*** Official Clevo PB5xExx(-G) Owner's Lounge ***

Hello y'all,

I should begin by saying that my username holds true and I am not that tech savvy, whatever I have learnt has been from this thread and excessive amount of recent research about laptops and how they work.

Now, I have been following this thread for a while as I got the PowerSpec 1520, but I replaced the first two units I got, one for a faulty spacebar key and the second one because it seemed like it was used by someone before (with personal files on the computer) and when I opened up the back-plate to have a look at the internals and it was riddled with fingerprints and significant scuff marks on the inner plastic of the back plate. I should mention, the second one seemed to run really cool, without any repaste but with UV and GPU OC, it gave pretty good temps and benchmark scores and I was iffy about returning it, as I was concerned that I might be at the short-end by spinning the wheel on a new replacement. But I ended up replacing it anyway, and I do regret it.

I still haven't tested my new unit or have a look at the internals, but the biggest issue I noticed as of right now is that there is pretty bad keyboard flex/weakness. And it happens to be around the O and P keys and the surrounding areas. It is bad enough to where if I am typing lightly I feel a difference with depression in and around that part and it is an unpleasant typing experience. Now, I don't remember it being this way on the last two units. Also the rest of the keyboard is very sturdy, but the O-P part happens to be very bothersome.

Micro-center happens to be an hour or more away and I have been there twice after to replace this unit. I am quite certain they're as tired of me as I am of them, now I would want to travel there again. I don't know if this is a common issue and I just didn't see it before and am overthinking it now. Or I got handed and bad unit and I should just get a refund/replacement. The value was just too good for me to pass up, but now the opportunity cost of it all considering that I have been there to replace it twice and PowerSpec QC isn't as reliable as the re-sellers online seems way to high for another replacement and then hope to not find faults again.

I am hoping someone who has this unit or the PB51 can help me with my keyboard flex query and/or tell me what seems to be an issue with mine and if I can just fix it myself. Or advise me if I should just return it.

Sorry for the long post, I wanted to start off on these forums with the reviews of the two units I had with the data I collected and stuff. But sadly it had to be this query. Hopefully I will post those once I am done keeping an actual unit.

Thank you for your patience and help.

 

I bought my 1520 about a week ago. I haven’t had any issues with my unit whatsoever. However, I think your pint about QC being a crap shoot is valid. The first unit that they gave me had fan issues and thankfully they agreed to install an extra stick of ram for free or I would have been returning the unit the next day. Thankfully, the second unit they gave me has been fine in every way. I didn’t notice a flex in the keyboard at all either. I thought it was incredibly rigid and the keys had a lot of throw.

 

Honestly, I would just return your unit form MicroCenter and get the Clevo PB51EF-G from GenTechPC: https://www.gentechpc.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Sager-NP8356-Build

Why, do you ask? Well, there are a few reasons.

1. The price is about the same. The PowerSpec 1520 unit I purchased from MicroCenter was $1624 after taxes. With GenTechPC there are no taxes unless you live in California, so my customized unit was $1638 after a $50 cash discount.
2. For that price, my GenTech unit has a few advantages over the 1520. This included LM (Liquid Metal) thermal paste on the CPU/GPU, Fujipoly Extreme Thermal Pads on the surrounding components, dual channel RAM (2x 8GB sticks), and a unit that just looks better with no labels and black colour.
3. You do lose some things, however. These include the Windows Pro Install (it's +$70 for Home and +$120 for Pro) and storage (you can add a 256GB SSD for +$45 however). These didn't matter much to me because I always go for a fresh install of Windows anyway (which is very easy to do) and I have my own storage to add, which is cheaper to do aftermarket anyways. This is also true for RAM, but unfortunately removing the RAM was not an option.

The biggest downside is that you have to wait longer, as there is a 5-10 business day time frame while they build your unit, and then you have to wait for shipping. There are rush options for a premium, but when it comes to LM and Fujipoly application, you can't have it rushed. Given that the better cooling is a primary reason why's say go with GenTech ver MicroCenter, this wait can't really be avoided. I haven't received mines yet, but when I do I'll provide a quick rundown on how it functions compared to the 1520. Until then here's a quick overview of the Clevo PB51EF-G from GenTech themselves:

 

Why was your purchase over $1600 bucks? Mine was $1656 with an extra 16gb of ram. The laptop was price $1499 at my local store.

 

Was that with tax?

 

$1499.99 + $123.75(tax) = $1623.74 total

 

Looks like $1964 if you want 500GB SSD and Windows 10 Pro. Hardly the "same price" to me.

 

I was really hoping some people would've mentioned they too had the weird flex on the keyboard. Getting another laptop, setting it all up again and again is getting tiring. I figured the flex near the O-P was weird because I don't seem to remember noticing it on the previous two units.

If anyone has any advise on if it is DIY fixable or they seem to have the same issue, I am looking forward to a response/help. Thanks.

