*** Official Sager NP8170/Clevo P170HM Owners Lounge ***

The 90% screen is the only choice for photographers and computer animators.

 

Hmmmmmm not sure I like the sound of that. Is there anyway to just not enroll in the start for the fingerprint scanner? breaks in the desert and I would realllllllly hate it for that fingerprint scanner to break and then get locked out.

 

Are there any drivers that differ between the P170HM3 and the P170HM?

I'm prepping an updated driver disc in anticipation of my laptop coming any day now and want to be sure I'm installing the right stuff.

o I need a specific driver for the screen?

 

Just a quick update on this dumb question - so far I think I fixed it by installing the newer nvidia drivers > Sagers. I should have known better *sigh*

 

They came on at full force but did not slow down after post. They remained at high speed until I turned the laptop off about an hour later. Another time, they came on at full speed, and lowered themselves about 10 minutes of work. And then at OTHER times, they have lowered after windows loaded.

It is WEIRD.

Also weird, it slept while plugged in, despite all power options for plugged in being set to NEVER. Really annoying when you go to bed leaving it to do an hours-long animation render, and see it went to sleep 15 minutes later. I went in and set all the battery options to NEVER as well, and that seemed to resolve that issue.

 

Nope, there isn't a screen specific driver. The 3D Vision drivers are all bundled with standard Nvidia drivers now as well (and have been for a number of releases). As long as you download the newest stable release of video drivers, it should include everything you need for the emitter/glasses. The screen will just operate at the correct settings by default

 

Thanks!

 

Very impressed with the 3d

 

Hello!

Just unboxed my Malibal p170hm... very nice, very impressed with both the machine and Malibal. Quick question though, anybody know the size of the screws used to screw a hd into the secondary caddie? I went to install a secondary hd and did all the fun removal of the blu ray drive and got the caddie out, but no screws to attach the hard drive. I have no problem getting them, just need to know the size.

Thanks.

 

I believe there is no screws, I think you just insert it and it's held in place by tension.

 

Most retail packaged HDD's come with the four M3x4mm or M3x5mm flat head fasteners. OEM drives do not. You should use them in the Sager.

Scott

 

Thanks you...

 

quick question - when you upgrade to the 120Hz 3D 72% screen - is the emitter built into the screen? thus if you don't get the nvidia glasses kit, in the future you just need to buy the glasses right?

I'm leaning towards Malibals free 3d screen upgrade - but it does not come with the glasses kit.

thanks..

p.s. i'm very new here, and it took a few days but i read all 358 pages of this thread...sheesh!

 

That´s right, but the emmitter is in the main housing below the screen

 

Hi, if you select the FREE 3D Screen option, the only other thing you will need to purchase is the 3D Glasses, which are $75. We can sell them to you - please let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks!

 

Can we stuff a 1TB 12mm hard drive into the slot under the cd, I know we couldwith the primary drive. Thanks

 

No... 9.5~9.7mm is it.

Scott

 

an update on my display/video card issue: just this past week I sent my machine in AGAIN for repair. Two days ago I received an email from sager saying this:

I then promptly called sager support and was told that I had the option of downgrading (they said upgrade) to an nvidia 560m, or paying $180 for an nvidia 485m. After an email to the manager I was told that they could do it for $50 Can anyone here give me any advice on this issue?
After the recent drop in price for the 485m it seems they should give it to me for free for my trouble! Also would I be out of line asking for the existing radeon card to be returned with my machine?

I wish I could give credit to the person a few weeks ago in this thread who was talking about the motherboards being different for nvidia/radeon cards, but I'm tired and don't feel like hunting that down. but could the issue be the motherboard that is in my machine is the wrong one?

 

Well i wont advice going from AMD Radeon 6970M to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M, the 560M is a lot slower!

3D Mark Vantage GPU score (560M) - 7988
3D Mark Vantage GPU score (6970M) - 11573

Aint there some warranty stuff that you can use here? IF your NP8170 didnt get delivered 100% plug and play ready then its Sagers fault!

 

What was wrong with your machine ? I must've missed it.
They didn't say anything about upgrading to 6990 or 580 ?

 

They should just upgrade you to a free 6990M, since it came out at the same pricepoint as the 6970M. I'd push for that.

 

I was having distortion on all transition graphics (black fading into white and all the ranges in between) Also was VERY visible on windows 7 glass with my black theme.

I got this computer mid/late June this year... so it should be under warranty for another 10 months and they said "parts and labor for a year" so I assume that covers an upgrade to the 6990 or 580 for free if I push for it? (like Delpan said, if it didn't come 100% plug and play its their problem)

They said that it was a problem with the radeon 6970m in my machine for some reason and im wondering if I have the wrong mobo. I just am not sure if that problem would be the same with all radeon cards or just the 6970m

*Edit* they did originally give me the option to upgrade to the 580m but never said a word about the 6990m

 

Bought AU Optronics B173HW01 V4 from Delpan
Thinking of picking up Spyder3 Express to calibrate the screen once it gets here.
Anyone got any experience with calibrating screens in our laptops ?

