Sager NP9262 - Features and Specifications
| Sager NP9262 Configuration Options | |
| Processor | Core 2 Duo E8500 Core 2 Duo E8600 Core 2 Quad Q6600 Core 2 Quad Q6700 Core 2 Quad Q9550 Core 2 Quad Q9650 |
| Chipset | Intel P965 + ICH8-R |
| Memory | 2x1024MB DDR2-800 1x2048MB DDR2-800 2x2048MB DDR2-800 2x4096 DDR2-667 |
| Graphics | 1x or 2x NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GT 1x 8800M GTX 1x Quadro FX 1600M |
| Display | 17" WSXGA+ (1680x1050) Glossy 17" WUXGA (1920x1200) Glossy |
| Hard Drive | Three HDD bays supporting: 5400RPM: 160GB, 250GB, 500GB 7200RPM: 200GB, 320GB HDDs can be non-RAID or RAID 0/1/5 |
| Optical Drive | 8x DVDRW 2x Blu-ray Recorder/DVDRW |
| Networking | Integrated Gigabit Ethernet Intel 4965AGN WiFi Bluetooth v2.0 |
| Audio | 6-Channel HD Audio (2.0 Speakers) |
| Battery | 12-Cell 97WHr |
| Front Side | Front LCD Latches 5.1 Audio plus Microphone |
| Left Side | Optical Drive VGA Port Multi-function TV Out (S-VIDEO, Composite, Component) CATV Jack Gigabit Ethernet 56K Modem Mini FireWire 1394A ExpressCard/54 Flash Reader (MS, MS Pro, MMC, SD, xD) |
| Right Side | 4 x USB 2.0 |
| Back Side | Power Connector Dual-Link DVI TV Input CPU Cooling Exhaust GPU(s) Cooling Exhaust |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Home Premium 32/64-bit Windows Vista Business 32/64-bit Windows Vista Ultimate 32/64-bit Windows XP Professional 32-bit |
| Dimensions | 15.5" x 11.75" x 2.35" (WxDxH) |
| Weight | 11.55 lbs with battery |
| Extras | 2.0MP webcam Optional HDTV Tuner |
| Warranty | 1-year standard $200 2-year $360 3-year $200 30-day No Dead Pixel Insurance (No Dead Pixel Insurance can be bundled with extended warranty to save $100) |
| Price | Starts at $2249 for 2GB RAM, E8500, and a single 9800M GT Maximum price exceeds $5500, not counting peripherals and software |
The Sager NP9262 has plenty of customization options available, with starting models offering a moderate gaming experience all the way up through the top-end configurations that are the absolute fastest DTR notebooks currently on the market. (Yes, we know you can find pretty much the exact same laptop at other manufacturers. If you use the same components, you'll end up with the same performance.) Of course, there are all the standard items that you see in modern notebooks: wireless networking, webcam, and integrated audio. The NP9262 does support 5.1 audio output along with a microphone jack if you want to hook up external speakers (or a 5.1 headset), which is good to see. Let's talk about the other areas.
Our test system shipped with the now "outdated" E6850 (3.0 GHz, 4 MB cache, 1066 FSB). Current options are mostly focused on Penryn processors. You can get the E8500 or E8600 (3.16/3.33 GHz, 6 MB cache, 1333 FSB) for dual-core processing, or you can sacrifice CPU clock speed and move up to some of the quad-core processors. At the low end are the Q6600 and Q6700 (2.4/2.66 GHz, 2x4MB cache, 1066 FSB) using the older Kentsfield core, or you can get the Q9550 or Q9650 (2.83/3.0 GHz, 2x6MB cache, 1333 FSB) using the newer Penryn core. If you're looking to build a transportable workstation, one of those quad-core processors would definitely do the trick.
There are four graphics card options presently available: a single Quadro FX 1600M, 9800M GT, or 9800M GTX; or you can opt for dual GPUs with two 9800M GT cards in SLI. Besides having more SPs (112 versus 96), the 9800M GTX also comes with 1 GB of graphics memory. With most games still targeting 512 MB cards, however, that may not be terribly important. In terms of raw performance, the 9800M GT SLI configuration is definitely going to be faster, and it only costs $130 more than a single 9800M GTX. Again, we are unsure if the notebook is not capable of supporting two 9800M GTX cards or if that will be held off as a future option (pending further testing, perhaps). We also have to wonder about the power requirements of a top-end configuration; with two 8800M GTX cards and a dual-core E6850, maximum power draw is already very high. We have concerns that a Q9650 and dual 9800M GT cards might end up drawing too much power at maximum load. (The power brick is "only" capable of providing 220 W of power.)