 

Hey,

Thank you for your reply.
I was looking at unit from GenTech initially and then found the 1520, the time was a really big factor when I went for the 1520. Although now the amount of time I have invested in having a good 1520 seems bad too.
Your points about cooling an such are really valid. But I figured I could get a cheaper unit and just repaste by myself later. Thanks for the help though and hopefully your PB51 unit ends up being awesome

 

I have some slight flex there, but not enough to be noticeable unless I'm looking for it. It's all pretty solid underneath the keyboard so I don't know why yours would have much flex.

 

Hey, thanks for the reply.

It's good to hear that your second unit is awesome. What kind of fan issues did you have on your unit btw? Also, when I went for a replacement they weren't as nice to me on offering stuff as they were to you. I guess if and when I go for a return they might offer some stuff. I figured my keyboard is weird as I don't remember noticing it on my previous two unit. Still hoping someone has advise about fixing/dealing with the same.

 

I didn't claim the price was the same for an identical configuration. I customized the GenTechPC unit to be roughly the price of the PowerSpec. I then explained the pros and cons of each, stating that the GenTechPC unit is a superior purchase.

That's true that you can repaste yourself, but I'd rather have my unit cover the LM application under the warranty than doing it myself. I hope it ends up being awesome too.

 

The situation was a little unique. I bought a Helios 300 and it was overheating, when I returned it I decided to go for the 1520. The salesperson nudged me with saying they would install the extra stick of ram for free. That made my decision very easy.

The fan noise I’m not sure since the tech installing the ram noticed it, not me. He said it was a screeching noise that started on boot up and dissipated as the unit booted. They didn’t feel comfortable giving it to me so, they exchanged it and reinstalled the ram in another unit.

The two things I want to do still is install my 860 evo into the chassis instead of hooked up to an enclosure and repaste. I’m nervous to do it though because I’m not well versed in taking apart laptops. Been building desktops for years, but laptops have always been intimidating for me.

 

It's likely it had a bad bearing which settled in when warmed up and at speed.

 

I have a slight bulge in the middle of keyboard above the right side of space key. I thought it was the ribbon cable which produces that but I folded it properly so it should not be pushing up. I guess there must be something else which prevents keyboard from laying flat on the metal plate underneath.

 

Have you laid the keyboard out on a flat surface to see if it is flat?

 

Meaker, can you talk about the 8356? Like when it may be coming and any changes other than cpu?

 

Oh you mean the successor to it, nothing official from us just yet.

 

What’s the consensus on repasting? Is it worth the hassle? If so, how difficult is it and what paste would you use?

 

Repasting is not difficult if you know how to use screwdriver. As to whether it is worth the hassle - you decide. For me it was worth it because I saw temperature drop without relying on unreliable methods like Throttlestop (no CPU is made the same so you are NEVER guaranteed a same voltage decrease as some others will be able to achieve) and because it gave me a chance to check how good the application of thermal pads was for components around the CPU and GPU.

As for thermal paste - I tried the Coolemaster Mastergel Nano, it was easy to spread and according to objective tests it seem to work well for a variety of situations:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-comparison,5108-10.html
Some people may recommend something else and generally they all should work well enough. One paste that I would not recommend is IC Diamond - it is harder to spread (spreading the paste evenly before applying heatsink is the only way to make sure the GPU and CPU have full coverage, using "blob in the middle" or drawing lines or crosses may leave spots not covered by paste) and there's a chance of scratching the CPU or GPU when spreading it due to high diamond content.

 

Installing another ssd was easy enough. After examining the copper heatsink, do you only have to remove all of those screws mounting it to the pcb or are there other components you need to remove too?

 

You only have to remove screws next to numbers, the ones that hold GPU and CPU heatsinks and 2 screws which hold each fan. Each screw has a number next to it so it makes it easy to see which ones you need to remove. And you don't need to actually remove screws which hold heatsinks, just have to unscrew them completely and leave them in their sockets. The screws which you have to completely remove are 4 screws which hold fans (2 screws for each fan).

Also, you need to unplug fan connectors, each fan has a small white connector connecting it to motherboard. You don't need any tools, can just use your nails.

 

Great, thank you! I might attempt this at some point. How much of a drop did you see in temps?

 

Unfortunately I did not make screenshots using programs like Prime95, GPU-z or anything that will put consistent load on CPU and GPU using stock paste but there was a drop by about 3-5C for both CPU and GPU. Of course if the stock paste application is pretty bad - you might see larger difference.

 

Or if your application is not quite right then you could see less/no difference.

 

If done correctly, really worth it. I use Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut and that has a spreader with it that makes applying the paste really easy.

 

Dont pre spread the paste, the heatsink should be able to do that as you put it on. Line for the CPU and X for the GPU.

 

Fun FACT: if you don't spread the paste manually - you cannot know whether you applied enough and whether the heatsink will spread it over all of the surface of GPU or CPU. Unless, of course, you buy heatsink made out of glass, but glass is a bad thermal conductor ;-)

 

You'll know whether you applied enough or not one way or another...

With enough experience/trial & error you can get a pretty good sense of how much to apply without pre-spreading.

 

Maybe, but I prefer to not waste a thermal paste on "trials" (including on applying too much where heatsink just squeezes out a large amount of wasted paste) and do it right the first time ;-)

This is also why I am wishing that Thermal Grizzly Carbonaut would finally start appearing here, it should get rid of any such issues like wasted paste or not applying enough.

