Sager NP9280 - Clevo D900F Owners Lounge

[SQ33]

When I started reading this thread back in October I thought all the post complaining about the time it was taking for people to get their 9280s were kind of funny, and maybe a little silly. (no offense meant)

I just thought, why are these people so uptight??? These are high-end laptops, they're worth the wait to ensure you're getting the best, so just clam down and accept that it will get there, when-its-flippin'-ready!

I want to apologize to all of you who felt that way, I am now one of you.:notworthy I still believe in the truth of what I wrote above, but my anxiousness has gotten the best of me, and I'm about to lose my dadgum mind waiting for mine. How did y'all deal with the anxiety? I don't like drinking, but maybe I should start?:laugh:

[Badnews]

LG.Philips

Model Name LP171WU1

Active Area [mm] - 367.2 x 229.5
Outline Dimension [mm] - 382.2 x 244.5
Thickness [mm] - 6.2
Resolution - 1,920 x 1,200
Aspect Ratio - 16:10
Pixel Pitch [mm] - 0.191(133)
Number of Colors - 262,144(6 bit)
Luminance [cd/㎡] - 190(typ. 5p)
Weight [g] - 720
Contrast Ratio - 500:1
Interface - 2ch LVDS
Viewing Angle [˚,U/D/L/R] - 120/140
Response Time [ms] - 25

I thought the response Time was high..I checked on some prices and it seems this LCD is cheap (around $100 +)..The best one I could find is the A2 version.I just cant find the specs on it..Where did you find the specs on my LCD?

[lootbag]

yeah I am interested in finding a matte screen to replace the glossy one on the 9280 I just received today.

anyone know where I can get one?

[enanthate]

I thought the response Time was high..I checked on some prices and it seems this LCD is cheap (around $100 +)..The best one I could find is the A2 version.I just cant find the specs on it..Where did you find the specs on my LCD?

A S*%T load of google searches :p

[enanthate]

I thought the response Time was high..I checked on some prices and it seems this LCD is cheap (around $100 +)..The best one I could find is the A2 version.I just cant find the specs on it..Where did you find the specs on my LCD?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=182998

[guen0062]

Hey everyone. Ive got a question about DL burning. When I burn a regular dvd everything works fine but every time I try to burn a DL disk I always get an error message and failure. Does anyone else have this problem? Ive tried different software and different types of files, some ISO and then just trying to burn pictures as a backup, but each time it fails. any suggestions? thanks

[Badnews]

LG.Philips

Model Name LP171WU1

Active Area [mm] - 367.2 x 229.5
Outline Dimension [mm] - 382.2 x 244.5
Thickness [mm] - 6.2
Resolution - 1,920 x 1,200
Aspect Ratio - 16:10
Pixel Pitch [mm] - 0.191(133)
Number of Colors - 262,144(6 bit)
Luminance [cd/㎡] - 190(typ. 5p)
Weight [g] - 720
Contrast Ratio - 500:1
Interface - 2ch LVDS
Viewing Angle [˚,U/D/L/R] - 120/140
Response Time [ms] - 25

I think you may be wrong..I downloaded FRESH DIAGNOSTICS and it said my LCD model was an AUO.....




Display Monitors
This module contains information about your display monitors.


Monitors: AUO1088



Monitor Info
Model AUO1088
Manufacturer AUO
Manufacture Date January 2007 (Week 1)
Manufacturer EISA Code AUO
Model ID AUO1088

Monitor Specification
Working Horizontal Frequency 30 kHz - 83 kHz
Working Vertical Frequency 56 Hz - 75 Hz
Color Type RGB Color
Viewable Size 37 x 23 Centimeters (17.15 Inches)
Gamma Factor 2.200
EDID Version 1.3
EDID Checksum 0x95
EDID Extensions 0

Video Input
Input Type Digital
DFP 1.x Compatible No

Monitor Features
Supports Standby Mode No
Supports Suspend Mode No
Supports Active-Off/Low Power Mode No
Supports Standard Color Space No
Supports Preferred Timing Mode Yes
Supports Default GTF No

Chromaticity
Red X, Red Y 0.590, 0.340
Green X, Green Y 0.310, 0.550
Blue X, Blue Y 0.155, 0.135
White X, White Y 0.313, 0.329

Established Video Modes
720 x 400 @ 70Hz (IBM, VGA) No
720 x 400 @ 88Hz (IBM, XGA2) No
640 x 480 @ 60Hz (IBM, VGA) No
640 x 480 @ 67Hz (Apple, Mac II) No
640 x 480 @ 72Hz (VESA) No
640 x 480 @ 75Hz (VESA) No
800 x 600 @ 56Hz (VESA) No
800 x 600 @ 60Hz (VESA) No
800 x 600 @ 72Hz (VESA) No
800 x 600 @ 75Hz (VESA) No
832 x 624 @ 75Hz (Apple, Mac II) No
1024 x 768 @ 87Hz (IBM, Interlaced) No
1024 x 768 @ 60Hz (VESA) No
1024 x 768 @ 70Hz (VESA) No
1024 x 768 @ 75Hz (VESA) No
1280 x 1024 @ 75Hz (VESA) No
1152x870@75Hz (Apple, Mac II) No

Standard Video Modes
Video Mode #1 256 x 160 @ 61 Hz (16:10 Widescreen)
Video Mode #2 256 x 160 @ 61 Hz (16:10 Widescreen)
Video Mode #3 256 x 160 @ 61 Hz (16:10 Widescreen)
Video Mode #4 256 x 160 @ 61 Hz (16:10 Widescreen)
Video Mode #5 256 x 160 @ 61 Hz (16:10 Widescreen)
Video Mode #6 256 x 160 @ 61 Hz (16:10 Widescreen)
Video Mode #7 256 x 160 @ 61 Hz (16:10 Widescreen)
Video Mode #8 256 x 160 @ 61 Hz (16:10 Widescreen)

Descriptor #1: Detailed Timing
Pixel Clock 151.93 MHz
Horizontal Active Pixels 1,920 Pixels
Horizontal Blank Pixels 160 Pixels
Vertical Active Lines 1,200 Lines
Vertical Blank Lines 23 Lines
Horizontal Sync Offset 48
Horizontal Sync Pulse Width 32
Vertical Sync Offset 3
Vertical Sync Pulse Width 6
Horizontal Image Size 367
Vertical Image Size 229
Horizontal Border 0
Vertical Border 0
Interlaced Display No
Stereo Display Normal Display (No Stereo)
Sync Scheme Digital Separate
Vertical Polarity (-) Negative
Horizontal Polarity (-) Negative

Descriptor #3: Hardcoded String
Manufacturer AUO

Descriptor #4: Hardcoded String
Manufacturer B170UW01 V0

[The Big Daddy C-Master]

A couple of questions as I was looking at this one now. It'll be in my truck the vast majority of time as I have a desktop at home. I'm sure I can use an inverter for the power, as you can invert things like power drills and refrigerators, but can you use an auxiliary jack to your vehicle's sound system? That would make things much better.

