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    Three Questions

    Discussion in 'Sager and Clevo' started by Mannie Bothans, Mar 27, 2008.

  1. Mannie Bothans

    Mannie Bothans Notebook Enthusiast

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    Can any of you help me out?

    I am thinking very hard about buying a Sager NP9262, but I have never had a laptop before.

    I just want to make sure that a) there's not a Tablet out there that can do what I want it to do, b) that I configure the machine when I buy it the way I will need to to be able to set up the necessary RAID config, and c) that the machine I picked out in January is still the best machine that i can get in April. It has taken me this long to save up for the 9262.


    BIG QUESTION NUMBER ONE:

    Is the Sager NP9262 still the most powerful option out there right now? I don’t want heat or stability problems.

    In January, I decided the best I afford was going to be:

    17”WUXGA(1920x1200)
    only one -- nVIDA GeForce 8800M GTXw/512MB
    Q6600 2.4Ghz w/8L2 1066FSB
    4GB DDR2/800 Dual Channel 2 SODIMMS
    2 -- 160 GB SATAII 3GB/s 7200 8MB Cache
    RAID 0 ?
    8x8x6x4x DVD +/-R/RW 5xDVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW (no BlueRay)
    Vista Business 64
    MS Office SBE
    $3297.03 from https://www.powernotebooks.com/ (although XOTIC has a preety good rating at http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Xotic_PC too)

    I have finally saved up enough to make the plunge.
    Is this still the best machine I can get (given my price and performance preferences)?

    I mean, this machine was being recommended back in June of ’07. That's an eternity ago in computer years...
    Before I found the 9262, I did a lot of looking at Tablet PCs like the Toshiba M700, the HP TX2000, the Gateway C-140X, the Fujitsu T4220, the Lenovo X61, and even some toughbook tablet options -- because I have a 5 yr old at home and I think it would be really cool for him to be able to use a tablet PC to practice his writing skills. However, when I look at the graphics processors in some other machines, I just can’t help but think I would get more bang for my buck if I went with a gaming machine instead of a Tablet, but I could still be persuaded to go with a Tablet PC if anyone knows of a powerful Tablet PC on the horizon that would be robust in the face of video editing. http://www.xtremenotebooks.com/inde...&model_id=1346&include_type=16_inch&category= has a 22" tablet that can house the nVIDIA GeFORCE Go 7600 PCI-E with 256MB DDR 3 VideoRAM and Intel® E6750 (2.66 GHz) Core™ 2 Duo CPU - 4MB L2 Cache 1066MHz FSB and 4096MB 667MHz Premium Micron DDR2 (2x2048MB).


    BIG QUESTION NUMBER TWO:

    Does this XN1 have a Wacom active digitizer, or are folks calling this a "Tablet" just because there's no keyboard?



    My home desktop (that I currently use for video editing) does not have a RAID configuration and all of this is totally new to me. I have read that RAIDs are great for video editing, but I need to learn more about how to configure dedicated RAID arrays. I don't know how to setup a dedicated RAID 0 stripe for video & media files. I want better capacity with the fastest possible sustained throughput for editing, but I have read that it is not a good idea to set up a computer with a single RAID 0 array as your boot drive and video storage. This will allegedly give poor performance for video editing because the constant reading and writing of small bits of data to the boot drive works against the need to read & write large continuous video files-- add in the overhead of the RAID controller and you get potential bottlenecks. Is there some really nice URL online that might explain how to set up a dedicated array? I wouldn't want to lose data and would want speed and redundancy.


    BIG QUESTION NUMBER THREE:

    If for video editing you always want to have a dedicated RAID array for your video files, how do I do that and what do I need to buy up front (e.g. eSata, two internal drives, three internal drives)?


    I want to future-proof my video-editing for the next four years or so, without a bunch of upgrades along the way.

    So, to recap...

    1) Is the Sager NP9262 still my best bet, or will something better be on the market by the end of this month?

    2) Does anyone know of a new Tablet PC that is on the horizon that will be able to do what I need to do?

    3) If for video editing you always want to have a dedicated RAID array for your video files, how do I do that and what do I need to buy up front (i.e. eSata, two internal drives, three internal drives)?


    I would prefer to keep the price at or below the $2000.00 mark, but could go up to $3300 by the time I pay for the OS and Office software. Anybody know where to buy a cheap Vista Ultimate OS?

    I’d really like a Desktop Replacement 17" to 20" screen so I can enjoy movies from a bit further back. I don’t care as much about battery life or portability, but I do care about performance, so if supporting a large screen would reduce performance, I would be happier with a more modest 15" - 16" screen.

