*** Official Clevo P150EM / Sager NP9150 Owner's Lounge ***

Oh god, not you Meaker..

 

I held down space bar and typed that and got 100%. Maybe your keyboard is defective? It happens.

And I love Windows 8 here.

 

I ordered mine back on Novmber 24th (during the Thanksgiving Holiday), and the order was submitted with Sager the following Monday (which was the 26th). My system arrived at my house the following Monday (December 3rd), so that was 6 business days counting the day the order was placed with Sager from the reseller and the day the system was received.

 

The instructions I read were to hold down both SHIFT keys, and then type it. From what I've also read with both shift keys held down its not supposed to detect the spacebar on any notebook keyboard. Could you hold down both shift keys (instead of the spacebar), and see what your results are?

 

From what I've read almost all physical keyboards experience some form of ghosting (the name for when the key presses don't make an appearance). I strongly suspect the problem with jumping in Skyrim is more the game at fault than the keyboard. (it picks it up most the time, and in a quick test I did when the character is standing close to an object - rock, wall, bookcase, etc - it occurred. However when I moved away from the spot I was unable to jump in, and moved to a slightly more open area I didn't notice it in this one minute test). I think if the keyboard / and ghosting was the issue then I don't think it would ever detect the jump command (space bar) while moving forward (w). Skyrim also has a bug that when you press "E" to read a book, or pick up an object it will drag the object around, or knock it over instead. I was going to test jumping in Skyrim with an external keyboard attached, but my external keyboard has a ps2 connector, and I seem to have misplaced my ps2 -> usb connector, so there goes that plan...

 

So I just got these set of toys for my NP9150, after almost a month of using it I can say my biggest issue is the soundcard, everything else is amazing about this machine. Now this the holiday upgrades I got for it! Also can I fit a half pci-m wireless card on it, a little late to ask but I got the intel ultamite already...

 

Thanks for the Wind 8 responses.

Ordered mine on Monday 24th Dec.
Reflex Notebook called on Thurs 27th to confirm start my order

when i asked Marc when i can expect the laptop this was the response

"Current processing times are 5-10 working days to build and process your order plus shipping times.
Shipping times are 5-7 working days for ground shipping"

i live in, toronto, canada
reflexnotebook is located in, Pointe-Claire Quebec, Canada

with all the holidays i expect the laptop 3rd week of Jan.

 

You shouldn't have any problem getting that card to work. It's offered by pretty much any reseller of the Clevo products as an option during build.

 

I see. It would make sense to be the game's fault, even though I've never heard of it. I have an external keyboard, but I don't like the idea of being forced to use it. Aside from the registering problems, I'm also worried by the Windows key on the right of the spacebar. I know you guys are getting a revised layout with the key on the left, but my reseller still doesn't have it. I'm afraid with Windows 8 the key will become central, and having it on the right is not ideal.

 

I haven't used the Windows 8 key for much (mainly for Windows+E to launch Explorer, or Windows+R to launch Run). With the startbar gone the Windows key (by itself) now launches the start screen (which I don't have a need to open, and can be reached by dragging the mouse to the bottom left of the screen). The positive if you have the key on the right side of the space bar is you should be less likely to press it by accident (when gaming a lot of people accidentally press it when trying to press either the Ctrl or Alt keys). I believe somewhere in the tread someone put instructions on how to remove the keyboard, and swap keys. You could swap the Windows key and Fn key, and then re-map the two keys (which I think was also talked about in the post).

 

I'm currently running Win 8 on my work machine and I rarely have a need to use the Windows key. I use desktop mode primarily and so the only time I find I need to use that key is when I need to use an app that I'm forced to use in tile mode, like skype and messenger, then back to desktop mode. As Avid Gamer mentioned, you can access everything that the Win key combination does via the four corners on the screen. Takes a little getting used to, but at least you're not left completely in the cold.

 

Just pulled the trigger on a new (My First) Sager NP9150 from Xotic. Pretty excited, my first non-dell personally purchased laptop. Previously ran a XPS 1645 which was a pretty solid computer, but was looking for a speed bump.

Configured it as follows and ordered yesterday. Inevitably, the same machine this morning contains a 750gb drive for the same darn price shipped =/

Onto the specs!

