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

No idea on pricing at this time. What normally happens is the price stays the same as new products come out. There's usually not a big jump in price. The prices now are for the latest/greatest, as the new items come out they are the new latest/greatest and prices stay pretty consistent. We'll just have to wait and see.

The no branding will just not have the Sager logo on the back and will look like:

 

Awesome. Well, get crackin' on those next-gen laptops!

Three more quick questions -

1) You know if there any plans to add wireless broadband service a la Lenovo ThinkPads? If not, what is the best external alternative to your knowledge?

2) Any likelihood of accidental damage coverage on the whole laptop (not LCD only)?

3) Any point of going directly through you to buy the laptop when it's time (commission for you, better price for me, etc)?

Thanks again for your time.

 

Haven't heard of any wireless broad band options to be included. Your best option would be to contact your service provider to see if they offer a USB adapter.

No word of any plans for accidental damage protection either.

Yes I'll be happy to help with the order , PM me and I can get you my contact info.

 

The best place to get accidental damage coverage is Laptop, Desktop, Tablet, iPad, iPhone and PDA/Smartphone Insurance and Warranty from Safeware. In addition to accidental damage it will also cover theft, which the computer manufacturer's policies do not.

Safeware is underwritten by an AM Best 'A' rated insurance company so it is real insurance, and you can buy it annually. You can get it with no deductible, or a low deductible, unlike most riders to your homeowner's or renter's insurance policies.

 

what's the hottest gpu temp we can run and for how long? oh, in centigrade please

 

Your GPU has an automatic shutoff at around 111 Celsius. So, it will protect itself from overheating.

You may never see temps over 100 Celsius with your Sager NP8170, but it can run for hours in the low 100's. Pushing it hard though, for hours, you will probably only see temps go as high as the high 80's or low 90's. Nothing to worry about, although some people would scream...it wouldn't be necessary.

 

Thanks Don. STALKER atfull eye candy hits about 90C. Duke Nukem runs a little hotter at about 95.

 

No worries...GAME ON!

 

I am sorry, but this is also not completely true. I upgraded from GTX460m to 6990m (incl. heatsink, of course). I have no issues. Remember the 170hm has 220W power.

 

This is what happens when you take a snippet of a quote, and don't include the entire quote. Carefully read the sentence following the one you quoted:

So, the AMD Radeon HD 6990M 256bit w/2GB GDDR5 did not exist at the time you bought yours with the GTX 460M, so at that time no one could know whether it could be successfully upgraded to a next generation card until it existed and could be tested. You have apparently done this, and so far it has been a successful upgrade which is great and I congratulate you.

However my advice is still sound and accurate, and it gave allowances for rare exceptions such as yours.

It is still not a good idea to " count on being able to upgrade to a next generation card that does not exist now."

 

I am currently having REALLY bad issues with gradient banding in my display and/or video card. Here are a few snapshots taken from my ipod touch. (I know its the alienware website and no, I don't plan to buy one)

I have noticed this issue before and have been on sager about it, but it seems that their technicians either don't see or can't do anything about it. This is starting to REALLY bug me! Any help?!

anyway, if its just an issue of calibrating my lcd that would be great... although I would want to have it done professionally.

I DO have the latest drivers, and have 32bit color selected.

also if someone on a setup like mine (see my sig) could check out the alienware website and see if they have the same issue

 

That appears to be a design choice on the website. I just tested it on my P150HM and two desktops and that gradient is fairly noticeable on all three. If you don't notice it anywhere else, I'd say it's a safe assumption it's just a design limitation of their site.

 

If you'd like to double check to see if it is the site or monitor check this link, it will also have other handy test for you as well Gradient (banding) - Lagom LCD test

 

Is there an option to change the refresh rate of the screen from 63hz??
As I cannot change it from windows or Catalyst. Only option it gives me is 63Hz refresh rate. It just says is pnp generic screen. Help please!!

 

yes, if you have a 72% matte display, just right click on the desktop and hit screen resolution. Then click advanced settings and go over to the monitor tab.

Set the refresh rate as high as it will go!

