The usual "which one should I buy" post, should I get this Sager NP9170?

[maverick1989]

I suppose most of the details have been included in the form NBR asked me to fill. However, I do have one piece in mind. It is a Sager NP9170.

I customized it to the following settings -

Core i7 3820QM
AMD Radeon HD 7970m 2G
16 GB Dual Channel @1600
60 GB Intel 520 Series SATA 3 SSD as Primary
500 GB @7200 SATA 300 as Secondary
6X BD Burner
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN + Bluetooth Combo Module

This comes with a 3 year limited parts and labor warranty and is going to suck $2553 American from my pocket. I would like suggestions as to whether there are some things in the specs that might cause sub-optimal performance in some pieces of hardware. For example, I read that if you have 4GB of dedicated VRAM, you would want at least 12 GB of RAM for optimal GPU performance for some technical reasons the website explained that I don't remember right now (should look that up again). Does anything similar matter? Also, I'd appreciate if you could explain why or post a link so I could increase my technical know-how.


What is your budget?
$2600 (INCLUDING A MINIMUM THREE YEAR WARRANTY)

What country will you be buying this in?
United States

What size notebook do you prefer?
Desktop Replacement (17-inch + screen)

Would you consider a refurbished laptop?
Maybe

What are the primary tasks you need this notebook for?
Video Editing, Computer Programming, Video Chat and Conference, Movie Streaming and Viewing, Graphic Intense 3D Gaming

I will do some multi-threaded processing (for work).

What games will you be playing?
All FPS/3PS, some RTS

Where will you be using this laptop?
Will be used different places and Will stay on desk

How many hours of battery life do you need?
2

Will you be buying online or in store?
online or in store

Which OS do you prefer?
Windows 7

List the screen resolutions that interest you:
Max Resolution (1920 x 1080)

Do you prefer a glossy or matte screen?
Glossy or Matte is fine

Is the laptops design important to you?
Yes

Approximately what date will you be buying this laptop?
Around 06/29/2012

How long do you want this laptop to last?
4 years

How much storage capacity do you need?
160 GB

Are you interested in SSD for storage?
Yes

Do you want a built-in optical drive, what type?
Blu-Ray

Thank you.

[Andrew Baxter]

Welcome to the forums. I'm going to move your post to the Sager/Clevo forum since you're pretty set on what you want here. The members there will have in depth knowledge and be able to better answer your question.

[b0b1man]

Hi, as a Clevo User, Id suggest a few changes to your config as follows:

1.) CPU i7 3720QM (cheaper than 3820QM by a lot, performance is identical) That would save you some of the cost. Reason behind this change: Intel will do a clock update in the fall of 2012 (september-october). That means - you can upgrade to 3760QM for the same cost as 3820QM and still get +100mhz more than 3820QM. Last year, it was +200mhz increase for all CPUs. If 3720QM is 100mhz slower than 3820QM, then you can surpass the 3820QM with +100mhz when 3760QM comes out. And it will be cheaper.

2.) 60 GB Intel 520 Series SATA 3 SSD as Primary....I dont agree with that. Get the 120GB Intel 520 SSD. More space so you can do your video editing/streaming/caching/rendering on it. Another reason: its faster than the 60GB version. Trust me on this, its a better decision. And you need space. And speed.

Other than that, great!

[JoshM]

You might want to spring for a screen upgrade and calibration. If you'll be doing video editing and multimedia you'll want the better color display and video chat/conference you'll want the better viewing angles. It's also well within your budget.

[Jettion]

You need display glossy 92% NTSC Color Gamut for video editing better than matte 72% and more better than stock display. And completly agree with b0b1man about 3720qm

[maverick1989]

Thank you all for your responses.

• Regarding the color gamuts - These are dependent on the screen right? So basically how well the screen can replicate the RGB info coming out of the GPU. What happens if I, in the future in case I am not satisfied with the normal gamut screen, purchase a monitor that I hook up to my laptop? If the monitor has 95 or let's say 142 (I saw on that claimed that number) color gamut, wouldn't it work the same? Agreed that I would throw in more for the monitor but a 100 bucks to increase to the 95% vs a whole new monitor for 4 or 5 times that is what I am considering.

