*** Official Clevo P37xSM-A/Sager NP9377 owner's lounge ***

The gaudy red exhaust lights will turn off when the keyboard lighting is turned off.

 

Tested the laptop with a few hundred cycles of Heaven 4.0. All seems good

One problem - the BIOS is back to std Eurocom. I haven't got the balls to flash it back

 

That's some good news .

What about asking Kevin for the Eurocom branded version? I'm assuming it's the same 'Kevin' that sent me a link for it?

 

Good idea broski
What was the process you followed to flash?

 

I asked Eurocom if I could share this and got the OK.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link:
Mick
Here is link to our new X8E BIOS
http://downloads.eurocom.com/support/drivers/models/X8/x8E.zip
Mark

Kevin
Would you pls assist Mick with technical questions

Mark : From Kevin

Making a bootable USB Key:
First Download the HP Drive key Boot Utility
Second Download the win98 system files
Steps to Create Bootable USB Drive
1. Extract the Win98 system files to a directory
2. Install the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool and run the program.
3. Select the Device and the File system from the drop down menus
4. Select Quick format
5. Select Create a Dos startup Disk
6. Select using dos system files located at: Select where you extracted the win98 system files to
7. Click start and follow directions
8. Extract the bios file to a folder called bios on the USB drive
To Flash the Bios
1. Make sure AC Adapter is plugged in.
2. Press F7 for the boot menu, boot from usb drive
3. Change directory to bios (CD bios)
4. Run step1.bat in DOS mode, and it will auto restart.
5. Press F7 for the boot menu and select usb drive
6. Change directory to bios (cd bios)
7. Run step2.Bat this process may take few minutes.
8. After flash is finished, please turn off the system.
9. Replug AC Adapter one times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There you go......

 

just upgraded to 980m sli. any problems with having a 4710mq? i see the 4800mq for 170 on ebay

 

Depends on the game, but everything will still play well, it's just getting even more FPS.

 

so 4910 or 4940?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

anyone upgrade to WIN10 yet??

 

I don't suppose that will work in the Sager version I suppose I should email Sager and ask for a possible update.

 

It probably would but I don't recommend trying it. You'd have a 'Eurocom' boot screen as well.
I believe it's the same as the one Prema publishes and he has partnered with some resellers so it's always worth checking if they have it. Otherwise you can get it at : https://biosmods.wordpress.com/p377sm-a/.

 

I'm now on the Eurocom X8 BIOS also... my arse twitched when I ran through it.

 

I am using the new NP9377 with dual 980M gpu and a bunch of other ridiculous specs. Everything working great. However, I have one (possibly stupid) question.

This laptop came with Soundblaster X-Fi3. I am assuming that is the soundcard. I have been using a Logitech G930 headset with no problems on the desktop without a dedicated sound card. I am curious if there is a conflict between Creative Soundblaster X-Fi3 and the Logitech G930 wireless headset. I ask because when i plug in the Logitech G930, a message from Soundblaster appears saying ""The current selected audio device is not supported, disabled... by the application.Do you want to select another audio device now?" However, I am able to use the G930 although with the new problem of them turning off randomly.

To the point:
Can I use Logitech G930 if I have this Soudblaster soundcard, and if so, do I need to alter anything in BIOS or elsewhere?

Thank you very much in advance for any assistance.

 

The X-Fi3 is just a software application that's been bundled with the hardware. Source:

http://www.creative.com/oem/products/software/x-fimb3.asp

The actual sound-card is a Realtek IC chip on the Clevo motherboard that controls the analog audio (the 3.5mm audio and possibly SPDIF lines)--that's why Windows may automatically setup the Realtek sound manager software for you. With the G930, the USB wireless adapter serves as a USB sound-card, and that may be running into some conflict with the X-Fi3 software.

Does the equalizer work at all from the SoundBlaster software when using the headset?

For the turning off, I always had trouble with my G930 drawing more power when running than the USB along could supply, so I'd have issues with it turning off due to low power even when plugged in. There shouldn't be any BIOS config or special drivers needed to keep it running.

 

Has anyone successfully used a G-Sync display with the NP9377-S / P377SM-A?

