*** Official Clevo W230SS/Sager NP7338 Owner's Lounge ***

I even didnt tought about heat producing by the ssd's and thermal throttling of that. Thank you very much. Heatsinks have I . But micro fan? Where get I the power supply for them? Only from usb, right ?

 

Yup . I have the Japanese version of this laptop , I modified the whole laptop in order to overclock the CPU
65 degree Celsius at full load is nice
40mm 5V dual fan

Spoiler

 

USB is good, yes. You can also solder on the contacts on the inside of the laptop, that way it doesn't sacrifice a port; these fans only draw 1W or so (1W/5V = 0.2A), which leaves 900 - 200 mA = 700 mA available for the usb device hooked up at the port. This is plenty for mice, usb sticks and so on. Only issue might be with self-powered external drives or charging phones.

Problem is that they'll be either on or off, so no middle ground or fan control. Alternative is making a splice of the regular fan's cable, since this is also 5V. You'd have the three fans run in sync., assuming that when the cpu is taxed heavily, so are the mSATA drives. Issue here is that the fan port is designed for 2.5W max. and since the stock fan is 2.0W, that means a net of -1.5W. Perhaps the port has some leeway to accommodate this, but haven't tested that. It'd be easier on a 4-pin fan system, since these use pwm control; you'd divide the pwm wire to all fans and hook the micro's voltage and ground to the usb ports or other 5V source. Doesn't work here; this system and most other Clevos use a 3-pin design.

Another, more expensive, option is using a thermistor-controlled switching resistor. This can be spliced between the 5V usb port, with the thermistor attached close as possible to the heatsink or the ssd's memory chips. That way fan control is automatic, no user-intervention required. You do need to use a single switch for both micro fans due their low power consumption, otherwise they'd be running 100% pretty much all the time. This, in turn, also means using a single usb port, rather than two, and limit it to 500 mA (about 50%) for the regular usb device.

 

Going to raided SSDs can be nice, but it's certainly not the jump from a regular HDD to SSDs as the small file speeds don't change, it's the sequential numbers for large files that get a lot faster.

 

Hello. Where can I buy a W230SS 1920x1080 replacement screen with shipment to EU? Obviously I would like to get it as cheap as possible. I live in Denmark and my local Clevo reseller asks 250eur for it.

 

Just found it on ebay by the number N133HSE-EA1 REV C1

 

Does anyone have a good guide for installing OS X El Capitain with Permamod on w230ss?

 

After much reading I have found that I need to set the DVMT value to get the HD4600 to play nice with Clover in OSX El Capitan.

I've sent Perma a message asking if this is possible, but not yet received a response. Can anyone tell me if this is possible?

Thanks for the help

 

You would need to flash his modified BIOS and look through the settings available.

 

Sorry I should have been more clear.

I have v1.1 flashed and have read on Page 216 that @Prema had shared with @rlandor advice on how to perform the DVMT setting to 128.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...38-owners-lounge.748242/page-216#post-9772984

 

I'm trying to replicate rlandors success but have not been able to set the DVMT

 

Mine stopped charging the other day and took the motherboard out to find this


Am i able to repair this or do i need a new motherboard? Thanks

 

From the schematics that heavy-duty inductor comes right after the DC-jack, so apparently it was killed by an over-current (the rating's rather close ...). Lightning, a short somewhere in the house or drawing a bit more than 120W from the adapter could've done that.

Replacing it isn't too hard and a lot cheaper than a new motherboard, so I'd give that a whirl first. Problem is finding a replacement; the part nr. is HCB4532K-800T60. Tried finding something similar on mouser, but none of them were as small as this one. Closest match is this DLW5BTM101SQ2L (for €1.21 / $1.32). It's a bit longer and half as wide, but you should be able to fit that thing nonetheless, there's ample space left around the pads.

Do take care; a shorted battery might've caused the overdraw as well. So better replace that along with the inductor or open its plastic casing and examine it for defective cells. Something else; even if it's still running on DC only; the inductor did serve to suppress noise and the longer it's running without one, the higher the risk there'll be additional damage to the motherboard or the other components.

 

Officially take it to a professional to be looked out due to the fire hazard.

