*** Official Clevo P650RG, P650RE3, P650RE6/Sager NP8658 and NP8657 Owner's Lounge ***

Looks like VT-d is definitely not supported, but VT-x should be. Sound right?

 

I think that sounds about right. I found out about that in another thread on NBR...wish I could find it now.

Sent from my HTC One_M8

 

http://www.seagate.com/ca/en/produc...ile-hdd/?cmpid=friendly-_-pdp-mobilehdd#specs

Apparently there are a few model numbers for the 2TB drive.

 

Does anyone use FlexiCharger? As I'm using it and having it set to stop charging at 60%, because I have the laptop plugged in all day, whenever I restart the laptop it says "100% percent charged" but if I unplug it goes back to "60%, not charging" like it should. Do you know if that's a Windows bug or something to do with the BIOS?

 

How long have you had it? Does it always do that? You could try updating the BIOS, contact your reseller about getting a file.

 

Uhm ... it's the other way around, isn't it? If you set the FlexiCharger to 60%, it will start charging the battery at that point. When it has reached 100%, it will not start charging again until the battery is down to 60% ... or whatever you set as the charging start point.

Or is it me that's got that all wrong?

 

I think he means its at the 60% mark but it reads 100% and when he plugs it back in after removing it then it shows 60% correctly.

It could be the EC has a slight but which means an update may fix ti.

 

Hello everyone. I got my laptop almost 2 months ago and recently, after not much use the speakers have stopped to work. I was testing out my new Bluetooth speaker and plugging in also with an aux plug, next day I wanted to listen to some music with the build in speakers and there is no sound coming from them. I tried to reinstall windows and even used Mint linux live usb to test the sound. The audio card works, because I have sound when plugging in headphones or other speakers, bluetooth also works. The issue starts when I want to use build-in speakers, both in Windows 10 and Mint linux, the speakers don't work. What could have happened to them? This doesn't seem to be OS related but rather hardware or BIOS. Anyone have a similar issue?

Thanks

 

Can anyone confirm that you can't use a PCIe AND a SATA m.2 ssd simultaneously? I'd like to install my OS on the PCIe ssd and use a small m.2 SATA ssd to cache a hard drive RAID array...

 

Yes you can...

 

Sounds like possibly your headphone/speaker jack may have gotten damaged and it still thinks it senses something is plugged in thus disabling the onboards. Try looking in the port with a flashlight and see if the metal contacts look broken/jacked up and maybe try pushing on them "carefully" with a toothpick while playing music and see if your built in speakers work.

 

Well, it's not possible for me... I first installed my PCIe NVMe drive in the correct port and left the M.2 SATA port empty. I installed Windows and everything went just fine. I then added a regular M.2 SATA SSD drive in the empty M.2 port and Windows will no longer boot. Sure enough, once I removed the SATA SSD everything was fine. It looks like having PCIe NVMe and SATA drives installed at the same time will disable the PCIe port, is there any way to bypass this behavior?

 

It's part of the dynamic PCI-E lane allocation of the chipset sadly.

 

I have a question about the stock HDD that comes in this machine; I am getting the 250GB Samsung M.2 SSD as my boot drive and the 1TB 7200rpm SATAII HDD as my secondary. Is there a standard brand/model that this HDD typically is? I'm assuming it's a 9.5mm drive, as well? Just wondering if I'd be better off using a USB 3.0 thumb drive as the save location for my files versus the HDD.

 

My Sager came with HGST (H2T10003272S) hard drive. At the time of ordering, it stated SATA 2 but it's actually SATA 3.

 

That will depend on which vendor you're buying from. And it will probably be 9.5 mm; there are no (as far as I'm aware) 1TB 7200 rpm spin disks as thin as 7mm commercially available at the minute.

 

Weird that sometimes my fans are on max, sometimes I can feel the heat on the keyboard but temp is always at around 50C~56C

 

Absolutely correct that it may vary by company. But the HGST one Cathydoesmith mentioned is a commonly used one with a lot of different companies I've seen (Clevo and non Clevo brands). HDD are typically 9.5mm, while SSDs will be 7mm.

 

Are there fingerprint reader and airplane mode drivers for Windows 7 by any chance?

 

Hmm, ran into another issue... After doing a clean install of Windows 7 none of my USB external drives are recognized when I plug them in. I'm assuming I need to install the USB 3.0 controller driver before the ports start functioning but how do I do that when I can't access my external drives?!?