I'd bought the Acer XB270HU about a month ago to try, but was surprised to find that it was catastrophically incompatible with my Sager notebook (about one year old, 880M gpu). When it's plugged in over a VESA certified Mini DisplayPort to Displayport 1.2 cable (Accell UltraAV brand), the internal display on the notebook would turn all-black with only the Windows 7 mouse cursor visible in the middle of the screen. The mouse was locked in position as long as the monitor was plugged in, and after unplugging, there would be some weird graphical artifacts on the lower quarter of the screen and the image would be shifted out-of-sync with the mouse position... (a video of that problem is available if anyone wants to review)

I had the monitor replaced once with no difference, and then had the merchant replace it again with an Asus ROG Swift PG278Q... but that display is having almost the same exact problem.

I'm giving up on G-Sync for now and going to return the Asus tomorrow afternoon, but my vendor ( https://lpc-digital.com/ ) suggested I mention this case here to see if anyone else might have some ideas for testing. Things that've been gone through so far include:

• Replacing the monitor with another
• Sending the laptop to Sager to review (no problems reported)
• Updating the Intel Management Engine software
• Updating the BIOS (LPC helped me get a new Sager BIOS than the one on their website, it looked to be about two weeks old by the file-modified date, and it shows up as version "1.03.10LS1" on the BIOS menu with an EC revision of "1.03.09")
• Trying different cables (from one to three meters in length, multiple brands)
• Trying a fresh install of Windows (The problem happened on 7 initially, then was confirmed with new installs of 10 and 8.1)
• Installing the latest drivers (everything from the Sager website, plus using Nvidia Geforce Experience for auto-updates on the GPU driver)
• Changing the Thunderbolt configuration from the BIOS (Legacy, Unique ID, DP++; all have the same issue)
• Contacting Nvidia ("We'll pass your testing result to our Engineering team. I'll keep you posted as soon as I get update from my team.")

One thing I'd really rather not try is the modded Prema BIOS--at the risk of spoiling my outstanding warranty on parts/hardware.

I'm now using an Eizo Foris FG2421 at 1920x1200 120Hz with no problems over the Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort connection... but that's not quite the G-Sync experience I was looking forward to...

Thanks for reviewing guys, let me know if anyone has some ideas that might crack this incompatibility.

These symptoms all seem to point to either the Clevo motherboard, the Intel chip-set / Thunderbolt controller, or the Nvidia G-Sync chip firmware as the root of the problem, so I'm not sure if this is something that can/will ever be fixed unfortunately.

 

It may be the thunderbolt controller interfering with the GPU -> G-sync module communication. Have you looked up running G-sync over thunderbolt?

 

Yea, I tried searching for any discourse on that and only found a few other unresolved posts on this and one other forum. If you see anything interesting please let me know.


Clevo asserts that the 880M would "Support DisplayPort 1.2":
http://clevo.com/clevo_prodetail.asp?id=517&lang=en

Asus says "DisplayPort 1.2 is required for native WQHD@144Hz support. All (GTX 650 Ti Boost or higher spec) ASUS GTX graphics cards offer this output.":
http://rog.asus.com/339252014/gaming-monitors/faq-rog-swift-pg278q-27-inch-g-sync-gaming-monitor/

And Nvidia seems to have shifted their stance on this...

Their website in August 2014:
https://web.archive.org/web/2014080...e.com/hardware/notebook-gpus/geforce-gtx-880m

And again two months later in October 2014:
https://web.archive.org/web/2014100...e.com/hardware/notebook-gpus/geforce-gtx-880m

Suddenly, 'G-Sync' as one of the 880M's 'Supported Technologies' disappears.

Given that I ordered an 880M in July 2014, I kind of feel that I was very mislead on that regard.

 

I had exactly the same problem with a ROG Swift a few weeks ago.

I tried two monitors and two cables. Every time the display went blank with only the cursor visible. Plugged it into my AW, no problem - well it worked but when in 120hz it would randomly flash black. Tried all options but only at 60hz did it work and only on the Alienware. I also connected the thunderbolt to my HDMI TV and it worked fine.

Gave up - and it did look great when it worked!

