Sager NP8690 (Clevo W860CU) Review and Benchmarks!

[Justin@XoticPC]

The final production unit has arrived! We have been benching this unit all morning and have also made a video of this model. The video is rendering now and will post later on today. Here is the start of some benchmarks and we will be continuing to update these for the coming days. :)

YouTube Brief Video Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCOnNrzTDjA

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/3dmark06-1280x1024.jpg

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/STOCKCPUZGPUZHWMON.jpg



http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/HDTUNE2.jpg

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/3dmark06-1280x1024.jpg

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/3dmark06-1650x1080.jpg

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/3dmark06-1920%20x%201080.jpg

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/3dmarkvantage-standard%20settings.jpg

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/Crysis%201920x%201080%20dx10.JPG

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/devilmaycrydx9-1920x1080.jpg

HW Monitor after Devil May Cry

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/devilmaycrydx9-hwmon.jpg

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/wprime1.JPG

http://www.xoticpc.com/reviews/8690/dpclatency.JPG

[prophetaxxi]

sweet! Thanks Justin!

[suade8880]

Nice! I totally like the smooth palm rest better than the fleather one on the preproduction. Can't wait to see more benchmarks and how the overall quality of the laptop is. Thanks Justin.

[Joseph@XoticPC]

I just wanted to add a few of my own 2 cents into this post. After having this machine in my hands over the last few days I will say that I am extremely impressed. Running game benchmarks on this computer has been quite fun to say the least(images will be up soon).

To put a lot of peoples concerns to rest about the AUO screen. From the first time I turned the computer on and set the screen to performance mode I was blown away. I stare at a lot of the screens day by day from every model that we carry and I will say this is one of the best I have seen. It is lit evenly, has great black levels and the colors are vibrant and accurate. Even though AUO has had a bad reputation in the past with some people I think this version of the panel will change a lot of minds.

If any of you want specific tests or benches for this machine please let me know I would be glad to run whatever special tests you would like.

Also feel free to call me at extension 514 while I have this model in front of me. I am happy to help in whatever way I can.

[suade8880]

Okay you just got me sold into buying this laptop for sure. I knew the performance was gonna be there but last thing I wanted to know about was the screen...and you just have told me everything I wanted to hear. You will be hearing from me Joseph when I place my order with you guys in a few days. Thanks.

[powerpack]

OK I know this is a great unit! But that HDTune bench is an embarrassment? Something was hogging the clocks when you ran. My 320GB @5400 kills your 500GB whatever? I mean I think I get 50MB/s you get 38MB/s? RA I get 17ms you 25ms. This machine can do better. Something is wrong with the tests. Redo. Burst is low, CPU usage is very high.

[5150Joker]

To put a lot of peoples concerns to rest about the AUO screen. From the first time I turned the computer on and set the screen to performance mode I was blown away. I stare at a lot of the screens day by day from every model that we carry and I will say this is one of the best I have seen. It is lit evenly, has great black levels and the colors are vibrant and accurate. Even though AUO has had a bad reputation in the past with some people I think this version of the panel will change a lot of minds.



Is the AUO display the same one found in the European version? Also, do you know what the brightness levels in cd/m^2? Lastly, as a reseller, are you able to add more choices besides AUO or are you limited by what Clevo supplies? LG has the following models that I'd love to be an option with this laptop:



MODEL #1: 15.6" 1600x900:

Active Area [mm]

344.232 X 193.536
Outline Dimension [mm]

360.0 X 210.0
Thickness [mm]

5.7
Resolution

1600 X RGB X 900
Aspect Ratio

16:9
Pixel Pitch [mm]

0.215
Number of Colors

262,144(6bit)
Luminance [cd/㎡]

250
Color Saturation (%)

60
Weight [g]

460
Contrast Ratio

600:1
Interface

LVDS 2Port
Viewing Angle [˚,U/D/L/R]

50/50/60/60
Color Temperature [K]

-
Response Time [ms]

8
MP Schedule

Now



MODEL #2: 15.6" 1920x1080:

Model Name LP156WF1
Active Area [mm]

344.232 X 193.536
Outline Dimension [mm]

360 X 210
Thickness [mm]

5.7
Resolution

1920 X RGB X 1080
Aspect Ratio

16:9
Pixel Pitch [mm]

0.179
Number of Colors

262,144
Luminance [cd/㎡]

310
Color Saturation (%)

60
Weight [g]

470
Contrast Ratio

600:1
Interface

LVDS 2Port
Viewing Angle [˚,U/D/L/R]

55/55/65/65
Color Temperature [K]

-
Response Time [ms]

8
MP Schedule

'09.1Q

[GIG.AD]

Wow this is great![Were those temp readings done on full load?
It's good to hear that the screen is of good quality, that is very important.
I'm guessing you are benching and testing on the high res screen is the lower res screen a AUO screen also? and is it as good as the higher res screen with blacks and colors? is it as vibrant and does it have any bleeding?
Some game benchmarks would be awesome.