    I live in the United States, and I do not want to support companies that have the worst human rights records or worst environmental problems. I prefer to stay away from brands that are known to have poor reliability and poor customer support.

    I will mainly use the notebook for video editing. I will also want to use it for movie watching, DVD-burning, web surfing, word processing, e-mail, and a bit of gaming.

    I will rarely ever leave my home with it, but I will be taking it to three different levels in my house. I will always be near an outlet, but I don’t want to haul a docking station around or buy three stations for all three floors (I might as well buy three desktops if I am going to do that). I’d like an all-in-one, powerful, (but slightly portable) desktop.

    I don’t want to skimp on CPU, RAM, or video processors since I want Vista, video editing, and even some gaming. Since I’ll be running the games using Vista as the OS, I’ll need the most robust system I can get to give me high frame rate and prevent hanging up or crashing, but I am not a huge gamer. My main objective is to get a system with the capacity to make video editing a breeze. I might want a few games in the future that need DX10 and SLI. I don’t want heat or stability problems, either. When I play games, I do like to turn on all the bells and whistles and enjoy the graphics and extra visuals, even when it reduces framerate a bit. I’d like to crank all settings (shadows, shading, etc.) way up and have games like Spore and Champions Online run super smoothly.

    I don't need many minutes of battery life; this is really not a priority for me. I’d prefer a more powerful machine with other perks, rather than a skimpy thing that conserves battery life.

    I don't mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person; I can adapt to any kind of keyboard and get used to any type of screen.

    I'm more inclined to want widescreen, but would be fine with WSXGA+ or UXGA, if WUXGA would substantially reduce the performance and inflate the price too much. I do enjoy more screen real estate, but I don’t care about watching hi-def movies in the best resolution on a laptop.

    The notebook's looks and stylishness are not important to me at all.

    I want it to last forever (well, at least four years), and I would like plenty of space to store video for editing. I would also like to learn about the advantages of doing three drives in raid 5 vs raid 0, etc. This is all very new to me.

    I want a DVD burner built in, but it does not need to be Blu-Ray or HD. It would be nice if it had an SD card reader built in (that also accepted mini and micro), but no big deal if it doesn’t.

    Is a 9262 what I want?

    Is there a better config for the money than going with
    1 nVIDA GeForce 8800M GTXw/512MB
    the Q6600 (2.4Ghz w/8L2 1066FSB)
    4GB DDR2/800 Dual Channel 2 SODIMMS
    160 GB SATAII 3GB/s 7200 8MB Cache
    160 GB SATAII 3GB/s 7200 8MB Cache
    In what RAID will I want the thing to have a dedicated RAID array for video?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 8, 2015
  2. SkeeteRX8

    SkeeteRX8 Notebook Deity

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    Don't double post......

    For a 17", either that or the NP5793 would be best, and for a 20", you should look at the HP HDX....

    RAID isn't going to give that much of a performance boost in editing, its noticeable, but not huge.

    Also, there will never be a tablet pc with a full-HD screen, high-end dedicated graphics, and RAID capability.

    Good luck!
     
  3. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    The 9262 is still the best system around, although the Dell is close enough that the preference of one over the other comes down to how much money leds and bling-bling is worth to you.

    The 9262 does not have heat problems; it blows distinctly warm air out the back vents (see the comprehensive review by Chaz), but from all the owners who've posted here, it does not overheat (or even get very hot).

    There is simply no comparison between the 9262 and a tablet - you might as well compare the Moon and the Sun in terms of which shines best. If you want a tablet on the computer so that your 5 y.o. can practice handwriting (not a bad idea, actually ;) ), you could instead get a separate tablet that plugs into the 9262 and use that. For example, Tigerdirect has this USB drawing tablet for $99:
    [​IMG]

    All-in-all, the 9262 seems to be the way to go. To me, your config seems like a decent one (although you might want to consider dual 8800Ms in Sli - although you can upgrade to that later on). You might also want to consider some of the really large 5400rpm HDDs that are just coming on the market; my understanding is that, because they contain a greater number of individual disk platters, the real-world performance of those 5400s is pretty close to the older 7200s that have fewer disk platters.
     
  4. Mannie Bothans

    Mannie Bothans Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'd settle for a Tablet PC with good dedicated graphics.

    Thanks for pointing me to the HDX. I'd never looked at that. Very home-friendly.