 

Haha Mine too!!! That extended pause the first time you start after it finishes - well, I wish I'd read Prema's instructions first that warn about it .

It does appear to be more stable for me. Previously on the 'old' BIOS the machine would occasionally (three times) just randomly shut down when running an OC via XTU. I eventually tracked it down to the XTU service. If it looses contact with the machine or something like that, it resets the BIOS and shuts the machine down. So far the same OC has not produced the shutdown. Kill the service manually and within a few seconds the machine will shut off .

 

Thanks for the response and help. Soundblaster does not appear to recognize the headset. However, I am able to use the G930 simply by selecting it in "playback devices" in the task bar as on my other computer. I believe the shutting off issue is something going on with software because i do not experience this issue on my desktop which lacks Soundblaster.

My major question is will using this USB Wireless Logitech G930 with this software and hardware cause problems or damage to the computer if it is running into conflict with Soundblaster? From what I have read it seems there should be no issue because the G930 USB has its own soundcard that bypasses use of whatever is on board.

I hesitate to comment so soon after receiving the laptop but so far very impressed with performance. Haven't measured temps but fan is relatively low. If things hold up then it is a great product. I much prefer the more conservative look of Sager as well. Flashy looks = "hey steal this."

 

Have you played with any settings in the BIOS itself? My CPU temps seem to hit 90 really easily. even on 3.5GHz OC via XTU. I am sure they never hit that before

 

Nah, once I start that it's a recipe for madness! No, really, once the OCD kicks in I'm into endless tests and note taking . Mine also runs quite hot, hitting 98c on 4.3. I have already repasted so I took that as a warning that messing with it will lead to problems. Without a quick way to reset the BIOS I'm staying away!

http://hwbot.org/user/mickyd1234/

 

Haha, don't let yourself get into that spiral, I've been a bit like that since upgrading to Windows 10 - although I am now regaining a sense of normalcy now it's sorted!

 

None of my machines are offering me the upgrade , taking that as a sign as well .

 

I may check airflow etc as New York is blooming toasty currently and I only have a small aircon unit

 

I was testing on the hottest day this year here in the UK (around 87c) with no aircon.

I believe you have a U3 cooling pad? I found that removing the protective cover on the CPU fan improved flow quite a bit.

 

Haha, I won't link you the direct download for the iso then! As you were!

 

Sadly I already found the download complete with a USB tool . Right now it's loading up on my old dell D420....

 

Haha, well as long as it's your old laptop you probably won't feel the need to stay up to 3 in the morning trying to install & tweak it to perfection! ;-)

 

You see right through me! It's been 1 1/2 hours already and only at 50%. This will be a pure interface check out.

I'm seeing quite a lot of Nvidia problems coming out of the win 10 upgrade. Sli appears to be broken so I won't be doing this machine too soon . BF4 players also need to wait, it has a bad memory leak causing an eventual crash.

 

Nice. I'll take a look tonight. Cheers

 

Arkham Knight playing just as well in game & also in the benchmark on Win 10 vs Win 7. Arkham Origins lost 4% average framerate though going to Windows 10 - but that was the only game that showed a slow down. 3DMark11 and SkyDiver Physics scores were a couple of percent lower too, but graphics scores pretty much the same. Win 10 looking OK to me, I think I'm gonna keep it.

 

Cool, I've just spent around an hour cruising around and I like it, a lot. I did see the tiny link that let me turn off all the data sent to MS right at the end, and apart from that, all default. When I saw all the different data being sent it looks like this is how MS will recoup a lot of the costs - some very salable data there - even if your name is not attached.

 

Is anyone using the Coolermaster Notepal U3 for this?

It's such a giant laptop and i'm not sure what others are using. I'm just looking for a pad to let air into the vents, not really a fan cooling pad.

Some people in other Sager lounges say no pad necessary but not sure if that is because intakes are located differently.

 

Ah, I believe I'm probably baring my sole to MS! Oh well!

 

You can simply prop up the machine if you wish. I find it best to fold four sets of four blocks of 2 ply toilet paper into a small square, and stick each one under a rubber foot of the laptop. Has given me 10c extra cooling at one point.