However it's worth seeing if there if the damage has hit multiple pcb layers as if it has then the board is likely toast.

 

I'd say it's at least worth getting a quote from a good repair shop, and comparing that to the price of another mobo.

 

Hello,

Are these models discontinued? I'm trying to find a old used one to complement my desktop as I like the 13 inch form factor but seem to only see new14 inch models anywhere? Any thoughts?

Thanks.

 

Ebay Amazon and generally forums and users and people selling them.
I am currently looking to sell mine along with the external gpu setup I have with it..
Mines the w230st.. So its a bit older, but take care laptops I own. Still have my w110at and Lenovo y580 because they are just superb laptops.

But time to upgrade and move on from the small notebook era and get the new p640re or wait till later this year for something newer in the gpu world

Sent from my SM-J100VPP using Tapatalk

 

Too bad your from USA. I may of considered my w230sd with 960m

 

Thanks. Yeah I've been looking on eBay and the forum here for some to come up. The search continues!

 

The 14 inch models are the replacement for the most part.

 

Yes, there seems to be more of a trend in 14 inch gaming models, and 13s have been fading away. A good amount of 13 inch models won't have dedicated graphics. Which, that might still be okay if you aren't using them for workstations for 3D graphics, or maybe just playing less demanding games off of the Intel HD graphics.

 

Thank you! I did exactly what you instructed and my laptop charges now. =)

 

Nice work there, at least it was a nice big part rather than some tiny resistor.

 

Hi,

I was wondering If I could get some help troubleshooting my laptop.

Problem: The laptop batteries will no longer charge. When I plug my laptop power adapter into my laptop, the notification icon in my system tray(I have windows 8.1) says that the laptop is "plugged in, charging". However, the laptop does not charge. The battery just remains at the same percentage it was when the adapter was connected. When I remove the power adapter, the battery goes down. I am only able to use my laptop while it's plugged in now.

Troubleshooting: I have two batteries and two power bricks. I've tried charging both batteries with both power bricks and neither will charge. My second power adapter I bought within the past week. This leads me to believe that neither the battery nor the power adapater is to blame. The problem first occurred suddenly and it affected both of my batteries. My laptop is approximately 2 years old.

I'm not sure what to do next. Is there any way for me to verify if it's my motherboard or my OS driver? What else could possibly be going on? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Have you tried clearing the EC on it? Remove the battery, unplug it from the power cord, hold down the power button for 30 seconds. See if that helps.

 

I just tried this and it didn't seem to have any effect.
Here are the steps I did: Shut down laptop, take out battery, take out power cord, held power button for 1 minute, plugged battery back in, plugged power cord back in, turned on laptop.

 

Yeah, that sounds right for resetting the EC. It may be a motherboard issue or possibly an issue with the DC jack itself. Have you tried contacting the reseller where your computer is from to see if they have any help on it?

 

Calling on all W230SS laptop owners: My 860m GPU is stuck with error code 43 after an Nvidia driver update (364.72), rendering the discrete GPU useless. I am trying to restore it to working order. I am using windows 10.

I have tried uninstalling nvidia drivers with DDU in safe mode, the latest version as of right now. After successful uninstall I reinstalled the latest Nvidia driver 368.22, still the same error.
I then reinstalled windows with a clean install from a USB, then installed the same driver. Nothing changed.
I manually uninstalled all Nvidia driver folders, and searched the registry for any entries containing 'Nvidia' and deleted as many as I could. I then used DDU as before, and rechecked the registry after and confirmed there were no entries for Nvidia. No dice.

At this point, I am considering installing a different OS such as windows 7; updating/reinstalling my BIOS; reinstalling the GPU driver with an earlier version; uninstalling my Intel drivers as well as my Nvidia ones, and that is about all I've got.

If you could point me to known functioning drivers; BIOS downloads/install media, or any other advice, I would be very, very grateful. I can supply more information as needed.

This renders my laptop useless for my needs until I can fix it. A software driver should not kill hardware. Help me make that statement true.

 

If you can do a fresh install and it does not work I would have to assume you have a hardware error.

