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

Mystery Signature, lyrics from: Fate/Hollow Ataraxia Opening NUMBER 201, featuring rhu

 

@ Harleyquin07, can you post in your signature the componets you have?

 

Not sure about the drive itself, but the software that came with my Malibal branded one was PowerDVD8, which is several versions out of date and wont even play the basic version of Avatar, so I am thinking it will not handle 3D very well. Kinda sucks really that there is not a reliable free software BD player out there, the pay ones are pretty spendy.

 

well...interesting to note...i did some research; (which i should have done before i asked)

I don't think any bluray player offered from any sellers here for the NP8170 or anywhere would be able to play the new 3D bluray movies along with the 3D screens being offered from any seller, unless the bluray drive/player was specified as a 3D bluray drive as opposed to a normal bluray drive. It will play the 3D movies as a 2D movie.

I am assuming that each of these 3D screens would only benefit anyone that looks for a 120hz screen for gaming because of the refresh rate because most normal screens whatever the gamut color is, is only 60hz.

Am I wrong? I am unsure of these things...I am also asking...thanks for any enlightenment.

 

I know for curtain that the new: Sony Optiarc 5740H Bluray writer is 3D Certified, i have just bought it myself, and its a very fast drive.

It has the largest cache out there, and it reads and writes Bluray/Bluray3D discs with amazing 6X

Combining this drive with for example PowerDVD 11 which has full 3D support, i think will work great on the 3D panel!

 

Agree. I've had that happen actually from a completely cold start (off overnight) where the fans will start on high from boot, and stay that way unless I either restart or shut down/start when a simple restart doesn't work. Then I've had them come on from cold start and only stay on about 5 minutes then go down low. This 'quirk' has been my only concern about the laptop, and I wish we knew what the source of it was.

 

Yeah i had that problem when i received my 8170, I had to update the software via the PowerDVD site to get Tron 3D to work correctly.

The best 3D video, Blu-ray player & DVD player software ? PowerDVD 10

 

Every Computer Bluray player that supports a minimum playback speed of 2x is 3D capable! Don't be fooled by marketing...
Like others said, you just need a 3D Bluray player software.

 

omg 8 second boot times... How did I live without an SSD for so long?

 

The problem is you'll never want to go back. I've had to go back and update all my older machines with SSD's so I didn't get frustrated using them. That said, if you're running Windows 7, Windows 8 is offering even faster boot times (30-70% faster than Windows 7)

Windows 8 to feature drastically reduced boot time, shown off in video -- Engadget

 

How stabile does a system run when trying to raid SSDs?

 

Sager reports no stability issues when raiding Intel SSD's in this model or the others
_

 

I thought about buying 2 of these and raid 0 (stripe) them together:

Komplett.dk - Corsair SSD Force Series? 3, 120GB

Corsair SSD Force Series™ 3, 120GB

SATA 6 Gb/s (SATA3.0), 550MB/510MB/s read/write, SandForce® SF-2281

They are "extremely" fast, and very very cheap... and Corsair is usually good quality

 

5 posts and one of them was the result of a google search?! Well now everyone reading should know where I got the signature from.

I'll update the "owned notebooks" section with the new Clevo specs once I'm actually using it. Signature remains unchanged.

So this seems an isolated problem that somehow involves sleep/hibernation? I suppose I shouldn't worry too much then since it's not a widespread problem?