[Justin@XoticPC]

We noticed that with the HD Tune, system was obviously doing something during the test. We will re-run and post on Monday. New Benchamrks posted from Friday :)

[powerpack]

I notice 3DMark06 is not showing the CPU score. From the first one I can tell anyone who cares the CPU test on that run was 3925 and that score does not change with resolution. Just so you know that is a great score! I think my OC T9400 at 2.8Ghz is 2600.

So that is one great CPU if you ask me.

[GIG.AD]

WOW!
I think that settles it.
Ordering soon:yes:
Does that awesome SAGER screen saver come with it?It's really cool!
Now only if there were some tests done with a 1600x900 sceen for screen quality. Now that would be sweet and help me decide on my last final option.

[Joseph@XoticPC]

@5150joker,

We are limited by the authorized screens that Sager is using. I do not believe we have received a Nit brightness rating for the screen. It is however one of the more impressive screens that I have seen in a while and i stare at a NEC 20WMXG2 every day.( no jokes about the screen size I just cant seem to upgrade as no other screen compares 470 cd/m2)


@gig.ad

Yes that Awesome screen saver should come as the standard background :) email me if you have any other questions about this model ( Joseph@xoticpc.com) I would be glad to help. By the way for the small amount of difference between the screens in price I would say to spend the 50 dollars. It is well worth it. The screen doesn't seem small or hard to read at all. The amount of real estate on the screen is great and even if you have to set the resolution at 1600 x 900 or even lower it seems to do a pretty nice job of processing and performing at the lower resolutions.

That screen shot was taken right after a full load as well. Can you believe it? This machine just runs that cool. Even the max temps are within what I would call amazing for a 1920 x 1080 very high crysis demo...

The fans are quiet too. I have had it running next to me for a few days now and not once have I thought "man that thing is loud". Even under full load.

@powerpak

Yeah pretty sure it was downloading and installing updates right as I ran that HDtune test. I should have new results up shortly. As well as battery life tests which I know many of you have emailed me about.



Please continue to send me emails on different tests you would like me to run on this computer. I am happy to help answer any questions that come up.

[doulikefishsticks?]

Is there any real noticeable difference in performance between the 3 different core i7 processors on offer?

I loaded my pre-order with the i7-720 and am afraid it'll start dying on me when i crank up the settings in cod4MW2.

[Joseph@XoticPC]

I would say the sweet spot for the price is probably the i7-820qm. However I will probably say that honestly for pretty much anything out there, because of the Intel turbo boost(speed step technology 2.8ghz @ 1 core, 2.4ghz@ 2 cores, 1.73@ 3 cores 1.6ghz@ 4 cores), most games will be handled just fine. I dont think that game was coded for quad technology. So your dual core performance at 2.4ghz with no front side bus and 6mb of L3 cache should perform great.

It should really give you the best mobile gaming experience available for that size.

[firstwardo]

how is the keyboard? It seems recessed so how does it feel? and why is there no sound in the video?

[Joseph@XoticPC]

They keyboard is recessed a little bit, but not much. It has a good feel and the spacing is nice. The only thing about the keyboard that is a little different is the number pad. The "." button is placed at the top instead of the bottom like it normally is. That isnt really a huge gripe of mine, but it is different. We chose not to make sound on the video to a: avoid you hearing us giggling in excitement over the laptop as we had just opened it b: get it up quickly so you all could see how awesome this laptop really is.

[Joseph@XoticPC]

Ok everyone I just finished my battery test on the laptop and it seems from 3:28 this afternoon till 5:59pm the machine ran at low performance setting with the screen dimmed all the way down. Wireless was on and web browser was running. Not too bad for a 55w TDP beast. We will accept a little over 2 hours no problem.

Tomorrow I will test the battery life with the screen brightness maxed and battery settings to performance.

As always feel free to shoot me an email with anything special that you want me to run on it.

[amdolev]

hearing us giggling in excitement over the laptop as we had just opened it.

