Sager NP8130

Hey i'm looking at getting a new laptop, the one i have is a $600 Toshiba that i use for school and i'd like to have one that'll handle anything i can throw at it. I was originally looking at alienware but decided they're overpriced, expecially considering the hardware they use. right now i'm looking at the sager np8130 and i'll list the specs below

15.6” Full HD 16:9 Wide screen (1920x1080) LED-Backlit Display with 95% NTSC Color Gamut Glossy Screen
nVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M 192bit w/1.5GB GDDR5
Intel® Core™ i7-2760QM (2.4~3.5GHz) w/6M L3 Cache - 4 Cores - 8 Threads
IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
16GB (4x4GB SODIMMS) DDR3/1333 Dual Channel Memory
750GB SATA II 3GB/s 7,200 RPM Hard Drive (16MB Cache Buffer)
6x Blu-Ray Reader/8x Super Multi Combo Drive
Integrated 802.11 b/g/n wireless LAN + Bluetooth™ V3.0 Combo Card

now some of this is my preference (blu ray, glossy screen, etc) but i was just wondering if you guys have any additional recommendations on things i should add/change. This is mainly going to sit on a desk and be used for gaming or more resource intensive programs but if anyone could help me out and tell me if the NTSC Color Gamut screen and IC diamond compound is worth it? and also if anyone know approx how long the battery would last on this if it was just running minor programs like one note and the internet.

any help is awesome! new to the forum and don't want to make the wrong decision when it comes to getting such an expensive computer!

 

Welcome to the NBR forums wolf1790!

The NP8130 is a great model. Looking over your configuration consider the NP8150. Downgrading the i7 2760QM to the i7 2670QM and upgrading the GTX 560M to ATI 6990M. That swap will get you a better boost for gaming and you won't see much of a difference in CPU performance unless doing alot of CPU demanding programs.

People who have got the 95% gamut screens love them and rightfully so, they are really nice and do have to be seen to be appreciated. IC Diamond will help keep temps lower. As you said you will be gaming and more resource intensive programs. Doing that means heat and IC Diamond helps out.

Don't forget to add Windows to your build if you dont already have one.

 

I'd second the suggestion that you consider the P150HM with a 6990m, as it can be nearly 2x the performance of the 560m. The upgraded screen is great, but it may not be necessary. I put a link below to a comparison thread so you can get an idea of what the upgraded looks like compared to stock.

IC Diamond is useful if you have high ambient temps or just want the temperature reductions. It averages 6C lower, give or take, than the stock. It's also a relatively simple process to add it yourself down the road as well.

Battery life averages between 1.5-2.5 hours. Most seem to fall in the middle of that range. Obviously gaming will lower this significantly.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...-between-different-screen-options-photos.html

 

thanks guys! and i definitely considered going up to the 8150 rather than the 8130 but i'm trying best i can to keep my price down below $1700, preferably closer to $1500 but im willing to compromise for quality. regardless, thanks for the feedback! whats the student discount at xoticpc?

 

You can get a really good build for either model around $1500-1700. We really cant talk about discount on the forum, you're welcome to send me a PM but you do have to get 5 posts to do so.

 

Sending you a PM

 

ok thanks, i'll try to get up to 5 posts soon and PM you lol. and yeah i went and played around with different NP8150 builds and i think that i'll definitely go with that! it'll be a while before i'm actually ready to buy anything so expect me to be in touch

 

I'm torn between the 8130 and the 8150. I've read about how powerful the 8150 with 6990m with is, but I really don't know if I'll make full use of such a powerful GPU. The only PC gaming I see myself doing this and next year is Old Republic, Diablo 3, and Guild Wars 2, so I'm thinking that a 560m (and about $400-500 saved) would be sufficient for me. Are there any other significant differences aside from the GPU options that would help me make a decision? Or is the GPU worth it despite me not playing that many demanding games on it?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

You also have to consider you won't be able to upgrade the GPU on the 8130 down the road. The Achilles heel on a notebook is the GPU. 2-3 years down the line there's no doubt your processor will be able to handle games, but the 560m will become outdated before the 6990m.

