Sager NP5791 Review
The Sager NP5791 is a top-of-the-line 17-inch high performance notebook based on the latest Intel Santa Rosa platform. It is designed for gaming and features the latest high-end Nvidia graphics cards.
Before I start the review I would like to give a special thanks to Donald Stratton of PowerNotebooks.com for giving us the opportunity to test this machine.
Our system has the following specifications:
* Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz/4MB L2/800MHz FSB)
* 17-inch WUXGA (1920×1200) glossy display
* Nvidia GeForce 8700M-GT with 512MB GDDR3 memory
* 2GB DDR2-667 RAM
* 80GB 7200RPM SATA HDD
* 8X DVD+/-RW DL burner
* Intel 4965AGN wireless
* Integrated Bluetooth 2.0
* Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit
* 8-cell battery
Pricing for this configuration is about $2,000. Other configurations can be had starting from $1,800.
Build & Design
It is obvious from the photos that the Sager NP5791 is no ordinary notebook. It is a clear departure from the industry trend of glossy plastic and bright colors. The NP5791 is a mostly matte-surfaced black notebook with orange trim strips. The back of the lid is a sheet of brushed aluminum and the very top of the lid is a strip of black glossy plastic.
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The plastic on this notebook is without a doubt thicker than what is found on mainstream notebooks. There are no cheap noises made when the chassis is tapped and no vibrations can be felt – while tapping on the left palmrest I could not feel vibrations on the right. The notebook’s chassis is so solid it feels like the inside of the chassis is a solid block of hardwood. It is essentially impossible to twist the chassis. Flex is nonexistent - the only way I could get any of the places on top of the chassis to budge was by putting abnormal pressure on it.
There are several variants of plastic used in the construction. A matte black plastic covers most of the top of the chassis; it feels smooth and durable. The orange trim bordering the notebook is made of the same plastic, and so are the touchpad buttons. The area surrounding the outside of the lid around the display is also made of the same material except it has a small bit of texture. There is a very thin strip of glossy black plastic bordering the lid, giving it an elegant look. It matches the glossiness of the display and makes the display look bigger than it actually is. Around the keyboard and touchpad is a carbon-fiber textured plastic that adds flare and detail. I like the way it looks when light hits it – the checkered pattern really stands out. Finally, the plastic used on the bottom and sides of the NP5791 is also textured like the area around the lid and thinner yet it still feels well made.
The display is reinforced by the aluminum backing and it adds a degree of insurance against damage. Pushing on the back of the display yields no ripples in the picture. The display can be twisted a small amount but flex is both normal and expected on a 17 inch screen; this screen does not flex as much as a mainstream 17 inch notebook due to its extra strength. The hinges holding the display in place are strong and secure. I like how there are many small rubber pads around the screen so it does not come in contact with the keyboard or chassis area. There are two latches on the top of the display – the one on the left is a lock and the right one is a traditional spring latch. Both work as expected; when shut, the lid has little freedom to move which shows attention to detail.
The gaps between parts of the notebook are minimal and equidistant. It is obvious a great deal of time was spent perfecting the build quality of the NP5791. There is no area of the chassis that showed symptoms of budget-cutting. I am impressed by the solidness and sheer quality of this machine. The NP5791 is certainly one of the best built machines I have come across, counting even the business class machines. The NP5791 feels like it was built to last. The only downside to the fantastic build quality is the added weight from the beefier materials, but extra weight is a small price to pay for that peace of mind.
Display
The Sager NP5791 is available with two screens – a matte WSXGA+ (1680×1050 pixels) and a glossy WUXGA (1920×1200 pixels). Our evaluation unit has the latter. WUXGA is the highest available resolution on a notebook. The NP5791’s top-shelf display is nothing short of impressive – movies, games, pictures, and text look crisp, clear, and detailed. Colors pop off the screen and contrast is high. Even in high light conditions I found the brightness to be more than adequate – it is almost too bright in a dark room. Light leakage is minimal, with only a small amount coming from below. It is only noticeable when viewing a black screen. Side-to-side viewing angles are near perfect and the vertical is very good – the picture only washes out slightly. From below the display darkens and to a lesser degree than I expected. For a notebook panel the NP5791 is definitely one of the best I have seen.
Speakers
There are two stereo speakers on the NP5791. They are located at opposite ends of the rear of the chassis, on the sides and next to the display hinges. I found the odd placement made surround sound from two speakers more believable. The speakers are small and borderline tinny; I am not impressed nor disappointed with them. The sound is detailed (I could hear picks of a guitar and bullet casings hitting the ground) but volume is limited and bass response is nil. Treble (voices) is measurable but again, nothing special. The two speakers are adequate for general usage although I highly recommend a good pair of external speakers or headphones to make for the best sound experience.
Source: notebookreview.com
