Sager to refresh products on 15 July

[Bateluer]

Just a heads up to everybody looking for a high performance notebook. My 5720 is due to be replaced before the end of the year with something with a little more power.

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Coming Soon!

On July 15, Sager gives you six new reasons to choose the biggest name in small computers. Stay tuned for more details on our new models.

 

[IlllI]

ugh.. i can see that their refresh didnt include better styling. sager designs some of the ugliest notebooks i've ever seen

 

[imported_Woody]

Can't really see what they are offering. It just says six new models but doesn't say anything about them right?

I'm assuming they will have the 9800GTX available by then but it's not supposed to be a huge performance upgrade rather than a more efficient GPU.

I too would like to replace my 5720 this year but was waiting for something a little more breakthrough when it comes to graphics.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: clandren
ugh.. i can see that their refresh didnt include better styling. sager designs some of the ugliest notebooks i've ever seen

Well, they haven't posted the refresh yet. Besides, its whats under the hood that counts. Sager models typically deliver top of the line performance and hardware at a fair price, unlike Alienware or VoodooPC, and they're leaps and bounds above Compaq and HP in quality.

Originally posted by: Woody

I too would like to replace my 5720 this year but was waiting for something a little more breakthrough when it comes to graphics.

Thats the main reason I haven't sought to upgrade my Dothan/7800GTX 5720. I did stick another GB of RAM in it, but thats it. Notebook graphics haven't evolved to the point where I could justify spending another 3k on one. Replacing just the video card on a notebook is a crap shoot at best. Nvidia just released the 8800M GTX, but I'd rather see one of their 55nm chips in a notebook.

I doubt they will offer any ATI models in the upper end of the product line though, they typically offer only Nvidia graphics models.

Err, while I was typing this post, I did some googling and located this thread which has some information about the new models. Still reading it, will post my thoughts in an edit or another post.


Edit -

Here's what I've dug up so far on the higher end models.

NP5796
Gallery

Looks like just a refresh of the 5793, nothing really groundbreaking, though from the gallery pics, the cooling system was beefed up and improved.


Eurocom for NP8660 and NP5795 units
Eurocom specs for 15.4in M860TU/NP8660 model
Gallery for M860TU/NP8660



I'm interested in the NP8660 model myself. 17in notebooks are nice, but it barely fits in the nice backpack I have. 1680x1050 is decent enough for my mobile machines. Its just been difficult to find a high end graphics chip in a 15.4in model.

 

[IlllI]

i must have been looking at the wrong pictures of the older models. i swear i've seen them use the same external chasis for about 4 years now.
but that NP8660 doesnt look half bad.

 

[Bateluer]

Bump, they are out.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
Bump, they are out.

I've been drooling over them for the past hour. Screw Lenovo...

 

[IlllI]

looks like you can get a discount on shipping if you are a student http://forum.notebookreview.co...ad.php?t=272643&page=3

 

[Bateluer]

I'm looking at the 8660 myself, some time this November. Between now and then, there had better be some more information about the performance of the mobile HD3870, GFM9800GTS and GFM9800GT. Apparently, the GFM9800GT has the highest spec's and carries the highest price, but I haven't see any reviews or performance numbers for it.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
I'm looking at the 8660 myself, some time this November. Between now and then, there had better be some more information about the performance of the mobile HD3870, GFM9800GTS and GFM9800GT. Apparently, the GFM9800GT has the highest spec's and carries the highest price, but I haven't see any reviews or performance numbers for it.

Indeed... the 8660 appears to rock. Though I'm curious - I'm always one for top end screen real estate, but if you want a serious gaming laptop, wouldn't it be better to opt for the 1680x1050 screen instead? Hmm...

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: Bateluer
I'm looking at the 8660 myself, some time this November. Between now and then, there had better be some more information about the performance of the mobile HD3870, GFM9800GTS and GFM9800GT. Apparently, the GFM9800GT has the highest spec's and carries the highest price, but I haven't see any reviews or performance numbers for it.

Indeed... the 8660 appears to rock. Though I'm curious - I'm always one for top end screen real estate, but if you want a serious gaming laptop, wouldn't it be better to opt for the 1680x1050 screen instead? Hmm...

You mean the 1920x1200 for top end screen real estate? I currently have a 17in notebook with a 19200x1200 native res. It looks great, and most of the time, it plays very well with its 7800GTX M at that res. However, the text can be small and hard to read. Plus it also shows age quicker and performance can drop off quickly with various titles at that resolution.

Its also large and bulky, and barely fits in the very nice backpack that someone gave me for free.

