Official Sager NP5165 / Clevo W150HR Owner's Lounge

^^^^ Sager is currently shipping a 120W PSU in this model.
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You can try it out safeley without any problems as long as the voltage is right.

2 options:

1) During the use of 3D (GT555) the battery will also charge but slower than the 120W adaptor

2) During the use of 3D the battery will also uncharge but more slowely because of the lack of power


For the people who are searching a power adapter that's smaller than the original, CoolerMaster has now one that offers enough power for sure:
http://www.fudzilla.com/reviews/item/24145-cooler-master-usna-120-tested

 

I have a question regarding temperatures and cores after looking at a previous post. How long does the Ic thermal paste last and has anyone applied thermal paste to their CPU/GPU yet and what does "Wear" mean? Does wear mean before the battery becomes useless therefore buying another battery?


I just ordered my Sager Np6165 today after making a hard choice between looks (ASUS G53SX-XR1) or GPU. So these things will be nice to know and ultimately prepare me for doing some maintenance.

 

a.) re: underpowered for 1080p I'm referring specifically to gaming... LOL why buy a GT555M (and put up with size/weight tradeoffs compared to say GT520M) to run normal desktop functions?

b.) Increasing text size isn't a perfect solution, not all programs obey, not all GUIs resize appropriately, etc.

They should offer a 1440 or 1600 res option for anything under GTX560M in my opinion

 

IC Diamond thermal paste should last essentially forever once it's applied. The only time you'd need to remove it and put new stuff on is if you were to remove the heatsink for whatever reason. The paste itself has a shelf life of a few months to a year, or until it separates.

Battery "wear" refers to reduced capacity for battery life. The older and more heavily used the battery, the less able it is to hold the rated charge. After a certain number of charge/discharge cycles, it will most likely need replaced. (People run into this period after 2-4 years, depending on usage). It's just a side effect of how lithium ion batteries work.

 

hi folks - this looks like a good machine for me.

my only concern is the speakers. i've read the comments on here about them not being very good. just how bad are they? typical laptop speakers or even worse than that? i'm presuming its lack of bass. is this anything that can be remedied using something like srs sandbox software? its mostly for watching movies i'm concerned about...

 

They are pretty much just normal laptop speakers, and yea they are pretty tinny. I would get a laptop soundbar and be done with it personally.

 

mythlogic - thanks. didn't know soundbars existed! good solution. the logitech z305 looks very nice and has good reviews...

 

Yea they have been popular sellers for us when people buy these kind of laptops.

 

Hi experienced ones,

I have a new 5165 from xotic and took a look at the Windows User Experience scores before messing with anything except loading webroot antivirus and found my windows desktop score was only 5.2

I loaded the latest intel driver and still only post a 5.5

I noticed that another had a 6.9 with an i7 2630QM with stock drivers and nothing tweaked so I am concerned with my system which is as follows: NP5165 - i7 2670QM, 8gb DDR3, 500gb hybrid, GT 555M DDR3, Matte 95%, Win 7 Pro 64bit.

My WEI scores were, top to bottom, 7.5, 7.6, 5.5, 6.8, 5.9
3Dmark06 score was 10630

Any tips or help in getting the desktop graphics numbers up would be greatly appreciated

Thanks,

Scot

 

No scores to worry about, comparable with mine. Using a SSD will make the difference I think
Even you don't have to follow those scores too much, they don't say everything.

 

Sorry to start a new discussion but I was gonna see if some1 could halp me.
first went to college, didnt bring driver CD and now I has issues. my ctrl keys isnt working. I looked at the driver page on Sagers Site and there isn't one that specifically says keyboard driver cuz im thinking just reinstalling the driver might fix it. so what do?

 

Ordered one for myself, since my four-year-old HP is on it's last leg. You can see the specs in my signature. It should come Wednesday... I can't wait!

 

I'm not worried about the score for the sake of the score. I'm concerned that either my drivers are bad or that something else is messed up. I was unaware that a solid state drive would effect the "desktop graphics" score. I figured that a higher score in the HD read/write category would be attributed to the SS drive.

I just don't see how a slower processor mated with same GPU and RAM on the same computer scores 6.9 to my 5.5. That is a huge difference, one that I can't imagine is due to an SSD vs. Seagate Hybrid issue.

Just for comparison, my 3 year old Sager 8660 with a Core 2 Duo 8400 and Nvidia 9800 GTS has a desktop graphics score of 5.3.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks,

Scot

 

An SSD will not make any difference to your 5.5 Intel Graphics score. Both my Intel Graphic and Gaming Graphic scores are 6.4. You can go into your power plan screen and set your power plan to high performance and then go through all the options and set everything to the highest performance option available. Do not do this on battery. After that make sure that the graphics Optimums mode is activated, rerun WI and see if it improves any.