Besides the CPU and GPU(s), Sager provides a lot of options for your hard drive(s). For the primary hard drive, you can choose a 160 GB, 250 GB, 320 GB, or 500 GB 5400 RPM hard drive. If you prefer faster performance over capacity, 7200 RPM hard drives are available in 100 GB, 200 GB, or 320 GB sizes. The same seven hard drive options are available for the remaining two hard drive slots, but additionally you can select whether you want the drive(s) to be part of a RAID configuration - RAID 0, 1, and 5 are supported. Two or three hard drives are necessary for RAID 0, only two hard drives are supported for RAID 1, and RAID 5 naturally requires all three hard drive bays to be populated. It's somewhat interesting that SSDs are not listed as an option, although available upgrades tend to come and go over time. Optical storage provides two options as well: your standard 8x DVDR and upgrade to a Blu-ray recorder. Unfortunately, a Blu-ray reader/DVDR combo drive is not an option at present (which could save you several hundred dollars if all you want is the ability to watch Blu-ray movies).
Other options include two LCD resolutions (1680x1050 WSXGA+ or 1920x1200 WUXGA), and memory capacities ranging from 2 GB (2x1GB 1x2GB) to 8 GB. 4GB and 8GB configurations require Windows Vista 64-bit, which is available on this notebook although it's not explicitly listed as an option you can customize. (Our particular configuration came with 2GB of memory and Vista 64-bit.) A chipset limitation apparently limits the 8 GB configuration to 6.8 GB usable inside Windows, however, and 4GB SO-DIMMs currently carry a large price premium over 2GB SO-DIMMs. You can also select an extended warranty (up to three years) and add a 30-day guarantee that your LCD won't have any pixel defects, plus a few additional items like software and peripherals.
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NotebookGamer - Monday, October 20, 2008 - link
I've been wanting to see a gaming laptops showdown between the Clevo matched up against the m1730.I got my NP9262 from Factor Gaming.
cg0def - Monday, September 15, 2008 - link
Say it ain so! I still remember when Alienware laptops used to look good. What happened guys? Oh, nm dell bough them ... well tough luck ...jfdmit - Saturday, September 13, 2008 - link
I exchanged my crashing 7811 for another one today, and so far it's working perfectly. No lockups, no webcam crashes, just speed and stability. I can finally see the real potential of this great gaming machine. It really does seem to be luck of draw whether you get a good one or a dud.jfdmit - Thursday, September 11, 2008 - link
As I noted in the comment I added to your first review of this machine, I've had a pretty bad time with stability. It doesn't matter whether I use the stock 176, or the patched 177.92 or 177.98 drivers, my 7811 is still totally unstable when playing games that even moderately tax the graphics subsystem. Spore locks the machine hard after an hour. Crysis gets about 30 minutes. Thereafter, the locks happen more and more frequently, interspersed with occasional BSODs.I suspect the problem is heat. The increasing frequency of the lockups when gaming, coupled with the fact that the machine works fine for non-gaming tasks, makes me think that the machine's cooling system just can't handle the load. I've ensured that there is plenty of room underneath the machine and even set it on a laptop cooling pad, but none of this has made any difference.
Unfortunately, as it stands, I cannot recomment the 7811 as a gaming PC.
Ben - Sunday, August 31, 2008 - link
Thanks for the article, but I expected more than 3 laptops when I read the title, "roundup".Ben - Sunday, August 31, 2008 - link
OK, you have 3 models listed on the index, you say 4 in the test setup, and then there's 5 benchmarks.I guess 5 is enough for a "roundup" though. :)
JarredWalton - Sunday, August 31, 2008 - link
Four "new" models, and one returning model. This was originally going to be a seven laptop roundup, but the text was already too long. The next three are midrange options.ikjadoon - Sunday, August 31, 2008 - link
What gives? Overdrive PC overclocks their laptops and Velocity Micro has some fine systems, too..Great review, however. :)
rvikul - Sunday, August 31, 2008 - link
I went to BestBuy today to take a look at the Gateway model. thought i'd add a few observations.I was surprised by how large the laptop was. The optical drive kept popping out and would not close properly, but that could be due to customer abuse on the display model.
I am not too thrilled about the form factor - it looks kinda ugly but thats subjective. Ethernet port is on the side which is weird since i would like it hidden behind the laptop. For a gaming laptop I dont see the need for a full keyboard. The arrow keys are really cramped together.
nycromes - Tuesday, September 2, 2008 - link
I actually purchased the P7811fx from BB this weekend. For those interested it is $200 off (at least in my area) and you get a free PC game up to $50 value.It does have a large form factor, in fact it wont fit most 17' carrying cases. Sitting on my lap, it feels like a table because it is so large. I don't mind though, I wanted the 17 in screen as well as a full keyboard. Many people want a keypad for uses in things like MMOs, that is a big selling point for me.
As for the optical drive... it opens easily. Mine will stay closed unless I push on the button (which as indicated in this roundup, is very easy to do just picking it up).
From what I have read, the lockups on these machines are only affecting some laptops. Many people have exchanged in the 14 day window to get one and their problems have been fixed.
Oh, the wireless button feels kinda cheap... I will have to see how long it lasts. I look forward to being able to upgrade it in the future (hopefully) and keep this laptop for a long time. Its a good machine, the colors aren't fabulous, but they don't really bother me. Its a great time to get one if you are looking at it since it is discounted right now.