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Gaming Benchmarks
Alien: Isolation
Gaming performance is where the Sager NP6852 will naturally hit a bit of a wall. The savings inherent in lesser parts means compromises in game play -- lower framerates, or lower settings. Luckily, our benchmark suite contains a variety of games, and Alien: Isolation is one that even the Sager NP6852 can master, delivering an impressive 94 FPS at maximum settings. Of course, a GTX 1060-based system will provide an extra 45 FPS, but this comes with an additional $300 price tag typically.
Ashes of the Singularity
On the other hand, we have the notoriously taxing Ashes of the Singularity, where even the Acer Predator 15 can't reach 60 FPS. The NP6852 falls below 30 FPS, but with some tweaking to Anti Aliasing and particle effects, you should be able to raise the frame rate into playable territory. Because Ashes demands more of the overall platform, the Dell Inspiron, with its Core-i5 processor, really struggles here.
Bioshock Infinite
Bioshock Infinite’s built-in benchmark scenes don’t require as much GPU horsepower as some of the other games we're using here, so the NP6852 lands in the comfortable 75 FPS range at max settings. The Dell laptop maintains around 65 FPS thanks to its GTX 1050 Ti, which is more than respectable, but its i5 CPU also makes this system prone to falling below the coveted 60 FPS threshold more frequently.
DiRT Rally
DiRT Rally’s benchmark puts even more stress on the GPU, and we witness the NP6852 in some troubled waters here. This can easily be resolved by dialing back the settings, but you’ll experience a bit of visual degradation as a result. The more robust NP8156 delivers just shy of 60 FPS, so the setting tweaks don't need to be as drastic here. You’ll need a system with at least a GTX 1070 to maintain an excellent framerate without graphical compromises.
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V’s benchmark offers several scenes with varying degrees of complexity. The Del Perro Pier scene is manageable because it doesn’t have many objects or landscapes to render. Others, such as the Vinewood Sign scene, are much more taxing. Unfortunately, most of the scenes torture the NP6852, and only in Del Perro Pier does it manage to maintain a playable framerate. The NP8156 maintains a steady frame rate in most scenes because of its heftier GPU, but you’ll need a configuration similar to the Acer Predator to get anywhere near 60 FPS without dialing back the settings.
GRID Autosport
Our test subject's performance in GRID Autosport is similar to its performance inBioshock Infinite in that the NP6852 can deliver more than 60 FPS with quite a bit to spare. It also outperforms the Inspiron 15 by nearly 30% because of its stronger overall platform.GRID also rewards GPUs with high clock speeds, which typically puts GTX 1060-based systems closer to GTX 1070-equipped alternatives. Unfortunately, the GTX 1050 Ti sports a measly boost clock speed of 1392MHz (versus the GTX 1060’s boost clock of 1670MHz), so the NP6852 drags behind the NP8156 and the Predator 17.
Hitman
Back down to earth: Hitman demands more from the GPU, and we see the NP6852 and Dell Inspiron running neck-and-neck in this benchmark, at the bottom of the stack. An upgrade to a GTX 1060-based configuration would net you around 85% more performance, and push you past 60 FPS with a handful of frames to spare.
Metro: Last Light Redux
Metro: Last Light Redux isn’t very forgiving either, driving the NP6852’s performance even further below 30 FPS. Be prepared to turn back settings such as Anti Aliasing if you want to play at a decent frame rate. The NP6852’s i7 CPU only marginally helped the system's performance.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
It doesn't get easier inRise of the Tomb Raider,which is perhaps our most taxing game. The NP6852 is only capable of 22 FPS, and its i7-7700HQ provides virtually no benefit compared with the Dell laptop's lesser CPU. You’ll have to consider a system with at least a GTX 1060 if you want to play on high settings without feeling like you’re watching a slideshow. The NP8156, for example, offers more than 75% better performance, in fact.
The Division
The Division eases up on the torture a bit, but not by much; the Sager NP6852 is able to maintain a stable 32 FPS, which isn’t much, but a whole lot better than the sub-30 FPS frame rates you’ll find inMetro orRoTR. This time, the NP6852’s more robust i7 processor delivers a noteworthy performance increase, and that boost is the difference between playable and unplayable.
Thief
Ending on a good note, the i7-7700HQ is the star once again inThief, granting the NP6852 17% more performance than the Dell Inspiron. This places the NP6852 around 50 FPS, which is close enough to exploit minor graphical setting tweaks to reach 60 FPS.
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