Sager has officially unveiled its new calpella-based (read: i7-m) 15.6", 16:9, replacement for the np8662. Named the np8690, it builds upon Sager's tendency to be "the little engine that shouldn't" with the following specifications, per Sager.

• CPU:
  • i7-m 720 @ 1.6 Ghz / 6MB L3 Cache / 1333MHz FSB
  • i7-m 820 @ 1.73 GHz / 8MB L3 Cache / 1333MHz FSB
  • i7-mX 920 @ 2GHz / 8MB L3 Cache / 1333MHz FSB
  • All CPUs have 4 cores / 8 threads, and have turbo mode so when an application uses 2, or 1 core, the core / thread speeds may be boosted automatically
• nVidia GeForce GTX 280m with 1GB GDDR3 RAM, PCI-e 16x
• 15.6" 1600x900 or 1920x1080 (1080p) LCD screen
• Up to 8GB DDR3 RAM @ 1333MHz
• 1 x 2.5" 9.5mm HDD or SSD slot, SATA II
• Full Sized Keyboard with Number Pad

What remains to be seen with this, and other laptops in its class (asus G51-Vx, new m15x, etc.) will be able to convert a public currently used to 16:10 aspect ratios to "true high-def" without the bars, and whether gamers will willingly adapt to this new screen ratio. I say that the fewer pixels that need to be displayed may be awkward for benchmarks, and may cut off a little of the gaming action, but with fewer pixels for video cards to process and for the CPu to push the information to, framerates should go up slightly, ultimately enhancing the experience. As for i7-m, 4 cores, 8 threads, turbo modes, bring it out and let's see what it can do.

Source: Sager Notebook