 

Hey, Meaker, thank you for taking the time to read my post and trying to help me, it really means a lot. I would assume this too, except that the GPU was fully functioning before this driver update, and not immediately afterward. Even then, I would be attributing this to coincidence if after googling this specific driver I hadn't found multiple accounts of people like me having issues with this driver causing their GPUs to have errors.

Here are some example threads I found:
https://forums.geforce.com/default/...e-43-device-no-longer-recognized-even-after-/
https://www.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/4cl342/installed_36472_on_my_w10_machine_with_gtx_780ti/
https://www.reddit.com/r/techsuppor...72_driver_update_led_me_to_get_error_code_43/

All of them report the same issue, and none of them offer a fix that I have seen/that has worked for me so far. I am, unfortunately, refusing on principle to believe that a software update would brick a piece of hardware, simply by installing it. There must be a way to fix it, or a driver really has caused hardware damage.

 

I fixed it. I actually did. Turns out, reflashing the BIOS, that included reflashing the GPU, fixed it. No more error codes, no strange behaviour, just running as it was supposed to.

I am surprised that an Nvidia driver would somehow corrupt a laptop GPU VBIOS, but I find it easier to believe than it frying electrical equipment just by being installed.

So there we go, that's the solution if anybody else is having/has had a similar issue. Flash your graphics card's VBIOS. Use NVFLASH if you have a desktop, or look for your laptop's BIOS online, as it will flash your GPU.


Needless to say, I am relieved.

 

There have been more reports as time goes on of firmware issues, thanks for sharing the solution so I can point people in the right direction.

 

No problem, I'm just glad it's resolved. I have my laptop back!

 

Had the same problem with my GPU. I wish that would have been posted before getting my motherboard replaced. Anyways this is my first and only Sager laptop. Too many issues and the support was mediocre. I'm assuming the GPU died due to heat issues (even though I keept it on a perforated stand with cool air blowing under it). I keep the internal fan at 100% & a fan blowing on the stupid thing when I game now.

 

You shouldn't always have to keep it at 100% with another fan. It doesn't hurt as heat is generally good to avoid, but it shouldn't be required. Hopefully you are seeing lower temperatures, after the RMA.

 

My fan started grinding today. Does anyone have experience with this replacement fan or any of the other sellers on eBay? I'll try the magnets trick too but I'd like a backup plan.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-for-Cle...612603?hash=item4af23c37bb:g:daUAAOSwA4dWG8os

 

You don't even have to take the heatsink off, take the bottom cover, unscrew the fan only, unplug it. Put the new one in, plug it in and screw it down. Job done.

 

Looks like they have solid seller ratings, and a return policy in case it doesn't. I'd think you should be fine.

 

Just fired this guy up again - still runs great.

 

You hitting the road with it or just checking it still lives?

 

Been using another laptop for casual usage - not travelling right now or anything.

Just wish it was the form factor of my old NP6110.. that was the greatest laptop I ever owned. Too bad it won't keep up with CS:GO on high shaders

 

edit: everything works great

 

I'm not sure if any of the NBR gurus even read this thread anymore, because nearly no one here even has a W230SS... but, nevertheless - worth posting here. @Meaker@Sager, @Prema, @t456, maybe @Phoenix?

First, why doesn't the 'use native ASPM' option in Prema Mod work? I mean, I can switch it on, but it causes Windows to hang and freeze entirely. Next, I hear terrible crackling from the speakers. How do I silence this? I want this machine to last me another two years, so... hope to fix these issues.

 

I hear the same crackling noise from the speakers when the laptop starts up to the desktop. It doesnt do that when I wastch a movie or play a game on it, still love it though. I use my mostly for business.

 

The sound drivers will kick in and start noise suppression during start up.

 

This thread is practically dead.

 

Speaking of things that are practically dead, my W230SS just died. Hard shut down when watching a video on YouTube and keeps shutting down after a few minutes of being on now, including exclusively time in the BIOS. I've ruled out the storage, RAM, battery and power brick. It's about 6 months out of warranty so I'm debating if it's worth paying the $350+ to replace the motherboard. Alternatively I could tear it apart for parts and sell them on eBay and get a new laptop. Is there any chance it could be something simple like a short in the power button? How much do you think Sager would charge if it ended up being a problem like that?

