Hello all!
I finally got my Sager laptop and am VERY HAPPY!
Here is my review of the Sager 8790!
My Specs:
Sager 8790:
17" WXGA+ (1440x900)
Mobility Radeon 9700 8X AGP w/256MB DDR (overclocked to 500/300)
3.2GHz Hyper-Threading Intel Pentium 4 Processor
Two 60GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM (120GB total)
RAID 0 enabled
1,024MB (2 SODIMMS) PC3200 DDR400 Dual Channel Memory
Built-in 7-in-1 Memory Card Reader
Combo 8X DVD/24x10x24 CD-RW
4 Stereo Speakers Built-in
Built-in IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Integrated Digital Web Cam
Built-in 56k V.90/V.92 Modem AND 10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet w/RJ-45 Jack
Built-in 802.11g TURBO (108Mbps) Wireless LAN Card
Built-in Three USB 2.0 ports
Smart Li-ion Battery - 12 Cell (no Subwoofer or TV Tuner)
Windows XP Home
Additional products purchased:
Four port USB 2.0 Workstation Cooler Pad
Targus Backpack TB315
Logitech Cordless (mouse and keyboard) MX Duo
Additional Products coming soon:
Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB 2.0
D-Link wireless range extender DWL-G800AP
I will be comparing my Sager laptop to my desktop and old laptop:
Desktop:
18.1” SXGA (1280x1024) Mitsubishi Diamond Point NX85 LCD
ECS K7S5A Motherboard
ATI Radeon 9600 (non-pro) AGP w/128MB DDR (overclocked to 425/243)
AMD XP +1900 (overclocked to AMD XP +2100)
One Western Digital 30GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM
One Western Digital 75GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM
512MB PC2700 DDR333 Ram
Sony DRU-500AX DVD 4X Burner
PCI 5 port USB 2.0
PCI 4 port IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Antec True-Power 430w Powersupply
Windows XP Home
Old Laptop:
15” XGA (1024x768)
Hewlett Packard ze4430us
Integrated ATI Mobility Radeon 320m w/ shared 128MB DDR (overclocked to 202/133)
AMD XP +2400
One 40GB Hard Drive at 4,200 RPM (I believe)
512MB PC2700 DDR333 Ram (384MB usable due to integrated Video)
DVD/CD-RW Combo
Built-in IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Built-in two USB 1.1 ports
Lets begin!
Here are some pics:
Dead/Stuck Pixel:
Well, unfortunately, I have a dead/stuck pixel. It’s a very tiny green spec. You can barely see it:
It’s not the end of the world. I hardly notice it. If you are expecting a total complete 100 percent perfect LCD monitor, you can forget it. That’s almost like winning the lotto or something. BOTH my desktop and old laptop monitors have AT LEAST one dead/stuck pixel. So, live with it! I forget its there!
Monitor:
Woe to those people who complain about a 1440x900 resolution screen! 1440x900 is FINE! As you can see from my desktop monitor, it can go as high as 1280x1024. But I NEVER EVER EVER USE that high resolution! Why? Everything is so tiny and hard to read. When in games, resolution at that high is entirely SLOW! On my desktop, I always browsed the internet AND played games ONLY on 1024x768.
1440x900 is just right – not too tiny and runs games beautifully.
What’s that? You want to play a game at 1920x1200? Good luck running a game smoothly on THAT resolution. 1440x900 is fine people!
Video:
Wow! This laptop is very impressive with video and most importantly – GAMES!
As you may have noticed, all three of my computers have overclocked video. Now, I may be a video game extremist, but I do whole heartedly believe that the Sager 8790 is mildly UNDERclocked. The default clock is 445.50mhz core and 270mhz ram. I believe it should be clocked the same as a performing desktop Radeon 9600XT – 500/300. So, I overclocked it to 499.50mhz/297mhz. I DO NOT feel that this is pushing it cause I’m positive it can go MUCH MUCH faster! I’m content at these speeds (the same as of a Radeon 9600XT) and I get NO problems, NO artifacts. Everything works great!