LOL :D
When me and my co-workers first looked at a video of the 8790 we also all giggled like little girls. Some made a beavis & butthead impressions which were quite on the spot. We can't wait to try and see what it can really do :P

[firstwardo]

They keyboard is recessed a little bit, but not much. It has a good feel and the spacing is nice. The only thing about the keyboard that is a little different is the number pad. The "." button is placed at the top instead of the bottom like it normally is. That isnt really a huge gripe of mine, but it is different. We chose not to make sound on the video to a: avoid you hearing us giggling in excitement over the laptop as we had just opened it b: get it up quickly so you all could see how awesome this laptop really is.

Now I want a FULL review, pointing out design features, chassis durability, and general epic win. :D
and do you notice recessed keyboard, or are the key risen so it matches the trackpad?

[Joseph@XoticPC]

@Firstwardo

Ill see what I can do about the review :) They keys are flush with the trackpad so they are recessed a bit, but like you mention they are raised to remain even. After having spent some time typing on it now I actually like this because my hands have a place to rest and I do not feel like my fingers are raised. To me it feels like it would help fatigue for those of us who type 8 hours a day pretty much non stop.

[powerpack]

Just watched the video. While not "Felliniesque" by any stretch. Was kinda like pornography for us computer geeks.:D That is one sharp system. I might just have to save some money up.;)

So looks sharp, runs very cool, i7, 280m.:)

Joseph can you run wPrime? The desktop 920 around 7/s. My OC @3Ghz 25/s want to know how fast this is.

[firstwardo]

@Joseph

Sweet!! I was worried that the keys themselves were recessed for some reason. Thanks for the clarification!

[Joseph@XoticPC]

Powerpak,


I ran Wprime...we will post the screens of it later but here is the data.

32m-10.811 sec
1024M- 3154.2 sec.

Running a DPC latency on it right now for you music editing buffs. I will post that once i get its results as well.

DPC latency check says that this computer will run audio and video without any drop offs.

At a test 1000 u(micro) second constant i get a max latency of 1145 u(micro) seconds. It took about 2 hours to get that one spike though. For the first hour it maxed at 1020 u(micro) seconds. You see 300-900 micro seconds of latency most of the time with a spike about every 20 min to 1010-1145.

[powerpack]

Thanks Joseph for the info and update. That HDTune looks good, went from 39MB/s to 76MB/s. CPU usage dropped a lot. I still see something stealing a clock consistently. Also the yellow dots that are spread away from the rest? Run Smart Defrag (free) might improve RA. Also if you can stop whatever is stealing clocks wouldn't hurt either.

A couple benching tips. I have a dual core but when I run wPrime with 4 threads I get better scores.

Also run that with 4/8/16 HTT on then 4/8 HTT off. Run 3DMark06 with HTT off, does it increase score?

OK here is a too much time on my hands alert. I spent a little time with my calculator. Many ask about the 720QM and 820QM how will they do? Well until someone gets and benches this is what my calculator and I say.

720QM
wPrime 32 test 13.513/s
3DMark06 1280x1024 11,930 (3140 CPU score)

820QM
wPrime 32 test 12.433/s
3DMark06 1280x1024 12,138 (3395 CPU score)

[Blinky]

Hi guys

Not sure how you feel about "comparing" different notebooks, but its the only way I can ever choose something :D

Performance wise, if you were to compare this to the Asus G51J-A1, which one is better? Is the Sager worth the extra $200?

I'm looking for both personal preferences based on experience and logical decisions based on the hardware.

My main concern is to have a desktop replacement which will atleast competently run any of the high-demanding games currently on the market.

By the way, I'm talking about comparing the base models of both of these notebooks with no upgrades. If there are any upgrades which you strongly recommend please let me know :)

Thankyou

[amdolev]

I got the 8690, so I'm biased.
Anyway, the good thing about asus laptops is that there's almost nothing to upgrade. Somewhat thanks to the fact that each meaningful upgrade is unreasonably expansive.

The main hardware difference between the two is the GPU. 260 on the Asus. 280 on the Sager. IMO this alone is worth the 200$ difference, w/o even getting into the heat/downclocked GPU issues with the asus.

The advantages of the Asus are the 2 HDD and the longer warrenty, though I took my chances (not living in US) and got the sager despite having to ship it get warrenty service.

