[Review] Sager NP8157 / Clevo P650HS-G Review by HTWingNut

Personally I'd just save my money and grab a 120Hz 22" monitor to game on, using the 60Hz one with better colors for watching movies on the go and whatnot.

 

If I plan to game only on my laptop, is there a big difference between 120Hz and 60Hz?

 

The way it feels, responsiveness. If you are playing fast paced games like CS:GO or Rainbow 6 Siege, it will be worlds different.


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Ordering mine from HID this upcoming week, as soon as Donald sends me my quote. Phoenix, you sold me on the company.


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Yes, gaming is the main reason to go for the 120hz screen.

 

Would also love your ICC profile if you wouldn't mind posting it. Thanks!

 

Donald will square you away. He is swamped most of the time but he will respond to you within acceptable times. HID is the way to go with Clevos'.

 

It might not work (get the settings right) with your panel even if it's the same model as offsets change panel to panel.

 

one thing I didn't check, to what angle can the lid open to, 180? tried to find that in other reviews, couldn't find it.

edit one more question this one for op was "stock" with ic diamond (as most resellers offer that)

 

@Meaker@Sager Can you please clarify once and for all what happens when we purchase these laptops with the following configuration:

M.2 Slot 1: samsung 960 Pro 4x pcie nvme (1TB)
M.2 Slot 2": 1tb standard m.2 SATA stick

1.Is this a supported configuration? (XOTIC and GentechPC are offering)
2.If configured this way, what happens to the speed of 960 Pro? does it slow down?
3. Or.. Is it true that if you use 960 Pro 4x pcie in slot one, then m.2 slot 2 becomes useless. If so, why is XOTIC and GentechPC offering this? I am unable to find anything definitive neither in SAGER site, or anywhere else.

Even on this review, it is implied that slot 2 is useless once 960 Pro sits in Slot 1. Which is contradictory to what the vendors are offering.

Thank you.

 

Just to clairfy, I am NOT interested in the fact that you can have 2 m.2 sata sticks. That isn't the questions. I am only interested in knowing what happens in the scenario layed out above. slot 1: Samsung 960 Pro. Slot 2, m2 sata stick of any brand.

Thank you

 

Really liking this machine, and thank you @HTWingNut for this review. It really helped my decision.

I'm on the default 60 Hz IPS. It's generally good, but I'm experiencing a screen door effect on mid-blues and a few other colors. The picture linked below actually looks normal on my screen until I zoom out a bit—then the screen door effect I'm seeing in normal usage appears in the picture. Has anyone else experienced this effect on the default panel?

http://imgur.com/a/SrP5Q

 

You already got the answer from me and mysn in the HS Thread.... Here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/index.php?posts/10468251

and here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/index.php?posts/10468347

 

thank you - I must admit I was a bit confused about this as well, thanks for clearing it up.
So my understanding is, to make sure I've finally got it right you can have option a or b:

a) 1 or 2 x sata m2's and any number of sata 2.5's
b) 1 x pcie m2 and any number of sata 2.5's ( the sata m2 slot is disabled when you do this).

If I got that wrong please correct me.
Thanks again.

 

Yes thats 100% correct

 

The M.2 SATA stick would not show.

1x PCI-E M2 + 2x 2.5" SATA (btw you can get 2.5" to SATA M.2 converters and run it that way)

OR

(1-2)x SATA M.2 + 2x 2.5" SATA

 

This is incorrect, or I am not understanding what you are saying correctly:

On a hunch, I went ahead and purchased Evo 960 Pro (512GB), and Evo 850 M.2 Sata stick (1TB). And used my previous 2.5inch SSDs.

Here is my current configuration:
-Slot 1 / PCIe x4 : 512GB Samsung EVO 960 Pro NVMe
-Slot 2 / SATA stick 1TB (Samsung 850 EVO - 1TB - M.2 SATA SSD stick

-2.5 inch SATA slot 1: Samsung EVO 840 1TB 2.5 inch SSD drive
-2.5 inch SATA slot 2: Samsung EVO 840 1TB 2.5 inch SSD drive

combined total: 3.5TB. l working, and all drives showing.

When you put in a PCIe x 4 Samsung 960 Pro slot one, m.2 slot 2 does NOT deactivate. I am confirming that all drives show up fine and the channels are independent.