1x Sager NP9150 / Clevo P150EM
- Display: 15.6" FHD 16:9 "Matte Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Anti-Glare Sager Screen w/ 95% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (SKU - S1X301)
- Dead Pixel Warranty: 60 Day No Dead Pixel Warranty (On any screen)
- Processor: Sager - 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3630QM (2.4GHz - 3.4GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache, 45W Max TDP) (SKU – S2R174)
- Thermal Compound: -Stock OEM Thermal Compound
- Graphics Video Card: nVidia GeForce GTX 675MX 4,096MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11 with Optimus™ Technology [User Upgradeable] (SKU – S5R521)
- Ram: 8GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (SKU - S4S423P)
- Branding: Remove All Branding
- Primary Hard Drive: 500GB 7200RPM [Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache] - Default (SKU - S5R207)
- Optical Drive Bay: Remove DVDRW Drive and Install Optical Bay Hard Drive Caddy Only (SKU - S7R951)
- Memory Card Reader: Internal 9-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo)
- Wireless Network: FREE - Sager - Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1202 + Bluetooth 4.0 (Dual Band) (SKU – S8T008)
- Camera: Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Battery: Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Warranty: LIFETIME Ltd Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Telephone Support (Labor through XPC)
Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Parts Warranty Repairs (SKU - X9R009)
- Build Time: Standard Production Time

$1,529.01

 

Hey Hunter, shoot me your order information and I'll get that fixed for you. You won't be able to send me a PM until you have 5 posts but if you click my name you'll be able to shoot me an email or hop into live chat and I'll be able to assist.

 

@Derek

Thanks for the Reply! I shot you an email - that's what I call service. =)

 

Taken care of! It's what we're here for.

 

Letme rephrase, I was wondering if it was a problem that it was a half pci card instead of full or do I need an adaptor?

 

You'll be perfectly fine with it. I'm not aware of these cards coming in multiple formats, should be the same all across the board.

 

All the latest Intel wifi cards were half height only as far as I was aware.

 

That's what I was fairly certain of as well.

 

I am trying to boot Ubuntu from a USB but I am not able to do so

In the BIOS, when I go in USB boot options it does not identify any drive I just get an empty bracket " [ ] "

I did put the USB in the 2.0 port

 

Have you tried hitting f7 as soon as system turns on?

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

Metabox P150EM - Clevo P150EM - 15.6 inch Gaming laptop notebook with 2GB graphics

Metabox P150EM laptop by Clevo

Metabox| P150EM|

A$3,085.00


1) Diamond Compound applied to processor and graphics

2) Windows 8 Pro 64-bit with DVD and drivers (A$179.00)

3) Nvidia GTX 680M 4GB GDDR5 video graphics (A$499.00)

4) 15.6" FHD 1920x1080 LED/LCD 95% Gamut Gloss (A$57.00)

5) i7-3740QM Quad Core CPU 2.7GHz up to 3.7GHz (A$199.00)

6) 240GB SSD Intel 520 series - 550/520MBs (A$259.00)

7) Blu-ray Reader/DVD burner combo drive (A$97.00)

8) Bigfoot Killer 1103N WiFi only (A$127.00)

9) 1st,2nd and 3rd year Onsit pickup and return (A$169.00)


Specifications

HD Web Cam, Mic, 2 x Onkyo speakers, subwoofer, THX TruStudio Pro, 3 x USB 3.0 (eSATA), 1 x USB 2.0, Firewire, Card reader, HDMI, DVI-I, Display port 1.1a, S/PDIF, Fingerprint reader, Colour backlit keyboard, Ethernet, AC Adaptor 180W, 8-cell battery.

