Sell me on the Sager NP5160

I have been browsing for a new laptop since my HP Envy 14 got canceled earlier this week. Somehow I stumbled upon the NP5160 which is coming out in February.

I've never even heard of Sager until I started using these forums. Someone sell me on Sager? Why Sager over (insert company)? What's their customer service like (i.e. American call centers?)? Are they pretty good quality machines? Do they give you as much grief as HP?

Link: http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php?page=product_customed&model_name=NP5160

Thanks

 

These forums (Sager/Clevo) area are chock full of information and the community is always here to help you in any issues, questions, frustrations you have.

First off we need to know what's the main purpose you want the notebook for.
As far as the customer service goes your retailer, be it Sager or a 3rd party will gladly help you out, again the community here has lots of experience with them as well.

Once you own a Sager, personally, it's hard to go to any other make. I personally love mine.

 

I haven't owned a Sager yet, but my NP5160 should be shipping sometime in Feb. Interesting that you were looking at an Envy before coming here... I too was looking at an envy (the envy 15 until they kiboshed it). What made me decide on Sager were a few things:

1) Sager notebooks stay much cooler than just about ANY HP notebook. Especially compared to the Envy line
2) Sager actually offers full HD screens for basically their entire product line, kudos to them for actually offering this
3) A fresh copy of Windows 7 without the ridiculous amount of bloatware that HP, Dell, etc shoehorn into their machines. Just look at the threads for "how to remove bloatware" or "how to do a clean install of Windows 7 on an Envy". Its alot of work that you never have to do once you go Sager
4) The boutique shops like XoticPC, Power Notebooks, Mythlogic and others actually answer the phone when you have a problem with something. Their customer service is leaps and bounds better than any of the big-name retailers I've ever had to deal with, though I don't personally have any experience with SAGER's customer service (since the majority of the warranties go through Sager, not the reseller).

5) PRICE: I paid less than $1150.00 for the Sager NP5160... this includes a true 3-year parts and labor warranty. There is no other machine that you can get specs wise from another maker that even comes close to this price (except maybe a Compal, which are great machines, but damn they are ugly). I suggest going to Dell, HP etc and configuring the price for a new laptop with a 3-year warranty. Either you won't be able to even get the specs you want (ie: FHD screen has gone MIA from Dell's XPS line, HP thinks 1600x900 is FHD, crazy s), or when you do, the price for everything is between 400-500 dollars more.

 

True. If there was a company making better laptops in terms of performance and cooling, I wouldn't be selling Clevo's.

 

The man above speaks the truth Us or any of the other resellers would be glad to help you, as yes we may all sell the same basic laptops, with our own little differences, we will be glad to answer any of your questions or help you with your decision, just PM us

thanks

 

What Clevo/Sager is missing is a unified worldwide warranty or service centre (for parts).

 

And a backlit keyboard

 

Its strange to me how often this feature is requested by people. Haven't you already just about memorized where your keys are yet? I haven't had a backlit keyboard on any of my laptops or desktop keyboards. I just don't see what I'm missing here.

 

I'm noticing on the 5160 that different resellers have different specs for the battery. They're all 6-cell, but their Whr ratings are different. What gives? Which reseller should I be looking at to get the best battery possible?

 

It's a nice feature to have and it looks cool

 

Every reseller has the same battery, just some are mismarked on the websites. But they switched to the 62wh battery everywhere (Clevo)

 

It's not all about being able to tell where all the keys are. Alienware has a light up keyboard feature that changes colors depending on your available ammo ect..

Alienware Keyboard

 

That sounded stupid at first, then it got cooler and cooler as I thought about it.

 

Because I implanted the idea into your brain

 

the only thing holding me back is what type of configs will be released for dual core models

 

What kind of configs were you looking for? We know what dual-core models of CPU we will be able to get, so i'm sure I can probably answer your questions

thanks

 

My dilemma is whether I should get a mostly specced out NP5160 or wait for the AMD card for the P150HM... Difference is probably $1200 vs $2200 or so for the configs I'm looking at, but is being able to run my games on ultra worth losing 2 hours of battery life, 1.5 lb of weight and $1000? This is a tough question... Must wait for bonus!

 

Well, battery life and gaming laptop don't really go hand and hand. Yes a gaming laptop running (out of games) should last a while but in game it won't, probably no more than 1 hour. But why would you game long term without plugging into a power outlet?

Or did i just misunderstand? If so please correct me.

 

I looked at that Sager as well, it's very appealing for sure.

Do they have "slice" batteries you can attach to the laptop for longer battery life ?
Battery life + slice are what makes HP's Envy 14 so damn appealing, along with very decent gaming capability.

 

Not at this time no, although there are some extended battery chargers that can be had on the internet that can use another battery to charge your main battery, but nothing in the true "slice" field ala HP or Lenovo.