Here are some numbers to crunch:
3dMark 2003:
Sager 8790 - 3954
Desktop - 3100 (approx)
HP Laptop - xxx (not applicable. If I ran 3dMark 2003 on that slow HP laptop, I’m sure it would get BELOW 100pts)
3dMark 2001 SE
Sager 8790 - 13,063
Desktop - 9,000 (approx)
HP Laptop - 1,940
I am using Omega Drivers 2.5.36b.
I have fooled around with Battlefield 1942, Jedi Academy, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and they play MUCH better than my desktop (smoother and faster). I play all those games at 1440x900 and max detail. On my desktop, I would have to play them at 1024x768 and medium detail.
There is NO STRECHING or DISTORTION or BLACK LINES in any of my games thanks to: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/phpBB2
If you have a widescreen monitor or TV, go there to find out how to easily adjust games to make them work in widescreen. It’s easy! Even a monkey can do it!
Four Port USB 2.0 Workstation Cooler Pad:
I’m not going to go in too much detail, because of Usrbingeek’s extensive review found here: http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=13918
Thanks Usrbingeek for that find!
It’s a great cooler and a terrific USB 2.0 port!!
I would highly recommend it!
Targus TB315 Backpack:
Ahh yes, a backpack is needed for those going to school. I picked up a Targus TB315 Backpack and it fits great!
Here are some pics:
Here is the backpack (left) and my old backpack (right)
What better way to test how many books it can hold by using my Greek books?
Don't you all take Greek classes? 
Here is a top view of the Sager and books that will fit in the backpack
As you can see, all those books PLUS the laptop fit just fine with room to spare!
Great backpack! I would recommend it for school. Though, when I put it on, I felt like I was ready for camping and hiking… but the laptop and many books fit well.
Logitech cordless (mouse and keyboard) MX Duo
I actually had this for a while. It’s a GREAT keyboard and mouse combo! You can sometimes find it for $50 (if your lucky). I love being able to connect my laptop to my TV and sit across the room with a wireless keyboard and mouse and fool around. I believe the range for the mouse is 8ft and the range for the keyboard is about 15ft.
Fan Noise:
I really don’t know what people are complaining about. I DO NOT have any problem with the noise. Its seems VERY quiet to me! Of all three computers, my desktop is the loudest! The CPU fan runs at 48dbA non-stop and the case has nine fans (YES… 9 case fans!) In all honestly, the noise of the Sager is about the same as my HP laptop – not bad at all.
Weight:
I dunno, I must be Superman or something, but the Sager DOES NOT seem heavy to me. Unfortunately, I do not have a scale, but when I have my Sager in one hand and the HP in the other, they feel almost the same weight. Maybe people who complain about the weight need to work out more?
Battery life:
I tested both the HP laptop battery and the Sager Laptop battery by playing a DVD. I timed it from the moment I turned on the laptop to the moment it automatically shut down. Now, I know that the HP adjusts the CPU according to its needs so that it will conserve battery life, so the HP has the upper hand. Also, I’ve optimized the battery on the HP before and have done some battery tweaks so that the HP would last longer. I didn’t do anything to the Sager – no battery adjustments (yet). I was testing both laptops at the same time (HP laptop was playing Star Wars Ep 2 and the Sager was playing Mission Impossible pt 2). Side by side, the Sager looked MUCH better. The Sager was brighter and crisp. The HP was harder to see and the brightness was much lower and looked too dark.
I was quite surprised by the results:
HP Laptop lasted 1hr 34mins
Sager 8790 lasted 1hr 37mins!
Wow! The Sager lasted LONGER than my other laptop! Through I haven’t officially tested it yet, but on the HP laptop, I’ve browsed the internet and worked in MS Word at school before on the battery for more than 2 hrs. That means the Sager should last even longer! That’s good news.
Oh… and stupid desktop! I unplugged the desktop to test its battery and it never worked! Stupid desktop batteries!! LOL… (just kidding…The desktop doesn’t use a battery)
Other:
I will do more reviewing as I get more things done. I will also review the Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB 2.0 TV Tuner and D-Link wireless range extender DWL-G800AP when they come in. If anyone wants me to review a specific thing, just let me know.
Conclusion:
Other than the one dead/stuck pixel and that it takes two hands to open the lid (I only need one hand to open the HP laptop), the Sager 8790 is an awesome laptop!
Thanks!
Go Sager!