Dimensions: D/H/W = 256/35 - 43/376 mm, Weight 3.1 kg

Purchase price: A$3,085.00

Shipping: A$0.00

GST 10% (inc): A$280.45

Total: A$3,085.00


https://www.logicalblueone.com.au/store/order.php

Horize P150EM Clevo Notebook
Intel Ivy Bridge Processor : Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3740QM 2.7-3.7Ghz Turbo, Graphics Card : nVidia Geforce GTX680M with 4GB GDDR5, IC Diamond Paste : IC Diamond 24 Carat on CPU+GPU, Memory : 16GB 1600Mhz RAM, mSATA Drive : None, Hard Disk 2 : Intel 240GB 520 Series SSD 550/520 Mbs Read/Write, Optical Drive or Conversion : Bluray Reader / DVD Burner Combo, Operating System : Windows 8 Professional 64bit [In Stock Now!], Wireless Card : Bigfoot Killer N 1103 Wireless Card (No Bluetooth), LCD Display : 95% Gamut 1920x1080 Premium Glossy Display, Warranty : 3 Year Pickup + Return Warranty + 90 Day 100% Pixel Guarantee , External Optical Drive : No External Optical Drive, Power Supply : 180 Watt Genuine Power Supply, Battery : 8 Cell Battery,

Total products (inc GST): $3,221.00

Total (inc GST): $3,221.00

1xHorize P150EM... $3,221.00

Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3740QM 2.7-3.7Ghz Turbo, nVidia Geforce GTX680M with 4GB GDDR5, IC Diamond 24 Carat on CPU+GPU, 16GB 1600Mhz RAM, None, Intel 240GB 520 Series SSD 550/520 Mbs Read/Write, Bluray Reader / DVD Burner Combo, Windows 8 Professional 64bit [In Stock Now!], Bigfoot Killer N 1103 Wireless Card (No Bluetooth), 95% Gamut 1920x1080 Premium Glossy Display, 3 Year Pickup + Return Warranty + 90 Day 100% Pixel Guarantee , No External Optical Drive, 180 Watt Genuine Power Supply, 8 Cell Battery,
No products

Shipping$0.00

Total$3,221.00

Choose your delivery method

Carrier Information Price
TNT Express Please read delivery schedule Free!


I want a computer for some professional 3D graphics/professional applications usage and some casual gaming. Basically, I wanted to buy a desktop but don't have space for it and also laptops are easy to move around. So, I have been looking for a laptop (a desktop replacement) since the beginning of December, 2012. I found about the 'logicalblueone' towards the end of December, 2012 and later about 'affordablelaptops'. My budget is from $2,000 to $2,500.

I liked the 'Clevo P370EM' in the beginning but that is out of my budget range after customiztion. I haven't kept myself updated with the computer hardware market for about 3 - 4 years now. So, thats why it took me some time doing the research. I wasn't clear on the storage technologies available today, but that is clear now. I am still confused about few things like Graphics cards, Wireless WiFi cards, Processor types i.e. 'Intel Quad Core' or 'Intel Ivy Bridge'. I will talk about those a bit later.

The differences I noticed between the 'affordablelaptops' and 'logicalblueone' of P150EM are:

All the i7 processor options available by 'affordablelaptops' in P150EM are 'Quad Core', whereas all the i7 processor options available by 'logicalblueone' are 'Ivy Bridge'. To be honest, I don't know the difference yet and I don't know which one is better and for what purposes i.e. Games etc. I shouldn't be giving a price comparison for the processors because I don't know if they are comparable or not. If different technologies obviously will have different pricing. But here it is:
The upgrade from 'i7-3630QM Quad Core CPU 2.4GHz up to 3.4GHz' to 'i7-3740QM Quad Core CPU 2.7GHz up to 3.7GHz' costs '$199.00' by 'affordablelaptops'. The upgrade from 'Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3630QM 2.4-3.4Ghz Turbo' to 'Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3740QM 2.7-3.7Ghz Turbo' costs '199.00'. So there is no difference.

The upgrade cost from 'nVidia Geforce GTX670MX 3.0GB GDDR5' to 'AMD Radeon HD 7970M 2GB Graphics GDDR5' by affordablelaptops is '$189', where the upgrade cost from 'nVidia Geforce GTX670MX 3.0GB GDDR5' to 'AMD Radeon HD 7970M 2GB Graphics GDDR5' by logicalblueone is '$129.00'. Logicalblueone is cheaper by '$70.00'.
The upgrade cost from 'nVidia Geforce GTX670MX 3.0GB GDDR5' to 'nVidia Geforce GTX680M with 4GB GDDR5' by affordablelaptops is '$499', whereas the upgrade cost from 'nVidia Geforce GTX670MX 3.0GB GDDR5' to 'nVidia Geforce GTX680M with 4GB GDDR5' by logicalblueone is '$420'. Logicalblueone is '$79' cheaper.

