Which Sager is roughly a Gateway P-7811FX? [Archive]

Raidereng

03-03-2009, 10:53 AM

My wife's laptop just died (damn the luck)... so, I'm giving her my old gaming laptop and using this opportunity to get myself a shiny new machine. ;)

My old machine is a Gateway P-6831FX. It works fine for what I use it for (WoW, COD4 and surfing). I am not impressed with Gateway support however. I am forced to use the Gateway video driver and they have not updated it in over a year, which sucks. There misc. other little issues, which customer support was not very helpful in fixing.

That being said, I'm still temped to purchase the upgrade to the P-6831FX, the P-7811FX. I'd prefer not too, but at $1,149, the P-7811FX is a lot of bang for my buck, bad customer support and driver availability or not.

Still, I'd like to avoid repeating my first mistake, so here I am.

I've just now found out that there are only a few ODM's and that doesn't surprise me in the least. I'd like to think that I can get something equivalent to the P-7811FX here from XoticPC. I have just started to do my research, and I'm learning quickly. I would like to lean on you all to help get me up to speed. I'll fill out the general questions, and if you all could help point me in the right direction I sure would appreciate the help.

General Questions

1) What is your budget?

$1,200 to $2,000

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

I would prefer a 17" for when I travel but as I hook up to a 22" monitor when I'm home I can live with a 15.4" screen if it will save some cash.

3) What country are you buying this in?

USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

I'm open as long as they are supportable and reliable.

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?

WoW, COD4 and surfing.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?

A bit of both... weight is not an issue.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?

WoW, COD4

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?

Doesn't matter.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?

Doesn't matter.

10) What OS do you prefer? (more details below)

Any Vista will work fine. I think that I'd prefer the 64 bit version so that I can have 4gig of RAM, but I don't know what other applications really take advantage of the 64 bit version.
Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)

It doesn't matter.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen?

Non-glossy would be better, but it's not a show stopper.

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Nope, it just needs to be reliable.

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

In the next few weeks and 3-4 years.

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 80GB, 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 1TB, or 1.5TB?

250gig should be fine as I don't have a lot of music or movies, but bigger is better as long as it's balanced with price.

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, CD/DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

I don't need a burner, but CD/DVD combo is needed.

17) What speed CPU/Processor would you like? Dual core or Quad Core CPU?

The P-7811FX comes with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400, so I would think that is the starting point.
It was not asked, but I'd also prefer 3-4gig of RAM.
There you have it... thanks in advance for any/all help on this.

Anewbus

03-03-2009, 04:31 PM

Hi Raidereng,
You have come to the right place if you are looking for a quality laptop and great customer service. Like most other folks here on the boards I’m just a customer who decided to hang around and help where I can because of the service and quality product I have received from XoticPC. My process of purchasing felt like I was buying from a posh boutique without the BS. Zero pressure sales, answering as many questions as one has and finding the right high quality laptop for the customer through superior customer service with the best warranties anywhere is pretty much the mission statement of XoticPC as near as I can figure out. (That’s based on the service I received as well).
With every machine you get a choice of warranties should you want something different than the one that comes with said machine and every machine comes with FREE LIFETIME 24/7 Domestic Tech support. (It’s good, I have used it a couple of times to test it out). You even get an official licensed CD of your chosen OS (also pre-loaded) and a separate CD of the drivers (also preloaded) for your laptop. None of this hidden copy of the OS someplace on the HD you can’t get to or “recovery disc” only garbage.
So I think you can put your customer support issues to rest here.

When I was shopping for my first laptop the most important thing to me were performance, longevity and warranty. I was going to settle on a Toshiba and deal with poor service and hope that it would last 2 years before I came across XoticPC. I’m so glad I found them!!! They saved me a lot of heartache and headache. I was also new to the laptop world. I got and continue to get a good education from XoticPC. (I don’t get down to the extreme details of a microprocessor like a couple of folks here can do, but we all have our specialties and together everyone gets lots of help).