 

And this is why we have a Clevo! My wife has a G73JH and it was just idling at 80C, fan on almost all the time. So .... I took the morning! to take it apart and clean the thing. It had 3 years of cat hair and dust. Now it idles at 55C, what a difference. It is now quieter than my 8170, which is what the G73 was all about. However, with all the horsepower that the 8170 has, it just idles along at 39C.

 

Does the Sager NP8170 require 300 watts or 120 watts to be charged and run? Because GenTechPC offers the 120 watt car adapter while XoticPC offers the 300 watt car adapter. I don't know of anyone who has a 300 watt cigarette lighter in their car. My cigarette lighter socket says "12 Volt, 120 Watt MAX" on it. And I am on the road a lot so I need to know if this laptop can be charged in my car. Customization would be: i7-2860QM & GTX 580M. If that is too much power for the cigarette lighter in my 2010 Honda to handle, then please someone let me know. Thanks.

 

The AC Adapter that comes with the NP8170 is a 220 watt. You want a car adapter that will be at least that.

 

You can buy the Belkin AC Anywhere 300W Power Inverter which is a DC to AC Inverter as opposed to a 12V adapter, so it can use your 12V receptacle to go much higher than 300W.

You can buy a DC to AC Inverter at a lot of places. You can Google to find them. For example, Office Depot sells the Belkin AC Anywhere 300W Power Inverter for $45.95 - Belkin AC Anywhere 300W Power Inverter by Office Depot

However for the Sager NP8170 I would recommend at least a 400W Inverter so that it doesn't have to work very hard to power your rig. I would also recommend that you do not game while using an Inverter. You may find that with even 400W your video card may not be stable. And, as long as you are not gaming, the 120W 12V Adapter will work fine.

 

I'm confused. How can my 120 Watt Max cigarette lighter put out any more power than 120 watts? I don't understand how the 300W Power Inverter would work in my car.

 

It is feeding the Inverter 120W, and the Inverter can then accelerate it to a higher wattage.

However since you really shouldn't game with either an Inverter or an Adapter, the 120W 12V Adapter is all you really need.

 

Would I be able to watch movies or listen to iTunes or type in Microsoft Word with the NP8170 plugged in to my cigarette lighter socket using the 120watt 12volt adapter?

 

Yes, for those uses all you need is the 120W 12V Auto Adapter. However that will work it hard. So, if you find it coming up short in performance at any time, get yourself a DC to AC INVERTER which will not have to work very hard to do those things, and most of them have two plug ins on them so you can power your laptop and one other device.

 

And you're certain that the 300 watt Belkin adapter wouldn't blow a fuse in my cigarette lighter socket? Because if the Belkin 300 watt adapter would be better suited for doing basic tasks and Photoshop editing, then I may just order from XoticPC instead of GentechPC. I just worry about blowing a fuse in my car is all.

(I didn't get very many good results for a 400 watt AC inverter on google search. Wouldn't that be a little superfluous any ways?)

 

I am getting frustrated with Firefox. I have turned off hardware acceleration and still seeing 65C+. O!

Edit: now its back to 47C, any idea why it goes up and down?

 

It could just be bugginess in Firefox in general. I've personally noticed it lagging a lot more than it used to, so I've switched to Chrome for most of my machines. Have you noticed increased temperatures with any other browsers, or just Firefox?

 

1. Just Google 400W Inverter - https://www.google.com/search?q=400W+inverter lots of results for 400W inverters for around $25.

2. Why would you make a laptop buying decision based on an Inverter that is way more expensive than you can buy it elsewhere, independent of your laptop purchase?

3. Read the product specifications for the Inverters. They are made to be plugged into your 12V receptacle in your automobile.

 

Here's a post that covered this in the past.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/618686-np8150-p150hm-car-powered.html

I would be VERY careful if you try to run an inverter at or above the listed wattage in your vehicle. Often that limitation comes from a few things: 1) The amperage the fuse can take 2) the size of the wiring and 3) the power your battery can output. The last point is usually not an issue, but the first two are. A higher wattage inverter is going to draw many more amps than a lower wattage one, and most cars (unless otherwise noted) are limited to between 10-15amps. Your car seems to be on the low end at 10 amps (10 amps * 12 volts = 120 watts).