There is no surcharge on credit card purchase and no surcharge on payment through paypal by logicalblueone. But affordablelaptops
deduct 1.5% surcharge for payments through credit cards and paypal. e.g. A payment of $3000.00 to affordablelaptops through either credit card or paypal will have a surcharge of $45.00. So, the total amount will sum upto $3045.00.

But on the other hand, affordable laptops offer free insured delivery on most of the laptops I have checked (Probably all the purchases). Not just a delivery but 'insured' delivery. But for a purchase less than $3,000.00 from logicalblueone will have delivery charges $29.95 for lighter items like laptops. Heavier items such as desktops etc will have more delivery charges by logicalblueone. Logicalblueone uses TNT and DHL courier services. Its like a combination or on of those: Courier, Express, Parcel. Anyway, they are traceable/trackable online. I don't know about the insurance bit.

Upgrade to 'Intel 240GB 520 Series SSD 550/520 Mbs Read/Write' from '750GB 7200rpm Hard Disk Drive' costs $299.00 by logicalblueone, whereas this upgrade costs '$259.00'. Affordablelaptops is $40 cheaper.

Upgrade to '95% Gamut 1920x1080 Premium Glossy Display' from 'Standard 1920x1080 Matte Display' costs '$69.00' by logicalblueone, whereas upgrade from '15.6" FHD 1920x1080 LED/LCD screen Matte' to '15.6" FHD 1920x1080 LED/LCD 95% Gamut Gloss' costs '$57.00'. Affordablelaptops is $12 cheaper.

Regardless of which warranty option you choose, logicalblueone offers 90 Day 100% Pixel Guarantee. "3 Year Pickup + Return Warranty + 90 Day 100% Pixel Guarantee" costs '$199.00' by logicalblueone. "1st, 2nd and 3rd year Onsite pickup and return" by 'affordablelaptops' offer costs '$169.00'. Affordablelaptops is '$30' cheaper but again logicalblueone offers "100% Pixel Guarantee".

--> In total when summed up, contrary to the differences of individual price upgrades, affordablelaptop's 'Clevo P150EM' costs '$3,085' (less) as compared to logicalblueone's 'Clevo P150EM', which costs '$3,221.00'. In total, P150EM from affordablelaptop is '$136' cheaper compared to logicalblueone.

Questions:

(1) Intel i7 Quad Core Processor or Intel i7 Ivy Bridge Processor ? Please explain the difference and which one is better and for what purposes?

(2) I want to have the best wireless WiFi but at the same time I really want to have the best bluetooth i.e. Bluetooth v4. Intel Ultimate 6300 Wireless Card (No Bluetooth) and Bigfoot Killer N 1103 Wireless Card (No Bluetooth) obviously have no bluetooths. Are there any latest (Bluetooth V4) windows 8 compatible bluetooth dongles available online (or not) in the Australian market? About the 'killer' wireless WiFi Cards series, are they specifically built for online gaming purposes/ priortized / main focus on online gaming? I am asking this because I will be playing games only occasionaly and I really don't want to play games that are or going to be online regardless of multiplayer or not.

(3) LCD Display: Matte or Glossy/Gloss? - Difference, which one is good for what purpose? What does --% Gamut mean/indicate?

(4) "AMD Radeon HD 7970M 2GB Graphics GDDR5" or "nVidia Geforce GTX680M with 4GB GDDR5"

Preference is professional 3D graphics/professional applications and casual gaming

"nVidia Geforce GTX680M with 4GB GDDR5" has "PhyX" and "3D Vision". What is their purpose/ what are they good for?/ where they are applicable? / Does "AMD Radeon HD 7970M 2GB Graphics GDDR5" offer any alternatives or something thats almost similar to those in its functionality?

I think mostly because of nVidia GeForce's fully functional "Optimus" and AMD Radeon's not so functional "Enduro" - specially in "Clevo" laptops (apparently Enduro can be disabled in Dell's Alienware laptops), customers who really want to opt for AMD 7970M have no other choice but to either pay extra for nVidia's 680M (and lower the other specs to the price within budget range) or alternatively go for 675MX or delay their plans for purchasing.

