

 

Ok, then Alienware has misrepresented to me their policy. They told me that the dead pixel issue is warranteed as long as you cover the unit; in this case a m9750. This was a verbal statement made by the Alienware rep by the name of George and I have his employee number back at my office but not here at home. Interesting ploy they are trying, as one being not very "up" on the makings and going on's of the "laptop" world. I guess I'm at the mercy of who's is most convincing. I do trust Ron B. though, great presense.
But let's get back to the issue, So the NP9620 is NOT a lagtop? Because of the cpu? hmmmmmm. I am new to this side of the computer world I guess. Does it make a difference? Like cooling? Or am I all wet, and it doesn't really matter WHAT it is as long as it's portable and works, right?

 

Be careful of those snake-tongued sales guys at alot of places. They have told me all kinds of tales over the years, even their tech support guys when working with a licensed repair technician.. but anyways..

You wanted to know about the NP9260 not being a laptop... Thats a play on words effectively. It's caused by the fact that the unit doesn't have a mobile chipset or processor. Looking at powernotebooks website (Thanks to those guys for having a great deal of info on their site about their products) you will see that the NP9260 has a 1066mhz FSB, vs the 667mhz FSB on any other gaming notebook. The Santa Rosa update everyone is talking about will bring normal notebooks from 667mhz up to 800mhz, closing the gap against desktop systems.

As far as the style of the chassis is concerned, it is just as much a notebook as any other.

 

Just another hint on the SLI thing... the feature set is what makes games look great... on the other hand FPS at some point will no longer add the visual experience. SLI only enables that you can maintain higher FPS with tougher settings. DX10 video cards though, will add new ways to make the visual more rich. Also, a single DX10 video card will perform nearly as fast as the current cards in SLI.

SLI also requires several factors to fully work:
Software compatible from the game engine *not much trouble, but some games don't have this*

Drivers that don't suck... *This is improving, XP I think currently has better support then Vista, but it may be more a "vista isn't stable" then the driver*

Video profiles must be written so the software you are using knows how to interact with your hardware... this leaves your experience at the mercy of NVidia's ability to decide what games are worth writing profiles for.

 

the advantage of having SLI as an option is that even though a DX10 card may outperform an SLI configured system, you could still outdo your system by getting an upgrade with DX10 cards in SLI mode assuming drivers and etc are in place. I think that knowing one has the ability to do so (w/ deep pockets) is a huge advantage, especially considering that these DX10 cards will still always be in the pursuit of trying to get decent framerates once DX10 games are released. That SLI wildcard in that 9260 is in a sense a safeguard for all those crazy demanding intensive DX10 games... assuming of course sager releases good drivers for vista.

 

None of this matters to those crazy 8.8 million WoW players =P

 

on a sidenote, HP just released that 20" laptop that includes ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT. Makes me think twice about being on the list for the 1st shipment of the 9260- in any case, you're not required to pay for the product until sager receives the shipment and once all the details are confirmed.
**crossing fingers for a dx10 card sli**

source: http://www.laptoplogic.com/news/detail.php?id=2401

 

Anyone feel like clarifying whether the D900C will be using a x16/x4 combo SLI system? If so, the second card in the SLI system will be limited by bandwidth restrictions. I have a thread on here explaining this in the alienware section regarding the m9750 and D900C.

I'd really like some confirmation on this, as I'm sure others would too. As gaming is a priority for some, they would probably rather have more graphic horsepower rather than a desktop processor. I'm hoping the hush about this is due to lack of knowing to reply to it in the first place, and not due to losing customers.

So SLI in the D900C might not be so great after all. To be honest, the M590KE looks like a better choice still, even with AMD Dual-Core instead of Intel. The CPU isn't a bottleneck compared to the GPU in terms of gaming. Plus with a true AMD based NForce board you have more access to hardware usually, easily from NVidia's nTune, etc.

You will see great 3dMark06 scores from the D900C for sure, but I'd like to know the seperate SM2.0/ SM3.0 scores to weigh in on things. This is because 3dMark06 weighs the CPU portion very heavily in the final score. For instance my M590K with 7900GTX 512's get 3200/3500 for graphic tests, and only 975 for CPU. The M570U with a 7950GTX 512 gets 2100/2200 for graphics, and a 1500 score for CPU. Thing is, 3dMark06 only gives the M590K a few hundred higher of a final score, even though it was running the graphics demos nearly twice as fast in those portions. Just keep the 3dMark06 final scores in mind.

I'm going to wait for reviews and benchmarks to come in with the D900C / M9750 first and see how well things go. I hope GetThermal works with the D900C too.

 

More important to me then is the 9260 16x/4x, is can the videocard actually max out the bandwidth provided by a 4x? I know that it wasn't until very recently when a card could actually max out an 8x AGP slot... There is alot more to the performance then the speed of the slot to keep in mind.

 

Just a thought: As the D900C/NP9260 is using a desktop CPU, and therefore a desktop chipset, why should it suffer from the 16x/4x PCI express limit, if this only applies to notebooks?

 

pyro, yes the 7950GTX can max out the x4, it requires the x8 spec, which is why I'm a bit worried about going for the D900C. Right now the M590K is suiting me well though.

I have a link to the original discussion of this here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=118759

I believe it was the anandtech.com article that pointed out the x4 bandwidth issue. It's linked to in the above link. Though keep in mind I remember that they were testing using desktop 79xx series and not mobile. The mobile version is clocked less and has a different physical arch, though I can overclock my Go 7950 GTX in the M570U to 620/790 from 600/700 for reference.