    Now I need some sager fans to talk me out of the
    $3,334.99 HP HDX

    • • Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit)
    • • Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T9500 (2.60 GHz, 6 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
    • • 20.1" diagonal WUXGA High-Definition HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen (1920x1200)-"True HD" 1080p res
    • • 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
    • • 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS
    • • HP Imprint Finish (Dragon) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone
    • • Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM)
    • • 240GB 7200RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (120GB x 2)
    • • LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
    • • Integrated HP HDTV Hybrid TV Tuner and 4 Altec Lansing speakers +the HP Triple Bass Reflex subwoofer
    • • 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
    • • Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
    • • Power Pack software - muvee autoProducer Premium, Cyberlink DVD Suite Premium and Serif Web Plus
     
  5. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Ok.
    1. Price: More expensive for what you get - your 9262 config should price out at almost the same price (maybe a little less, even), but with much[/] better components;
      [*]Video-Editing: Quad-core processor - if you're going to be doing video-editing, you want quad-core, not the dual-core in the HDX; while most games don't take advantage of 4 cores (or even 2 in some cases), video-editing software has been developed to take advantage of multiple cores, in some cases many more than 4;
      [*]Graphics Card: The HDX only has a single 8800M GTS and that GPU is not upgradeable, or even really replaceable. On the other hand, the 9262 comes standard with a single 8800M GTX, which is a better GPU than the GTS (basically, the GTS is a partially gelded GTX), can be upgraded by you (if you have basic technical skills) to dual 8800M GTX in SLi, and can be configured with one of the NVidia Quadro FX cards if that's what you'd prefer instead - the HDX cannot ever be upgraded to dual GPUs in SLi, and cannot be configured (to my knowledge) with a Quadro FX card; and
      [*]Human Rights/Environment/Customer Service: I don't know the extent to which _HP has issues with the first two items, although given that they're a giant international conglomerate, they probably have issues similar to those for any large corporation, such as _Dell, _Sony, _Microsoft, etc. Clevo is a much smaller manufacturer that operates in Taiwan, so they probably have fewer human rights issues, and they're a local foreign business as opposed to a foreign business that is captive to a US business, so Clevo fits more in the model of think global, act local. On environmental matters, Clevo is probably about the same as HP (particularly since Clevo is an ODM, meaning that they are one of the companies that produce most of the computers that end up being rebranded as _HPs, _Dells, _Sonys, etc...). However, on customer service, you will almost certainly get better customer service from a Clevo/Sager reseller than you ever will from _HP. For example, the owners of two of the better-known Sager resellers, Xoticpc.com and Powernotebooks, frequently post on this forum (look for posts by [email protected] and paladin44), they post very useful information, including keeping us up-to-date on release dates and events, and they do not do any advertising, marketing, or product-pushing here. Also, if you search on those resellers, you'll see many posts regarding their very-helpful customer service, their willingness to work with the customer to get it right, and even their willingness to take customer complaints with, e.g., drivers, back to Sager and help in pushing Sager to develop a new driver that responds to customers' complaints (see the threads regarding firmware updates for the 5793).


    If that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will.:D
     
  6. Mannie Bothans

    Mannie Bothans Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks for taking so much time on a total Noob.

    Okay, any tweaks then to get more bang for the buck out of:
    17”WUXGA(1920x1200)
    only one -- nVIDA GeForce 8800M GTXw/512MB
    Q6600 2.4Ghz w/8L2 1066FSB
    4GB DDR2/800 Dual Channel 2 SODIMMS
    2 -- 160 GB SATAII 3GB/s 7200 8MB Cache
    RAID 0 ?
    8x8x6x4x DVD +/-R/RW 5xDVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW (no BlueRay)
    Vista Business
    MS Office SBE
    $3297.03 from powernotebooks.com

    And How will the Sager 9262 stack up against the potential of the Clevo M570TU.
     
  7. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    The 9262 will destroy the M570TU , since it has a desktop quad core and SLI capability, 800MHZ RAM, 3 hdd...
    9262 and don`t look back!
     
  8. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    You're welcome - we're both in the same boat, although I don't quite have enough mad-money saved up yet. :( The 9262 will out-perform the M570TU, largely because that system is still basically a 5793 notwithstanding the new Montevina chipset).
     
  9. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    Anybody wanna buy my 5791? I want a 9262 more and more :D
     
  10. Mannie Bothans

    Mannie Bothans Notebook Enthusiast

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    No one has had any heat/fan control issues with the 9262?
     