AMD's graphics switching technology (Enduro), Detection rate, configuration options etc - not so good

But then again nVidia Geforce GTX 680M is significantly slower in professional applications.

Enduro - as of december 2012 - Catalyst 12.11beta drivers - have the enduro issues largely gone away and the overclocking headroom afforded by the 7970m's architecture allowed for similar performance to the base 680m.

AMD Radeon HD 7970m Enduro FIX: http://www2.ati.com/drivers/beta/AMD_Catalyst_12.11_Beta11.exe

12.8 vs 306.23 - AMD CATA 12.11 beta 7

I really wish I could find a recent article such as this one. But this is the latest I could find at the moment.
CGarchitect's Graphics Card Round Up (26 July 2010) CGarchitect - Professional 3D Architectural Visualization User Community | CGarchitect's Graphics Card Round Up

Some other useful articles, forum discussions etc are as follows:

GeForce GTX 680M Review • Reviews • Eurogamer.net

NVIDIA GTX 680M -vs- AMD Radeon 7970M - YouTube

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/700372-7970m-680m-old-games.html

GTX 680M or Radeon 7970M - Miscellaneous Hardware - OverclockersClub Forums

laptop gpu - ati 7970m or nvidia 680m - Hardware - od|forum

NVIDIA Geforce GTX 680m vs Radeon 7970m Comparison

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...d-7970m-ccc-w-stock-12-11b-driver-issues.html

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...et-upgrades/700668-7970m-enduro-problems.html

AMD Radeon HD 7970M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3630QM Processor,CLEVO P15xEMx score: P7434 3DMarks

AMD Radeon HD 7970M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2860QM Processor,Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. MS-16F2 score: P7103 3DMarks


Please suggest what specs in both quotes from 'affordablelaptops' and 'logicalblueone' are unnecessary or needs to be downgraded, so I can bring back the price/cost to round about '$2,000 - $2,500' figure. or atleast around A$2,500.00

If you have made it through this far, thanks alot for reading

Thanks alot in advance

 

Hello I have a NP9150 and I have noticed a buzzing sound when my laptop is not plugged in while I am gaming, when its plugged in the sound goes away and if I tab out while on battery the sound will go away. I am just wondering why it does this, if it is normal and if not what can I do....Thanks!

 

Hey guys I have been having a lot of trouble with my wireless as of late and want to know if anyone has any suggestions. I'm using windows 8 and have a intel 6235 wireless card. My laptop tells me that I am not connected but wireless is available. However it does not let me view the possible wireless connections. It will not let me look at any of my Internet options. I will click the various buttons to view my wireless and they do nothing. Troubleshooting returns with no problem found.

If someone could please help that would be great. The laptop is 2 months old and has not had any issues until now.

 

Seriously considering this notebook or the 17.3" version...
i7-3610, HD 9790m, 16GB Ram, 120GB SSD, Blu Ray

Other than the extra £80 for the same speck just larger screen what other advantages/disadvantages are they're between two identically spec'd just different sized laptops?

I'm aware answers could state 'it's entirely your preference' but I have never owned a laptop and am buying due to joining the Royal Air Force and a desktop is just too big.

I understand the 17.3 has got better cooling however it does have a shorter battery life due to the larger screen.

Opinions?

 

I recall reading about the buzzing problem before, but I can't recall which of the solutions below solved the buzzing. (From what I recall people were noticing it in games that were using the dedicated GPU, but not the integrated GPU). Try the suggestions below, and see if one of them corrects your issue.

Go to Control Panel -> Sound -> select Speakers -> click the Properties button -> click the Levels tab -> set PC Beep to 0, and mute it for good measure. (While there you could also set the microphone as listed below) Then click apply and exit out of the sound controls.

Go to Control Panel -> Sound -> select Recording tab -> select Microphone -> click the Properties button -> click the Levels tab -> set Microphone to 0. Then click apply and exit out of the sound controls.

If you still here the buzzing after changing those sound settings post again to let us know.