FYI section:
Glossy vs Matte screens: If your under bright lights or sunlight a lot you’ll want to go with a matte screen. If your under normal lighting and anything else pretty much, I would recommend Glossy. Glossy screens tend to give sharper imaging and superior contrast.
Also it might be worth noting that the 1650x1050 resolution screens are a bit more flexible than the 1900x1280 in that the 1650x1050 can be lowered down to 800x600 while the 1900x1280 screens only go down to 1280x800 or so. Both screens are just as nice, it just depends on your needs. (Most games aren’t played even in as high as1650x1050 anyway)

There aren’t too many applications that take advantage of 64-bit OS, but that could very well change over time. I’m not sure, but I think your games may appreciate it.

I also just read that the Gateway P-7811FX is now discontinued anyway. With your budget you stated, you would be able to get a laptop here that will blow away anything that Gateway can come up with. Dedicated GPUs as opposed to Integrated GPUs will yield far better performance just for starters.

I’ve done a few config ideas to get you started. Keep in mind that all this is only my opinion and you can play with the configs I did here to your hearts content until you find something your comfortable with if I didn’t nail it for you. That’s what they are for. I configured everything with Vista 64 bit and concentrated on keeping as close to the low end of your budget as possible while taking advantage of an upgrade here or there that was worth the little cost associated with it.

Here are some 17-inch selections:

This is a fantastic machine in the 17-inch range. It’s close to your maximum budget in this configuration as it is the nature of the beast in the 17-inch world, especially for a powerhouse like this one. Personally, I think the Nvidia 9800M GT 1028 is the better card, but the standard one is no cheapo either and will blow away anything Gateway can do. However, for the sake of your budget I could not upgrade to the 9800 GT. I also had to stick with the standard warranty, but it’s not too bad really. You’ll never get 3 years labor from Gateway!

Sager NP5797 Custom Notebook (Built on Clevo M570ETU) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2540%7B76%7D1883%7B18 7%7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2422%7B88%7D1088%7B186 %7D734%7B93%7D2431%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D2032%7B98%7 D1295%7B96%7D2039%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117% 7D705%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2426%7B169%7D1449%7B119% 7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D689%7B106% 7D1696%7B12%20)
- 17" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia Quadro FX2700M 512MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- NP579x Orange Frame Trim Color
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 250GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300)
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support
(Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

TOTAL = $1977.83 with cash discount

This next one comes with Xotic’s best warranty as standard. This may not be quite as powerful as the 5797, but it will amaze you after being on Gateways. It’s more towards the middle of your budget range.

FORCE 3751-ID2 (Built on MSI-1722-ID2) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2560%7B76%7D1280%7B18 7%7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2446%7B88%7D2463%7B186 %7D734%7B93%7D2489%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D2476%7B98%7 D1799%7B96%7D1803%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117% 7D1478%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2426%7B169%7D1449%7B119 %7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D1539%7B10 6%7D1691%7B%20)
- 17" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia GeForce 9600M GT 512MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
- - 4,096MB DDR2 800MHz KINGSTON HyperX Matched Kit - Low Latency CL5 (2 SODIMMs) Dual Channel Memory SPECIAL!
- Standard Finish (WXGA - Plastic Matte Bllack with Silver Trim ~ WSXGA+ - Black Brushed Aluminum
NO DELAY for Custom Color Options
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 250GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- Internal 5-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/ xD-P)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carrying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- -Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping both ways - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll-Free Telephone Tech Support

TOTAL = $1691.68 with cash discount

This next one is pretty much the twin to the one above. I haven’t figured out why the price difference yet. You can ask Justin at XoticPC about that.

FORCE 3751 (Built on MSI-1722) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2500%7B76%7D1280%7B18 7%7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2446%7B88%7D2463%7B186 %7D734%7B93%7D2459%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D2476%7B98%7 D1799%7B96%7D2461%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117% 7D1478%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2426%7B169%7D1449%7B119 %7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D1539%7B10 6%7D1691%7B%20)
- 17" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia GeForce 9600M GT 512MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
- - 4,096MB (Corsair, Kingston, Major Brand) DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMs) Dual Channel Memory
- Standard Finish (WXGA - Plastic Matte Bllack with Silver Trim ~ WSXGA+ - Black Brushed Aluminum
NO DELAY for Custom Color Options
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- Internal 5-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/ xD-P)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carrying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- -Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping both ways - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll-Free Telephone Tech Support

TOTAL = $1575.28 with cash discount

Here are some 15.4 inch models to consider:

This one comes with a BlueRay drive standard, a nice 320 GB 7200rpm HD and another good GPU. I picked the best warranty I could within your budget which happens to be their best.