[powerpack]

Typically your headphone jack is also your line out on notebooks. Is that what you mean?

[Badnews]

A couple of questions as I was looking at this one now. It'll be in my truck the vast majority of time as I have a desktop at home. I'm sure I can use an inverter for the power, as you can invert things like power drills and refrigerators, but can you use an auxiliary jack to your vehicle's sound system? That would make things much better.
Yes you can..You just need the correct plugs and hopefully your stereo will support those plugs,if not,then you are gonna need to ask you local audio what you will need or have them to do it for ya..Dude was right about using the headphone jack.That is an audio out port.A friend of mine has a tape deck and he said the best way to hook his Netbook up was to use the tape deck to midi plug.The fm tuner type wasn't as good.

[Naram-Sin]

Hey all, I have a major issue that just popped up in the last half hour. I figured it may as well be posted here rather than a new thread..

I just got home from best buy to try out my new Sennheiser HD 280 pro headphones. Within 10 minutes of use on my 9280 I had a BSOD at the exact moment that I touched the body of the computer and felt a static shock. The system rebooted and I started windows normally. Never having this issue before, I obviously assume it has something to do with the new headphones. Another ten minutes later, same thing happens. Sitting here listening to the headphones, I reach out to the mouse pad and ZAP...blue screen pops up at the exact moment. This is clearly a huge problem. I can't risk frying a $3,000 system. Why and how could a pair of headphones cause this? Is the audio jack in the 9280 not meant to support higher end headsets? Is there some sort of strain on the systems power output because of the headset? I mean it's not a $1,500 pair of studio headphones or anything, designed to go in a sound board. Just a nice, $100, pair of casual usage headphones. I would think something in this quality range couldn't put a strain on a rig as nice as the 9280.

My only other possibilities here is that I'm just having a bad day and am conducting some bad static from the carpet. Alternatively, I had it plugged into a wall outlet that isnt set in the wall properly. I've never had an issue with this particular outlet before as the wiring appears to be just fine, yet the housing is simply lacking proper screw mounts so it leans out loosely. It's possible the wiring in that outlet started to fray as it's improperly mounted so needless to say I'm never plugging into it again.

I've switched wall outlets and removed my footwear to eliminate any static producing scenarios. Also I've yet to plug the headphones in to the jack. It hasn't happened again in the past 45 minutes.

Any insight would be great. Is it possible that the headphones are causing the problem? Or was it likely my crazy wall outlet and it happens to be a coincidence that it's happening just as I try out the headphones? Feel free to point out any idiocy on my part.

:notworthy:notworthy


EDIT: The headphones have an impedance level of 64 Ohms which seem to be reasonable according to the handful of articles I've found in the past half hour. Example discussion here: http://forums.cnet.com (http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7595_102-0.html?threadID=50471)/5208-7595_102-0.html?threadID=50471 (http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7595_102-0.html?threadID=50471)

I am now having trouble finding any documentation on the 9280 to confirm that 64 ohms isn't too demanding for the system. I can't imagine that it could be though.

[tjp888]

Notebooks, or any computer for that matter are supposed to be designed to be shielded from any normal static shock. It's part of the UL and CE certification.
I'm stuck though as to how wearing headphones could inhibit this?
At first I was thinking that your AC outlet wasn't grounded. But even if a notebook is running on a battery - hence not grounded, it still has to be shock resistant. So, ground or not, this shouldn't happen.

[Naram-Sin]

Hmm. I assumed the same although it definitely happened. The first time I was just a little confused. I've never had a BSOD on this system before and it definitely popped up as the shock problem happened. The second one only confirmed the occurrence as such. Soon as my finger contacted the mouse pad there was a brisk shock and the BSOD popped up perhaps a millisecond after.

I'm lost.

EDIT: I'm far less proficient in laptop knowledge than most here on the boards and I'm even more underwhelming when speaking about the properties of power and electricity. However, my reasoning was that it's possible that the system wasn't built to allow enough power to be routed to the audio jack for this set of headphones requirement level. Supposedly mp3 players have a similar issue where they won't work with certain sets because they can only handle a 32 ohm impedance and are being used with a much more demanding headphone set, like a 300 ohm. This is the most logic I can get out of this and even at that, it sounds stupid that a $3,000 rig that powers an i7 and then some somehow doesn't route a fair amount of power to the audio port. I can't see that happening. Again, if that was the case, you would think it would simply not work rather than cause some oddball electrical fluctuation.

[Dungeoncrawler]

Hi - Just finished ordering the 9280. So, exactly how long does it take for them to ship? Looking forward to trying this monster out soon with all my favorite games :).

[The Big Daddy C-Master]

Yes you can..You just need the correct plugs and hopefully your stereo will support those plugs,if not,then you are gonna need to ask you local audio what you will need or have them to do it for ya..Dude was right about using the headphone jack.That is an audio out port.A friend of mine has a tape deck and he said the best way to hook his Netbook up was to use the tape deck to midi plug.The fm tuner type wasn't as good.
It should work then since I do that often with other devices. How is this with heat? Mine was going to be in my truck more often than not, I was going to have a cooling device though.

[Badnews]

It should work then since I do that often with other devices. How is this with heat? Mine was going to be in my truck more often than not, I was going to have a cooling device though.
I haven't had any problems with heat..Being in a automobile though,I would have really good venting and you said you will have extra cooling,that would be a good idea.In the summer,I would worry if you don't run A/C.and.If you keep your windows down,then you will have to worry about dust getting in your laptop not to mention humidity and last thing,if you leave it in your truck,you might have to worry about the heat and the monitor.Just think it over really hard if you want to do this..Just my 2 cents...