 

Answers in red

 

Hello all,

I've had my NP9150 for about 4 months, and recently, I've been getting some rather high temperatures at idle.
Instead of the reported high 30, low 40 degrees C, I get somewhere around 50, and the fan noise is audible, but not too loud.
Now, the chassis itself is around 43 degrees, so that's not too bad (I guess), but the CPU fan runs almost constantly.

I'm leaning towards this being a problem, and not something that happens under normal operating conditions.

Any ideas for a fix?

 

Hello Folks.
Thought I might get some input / creative advice on the system I think I have settled on. ( not yet purchased ) I am debating another battery and charger. ?
I am not too worried about the warranty. as long as I can get parts from Sager. I might cut some cost and only get the 1 year. I'm hoping to swap some stuff out in 2/3 years anyway. I have read that these laptops are pretty easy to work on.
The system needs to run Multiple 3D programs. Some light Rendering. /CAD/BIM. I would appreciate some thoughts on hard drive setup. How best could I configure 2 drives? Last But not Least. is the Nvidia Quadro K3000M . isn't this card meant for 17" screens? ( battery killer? ) Please take a look. let me know what you think. I have posted the prices due to there relevance to the final design. The system ain't cheap. It would be nice if it performed up to par.

Thanks. I hope I have posted this in the correct spot.

Display 15.6" Full HD LED-Backlit Display featuring 95% NTSC Color Gamut in Matte Finished Surface (1920 x 1080) [$95.00]
Zero Dead Pixel Insurance Guaranteed no dead or partially-lit pixels for first 30 days of purchasing [$50.00]
Video & Graphics Card Nvidia Quadro K3000M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 Video Memory [$625.00]
CPU Processor 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3940XM Processor Extreme Edition ( 8MB L3 Cache, 3.0GHz ) [$875.00]
Thermal Compound IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU [$35.00]
Operating System Genuine MS Windows® 7 Ultimate 32/64-Bit Edition ( 64-Bit Preloaded ) [$110.00]
Memory 32GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 4 X 8GB [$170.00]
Primary Hard Disk Drive 480GB Intel 520 Series SATA3 Solid State Disk Drive [$460.00]
mSATA SSD Drive — For Intel Smart Response Technology Crucial 256GB M4 Series mSATA SSD (Storage Drive) [$230.00]
Optical Drive Bay — Optical Drive or Hard Disk Drive in Optical Drive Bay with Caddy case 8X DVD±R/RW/4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software
Wireless Network Card Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module [$60.00]
Primary Battery Smart Li-ION Battery Pack
Integrated Security Device Fingerprint Reader
Microsoft Office Microsoft Office Starter 2010 / Office 2010 Trial - Included in Price
Warranty Sager 3 Year Limited Parts and Labor Warranty [$149.00]
Additional Power Adapters CAR-1010-2, Car Adatper [$65.00

 

Good day! So my order will come with a 500gb 7200rpm hard drive, and in the future I'm planning to buy an SSD... is 60gb good enough for the speed? because my plan is when I buy the SSD I will make it the primary and the 500gb hdd in the ODD dto be used for storage... If I will install applications say Adobe After Effects, Premiere, etc on the 500gb... will it benefit the SSD speed? I'm a little tight on budget so I'll make the 128gb a last resort as it will be hard to save for it because I'm a college student... thanks guys

 

Installing applications to HDD will not benefit from the faster loading times of the SSD. Your OS will still be able to boot much faster. Keep in mind 60gb boot drive will really limit you to just that. You won't have room for a lot of larger applications, like adobe products.

You will see that larger capacity SSD are generally rated for faster max write and read spreads. I would suggest you start saving for a 128gb minimum but preferably a 256gb capacity drive. These days you can get a 128gb for only $30-40 more than a 60gb one. Good luck to you!

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I'm a new prospective buyer (who never even heard of this brand until three days ago), and am very curious about some if what I read:

-- Some people wrote that, for longer life, you should use no more than 20% of your SSD space. Is this generally regarded as true? I had originally been planning in a 256GB SSD for OS and apps -- am I now to understand that would be a bad idea?

-- If only the OS (Win7 Ultimate) is to go on the SSD, how big a unit do I need?

-- Also, what is the point of a 256GB drive if you are only supposed to use around 50GB of it, which seems large for an OS but too small for an OS plus apps?

