Most gamers prefer huge, liquid-cooled,
multiple-graphics-card-laden desktops over laptops. But sometimes you need a
machine that's as portable as it is powerful, and that's where Origin's E0N17-S
(go.pcworld.com/originl7s) comes into play.
This hulking desktop-replacement system is pretty sexy,
considering it's an 11.25-pound monster. And that's without the 2-pound power
brick you won't be able to ditch, because the E0N17-S gets only 2 hours of battery
life on a single charge.
Origin’s EON17-S
Our fully loaded review configuration will set you back
$3760. That's actually not a bad price for a system with a fourth-generation
Intel Core i7-4930MX Extreme Edition processor, 16GB of DDR3/1600 RAM, a
discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M graphics card, a 240GB solid-state drive, and
a 750GB hard drive that spins at 7200 rpm. The EON17-S also features a Blu-ray
writer and runs Windows 8.1 Home.
In our Notebook WorldBench 8.1 suite, the EON17-S achieved a
score of 449, and was more than four and a half times faster than our baseline
test model, an Asus VivoBook S550CA with a third-generation Intel Core i5
processor and integrated graphics.
EON17-S produced a
fantastic frame rate of 214.2 frames per second
The Micro Express NB5720 did slightly better with a score of
483, and a couple of other gaming laptops came close, including the Asus ROG
G750JH (435) and the Toshiba Qosmio X75 A7298 (430). (For more about the Asus
G750JH, see our review on page 60.) All three of these competitors carry
Haswell processors and Nvidia 700-series graphics cards, but the EON17-S is the
only one to have Intel's most powerful mobile CPU.
Graphics performance is where the EON17-S dominates. In our
Bioshock Infinite test, the EON17-S produced a fantastic frame rate of 214.2
frames per second (at Low quality settings, 1024-by-768-pixel resolution). On
our Dirt Showdown test (at Low quality settings, 1024-by-768 pixel resolution),
the EON17-S whizzed along at a speedy 123.6 fps.
Ports, left side
(from top):On the EON17-S you'll find mini-FireWire, ethernet, USB 3.0, and
eSATA connections.
The EON17-S hasn't changed much from its previous
iterations. It's housed in a chunky yet cool-looking chassis, with a glossy,
glacier-white cover (customizable, of course). The full-size, backlit keyboard,
which has a dedicated numeric keypad, is comfortable to type on, thanks to its
pseudo-island-style keys. The keyboard features three custom lighting zones, a
nice option if you're playing a game with lots of shortcuts. The machine's
touchpad is mediocre: It's laggy, even when you speed up the pointer, and the
discrete buttons are shallow and offer little tactile feedback. You're more
likely to use an external mouse anyway.
The Onkyo speakers are loud but lacking in bass and depth.
They're also a bit noisy at higher volume. Luckily, audio piped through the
headphone jack is clean and offers excellent results.
Sporting a native resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, the
17.3-inch, matte-finish screen looks very good: It's bright, images and text
are crisp, colors seem accurate, and blacks are deep. It's not a touchscreen,
but that's to be expected from a gaming laptop.
Ports, right side
(from top): In addition to a USB 2.0 port, you get audio, microphone, and
headphone jacks.
If I had to choose a laptop for my gaming needs, the Origin
EON17-S would be very high on my list. This beast is expensive, but it's a
portable powerhouse.
Specifications
|
Pros
·
Extremely fast at everything
·
Has the best CPU and GPU money can buy
·
Great keyboard with three lighting zones
Cons
·
Exceedingly heavy
·
Mediocre touchpad and speakers
·
No touchscreen
Bottom
line
·
If money is no object, check out Origin's gaming notebook;
it's one of the most powerful we've ever benchmarked.
Price: $3,760
Overall: 4/5
|
|