[Kozito]

I got this laptop recently and the quality of the screen is the worst I have ever seen. Mine was AUO, grainy and dimm which I immediately removed and sent for replacement. They install cheap screens in very expensive laptops. One should expect a decent quality of all components but not in this case, you get a Ferrari among laptops with plastic window. Pathetic!

[powerpack]

I got this laptop recently and the quality of the screen is the worst I have ever seen. Mine was AUO, grainy and dimm piece of shit which I immediately removed and sent for replacment. They install cheap screens in very expensive laptops. One should expect a decent quality of all components but not in this case, you get a ferrari among laptops with plastic window. Pathetic!So let me get this straight, you are not happy? I can only ask are the others as unhappy? But sad you are not happy, what should we do? What did you expect?;)

[Kozito]

So let me get this straight, you are not happy? I can only ask are the others as unhappy? But sad you are not happy, what should we do? What did you expect?;)


I just think it is not fair when you pay well over 3k$ for a laptop, that's all. And I am not the only one with the bad screen on this forum. They know what they send. The fact is that they do not give a shit because someone like you is still happy being screwed for getting plastic windows ;)

[powerpack]

I just think it is not fair when you pay well over 3k$ for a laptop, that's all. And I am not the only one with the bad screen on this forum. They know what they send. The fact is that they do not give a shit because someone like you is still happy being screwed for getting plastic windows ;)Do you still have time to send back? The only thing before I know about is DeLL sent out two very different screens, One good one bad.

[The Big Daddy C-Master]

I haven't had any problems with heat..Being in a automobile though,I would have really good venting and you said you will have extra cooling,that would be a good idea.In the summer,I would worry if you don't run A/C.and.If you keep your windows down,then you will have to worry about dust getting in your laptop not to mention humidity and last thing,if you leave it in your truck,you might have to worry about the heat and the monitor.Just think it over really hard if you want to do this..Just my 2 cents...
I would keep my vehicle cool, I was just going to store it under my seat when not in use, my seats have plenty of space and I was going to put a towel over that so nobody could see it. I live in GA so it does get quite hot. I don't really drive with my windows down. My truck is large and uses the same gas anyways, and since I have a landscaping company I would get dirt inside of my truck. And grass, etc.

[Badnews]

Do you still have time to send back? The only thing before I know about is DeLL sent out two very different screens, One good one bad.
Guys like you need to understand something..(not happy send it back).When someone pays for something that cost high dollar,then that person expects everything to be top grade.I too do not like my LCD but,I am not going to send it back just because of that one flaw.Everything is fine except when playing games.That is the only thing I can see wrong with it..Some people just need to vent..If you don't have a helpful solution then just shutup..Not trying to be rude but,I am tired of people trying to be a smartass. Sorry if I made you mad..They do need to upgrade to a better LCD and I have Talked to Allen at Sager about this and he said their is no other lcd to fit right now but,I believe that there is,he just doesn't know of one at the moment.

[Badnews]

Not sure where to put this...I wanted Sager Wallpaper and only found 1..So I customized it.Here is a few..If you want all that I have or high rez...just email me and I will send them to ya..I know I am not that great at this stuff but I thought they looked cool.199

200

201

202

203

[enanthate]

could they not have just done away with the battery and insted put in a desktop GPU card?

I guess that would just be too good to happen :D:D

[Badnews]

could they not have just done away with the battery and insted put in a desktop GPU card?

I guess that would just be too good to happen :D:D
I just hope they will come out with a DX 11 GPU for the NP9280...The GTX285 is just a joke if you ask me..I can OC my GTX280M to the same specs and have no problems..They should have made it a DX 11...

[enanthate]

I just hope they will come out with a DX 11 GPU for the NP9280...The GTX285 is just a joke if you ask me..I can OC my GTX280M to the same specs and have no problems..They should have made it a DX 11...

well you can always go with the ATI, they are realeasing one very soon with dx11 I have read (or did they release already?)

but then again the first mobile dx11 card is going to run dx11 like crap. Better to wait a year or so before investing in a dx11 card so it can really give the benifits of dx11

[Mauler]

Just ordered my first Xotic PC. I've spent the last several months researching for a laptop upgrade (current one is Dell Inspiron 9300 from 5 years ago!) I'm blown away by what Clevo was able to squeeze into a laptop frame, and I'm also happy with what Xotic PC was able to do with price and their approach to customer service.

So there goes what amounts to more than my last automobile down payment toward a respectable transportable gear! Here's to good times to come (and hopefully minimal headaches).:geek:

[Mauler]

Less than a week after ordering (with Valentine's Day and President's Day in between), the NP9280 has been assembled, tested and shipped to Xotic PC in NE in order to avoid sales tax in CA. Wow!:biggrin:

[enanthate]

I see when looking for hdmi cables to hook my np9280 up to my flatscreen that there is a wide variety of cable, from good to better, also offering a wide differnce in range in bandwidth and color depth and max hz.

So my question is in this laptop, what are the max outputs our hdmi port can give?

Can the np9280 hardware exploit fully :
Deep Color:16-Bit
Video Refresh Rate: 480Hz (probably a vcard factor instead)
HD Bandwidth: 21.6 Gbps


I hope my question makes sense :P

[Mauler]

Received it on Wednesday daytime. Whatever free time I have has been spent on transferring files, installing and tweaking to my likes, and being awed by the sheer monstrosity that is NP9280. :swoon:

The upgrade is totally amazing especially so because it's been due for a very long time. I skipped generations of technology, OS and games. I had no idea what I was missing! Same series of tasks which I am accustomed to CPU usage meter maxing out, followed by long waits in my old laptop, now I get to see it spike to maybe 5%!?! And this is with all sorts of stuff going on in the background (applications open, multiple downloads, installation, etc)! :err:

And the best part of it all? Configuration I have right now is very basic (920, 1 7200rpm hard drive, etc). That leaves A LOT of room for further upgrades down the line! :biggrin:

Thank you, Xotic PC!

[GroundZer0]

Well, I received and opened my new laptop today and wanted to give some feedback. I actually received it yesterday, but didn't get home from work until today. It arrived very well protected and intact.

