X7200/NP7280/NP7282 Questions

Hey guys, so I was looking at the P170HM and then I saw my friend's old dual card sager laptop, which got me to start thinking about the X7200. But some of the things I saw on the X7200 seemed weird to me. I couldn't find any current reviews for the X7200, so here I am, asking for your help.


1. The base processor for the X7200 is the i7 960 desktop processor. From what I saw on the passmark benchmarks, it is BARELY better than the 2630qm on the P170HM. Are there any major benefits that I am missing? It seems like a waste to have a desktop processor that is barely better than the mobile counterpart and I assume the desktop processor generates more heat as well.

2. The X7200 only offers 1066MHz memory unless u buy the 990X processor. Is this because the other processors are just old and don't supporth 1300MHz? Also, why does it only support 6 and 12 gigs of RAM and not 2,4,8,16 as well?

3. Choosing the dual card option, it says that you can opt out of getting the spare AC adapter and power converter box. Are those things really necessary? I will probably be attempting to max out crysis and other high end games, but on the sager site, it said that it would occur if you were trying to run 2 stress tests at the same time. I have no idea how power intensive that would be compared to playing crysis.

4. How is the cooling on this? the NBR review of the X7200 with dual 480m seems to show that it runs pretty cool, but the fans also apparently sound like a jet turbine. Is the sound really that bad? I would rather not have my own personal jet engine simulator.

5. Lastly, I get the feeling that if I got the X7200 I am essentially paying another 1000 dollars for an extra card and the heat dissipation to maintain that. How close am I on that assumption? The cpu does not seem to be a huge improvement, and from what I heard, the 2630qm is more than sufficient for all games, so there is no reason to go much farther beyond that if all I want is a gaming rig. Also the slower and lower amount of RAM seems to be a downside as well. I understand that top of the line performance laptops are not at all cost effective, but some of the things on the X7200 just don't really seem like an improvement on the P170HM.



Thanks for your help guys, this whole notebook buying business is far more agonizing and complicated than I initially thought.

 

Can't really help you with the questions because I never really researched the X7200 because it was too big for my tastes, but someone wrote this up a few days ago. http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...-amateur-review-sales-experience-malibal.html definitely worth a look.

EDIT: ya I was about to say maybe look at the P170HM if you just want a 17in screen and second HD slot, but MALIBAL ninja'd me

 

Unless you plan on taking advantage of the 2nd GPU and/or 3rd HDD on the X7200, the P170HM might be a better choice for you.

 

If I get the X7200 I would definitely get a second GPU, I am just trying to figure out if there are other advantages to the X7200 besides the extra GPU as the X7200 I was looking at would cost me an extra 1000 bucks.

 

The cooling on the x7200 is world class! It does not get any better than those 4 great fans under the 'hood'.
_

 

I just saw this thread, but to answer your questions specifically:


1. The reason for the processor discrepancy is that the x7200 hasn't been updated to the new desktop Sandy Bridge processors, while the other models are all running the newer sandy bridge mobile parts. It is true that even though the x7200 CPU's are last gen, they do also offer more CPU cache and the possibility of hex-core if you wanted it. They are more heat and power intensive though, as you surmised. If they were Sandy Bridge parts comparing to the mobile variants, you'd see a larger jump in performance between them- but when you have to compared between generations/architectures it quickly becomes apples to oranges.

2. 1066mhz was standard for the time and you're chipset limited to certain speeds. The reason for the strange 6GB and 12GB RAM choices is that it's triple channel RAM versus dual (Intel had the first generation of i7's as triple channel supported, but have since mostly moved back to dual). This means that instead of two sticks of RAM per channel, you have 3. Hence the common 3x2GB or 3x4GB options.

3.The dual card power really depends on the card and the game. It was much more necessary to have the dual power bricks back when the 480m and 470m were more common. The 485m and newer have less need for them, but it's still possible to overload the single power supply. The only really necessary combo was with the 990x and SLI.

4. It is noisier than other models, as it has more fans than others to cool the hotter processor and potential dual cards. The CPU alone is nearly 3x the power consumption of the mobile parts and puts out quite a bit of heat. It's not incredibly loud, but it's noticeable.

5. This one was answered all over with P170HM recommendations

 

Alright thanks a bunch guys, the cooling system of the X7200 does look amazing, and from that video review of the X7200, I could not hear the fans at all, though that may just be the camera.

It would seem that the only real benefit from the X7200 is the dual GPU and 3rd hdd and for an extra thousands bucks, just does not seem worth it. I guess ill be sticking with the P170HM.

Now to go agonize between the 485m and 6990m and which reseller to buy it from.


Edit: wow thanks for the reply Malibal #2 that answered all of my questions.

 

Zero,

Looks like I might be a little too late to answer, but in regards to your questions regarding reviews... I had started this page here for just these questions - Clevo x7200 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Great piece of info. By any chance could you explain where the ram is located? I would like to upgrade, but embarassingly can't find it (i am a casual pc user).

Also what ram would you recommend?

 

The ram is under the keyboard, and then under the keyboard shield. Start by taking out the screws that are way deep in the bottom of the case (on the outside edge, you'll see where they are, on the fan output side) then take off the plastic bezel above the keyboard, then the keyboard, then the shield.. Its kinda a process but not too hard.

Basically any memory you put in it will work as long as it has all timings in it. We put our 1600MHz memory in ours, and they just nicely downclock to the right speed for the processor. You can always overclock it back up depending on the CPU later

 

Thanks for the reply!

Here's hoping I dont screw this up - great directions though, much appreciated.

 

thanks for the info, I had not thought of wikipedia as a source for laptop info.

Next time I buy a laptop I will remember.

 

NP. The model you look for may or may not be on Wiki. Start at the Clevo page, and see if someone decided to branch out from there.

The x7200 is so unique, and I spent a lot of research before my purchase, that I thought a wiki page was required.

@CATALAN - check out the service manual (see my sig for BIOS/drivers link - which also has the manuals) for additional info regarding the x7200's components.