So, either we are talking about a different laptop / mobo chipset, or we have a misunderstanding regarding independent M.2 channels.

 

Here is my current config

 

That's a beautiful pic!!!

 

Well, I haven't been here in a while. Good to be back in NBR. Also good to see @HTWingNut (Or Mr. Wingnut) is still alive and kicking. In case you're wondering who the hell this guy is and why I seem to know you, I'm Forge from like... 3 years ago. Damn it's been a hot minute since I've been here on NBR.

Aaaanyway, I finally jumped on the Sager train and have had this machine for about a week.

The material up near the speakers looks metallic, but definitely isn't metal. I had the misfortune of receiving my machine broken.

As you can see, big crack near the power button. Definitely plastic.

(And to those wondering, the repair process thanks to Ken at Gentech and Alan at Sager was painless. Yes, I was disappointed that my machine came to me cracked, but at least the whole fix was completed within a week)

According to the Sager rep I was speaking with, "the slot is for 3G/LTE modem. Sager did not carry the option."

And just to confirm what MSI_Lover said, having two M.2 SSDs installed doesn't do anything to them.

I have an NVME OCZ RD400 256GB installed in one m.2 slot (the main one?) and some SATAIII 128GB Samsung whose model escapes me PM851.

The OCZ gave me

Code:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1 Shizuku Edition x64 (C) 2007-2017 hiyohiyo
                           Crystal Dew World : http://crystalmark.info/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
* MB/s = 1,000,000 bytes/s [SATA/600 = 600,000,000 bytes/s]
* KB = 1000 bytes, KiB = 1024 bytes

   Sequential Read (Q= 32,T= 1) :  2468.865 MB/s
  Sequential Write (Q= 32,T= 1) :  1067.644 MB/s
  Random Read 4KiB (Q= 32,T= 1) :   736.451 MB/s [179797.6 IOPS]
 Random Write 4KiB (Q= 32,T= 1) :   544.738 MB/s [132992.7 IOPS]
         Sequential Read (T= 1) :  1347.767 MB/s
        Sequential Write (T= 1) :   966.960 MB/s
   Random Read 4KiB (Q= 1,T= 1) :    42.897 MB/s [ 10472.9 IOPS]
  Random Write 4KiB (Q= 1,T= 1) :   163.182 MB/s [ 39839.4 IOPS]

  Test : 1024 MiB [C: 86.0% (204.5/237.8 GiB)] (x5)  [Interval=5 sec]
  Date : 2017/03/02 20:22:34
    OS : Windows 10  [10.0 Build 14393] (x64)
  

While the SATAIII Samsung gave

Code:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1 Shizuku Edition x64 (C) 2007-2017 hiyohiyo
                           Crystal Dew World : http://crystalmark.info/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
* MB/s = 1,000,000 bytes/s [SATA/600 = 600,000,000 bytes/s]
* KB = 1000 bytes, KiB = 1024 bytes

   Sequential Read (Q= 32,T= 1) :   527.863 MB/s
  Sequential Write (Q= 32,T= 1) :   141.186 MB/s
  Random Read 4KiB (Q= 32,T= 1) :   283.770 MB/s [ 69279.8 IOPS]
 Random Write 4KiB (Q= 32,T= 1) :   139.746 MB/s [ 34117.7 IOPS]
         Sequential Read (T= 1) :   501.217 MB/s
        Sequential Write (T= 1) :   140.927 MB/s
   Random Read 4KiB (Q= 1,T= 1) :    23.358 MB/s [  5702.6 IOPS]
  Random Write 4KiB (Q= 1,T= 1) :   114.446 MB/s [ 27940.9 IOPS]

  Test : 1024 MiB [D: 0.1% (0.1/110.5 GiB)] (x5)  [Interval=5 sec]
  Date : 2017/03/02 20:28:44
    OS : Windows 10  [10.0 Build 14393] (x64)

I'm no expert but they seem to be working a-ok together, along with the 2.5'' 1TB spinner. (Which I didn't benchmark, because who would benchmark a snail.)

All in all, I'm liking this machine so far, and thanks again to Mr. Wingnut for helping me make the leap to Sager.

 

Do you notice much light bleed with this screen?
I was looking at getting this same laptop except with the 1080P 60Hz IPS screen.
Thanks.