After a slow and methodical unpacking, I went about setting it up. First, it is a big machine. Not a problem, but the sheer size and heft brought a smile to my face. The power brick is not as big as I was led to believe. I am transitioning from a Dell Insperion 17", so the power brick doesn't seem that much bigger to me. Second, I read that the chassis seems flimsy. I'm not sure if I am not looking in the right area, but mine seems plenty rigid and strong. The whole unit sits on rubber standoffs that raise the unit for air flow. This feature makes the unit seem larger then it is.

My first power up was a little troubling, as the first screen was a windows shutdown error screen. My first thought were "Oh S**t" I waited all this time and I get this. I let it go through its timer countdown and start on its own. It started OK and I havn't had an issue with that since.

I have two gripes so far. I ordered this unit with a blu-ray DVD and it wouldn't work out of the box. I needed to download and install a fairly large update to get it to work. This is unexceptable in my mind. When a unit is listed as tested and burned-in and costs over 3K, the blu-ray should work out of the box. Second, one of the many reasons I choose Xotic was the amount of configuration I could control. I specifically did not want any Office products installed, and ordered it as such. Right there on my screen is a 60 day trial of Office. I doubled checked my order to make sure it was ordered that way and it was " - Microsoft Office Software (Media: No Office Software".

I am continuing to explore, enjoy, and set-up my new toy and will report back any future findings, like benchmarks, gaming performance, etc.:biggrin:

GroundZer0

[mcrae]

Just ordered my NP9280 :)

1x Sager NP9280 (Built on Clevo D900F) Ultimate Custom Laptop

- Xotic Gear: No Xotic PC Gear
- Warranty: Sager 3 Year Parts & Labor Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Support
- Software Bundle (Not Installed): No Software Bundle
- Microsoft Office Software (Medialess): No Office Software
- Operating System: No Operating System Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only
- Notebook Cooler: No Notebook Cooler
- Mouse / Keyboard Accessories: No External Keyboard or Mouse
- Fingerprint Reader: No Fingerprint Reader
- Port Replicator / Dock / Adapters: No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Spare AC Adapter: None Standard*
- Battery: Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)
- Case: Targus XL Backpack (Fits up to 17")
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- TV Tuner: No TV Tuner
- Camera: Integrated Digital Video Camera
- Wireless Network Accessories: No Network Accessory
- Wireless Network: Intel® Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module
- Bluetooth: Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Memory Card Reader: Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Floppy Drive: No Floppy Drive
- External Hard Drive (Back Up): No Back Up Hard Drive
- Raid: HDD Raid Settings - OFF
- Third Hard Drive: None Standard -
- Second Hard Drive: ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)~
- Primary Hard Drive: ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- Optical Drive: ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- Exterior Finish: Standard Finish
- Ram: ~ 6,144MB DDR3 1066MHz Memory (3 SODIMMS)
- External Monitor Video Adapter: No Video Adapter
- External Graphics Card: No External Graphics Card
- Graphics Video Card: nVidia GeForce GTX 285M 1,024MB PCI-Express GDDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- Thermal Compound: - Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- Processor: Intel Core i7 Quad (Nehalem) 960 3.2GHz 8MB Cache 130W
- Dead Pixel Policy: Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Display: 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)

[ArmyC]

Just ordered my NP9280 today. After talking with Joseph I feel this was the best choice to game with and to do graphic illustrations with as well.


Sager NP9280 (Built on Clevo D900F) Ultimate Custom Laptop

Display: 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
- Dead Pixel Policy: Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- Processor: Intel Core i7 Quad (Nehalem) 960 3.2GHz 8MB Cache 130W
- Thermal Compound: - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
- Graphics Video Card: nVidia GeForce GTX 285M 1,024MB PCI-Express GDDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
- External Graphics Card: No External Graphics Card
- External Monitor Video Adapter: No Video Adapter
- Ram: ~ 6,144MB DDR3 1066MHz Memory (3 SODIMMS)
- Exterior Finish: Standard Finish
- Optical Drive: ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- Primary Hard Drive: ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- Second Hard Drive: ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)~
- Third Hard Drive: ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)~
- Raid: HDD Raid Settings - OFF
- External Hard Drive (Back Up): No Back Up Hard Drive
- Floppy Drive: No Floppy Drive
- Memory Card Reader: Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Bluetooth: Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Wireless Network: Intel® Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module
- Wireless Network Accessories: No Network Accessory
- Camera: Integrated Digital Video Camera
- TV Tuner: No TV Tuner
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Case: Basic Black Business Case - Included
- Battery: Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)
- Spare AC Adapter: None Standard*
- Port Replicator / Dock / Adapters: No Dock/Hub/Adapter
- Fingerprint Reader: No Fingerprint Reader
- Mouse / Keyboard Accessories: No External Keyboard or Mouse
- Notebook Cooler: No Notebook Cooler
- Operating System: ~Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- Microsoft Office Software (Medialess): No Office Software
- Software Bundle (Not Installed): No Software Bundle
- Warranty: Sager 3 Year Parts & Labor Warranty w/ Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Customer Support
- Xotic Gear: No Xotic PC Gear

As for the 60 day trial of Office it is standard on all Windows OS, Xotic did not put it on there.

[powerpack]

No RAID? Just asking I know reasons why not to but just wanted to ask.

Yes I think a fine solid choice. Not in my budget but if it was would have to consider.

[ArmyC]

The reason for the no Raid is I need to 2 500GB space for storage of video and images.

[powerpack]

Yea I guess I did suspect you needed massive space and I guess RAID0 not needed for storage? Short stroking could be fun to play with?

[mcrae]

Hey ArmyC - Our lappy configs are similar ;) I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival!

[ArmyC]

powerpack not to sure what short stroking is. Unless you mean having say the pictures file linked so it saves on one of the storage drives.

mcrae yeah I see that, I was toying with going to the 12GB ram but I dought I need it. If I do need more then 6GB of ram I can always add it later.

[mcrae]

ArmyC - yeah I felt the same way on the ram - I looked at so many laptops before picking this one --

[powerpack]

Short stroking is partitioning a drive in such a way as the OS or applications are on the outer edge of the platform. If you have ever run HDTune or HDTach you see that the transfer/write speed is a downward graph. Higher in the beginning than the end. This is because the outer while still at 7200rpm's covers greater distance than the inner. So the outer part of the platter is "faster".