 

I do, i bought two of them so I can leave one in my living room and the other in my bedroom. After a month or so of testing I removed the fans. The only differences they made for me was pushing more dust into my laptop and making more noise. I couldn't find any repeatable temperature difference.

I also like it because I can run cables underneath it to keep the desktop clean, and have a place to strap them down and keep it looking nice.

One last bonus is if you do ever decide to take it with you, it will fit around the latop when its inside a sleeve, and then fit inside a backpack. Makes it painless to carry with you to lan parties or whatever. Normally I don't bring mine anywhere but I know I can if I need to.

 

I did a similar thing, a stand to help prop it up with no fans and it leaves an area that won't get cluttered.

 

No fans eh? Hmmmmmmmmm. I'll take them off tonight. My CPU and GPU are hotter than when I first sent it to Eurocom. I am sure of it

 

Both intuitively and from what I have read I don't think using the fans that come with a laptop cooling pad are necessarily good idea. It actively blows dust into the system and on Sagers the fans should be adequate (i would think). The goal seems to be to allow passive ventilation rather than actively blow **** into the vents.

 

The goal is to reduce the force required by the fans to pull in air (lower resistance) this is what lifting the machine at the back achieves.

 

Dumb question regarding SLI: If a game does not support SLI does the computer automatically use only 1 card or do I have to manually set it to use only 1 card?

(previously only had 1 card systems)

For example, Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wasteland 2 appear to lack SLI support and I just want to be sure I do not need to alter any settings manually to safely run these games.

 

They will attempt to use it, in situations where this hurts performance you need to disable SLI in the nvidia control panel, there is a registry edit that allows you to remove the restart requirement to this.

 

Sorry to ask but is there a nice little tutorial to repaste? I think I need to try it for my CPU as the temps seem to be a little higher then before she was sent back for repair.

Paste of Liquid Ultra?

 

Why would you need to restart to disable SLI? You can manually disable it on a per-game basis without needing to reboot (I know you can on a per-game basis, I haven't tested whether it actually disables it without rebooting first), no?

 

Any threads or info on 980m sli with Windows 10? I'm so bummed sli isn't working and I can't find my Win8 disk..

 

Thanks for the reply. So if I am playing Wolfenstein: The New Order and it is working, can I just not touch anything and leave SLI as it is? Or do I really need to manually disable it to prevent damage to components? The 980m is powerful enough to run most of my games but for some SLI is nice, and I'm just wondering if it is absolutely necessary for me manually disable/renable if I switch from a game with SLI support to one without if I have no performance issues with either game.

In short, what is the best way to handle SLI for this laptop to avoid damaging components? And followup, what monitoring software would you recommend? I am thinking about MSI afterburner (I used EVGA Precision X on my desktop).

I am seeing some news saying that SLI now works in Windows 10, but this issue is the first I have heard of this. I installed Windows 10 out of the box as its been available for few months now so figured it would be fine,...

 

It's not a case of damage, no normal use will damage the cards. It's just a case of disabling sli may increase performance in titles that don't get on well with sli.

 

For the most part It's been a terrible experience on windows 10 with sli enabled or disabled. 980m sli

 

This exact same problem happened to me. I have tried two Gsync monitors with my 980m sli machine - one 1080p BenQ 144hz and one Acer 1440p 144hz - both give my laptop the same heart attack you have described. I've tried around 6 different cables too (thinking that might have something to do with it). Computer just locks up, fans spin, computer unusable as soon as connected. They told me it might be an issue with the port - but it works fine when connected to a lower resolution, no gsync monitor. I'm running windows 8.1.

It's been incredibly difficult to get a straight answer on the issue too - ranging from minidisplayport version (Sager support at first told me the laptop didn't have one...), to the port being damaged, etc.

I too was afraid to try the Premature bios mod. I did try the bios DP++ setting. No help.

For now I've given up and started looking at non gsync options, but if you ever do find a solution or compatible monitor please let me know too.

The issue is definitely not limited to one persons machine - whether it is a hardware, software or firmware issue - I haven't seen a straight answer on.

Thanks for posting your issues as it seems this is not an isolated instance.