Most high wattage inverters have to be wired directly to your battery to function properly, or you risk starting an electrical fire by either melting your wiring or blowing a fuse (if you replace the fuse with a much higher rated one without changing the wiring, the former is likely).

EDIT: It's also worth noting that if you got a really high wattage inverter, your car alternator may not even be able to keep up. Most consumer vehicles use alternators that can output 50-70amps which powers all of the electronics in the cabin, air conditioning/heating, the engine, etc. A 400w inverter, for example, could easily eat up 30+ amps on it's own. (400w / 12v = amps) Yikes!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternator#Automotive_alternators

 

Defining 400W and below as 'high wattage' is not really correct. Suggesting that they would create a fire hazard is a bit of a stretch considering they are all UL approved if they are sold in the US, and they all come with 'Cigarette Lighter' (12V) Adapters.

Above 400W should generally be hard wired into your battery.

 

1. Thanks. I guess I wasn't sure of what I was looking for. I got those same results on the whole.

2. I don't know. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly.

3. I found this one which is $165 and I'm one of those consumers who thinks if it's more expensive it is better. Then there is this one which is only $30. They're both 400 watt inverters but the former is 4 times more expensive. But its reviews say it is very capable of powering gaming laptops from the cigarette lighter. I'll do some more research on my own. Thanks for helping me.

Oh, and all the times I will have the laptop plugged in, the car engine will be on so that the alternator is recharging my car battery continuously.

 

Just be aware that if your car says "12v 120w MAX", your fuse box probably only has a 10 amp fuse in it. Even if you plugged in a 400w inverter into that adapter, it would blow out the fuse if you tried to run more than 120w. (It's possible the fuse may be 15 amp and they're just providing a low warning, but it's best to check). I would check your car owner's manual before spending a considerable amount of money on an inverter, especially if it risks you not getting any benefit from it.

 

Just Firefox, how do you like Chrome? Is it fast start up and does it "act" like Firefox as I am really hooked on Firefox and Internet Explorer has never floated my boat.

 

I am a long time Navy technician. I would definitely go for the inverter. I will be getting an inverter for this years camping season. I will also put in one of those really DEEP cycle batteries because it has enough oomph to weld with it ...

Also remember to exchange the "cigarette lighter" for an actual "accessory" port as it is wired for more amps from the car. I am also a long time gear head. I had this done in my Ford Focus and i am now able to really pull more amps from the car.

 

It's not too bad, now that it's got all the extensions I'd otherwise miss. I'd say just use both and see which you prefer. I personally got tired of slow downs and buggy software.

Believe it or not, IE9 has all the browsers beat as far as real world speed.

 

The amperage on my 2010 Honda Fit is 10 amps. Does that mean I'm screwed?
I went to Best Buy and they even had a 400 watt inverter. Although it is 400 watts peak, not constant. It does come with battery clipper cables though.

I'm confused on how those clippers work. Are you supposed to lift your car hood up and connect them from the car battery to the inverter? Or is there a way to have them connected through the interior of the car and to the battery while the car is running but the inverter box is in the interior of the car? Because that would be such an inconvenience to have to stop the car, get out, lift the hood and attach my laptop to the battery while standing outside. I asked the sales associate at Best Buy about that and he just shrugged his shoulders.

 

The battery clips are intended to be used only when you are stopped, like when camping or at a tailgate party.

For the best way to use the inverter is what rsdunphy says in post 4783 above. Take it from an expert

 

You're saying the Sager NP8170 requires only 220 watts of power to run?

The socket on my 2010 Honda Fit actually says "Power Outlet 12Volt 120watt Max". It doesn't say cigarette lighter. So, if I'm understanding this correctly, the inverter takes the 10 amps that my car puts out and accelerates it a lot higher so that it can run a laptop? Well that seems fine. I don't see how that would blow a fuse in my car if all the work and power is being done in the inverter and not the car. And besides, those 400 watt inverters are designed to be plugged into cars any ways. They wouldn't manufacture something that would short circuit your car, right?