I finally got my Sager laptop and am VERY HAPPY!
Here is my review of the Sager 8790!
My Specs:
Sager 8790:
17" WXGA+ (1440x900)
Mobility Radeon 9700 8X AGP w/256MB DDR (overclocked to 500/300)
3.2GHz Hyper-Threading Intel Pentium 4 Processor
Two 60GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM (120GB total)
RAID 0 enabled
1,024MB (2 SODIMMS) PC3200 DDR400 Dual Channel Memory
Built-in 7-in-1 Memory Card Reader
Combo 8X DVD/24x10x24 CD-RW
4 Stereo Speakers Built-in
Built-in IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Integrated Digital Web Cam
Built-in 56k V.90/V.92 Modem AND 10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet w/RJ-45 Jack
Built-in 802.11g TURBO (108Mbps) Wireless LAN Card
Built-in Three USB 2.0 ports
Smart Li-ion Battery - 12 Cell (no Subwoofer or TV Tuner)
Windows XP Home
Additional products purchased:
Four port USB 2.0 Workstation Cooler Pad
Targus Backpack TB315
Logitech Cordless (mouse and keyboard) MX Duo
Additional Products coming soon:
Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB 2.0
D-Link wireless range extender DWL-G800AP
I will be comparing my Sager laptop to my desktop and old laptop:
Desktop:
18.1” SXGA (1280x1024) Mitsubishi Diamond Point NX85 LCD
ECS K7S5A Motherboard
ATI Radeon 9600 (non-pro) AGP w/128MB DDR (overclocked to 425/243)
AMD XP +1900 (overclocked to AMD XP +2100)
One Western Digital 30GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM
One Western Digital 75GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive at 7,200 RPM
512MB PC2700 DDR333 Ram
Sony DRU-500AX DVD 4X Burner
PCI 5 port USB 2.0
PCI 4 port IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Antec True-Power 430w Powersupply
Windows XP Home
Old Laptop:
15” XGA (1024x768)
Hewlett Packard ze4430us
Integrated ATI Mobility Radeon 320m w/ shared 128MB DDR (overclocked to 202/133)
AMD XP +2400
One 40GB Hard Drive at 4,200 RPM (I believe)
512MB PC2700 DDR333 Ram (384MB usable due to integrated Video)
DVD/CD-RW Combo
Built-in IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Built-in two USB 1.1 ports
Lets begin!
Here are some pics:
Dead/Stuck Pixel:
Well, unfortunately, I have a dead/stuck pixel. It’s a very tiny green spec. You can barely see it:
It’s not the end of the world. I hardly notice it. If you are expecting a total complete 100 percent perfect LCD monitor, you can forget it. That’s almost like winning the lotto or something. BOTH my desktop and old laptop monitors have AT LEAST one dead/stuck pixel. So, live with it! I forget its there!
Monitor:
Woe to those people who complain about a 1440x900 resolution screen! 1440x900 is FINE! As you can see from my desktop monitor, it can go as high as 1280x1024. But I NEVER EVER EVER USE that high resolution! Why? Everything is so tiny and hard to read. When in games, resolution at that high is entirely SLOW! On my desktop, I always browsed the internet AND played games ONLY on 1024x768.
1440x900 is just right – not too tiny and runs games beautifully.
What’s that? You want to play a game at 1920x1200? Good luck running a game smoothly on THAT resolution. 1440x900 is fine people!
Video:
Wow! This laptop is very impressive with video and most importantly – GAMES!
As you may have noticed, all three of my computers have overclocked video. Now, I may be a video game extremist, but I do whole heartedly believe that the Sager 8790 is mildly UNDERclocked. The default clock is 445.50mhz core and 270mhz ram. I believe it should be clocked the same as a performing desktop Radeon 9600XT – 500/300. So, I overclocked it to 499.50mhz/297mhz. I DO NOT feel that this is pushing it cause I’m positive it can go MUCH MUCH faster! I’m content at these speeds (the same as of a Radeon 9600XT) and I get NO problems, NO artifacts. Everything works great!