MSI GT627 - 218 (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2555%7B76%7D650%7B94% 7D1074%7B92%7D1987%7B88%7D1067%7B186%7D734%7B93%7D 1645%7B112%7D656%7B98%7D1797%7B96%7D1969%7B168%7D1 453%7B116%7D1416%7B117%7D707%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D1 747%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D 1441%7B107%7D2259%7B106%7D1688%7B121%7D1532%7B108% 7D710%7B109%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050) `
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt - ENS
- nVidia GeForce 9800M GS 1024MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory -
- Standard Finish
- - 2X Blue-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) - Default Hard Drive
- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in 802.11 Wireless A/B/G/N
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- MSI Matching Backpack
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- -Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Parts & Labor Warranty 24/7 Tech Support

TOTAL = $1756.67 with cash discount

This next one is a very popular machine and for good reason. Although to stay within your budget closer to the lower end I went with the standard warranty.

Sager NP8660 (Built on Clevo M860TU) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2411%7B76%7D768%7B187 %7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2422%7B88%7D2417%7B186% 7D734%7B93%7D2431%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D656%7B98%7D1 295%7B96%7D2039%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117%7D 705%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2426%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7D 1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D689%7B106%7D 1696%7B121%7D%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia GeForce 9800M GTS 512MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- ~ 4,096MB DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS) (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 250GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300)
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (8-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Based Toll Free Telephone Tech Support
(Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

TOTAL = $1531.63 with cash discount

The Force machines offer a good amount of bang for the buck. Again, this one comes with Xotic’s best warranty, standard. Just try getting a warranty like that from Gateway or anyone!
This is closer to the lower end of your budget as well.

FORCE 3551 (Built on MSI-1651) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2462%7B76%7D769%7B187 %7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2446%7B88%7D2463%7B186% 7D734%7B93%7D2459%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D2476%7B98%7D 1799%7B96%7D2461%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117%7 D707%7B120%7D703%7B110%7D2426%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7 D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D1539%7B106% 7D1691%7B12%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Matte" Type Super Clear Ultra Bright Screen (1680x1050)
(Black Brushed Aluminum Default Exterior)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia GeForce 9600M GT 512MB PCI-Express DDR3 DX10
- - 4,096MB (Corsair, Kingston, Major Brand) DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMs) Dual Channel Memory
- Standard Finish (WXGA - Plastic Matte Bllack with Silver Trim ~ WSXGA+ - Black Brushed Aluminum
NO DELAY for Custom Color Options
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carrying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell)
- -Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping both ways - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll-Free Telephone Tech Support

TOTAL = $1380.31 with cash discount

Again, the best warranty is standard and this is the closest I could come to $1149 while still high quality.

FORCE 3310 (Built on COMPAL JHL90) (http://www.xoticpc.com/product_info.php?products_id=2455%7B76%7D1743%7B18 7%7D1757%7B94%7D1074%7B92%7D2446%7B88%7D2410%7B186 %7D734%7B93%7D2459%7B193%7D657%7B112%7D656%7B98%7D 1799%7B96%7D2461%7B168%7D1453%7B116%7D1416%7B117%7 D890%7B120%7D702%7B110%7D2486%7B169%7D1449%7B119%7 D1898%7B100%7D734%7B164%7D1441%7B107%7D1539%7B106% 7D1688%7B12%20)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® P8600 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.40GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- nVidia GeForce 9600M GT 512MB PCI-Express DDR2 DX10
- - 4,096MB (Corsair, Kingston, Major Brand) DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMs) Dual Channel Memory
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)
- Internal 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS)
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5100 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carrying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- -Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping both ways - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll-Free Telephone Tech Support

TOTAL = $1215.41 with cash discount

The fact that 3-year full coverage warranties with paid shipping both ways are offered and on some machines, even standard equipment gives one an idea of the quality and longevity. Take good care of your lappy from Xotic and it will last 3 to 4 years easily and more.
As I said the above are just my opinions. You may want something different or not. It’s all about what fits you best and at the end of the day it’s up to you.