So most when short stroking reserve the outer 20% to 25%. There is no absolute on this you could reserve 50% and still get speed bump. Or go only 10% and get even bigger bump.

You have three drives which can really offer greater options or more headaches. One thing you want to do is limit the drive accessing the secondary partition. Say if you put OS on outer but frequently accessed the inner this creates what is called thrashing. Going from the outer to the inner. This while not such a problem as far as damage would reduce the real world performance advantage.

So if I were you I would consider a strategy where regardless of if you do this with one disk or all you prioritize in such away as to minimize/reduce thrashing. The obvious to me is on the primary/outer partition of say the OS/applications. On the secondary you store what you truly consider "archival" less accessed storage. You could even move projects you are currently working on to a short stroked area of a storage disk.

I hope I have been clear enough, the options and strategy are just too many for me to write an absolute.

But if I have been less than clear or you have questions feel more than free to ask if I can I will answer.

Good luck with that major bad ass notebook.

[ArmyC]

powerpack that did help and thank you. I just asked one of my buddies about it and he knew exactly what you were talking about. He is going to help me set it up when I do get it.

Thanks for the help.

[powerpack]

Your welcome and make sure your buddy is thinking "short stroking" not "striping". I mix those up sometimes. Striping is a RAID function. I am sure he is not but sense I mix them sometimes just wanted to mention.

[GroundZer0]

ArmyC, which Micro OS's are you referring to? Until this machine I had only used XP Pro and none of my installs ever placed a Office Trial on the desktop and I have done about 25 of those. Dont know about Vista or 7. Maybe it is something new. I just mentioned it because I was expecting a nice clean desktop and the site of a 60 day trial icon kind of gave me the "department store bloat ware" feeling, especially when they had a customization button that was labeled "No Office software".

[ArmyC]

Both my computers with vista had the icon on the desk top. No clue about 7 yet, I just ordered my NP9280.

[GroundZer0]

Other then my first two gripes, the machine is a beast and works great. I am having a few issues with the 64 bit OS, but it just takes some looking around to find drivers and such for older devices. I should clear up that the issues don't have anything to do with the machine, just drivers and old programs that wont load.
My benchmarks are higher then the ones posted about 6 months ago, so time and the 285 GPU help things. I haven't been able to get PRIME to run on the 64 bit system yet. With the SSD drive, my unit goes from power button pushed to logged on in 34 seconds, and I haven't tweaked anything yet.
Wish the unit had its own volume control keys instead of the FN keys. I have put it to sleep a couple of times trying to Mute it. The sleep key is between the mute and volume controls.
My next gripe is that all 4 USB ports are on the right side, so any devices plugged in are hanging around the mouse on that side and it gets cluttered.

Small issues I know, just thought I would share my thoughts. I am trying to figure out how to program the game keys to operate the volume controls.

All in all, I love this machine.:yes:

[djackjr]

Sweet my NP9280 shipped!!! will arrive next Tuesday the 16th! Oh happy days!!

[Mauler]

So it's been a while since I received it (in perfect shape!) It's just that this laptop has been so much fun to push and tinker with, I haven't been able to spend the time to really sit down and think about posting back here. :)

I still can't wipe this grin off my face.

Wow.

I have it driving 3 displays (laptop screen + 2x Gateway 24"), multiple Firefoxes with multiple tabs each, BitTorrent, watching movies on VLC, streaming Netflix via Windows Media Center, Google Earth, a few games on standby.... all at the same time. And the system doesn't even hiccup!? Especially from the CPU end.

It's been somewhat of a new pastime/amusement for me keeping the Task Manager open and seeing the CPU usage hover around 0~3% with occasion spikes! :notworthy Except for benchmark applications specifically meant to do so, I have yet to find anything that would push this CPU!?

No complaints on the graphics department. It does everything I need it to do without even a sweat. I'm so used to 90'C temperatures in my old laptop (5-yrs old Dell Inspiron), I'm totally amazed at how both CPU and GPU manage to stay cool even while gaming!

Disk usage is definitely a bottleneck in my configuration (1x 500gb 7200rpm), though. In less than a week, I already filled over half of the space. Good thing I had planned on adding extra drives (which is why I really liked Clevo's design choices). The other components are so fast, it seems like the hard drive seems behind the times.

Since I spent last 5 yrs carrying a laptop that was considered to be huge in its time anyways, and with no battery replacement since I first got it, NP9280 experience hasn't affected my lifestyle at all. To me, this is just as portable as any other monster toys/gadgets/machines/weapons I'd carry anyways. Some days, you got a Proton Pack<tm> strapped to your back, some days you've got an NP9280. What's the difference? ;)

Audio is on the weak side, but I plan on getting a sound card for the express port. I was happy with Sound Blaster's last generation of laptop card, so I'm looking forward to their current offering.

In a couple of weeks, I'll be flying trans-continental on Virgin America, which offers in-flight wifi and power port on every seat. I'm curious to see if the power drain is not an issue on the provided port. In some flights, you can power the laptop but can't recharge the battery at the same time. :confused: As for physically being able to keep the laptop open between my belly and seat in front of me... We'll see. :p

Purchase experience, of course, has been great. No UPS nightmares, quick responses to payment and questions.

Thank you, Xotic PC!

[ArmyC]

Mine shipped today as well. It will take about 10 days for it to get to me considering I am deployed and have a APO AE address.

[ArmyC]

What is the best web browser to use for these laptops?

[powerpack]

Good to hear Mauler!What is the best web browser to use for these laptops?There is no answer to that question.;)

[mcrae]

Is anyone having trouble authenticating wireless connections using WPA with the Intel 6300?
I can't do it on linux or windows 7??
Strange.....

[GroundZer0]

What is the best web browser to use for these laptops?

Like powerpack said, no exact answer, but my favorite is Firefox. I like the add-on choices and its function.

[mcrae]

Like powerpack said, no exact answer, but my favorite is Firefox. I like the add-on choices and its function.

I like firefox as well.
Is anyone having trouble with their wireless on their NP 9280? The one that came with mine is an Intel 6300 - I've seen others on the web posting about issues but no answers.
I assume no one is having any issues here?