 

Regarding the size of this laptop, is it basically the same as standard 15" machines with more gaming power? The reason I ask is because I plan on bringing this to class and don't wanna be seen with an 8 lb. behemoth looking like a total nerd. Basically is the size of this laptop good enough to be portable?

 

Not too bad I don't think

Size & Weight

* 5.73 LBs with Battery Pack
* 14.72" (w) x 9.8" (d) x .98"-1.46" (h)

 

This model is Sager's smallest i think. Weights 5.73lbs.

 

Sorry... I work in IT and attend law school at night so any laptop I get will be used in all 3 roles, gaming, note taking/test taking and software development. Either system will work in the last two roles, but the lighter/longer battery one would be superior. I have multiple 10 minute walks and ~2 hours per day standing in the subway, with a bag already loaded down by 1000 page law books so that extra 1.5 lb also factors in.

However, I do want to take advantage of the full HD screen and while my XPS 1530 can play current generation games at low, I want more than that (also the hard drive is dying and I don't trust it for exams...) I'm mostly a semi hard core SC2 1v1 player right now and even with settings on low I can't control 200v200 battles nearly as well as I want to, so I have to rely on early pressure. I don't want to end up in the same position... one solution might be to get the smaller laptop and a desktop, but then why not get something in the <3 lb range?

That said, if I ever forget my charger, the NP5160 will last through my 3 hour lectures while even turning the screen all the way down etc, I don't think the P150HM will...

Then factor in the $1000 and its a pretty hard choice...

 

The 5160 in UMA mode (that is without the nvidia card engaged) will get 240 of battery life as per Clevo specs, so yes yes it will last a 3 hour lecture. The P150HM, won't

 

I had asked in the 5160 owners lounge what CPU was used to come up with this spec. Can you elaborate whether it's a quad or a dual and possibly which model. Also the number that was thrown around in the owners lounge was 4.5-5 hours not 4 like you have, which is it?

 

If I were you I would ditch sager at this point, there is a 13'' that starts at $779, but it uses a ulv processor.

I would vouch for you the Vaio SA, which comes at $1250, specs:

CPU: i3/i5/i7
GPU: AMD 6630m
weight: 3.4lbs
size: 13.3''

or you could grab the Lenovo thinkpad edge e420s

CPU: i3/i5/i7
GPU: AMD 6630m
weight: 4.1lbs
size: 14.1'' under 1.2'' thick

The difference in terms of mobility REALLY PAYS.

Sager/Clevo for me is about those behemoths that they put out, with the great cooling that they have and packing quite a punch.

Im torn between those above 2, but Im strangely fascinated by the P150HM, and wondering if next year the chassis will get thinner and lighter, and if so how much I would pay for that goodness. The difference between the P150HM and the W860cu is huge, and if they continue to shrink that way, I would grab one in a heartbeat.

 

The e420s looks really nice, but it only comes out in april. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

Greatly depends on your lifestyle and personal priorities. I've been carrying around laptops since 1996 (on a daily basis) and personally, am more comfortable with a 17" "behemoth" rather than a netbook when traveling by plane, train, or simply sitting @StarBucks.
2 reasons:

1) I need max screen real estate w/o overstraining my eyes
2) I always use orthopedic backpacks instead of briefcases or messenger bags. The later look better with semi casual/business outfit, but can really hurt your lower back or shoulders on the long run.

Just my 2 cents, of course

 

I'm used to carrying around an XPS 1530, so that is the same size as the NP5160, and I don't think 1.5 lb more is a deal breaker. The reason I ended up in this decision point in the first place was that I really like my 1920x1200 screen and since no one is putting WUXGA in 15 inch laptops any more, the best I can do is 1080P.

I like that size because being used to 3 monitors at work, when i work remotely if I can't have at least 1080P resolution it makes having multiple RDP sessions a real chore... I also like to be able to have 2-3 xterms on the screen at the same time with enough with to work with.

However, $1000 is a lot of money to add for gaming which I really should cut back on anyway... Gone are the days when I flew around the country playing WOW tournaments, and my wife doesn't like it when I game.

The corollary to that is that I like being able to take a break with a game during hours in the library on the weekends and I lose that flexibility if I go with a weak laptop + gaming desktop solution. In the end it will have to be my decision but I like having people give me some help in making it.

 

Yeah I went down to a 12 inch laptop, and at first I loved how portable it was. Then came the realization that I just couldn't get work done on such a small screen, nor could I enjoy any games or movies with the anemic resolution.

Its back to the world of 15+ inches of screen for me.

 

1200P FTW for sure but they are the dying breed... Only a handful of 17"ers are still being sold (AW M17X-R2, Dell M6500, Lenovo W7xx, HP 8740w, etc), but even those will gone in less than 6 months.