 

Just be aware that as of right now, there is no TRIM/garbage collection support for RAID with SSD's. I'd recommend sticking to a single SSD instead of RAID if long term reliability and performance is important

 

Hi all,
Just ordered my Clevo P170HM from a dealer here i Aus. I originally went for the P151HM, but changed my order for the 17" screen. Same internals; i7-2630, 8GB ram, GTX560m...
I was interested in the W170 with GT555m GPU (not a hardcore gamer, but i like SC2 and MW2 soon 3, i'd be happy with medium graphics settings), but i figured i may as well up to the GTX560m so the card is still pretty good in a few years... That led me to the P151HM...then I figured a 17" screen would benefit me most of the upgrades (and an SSD, but i'm DIYing that)...so here we are.
I've read up to page 340 of this thread; bit tired of it now lol... just hope i dont have issues with the stock screen. See, i read that the stock screen was actually pretty good on the P151HM so it didnt occur to me that it would be bad on the P170...i just figured it would be as good...but bigger! Fingers crossed!
Regarding sound quality, how do the USB sound cards like Creative X-Fi Go! sound? Worth the $50 (in aus at least)? Perhaps theres a way of mounting it internally. I hate dongles and sticks hanging out the sides...so easy to bend and break.
To be totally honest, i'm a little weary of what to expect. I hope the machine lives up to expectations. Its already $800 over budget LOL (i used the "its just $200 dollars more" excuse a few times). I originally just wanted to upgrade to a sandy bridge processor and decent graphics card, so i can play SC2 on medium.

Anyway i'm rambling now. It was nice to get that off my chest.

Cheers!

 

The Hannistar came with mine as stock screen, glossy, and I am quite happy with it. The worst that happens is I might have to tip it a degree or two if I've got a lot of light in my room. Nothin to it.

 

What version of a driver are we on now ? I'm on 11.5

 

^I'm on 11.8, downloaded directly from AMD.

1. Earlier in the thread, around launch, the machine was shipping with an LG produced screen, which had very poor viewing angles. It has since been replaced with a high quality Hannstar screen, which will get very few complaints.

2. I used to have an X-Fi GO, and it's a good product. Unfortunately, you won't be able to install it internally. If you don't want it sticking directly out of the side, I believe it still comes with a short USB extender cable. With that you don't have to worry about accidentally bumping the dongle.

Overall, I don't think you'll be disappointed with your purchase.

 

Many are saying this about the Hannstar screen. Very nice stock display!
_

 

Oh bother.. I was having awful stability with one sandforce (vertex 3 120gb) installed.. Figured it was AHCI problems and got another (stupid)... I'm running stable using RAID 0 and its awesome.. 1GB/sec transfer rates.. I could split them up and just run fancycache (awesome) as I have 16gb of ram.. but the Vertex 3 is awful awful awful solo.. In a few months, I will become the great superhero known as Captain Hindsight.

You say "as of right now", but isn't TRIM on raid impossible to implement? You'd have to pass trim commands to the raid controller which would pass them to the drive(s)? Damn I'm not a happy camper.. two 120gb ssds=1x 240gb (hindered by the use of 1 sata 'link').

Assuming I used the computer with a policy (in mind) to write as little as possible to the array. How much clutter occurs in normal use (writing of cookies during internet browsing) and other BS temporary files? Its not a matter of backing up and breaking/remaking the raid array, is it? I have to backup/image, break raid array into two individual disks, wipe both, make raid array, restore backup.. Ugh.

edit: The thread posted below eases my worries..
Technical Discussion Is TRIM supported in Raid 0 yet?

 

There was a rumor that Intel was going to include baked in TRIM support with their motherboard RAID controllers, but it has yet to happen. (The rumor was for the current Sandy Bridge models). It's always a possibility in the future, albeit remote.

As for the usefulness of TRIM, it depends on usage. Normal usage can have significant degradation in as little as a few months. Not only is performance affected, but so is the longevity of the drive.

hard drive - How badly do SSDs degrade without TRIM? - Super User

 

Kevin are those good to install ? I know 11.6 was supposed to be skipped and you helped me with 11.5 download link before.

 

Please let us know how the 11.8 drivers are doiing on this model. Thanks

http://www2.ati.com/drivers/mobile/catalyst_mobility_64-bit_util.exe
_

 

I am interested as well... Any benchmarks, temps, or stability issues to report?

 

Someone should try making this: 110CFM Laptop Cooler

I would... But I don't have my machine yet.