 

Direct link to the x16/x4 issue that might be affecting the D900C: http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2814&p=4

I am finding it unusual that none of the resellers of the D900C have responded to this. Time to see if any specs were updated on the D900C so I can verify.

 

My main concern stemmed from the D900C using the "Intel® P965 chipset + ICH8R" basis for it's motherboard. Intel recently teamed with Nvidia, and the P965 isn't mentioned anywhere on the official intel.com specs or nvidia.com specs for supporting SLI. The only place that mentions support of the P965 chipset for SLI are sites like hardocp and xtremesystems where users there have come up with a way to get SLI working on these boards, though its not officially supported! And they are limited to the second PCI-E bus for the second graphics card as being limited to x4 and it affecting performance.

 

I contacted sager directly, and this is the answer that they gave me:

"It is not x16/x4. We will be using the solution from both nVIDIA and Intel. Currently, our engineer is still testing it, and we don’t have any finalized data and information yet. However, it will definitely not be x16/x4 combo. " So I think there's no need for us to worry about this issue anymore.

Another aspect of this system is also the possibility of using DDR2 800mhz to improve performance. Hasnt been mentioned yet.

I also wished that Sager would include the seagate momentus 7200.2 as a configuration option. It is quite clearly ahead of the pack performance-wise.

Finally, wouldnt it be great if clevo had built a display screen powered by dual lamps like those found in the Qosmios, and the HP Pavilion HDX... after all, there is a huge difference when comparing a screen that's rated at 450nits and 650cd/m2 as opposed to the 300nits and 500cd/m2 specs commonly found in the 17" clevo models.

 

oh, and I just got word that the D900C is slated to be released on May 21. But with all the past delays, nothing's been official as of now.

 

Thanks khiev! I hope it's at least x8 on both but I assume thats what they were implying. Anyone else find it disturbing they said their engineer (plural?) is still testing a system that will be launched this month? That information should really be finalized already as it's a spec of the motherboard.

It's definitely the most official word received so far, even though the way he spoke is a bit strange. Might just be the way they talk to end users.

 

RJTech.com is listing both 667/800MHz, which originally perked my interest in this model. Also, RJT is listing the D900C as arriving about May 15th.

 

RJTech is being a little optimistic on both issues.

As has been stated before, 800MHz has not passed final testing yet so it may not be available at the time of release. Hopefully it will become available soon, but we simply cannot promise it yet.

"about" May 15th is correct, as long as you are willing to except "about" to mean within 5-10 days of the 15th.

 

I just received some potentially disappointing news about the sager 9260. Someone sent me the display specs and they dont look too promising- apparently, the lcd displays will be provided by samsung.
According to their specs, the WUXGA will have a min. contrast ratio of 300, and a brightness of around 185 cd/m2. Now, I dont know what the typical contrast ratio is, but a min contrast of 300 seems fairly poor to me.
Brightness is especially disappointing considering that the dell xps now has a brightness rating of 250cd/m2. The new HP monster, now featuring dual lamp, should have a brightness rating of over 350cd/m2, since the qosmio's brightness rating is right around there.
Even worse are the viewing angles. 65 degrees horizontal and 50 degrees vertical.... that's pathetic. For comparisons, the qosmio's is around 140/110.
The one on the lg phillips website is 140/120.

Again, I suspect that real life richness of the display is yet to be ascertained. Those of us who pre-ordered the machine can only hope to be proven otherwise.

 

You are correct that "seeing is believing" so I wouldn't make any judgments until you see it. There is nothing wrong with 185 cd/m2 and 300:1 contrast ratio. The WUXGA screen on the NP57xx and the other 17" Sager models is 190 cd/m2 and 500:1 contrast ratio, and the WSXGA+ screen is 170 cd/m2 and 400:1 contrast ratio, and these specs have been accepted for years on the Sager 17" models. However if you don't like it when you see it, don't forget you will have a 30 day return privilege.

Also, since some people reading your post may not understand, it would be better to quote the viewing angles as apples to apples. In other words the specs you state should have read 130/100, not 65 horizontal and 50 vertical, since that is the way you quote your comparisons of 140/110 and 140/120. While 130/100 isn't quite as good it is virtually unnoticeable when you put them side by side, and it could be confusing if some people don't know you have to double the 65 and 50 to get the comparable spec.

To be clear, you have to double the 65 and 50 because those numbers represent the degrees going EACH WAY from the center, while the 140/110 and 140/120 have already doubled the 70 degrees horizontal and 55 and 60 degrees vertical. The difference is only 5 degrees each way horizontally and 5 and 10 degrees vertically. So you see, that small difference can hardly be called "pathetic".

 

Oh, and khiev, can you tell us the source of these screen specs you received? How do you know they are accurate?

 

I am also suspicious about the "supposed" specs of the screen for the D900C.

I would not understand why Clevo would want to downgrade their WUXGA panel when the current models have no issues and still looks great.

 

Paladin, thanks for the enlightenment, clearly, I did not know how to interpret the data, it makes much more sense now

The specs showed the min. contrast ratio, not its typical value, so hopefully it'll still be on par to previous sager systems.

A friend of mine sent me the pdf files of the specs that he received from one of the online assistants of a sager reseller.