 

All you need is to integrate the USB 3.0 controller to the bootable USB. I ran into the same problem as you did when I did a clean install of Win7. check this link - https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25476/Windows-7-USB-3-0-Creator-Utility

 

Already did that when I created the Windows 7 USB install disk. Windows installs just fine, but once it boots it won't detect any external drives that I plug in, whether USB 3.0 or 2.0...

 

I figured it out. I had to follow this guide and use the Windows 7 USB 3.0 controller drivers that I downloaded from Sager's website. It seems the Intel utility uses generic USB 3.0 drivers that did not work for my P650RE3...

 

I'm thinking of getting the Sager NP8657 from Xotic. I got some questions before I buy:

1) I read you can extend battery life by turning off Nvidia 970 in the BIOS. But isn't it turned off already by default until you play games?

2) Can the trackpad use all the special Windows 10 trackpad gestures? This is important to know.

3) Is the screen cover flexible and weak?

4) I read MANY complaints that Sager has poor repair service and customer service. That repair response times are crazy long. Are these complaints valid?

5) Hows the screen on the NP8657?

6) Is it possible to get 4 - 5 hours non-gaming from the battery?

 

1. It can't be turned off in the BIOS (only the integrated GPU can be turned off there) but you're correct, it won't be active unless you're gaming.
2. It works with some of them - notably, the three finger horizontal swipe to switch virtual desktops doesn't work, nor does the three finger tap for Cortana.
3. It's a bit more flexible than I would like, and if you twist it slightly it won't straighten itself, so in always cautions when opening and closing it. However, it can easily be opened and closed with one finger without feeling flimsy.
4. I can't comment on Sager, since mine is from Metabox
5. Assuming the screen brand is the same IPS display across the board, it's a pretty nice screen, mine has minimal glow and the colours are really good. The matte finish doesn't make the screen dull at all, and does a reasonable job of preventing glare except under direct sunlight.
6. Yes - if you switch to power savings mode, drop the brightness right down, throttle the CPU way back to a maximum of 20% (can be done through the advanced power options in Windows), max out all the other advanced power saving options and disable wifi and Bluetooth, and set the fan profile in the Clevo control panel to custom and crank the point where the fan turns on to about 65 degrees, you can hit the 5 hour mark provided you're only doing word processing.
I get around 3.5 hours if I am web browsing with the power settings the same as above, which is still respectable.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

1. Within the BIOS, you can select between DISCRETE or MSHYBRID mode. In MSHYBRID mode, it will switch between dGPU and iGPU automatically depending on demand. Mine came set to DISCRETE mode from the factory.

2. Unable to provide feedback. I use an external mouse.

3. The screen is definitely flexible and weak. Just opening and closing your screen will require some attention. Use both hands otherwise ensure you lift the screen with your hand situated in the center.

4. My first Sager was practically DOA (died after a week of use). Decided to utilize Sager's 30 day satisfaction money back guarantee as in addition to it being DOA, it had backlight bleed. That cost me $88 and took approximately 4 weeks to get my money back.

5. I was aware of Sager's backlight bleed issues before diving in and I took my chances hoping to get one without it. Well, not only did I lose that lottery, I took another chance and got another Sager with even more backlight bleed. God had no mercy on me. I've now resorted to using an external monitor

6. Unable to provide feedback. I'm mostly plugged in.

 

Yeah looks like I'll be avoiding the Sager. Its not fully compatible with Win 10 and its got too many potential issues and the repair service sucks big time. Thanks for the warning.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

 

I have just received my P650RG-G from Metabox.. I installed separately a 500gb 850evo and 2x16gb gskill sodimms.. with windows 10 pro.

Will do some kinda review soon as I'll primarily be using this laptop for gamedev work..

cheers

 

I got 3 questions:

For the Sager NP8657, is it possible to open the screen to slide in a thin but strong sheet of metal behind the screen? I ask since the screen cover is weak.

2) Are both the Clevo P650RE and Sager NP8657 the same exact laptop?

3) Can you recommend other Clevos or Sagers with Nvidia 970 priced no more than $1300 but with good build quality?

 

1) I'm unsure...when mine arrives I'll take a look!
2) Yes (Clevo P650RE3)
3) Sager NP8677/Clevo P67RE3 (17.3", $1219 w/ base configuration at XoticPC), Sager NP8640/Clevo P640RE (14.0", $1169 w/ base configuration at XoticPC)

 

When will it arrive?

 

I got 3 questions about the Clevo P650RE...

1) Is the trackpad on the Clevo P650RE smooth and
sensitive?

2) Can you use 3 finger gestures?