I'm hoping to put in my order to XoticPC by tonight, so any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Your hard benefiting from the SSD will depend on how you have the drives configured in the BIOS and OS. If you set the SSD and HDD to a raid configuration the SSD will boost the HDD performance. Testing of hard drives has shown that hybrid ones (a hdd with a small ssd caching it) preformed noticeably better than non-hybrid drives. Many of the SSD boards/thread advocate the raid setup if you're using a small SSD, but AHCI if you have a larger SSD. Regardless its usually recommend that that you reinstall your OS after you install the SSD drive since Windows will configure itself differently if it detects the fast SSD during setup. Below are a couple of articles that may give you insight into what you'll see the most benefit from when it comes to SSD.


Upgrade Your HDD to SSD: How and Why
Sean's Windows 7 Install & Optimization Guide for SSDs & HDDs

I run my ssd (240gb) in AHCI mode because that is what's advocated for a drive of this size, and like you my plan was to use the HDD mainly for storage (media files, documents, and less used applications). However some applications are finicky (poorly written) and will not give you a choice of install location, even if a so-called custom installation option is available, and will install themselves on the primary drive.

If you haven't already made your SSD purchase make sure you get an mSata drive since full size (non-m) stata drives will not fit in the mSata port on the p150em/np9150 systems.

 

Some people advocated leaving part of the SSD unused in the past because there wasn't a cleaning system on the drives to tell it that previously occupied space was available, and because if for some reason the system was having difficulty reading/writing to a specific section it could move that data to that free area instead of loosing it. Both Windows 7 and 8 now have janitor / garbage features, so it can reclaim previously accessed areas and use them quickly again. I don't recall every seeing anyone with decent SSD knowledge advocating only using 20% of the drive, but I believe I did see some people advocating keeping 20% of the drive space free (meaning using up to 80%). However, that was mostly back when their weren't garbage features in the OS.

The OS can take up to 20gb at initial install (depending on which OS 7,8, etc is installed, and what features/programs are installed and enabled with in it initially). Like all OS's as time goes by and more programs are installed the OS expands and takes up more space. My SSD currently has 46gb used of its 240gb total. At least 12 GB of that I know to be games (one of those an 800gb game that didn't give me a choice of install location and installed itself to the SSD's AppData Roaming Profile directory of its own accord, and my displeasure). Windows 8 Professional (its folder known as Windows) is currently taking up ~21gb, the User folder (containing the previously mentioned program) is consuming ~4gb, Program Files (x86) 12.6gb (11.6 of which is Diablo 3), and Program Files (the 64-bit applications) 1.58gb. While you usually will not be able to control what installs in the User's directory's you should be able to control much of what installs to the Program File folders and direct them to your HDD if you desire.

I'd recommend you ignore whatever source told you to only use 20% of the SSD drive. SSD drives generally have a long life span 10+ years (in many estimations I've seen), so you shouldn't need to worry. There are some tweaks that will help you to minimize unnecessary read/writes, reduce wasted space, and get a better lifespan out of your SSD in the SSD and HDD installation and optimization guide I linked in my previous post in this thread.

 

Mine runs all the time as well.
There is absolutely zero fan control so I assumed there's just nothing to do about it.
It's not loud enough to disturb me during work so I didn't bother to research it deeper.

 

Same for me! I have been cleaning the dust and everything..

 

i just bought a sager np9150 special edition from xoticpc
everything is running fantastic, but i noticed something
when i execute dxdiag it shows intel hd graphics 4000 as graphic device (i have gtx 680M)
also windows 7 evaluation shows intel hd graphics 4000 as graphic device

is this normal? or a driver problem

 

For my audio needs, this does the trick:

IOGEAR - GUADT51 - USB Theater Sound Xperience Audio Adapter | USB Surround Sound

 

I have the 9150 Special Edition (with the 680m) as well, and that is normal. The Nvidia driver global setting is set to auo-select the Integrated Intel GPU for most programs (unless it detects an executable of a particular name - in which case then it defaults to the dedicated Nvidia 680m GPU). In my experience (so far) the system is pretty good at determining when to set a game to the dedicated 680m. If you want to double check that a certain program or game is using a specific GPU you can: right click on the desktop, choose Nvidia control panel -> select Manage 3D settings on the left side of the window -> select the Program Settings tab, and then select the program you want to force to use a specific GPU or settings. If your program isn't listed there you can add it manually.