 

There is no keyboard driver. They work on PS2, just like a keyboard for a tower. Did you spill anything on the keyboard? You can try to reseat the keyboard ribbon cable too to see if that helps. Otherwise, try contacting your retailer for help

 

Hi, just wondering if anyone is using a laptop sleeve with their NP5165. If so, any recommendations?

I'm looking at the following Slappa products but fear the height is too small to fit. If anyone has any of these and fits, please let me know.

Ballistix PTAC Stealth Laptop Sleeve by SLAPPA 15.4''
Rubber Sole iPad/computer sleeves by SLAPPA
15.4''
P-Tac Matrix sleeves for iPad, Netbook, Macbook, Laptops and Gamer Laptops 15.4''
Black Diamond iPad, Netbook and Laptop Sleeves by SLAPPA

 

You might double check and see if it is only the Ctrl key that isn't working. Is it?

This is what you want to establish before contacting your dealer or reseller.
_

 

I have a i7 2630, 8GB Corsair 1600mhz Ram, I get 7.4, 7.6, 6.9, 6.9, 5.9 - I did get 5.5 for graphics score which turned out to be the intel driver. I downloaded and installed the intel driver from ftp://usftp.clevo.com.tw/W1x0HRx/VGA/VGA_I32.zip and this fixed it for me.

 

Tried it and still no change.

Thanks anyway. I'm gonna try a driver suggested below.

Scot

 

Ordered this laptop from Pro-Star: Prostar W150HRQ Custom Built Laptop | Clevo W150HRQ Custom Built Laptop | Sager NP5165 Gaming Laptop | Nvidia GeForce GT 555M Optimus Technology

The price was cheaper compared to other resellers. Still under 900$ with i7 added. But I never hear of Pro-Star on here, are they not good?

 

I check my build there and it was exactly the same price as Xotic. I went with the known Xotic for the proven service.

 

Did you use the promo code to save 30$ on prostar? I went with pro-star because xotic never replied to my price match thingy. My total was US$842.93 for the base build with Core i7-2630QM, 2.0 GHz CPU upgrade. They also gave a 3% discount for paying with wire transfer as well.

 

Hey guys. Does anyone know if it is possible/realistic to upgrade the video card from the 555m? I heard that it is easier to do on this sager model because it is in a pci express slot but not too sure what that means.

Anyways, my major concern is the optimus. I assume I would need a card that is better than the 555m and has optimus capability. Any suggestions?

 

Sorry this model does not allow for upgrading the video card at all. It is part of the motherboard.
_

 

The optimus enabled models (for now) are all non-upgradeable. The 555m and 540m are not MXM user-upgradeable cards, but are actually soldered directly on to the board. If you wanted to upgrade, you'd have to replace the whole motherboard - but there's none to change it out for.

Note, that while it's the case that optimus models now do not offer replaceable graphics cards, they are not mutually exclusive technologies. They just haven't implemented optimus on the higher end models yet.

 

That's cheap. Was your build completely stock except for the i7 swap?

I notice also that the stock build on Prostar has a 640gb 5400 rpm HD...Yuck! Still the swap to the Xotic base is only $25 and with the free shipping you still save $45... I would pay $45 for Xotic's CS personally.

 

Hi guys. Have any of you upgraded the processor yourselves and is it easy to get to?

I ask because I've just bought a 2720qm and want to put it in mine.

 

Hey Guys,
Has anyone tried playing Battlefield 3 on this model yet? I'm having massive stability issues. Called EA and was on the phone for an hour with tech support, they couldn't figure out what was going on. It randomly decided to work for about an hour the other day, but since, I've been crashing to desktop without even being able to load the menu. Anyone else experiencing similar issues?

 

Check out the disassembly guide (via user theriko): W15xHNx_ESM.zip

Might be an issue with Optimus? Although I suspect tech support may have suggested that. Make sure you're on AC power, you've got the high performance power setting, and the Optimus switch is turned on. You can also go into NVidia's control panel and tell it to switch to dedicated GPU when you play BF3.

 

Yeah I've done all that. Appreciate the tips though.
Has anyone actually been able to successfully play the game?
(referencing an earlier post about Crash to desktop with Battlefield 3)
Thanks!

 

Is the battery really as bad as people are claiming it is? I've read through almost this entire thread, and it seems like people are barely making 3 hours on this notebook. A quick check on the older 5160 though seems like it easily gets 4+ hours (web browsing and word processing).

I'm willing to step down the video card if it means more battery life.

 

Many are getting between 3-4 hrs of battery life with this machine.
_

 

Got mine today, it's pretty amazing even with the default screen.

 

I've been playing BF3 pretty regularly with the NP5165 (8GB, i7 2630). I get pretty good framerates only when I set everything to low. But I guess that's just the tradeoff you get when gaming on a semi-compact large laptop. Also make sure you set your fans to max (Fn + 1) otherwise your CPU temps will get to ~98C. With fan max, I get about 90C which is still pretty terrible.

I've had stability issues but after EA updated their servers recently I played a 3hr game without having any crash issues.

