In need of suggestions

[Psycho]

First some background information about me. I'm waht you'd call a power user or as a friend used to say "anal" about what goes on with my computers. I can tell you exactly what starts up with windows, what processes are active and what programs are installed on my laptop.

I usually play RPGs (like Fable:TLC, Jade Empire, KotOR) and 3rd Person games (like PoP, Max Payne) so no FPS for me. Now there are four games that I'm currently interested in. Gothic 3, which I own and can't play on the Ferrari and my gaming desktop died on me two months ago, The Witcher, Hellgate and Assasins Creed. As far as I know of all 4 games only Assasins Creed is DX10 compatible, though I could be mistaken.

Now the rig that I'm interested in is the Sager 9261 and more specific the below one.

- 17" WSXGA+ "Matte" Super Clear Ultra Bright Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz w/ 4MB L2 Cache - 1333MHz FSB
- SLI ENABLED DUAL (2) 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 8700GT w/GDDR3 DX10 Video Cards (User Upgradeable)
- ~ 2,048MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 120GB 5400RPM (Serial-ATA 150)
- ~ 120GB 5400RPM (Serial-ATA 150)
- HDD Raid Settings - OFF
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 1.3Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Integrated System Speakers - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)
- 110/220V 120W Auto Switching AC Adapter - Included
- None Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Tech Support (Extra 2 Year Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

Price: $2667.00

Here come the questions.

1) Are the 8700GT 512 MB each or are they 256 each? I think the Dell has a similar SLI configuration but they say that it's 512 for both cards.
2) The often asked question, will the SLI 8700GT handle the type of games that I play and specifically the 4 games stated above at high settings and as close to the native resolution as possible?
3) If the 8800GTX is ever released for this laptop, will I have to send it to ou to perform the upgrade or will I be able to order the cards and perform the upgrade myself?
4) Is there an international warranty and if so how does it work? I ask because I'm planning to have my sister order it for me now that she is in the states and bring it over when she comes.
5) What about drivers? As I mentioned I'm a bit of a power user and I like to keep my laptop up to date with the latest in drivers. I'd like to keep that up with the new one. Does Sager update their dirvers often and if not from where will I get updated ones?
6) How does the specific laptop handle Linux? I want to start using that OS a bit more and that is the reason for the two drives.
7) What brand is the DVD-RW and can it be changed if I have a spare slot-load one?
8) What will the final price including shipping and taxes cost for California?

Thanks for the help and hope I like the answers :)

[xpcdude]

Excellent choice,the Sager 9261. Allright,let me help you with your inquiries :
1)Each 8700GT has 512 Mb gddr3, meaning that SLI would give you 1 Gb of Video memory
2)Yes, they will since the 8700GT is a pretty powerful card,with 3 times the shading power of the 7950GTX. It may not be the most powerful,since the 8800MGTX will be released soon,but it handles pretty much anything, especially in SLI
3)The upgrade is done by XoticPc in order to keep the warranty.Opening the unit will void it.
4)There is only a warranty provided by Sager and XoticPc,which means that XoticPc handles all the issues regarding the functionality,and only if there are parts that require Sager's intervention,then Sager will be contacted .However, Sager laptops are among the best in the world,and have a solid build.The warranty works only in America,any other country requires that you ship the unit back for inspection.
5)Sager updatedes their drivers on a regulate basis,however, the newest drivers would always be found on either the manufacter site(nvidia or ati) or on specialised sites like http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/ . That is because Sager takes time to ensure full compatibility between the drivers and the parts.
6)Linux will work on this unit even better than on a regular laptop,seing as it has a desktop processor,SLI capability and fast memory.
7)It is a major brand ,and yes,it can be replaced.

I hope this helps,if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. :)

[Zartanxt]

if you are a "power freak" then i suggest you get yourself 7200 rpm even if it means less gigz... cause u need that and get the WUXGA screen instead of matte, because the quality difference is quite a bit. Also dont waste your money in SLI cause 8800 is coming out by January to feb for consumers!! though maybe released by this month, it wont be available til jan. and then YOU WILL HAVE TRUE POWER!!! mwahaha

PS: Linux ROCKS!

[Psycho]

We are in agreement on the 7200rpm issue, but I'm not convinced that the 8800go will be released before January or even in the first two or three months of 2008. Also I don't think that WUXGA is good for gaming. Not a lot of the games that I play really go all the way up to 1900x1200. Still I could consider it but out of all the widescreen resolutions I think that 1680x1050 is the sweet spot.

The way that the dollar and my cashflow are right now I can wait till January but not much longer, in case it decides to start going up. If I don't pull the trigger by January then my next window of opportunity will be June/July.

About the warranty, if I get the 3 year Sager one and I find a Sager service center somewhere closer to home, will I be able to ship the laptop to them rather than XoticPC?

And when you say major brand are we talking about Matsita or Panasonic? If so that is the first thing that I'll change on the laptop if and when I get it.

[xpcdude]

There is no Sager Centre but the ones from America. :(
I would have to agree with Zartanxt on the screen and the 7200rpm HDD, it makes quite a difference. The glossy screen makes everything bright and vivid, but with a glare effect outside,in open sunlight, however , I doubt that the 9261 is the kind of laptop you would carry with you and play at a picnic :) So glare shouldn't be of a concern if you keep it indoor.And you can always buy a protective screen to make it "matte" .
Matte is not as bright and as vivid as Glossy,but has no glare.

About the GPU's , it depends how much of a gamer you really are. If you plan to do some hardcore gaming then you should wait until at least december, by which time the 8800M should be available.Otherwise, I would suggest 8700GT SLI, since it gives enough power to play even new DX10 games at high settings. :)
About the brands , you should send an email at service@xoticpc.com to clarify any questions :)

[Aryantes]

EDIT : Alienware has removed the page about the new card. It was suggested that it was leaked prematurely.

[xpcdude]

That is an unofficial version of a new brand, which may or may not be the final one. Note that the real launch date for the 8800M GTX is scheduled on the 19 of Nov.
You should wait until then to make sure that those informations are correct. Also it appears from those links that this video card may fit even into a 15.4 Speculation at this point , but we will have to wait and see.
The 9261 benefits from MXM IV so there should be no problem in upgrading the video card later on.

[Justin@XoticPC]

Publishing a video card not being released by nVidia until the 19th is a no no......

[xpcdude]

I would suggest deleting tha particular post, so that there would not be any problems regarding it. Alienware already removed the link from the database...