 

Thanks for your replies! maybe I'll just buy a 128gb SSD and put it in primary and the HDD as a storage in ODD... I think I need to save money now >

 

And can someone recommend a good USB Sound Card for NP9150 under 20 dollars? thanks!

 

As for the soundcard the current external one that I use is a Sweex 7.1 external USB sound card for about £20. I bought due to DJ'ing and needed the extra sound output when using a laptop. Sound quality is good, comes with software which is very easy to use. Plug and play etc. Meaning you can plug into any system without installing software and it will work, just adjust settings for usb external sound device.

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks! I'll consider it

 

It's a little more expensive than $20, $29.99 after rebate, but we've had a lot of success stories with the Xonar U3.

 

Are you thinking about attaching an external sound card mainly for attaching headphones to when you're out and about, or are you planning to attach speakers to the external card? The embedded sound card isn't a problem if you have decent speakers attached. I have a pair of Logitech speakers with a sub-woofer attached, and the sound they produce when connected to the notebook is excellent.

They look like these:
Amazon.com: Logitech - LS21 2.1 Stereo Speaker System: Electronics

I picked mine up a few years ago, and when I bought them I think I got them for around $20 at an Office Max.

 

I have those in my office and while they offer good quality when quiet, they tend to scream and distort at medium-loud settings.
They're good for their price but if you have a bit of cash to spare go for altec lansing for clearer mids and sharper bass.

They're definitely more expensive but the sound quality difference is immense.
Good system might compensate for a bad sound card but you will obviously do better with an external sound card.

I use my old ATP3 for over 5 years and I don't plan on switching any time soon, they sound good with the built in card but definitely better with Xonar U3.
Unfortunately those are no longer being sold but they offer new systems which should offer same or better performance.

Amazon.com: Altec Lansing VS4621 Octane 7, 2.1 Computer Speaker: Electronics

 

Just purchased my "Xplorer X6-9650" (Clevo P150EM) from CyberPowerPC. Price was cheaper than any other place I found on the internet.. Specs below

3630qm
16gb 1600mhz ram
7970m
Samsung 840 250gb SSD
No operating system
$1,417.40

The down side is that it won't be with me in Iraq until the end of the month

 

A minor gripe about XoticPC -- they were touting their "Christmas sale" of free ground shipping if you entered "SAGERFREESHIP" at checkout. They also mentioned a 3% "cash discount" (and reflect it in the running total) if you enter "CASHREBATE" at the same time. However, if you actually take advantage of those offers, you will find the 3% discount is automatically reduced to 2% because you used more than one coupon offer. As it stands, when I figure in the reduction from 3% to 2%, plus the fee my bank charges for a wire transfer, plus some unspecified possible "additional fees" assessed on wire transfers by banks downstream (for which they recommend adding an additional $20-$30 to the transfer total), the "cash discount" price may well turn out to be slightly higher than simply paying by credit card.

 

I don't see a "X6-9650" on CyberPowerPC's website. The closest I can see is the "X6-8500." Is that the one you're mentioning?

(ON EDIT: I notice that the 8500 is the WP151, not the 150. The 9650 isn't listed on the page, and doesn't have all the customization levels I would need..)

 

Thanks for the feedback,

It is in our discount policy that when using more than one discount (Cash Discount and Free Shipping) that the cash discount does drop from 3% to 2%. Typically on orders submitted from within the US, it'll be quicker and easier to shoot us a personal check instead of a wire transfer which is typically utilized for international orders. It is entirely possible that with the fees your bank charges that it may have been less expensive going with credit card, but unfortunately we don't have a way of controlling the fees they charge. We do cover the fees our bank charges to receive the wire to make things less complicated for our customers. The additional fees referenced are again primarily for international orders as they travel through intermediary banks to arrive at our bank and additional charges are incurred as a result. It's unlikely that you'll need to do so and any extra funds sent and unused will be refunded to you once the order ships.