  11. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    None whatsoever.
    Neither did the people with the 579x . These systems are awesome, run cool and pack monstruos power inside.
    All that and a [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  12. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    No one who's posted here, as far as I know. :)
     
  13. Mannie Bothans

    Mannie Bothans Notebook Enthusiast

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    Okay, I can't believe I have actually done this. Nobody say anything bad about the Sager 9262 or the configuration choices I chose / could afford, (cause it's now a done deal). Actually, if you're going to tell me something really bad about the 9262, maybe now's the time to do it, I can send it back and only lose my shipping!

    $2,927.95 including overnight shipping for:

    SAGER NP9262

    - 17" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
    - Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
    - Standard Dead Pixel Policy
    - ~Intel Core 2 QUAD Q6600 2.4GHz w/ 8MB L2 Cache - 1066MHz FSB
    - 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 8800GTX DX10 (User Upgradeable)
    - ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
    - Standard Finish
    - ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
    - ~ 160GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 8MB Cache)
    - Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
    - Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
    - Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n
    - Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
    - Built-In Multi Region TV Tuner w/ Remote (Standard Remote)
    - Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
    - Basic Black Business Case - Included
    - Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)
    - Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter - Included
    - ~Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
    - 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Tech Support (Extra 2 Year Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

    Yikes, I still can't believe I made the plunge. Thanks so much to everyone here who taught me so much.
     
  14. Donald@Paladin44

    Donald@Paladin44 Retired

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  15. Bo@LynboTech

    Bo@LynboTech Company Representative

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    hmmm something bad about the 9262, nah can't its basically a desktop system in a notebook chassis
    I would have got it if I had the extra wedge :)

    plus it will build muscles ........... you wont see any macbook air's on musclebeach :)
     
  16. Mannie Bothans

    Mannie Bothans Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yep, I probably need to start investigating cooling pad options that are large enough to fit this monster.
     
  17. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Something bad? It's heavy - at least that's what everyone who owns one has said. :D

    BTW: Congratulations on the purchase!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 8, 2015
  18. Mannie Bothans

    Mannie Bothans Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks. I don't mind the weight or the battery life issues, I'll trade that for power.

    BTW, does anyone know if this will fit on a Zalman ZM-NC2000, or if I even need one? I will be having surgery in the middle of April and I would like to be able to work from the bed. I have a little tray that it would fit on, so it would be kinda like working from a regular desk so the vents wouldn't be blocked, but I'd still invest in a cooler if advisable.
     
  19. eleron911

    eleron911 HighSpeedFreak

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    A cooler is a safe and cautious method.Get it.
    The NC2000 is among the best ones.
     
  20. Deodot

    Deodot Notebook Consultant

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    The only problem you'll have with it is Vista problems. :/ I have a dual boot now. On XP it runs so nice. Never any problem whatsoever. On the Vista partition it hangs twice a day. That driver don't go with that one, and so one... But I will prevail! I'll make this Vista thing work :)
     
  21. Justin@XoticPC

    Justin@XoticPC Company Representative

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    It will fit perfectly on the NC2000. It is not necessarily needed but does provide some added air flow and will help it run a little cooler. :)
     
  22. Mannie Bothans

    Mannie Bothans Notebook Enthusiast

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    My machine finally arrived last night. (For the first two attemts the UPS delivery driver did not ring the doorbell because we'd just painted our front porch.) At any rate, I did not have a chance to even boot it up last night. Life is crazy every night this week, but I will be recovering from surgery for about three days (beginning Friday) so I'm looking forward to putting this machine through its paces while I am confined to bed.

    Thanks to everyone for all their help!

    I am not a gamer at all, but I want to get something just to see what this machine can do. Any suggestions? It has to be non-violent. I want massive eye-candy. An adventure game. I have heard people talk about Myst, Amerzone, Syberia, Sinking Island, Paradise, etc. but what would have an awesome storyline and stellar graphics?

    Would anyone recommend Sherlock Holmes versus Arsène Lupin? Is Overclocked out yet? How is Penumbra: Black Plague? Does anyone like the Experiment? Do I need to play the previous Sam And Max games before jumping in at 204? Were the Nikopol books very violent? What should I explore while I am confined to the bed? What is a good adventure game for a beginner?

    Wow, Deodot! What a beast you own! That has to be about the most powerful notebook that is commercially available.
     
  23. wobble

    wobble Notebook Evangelist

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    I'm not aware of any adventure games that have great eye-candy, but Syberia and Myst aren't bad. If you can overcome your aversion to violence, a couple of RPG's to consider are 'The Witcher" and "Oblivion". Crysis is a good looking FPS game.