Clevo W170HN or Asus G53/73/74

[asdfADRiAN]

First of all to clear things up, Clevo makes sager, but is the W170HN a Sager? Im confused. And if so what is the Sager model number? Is the Sager model the NP5170? Correct me if im wrong. I hate how they have different model numbers for each.

Also the lady doesnt know but Ive read online that Sager/Clevo have only 1 HDD Caddy and an optical drive; however, if you want 2 hdd, you have to replace the optical drive with the caddy so you can support 2 HDDs but no dvd/bluray optical drive. WHY?! I want dual HDD and 1 optical drive.

So as the title says, which should I get? Things to consider, you can upgrade the clevo internal parts whereas the asus use mxm cards that are non-upgradable. They all have a gt 540m or the alternative HD5870 (or something like that). Theyre both similar graphics card, but I hear the HD5870 is a little better than the 540m.

I really like the asus and have been a fan of them for a while, but they have so many problems with them that Ive read countless experiences online and what not Im discouraged to buy it now. I love the design in comparison to Clevo/Sager, which is hideous but it doesnt attract attention for thieves

I should also mention that the Sager is from someone locally and still has 1 year warranty left. Is the warranty extendable? The Sager/Clevo W170HN is currently offered to me at $690.

-Warranty INCLUDED: Sager 1 Year Limited Parts and Labor Warranty with original receipt
-Display - 17.3" Full HD LED-Backlit Display with Super Glossy Surface (1920 x 1080) - sturdy and looks great.
-Video & Graphics Card - 1GB GDDR3 Nvidia GeForce GT 540M GPU with Optimus Technology / Embedded Intel HD Graphics
-CPU Processor - 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM Processor ( 6MB L3 Cache, 2.00GHz) 
-Memory: 6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 1 X 4GB + 1 X 2GB 
-Primary Hard Disk Drive - 500GB 7200rpm SATA 300 Hard Drive
-Optical Drive Bay -- Optical Drive or Hard Disk Drive in Optical Drive Bay with Caddy case	8X DVD±R/RW/4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software
-Internal 802.11 B+G+N Wireless LAN + Bluetooth Combo Module
-Smart Li-ION Battery Pack
-Microsoft Office Starter 2010 - Included in Price
-UsB 3, HDMI slot and eSATA
-Thermal Compound: Stock Standard Thermal Compound
-Operating System - Genuine MS Windows® 7 Home Premium 32/64-Bit Edition ( 64-Bit Preloaded )
-Built in webcam

So guys, which is better? Im not really considering the G53 since portablility I dont care much about. I know they are all gaming laptops so battery will be around 2 hours maybe 3 if lucky. The W180HN is confirmed by Sager to last about 4-5 hours. Theyre all in the GT540m range, but sager is upgradable. Also I read that the asus g74 has a lower screen resolution than G73 and the W170HN. I really like the inspired design of ASUS; nevertheless asus has too many RMA and Overheating issues. Will I be expecting this in a sager as they are supposedly more reliable?

 

[asdfADRiAN]

Edit:

I read someone that if you want to get two HDDs in the Clevo W170HN, then you need to buy an extra Caddy and install the HDD yourself? So it CAN have 2 harddrives and an optical drive?

Update with images:
http://img836.imageshack.us/i/img4598q.jpg
http://img291.imageshack.us/i/img4597w.jpg
http://img849.imageshack.us/i/img4596.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/i/img4595zd.jpg
http://img838.imageshack.us/i/img4594w.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/i/img4593m.jpg

Wow, its beautiful, more than I imagined. I just dislike the super glossy surface of the screen.

But seriously someone help me out with the questions in 1st post. :\

Edit 2:
According to here in post #40, the graphics card cannot be upgraded because it is soldered. Agh. Also, the sager model 5170 / Clevo W170HN does not have a backlit keyboard.

 

[Bluefalcon13]

The Asus models are pretty much in the same boat as far as GFX card upgrades, as Asus seems to do everything in their power to prevent GPU upgrades, even when it is an MXM card (G73/G53 models). There have been a few cases of getting a 6970m working in a G73JH, but it is far from known working, as more have failed than have worked. The 540m will chug @ 1080p resolutions and current games. I can tell you from personal experience, the 5870m will run 1080p at high quality for MOST current games. I was near max settings on my G73JH for Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

 

[asdfADRiAN]

Sorry Im a bit lost in your context, what do you mean by "the 540m will chug"? Im assuming thats a bad thing in reference to being choppy?

I know the 5870 is fairly superior, so maybe I can desolder the 540m in the Sager and upgrade it? Do you know anything about the Sager and it being capped to 1 harddrive? I have read that you can add an "oddly positioned caddy" to fit two hdd in and still keeping the optical drive."

Im just worried that when the Asus gets out of warranty I cant repair it as I would hope to.

Edit: Also considering the price of $690 maybe even $600 for the Sager 5170, should I get it over the ASUS G73/74?