For the Asus, I'd get the best thermal compound option.
For the Sager, I'd upgrade RAM to 4 GB and HDD to any 7200 disk. It also comes with no OS so the actual difference is more then 200$ if you spec them the same.

[Jockomo]

Here is what I noted based on my research:

In my opinion buying I7 720QM processor does not make sense at this point. There are much stronger and cheaper processors available. For example 720QM can overclock itself max to 2.8Ghz and it’s 45W TDP that’s not very energy efficient. When two cores are working the overclocking drops to 2.4Ghz for each core to maintain 45W TDP. When all four cores are working it’s going to be just 1.7Ghz per core. Let’s compare this to P9700 25W TDP. One core can OC itself to 2.92Ghz two cores 2.8Ghz at four cores working 720QM will win over P9700 by max 15%. Yet P9700 is 80% more energy efficient then 720QM. So if you buy a new laptop you have to go with at least 820QM and even then in multi-threaded applications Q9100 with it’s 12MB L2 cache will be a better performer and most likely will use less energy even though it’s rated the same 45W TDP.

In the case of 280M vs. 260M video card the difference in performance is only 15%. Remember with P9700 processor 260M can be overclocked as you have more energy available for that.

In the case of RAM 1333 vs. 1066 the difference is 25%.

Why does the battery life matter? It’s very simple because it’s a 15” laptop; look if you want to be tethered like some of the gamers out here then why go with the 15” why not go with 17” you can more visual enjoyment out of bigger screen and you can pack more punch into bigger chassis; 15” would loose its allure of portability if you can’t take it away from a socket for 50 mins, your laptop would be stationery anyway. So I think NP8662 is the best solution available however it’s not as price competitive as G51J $1400 vs. $1600 with windows and a better chip so Sager needs to do something about it. The last though is that the difference between NP8662 vs. NP8690 vs. Asus G51J would probably be 10% overall performance increase at max you be the judge if it’s worth the battery life and extra $$ for some gamers it is.

[amdolev]

Here is what I noted based on my research:

In the case of 280M vs. 260M video card the difference in performance is only 15%. Remember with P9700 processor 260M can be overclocked as you have more energy available for that.

In the case of RAM 1333 vs. 1066 the difference is 25%.


the 280m might be 15% better then 260m, but remember that asus downclock the 260m about 10% further, to a level pretty close to the GTS160M found in the force3551 (a great laptop by itself).

with the RAM, 1333 is 25% more then 1066, but the overall value of this speed increase in an entire system is less then 5%. I'd either spend the 100$ on 2X500GB HDD, or wait for the 1333 DIMMS to get cheper and upgrade at half price.

[Blinky]

Thanks for the replies guys :) Really appriciete it!

I think in the end though, for me, I simply cannot go over budget. I'm gutted that the Sager needs a few upgrades. That being said, I'm perfectly happy with getting the Asus :D

[EvanD]

I hate the computer world. This makes my recently purchased 8662 look like the poor computer sitting next to Kimbo Slice....or Doken....either way I'm sad.

[Frootata]

This or the 8662... this or the 8662... this or the 8662...

I agree with you Evan. The computer world does suck. When you don't have thousands to throw around making decisions like this is really tough :( If Sager just had a basic OS pre-installed I would have been SOLD, but no, they had to charge more for it. And the Asus has to have better stuff but worse quality of course. This really sucks...

[EvanD]

the 8662 is upgradeable both cpu and gpu so always sager over asus if your worried about staying up to date....and in most other cases as well.

[TheSleeve]

Great review, and thanks for the benchmarks. I'm not sure I understand all of them, but from the comments on here, things are looking pretty good! I haven't bought a PC in about 4 1/2 years, and I've been saving up, so my mouse is wavering over the "buy" button right now... just a quick question:

How loud are the fans?

I know it's a weird question, but this thing looks like a beast. I don't want the fans to be so loud that they wake up the neighbors.

[Tuna]

Great review, and thanks for the benchmarks. I'm not sure I understand all of them, but from the comments on here, things are looking pretty good! I haven't bought a PC in about 4 1/2 years, and I've been saving up, so my mouse is wavering over the "buy" button right now... just a quick question:

How loud are the fans?

I know it's a weird question, but this thing looks like a beast. I don't want the fans to be so loud that they wake up the neighbors.

In post #12 of this thread, Joseph said this about the fans:

"The fans are quiet too. I have had it running next to me for a few days now and not once have I thought "man that thing is loud". Even under full load."