Still trying to figure out the best way to maximize cooling though. I'm sure I could fix this if I had a cooling pad, but I don't have one now. I repasted and got slightly lower temps, but not much at all. Someone also mentioned limiting the max CPU power, I tried this but the temps were still high.

Anyone got any other suggestions for temp management apart from the Fn+1 trick?

 

Has anyone else had issues with the blu-ray drive? Sometimes it doesn't respond to the button to open and I have to manually open with a paper clip and then the button starts working. When it doesn't respond, I can't eject in "My Computer" either.

Has anyone had issues with the battery wear? My HWMonitor tells me that I already have 15% wear on my battery (prob not accurate, but still wondering).

I've also been trying to find a way to purchase the Cooler Master 120W Ultra Slim Power adapter (USNA 120) but cannot find anywhere to purchase it. Has anyone found a place to get it or found a suitable slim 120W adapter?

 

I haven't heard widespread reports of that. It sounds like you may actually have a defective drive. Have you contacted your reseller about that?

Battery wear is common over time, but if you haven't had the machine for long that seems high. I'm guessing the HWMonitor is off. What kind of battery life are you getting?

 

I got the matte screen (really awesome!), i7 2670, 8gb 1330 RAM, 500 gb hybrid drive and get about 3-3.5 hours. I wasn't getting that until i switched to the best battery life profile in power management.

Per Clevo website - 5165 should get 240 minutes on the small battery. The one I got had the larger battery. Of course they might be referring to a unit with the lowest power CPU and less RAM amongst other things.

Other than the lower than expected battery life, I love the 5165. I play Crysis and "Optimize" sets everything at "High" where it runs well but I set it back to medium with some things left at high for effect and the FPS is great. Of course I could go to a 8130 or 50 but I don't play games enough vs the really bad batter life they offer to make it worth the switch.

 

I purchased the NP5165 from Xotic 3 months ago. I guess I should find out if I can get the drive replaced.

I'm guessing that HWMonitor is incorrect. I haven't timed it but I'm guessing I get around 2.5-3.5 hours of battery life on the 6-cell, which is par. I haven't noticed any huge change in battery life.

 

The biggest thing i'm grappling with, is the bump up to the 8130 isn't that much more price wise, but you get a better GPU, 4 DIMM slots for RAM so I can easily get 16GB of RAM (I plan on running multiple VMs at times), and the battery doesn't seem to be much worse than the 5165.

 

I had the same issue but when it comes down to it the 555m runs the most demanding game I have (Crysis) really well. The 560m is 45% faster in the benchmarks (15,200 vs 10,400 - 3Dmark 06) but is far behind the 580m and 6990m (20,600 and 21,300) of the 8150 so where does it stop? I'm not a serious gamer though

For me it was the battery life offered by Optimus and 3-3.5 is better than 1-2 especially considering Sager probably overstates the 2+. With no Optimus that 560m is running all the time.

The other major point was form factor and weight. The 5165 is 25-40 mm tall. The 8130/50 are 35-43mm tall. I like the smaller, lighter rig.

Xotic has the $100 discount on all Sagers right now too.

Good luck!

 

Yeah, I think I've decided on the 5165. Battery life isn't the best, but it's still better than the 8130, and the slightly lower price allows for a couple more upgrades (like the matte screen). Just need to wait for some financial aid to come in and then I'll be ordering this lappy .

 

Yeah, that 2.5-3.5 hours seems to be somewhat common, even without any wear. If you haven't noticed any changes in the life yet, I wouldn't be too concerned. As for the drive, go ahead and shoot an email to our service department and we can go ahead and look into that for you.

 

Great! Thanks for the info. I'll send an email now.

 

Is there any comprehensive guide to overclocking the 128-bit DDR3 555M?

Every source I've found refers to the 192-bit one that can match a stock 460M when overclocked.

Does the 128-bit come anywhere near as close and what is a safe OC for the card?

 

I've seen reviews for the Cooler Master 120W Universal Charger, but nowhere do I see where to purchase it. Any idea when its available for sale in the USA?

 

Are you not having heat issues with your NP5165? I assume OCing the 555M and running games on it (unless you've already undervolted or done something extensive) would lead to some major temp issues

 

I received my mythlogic poluxx1400 2 days ago,
So, let's have a little quick review.

 

Spec:
i7 2760
8gb 1600mhz RAM
M4 128gb SATAIII SSD
95% gamute matte screen
GT555m 2gb
Intel 6230 wireless card with BT3.0
and the rest are standard pretty much, usb3.0 and all that.

 

I've played Crysis @ a mix of Med/High settings @ highest resolution and have had no overheating on mine. I just 'Func/Num1' and the fan keeps her from getting too warm. I do have the diamond thermal paste. Standard 3Dmark 06 score was 10,400 so the card's working properly.

i7-2670, 8gb@1333, hybrid HDD, matte screen, 6230 wireless