 

No, it won't "accelerate" the power. If your car is installed with a 10 amp fuse, the max that you can get from that outlet before burning out the fuse is ~120w. I used approximately because the voltage output by your car changes between off/idle/running. It can vary between 12v when off and 14.5v when running.

Car wiring might be overbuilt a bit more than the 10 amp fuse, but it's not going to be 20 or 30amps. In short, no, a 400w inverter will not run on the wiring you have in your car without some extra work. He seems to be suggesting what I did earlier- that if you want higher power, you'll either need to upgrade your wiring or have the inverter wired through your car to the battery (as you would wire up a new amp for a sound system). A 120w inverter will work just fine. There's a reason most inverters have a note on the box to check your car manual. Some cars do indeed have fuses and wiring to support a lot more than 120w. My car supposedly has a max of 180w, which the 15 amp fuse bears out.

Of note, a 200w adapter that lists a "peak" of 400w will not do continuous output over 200w. That "peak" rating only signifies that devices which pull more power on startup will run without burning out the inverter or just failing to start. (For instance, most electronics pull more wattage at initial power on than they do at idle).

 

tes96; what is it exactly you are trying to do. If its hard core gaming while sitting in a parking lot, I don't think it will do. If its just light game play with no 3D, I would say no prob. You have to think of the size of the laptop also. It just won't fit in the front seat of a Honda ...

Now, like we are gonna do when camping in our tent trailer, I will be using one of those small gas generators OUTSIDE the trailer, it will game as long as there is gas.

 

how may webpages do you open at 1 go?? i do notice the spike in temperature too when i open my FF, which has about 200 pages +/-, hell sometime i even get blue screen -_-

 

I recently purchased a sager np8170 and after installing windows 7 and the basic drivers, I noticed that I couldn't toggle on the wlan. All the other hotkeys work but when I press fn + f11 it stays in the "off" position regardless of how many times I press it. I installed the drivers in the listed order on the disc and later on uninstalled and re-installed them to see if it would make a difference but nothing is changing. I was unable to install the wlan drivers because I couldn't turn the wlan on.

I also noticed that the wireless card isn't being detected by windows and doesn't show up in BIOS. The wireless card that I purchased with the laptop is the Bigfoot networks Killer Wireless-N 1103. Any ideas on what I could do to fix this problem? Thanks.

Btw, if you need more info on my laptop, my processor is the intel i7 2670, 12 gigs of ram, amd 6990m, seagate hybrid 500gig

 

Did you install the Bigfoot 1103 drivers? They need to be installed separately because they are not on your drivers disk.

 

Yes, I installed them after the drivers. When going through the killer networks manager, it says "No Bigfoot Network Devices detected. Application Control is disabled" in the applications section if that's of any significance.

I was just speaking with someone from xoticpc and was told my laptop is registering the card as an "Ethernet Controller." It's the only device in Device Manager that has a yellow exclamation next to it and it's listed under "Other devices" rather than Network adapters.

 

You should stay with Xoticpc tech support to get the issue resolved.

It is possible that either Sager missed installing your 1103 (pretty unlikely), or, it is a bad card, or ??

 

Thanks for the advice. I was actually thinking the same thing as you, that they may have forgotten to put the wireless card into my laptop. If I were to open it up to check, would you happen to know where it should be installed?

 

karaaku i'm sorry to hear you are having problems with the wireless card. Please do contact our tech support and we'll help you get it fixed right away. If you need help contacting them please do PM me.

 

I appreciate it Hutsady. Thanks! I've actually already chatted and e-mailed the tech support. I chatted with Derek on live chat and we went through all the possible fixes I thought of last night. He told me to e-mail tech support as they would have a better idea of what's going on. I'm just awaiting a reply from my e-mail.

 

you're welcome, sounds like you have the ball rolling best you can at this time. If you need anything let me know!

 

ummm, here is a fun question. When looking at the laptop, is the CPU fan on the left?

 

Looking at it from which direction? If you've got the laptop in front of you as you normally use it, then yep, it's on the left.