 

I have only used software to calibrate the screen which is unsatisfactory. I wish I had the Spyder. Xotic is offering screen calibration using the Spyder and they might help you with the process.

 

I've installed the AUO B173HW01 V4 - and all I can say is WOW, this is even better than my 17 inch MBP's screen (except in black levels).

I was just wondering if it's normal for the screen to have ubersaturated reds even with the corresponding ICC profile. Is this because Windows has OS-level color management?

 

So far I could find ths info, as Delpan said the one he's sending me appeared heavy on red, apparently it's pretty complicated when it comes to calibration and what you can do on a laptop

WIDE GAMUT ADOBE RGB LCD Monitors Screens Troubleshooting Over Saturated sRGB Color Reviews on the Web Tutorial
WEB BROWSER COLOR MANAGEMENT Tutorial - Test Page FireFox Safari Chrome Internet Explorer IE 9- FILES have embedded ICC profiles Photoshop ColorManagement

 

It is a shame that the "upgraded" displays are reported as having such a red push. I shouldn't have to purchase a color calibration device just to enjoy my new laptop. OTOH, I have "heard" that the standard screen has a difficult time just producing black and appears washed out. What is a prospective customer to do?

 

Can anyone here comment on their AMD 6990M temps with the new heatsink? I am close to buying one of these machines and am concerned about the heat under prolonged use.

How is the cooling design on this chassis? Can it sufficiently handle the higher temps from these top-end GPU's?

 

If it is feasible that Clevo has put high-end options on these machines, then the conclusion will be that it can of course, handle these high-end GPUs. I can't speak for the 6990M or the GTX 580M, but my 485M has been a very good dog under load, although I have the 15" Clevo though.

 

@ ajbutch1223
Well, one would expect that a company selling computers would not allow a machine to be put together when combining specific hardware has been proven to cause issues. They are the manufacturer, after all, supposedly the specialists with the most up-to-date knowledge and great reputation. It is similar to finding out about that mobo problem and having to recall and replace.

If Sager sold a machine in a configuration known to cause issues, then they should rectify the issue AT NO CHARGE, replacing the component causing the issue with one of equal or better performance, just like any other business would and should do.

If they do this (and again, it should be done for free given the frustration and time you've invested) then IMHO I would not expect them to give me back the graphics card without my paying for it -- BUT -- they should extend your warranty back to the full 12 months as of the day you sign with the courier that you received your 'renovated' and working machine back to compensate for time and effort on your part.

PUSH FOR A REPLACEMENT to equal or better part at NO CHARGE to you, with warranty upgrade back to full year. YOU should not be making up for their lack of research/testing prior to offering that combination of hardware for sale...

 

Yes used a Spyder3 and it made my 120hz screen beautiful, before it was "very blue". A night an day difference in my case.

 

Thanks for the advice! Just this morning I was on the phone with sager tech support and they STILL wanted me to pay $50 for the 485m, and didn't say a thing about the radeon card that I have, or the new 6990m. I asked them if they could just make it work with the specs that I got it with, but for some reason they said that 'could not be done'. After a discussion that I seemed to be on the loosing end of, I told them that I would review the warranty information and contact the guys at power notebooks to see what their opinion would be. The representative that I was talking to suddenly seemed very nervous and put me on hold for maybe 10 seconds. When he got back he said his boss just got in and said that they could give me the 485m for free.

Personally I think his story was bullsh*t and he was just trying to make a couple of extra dollars off this, but Ill try not to judge.

Just happy to have my machine back in the mail headed my way!

 

Ok so today I was trying to watch a movie on a TV plugged into my macbook. I was using a VGA connector to the TV for what it matters. When I pressed the full screen key the video became slightly choppy and the sound was off by about .5 seconds, just enough to notice. Can I safely assume this won't be the case when I use the HDMI out on a NP8170?

 

Pleased to hear it!

I've been a third-party Quality Analyst for several large companies for a few years (United airlines, petro canada, bank of america among a few) and I can tell you that the majority of the time if you push for what is FAIR AND RIGHT, most companies will usually give you what you ask for -- though some CSRs will try to do less usually because a) they've been told to do the least they can get away with (we better hope Sager isn't leaning that way or they will lose their rep lightning fast) or b) they honestly don't have the empowerment to do so without speaking to a higher-up c) they've been told to wait for that extra push of determination from a customer who knows their rights and is willing to push for them (that would be you)

So as advice to anyone with a customer satisfaction issue with ANY company, before you call up:
1) Know what the problem is
2) Know what you are going to ask them to do for you, and it should be fair and reasonable (don't expect a whole new car if only a ball joint is faulty)
3) Offer them a solution they are capable of providing

In Sager's case your statements would be:

1) 'my screen is fuzzy and this is a hardware problem which you folks have already determined, and Sager put it together this way'
2) 'this is not MY fault, I paid for a working computer, I have already been quite inconvenienced, and my reasonable expectation is that you find a way to MAKE IT RIGHT at NO COST TO ME'
3) 'you have other hardware options on site that you know will not cause this same issue, please substitute and equal or higher quality part which will get rid of this problem and then I will be satisfied'

ajbutch 123, hope your replacement/upgrade gives you no more problems - oh and if you liked my advice, feel free to click on my reputation and give me a step up

 

I actually had occasion to watch my first movie from my np8170 last night, using the HDMI out, though I was not using a converter at the tv end as you are, if I read correctly. It worked fine when I clicked up to full screen, sound and video synched no problem, though you will find it wants to do an 'extend monitor' option on it when you first connect the HDMI cable, so you'd want to tell it to just show desktop on the tv, reset your resolution if it drops it on you inadvertently. If you are using HDMI to send over your sound too (not using a vga converter) also ensure in your sound in Control Panel that you set the HDMI/tv to be your default sound - otherwise it does not shift over automatically and you get only sound through your laptop speakers - took me several minutes of 'previewing' my movie to figure that out

 

Hi Guys I have a question that someone might be able to help with. Is there a replacement keyboard available that has a normal layout for the num keys? I have looked at the photos of the P170HM and it appears that it has the same cheap 15" keyboard that was fitted to the W860CU.

I realise this question has probably been asked before and I tried to do a 'thread search' but got no hits for keyboard.

 

Greetings everyone,

I was wondering if I were to order a Clevo P170HM machine possibly from Malibal / Mytholog would I be facing any warranty issues living overseas (Israel)?
I was looking at the MSI / Asus latest gaming machines and I know at least I would be getting 1 year international warranty those brands, but they mostly lack GPU power which is why I'm opting for a Clevo/Sager.

 

Massivex,

I believe they afford warranties for the EU.

 

Hi Massivex, we offer warranty in the EU, which is relatively close to you. If you ever needed warranty you could ship it to the UK for service.

 

@MALIBAL

Thanks for the quick reply. My biggest concern is any issues on arrival. Worst case scenario, by whom are the shipping costs to the UK and vice versa covered?
Also can you send a shipping estimate (USPS I assume?) to Israel, zip code 32714 to [email protected], thanks.

EDIT: I have a very noobish question for you veterans which I'm googling for an answer but can't really figure out. A lot of resellers i.e. GenTech, Powenotebooks, Malibal, Mythlogic have some sort of variant of the P170HM, is there any difference between them as some of them state Sager in their name and some only Clevo, really confusing, hopefully someone could help me out

 

All of the machines are based on Clevo systems, our particular model is built on Clevo P170HM
Then they are renamed according to who sells it, with Sager being the most popular.

The end names are for example Sager, Malibal Lotus, Cyberpower and so on.

 

As of September 4th, New Sandy Bridge CPU’s are officially Released!

Before… i7-2920XM….Now i7-2960XM Extreme
Before… i7-2820QM….Now i7-2860QM
Before… i7-2720QM….Now i7-2760QM
For Sager, i7-2630QM remains for now, no change.

The new i7-2640M, i7-2660QM, i7-2860QM and i7-2960XM processors are made using the 32nm technological process.

Intel Core i7-2760QM has 4 cores, 2,4 GHZ frequency. It benefits from 6 MB L3 Cache, 45W TDP and supports DDR3 RAM memory at 1,600 MHZ.
Intel Core i7-2860QM is also a quad core, with a 2.5 – 3.6 GHZ frequency in Turbo mode and 8 MB L3 Cache. Finally, the Intel Core i7-2960XM is the most powerful and it is part of the Extreme Edition family.
Core i7-2960XM Extreme quad-core microprocessor runs at 2.7 GHz, or 200 MHz higher than the i7-2920XM. The CPU has unlocked clock multiplier, 3.7 GHz Turbo frequency, 8 MB L3 cache, and it fits 55 Watt thermal envelope.
_

 

Thanks for that, just what I was looking for. I had a feeling it was just the lack of a GPU, 512mb of Ram, and an old Core 2 Duo processor in this mac but wanted to make sure.

 

i ordered my set last friday on 2 of sept, i wonder will i get a new cpu or the old batch...

 

i imagine you'll get what you ordered - i noticed LPC-digital has already listed the new proccessors as choices during the customizing part.

 

I was writing about this issue not too long ago. With boutique hardware, expect changes of some significance every 2-3 months.

The best time to order one is..... NEVER, IF you are going to regret not having the latest & greatest.

As for me, I watched until an upgrade cycle started and jumped on the bus. I am quite happy with my rig, including the stock screen.

 

Truer words have never been spoken

 

hey, I'm stuck at 64C degrees all of a sudden ... any ideas? Only went to Firefox 6 ???

 

Uh....what components? Could it be that your temp-monitoring app is malfunctioning?

Mr. Mysterious

 

64C at idle? Under load? That's not a particularly high temp if it's under load.