 

Alright I have a question for you guys. I can choose between the NP8170 and the NP8150. My main dilemma is between the screens, and whether or not an optical drive is needed. The 8150 is $45 more expensive, but grants a way better screen. But I lose screen real estate as it'll be a 15.6" instead of a 17.3". The 8170 is $45 cheaper, but grants a larger screen, and has a CD drive. It probably also has better cooling since it is larger, with the same specs (correct me if I'm wrong).

Lotus P150HM (P150HM)
View printer-friendly version
Customizations:
Display: 15.6" 1920 x 1080 FHD LED AUO B156HW01 V.4 95% NTSC Matte Display
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 6MB L3 Cache, 2.0-2.9GHz
Memory: (8GB) 8192MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 2 SO-DIMM
Graphics Card: AMD® Radeon HD 6990M 2GB GDDR5
Hard Drive: 120GB Intel® (510) SATA III 6Gb/s SSD2 Drive
Optical Drive Bay: 750GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA 300
Wireless: Intel® 6230 Advanced-N 802.11A/B/G/N LAN and Bluetooth Card
Cooling: Stock OEM Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU
Keyboard: English: US & Canada
Power Cord: US & Canada
Branding: None
Build Time: 5-7 Business Days
Warranty: 5 Year Ltd. Labor and 1 Year Parts Warranty with 24/7 Support (CA)
Accessories: Targus TSB212 Deluxe Notebook Case

$2,079.00

Satori P170HM (P170HM)

Customizations:
Display: 17.3" 1920 x 1080 FHD LED Backlit Glossy Display
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 6MB L3 Cache, 2.0-2.9GHz
Memory: (8GB) 8192MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 2 SO-DIMM
Graphics Card: AMD® Radeon HD 6990M 2GB GDDR5
Hard Drive: 120GB Intel® (510) SATA III 6Gb/s SSD2 Drive
Hard Drive 2: 750GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA 300
Optical Drive Bay: 8X Multi DVD+/-R/RW RAM Dual-Layer Drive
Wireless: Intel® 6230 Advanced-N 802.11A/B/G/N LAN and Bluetooth Card
Cooling: Stock OEM Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU
Keyboard: English: US & Canada
Power Cord: US & Canada
Branding: None
Build Time: 5-7 Business Days
Warranty: 5 Year Ltd. Labor and 1 Year Parts Warranty with 24/7 Support (CA)
Accessories: Targus TSB212 Deluxe Notebook Case

$2,034.00

 

Also, I lose the option of upgrading to 3D, in getting an 8150, no? Also, just to confirm, 1920 x 1080 means 16:9, right?

 

Ordered a 170 S1 this week, payed for it yesterday, get an email today telling me sager has discontinued the S1.

Waiting to see what my reseller can do for me now.

 

Man, I feel your pain. I went through the exact same dilemma last week. Ordered a np8150, cancelled it for the np8170. For me, I felt a 17" screen would benefit me most just because it's bigger. See the same, just less squinty. But I thought the screen was the same, just bigger. Apparently not. Still, the 17" is supposed to be better than the average 17" on the next laptop, and that should work for me.
I don't need portability because I'm moving from one room to the next, but maybe you do. It seems substantially bulkier. On the plus side, you have two hdd drives and an optical, and while the optical drive is near redundant because you can buy an external one for one time you may need it in the life of the laptop, at least hdd bays are both sata 3 (i think).

Going back to the screens, sure, you may see a difference when they are next to each other, or you enjoy staring at each pixel. Take either home and they're both sweet.
Worse case scenario, you have 30 days to return it and get a refund or swap. Can't go wrong.

TL;DR 17" is bigger (duh) better for gaming(?). Less portable. Should still be a pretty good screen.

 

I'll be carrying it to school and what not, but seeing as I already carry a 17", it doesn't bother me. But I just now realize how redundant an optical drive is, so I guess I'd opt for the 95% gamut screen.