Hope that helped.

 

yeah thats what i'm looking at right now. i know for me personally, im willing to pay the almost $500 difference (i got it to be the same price but thats by downgrading other components that werent necessary) if that means that this computer will be great and play games that are released in about 3 or 4 years. if i pay 1700 for a notebook it better last. so i think its better to pay a few extra hundred bucks and have it stay fast for three years then have to buy a new laptop (or new component) next year just to stay current

 

As NovaH touched on, consider upgrade-ability ease/options down the road. If you're the type of guy who likes to upgrade things down the road all other components are much easier to upgrade besides the graphics card. That part is the most expensive and hardest part to find sold individually. All other parts like CPU, Primary Drive, Ram and much easier. Invest in a good GPU now and upgrade the other parts down the road as needed.

 

just out of curiosity, i know it's been covered on the forum before, but just to clarify. i know the new ivy bridge processors won't make much of a difference, and that i7 quad should be more than enough to handle anything i need, but would i be able to upgrade to ivy bridge if i wanted? or would that require the replacement/upgrading of other components as well?

 

Most likely, no, you will not be able to upgrade. Intel has announced that the current mobile chipsets are not going to be compatible with Ivy Bridge. You'd have to buy a whole new motherboard, assuming one is made to fit the current chassis at all.

 

Thanks for the clarification, from what it seems like a quad core sandy bridge should last for a while before it becomes obsolete

 

I have been strugling with this same issue, the 8130 or 8150, and after doing some research I have found what I think to be a better option than both of those. I am kind of like the original poster where for right now, with the game I play, the 560M would be more than enough, but, I would like the option to upgrade in the future. Well, neither of those machines (8130 and 8150) have this option, but, the Lotus P151HM1 from Malibal does. The base price on this is less than $1000 and as long as you get the 180 Watt Power Supply you can upgrade your GPU from the 560M to the 580M whenever you want. The 580M is better than the ATI card you can get in the 8150, which is not user upgradable. So for around $1200 I can get the P151HM1 from Malibal with the upgrades I want and assure myself that if my gaming needs change in the future (and the price of the 580M will come down in price by then) I can swap out my GPU.

 

ron22lefty thats all just wrong.
First, the Malibal P151HM is just a rebranding of the Clevo P151HM/Sager NP8130. The Clevo P150HM/Sager NP8150 is the superior machine. Its fitted with a superior cooling and power system to handle better components and upgrades (theres also other slight differences like the P150HM having the rubberized chassis, the stock screens...). Thats why most resellers only offer what is officially supported and intended to be in the P151HM - the 560M. The P150HM offers anything from 560M, 485M, 580M, 6970M or 6990M.
Malibal is offering those upgrades themselves, they are officially not supported by Clevo/Sager on the P151HM. The simple explanation is that the base unit is so much cheaper that they save on just giving the better PSU and offering you their own warranty for doing those unsupported upgrades.

 

Your assumptions are flawed. The NP8130 is the exact same thing as the P151HM. The NP8150 is the exact same thing as the P150HM. They are just Sager rebrands. Ergo, they are all GPU-upgradeable.

The 580M is only slightly better for gaming than the 6990M and, for gaming purposes only, usually not worth the massive premium.

 

Yup, for gaming purposes the 580M and 6990M are pretty equal.
Its only worth going for the 580M if you want CUDA and slightly better driver support.

 

Ok, I thought I had a good plan here, I guess not. Malibal was the only site I found that had the equivalent of the 8130 as user upgradeable. Thats why I thought that was a better deal and would be more than enough for me for the next few years and allow me to upgrade it still in the future. Someone said they are all upgradeable, why is it that the XoticPc site does not say they are upgradeable?

 

Just read my post. Its all been explained already.

 

As much as i hate offering someone specs they don't need i tend to tell customers and friends when it comes to notebooks when they choose an entry-level GPU to go with a mid range GPU instead. Yes it's slightly more but you'll be upgrading a lot later down the road. As far as CPUs go, well they'll be ok for a solid 4 or 5 years easy.