 

You can test to get a good idea of temperatures and removing it to check the spread pattern. You can use a bit too much and be perfectly safe with standard paste too.

Spreading it yourself you don't know if you have air bubbles or not unless you use glass

 

I’ve been using the 1520 mostly hooked up to an external monitor the past week. Should I keep the lid closed or open when gaming? I also have it on a cooler which hasn’t seem to have made much of a difference.

 

Open for cooling

 

I was thinking that too today lol. I’m interested to see how much my temps drop. Doesn’t the chassis vent a bit through the keyboard?

 

Yes and heat naturally rises.

 

There are a few tiny holes in keyboard metal plate above the fans but they don't make any significant difference. You can test it yourself - run something like Prime95 or some game benchmarks like Forza Horizon 4 and see temps with lid closed or open using HWiNFO. Just make sure to disable the "Lid close action" in power options ;-)

 

Close the lid and run an intensive program for a while, then lift the lid and see how warm your keyboard/screen is getting.

 

Hey,
Thank for the response. And sorry about the delayed reply.

I went ahead and checked other units, the flex seems to be an issue on all the PB50 units at MC. But that unit had more than a bit. There was severe backlight bleed and one of the trackpad keys also just popped off after a couple of hours of scarce use. Local MC techs said that policy is that PowerSpec units cannot be serviced or worked on in local MC and need to be sent to corporate for all repairs and such and that is a 2 week minimum wait. I didn't want to go through with a replacement this time and got a refund. They also mentioned that the new PowerSpec laptops they would advise against, as multiple people in my local have returned theirs due to various QC issues. I'll probably end up getting the PB51 from HID or Gentech, it'll be a couple of hundred extra, but the QC should be good. It is the wait of 2-3 weeks that's really bothersome. I do think if people get a good MC PowerSpec unit it is the best bang for buck out there though.

 

That's awesome, I ended up refunding my unit as it had multiple QC issues. Although I noticed that the keyboard flex in the area I had is prevalent on almost all the units, it was just a bit more worse on the unit I had. I'll probably end up getting a PB51 from a reseller. I'm glad your 1520 worked out though, it's really good bang for buck. Btw, my local MC said they can't service or make a decision regarding RMA of PowerSpec units at local MCs and need to send it to their main office or something, just a heads if you ever need to get your unit serviced at at your local MC.

 

I'm gonna make a crosspost of same benchmark results I got with my PB51ef from 17" version thread, since they basically have same hardware. This might be useful for anyone if they want to compare performance in games and not 3DMarks. I used games that have built-in benchmarks and use DX12. This is using latest 430.53 drivers. No undervolting or GPU overclocking and Clevo Control Center set to Performance.

Here's Division 2 in Ultra mode and DX12 (no changes to other settings):



Here is Metro Exodus, using "Benchmark.exe" file in the game folder and using "Extreme" mode in benchmark:



and this is Metro Exodus using "RTX" mode in benchmark:




Here's also Forza Horizon 4 for anyone interested (this game currently can be played for $1 if you sub for Xbox Game Pass, it can be played on PC), with stock settings but Frame Rate set to "unlocked" and Vsync set to disabled (for some reason FH wanted to lock my FPS at 72 when using auto-detect so I just disabled Vsync and set Frame Rate to unlocked since it can clearly run faster):



And this is Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the demo that is free to download. All the options maxed out and enabled, including Ray Tracing Shadows and DLSS (leaving preset on "Highest" does not enable Ray Traced Shadows so I just set everything to max instead of using the presets):

 

Hey,
Thanks for the reply. I didn't have a bulge anywhere on the 3 units that I had. So I would have that looked at from whoever/wherever you bought it. Or see what the people on this thread advise you to do about the same. Hopefully you get it all sorted and your units functions properly.

 

It's a very tiny bulge, doesn't really bother me much but something I noticed. Clevo should've just added a few more screws to hold keyboard metal backplate to laptop's metal chassis more evenly.

 

A few more screws is actually quite expensive from a production point of view, you have the extra construction steps and the holes in the motherboard.

 

Schenker Compact 15 and PCSpecialist Vortex IX offer this laptop with 4k 60hz OLED panels. Is anyone experienced with oled panels on laptops? Cheers.

 

Ok, So just ran a test with Rise of the tomb Raider...

Numbers don't look very good. Would this definitel be a case I need to re-paste..?

 

I think 4K on a laptop is ridiculous... you won't see the difference and your fps will drop like an iron ball to the floor... Totally useless...

 

Do you have some real time numbers?

 

What do you mean?

 

I do not have this game, I have Shadow of Tomb Raider because it has free benchmark. When running benchmark the highest CPU temperature was 88C and GPU temperature was 72C. If you will get higher than those, you should repaste. I recommend using a high-viscosity thermal paste, like Gelid GC Extreme. I have discovered that using low viscosity thermal pastes might produce very uneven core temperatures.

 

I have purchased the recommended Kryonaut. Any tutorials out there?