 

I have the stock 60hz 1080p screen, and I do notice some slight bleeding along the top (left side) and a little near the top of the right side. I personally don't notice it much, even on a black screen, but your mileage will vary if you pay attention to those kinds of things

 

Light bleed and glow seems to vary laptop to laptop irrespective of the brand/model. So it's all luck for an IPS laptop. Mine has low bleed around edges and slightly higher glow at the corners probably due to pinching of screen by the frame.

None of it affects when the screen is bright. I notice only when the whole screen becomes pitch black.

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My current 2013 model Sony Vaio S15 came with a 15.5 inch 1080p IPS screen, it has great colours and I never once noticed any light bleed on it. Because of this I cannot stand seeing the slightest amount of light bleed.

I have been reading about a light bleed being common on the 1080p 60Hz IPS screen.

Would there be any difference if I went with the 4K Samsung or 4K Sharp (Eurocomm has it I think on their Clevo 650 minus G-SYNC) IPS panel with this laptop? I'm not a big fan of the 120Hz screen as its a TN not IPS, I have been spoiled with the vibrant IPS colours.

Thanks.

 

I own one with the Samsung 2160P 60Hz PLS G-Sync Display. There is some light bleed at some of the edges and corners. Many have reported that adjusting the screws on the frame should greatly decrease the light bleed which seems to be the case from what I've seen. I haven't gotten around to actually loosening the screws yet on my laptop.

 

Thanks for the info, I was looking at getting a EUROCOM Sky MX5 R2 with the 15.6-inch (39.6cm); 4K UltraHD 3840x2160;60Hz; Glossy; IPS; 1000:1; NTSC 72%; sRGB 100%; eDP; SHARP IGZO LQ156D1JX01B.

I believe this is the same one used in the Dell XPS 15, from what I seen based off the Dells it seems to be a solid high quality screen. I don't really care much for the 4k but it seems now there aren't as many good 1080p IPS screens to use. Other users have stated this screen does have excellent vibrant colours and viewing angles. I am still trying to find more info on this panel before pulling the trigger.

 

Is the gpu factory overclocked compared to 650RS? I see that 3D performance is around 10% higher give or take. The very modest speedincrease due to Kaby lake shouldnt make thatuch difference.

 

Drivers have changed since launch, the clocks are set the same however.

 

Planning on getting this soon. Is there any benefit for getting 7820hk vs the 7700hq if im just probably just going to be gaming? Also would 8gb ram be enough?

 

I have this (7700HQ) and I do not have any problems gaming with it. Buttery smooth. I myself would go with at least 16gig of ram though. Some may say go with the 7820 for overclocking later on. Unless you have really good cooling I wouldn't overclock in this chassis.


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Ok thanks.

How hot does it usually get, would i need a cooler in general?

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How do you guys feel about this machine? I really wanted to get a Tornado F5 for the replaceable desktop parts inside and the Thunderbolt 3 port on it however I think it will be just a little too big and heavy for what I will be doing with it and carrying it around with me everywhere plus a bit more expensive. I am considering this laptop now instead but torn on if I should give up a TB3 port going forward as I feel it will have a lot of use especially if I plan on keeping the laptop for a while. Is the 7820k worth getting if I don't necessarily plan on overclocking if the cooling is not good enough (is there any other benefits or performance increases over the 7700HQ aside from OC? Undervolting?). I know it's been asked but is the cooling fairly good and reliable in this machine or will you have to baby it and really keep an eye on everything and tweak things to make it run at reasonable temps while gaming all the time?

 

My experience with this laptop overall has been pretty good. I did have some heat problems at the beginning but phoenix and others on this forum helped me. I had to repaste, I used grizzly kroynaut and using throttlestop .....hit out to unclewebb .... I was able to get the temps where I like them. Before during gaming straight out of the box with standard thermal paste I was hitting in the 90c range while gaming. Now after re paste and under volting by -140mV I generally stay under 80c while gaming. Before I would go out and buy a cooler I would try and prop the back up a bit to get more airflow to the fans and see how that helps.


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Ok thanks for the info.

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Hi. It will be first time to buy a sager laptop. Planning to get the 8157 model with 120hz. How is the build quality of this laptop? On the fence on this one vs the new Razer blade 14. Slimmer and reputable brand.