[GroundZer0]

I too have the 6300 but have not had any issues with it at this time. It has found and connected to my home network and work network. Both locations are secure, and it prompted me for password and then connected right in.

[mcrae]

Thanks GroundZero,
I'm using WPA and have tried different encryptions - the router is a WRT54 with tomato firmware - nothing else has problems connecting - PS3, PalmPre phone, wife's computer using win 7, kids computer running linux.
Damn frustrating -

I too have the 6300 but have not had any issues with it at this time. It has found and connected to my home network and work network. Both locations are secure, and it prompted me for password and then connected right in.

[djackjr]

Ok got my Laptop yesterday and loaded up some game software and patching was so fast I almost missed it lol. On my desktop took 5 hrs to patch and on this baby 15 minutes!. Anyways so far this system is awesome. I ran STO at high graphic settings and it played smooth no lag whatsoever! Ran cool too. Sometimes I think the fans are not running it is so quiet!

[mcrae]

Glad you are enjoying it. I meant to post something about fan noise as well. I'm still getting my lappy set up but I meant to point out how damn quiet this thing is! I was concerned about the noise when I ordered it but if this is a concern for anyone - forget it. It is very quiet. The design is very good and as djackjr pointed out - it runs cool ;)

Ok got my Laptop yesterday and loaded up some game software and patching was so fast I almost missed it lol. On my desktop took 5 hrs to patch and on this baby 15 minutes!. Anyways so far this system is awesome. I ran STO at high graphic settings and it played smooth no lag whatsoever! Ran cool too. Sometimes I think the fans are not running it is so quiet!

[ArmyC]

I just got my new laptop in and all I can says is wow this thing is so much faster then my 3 year old HP dv9000.

I was wondering what a good user friendly benchmark program is and what do people think of kaspersky antivirus?

[Maverick494]

I just got my new laptop in and all I can says is wow this thing is so much faster then my 3 year old HP dv9000.

I was wondering what a good user friendly benchmark program is and what do people think of kaspersky antivirus?

benchmark for what? Kaspersky is pretty decent as far as pay fors go.

[powerpack]

I use AVG free. Not saying it is the best but I like and it works. The truth is I have at times run with out AV for years and had no issues. Your usage and common sense can play a big role. If you absolutely want to be a fool doubt the best most expensive will save you from virus. At the same time if you are smart you might not need one.

So there in lays the balance. So as I said AVG good for me never had issue in two years never had issue 5 years before without any. Common sense is your best AV. Good luck many good free out.

[enanthate]

wtf is this!?!?!?!

Look at this guys d900f!! What the f???????

with SLI gfx cards!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Here is this guys text and video proof:

The most powerful laptop in the world. I just show an example playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.
-Corei7 Extreme 965 3,2ghz (desktop processor)
-GTX 280m SLI
-12GB DDR3 1333 MHZ
-1 TB 7200 RPM
- 1920x1200 17,1

&

Showing the powerful laptop playing Crysis Warhead in max settings at 1920x1200 on windows 7 and the aspect from the laptop with an excellent cooling system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjukY3N7mkk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0BfnkxjUx4

[Mauler]

How did they manage to stick in SLI AND i7? It was my understanding that the chasis' original dual-GPU option was sacrificed in order to make room for desktop i7 cooling. No?

[powerpack]

GTX280m? Why not GTX285m?

[enanthate]

How did they manage to stick in SLI AND i7? It was my understanding that the chasis' original dual-GPU option was sacrificed in order to make room for desktop i7 cooling. No?

I have no idea, I had noe clue this existed untill I saw the vid and talked to that guy

[Twistgibber]

Hi everyone!

I just got done pre-ordering my brand new Sager NP9280! Joseph from XoticPC was super friendly and helpful. Here are the specs!

-Display 17" WUXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1920x1200)
-Processor Intel® Core™ i7-980X Extreme Edition (3.33-3.60GHz) 12MB Intel® Smart Cache - 6 Cores/12Threads
-Thermal Compound - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
-Graphics Video Card nVidia GeForce GTX 285M 1,024MB PCI-Express GDDR3 DX10 (User Upgradeable)
-Ram ~ 6,144MB DDR3 1333MHz Memory (3 SODIMMS) (w/ i7 975 CPU Only)
-Optical Drive ~ 4X Blue-Ray Read/8X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive
-Primary Hard Drive ~ 160GB Intel X25-M Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA II)
-Second Hard Drive ~ 500GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)~
Memory Card Reader Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
Bluetooth Internal Bluetooth + EDR
Wireless Network Intel® Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module
Camera Integrated Digital Video Camera
Sound Card Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
Case Basic Black Business Case - Included
Battery Smart Li-ion Battery (12 Cell)

I'm counting the days until this badboy arrives! :)

[ArmyC]

I love my NP9280, the only complaint I have is that iTunes will lock it up at times. I dont think its the laptop but windows 7 that locks up from iTunes.

[ArmyC]

I think I know why it locks up, I have the 64 bit OS and I didnt download the 64 bit iTunes. Would this cause the OS to lock up?

[enanthate]

I think I know why it locks up, I have the 64 bit OS and I didnt download the 64 bit iTunes. Would this cause the OS to lock up?


must be the problem, just uninstall and get the right version

[BuzuBuzu]

Hello Everyone,

I received my new NP9280 just under two weeks ago and overall I'm very pleased with my purchase. It runs so fast it makes me sick, has simple yet sexy looks, and runs cool (a big change from my previous Dell XPS m1730). It boots Windows 7 in just over 30s, doesn't hiccup when I open 57 tabs in Firefox (Why? WHY NOT!?!), and plays GTA IV like a dream.

My gripes with it are mostly to do with aesthetics. I really liked the soft, back-lit keyboard on the XPS m1730 and getting used to the generic one on this laptop is a little painful. I wish all the USB ports weren't on the right side of the chassis because my mouse bumps into the plugs and cords all the time. The speakers are a step down from the ones on my old notebook - not enough bass for my taste. Finally, the LCD takes getting used to. I loved the display on my XPS m1730, and the screen on the NP9280 seems less bright and a little dull (I have to up the saturation in the nVidia Control Panel to get my photos to display the way they did on my old laptop).

