Prebuilt Clevo too good to be true?

[Klosteral]

Hey guys,

In my searches I came across a pre-built clearence sale on the Clevo-W860CU-460M (Metabox W860CU) which had the following:
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Intel Core i7-740QM
Nvidea GTX460M 1.5GB
8GB DDR3 1333 RAM
500GB 7200RPM SATA HDD
15.6" FHD 1920x1080 screen (probably LCD)
Blu-Ray reader/DVD writer combo drive
Blutooth + 802.11a/g/n wireless
Fingerprint reader
etc

All this for only $1499AUD! The equivilent ASUS G53 for $1599 (same CPU, GPU, FHD screen) only had 6GB RAM and a DVD writer. It did not have a fingerprint reader and it was bigger and heavier than the W860CU. I understand the difference of 20mm each way and 300g is not much, but it is noteable.

I am convinced it is, but tell me. Is it worth it?

 

[clarkjd]

Obviously, this is a laptop...I have never heard of Clevo or Metabox either. all i can say is -- If you think something is too good to be true, it probably is.

 

[Klosteral]

Here is the thing.
Normally the place that sells these laptops offers a customisation menu for you to choose all the internal components of your desired computer. They have an excess of these specificated laptops because they are a common selection. Now they have too many and want to get all their new Sandy Bridge stuff out onto the market, so they are putting this on sale. See what I am getting at?

I plan to give the store a call as soon as they open (2hours and 29mins to go) and find out how true it really is.

 

[lostandwandering]

Obviously, this is a laptop...I have never heard of Clevo or Metabox either. all i can say is -- If you think something is too good to be true, it probably is.

Clevo laptops are resold in many places as Sager laptops. They are sold by dozens of resellers like XoticPC, CyberPower, Powernotebooks and even Alienware in the days of the M9750. They have been on the market for quite a few years now and consistently get decent reviews (check Anandtech for at least one recent review). I've also owned a Sager laptop for the last 3.5 years, couldn't be happier.

@Klosteral: It's a good laptop and a strong performer. If you are fine without a Sandy Bridge CPU, and I wouldn't see why not, then go for it.

Here's a review from Anandtech when they offered the W860 with the 5870:

On the one hand, there's the Clevo W860CU notebook itself, which certainly acquits itself well. The cooling system is extremely effective, the speakers are reasonable quality, and the system on a whole is—at least as configured here—fast. You do pay a premium for mobile gaming like this, but the 15.6” 1080p screen is extremely attractive, the keyboard is comfortable enough, and the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 that comes bog standard is the fastest mobile GPU on the market. It also includes every expansion port you could ask for on a modern notebook short of DisplayPort. If you need a portable do-everything computer for gaming or multimedia work, the W860CU is an excellent option at a reasonable price.

http/www.anandtech.com/show/3758/avadirect-clevo-w860cu-5870-vs-285m/2

 

[Klosteral]

The review is good, however in my opinion it is reviewing a completely different computer. On the W860CU I am looking at, there is a new chassis, featuring things like USB-3.0. Also, the CPU, GPU and RAM is completely different.
That said, their review on the cooling, design and functionality was most pleasing.

50mins to store opening...

 

[lostandwandering]

The review is good, however in my opinion it is reviewing a completely different computer. On the W860CU I am looking at, there is a new chassis, featuring things like USB-3.0. Also, the CPU, GPU and RAM is completely different.
That said, their review on the cooling, design and functionality was most pleasing.

50mins to store opening...

The review was for more of an idea of what the laptop itself would be like. Not necessarily the performance. In benchmarks, the 460M is pretty close to the 5870 in performance, so you actually kinda know what to expect there. I'll peruse a bit and see if I can find some newer reviews with the 460M, will let you know what I find.

 

[Klosteral]

Out of interest, do you have any idea about the battery life on powersaving mode? I really need more than 2 hours minimum. An alternative is the Lenovo Y560, though it is significantly less powerful. With an 4GB RAM, i7-720QM and an ATI 5730M, it is formidable as a gaming laptop but it is nothing on the Clevo.

I need something that is portable and retains its power when not plugged in. Will the Clevo do that for me?

 

[lostandwandering]

Honestly, no it won't provide you with the portability you're looking for. The laptop comes with a rather minuscule and laughable battery, probably the biggest flaw of the entire system. Reviews seemed to only show about an 1:15 of battery life at idle. Even with some better power settings, I would not expect a whole lot more than that.

 

[Klosteral]

Damn, just when I was getting my hopes up.
The Lenovo looks good; solid performance, only 2.7kg weight and up to five hours battery life as stated here: http/www.slashgear.com/lenovo-ideapad-y460-and-y560-get-core-i3-i5-i7-options-0567530/

For the performance, the extra 4gb ram is not really necessary and there is only a marginal difference between the 720 and the 740 cores. The real differences between teh two laptops are the GPUs.

Lenovo Y560 @ $1100AUD
Intel Core i7-720QM
4GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM
640GB 5400RPM HDD
1366x768 LED Display
DVD SuperMulti Drive
2.7kg
4-5hrs battery life

Clevo W860CU @ $1500AUD:
Intel Core i7-740QM
8GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM
Nvidea GTX 460M 1.5GB
500GB 7200RPM HDD
1920x1080 LCD Screen
Blu-Ray combo drive
3.3kg
<2hrs battery life

For somebody who has a gaming desktop and needs his laptop for when he is travelling, school, mates homes and (wants to game) where ever else the desktop is innaccessable, which one is for me?

 

[lostandwandering]

The y560 uses the 5730? It will work fine for some gaming at that lower resolution. If you need the battery life, the Lenovo is the way to go.

 

[Klosteral]

Hmm.

After more searches I have found that alternative laptops
-ASUS G53JW
-MSI GX640
-Lenovo Y560
All have flimsy/weak chassis that would not last too long.
The Clevo, on the other hand, is very sturdy, but also heavy and with horrible battery life.

Can you recommend anything that matches the Lenovo's specifications (minimum) that could fit the bill?

Cheers,
-Klossal

 

[lostandwandering]

How expensive is the new Dell XPS 15 laptop by you? They have aluminum chassis with some pretty decent specs while being cheaper than the HP Envy's.

 

[Klosteral]

They are also really expensive and have heating problems. As a rule, I never buy dell and shy away from HP.

 

[lostandwandering]

I'm running out of ideas of what to tell you. Most laptops on the market use cheaper plastics in the case design.