SAGER VS DELL - (3.4g HTE, 1gR, 256mb video, etc.)or not?

[Anonymous]

Sager looks real good but it isn't part of any of the Sager looks real good but it isn't part of any of the major comparison retail sites which contain some pretty far out brand names. Is it all hype or a gem?

Real question:
What do we need to be able to walk through a fully modeled residence in the editable 3d window (in shaded mode, shadows on, and transparency in shading on) smoothly without the jump, wait, jump, wait, wireframe, wait, wireframe, then wait wait wait for calculating this, calculating that, and then the final ?

Is the technology there yet?
Maybe latest and best isn't necessary?


Am currently working on a Dell inspiron 5000e notebook p3 650mhz 15" w/ an ati 32 MB video card. Have had this for about 4 years and aside from having to replace the hard drive (12 gig) and the DVD CDR once am grateful that it is working for now.
However, it is my only machine at this time and am nervous about this, would feel much safer with a second machine.
I design on the computer and benefit greatly by looking at the 3d model from dif. angles and even editing in 3d,
back and forth constantly, but this is quite slow when the model gets complex.
So, I am thinking I will go ahead and get the latest and
best technology in a laptop and not do the desktop thing.
Am very excited about being able to bring the high tech to the clients.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Sager has been around for years. But, Google the particular models you are looking for and you'll find lots of user comments pro/con.

Note that notebooks using high end desktop processors generate a LOT of heat, and the fans likely run continuously, and run at high speeds when you're doing lots of stuff. The noise can be pretty bad. I just returned an HP 3.2 GHz notebook that I was going to upgrade to because the fan noise gave me a headache after 2 minutes (high pitched whine -- went in for service and came back worse ... and then I found lots of others complaining about it and similar 'hot' notebooks... so I'm delaying my upgrade for now.) The HP at idle was several times louder than my desktop fans. Ugh.

Also, most of the high-end P4 machines that I looked at have air intake ports (or fans) on the bottom ... so you have to only use them on a hard surface. You can't put them on your lap, because your leg blocks the fans. Dumb design.

You'll find that all laptops are made by just a few ODM's (search for laptop and ODM) - original design manufacturers - mostly in China - and so the label on the outside doesn't really mean much, other than service or support. (The Chinese outfit actually does the service for HP - my returned laptop shipped direct from Shanghai, and was serviced by the Chinese firm's California repair facility, not HP. Dell does better IMHO. Don't know about Sager.)

Enough whining. 😉 Your "real question" shows that you are using the Internal Engine and not OpenGL, so perhaps you are still running AC 7.0. OpenGL in 8.x and 9.0 is fast and fluid. The internal engine is still slow even on my 3GHz desktop ... but I only use it for specific needs; walkthroughs and model editing are all done in OpenGL, realtime in front of clients.

If you must have just a notebook, and don't mind the heat and the noise, definitely look at the 17" screens - Sager, Gateway, HP, Sony (I would include Apple, but the resolution on their 17" screen isn't high enough IMHO). The HP screen that I returned (1680 x 1050 native resolution) was astonishingly wonderful with AC 9.0

Keep us posted!

Karl

[Anonymous]

Karl,

Thanks for reply. Have 8.1 but have never used it because of bugs early on, then when 8.1 came out they recommend 1 gig + 512 ram

didn't know you could edit in open gl render engine
or must have forgotten: just remember that after getting used to the ac main engine didn't care to much for the feel of open gl.
Maybe give it another try by going ahead and loading 8.1 on my machine even if it is a little short of requirements

So, even w a 3g processor the main engine is not fluid w/ a decent size job, do you think the 800 fsb and 3.4G HTE w/ 512k on die L2 cache with a 256 mb on board video ram, intel chip set mother bd & 2 gigs of 400mhzddr ram would atleast cut the double beep time to 5 or 10 seconds?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Replied to your PM message. But, no, 512MB is adequate for 8.1, and my 1GHz laptop with 512MB and a 32MB nVidia card is running 9.0 just fine, too.

OpenGL isn't a rendering engine (there used to be one with that name, but I never quite understood what it had to do with OpenGL) ... but a display engine for the 3D window...and so you edit and navigate with all material textures visible. If your graphics card on your old laptop is up to snuff, you'll see a huge improvement in performance. Otherwise, you'll be blown away by your new machine! 😉

Karl

[Aaron Bourgoin]

Jonathan,

For an introduction to the wonderful world of Sager, check out a company called PCTorque, based somewhere in Florida, and their Notebook forum.

More info on Sager and all its subspecies than you will ever need.

In addition to the heat issue, I would also mention the fact that PCI-Express technology is just arriving on the desktop - it may well be until next Spring that this makes it to the Desktop Replacement world. EuroCom have announced their PCI-Express machine as have Sager.

Couldn't wait. Bought a Shuttle. Can't put ir on my lap, but it did come with a tackle bag. Its about half the size of my first portable - a KayPro bought in 1984.

[Anonymous]

I was able to pick up a SAGER 17" lappy.
What sold me was the screen quality and it came with 1GB of PC2700 memory. I am going to swap out the 5200rpm hard drive with a 7200rpm one. I hate slow boot ups
Yeah...its heavy and its like sitting a toaster oven on your lap.....but I doubt Ill be whipping this bad boy out on airline flights...... Mighty piss off the passengers sitting next to me......hahaha

[Link]

I have a Sager and bought it off Adam at PCTorque in Sarasota, Florida personally. I have the 8887-V and am very happy with it's performance. A quick search of my previous hardware posts will confirm this!

I have had this machine for over 18 months and it is still rare for me to meet anyone with a faster machine, desktop or laptop. So while I am very happy with it's performance, I do have the following complaints:

1. As Karl said, these machines run hot and they have the fans (2) on the bottom, so I do not use it on my lap! You could invest in one of the many laptop stations to raise it off your lap or simply form a barrier, but that just means more stuff to carry along with you!

2. As Karl said, it is noisy! With dual fans running constantly, it does turn a lot of heads in a quiet office or conference room!

3. It is heavy! At over 11lb it always let's you know it's there. Without fail it always gets comments from the TSA at the airport! I carry a lot of cables and other peripherals, so it gets very heavy. The best thing I did was buy this laptop backback: http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=TSB315

4. It is big - using it on an airplane is cozy, especiallyin cattle class. If the person in front reclines their seat, then it's time to pack up. Stillhaven't had anyone next to me complain about the heat pumping onto them, but I am very conscious of it!!

5. It only has one ctrl key - even though they advertised a full size keyboard. Make sure it has a ctrl key on both sides! Crucial for ArchiCAD!

6. Battery times are very low! Like about an hour tops! And they aren't easily swapped!

That about covers it. I research my laptops pretty vigorously, and the guys at Sager & PCTorque really know what they are talking about. Get one of these guys on the phone and they'll tell you why their machines are better than their competition's. A bit like an ArchiCAD reseller trying to defend himself against AutoDesk!

I'm sure my next laptop will be a Sager!

Cheers,
Link.