The 8660 with a best GPU I can get in it with a 1680x1050 resolution should allow for gaming at a decent res for at least a few years.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: Bateluer
I'm looking at the 8660 myself, some time this November. Between now and then, there had better be some more information about the performance of the mobile HD3870, GFM9800GTS and GFM9800GT. Apparently, the GFM9800GT has the highest spec's and carries the highest price, but I haven't see any reviews or performance numbers for it.

Indeed... the 8660 appears to rock. Though I'm curious - I'm always one for top end screen real estate, but if you want a serious gaming laptop, wouldn't it be better to opt for the 1680x1050 screen instead? Hmm...

You mean the 1920x1200 for top end screen real estate? I currently have a 17in notebook with a 19200x1200 native res. It looks great, and most of the time, it plays very well with its 7800GTX M at that res. However, the text can be small and hard to read. Plus it also shows age quicker and performance can drop off quickly with various titles at that resolution.

Its also large and bulky, and barely fits in the very nice backpack that someone gave me for free.

The 8660 with a best GPU I can get in it with a 1680x1050 resolution should allow for gaming at a decent res for at least a few years.

Right. But the 8660 has the option for both 1680x1050 or 1920x1200. I wonder if the 3870 would be enough (or even the 9800) to handle gaming on the 1920x1200 screen.

 

[IlllI]

read the reviews about the 3870 and how they perform with games like crysis at high resolutions
you'll find your answer

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: clandren
read the reviews about the 3870 and how they perform with games like crysis at high resolutions
you'll find your answer

The mobility 3870 has not been reviewed yet to the best of my knowledge. I think it's coming out in August.

 

[IlllI]

and yet it still has the same architecture as the desktop version. it might be clocked slower but thats about it

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: clandren
read the reviews about the 3870 and how they perform with games like crysis at high resolutions
you'll find your answer

Personally, I don't care about Crysis. Basically it's crapticular frame rates are due to a horribly inefficient graphics engine, not the graphics cards. I care more about games like Company of Heroes and Oblivion.

 

[IlllI]

ok well that was just one suggestion. then go find reviews with that game and the 3870 then.

 

[SunnyD]

Hmm... interesting. If you look at the specs and config options for the new models now, they no longer offer ATI video cards as an option on any of the models. I wonder what happened... (no I don't...)

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Hmm... interesting. If you look at the specs and config options for the new models now, they no longer offer ATI video cards as an option on any of the models. I wonder what happened... (no I don't...)

The 8660 offers a Radeon 3870 . . .

edit: . . .Err, it did offer a Mobility Radeon 3870 a few days ago.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Hmm... interesting. If you look at the specs and config options for the new models now, they no longer offer ATI video cards as an option on any of the models. I wonder what happened... (no I don't...)

The 8660 offers a Radeon 3870 . . .

edit: . . .Err, it did offer a Mobility Radeon 3870 a few days ago.

That's what I meant... when this was originally posted there were options for ATI cards, now there's not. In fact, one of the 17" models still says ATI available in the description, but no options to configure it with such.

 

[Born2bwire]

Sager said they wouldn't be offering the ATI card with those laptops. Didn't hear if it was can't or won't, probably the former I would imagine since the 9800M GT is hefty price step up.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Born2bwire
Sager said they wouldn't be offering the ATI card with those laptops. Didn't hear if it was can't or won't, probably the former I would imagine since the 9800 GT is hefty price step up.

Eh, as I said, when they introduced the new lineup, they had the config options in it. It was rather nice too, as the 3870 was the least expensive of the bunch. Oh well.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: Born2bwire
Sager said they wouldn't be offering the ATI card with those laptops. Didn't hear if it was can't or won't, probably the former I would imagine since the 9800 GT is hefty price step up.

Eh, as I said, when they introduced the new lineup, they had the config options in it. It was rather nice too, as the 3870 was the least expensive of the bunch. Oh well.

I know, they announced this after they released the laptops on the 15th. I've been keeping an eye on them since I placed an order for a 5796 at Xoticpc last week.

 

[Bateluer]

PCTorque allows you to select a 3870 for those interested, in the 8660.

I'm still looking for numbers on the performance of the 9800M series, the one I've seen so far steers me towards the 8660. The extra cost of the GTX card in the 5796 model isn't worth the paltry increase in speed. Plus the 15.4in 8660 is lighter and will fit in my current carrying case easily, not to mention free up some space on my desk.

Link to numbers, only two benchmarks though.

 

[imported_Woody]

I bought a Sager with a 9800M GT and it appears to be just a 8800GTX. Same core (G92 M), same specs, same features. They are probably just a BIOS flash away from the 8800M.