3) Can you customize the 3 finger gestures?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

 

1. It's pretty smooth, though the friction is a little more than I'd like (your finger doesn't glide across the top as well as it could) and the sensitivity is decent
2. You can use three finger gestures, however these override the Windows ones with Synaptics own custom ones - which leads onto response number 3.
3. You can customise them somewhat. What the Synaptics driver does is register a three finger swipe left and right as a "ctrl+right/left" and a three finger swipe up and down as "numpadPgUp / numpadPgDown" which means that you can use programs like autohotkey to override these functions - I simply set up a macro that takes the strokes and assigns them to the relevant key combination that you would expect from the default Windows gestures.
Three finger tap can be configured directly from the Synaptics control panel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I haven't gotten my shipping notification yet, so I actually have no idea. Order was placed/payment received on March 18 so it'll likely be another couple weeks.

 

What the hell?? You placed an order 2 weeks ago and you got to wait another 2 weeks for delivery?? I dont know who you ordered from but thats not right.

 

I ordered a Sager through a Canadian reseller. Apparently it's 10 business days for Sager to assemble, and then at least 5 business days for shipping from California.

 

Your numbers dont add up. First you implied a about eight weeks. Now you're saying 2 weeks. Which is it? You shouldnt make excuses for any company no mater what.

 

I'm not sure where you're getting 8 weeks from. I was told ~10 business days from order to shipping (Mar 18 is a Friday, Friday Mar 25 was a holiday) so Monday April 4 would be estimated shipping date. 5 more business days puts it at Monday April 11 for delivery. I figure since each machine is a completely custom order that 10 business days is not an unreasonable assembly time. Packages always get delayed clearing customs across country borders. Obviously I would have ordered elsewhere, or would have paid for rush shipping, if I was in a hurry.

 

Did you still want to know if this is possible, or do you think you will have made a purchase prior to my machine arriving?

 

Whichever comes first. I want to order my machine soon. But I want to ensure I'm able to upgrade the quality build beyond the poor one thats apparently present.

 

Modded BIOS/vBIOS Created!

Good news!

I've made a modded BIOS and vBIOS for this specific model (and possibly other PxxRx models/970M GPUs if applicable).
I would like to give special thanks to @EmberV especially for his knowledge and support.

EDIT 4/4/16: I now have a modded BIOS available with G-Sync compatibility/support!

The password for opening the archives below is "XABzoHqrFFHLthOXIKySivPO0T1NUMMeHZNsFnMM2quBWhdNnighc6lNRVmuMESd" (without quotes).

Note: These mods are not supported by Prema. They are unofficial.
I will not share Prema's modded BIOS or any parts of it (code, modules, etc.) because of his partner agreement whether online, offline (in person), public, or private.

Instructions/Download Links:

Instructions for flashing (they're pretty long, so that's why I'm including them here):
http://u.techware.me/P650RE3_BIOS_MOD_instructions

Modded vBIOS (970M ( without G-Sync): boost clock +135MHz as stock; double your core overclocking ability!):
http://u.techware.me/P650RE3_vBIOS_970M_nGS_MOD_DOWNLOAD

Modded vBIOS (970M ( with G-Sync): boost clock +135MHz as stock; double your core overclocking ability!):
http://u.techware.me/P650RE3_vBIOS_970M_GS_MOD_DOWNLOAD

Make sure to download and use (if you are going to) the correct files according to your system.

Be careful when flashing. Remember, these vBIOS mods are for these Clevo laptops with 970M GPUs with and without G-Sync!

You may have a slight chance of damaging or altering your system unexpectedly. If there are any errors or issues, please report them to me or someone else if possible (replying is OK in this case. If there are many posts about this here, I will create a separate thread or conversation specifically for these posts).

BIOS mods and stock BIOS are temporarily taken down for now. More details below.

Spoiler: Other Download Links

Stock BIOS/vBIOS can be found here:
http://u.techware.me/P650RE3_STOCK_BIOSes

Modded BIOS (no branding option and Sager/Intel branding option + most advanced options unlocked except for the chipset menu):
http://u.techware.me/P650RE3_BIOS_MOD_DOWNLOAD

Update (4/4/16):

EDIT: Due to Prema's knowledge of these BIOS dumps, I have temporarily taken them down.

I cannot just get an official Clevo BIOS, mod it, and then post it back up again due to the fact that flashing it will blank out your PC's Windows license key, serial number, MAC address and other important information. Very unfortunate that this has to be the case...

Due to popular demand, I will leave the 970M +135MHz No G-Sync/G-Sync vBIOS tweak up for download. Hopefully that should not contain any other information.