Here are some numbers to crunch:
3dMark 2003:
Sager 8790 - 3954
Desktop - 3100 (approx)
HP Laptop - xxx (not applicable. If I ran 3dMark 2003 on that slow HP laptop, I’m sure it would get BELOW 100pts)
3dMark 2001 SE
Sager 8790 - 13,063
Desktop - 9,000 (approx)
HP Laptop - 1,940
I am using Omega Drivers 2.5.36b.
I have fooled around with Battlefield 1942, Jedi Academy, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and they play MUCH better than my desktop (smoother and faster). I play all those games at 1440x900 and max detail. On my desktop, I would have to play them at 1024x768 and medium detail.
There is NO STRECHING or DISTORTION or BLACK LINES in any of my games thanks to: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/phpBB2
If you have a widescreen monitor or TV, go there to find out how to easily adjust games to make them work in widescreen. It’s easy! Even a monkey can do it!
Four Port USB 2.0 Workstation Cooler Pad:
I’m not going to go in too much detail, because of Usrbingeek’s extensive review found here: http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=13918
Thanks Usrbingeek for that find!
It’s a great cooler and a terrific USB 2.0 port!!
I would highly recommend it!
Targus TB315 Backpack:
Ahh yes, a backpack is needed for those going to school. I picked up a Targus TB315 Backpack and it fits great!
Here are some pics:
Here is the backpack (left) and my old backpack (right)
What better way to test how many books it can hold by using my Greek books?
Don't you all take Greek classes? Here is a top view of the Sager and books that will fit in the backpack
As you can see, all those books PLUS the laptop fit just fine with room to spare!
Great backpack! I would recommend it for school. Though, when I put it on, I felt like I was ready for camping and hiking… but the laptop and many books fit well.
Logitech cordless (mouse and keyboard) MX Duo
I actually had this for a while. It’s a GREAT keyboard and mouse combo! You can sometimes find it for $50 (if your lucky). I love being able to connect my laptop to my TV and sit across the room with a wireless keyboard and mouse and fool around. I believe the range for the mouse is 8ft and the range for the keyboard is about 15ft.
Fan Noise:
I really don’t know what people are complaining about. I DO NOT have any problem with the noise. Its seems VERY quiet to me! Of all three computers, my desktop is the loudest! The CPU fan runs at 48dbA non-stop and the case has nine fans (YES… 9 case fans!) In all honestly, the noise of the Sager is about the same as my HP laptop – not bad at all.
Weight:
I dunno, I must be Superman or something, but the Sager DOES NOT seem heavy to me. Unfortunately, I do not have a scale, but when I have my Sager in one hand and the HP in the other, they feel almost the same weight. Maybe people who complain about the weight need to work out more?
Battery life:
I tested both the HP laptop battery and the Sager Laptop battery by playing a DVD. I timed it from the moment I turned on the laptop to the moment it automatically shut down. Now, I know that the HP adjusts the CPU according to its needs so that it will conserve battery life, so the HP has the upper hand. Also, I’ve optimized the battery on the HP before and have done some battery tweaks so that the HP would last longer. I didn’t do anything to the Sager – no battery adjustments (yet). I was testing both laptops at the same time (HP laptop was playing Star Wars Ep 2 and the Sager was playing Mission Impossible pt 2). Side by side, the Sager looked MUCH better. The Sager was brighter and crisp. The HP was harder to see and the brightness was much lower and looked too dark.
I was quite surprised by the results:
HP Laptop lasted 1hr 34mins
Sager 8790 lasted 1hr 37mins!
Wow! The Sager lasted LONGER than my other laptop! Through I haven’t officially tested it yet, but on the HP laptop, I’ve browsed the internet and worked in MS Word at school before on the battery for more than 2 hrs. That means the Sager should last even longer! That’s good news.
Oh… and stupid desktop! I unplugged the desktop to test its battery and it never worked! Stupid desktop batteries!! LOL… (just kidding…The desktop doesn’t use a battery)
Other:
I will do more reviewing as I get more things done. I will also review the Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB 2.0 TV Tuner and D-Link wireless range extender DWL-G800AP when they come in. If anyone wants me to review a specific thing, just let me know.
Conclusion:
Other than the one dead/stuck pixel and that it takes two hands to open the lid (I only need one hand to open the HP laptop), the Sager 8790 is an awesome laptop!
Thanks!
Go Sager!