:)

[TheSleeve]

In post #12 of this thread, Joseph said this about the fans:

"The fans are quiet too. I have had it running next to me for a few days now and not once have I thought "man that thing is loud". Even under full load."

:)

Oops, party foul. Should've read the whole post. Thanks for pointing that out!

Well, I'm sold.

[Tuna]

Oops, party foul. Should've read the whole post. Thanks for pointing that out!

Well, I'm sold.

No worries! There's been a lot of info posted and it's hard to remember it all, especially if you've been reading about a few different laptops (like I have) trying to decide which one you want. I just knew I remembered reading something about the fans so I figured I'd find it for you. :)

[Herr_Roehrig]

Hi Guys,

I'm new over here and I'm from Brazil... I just bought one Sager NP8690 with the processor i7-820QM, the notebook didn't arrive yet because it's on backorder. So, now I checked once again the benchmark and it is with the processor i7-920XM and I couldn't find any review about this processor on this machine. Do you know if I'll fill too much difference with the processor 820??? I play a lot on lanparties over here, that's way I bought a notebook, because traveling with a 20kgs of computer stuffs isn't so pleasant... I play Call of Duty 5 and just pre-ordered Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, I also play ArmA2, Battlefeild 2 and 2142 and some other shooter games like Red Orchestra and so on.
What's your oppinion about this?

Tks.
Rodrigo

[prophetaxxi]

Hi Guys,

I'm new over here and I'm from Brazil... I just bought one Sager NP8690 with the processor i7-820QM, the notebook didn't arrive yet because it's on backorder. So, now I checked once again the benchmark and it is with the processor i7-920XM and I couldn't find any review about this processor on this machine. Do you know if I'll fill too much difference with the processor 820??? I play a lot on lanparties over here, that's way I bought a notebook, because traveling with a 20kgs of computer stuffs isn't so pleasant... I play Call of Duty 5 and just pre-ordered Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, I also play ArmA2, Battlefeild 2 and 2142 and some other shooter games like Red Orchestra and so on.
What's your oppinion about this?

Tks.
Rodrigo


Just sent you a PM.

[Herr_Roehrig]

Just sent you a PM.

Hi Prophetaxxi, thanks for the PM!! Now I just need to wait a couple of weeks until this little baby arrive here... the only thing to do is wait...

As soon as it arrive here I'll post some comments.

See you!

[mortorec]

could you brake down the other 2 processors like that plz.


I would say the sweet spot for the price is probably the i7-820qm. However I will probably say that honestly for pretty much anything out there, because of the Intel turbo boost(speed step technology 2.8ghz @ 1 core, 2.4ghz@ 2 cores, 1.73@ 3 cores 1.6ghz@ 4 cores), most games will be handled just fine. I dont think that game was coded for quad technology. So your dual core performance at 2.4ghz with no front side bus and 6mb of L3 cache should perform great.

It should really give you the best mobile gaming experience available for that size.

[rixhobbies]

I just wanted to add a few of my own 2 cents into this post. After having this machine in my hands over the last few days I will say that I am extremely impressed. Running game benchmarks on this computer has been quite fun to say the least(images will be up soon).

To put a lot of peoples concerns to rest about the AUO screen. From the first time I turned the computer on and set the screen to performance mode I was blown away. I stare at a lot of the screens day by day from every model that we carry and I will say this is one of the best I have seen. It is lit evenly, has great black levels and the colors are vibrant and accurate. Even though AUO has had a bad reputation in the past with some people I think this version of the panel will change a lot of minds.

If any of you want specific tests or benches for this machine please let me know I would be glad to run whatever special tests you would like.

Also feel free to call me at extension 514 while I have this model in front of me. I am happy to help in whatever way I can.

I am curious how this screen compares to the 1600x900 model offered as standard. Can you comment on that?

In particular, I'd like to know how the black levels, viewing angles, overall color and brightness compare.

Also, you mentioned that the fans are quiet, which is great news, but these things can be subjective. I've heard the Asus G51's fans, so can you comment on how the 8690's fans compare?

Lastly, how are the speakers in terms of volume? Are they loud enough for watching movies?

Thanks!

[amdolev]

GTA4 benchmarks:
33fps
1920X1080 high quality settings
CPU usage: 52%
GPU: 90%

I like!!

[spybenj]

Nice :)
Cant wait to get mine.
Ill most likely play at a slightly lower resolution so I can get a higher traffic density.
Is it possible to downscale to 1650x1050?