 

I dont know, I have been lugging around my 16'' with a 4670m and a 2.5kg + 1kg form he charger. I have been desperate looking for something smaller. Its been 8 years already in college, and I cant pick a notebook that is too large and that it weights a ton.

13 and 14'' are nowhere near a netbook, and those that I pointed have the same power as the NP5160

 

Biggest thing for me is the value of this machine; any other brand with similar specs is 50% more expensive with at best 1600x900 displays

 

sorry to hijack the thread a little but i'm torn between the np5160 and the np5170. Will the battery life difference be significant or just 20 min? will a 1920x1080 resolution on a 15.6in monitor make text too small? is 1366x768 a crappy resolution for this size? (gaming and regular OS work)

i don't like the "wasted space" on the side of the keyboard on the 17". I do like thinking about playing WoW on the bigger screen though. HELP! There is only a $24 difference between the two which is crazy. I thought the price gap used to be a lot more.

If the battery life difference will be 1 hour+ i will probably go with the 15".

Back to watching Inception...

 

The battery difference won't be that much to be honest. If you plan on gaming, unplugged, battery won't last you more than an hour.

As far as the resolution goes it's all relative. 1920x1080 wether it's a 15" 17" or 24" LCD will be the same. One thing i can tell you for sure the lower resolution option is not for everyone, if i had to choose, even on a smaller than 15" laptop i'd still go for 1920x1080.

 

Thanks. I guess it bugs me that the 17" has that unused space next to the keyboard. I like how the 15" goes all the way accross. I also know one of the main points of getting a bigger laptop is so it can have more ports and fit more and better stuff inside. Since my budget is rock solid at $1050 there are no other laptops besides these 2 that give me all that i want.

So i like the idea that if i got the 15" it would have the same specs and "horsepower" as if i got the 17". But then i think my 2 primary uses will be World of Warcraft and software that splits the screen in half so i can read on one half and do other tasks on the other half. 17" would probably be better for that.

It sucks that the 17" uses the SAME battery as the 15". I just read something about macbook pro's and the 13" uses a 60 some watt battery, the 15" uses a 77 watt battery and the 17" uses a 93 or so watt battery. That way the 13" gets 10 hours, the 15" 8-9 hours and the 17" 8-9 hours.

It makes sense to put a bigger battery in when you have so much more chassis space. Wonder why others don't do that? I do know that having the batteries be removable instead of static like in macs, takes up more space and therefore less room for the actual battery.

Ok i'm rambling. I just want more debate between 15.6" at 1366x768 or 1920x1080 and the 17.3" at 1920x1080. I have 4 days to decide before i can pull the trigger. I went to Best Buy last night and seriously the highest res screen they had on the "showroom" floor was 1366x768, regardless of it being 14", 15" or 17". So i didn't get much help there....

 

I'd definitely go with the higher resolution, personal opinion. It looks crisper and not too blocky.

 

Thanks, but would you go with the 17.3 or the 15.6?

 

If you want to be able to use two hard drives and still be able to have access to a DVD drive at the same time and a better screen for viewing movies then the 17.3 is better. Those are the main reasons why I went for that chassis but I would never use a resolution lower than 1600 x 900.

 

Once you've used a full HD screen for a while or better yet a WUXGA you won't want to go back and lose the desktop realestate.

 

Upgrade the monitor, and you have yourself a Macbook Pro killer for less than half the price.

 

Agreed. After much thought today I decided on the NP5160 with the upgraded screen. I'm also getting the hybrid HD after reading great stuff. But it brings my total to $1050 and that's already over my $1k budget. So i'm stuck at 4gb of ram.

I'm planning on going with that and upgrading ram later on down the road if i see that i'm running out of it on a regular basis. Thoughts? Has anyone here ever maxed out 4gb of ram on their computer? Not including CAD or any graphics work. Videogames/browsing web/microsoft office use only.

 

Its not hard to run up 500 megs on a browser, even 1 gig using multi tabs, the OS is about 500, office products 50-100 each. Just Civ 5 or SC2 by itself I've seen go up to 2 gigs on my system so combined yes I have maxed out 4g on my laptop regularly.

I also do it on my workstation at work quite often especially when testing new code that might memory leak.

 

LOL, True.

On that note, the 5170 is generally not much more. Why not get a 17" for just a few extra bills?
I suppose people are stuck on size constraints.
I NEED my real estate!!!

 

Not meant to hijack this wonderful thread but can I have the feed back from those Sager user on warranty outside US ?

Residing in Hong Kong, I have concern on the repair and return of Sager.

 

A Chinese user posted that you can get direct from Clevo with a Clevo warranty in mainland china, so maybe you don't need to get it from Sager? I think he said he got it shipped to him from their Jaingsu factory...

 

Will this model support Intel's Wireless Display technology?

 

Yes if you order it with one of the Intel Wifi cards below...

 

So it does have everything...