Hello guys. It has been a month since I got my Sager NP8170-S1 (it's also known as Clevo P170HM). For those of you who saw laptops sold by Malibal, they are actually belonged to Sager/Clevo, they are the same, just Malibal rebrand to become theirs, specs are all the same. This thread is going to be a very completed guide on why I choose Sager over the other gaming laptop brands and how I go about getting it as well as my advices. hLet's take a look at the specs I have over here:

Technical Specifications:
CPU: Intel Core i7-2720QM 2.2 GHz with 6MB L3 Cache
RAM: 2x 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 So-DIMM RAM (4 SoDIMM slots, configurable up to 16GB with 2 SoDIMM slots capable of running 1600MHz SoDIMMs, all slots support dual channel configuration)
LCD: 17.3" (16:9) Full HD (1920x1080) LED-Backlit Display with Super Clear Glare Type Screen
GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD6970 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
HDD: 2 x 500GB 7200rpm
6X Blue-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
2.1 Sound System with Earphone/Microphone/S/DPIF for 5.1 and 7.1 Audio System/Line-In jacks with THX TruStudio Pro
2 USB 3.0 ports
2 USB 2.0 ports
1 IEEE1394/Firewire port
1 RJ-45 LAN port (10/100/1000MBps)
1 Intel® Advanced-N 6230 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth
1 eSATA port
1 HDMI port
1 DVI-I port
2.0 Megapixel Webcam
2 years Sager warranty + 3 years XoticPC warranty


How much I paid for this laptop?

Wire Transfer at bank: SGD 30 (bank charge) + USD 9 (fixed agent bank charge) = approx. RM 100
Note: If you pay in Malaysia, the bank charge should be RM 30 only
Laptop: USD 2,093 (Discount 3% because paid by Wire Transfer) = USD 2,030.21 = approx. RM 6,192.14
Shipping Fee: USD 223 (Discount 3% because paid by Wire Transfer) = USD 216.31 = approx. RM 659.75
Total paid: RM 100 + RM 6,192.14 + RM 659.75 = RM 6951.89


My comment on the amount I paid as compared to purchase from other resellers

So far I'm quite happy with my purchase. Without concerning about the exterior of the laptop, my laptop can perform equally as the Alienware M17X-R3 but with a cheaper price. They have very similar specs and the same GPU. Probably the only hardware difference is the 3.0 megapixel webcam in M17X-R3.

As for the reseller, XoticPC (U.S. reseller) charges high shipping fee but it has
- a forum with huge community (mainly buyers).
- a good website and wide range of OEM laptops
- informative purchase info and warranty info

However, I would suggest you guys to take a look at the other U.S. resellers like LPC Digital, Powernotebook and RJTech, heard that they offer lower shipping cost. If you want to purchase from local resellers for warranty concern, you can go to Mucro website to check it out. Mucro is located in Singapore but they have a service partner in KL, so warranty coverage will be better than what I had done by purchasing from U.S. reseller. Or you can buy from Prince J who is a lowyat forum member. Bear in mind that if it is a motherboard fault, your laptop will still probably be sent back to U.S. for warranty claim and you need to bear the shipping cost. However, minor issue like RAM, HDD, CPU or GPU will most probably be fixed by your local reseller without the need of sending the whole laptop back to U.S.

List of Resellers
XoticPC: http://www.xoticpc.com
Powernotebooks: http://www.powernotebooks.com
LPC Digital: http://www.lpc-digital.com
RJ Tech: http://www.rjtech.com/
Mucro: http://www.mucro.asia

Sager thread in Lowyat forum: http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1882523 (Feel free to ask questions there, you will get answers there on anything related to Sager)


Any import duty/tax when my laptop entering Malaysia?

Answer is NO. There is no import duty/tax for importing laptop/PC into Malaysia. I just paid what I had mentioned above (RM 6951.89), nothing else.


Pictures




Ordering process and how long did it take for me to receive it?

Check post #9
Link: http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?act=ST&f...t=1894260&st=8#


Performance Review

Check post #10


How did I know Sager and chose it at the end?[/size]

In fact, two months ago before I choose Sager, I did consider getting Alienware M15X until I saw Asus G53SW-A1 and I did some comparison with the following tech specs:

Comparison of Dell M15X-R2 and Asus G53SW-A1

Dell Alienware m15x (Price: RM 6,832.00 - RM 478.24 [discount 7%] = RM 6,353.76)
LCD Display: 15.6" inch WideHD WLED (res: 1920x1080) Display Integrated 2.0 mega pixel web cam
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-740M Processor (1st generation processor)
Graphics Card: nVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M w/1.5GB GDDR5
Memory: 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)
Hard Disk: 500GB 7200RPM SATA
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optical Drive: Slot Load 8X DVD+/-RW Drive with DVD+R double layer write capability
Dell Warranty: 2-year Premier Service with 1-year CompleteCover