[Tuna]

Nice :)
Cant wait to get mine.
Ill most likely play at a slightly lower resolution so I can get a higher traffic density.
Is it possible to downscale to 1650x1050?

You could possibly scale it to 1680x1050, but it wouldn't be a proper aspect ratio for the display. 1680x1050 is a 16:10 aspect ratio, while 1920x1080 is 16:9.

[amdolev]

The correct scale is 1600X900 (1:1.77778)
And why do you need more traffic :P I hate running from the cops just to run into a truck in the morning rush hour, lol.

[Herr_Roehrig]

I'm really want to know if this baby already went out from the backorder... can't wait until my friend's order is complete and see it coming to Brazil!!! :eeek2:

[spybenj]

Thanks for the correction for 1680 not 1650 :)
Yea, Ill try to downscale and if I cant its not the end of the world.
I like more traffic so there are more cars to steal :)

[amdolev]

the game looks a bit fuzzy when not in native res.
it went a bit choppy when i actually played with navite res, high settings and distant objects. i preferred to use medium settings then lower res. it looked better.

[danishpastry]

Hey guys,

Just wondering what the scrolling features on the touchpad are; does it have multitouch gestures (drag two fingers), or is the right side designated to scrolling?

Might seem like a trivial aspect, but I've been sold on everything else, and I live by touchpad scrolling :)

[danishpastry]

One more question, Justin mentioned (on another forum) being able to go without the FP reader if you choose the FHD screen, but I haven't been able to trigger this option when choosing FHD.

Any input? It's not about saving money, its about removing that useless piece of hardware.

[darzigma]

Hey guys,

Just wondering what the scrolling features on the touchpad are; does it have multitouch gestures (drag two fingers), or is the right side designated to scrolling?

Might seem like a trivial aspect, but I've been sold on everything else, and I live by touchpad scrolling :)
There is a scrolling on the right pad,but still no multigestures(like Macbook and Acer do)..:(
Looks good if it includes a multigesture pad..

[firstwardo]

I am curious how this screen compares to the 1600x900 model offered as standard. Can you comment on that?

In particular, I'd like to know how the black levels, viewing angles, overall color and brightness compare.



I would like to know this as well.

[Gnouni]

I've spent a good portion of last year waiting and researching the laptop that I wanted to get for my school and work, well this is the final choice I made and I can not express how satisfied I feel about my decision. When it came to an over-all value you can not get any better than NP8690.

Thank you Justin for your outstanding support & patience!

[Herr_Roehrig]

Hello Guys,

Just more feel days and my note will arrive in Brazil, I really ancious to receive it and start using it!!

Anybody knows any benchmark of this note running the new gane Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2? Because this game on my desktop runs really smooth, much better then COD5 World at War. If anyone have some information, I will appreciate.

Tks.

[amdolev]

what's the hardware you have on your desktop?

[Herr_Roehrig]

Hi Amdolev,

I would like to know about the benchmark of COD MW2 on this Sager NP8690, because I bought one with the processor 820QM... it will arrive here in Brazil next week.

Regarding to my desktop (everything on defaut):
- motherboard: Asus Rampage Formula
- processor: Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (2,66GHz)
- memory: 8GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800MHz
- HD: 300GB Western Digital Velociraptor
- video card: Sapphire HD4870 X2
- power supply: Zalman 1000W
- monitor: Samsung T220
- computer case: Zalman GT900

[firstwardo]

could you also do a Crysis benchmark in 1600 * 900 resolution so I can see the performance difference?

[Justin_W@XoticPC]

I've spent a good portion of last year waiting and researching the laptop that I wanted to get for my school and work, well this is the final choice I made and I can not express how satisfied I feel about my decision. When it came to an over-all value you can not get any better than NP8690.

Thank you Justin for your outstanding support & patience!

You're welcome, Feel free to contact me again if you have any other questions or concerns.

[amdolev]

Hi Amdolev,

I would like to know about the benchmark of COD MW2 on this Sager NP8690, because I bought one with the processor 820QM... it will arrive here in Brazil next week.

Regarding to my desktop (everything on defaut):
- motherboard: Asus Rampage Formula
- processor: Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (2,66GHz)
- memory: 8GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800MHz
- HD: 300GB Western Digital Velociraptor
- video card: Sapphire HD4870 X2
- power supply: Zalman 1000W
- monitor: Samsung T220
- computer case: Zalman GT900

Heh, I'm sorry, I thought that by now the game would finish downloading, but it got stuck with no seeds. I have the 820QM too.
No wonder your PC runs MW2 smoothly, it's a nice beast!
Anyway, I see no reason for that game to not run as smooth. If worse comes to worst, a tiny drop in settings will surely fix it!