But now what is getting me is whether or not I scrounge enough to get a 120HZ screen . This would be easier if one of them had a glaring problem.

 

How about a np8130 with 95% gamut, and get yourself a niiice 24" monitor for home?

 

I have a nice 24" monitor and a 19" right now =P. However the NP8130 only comes with the 560m. 6990m seems to be the best card in terms of price : performance.

How bad is the dust by the way, is it easy enough to clean? That's the only weakness I can see in a Sager.

 

Ahh yes sorry i meant 8150.
Cant help you with dust, but from what i've read, the sager is easy to pull apart and clean yourself. There aren't any "touch this sticker and we'll send a hit squad against you" stickers.

 

Cleaning is simple. The GPU/CPU fans have covers you can remove in a few screws so you can clean the individual blades if you so desire. They're easily accessible underneath the main component cover on the bottom. Otherwise just using a can of compressed air should do the trick.

Dust isn't really a big issue though if you keep the machine on a hard surface as they push enough air that it doesn't settle much. Just make sure you clean it every once in a while, or when your temps start to go up.

 

I knew that the inside is fairly easy to maintain, but I meant the keyboard and stuff.

 

Where could I order a optical bay hard drive caddy that would fit my 8170? Also being able to put on the bezel from the CD drive? That would be really nice. I also have very limited $$$. I have seen SATA OBHD's on ebay for $10 ... thanks

 

I just popped mine open last weekend, and yeah it's really very simple, just a few screws and the bottom panel comes off giving you easy access to the cooling fins. And even after six months of steady use, I had basically no dust build-up on mine at all.

edit: the keyboard, being chiclet style, is super easy to clean too. Don't really even need compressed air, you can mostly just wipe it down and you'll get all the between-the-keys cruft.

 

Wow, I just had the stock screen replaced for a 90% glossy one, and you can definitely tell the difference.

 

You can get these on ebay, just make sure they are like the newmodeus ones in the link below.

Clevo : NewmodeUS, Hard Drive Caddys for Notebooks
_

 

So, i should be receiving my p170hm on tuesday on wednesday, so i want to get ready for installing the crucial m4 128gb SSD i have for it. The main issue i want to resolve is updating the firmware. I read it should be done before OS installation, as it will format the harddrive. The crucial website says otherwise:

http://www.crucial.com/firmware/m4/0009/ProductFlyer-letter_m4-firmware0009_08-11.pdf

Note: I ordered the 500GB HDD, no OS installed. Already have Win7 Pro
So basically:
1. Remove 500GB HDD, set aside
2. Follow guide in link (set ACHI, boot from dvd, update firmware)
3. Install Win 7
4. Install 500GB HDD

amidoinitrite?

 

Yep, that should get you up and running. It's definitely not a complicated process. Post back if you run into any issues though

You could install the 500GB HDD before installing Win7, but it doesn't really matter either way.

EDIT: Either way, you'll need to go to Start > Right click My Computer, Manage > Disk Management and format that 500GB drive to get it to show up and have a drive letter assigned.

 

hi guys, i need the disassembly guide for 8170.

any of you guys own it? since this is completely new machine, i would like to know how does one remove the 2 module of ram below the keyboard, the wifi card or maybe future self installation of the tv tuner card

also if i would like to self upgrade the monitor from stock hanstar to 120hz screen, any particular brand recommended?

 

The service manual for this model can be downloaded below.

ClevoP170HMand3-SagerNP8170ServiceManual.pdf

_

 

hei larry thank you !!!

 

Rad, thanks malibal#2 lol

 

do you think this would work?

12.7mm SATA Optical Bay Hard Drive Adapter Caddy | eBay

 

It sure looks like it will work. Not a bad price too!
_

 

OK!, so this is going to be what I will try and let y'all know. If it doesn't fit, I'll return it.

SATA Hard Drive Caddy to Optical CD Bay Adapter | eBay

 

Thanks RS, do keep us informed if this thing, er, caddy, fits & works correctly.