• Regarding the processor, I have a few questions. If we assume Intel stick to their trend (which they probably will), then like b0b1man suggested, they will increase the clocks of the 3710qm by 200MHz to take it 100MHz above the 3820qm. However, that will be in September which is 4 months from now. I was being practical and thinking that if I can wait 4, then I might as well wait another 5 and get Haswell instead. I mean isn't it just a cycle? Also, with only a 100MHz increase per core, considering the L3 is 33% more, would processing really be that faster? I have read many a literature stating that the CPU very often has to wait to get data from the memory because that is the weak link. If it can store more in its own brain, would 100MHz make that big a difference?

• Thanks for the SSD suggestion. I will upgrade it when I make the purchase. Just out of curiosity, do you know what significantly changes SSD speeds? I mean there is no RPM or NCQ to help

Thank you all for your help.

*EDIT* I should add that I already waited about 6 months to get the Ivy so I am not very eager to wait another 4. However, I will consider if it is really a good worth for my money.

[hizzaah]

I don't think he's saying wait another 4 months to order. get the 3720 now, sell it and upgrade to the 3760 in a few months if you want.. the money you save by not upgrading to the 3820 now would probably cover the cost of getting the 3760 later on..

Definitely add the screen as other have mentioned.

I agree on the upgraded SSD. For the space more than the speed though. There doesn't seem to be much difference in speed going from the 60GB (550Mb/s read; 475MB/s write) to the 120GB (550MB/s read; 500MB/s write). The IOPS don't even jump that much until you go from the 120gb to the 180gb..

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/...20-series.html

edit: I might even recommend getting the 500gb as the main drive, buying the ssd separate from newegg, and setting it up yourself. Easy way to save ~$50..

through xotic:
+$70 to make 60GB Intel the Primary ---or--- +$140 to make 120GB Intel the Primary
+$95 for secondary 500gb drive
=$165 ---or--- $235

buy SSD yourself:
+$0 for 500gb Primary
+$180 for 120GB Intel 520
=$180

[Maverick1987]

Definitely add the screen as other have mentioned.

I agree on the upgraded SSD. For the space more than the speed though. There doesn't seem to be much difference in speed going from the 60GB (550Mb/s read; 475MB/s write) to the 120GB (550MB/s read; 500MB/s write). The IOPS don't even jump that much until you go from the 120gb to the 180gb..

The screen upgrade is a must, and get the calibration, it's pretty decent color reproduction for a laptop.

I say order the machine with a 750GB in it, or even a hybrid if you're really hardcore, and then do the SSD yourself. It'll be cheaper, and if you don't need to pay for the OS, then you can add the SSD and install the OS when the machine arrives. Installing the SSD is literally 6 screws. 2 on the door and 4 on the drive itself. It's really easy to do. You'll still get the driver disc anyways. Use the 750 as a data/backup drive (automated backup in win 7 = win). The 9170 has two bays for HDD.

With regards to SSD's specifically. I have a Intel 520 120GB in my 8150, that's the absolute smallest I'd go for anything but a netbook. I put a 64GB in my fathers netbook, and it's pretty full even with just the basics. I'd say go for a 520 180 or 240GB, or a Crucial M4 256GB (cheaper, slightly faster) Especially if this is going to be your primary machine. It's nice to have the space when you need it.

Oh and yeah, these guys are right, save some money and go with the cheaper processor, you really won't see the difference between the two.

Finally, do you need the ability to burn BD? Because honestly, the media is expensive, and DL content is pretty much the way things are headed. You could put a DVD burner or a 3rd hard drive and run them RAIDed for a large storage array. Windows 7 can be installed from a USB key easily (and it's faster :P)

good luck!!

EDIT: Oh BTW, nice name

[hizzaah]

woah, got confused for a second..

"...why is OP giving us configuration advice all of a sudden...hmmm-OHHHH!" lol..

[maverick1989]

Doesn't opening the cover to put my own stuff in void the warranty? Or does that not stand for Sager/Clevo/AvaDirect and other customized gaming laptop manufacturers?