I also have a technical issue that I'll probably post in the Technical Support section as well. On occasion the laptop will fail to boot. After powering it on, the screen will turn on but remain blank - no Sager logo or POST messages. It doesn't respond to keyboard input and will remain frozen until I power it off. It has booted up normally after being powered off and back on every time this happened so far. It's not a massive issue but very annoying given that I took it out of the box 10 days ago.

[ChaosTheory]

Hi guys, I noticed Sager just released a Bios update (928bv07cs) a few days ago and I'm still running whatever version came with the machine back in July. I've been having some issues with a couple games and it's been suggested that I update my Bios. As this is not something I generally do, due to the risk, I'm not familiar with how it's done.

First, should I update my Bios, or is that really not necessary after only a year? Second, I've read different ways of doing this with different systems, but does anyone have a specific method for this machine? Can someone explain the best step-by-step procedure, or is there a 'how to' guide somewhere on this site that I haven't found?

Tks!

[BuzuBuzu]

I remember reading somewhere that the new BIOS update only has to do with RAID support. So unless you are having problems with your laptop's RAID, I'd stay away from it.

Dunno what kind of issues you are having with games, but BIOS settings would be one of the last places I'd look for solutions. It's a lot more likely that your OS drivers are at fault.

[GroundZer0]

Chaos, what GPU driver are you using and what vid card do you have? The latest Nvidia driver 197.16 from Nvidia's website cleared up a lot of artifact issues on the newer games. Not sure what card or OS you have so start at this location to find your driver.

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index5.aspx?lang=en-us

[ChaosTheory]

Hi, thanks for the replies. I have the 280m, updated to the 197 series driver a few days ago and it seems to be working much better than the 196 series, though the problems still exist within the game. I have little doubt the game is to blame, as it is produced by EA, which has a long history of craptasticness for me. I don't think I've ever played a PC game from them that didn't have some serious issues.

Nonetheless, I've been getting some help via their forum, and I've heard everything from Bios updates to telling my CPU not to hyperthread anymore (yeah, whatever...) As mentioned, I normally wouldn't consider a Bios update, but if you read some of the history of my machine, I had a lot of problems with it when I first got it. Even had to send it back. Thought perhaps updating the Bios might not be such a bad idea, though I believe most of the problems were drivers and other software not ready for the new technology, and have since caught up. (Lesson learned: wait a few months before buying a newly-designed system.)

Since then, however, things have really stabilized other than a few games that just don't seem to want to work correctly with this system (Empire Total War was the worst). Other games work, literally, flawlessly. I don't know why there's so much variation. You'd think in today's day and age, PC games would account for varying hardware configurations.

Anyway, since I don't use RAID, I'll forgo the Bios update.

[enanthate]

Hi guys, I noticed Sager just released a Bios update (928bv07cs) a few days ago and I'm still running whatever version came with the machine back in July. I've been having some issues with a couple games and it's been suggested that I update my Bios. As this is not something I generally do, due to the risk, I'm not familiar with how it's done.

First, should I update my Bios, or is that really not necessary after only a year? Second, I've read different ways of doing this with different systems, but does anyone have a specific method for this machine? Can someone explain the best step-by-step procedure, or is there a 'how to' guide somewhere on this site that I haven't found?

Tks!


super easy, just burn it to a disc.

Download bios update from sager and open it with PowerISO.

Burn it.

Put it in the laptop and turn off,

boot from cd.

Wait for it to finish.

done

Done

[Jingerlynn]

I am sure i missed the post on this, in a bit of a hurry today. Is there, or can anyone post some 3D Vantage Scores they are getting on the 9280? - preferably on a few more recent systems. Not too picky on processor speed (although i am thinking the 960), i just want to get general comparison to how much faster it would be when compared to the Asus G73/Sager 8760.

Thanks,
Blame it on Jinger

[Slowboto]

I am sure i missed the post on this, in a bit of a hurry today. Is there, or can anyone post some 3D Vantage Scores they are getting on the 9280? - preferably on a few more recent systems. Not too picky on processor speed (although i am thinking the 960), i just want to get general comparison to how much faster it would be when compared to the Asus G73/Sager 8760.

Thanks,
Blame it on Jinger

Not sure if you missed this, here are the scores from the review Xotic did.

http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?t=4034

[Twistgibber]

Just got my Sager 9280 in everyone. I ran Wprime on it a few minutes ago and this is what came up.



http://i43.tinypic.com/2z80t4l.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/2mwxymd.jpg

[Jingerlynn]

How badass would a 9280 w/5870 be?

Thank you very much for the vantage info - even though the info was nearly a year old, it was putting out some very nice performance.

- Jingerlynn

[GroundZer0]

Here is my Vantage score with GTX285 GPU

http://service.futuremark.com/home.action?resultId=1951789&resultType=19

You can see that it is higher then the 6786 from the original review.

[GroundZer0]

Twistgibber, what OS are you running? A 32 bit or 64 bit? I can't get WPrime to run on my 64 bit W7 OS.

[Twistgibber]

Twistgibber, what OS are you running? A 32 bit or 64 bit? I can't get WPrime to run on my 64 bit W7 OS.

64 Bit Windows 7 Ultimate. Remember to "Run as Administrator" or it will crash. :)

[GroundZer0]

Thanks, ran it as admin and now it runs. Didn't know that little trick.:notworthy

[Charlie64]

Hello everyone. I just received my 9280 today. It wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow. Hoping this one will last me as long as my Dell Inspiron 5100 without all the issues. Thanks again Justin for all your help.

[asperi]

are there more then one owners lounge for the Sager NP8690? Sorry if this gets double posted.
All I am wondering is if the Sager NP8690 with the HD 5870 can output through the HDMI and the VGA at the same time, possible with ATi's "Eyefinity" ..or if you know of a set up that can. Sounds like the Envy 17 can and the Asus G73 can. Any others, and anyone done it while a Matrox TripleHead2go is in use? Thanks!