Asus G53SW-A1 (Price: approx.RM 5,020)
LCD Display: 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen integrated with 2.0 mega pixel web cam
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM 2.0 GHz (2nd generation processor)
Graphics Card: nVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M w/1.5GB GDDR5
Memory: 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (4 X 2GB)
Hard Disk: 500GB 7200RPM SATA
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optical Drive: Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive
Asus Warranty: 2 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty 24/7 Support

The very first impression I had in mind was that, I would go for the cheaper Asus due to the fact that Asus has a Sandy Bridge (2nd gen i7 processor). Don't ask me why M15X had GTX 460M two months ago while they only give AMD HD5850M now, you can find out for yourself :]


The very moment when I was so determined that I'm going to take Asus and thought of getting a bigger screen, so that should be Asus G73SW-A1. But, you know, I have a very bad memory of maintaining my Dell Inspiron 1420, I wanted to clean the fan in it and ended up I had to DISASSEMBLE THE WHOLE LAPTOP JUST TO CLEAN THE FAN!!! So, I want to make sure that Asus is not going to give me that headache, but too bad Asus G73SW-A1 is not easy to maintain, if I want to maintain the laptop myself and clean the fans in it, it will be the same experience as how I disassemble my Dell Inspiron 1420. Please take a look at the youtube video on disassembling Asus G73SW-A1, you will be surprised that how much you need to disassemble, then only you can reach the fans. So, my impression is...cleaning Asus G73SW-A1 is not easy! By the way, below was the G73SW-A1 specs.

Asus G73SW-A1 (Price: approx. RM 6259.20)
LCD Display: 17.3” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen integrated with 2.0 mega pixel web cam
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM 2.0 GHz (2nd generation processor)
Graphics Card: nVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M w/1.5GB GDDR5
Memory: 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (4 X 2GB)
Hard Disk: 1TB (500GB x 2) 7200 RPM 32MB Hybrid Drive 4GB SSD Momentus XT
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Optical Drive: Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive
Asus Warranty: 2 Year ASUS GLOBAL Warranty 24/7 Support

I was in a dilemma whether I should go for the more expensive M15X-R2 with a 1st generation i7 processor or Asus G73SW-A1 with a 2nd generation processor. Obviously, with almost the same price, I could choose to go for Asus G73SW-A1. Then, here comes Sager which I read it on notebookreview. Not many people know about Sager in Malaysia, but many people are discussing it about it on notebookreview and label it as a gaming laptop. I had a look at Sager and saw it had a very plain outlook. Honestly speaking, it didn't look appealing to me at first and warranty was an issue. But after looking the level of customization that we are allowed to do so and easy to access to every laptop parts and even the fans, so cleaning the fans and maintaining the laptop would be very easy! So, I'm kinda determined now because I know even after the warranty expired, a laptop is still a laptop, it still can be used for various purpose like surfing internet, watching movies, typing documents or whatsoever after 3 to 5 years, I want it to be easily maintainable, so I choose Sager.


How easy it is to maintain Sager laptop as compared to Asus G73SW-A1

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Added on May 27, 2011, 12:15 am
Other Sager laptop models that I would recommend with an approximate price range which might fit into your budget

All the 3 laptop models below come with 2 fans in it, one for GPU and one for CPU. And the laptop parts and fans are easily accessible which makes it easier to be cleaned and maintained. All of them have same equal number and types of ports.



This post has been edited by jimmykvt: May 27 2011, 10:25 AM

Good review!

yeah! nice review, like reviews with alot of pictures. HAHHAHA...

more poison!

@Amal
Thanks!!!

@Mikeshashimi
lol, I really did a very thorough research and comparison in term of specs, price and performance before I made my decision to go for Sager. So, it is an experience which I wanna share with everyone :]

I barely almost bought the Asus G53...

Now I'm glad that I didn't...

really nice review, waiting for u to update the thread further.

Cool! Well u got the 5 year warranty (2 + 3) - or does it overlap?

I think warranty is the main issue for Sagers...

It overlaps, so in total I got only 3 years. I choose to get 2 years warranty from Sager because I had a bad experience using Dell Inspiron 1420 that came with a defective GPU which made me changed motherboard for twice within 2 years. So, to get myself familiar with Sager laptop and just to give myself a peace of mind, I require at least 2 years of protection from Sager lol.