Screenshots:

Here are some pictures of my modded BIOS for reference (sorry that the lighting's a little dim):







Hope you enjoy it!

- Exec360

 

Nice work, as always, user beware with custom firmware of course

 

Be aware that force flashing another systems dump with FPT (like done by the above) will let your systems loose all of its unique features (serial keys, MAC address, Windows keys etc)...and instead become exact copies of the system it was dumped from.

 

@exce360 can you change the dvmt-prealloc value in your modded bios? i need it for my mackintosh also, when i flash your bios, can i change back my product key and will the mac address copy be of any problem?
Also I'm running a p650re6 (instead of the re3) can i still flash the bios?

Thanks in advance

 

Prema answered some of your questions above. @Prema interesting question about flashing between the 3GB and 6GB models.

 

@Kebuder @Prema Thanks for letting me know, my bad...
I should have said in my post that OEM Windows license keys get removed.

I stated that in my instructions:

Code:

IF YOU BOUGHT YOUR PC WITH A WINDOWS 10 OS PRE-INSTALLED/AN OEM KEY (not a Windows key you own and have entered into the system),
YOU WILL MOST LIKELY LOSE THAT KEY (it's stored in the BIOS) AFTER FLASHING (Windows may deactivate)!
--> That's why backing up your BIOS is CRUCIAL in these cases! <--

Sorry I didn't know about this beforehand.
Is this what you're talking about in terms of MAC addresses and other information?

I tried running AFUDOS5 but get security errors even with /GAN and even while running AMI Flash on Windows as admin! That's why that method doesn't work on my BIOS.

As for your other question: For some reason, the chipset menu has the DVMT prealloc memory setting and I can't get the menu to unlock even using this tutorial, so you may be out of luck there

 

I'll try unlocking it again using a different version of AMIBCP and see what happens.

 

Thanks for the quick reply.
I dont have an OEM licence so thats no problem. I can just reinsert my own windows key?

Is there a way to just hardcode insert a value (0x4 = 128mb = what i need) into the uefi bios?
I can also give you a p650re6 bios rom if that helps?

Kind regards and thanks for the help,

Kebuder

 

No problem

Yes, you can (based on the edition that you have installed).

Spoiler: Deactivate Current Key

To deactivate your current license key, at an elevated Command Prompt (run as admin), type slmgr.vbs /dlv and write down the "Activation ID" (the whole thing) in the dialog that pops up.

Now type slmgr /upk [Activation ID] (where [Activation ID] is the thing you wrote down previously). A dialog should tell you: "uninstalled product key successfully".

Spoiler: Activate Key/Upgrade to Pro/Enterprise

Now you can go to the Control Panel > System and at the bottom there should be something that says " Activate Windows". A dialog should pop up. Enter your product key and you're good to go.

If you want to use a Pro or Enterprise license key and upgrade from your current license key, just go to Control Panel > Add Features to Windows [version] and enter the key there.

Probably... I'd assume hardcoding would work. Haven't tried it before.

Other methods usually don't work that well because of the

Here's some more information on Falseclock's method (at BIOS-Mods) to change BIOS settings manually through a UEFI shell. You'll need a USB flash drive for this.

PM me your BIOS dump and I'll check out that setting. The end manufacturer (Sager, Mythlogic, Prostar, Eurocom are some examples) might have changed some things around, so that's why it's useful in those cases.

The Clevo PxxRx models all have unified BIOSes (at least from my knowledge), so the only thing really different from the P650RE3 and the P650RE6 is the hardware specifications. (See this page with BIOS updates for this kind of Clevo hardware.)

I would not recommend flashing ALL regions with Intel FPT, just the BIOS region (is this what would fix the issue?) using the flag -BIOS* during flashing and backup. Other regions are write-protected and read-protected by the Intel ME anyway.

*I just updated my instructions to include this.


Best regards,

Exec360

 

You can't use tools, e.g. the Chipset menu "dvmt-prealloc" (which is a standard feature in prema mod) needs a code rewrite . If you would have made the effort to PM me, you would probably have the prema mod since a month...

There are many more 'problems' with this apart from just the writing method and I really don't have the time and energy to support and fix it on top of what I already receive in my inbox each day...

In simple words: If you flash this to any system, other than the authors very own, your "unique everything" like LAN MAC, board serial number etc is gone and it will have his instead. It contains his current NVRAM set, the EC may not match and cause a brick, the vBIOS in 'incomplete' and probably even unstable for most ASICs, some of the additional options can brick it...
I really admire the effort and don't want to talk it down, but it takes a lot more than simply unlocking a few things, publishing it and hoping for the best...