[Badnews]

Just to let anyone know that cares..I have had my 9280 for a good while.I have played many games on it and it still has not gave me any problems.I don't use the mouse pad,or speakers.I pretty much use mine like a desktop unit.I wanted a gaming rig I could carry around without having to tote a monitor or speakers ,etc etc..I have mine set to max performance when plugged an unplugged and my battery only last about 45 min max.Playing a game will lower the time to 20-30 min.I knew this crap was going to be an issue but didn't care..I found three games where I couldn't turn the graphics to max and that was X-Plane,,ARMA 2 and Split Second.I did get them up to where it still looked good though.I am going to buy the GTX480m but I have to sell my GTX280m first..
Other games played are..Splinter Cell Conviction,,Battlefield Bad Co 2,,Aliens vs Predator,,Just Cause 2,,Left for Dead 2,,Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2,,The Saboteur,,Wolfenstein,,Batman Arkham Asylum,,Alpha Protocol and Grand Theft Auto SanAndreas. Hope this is some help for somebody..

[Dungeoncrawler]

.I am going to buy the GTX480m but I have to sell my GTX280m first..

Hi - I'm a newer owner of a 9280. I'm was going to call support about the ability to upgrade my gpu. So is it possible to upgrade my 280m to the newer 470m or 480m tech? Also, can i go sli or am i limited to a single gpu? Thank you.

[Badnews]

Hi - I'm a newer owner of a 9280. I'm was going to call support about the ability to upgrade my gpu. So is it possible to upgrade my 280m to the newer 470m or 480m tech? Also, can i go sli or am i limited to a single gpu? Thank you.
As far as I know.It CAN'T do sli..If I am right,it doesn't have another slot for a GPU..

[christensent]

Just got this notebook in the mail today, loving it so far! One question I have is what are the load temps people are getting? My CPU is idling at about 45-50*C and loads to 85*C (8 instances of SP2004 Small FFT setting), this is warmer than I typically like my cpu to load to, is this fine?

[Badnews]

Just got this notebook in the mail today, loving it so far! One question I have is what are the load temps people are getting? My CPU is idling at about 45-50*C and loads to 85*C (8 instances of SP2004 Small FFT setting), this is warmer than I typically like my cpu to load to, is this fine?
You might want to add what CPU you are using..

[christensent]

You might want to add what CPU you are using..

i7-930, 2.8GHZ

[Arjunadawn]

Forgive me if I post this out of sequence; I am new to postings.
I have a Sager 9280,12gbRAM, 160SSD, 2 500/HD in RAID0, BluRay Drive, play only- not burn- and the usual bells and whistles. My drive stopped burning DVDs. Nothing will read. I reinstalled the driver. Everything indicates the drive works fine- but it does not. Have others had this problem? Does anyone have a suggestion? Please advise. arjunadawn@hotmail.com.

di oppresso liber

[powerpack]

Change brands of disks? But it does sound like an issue so PM Xotic.

[livpas]

Anyone know about the video input port on the back of the computer? I have a rubber plug there, but is there a part I can buy/mod to use with a miniPCI-e capture/tuner card to have analog video input?

[livpas]

Anyone know about the input connector in the back of the laptop. mine has a rubber plug covering the hole but is there a part I can buy/mod to use with a miniPCI-e video capture card?

[gameguru]

i'm looking into getting a 9285 and except for bad LCD's i haven't heard of any flaws. i need an extremely powerful laptop for 3D animation work and also an unreliable laptop could ruin my reputation with my clients. based on your experiences would the 9285 be the right laptop for me, or would i be better off with a different one. thanks a lot!

[Mauler]

I'm looking to expand the storage capacity of my NP9280 - Clevo D900F. If possible, 2x 1TB, no Raid, at least 5400 rpm. It currently has 1 HD (non-SSD) for OS/apps.

I need to store and access HD video files for work, so I need rock-solid reliability. Any recommendations? Thanks!

[Maverick494]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136545

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136546

the second one seems to be a better bet, but the first should work as well.

[Mauler]

Thanks!

Would two of these fit into my machine? 12.5 mm.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152242


*** Please disregard this question. Looked it up on the owner's manual. Restricted to 9.5 mm only. ***

[4DoorGTZ]

http://valid.canardpc.com/cache/banner/1389570.png (http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1389570)

Full link -->http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1389570

Managed to make it look like I overclocked my 975 in the 9280, only able to up the multiplier. Got this info/idea from a year old thread on notebookreview forums.

The only problem is that this will not hold under 100% load. Its tricking the Turbo mode into OC'ing by upping the multiplier, but as turbo mode does under full load it reverts to stock multiplier. Not much point in a OC'd chip that only OC's at somewhat idle loads.

We'll see if I can still do this when I put in the 980x, just waiting on the 480m to come off backorder cuz aparently it includes new heatsinks for the whole machine so I'd just be reseating the cpu when it shows up anyways.

[Mauler]

Anyone experiment with Nvidia 3D Vision on your NP9280? Mine has 285m on it. Would that be compatible?

[4DoorGTZ]

Successfully upgraded my 9280 with an i7-980x and GTX 480M. I thought I had bricked the laptop when the PROVIDED bios update cd messed up. It did the firmware update fine, then errored on the bios update, said it couldnt find the file. Seems the file was there but with a different extension, managed to work around it (WICH I SHOULDNT HAVE HAD TO DO) but it then went through with the bios flash a-ok. The stock bios didnt boot the 980x, but the provided one did.

Seems I still have my fake OC (extra turbo boost) running, 3600mhz
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1460690
http://valid.canardpc.com/cache/banner/1460690.png (http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1460690)

[ChaosTheory]

Someone had asked before in this thread, but a solid answer was never posted...

I've got one of the 'early' 9280s that came with the 280m GPU, and I would like to upgrade to a 480m. Is it simply a matter of popping out the old card and putting the 480m in there, or are there power/bios issues? (Not interested in sli)

[Mauler]

Anyone having overheating problems?

Recently, my GPU has been going upwards of 90℃ on a regular basis during gaming, and sometimes even as high as 107℃! Aside from cleaning out fans and vents, anything else that can be done? Any obvious thing I might be missing? Also, is there any laptop cooling solutions that go beyond cooling pad with fans?

[Roland@XoticPC]

You can replace the stock thermal compound.

[Mauler]

Cleaned the vents, and it helped. Fans are working fine. Ordered IC Diamond and ArtiClean so I can redo the GPU/CPU contacts. Are there any further options of keeping this baby cool, beyond the usual laptop cooling pad and keeping the room air conditioned? :) Thanks!