You are right, warranty is the main issue, it also depends on which reseller you are purchasing from. I prefer Sager over Asus because it is easy to maintain, unscrew a few screws, WOALA, you can see your GPU, CPU, heatsink and the fans. And unscrew the screws on the heatsink, you can take out the fan already. So it is easier to clean. Check that video on Asus G73SW-A1, it's a nightmare if you wanna clean the fans!! lol

This post has been edited by jimmykvt: May 30 2011, 02:37 PM

Ordering process and how long did it take for me to receive it?

7 April (Thu) - ordered from XoticPC
8 April (Fri) - order processed and pending for payment
9 April (Sat) - made payment to bank (Telegraphic Transfer/Wire Transfer)
I went to the bank with all the bank information (beneciary bank and intermediary bank informations and XoticPC bank account and address and everything) and have the bank staff processed it for me, they deduct SGD 30 and USD 9 from my bank account for the charges.
11 April (Mon) - bank processed my wire transfer
13 April (Wed) - order confirmed, send for building/testing/burn in & final QA
19 April (Tue) - order shipped
20 April (Wed) - received USPS Tracking Number

USPS Tracking System


Poslaju Tracking System
Note: You can use this only after your package arrived Malaysia as shown in USPS tracking system, but sometimes Poslaju lazy to update


This post has been edited by jimmykvt: May 27 2011, 10:26 AM

Performance Review

Will be updated...

waffak, your sager is so big it makes your dell looks like a dwarf.

Wow, very comprehensive review TS
Damn the power brick is literally a brick

The laptop's performance is equivalent to an Alienware M17X-R3 (upgraded to AMD HD6970M). Palm rest is brushed with aluminium, my hands do not even sweat during gaming (GPU temp reaches max.84c), unlike my Inspiron 1420 which the palm rest is hot. Again, I don't have a cooling pad and staying in a room with no air con. Price-wise, it is cheaper than M17X-R3 a lot.

I'll try to see if I can come up with some performance review either tonight or tomorrow. That's the only thing left in my whole review.

@Reiji Arisu
Yup, it's a 17.3", mate, as compared to my 14.1" Dell Inspiron 1420 :]

Looks very elegant. And awesome specs. I wish I can have one. LOL!

Liked the plain and simple look of Sagers on first sight. Not a big fan of many stickers on the palm rest area. Thumb's up for the simplicity + specs for a reasonable price

From which bank u make the payment ?

Malaysia also got reseller now www.illegear.com

jimmykvt i need your help, please check your mail.

This post has been edited by Someone1986: Oct 2 2011, 09:14 PM

nice review..

walaowei, sager at malaysia buy at illegear meh.. its easy then buy yourself

im jealous of u rich people.. im stuck with my n53sv until it passes away~

Sorry to ask but did you laptop came with a oem installation ???

^You mean Windows ?

Same words come out from me, before I bought the NP8150-S1...

Now that I have it... I only play games like once a month... sometimes not even once in a month...

Sorry, mate, I wasn't too active in forum lately due to personal stuff. BTW, I can't open the link that you sent to me in your pm. But, still like what sifu Lee had said, why not you try to ask your question in the Sager official thread in LYN forum? You get your answer faster and there are lots of Sager users there to help you out as I'm not the only NP8170 (P170HM) user here. They might have more knowledge than me in dealing with your problem.

Sorry that I didn't add any gaming review as recently I am not into heavy graphics games. Kinda a bit waste with a AMD HD6970M (that time I bought, HD6990M wasn't even there yet).

I bought this laptop 5 months ago, that time illegear wasn't too established yet, I only know there's a member called Prince J is taking purchase order of Sager laptop. Yeah, now illegear looks very much established and I would recommend illegear than Mucro to most buyers since warranty claim is easier in that way.

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Added on October 5, 2011, 5:07 pmRegarding your problem written in your pm stating that you updated your bios and then windows requires you to reactivate your license key. From what you got from Sager is that you lost some bios info. In that case, I'm taking it is something related to windows OEM from Sager? Hmm..., I'm sorry about that, I can't help you with it because I didn't buy any windows OS software from Sager, my laptop comes with no OS installed. I installed my own windows. Perhaps you can post in the official Sager thread in LYN forum, you get better answer there since some people are way better than me in solving your problems and I'm not the only NP8170 / P170HM user.

This post has been edited by jimmykvt: Oct 5 2011, 05:09 PM

this is what u call a detailed review...very helpful..
thx!

For that problem, the machine don't have the sticker for Windows CD key?

wish i can get sager lappy one day.cool design n superb performance.
my definiton of cool is simple and stylish

Nice review you got here jimmy.

Too bad I just discover this