Will the build of the laptop last 5 years? Planning to take it out for mild traveling.

Planning to use this laptop for all around. Work, gaming, watching tv series, downloading etc. Gonna move to a condo unit so looking for something compact compared to a desktop.

I wouldn't consider myself a heavy game user. I play FF13 and other rpgs in steam. Most graphic intensive will probably be nba2k17 unless I see a game that I like next time.

By the way willit be alright to reformat it into a windows 10 pro that is not original?

Really appreciate if someone can help me decide. Thanks! btw only sager is available in my country no HIID so no prema bios

 

Well i change the TIM today to IC7 with -130mv an max temp with ghost reacon wildlands was 75c on core and 70 on gpu

So the normal TIM sucks !!!!

Enviado desde mi SM-G930F mediante Tapatalk

 

Forgot to mention that the temps with the stock tim where with fan in fullspeed and the ones with IC7 is with auto speed

Enviado desde mi SM-G930F mediante Tapatalk

 

What country is that? Pretty rare (though HID actually ships globally).

Anyway, lol Razer is awful. They are reputable in that we've heard of them, but there performance, quality control, and support is literally the worst in the business. Like comically awful.
The P650HS build quality is very sturdy except for the lid which has some flex. The rest is pretty rock solid.

Stock Clevo paste sucks. Liquid ultra dropped my cpu to the upper 60s lol.

 

The 7700HQ will keep the GPU fed no matter which you go with The desktop parts are nice but you wont be able to upgrade past the 7xxx series and there is no such thing as a standard MXM design any more.

 

Yes as much as I would like it, I don't think I NEED that kind of power right now and will not get full use out of it, the size and weight of the P650 is a lot more practical for my needs right now so I think I am going to go with that and get the 7820HK incase I need any extra power going forward it's there as an option and hopefully temps are manageable. I figure they can't be any/much worse than the temps I was getting in my small Razer I am replacing so as long as it's around there or lower I would consider it a win. Only thing that really bums me out is the fact that the P650 or any 15" Clevos do not have a TB port unless you go up to the full desktop replacement with socketable parts. I want to buy this machine to last me years in the future and not have to be replaced and it's missing a new port that a lot of other laptops are coming with now that would really futureproof this device in terms of accessory options. I feel like this is still my best option to go with right now and kind of need a laptop so will probably be making a final decision in the next week or so, but it's a little disappointing it's missing that port.

 

You have displayport and USB 3.1 which are the main devices that thunderbolt emulates.

 

Mind sharing if your cpu is the 7700hq or 7820hk?

 

It's in my signature. I have an RS with a 6820hk. I prefer it, it runs cooler.

 

I think I have the same model as you (7700HQ and GTX 1070 - different reseller though (Eurocom). I've been trying to use Throttlestop with CPU Core and CPU Cache values at -130.9 and -125 with -100.6 or -80.1 on intel gpu. None of those values work for me as I'm getting freezing while playing a few mins into BF1. I must be doing something wrong. Which values are you using for CPU Core, CPU Cache and Intel GPU?

 

I thought the core and cache values should have the same amount of offset. Also does iGPU need to be undervolted?

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I believe they should be the same. That is what I'm hearing from most sources. In terms of the igpu, that is what is instructed from the ultra book review article which seems to be the most recent online.

The author though does state that igpu tolerances are lower so you need to be conservative when setting your numbers. I've tried including the igpu undervolts and have had my system freeze twice while playing bf1.

Wondering if undervolting works just as well on battery vs being plugged in. Also what are the parameters when using a hybrid vs. Discrete profile?

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I am from the Philippines. Only Sager is present here. I'm planning to to get the stock display. is 4k really worth?

Thank you so much for the reply. I think I have made my mind to order. Never owned a high end laptop before so I was skeptical about the build quality of sager.

Has any of you encountered backlight bleed? is it noticeable? Been hearing it a lot on this model. Thanks!

Btw what do you mean flex on the lid?

 

For gaming stick with the 1080p or 120hz 1080p

 

The 1080p 60Hz model tends to have a lot of backlight bleed it seems. AFAIK it's less of an issue on the other displays.

 

you mean helixph? kapwa pinoy also here get the 120hz panel! gaming=120hz panel