[Herr_Roehrig]

I really don't have any problem to run MW2 in my desktop, the game is complete different from others in graphics talking, you can put everything on ULTRA MEGA high and the game run very very smooth and no screen delays.

I believe that next week the notebook will arrive at my home, it's a long journey from US to Brazil due to our local customs... but there is no other way, now is just the killing time of waiting...

Tks.

[amdolev]

Finally I managed to install the game and it run oh-so-smoothly!!! so amazing! didn't do a framerate check, but 1920*1080 AAX2 is smooth as silk

[Herr_Roehrig]

Finally I managed to install the game and it run oh-so-smoothly!!! so amazing! didn't do a framerate check, but 1920*1080 AAX2 is smooth as silk

Hi amdolev, this information makes me very happy, unfortunatly I got some problems at the customs due to the high volume of importation at this period, but I believe that this weekend I can have my machine working at my home. Are you using windows 7 or vista or XP?

Thanks!

[amdolev]

W7 64
i'm quite happy now :D

[Herr_Roehrig]

Hi Guys,

Finally I received the notebook from Brazilian customs, after 20 days under fiscalization, I really didn't understand this stupid procedure, but anyway... I spend the hole weekend playing using it and it's amazing how nice and quite it works, didn't heat so much as I thought and respond prety good at full high resolution of the games COD5 World at War, COD4 Modern Warfare 2, Battlefield 2142 and ArmA2.
I'm happy with my purchase!!!:D

I also apply the W7 Ultimate on it, runs prety good!!!

Best Regards,

[amdolev]

I downloaded the i7 performence monitor from Intel (the one you see in their rendering demo)
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProdId=3168&DwnldID=18353&lang=eng

I then ran a simple Winrar benchmark with my 8690 and i7-820 (4GB RAM)
It showed nicely the performence shift.
While it was in multithread setting, core speed slowed to 1.73 (x4 of course) and after few seconds rose up to 2.0 (demonstrating the self overclocking abilities), giving a result of ~2.5MB/sec. I can't compare whether it's good or bad, but this is not the case.
I think unticked the "multithread" box and almost immidiatly CPU monitor shot up to max speed of 3.06(x1) giving a result of ~0.95-1.0MB/sec

With a normal quad-core CPU such as the Q9000 it probobly would have been somewhere around 0.7 or even less using just one thread (2.5 divided by 4) but with similar result in multithreading.
With a fast dual like the T9600, I bet it would reach similar numbers with one core, but poorer results in multithreading.

Did someone say best in both worlds? :)
It's like being an androgenus :D

I think i should do the same test with power-cable unplugged.
Where can I see other Winrar benchmark results?

[Herr_Roehrig]

Hi Guys,

I need a help... today I tried to play COD Modern Warfare 2 without the plug in at energy, but it was impossible due to a huge lag... do you know what was that? It's normal or something else? I notice that I started playing with the battery 100% full and after 15 min it was just 35%! Is that correct?

Regards,
Rodrigo

[Oz1571]

The framerate was probably low due to power saving, and yes, the battery levels sound fine. You can't really play a fullscreen, modern 3d-game and expect to get much out of your battery, in any laptop, unfortunately.

[Herr_Roehrig]

I thought that this battery saving issue could be one of the reasons about the lag during playing the game, but... never know. I suppose to never use the laptop to play a game without connected to the energy plug but I was trying to show the game for a friend not connected and this happened... Now, everything solved!

Tks.

[amdolev]

heh... actually, you can't even see an HD movie w/o hickups when unpluged. The battery clearly isn't strong enough to support serious applications. It's good if you have an outage, or if you wanna move the laptop from one power source to the other... nothing else.

I prefer that kind of battery to one that will weigh a lot more :)

[Herr_Roehrig]

I never had laptop before, so I was not use to this kind of situation, from now on I will just be pluged in.

Something little wierd to me is the speakers, I'm used to listen the powerfull sound from my Logitech Z-2300 and now it's completly different, but I will buy a nice headset and this will be solved.

This machine is really fantastic, in all aspects!! :notworthy

[amdolev]

One more benchmark: The Last Remnant (RPG by Square Enix) 1920X1080 - 56.6fps average. Physx and all.
You see the counter all along the test. a couple of times it dipped and touched 25, and once even 19, but these were very very short and hardly noticable visually in the overall refrsh-rate fps :)

yay

[fallenxlionheart]

how was the last remnant if i may ask???