Honestly this whole computer has been a **** show, I don't think I'll ever buy a Clevo/Sager again.

 

Mine's still running fine and haven't seen much reason to 'upgrade' yet. BGA is not an option, so will at least wait until Clevo (or anyone else ... <- fat chance) will release a worthy ~14"-ish successor to the W230S* series.

Haven't got much to report either, but am still subscribed to the thread in case there's some issue I may be able to help with. Did have to fix the ubiquitous broken hinge problem just now, so there's that:

Spoiler: Clevo W230SS - hinge, broken

Spoiler: Clevo W230SS - hinge, 3x M4x10 inox

Spoiler: Clevo W230SS - hinge fix, uncropped

Spoiler: Clevo W230SS - hinge fix, cropped

The Ti sheet was a bit of a pain (it killed one 4mm drill bit), so used fairly small bolts; M4x10 worked fine without needing washers. Resorted to a grinder in order to crop the bolts since it was much faster than the rotary power tool.

Btw, will swap in a 13.3" or 14" oled once their prices drop to an acceptable level ($100 or so).

Same thing with AC and on battery only? To rule out ground loop also disconnect ethernet cable and cabled mouse.

It's possible, but auto-shutdown due to power button should only take 10 seconds or so. If the leds blink before it shuts down then it's a fan/temperature issue. Does the fan actually spin when the laptop starts?

Sager will simply swap the motherboard and charge you for that, don't count on them to keep repair costs low. You'd be better off buying an SD mb rather than an out-of-warranty repair with a reseller. Another option is to take it to a local repair shop; they will charge a small 'to-look' fee, but will also check for such simple defects as a power button board.

All laptops have issues (and so does every other piece of hardware). Have repaired examples of almost every brand there is, yet the great thing about Clevos is that the major repair-prone parts are easily accessible..

You could consider HP ProBooks; build quality is excellent (but these too can fail). Switching to business model does mean paying a premium and/or accepting lower hardware specifications. Clevo line means unbeaten power:dollar ratio and bland looks, usually; can't tell it's twice as expensive (due to upgrades) as the sleek Apple weakling that's sitting next to it.

 

Thanks for the advice. Let me explain a few more details about the problem - let me know if you've got any ideas. After about 40 minutes of having the computer on, it just does a hard restart. The shutting down behavior is the same as if you had pressed and held the power button, with the screen going black, no lights anywhere, etc... After a second of this, the keyboard backlight lights up briefly like it usually does when turning on and then it boots. After about a minute of it being in Windows it then does this hard restart again. One time I got an an error that says the SATA bus has no drive to boot from. The next day I can't get that error again. Right now it isn't restarting after the hard shut down, and restarts even when it's in GRUB bootloader. If I try it the next day, I will get another ~40 mins out of it before this happens.

I do not believe it's a fan or temperature issue because the fan is spinning (I did hear it grinding a bit a few weeks ago but that disappeared. It's definitely moving now). I checked the temps with RealTemp and they're in the 50s and 60s, so nothing to worry about. I don't think it's the SSD because there's nothing showing up in SMART. I don't think it's the battery or the power brick because this happens equally when plugged in or on battery. Pretty cut-and-dried motherboard (northbridge?) problems? Or is there anything I should try monkeying with before I send it in? The price Sager quoted for a mobo replacement was less than I can find a W230SS mobo online for.

 

I'd rule out every possible peripheral first; you don't want to have the mobo replaced only to find out it's a different, cheaper component that is faulty. SMART cannot inform about every potential hardware defect, so we can't take its clean health check at face value (ssds crap out without any prior warning when the controller dies).

Try no hdd(s), no wifi, one ddr bank (try both individually) and dgpu disabled. Even cpus can be defective, although chances are slim, so cpu swap would be great, too. Anyway, next run a bootable, live os and see if it'll make a difference. Could also run the 30 minutes, put it to sleep/hibernate for 30 minutes and resume. If that cycle increases its 'uptime' then one or another IC component is probably faulty, partially defective and/or has diminished capacity. If that's happening in the bare-minimum scenario then the mb replacement would be warranted.