[amdolev]

Heh, sorry, haven't checked it in a while here. Lots of cinematics, but for some odd reason they lose synchronization and skip a bit because FPS is pehaps too high :) I've limited it to 60 and it corrected it a bit, but now all. Game is pretty much straight forward, with lots of FF series influences. You can instantly tell that it's a Square-Enix game for the good (graphix, story) and the bad (too easy at start too hard later, repeatativity).

One more thing i'd like to add about this laptop (if anyone is still reading - will also post in owners lounge): It's become now my main computer, since I'm moving to another country. The place where I rest my left palm is excactly the same place where mt watch is, and I must take it off for long typing of emails or msgs. Not the best piece of ergonomics IMHO.

[kingtz]

I'd just like to know, how necessary is the thermal paste? I'd imagine that Sager's heat management would be already pretty good, and I don't plan on stressing the system too much with hardcore gaming or overclocking. So, I was thinking of saving some money by just going with stock paste if upgrades are not absolutely necessary.

What do you guys think?

[amdolev]

When I got this laptop, it wasn't an option. Although Sager has extremly good cooling system, throwing in a thermal paste at the price increase of less than 2% of the puchase sound like a not brainer. I'd spend even a little more in upgrades related to the longivity of my laptop. The extra degrees might help the CPU even overclock itself a little.
Thrmal paste is cheaper than CPU upgrade, no? ;)

[kingtz]

Yeah, you make a lot of sense. I was just being overly cheap again.

[kati42]

How about some benchmarks with the 5870?

[Maverick494]

How about some benchmarks with the 5870?

Mine with the 5870 will be here tomorrow, I'll post some once I get it setup.

[bo1ka]

Mine with the 5870 will be here tomorrow, I'll post some once I get it setup.
please do tell us how it runs in games and benchmarks.

[Maverick494]

please do tell us how it runs in games and benchmarks.

Sorry about me posting in the wrong spot, but I posted in this (http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?t=5085&page=7) post about my experiences thus far.

[Herr_Roehrig]

Hi Guys,

I just bought the new game Battlefield Bad Company 2 and I noticed some graphic issues, if I set on maximun resolution the screen crash to black, if I reduce to low the screem blinks for a while with some green and pink spots or shapes from time to time, don't happen often but this is something that worry me. What could be the problem?

BR,
Rodrigo

[misel]

Wow, this is quite something... Can you benchmark for NP8690 with ATI 5870 and i7 740? I'm planning on buying one but no sure how great it may perform...
Also, any idea how would this respond for heavy math calculations and modeling?

[mrmatt]

Wow, this is quite something... Can you benchmark for NP8690 with ATI 5870 and i7 740? I'm planning on buying one but no sure how great it may perform...
Also, any idea how would this respond for heavy math calculations and modeling?

What benchmark do you want? I have the same components in my laptop and lots of free time

[powerpack]

Could be drivers, or maybe coding of the game. If it does with others card could be fried.

misel like other ATI's in the past it looks like you can soft mod to a pro graphics card. Should help with modeling.

[mrmatt]

Hi Guys,

I just bought the new game Battlefield Bad Company 2 and I noticed some graphic issues, if I set on maximun resolution the screen crash to black, if I reduce to low the screem blinks for a while with some green and pink spots or shapes from time to time, don't happen often but this is something that worry me. What could be the problem?

BR,
Rodrigo
From what I know those arent any of the regular issues with the game, so it must be an issue on your side.

[xpcker]

hi, the customize page now says that this model comes with the 470m video card, when is going to be released?

thx guys =)

[bstapley]

Hey guys, I decided to splurge and upgrade my graphics card from the 280m (which my Sager 8690 originally came) with to the 460m. I was not expecting the difference in performance! I haven't had much time to run games yet, but after overclocking the 460m (running stock voltage), I was getting 8400 GPU score on 3dmark Vantage! With my 280m, I remember getting a max of like 6500 GPU score. My overall 3dmark Vantage score is now hovering around 10500 every time. Below are my specs for reference:

Intel i7 820qm
4gb ddr3 1333
128GB Corsair SSD
Nvidia gtx 460m
Intel 5300 wireless
1920x1080 screen

Anyway, for those wondering about the 460m's potential, hopefully that helps. :biggrin: