MEDION ERAZER X6823 (MD 98269) Source: 01Net French FR?

EN Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 01/17/2013 Rating: Total score: 80% Comment NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX: GK106 Kepler-based graphics card and successor to the Fermi-based GeForce GTX 67 0M. These graphics cards are able to play the latest and most demanding games in hig h resolutions and full detail settings with enabled Anti-Aliasing. Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List. Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 C PU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920 XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using sin gle threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops. 3630QM: An Ivy Bridge-based quad-core processor clocked at 2.4 GHz with Turbo Bo ost support up to 3.4 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4000 GPU and a dual channel DDR3 memory controller. Further information can be found in our Compariso n of Mobile Processsors. 15.6": 15 inch display-variants are the standard and are used for more than the half of all notebooks. 15.4 inch display with 16:10 are the standard for noteboo k displays. However nowadays, more and more 16:9 displays with 15.6 inch appear. The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much energy and the laptops c an be kept quite compact. To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List. 3.2 kg: This weight is average for notebooks. Therefore the numerous mass of lap tops with 15 inch display fits in this class of weight. Medion: Medion AG is a German consumer electronics company. It operates in Europ e, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific region. The main products are compute rs, TVs, refrigerators, toasters, and fitness equipment. The manufacturer of lap tops Medion mainly is active in the German market, but to smaller extent also in Western Europe. Market shares and amount of reviews are low. Above all, superma rkets like Aldi sell their laptops. Medion reviews the promise Although acquired by Lenovo, the German manufacturer Medion is still alive. The evidence continues to produce machines for players, whether amateur or bitten. T he Erazer X6823 is a 15.6 inch laptop, conceived and designed for them. Despite a chassis austere, data sheet suggests that power is at the rendezvous. Audit. reality Looking for a laptop to play? Medion Erazer X6823 offers a new, thick device (5. 4 cm), which operates under Windows 8 equipped with a 15.6-inch (39.62 cm) matte screen and a good keyboard with separate keys. The set of components selected b y the German manufacturer to the uncompromising expectations of casual gamers, b

ut also those of "hardcore gamers" fond of the latest hits trendy, often very co mplex. Indeed, it is possible to increase the level of detail and filters improv ing rendering sophisticated 3D games, without losing fluidity, because the graph ics card is powerful enough for it. Hitman: Absolution, Borderlands 2 or Assassi n's Creed 3, the Erazer not be a mouthful. Good point, the machine can accommoda te a large amount of games and applications on your hard drive of 750 GB is even posssible to add a second hard drive in the machine, very simply, if you ever r un out of space. While endurance Of course, if the Erazer is powerful enough to play, it is enough for all other uses. Office, surfing the Internet, watching DVD movies, high-definition or high -definition television with HDMI output ... nothing stops. And, surprise, the ba ttery endurance of video playback is almost 5:00. Despite its 3.2 pounds on larg e enough scale and dimensions the machine can be used on the train to watch a mo vie or work. But be careful, if you try to play on battery endurance significant ly reduced. The speakers present on the top of the keyboard are good to start the software p rovided with Dolby. Better, it is also active if you use your favorite headphone s and allows you to refine the sound reproduction according to your wishes. Fina lly, the connection is complete: USB 2 and 3, eSATA, Wi-Fi n, stereo output and mic input. A recessed screen This Erazer is not free from defects. For the advertised price (1149 euros), we expected that the definition screen (1366 x 768 pixels) is slightly higher. This would have enabled a more fine-grained picture, and especially to use the full power of the graphics card. In addition, in light of our tests, the screen appea rs rather low contrast which can interfere when watching a movie or playing a ga me with dark scenes. By contrast, brightness, it is compelling and its intensity can be easily adjusted from these shortcut keys on the keyboard. To play today and tomorrow Between the Quad-Core Intel processor, 6 GB of memory and Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 M, scores on our test sets are frankly to our expectations: between 93 and 151 f rames / sec displayed on the display. Remember that it takes at least 60 frames / sec displayed to consider a game is fluid. The configuration thus provides a m argin for today's games and those to come in 2013. However, as many gaming machi nes, the Erazer heating (58 C) and makes noise (42.1 dB) when you take advantage of the components (in combat). Finally, it is regrettable that the keys are not backlit. On a machine player is the minimum! For the rest, the TouchPad surface glides well and is of sufficient size. But the video game lovers will prefer th eir favorite mouse without hesitation. the verdict This PC Medion Erazer X6823 is a good solution to play. Announced at 1149 euros, is found below 1000 euros on the site online sales Rue du Commerce. At this pri ce, this is a very good deal, if the (low) resolution of the screen is not a pro blem for you.

Medion X6825 - scrie cam la fel la descriere asa ca iti dau doar comentariile al ora de pe site-urile straine Then it would be quite a good way to test the cooler times. My old Studio 17 I have jacked me two pieces of wood, so it is not so hot undern eath. I think the version with the cooler should be more elegant I'm in the offer for 1,350.00 probably strike a try. Will go wrong

Then I test simply times going on it ... maybe the heat incl cooler holds so lim ited, so for now I do not have to think about the thermal paste. And thank you for the flowers ... I can only speak for myself but I think that it is so that you can also be infor med in forums before. If others here already, it must write the fingers to the b one so read someone The Medion Erazer X6825 is positioned in the segment of high-end accessible. A m achine at a reasonable price compared to some PC war without sacrificing perform ance. The Erazer X6825 has recently enjoyed a price drop. What gamers eager inte rest pending architecture Titan Nvidia and Intel Haswell. We recall that now bel ongs to Lenovo Medion. Seen the good results of the company globally, we can exp ect to see Erazer range will benefit from this. So Let's get into the details fo r the X6825 to see if this is the case. After unpacking, we appreciate the packaging Medion: from simple and to the poin t. A box of reasonable size with the computer well protected and charger, warran ty card, manual and cd restoration. Once the protective film removed, we find a frame that we know well, Mdion decide s to assemble its configuration based on a proven, no error therefore this level . The chassis is solid, weighs its weight and plastics resist the pressures corr ectly. Let's see the components of your potential future combat platform for LANs: Processor: Intel Core i7-3630QM (4 cores, 8 threads, SmartCache 6mo TDP 45 W att) Memory: 16GB Vive Storage: Intel SSD 120 GB 2.5 standard 750GB Graphics: Nvidia GTX 680M Display: 15.6 ", 1920 1080, Slab Mat Blu-ray player and DVD burner Battery: 9-cell 7800mAh Network: Intel Gigabit Ethernet & Wireless N 2230 Warranty: 12 months Here we have a coherent whole, this Erazer is seen with an Ivy Bridge processor next generation, supported by a set of H77 circuits. The storage part is treated with both the site (750GB) and performance (SSD + traditional disk). The graphi cs are high quality especially for a frame 15.6 ". In terms of aesthetics, there is a look resolutely gamer and blue leds look grea t. The keyboard is not backlit. As against the WASD keys and the numeric keypad color are welcome. Our first impressions are good and make us want to turn this machine to install our battery games. It is a Windows 8 which is then charged, not too many applications installed by default: Medion thank you. Photos Here are some pictures of the beast, we add a photo taken by us which gives you an idea of ??rendering blue LEDs on an off-white table. Compared with blue pictu res builders found this one closer to the color of "blue Razer." Medion Erazer X6825_pic4 Medion Erazer X6825_pic3 Medion Erazer X6825_pic2 Medio n Erazer X6825_pic1

The side of the connections, found here Esata 1 port, 3 USB 3.0, HDMI and VGA vi deo output, conventional RJ45 and 4 audio outputs to make the 8.1 analog or digi tal with the S / PDIF. The software configuration to the switcher output line In or microphone input. Protocol Erazer This is also an opportunity for us to adapt our protocol test Windows 8 a nd change a bit our test database. Still young, it may change a bit on 2013. To ensure relevant results, we have promoted the game with a built-in benchmark (Fr aps is not always accurate) and we also take this opportunity to expand our rang e of games that will fit better with other ultraportables gamer and config mini ITX powerful. The downside is that the coup could not be more systematically com pare the results with those of previous tests but do not worry, we will soon eno ugh given Windows 8 for a return to normal. Our full protocol will be online soo n. Results Analysis CPU side, we have here a big i7 Ivy Bridge, do not worry to have so. The 3630QM is one of the fastest models 45w, not sure if the extra few Mhz 3840QM have much increased perfs in. Erazer X6825_cpuz Our GTX 680M and the various sensors are well recognized by: ErazerX6825_gpu At system startup, a Windows 8 rather "light" is discovered, Medion not abused pre-installed utilities. You will still be entitled to the antivirus trial perio d. Attention to those who want to make a Windows "house" installation, OEM licen ses are now directly integrated into the BIOS of the machine and it is not neces sarily possible to recover the license provided for use elsewhere. Erazer X6825_w8 Regarding temperatures, and it never exceeds the threshold limits. After several hours of intensive bench, the CPU remains below 85 and 89 GPU. These temperatur es seem perfectly reasonable. So without being noisy cooling system is doing its job, the heat thresholds are configured in the BIOS and no area of ??the heater housing is disproportionately. Similarly, the noise generated does not shock fo r the CPU and the graphics card with a high TDP for mobile components. ErazerX6825_hwm For the network, a classic gigabit chipset integrated on the motherboard support ed by an Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230 should be enough for most of us. It ends with storage. We have a hybrid configuration with two disks 2.5 '. The I ntel SSD 120 GO just welcome Windows 8 and the speed of read / write respectivel y 464mo / s 184mo / s sequential you should not have too much latency when loadi ng your favorite games. Now let's look at the results in-game: test_medion_ErazerX6825_slpdogs On Sleeping Dogs is known, despite a planned for the AMD graphics card Nvidia GT X 680M optimization is doing very well, only the native resolution ultra mode to

start the last lap at an average framerate of 19 fps. test_medion_ErazerX6825_crysis In Crysis 2, no problem, sufficient for a smooth framerate gets almost perfect w ith everything thoroughly. Again we use the integrated with the latest patches a nd Direct X11 Benchmark. Anno 2070 1920 1080, respectively obtained 56 fps average high and 99 fps in ave rage. However, this bench is made of an introduction scene can be less demanding game in a scene with a lot of items to display. But no problem in perspective b ecause this Erazer has enough RAM and processing power to cope with such situati ons. Hitman Absolution with the Erazer X6825 delivers an average of 18.2 fps Ultra wi th MSAA at 8x and goes back 49 medium with 2x MSAA. Again in 1920 by 1080. We end up with Batman: Arkham Asylum which are despite age, still manages to tic kle the most demanding GPU: here we have 41 fps in our most greedy test (FMVSS H bAo msaa 8x DX11 tessellation high detailed levels) and 63 being more reasonable (FMVSS HbAo msaa 2x DX11 tessellation normal high details). In both cases, the flow is! We also conducted benchs 1366 768 in order to enrich our database. Our observati on and gain fps decrease when the resolution is low and you lose a lot not to us e the native resolution of the screen. Overall the GTX680M is sized to Full HD 1 6/9 and we appreciate nice not having to lower the resolution. Conclusion As often with Medion, we have a machine that is not in the frills, but will inst ead seek the raw performance. The results in the games are good, the chassis is not a revolution but will support a well thought configuration. I have had the m achine for some time and have been able to identify a problem on this laptop to player. Without a revolution, this Erazer demonstrates a good job of integration from Medion, the configuration is balanced and adequate pricing policy. The GTX 680M delivers excellent performance in most games and mates perfectly wi th the Full HD panel. In addition, the Core i7 power, the amount of significant and the speed of the SSD memory allow this machine to ensure good performance in other areas that the game To date, the Erazer X6825 is available directly the o nline store for Medion 1,599. You will understand, supported by an interesting p ricing policy, this laptop gamer Medion easily harvest a 4 star P4G.

MSI GE60 0ND-257US Review and Ratings ntroduction & Design The MSI GE60 0ND-257US suffers from a bit of an identity crisis: It's a little t oo expensive to be considered a budget gaming notebook, and it lacks the sheer p ower of its high-end, high-priced brethren. Priced at $1,249 direct, this 15.6-i nch model occupies the lower end of the mid-range gaming laptop category, and as such it's missing some of the bells and whistles found on pricier models it has a nice keyboard by gaming specialist SteelSeries, for example, but the keyboard i sn't backlit like those of the Alienware M17x R4 or Samsung Series 7 Gamer. Thanks to a quad-core Intel Core i7 CPU, the GE60 has more than enough power to handle any productivity task you can throw at it, but its graphics performance i

s only fair. On the plus side, it'll give you more than three hours of battery l ife, and its quad-speaker array pumps out better-than-average audio. MSI GE60 0ND-257US rear We reviewed the GE60 model 0ND-257US, which comes with a 2.4GHz Core i7-3630QM p rocessor and 8GB of DDR3 system memory. It uses an Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M with 2GB of video memory for the heavy graphics work and Intel HD Graphics 4000 integ rated graphics for the easy stuff. This model is equipped with a 750GB hard driv e with a 7,200-rpm rotation speed and a DVDRW multi-drive. MSI also offers a $999 GE60 model (GE60 0NC-498US) that is powered by a Core i5 CPU. Design The GE60 isn't particularly flashy. It lacks the brushed metal design of its mor e expensive sibling, the 17.3-inch GT70 0NE-276US, and instead sports a high-glo ss black finish with red accents and a subtle pattern. A silver MSI logo graces the glossy lid, which is a showcase for fingerprint smudges and dust. At 5.2 pounds, the GE60 is a full pound lighter than the Cyberpower Xplorer X6-9 120 (6.2 pounds). With its 1.5-inch profile, it is manageable for short hauls, b ut when you factor in the 6-inch power brick, it's not exactly travel-friendly. As mentioned, the full-sized keyboard is made by SteelSeries, a company known fo r first-class keyboards, mice, and other gaming gear. The keyboard can detect up to 10 simultaneous keystrokes and is very responsive, making it ideal for rapid -fire game play. Unfortunately, it lacks the neat lighting effects found on the GT70 and other deluxe gaming rigs, but it does have a dedicated numeric keypad. The MSI's touch pad has a textured surface and a one-piece mouse button bar. It provides smooth, accurate cursor control. The GE60's 15.6-inch display offers full HD (1,920x1,080) resolution and is prot ected by a matte anti-glare coating that is non-reflective. The screen is very b right and delivers sharp, well-defined colors and exquisite image detail from ev ery angle, though like all non-touch screens it'll frustrate Windows 8 users who want to tap and swipe their way through the new operating system. A 720p Webcam embedded in the upper bezel does a relatively good job in low light but picture quality is a bit grainy. At the top of the keyboard are six buttons: a power switch, a DVD eject button, a user-programmable button that also glows when the dedicated GPU is being utili zed, a boss key that turns off the display, a Wi-Fi button, and a Cooler Boost b utton that ratchets up cooling fan speed when the system is under heavy load. Al so up here are a pair of 2-watt speakers, which are complimented by two addition al 2-watt speakers built into the base. This quadrophonic sound system is modera tely loud and offers robust high- and mid-tones. Its bass response is limited bu t the sound is full nonetheless. Along the left side of the chassis are two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 2.0 port, an HDM I video output, and gold-plated headphone and microphone jacks. Over on the righ t side are a tray loading DVD multi-drive (sorry, no Blu-ray drive on this model ), another USB 2.0 port, a VGA video output, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The la st is backed by a Killer E2200 LAN adapter boasting intelligent packet prioritiz ation that moves latency-sensitive online gaming or streaming multimedia data to the front of the line for smoother performance. MSI GE60 0ND-257US ports We can't imagine many users, except possibly diehard eSATA and DisplayPort fans, being disappointed by the GE60's selection of ports.

The card reader on the front of the chassis supports the Secure Digital (includi ng SDHC and SDXC), MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick (including Pro), and xD media fo rmats. Wireless 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 networking are part of the package . The 750GB hard drive is loaded with Windows 8 and Creative's THX ProStudio, whic h offers audio effects such as virtual surround sound, a voice equalizer, Smart Volume (automatic volume control), and Crystalizer (music and movie audio enhanc er). The system, backed by a two-year limited warranty, also comes with MSI's Bu rn Recovery image recovery software and an online user guide. Gaming laptops aren't unplugged often, but particularly for 15- as opposed to 17-i nch models it's good to know you'll be able to do a little movie-watching or Micro soft Office work away from an AC outlet, or at least be able to finish a level a nd save your game if the power goes out while you're in the midst of a fragfest. The GE60's six-cell power pack lasted just over three hours in our video-playba ck battery rundown test. That's quite good for a gaming notebook and almost iden tical to the Asus G75VW-DH72. Naturally, the more powerful Maingear and Origin s ystems come up short in terms of battery life, but that's a sacrifice most gamer s are willing to make: MSI GE60 0ND-257US battery life With gaming notebooks, as is usually the case, you get what you pay for. The MSI GE60 0ND-257US won't give you the sizzling frame rates that you get from high-e nd gaming rigs like the Origin EON17-SLX and Maingear Nomad 17 Ultimate, but tha t's understandable considering that it's less than half the price of either. And in all respects except frame rates, it's a most satisfactory laptop, especially in terms of its display, its audio, and its keyboard. Still, it's hard to spend $1,249 only to be told you'll need to learn to live wi th dialed-down resolution and detail settings in your favorite games. The GE60 i s a capable system that will save you a good deal of money, but if gaming perfor mance is more important to you than productivity benchmarks, we think you'll wan t to check out the AMD-based MSI GX60 for only $50 more. Reviews for the MSI GT60-0NC-004US

MSI GT60 Review avatar MSI GT60 Review Posted 01/16/2013 at 2:40pm | by Katherine Stevenson 1 Comment PrintPrint 9 12 Won t break your back or your bank account We ve been so inundated with Ultrabooks these days that we almost forgot how power ful, and hulking, a full-on gaming notebook can be. The MSI GT60 arrived in our Lab to remind us. At 15.6 inches, the GT60 is not the biggest of the big, but it s a beast nonetheless with a 15.5x10.5x2-inch body and a 10-pound carry weight. [MSI GT60] The keyboard s multicolored backlighting is customizable via a software control pa nel.

Aesthetically, the GT60 is almost entirely black nd there for accent and a black brushed-aluminum dged profile and a multicolored backlit keyboard shing features. It s not a stunner, but it s not

plastic, with some gloss here a panel on its lid. A slightly we are probably its most distingui offensive, either.

Under the hood, the GT60 is rocking an Ivy Bridge 2.3GHz Core i7-3610QM, with a Turbo ceiling of 3.3GHz. It s joined by a GeForce GTX 670M, which is based on Nvid ia s 40nm Fermi GPU as opposed to the newer 28nm Kepler. Regardless, the combo dec imated our zero-point in the benchmarks by embarrassing margins. It told us what we already knew: that our current notebook benchmarks and zero-point are woeful ly inadequate for measuring today s performance portables. So we tossed a few of o ur desktop benchmark s the GT60 s way. In the Stitch.Efx and ProShow tests, the GT60 was only about 20 percent behind o ur desktop zero-point, which has a Core i7-3930K hexa-core proc. That s because th e two apps aren t optimized for more than four cores. In the x264 HD encoding test , the GT60 was at more of a disadvantage to the hexa-core desktop part. In 3DMar k 11, the GT60 s 670M couldn t hold a candle to the zero-point s GTX 690 dual-GPU desk top part, not surprisingly, turning out a score of X927 vs. the ZP s X5,847. Again , we re not suggesting that a gaming notebook should be compared to a big fat des ktop, but we wanted you to have some point of reference, as our zero-point noteb ook is in the weeds here. We also ran the STALKER: CoP benchmark on the GT60 and it turned out a respectab le 32.8fps using the Ultra setting at 1920x1080, the notebook s native res. Indeed , the GT60 seems up to the rigors of most modern games at the highest settings. Gamers will appreciate how a touch-sensitive Turbo button above the keyboard throt tles up the GPU and boosts performance by approximately 4 percent. A touch-sensi tive fan button in the same vicinity increases cooling as well as noise. And Nvidi a s Optimus technology automatically switches between GPU and integrated graphics where appropriate. As is fitting for a gaming notebook, the GT60 s Dynaudio Premium speakers and subw oofer, along with a THX software control panel, produce good sound and achieve a satisfyingly loud volume. Less typical of gaming notebooks is the screen s matte finish, but we don t mind, as it eliminates distracting reflections. We also don t m ind the better-than-average battery life. Often these desktop replacements top o ut at around two hours in our video rundown test; the GT60 exceeded three hours. One thing we aren t crazy about is the keyboard. Despite this being a large notebo ok, the keys seem small and the overall layout cramped. The shortened right-shif t key, in particular, caused us many a typing error. We re also dismayed by the ab sence of any SSD storage. Given the caliber of the other parts, a fast boot driv e, at the very least, seems warranted. Of course, that would add to the GT60 s pri ce tag. At $1,500, the GT60 remains affordable and offers a sound gaming system/desktop replacement, if not an outstanding one CPU 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-3610QM RAM 12GB DDR3/1600 Chipset Intel HM77 GPU Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M Display 15.6-inch, 1920x1080 LCD Storage Two 500GB hard drives (7,200rpm) Optical Drive 8x DVD burner

Connectivity Ethernet, VGA, HDMI, eSATA, 7- in-1 media reader, 3x USB 3.0, US B 2.0, audio in, audio out, headphone, mic, 2MP webcam, , Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11a /b/g/n Lap / Carry 7 lbs, 13.5 oz / 10 lbs, 1 oz

ZERO-POINT Premiere Pro CS3 (sec) 420 (+114%) Photoshop CS3 (sec) 79.3 ProShow Producer (sec) 876 542 MainConcept (sec) 1,782 1,028 Far Cry 2 (fps) 48.5 Call of Duty 4 (fps) Battery Life (min) 899 131

68.3 62.2 96

157.7 (+153.6%) 187

Our zero-point notebook is an Asus G73Jw-A1 with a 1.73GHz Intel Core i7-740QM, 8GB DDR3/1066, two 500GB Seagate 7,200rpm hard drives, a GeForce GTX 460M, and W indows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Far Cry 2 tested at 1680x1050 with 4x AA; Call of Duty tested at 1680x1050 with 4x AA and 4x anisotropic filtering. Design MSI GT60Click to EnlargeThe GT60 isn't as pretty as say, the Alienware M17x, but it's still a handsome piece of machinery. While we loved the lid's center panel of black brushed aluminum with a backlit MSI logo, we're not fans of the wide s trips of plastic lining the sides and bottom. However, the side panels' distinct slope created some interesting angles throughout the design we couldn't help bu t admire. The notebook's interior mimics the lid, featuring plastic side panels with a bru shed black aluminum palm rest. However, our eyes were consistently drawn to the top of the keyboard deck and the glossy black plastic function key bar. Reminisc ent of a Transformer headpiece, the angular bar ensconces a pair of speakers and the large chrome power button in the middle. It also holds touch controls for W i-Fi, touchpad and Turbo. We don't foresee many people moving the 7.8-pound MSI GT60 anywhere further than another room in their house. However, the notebook's 14.9 x 10.2 x 1.8-inch fra me can fit into a large backpack or messenger back. Display MSI GT60Click to EnlargeThe MSI GT60's 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p full HD display de livered mesmerizing color and crisp detail, whether we were reading text, watchi ng video or playing games. At 268 lux, the GT60 outshines the 220 lux desktop re placement category average. We really appreciate the matte display on this rig, which eliminated the chance of any errant reflections spoiling our view. Viewing angles were nice and wide, maintaining color accuracy from just about every sitting position we tried.

Speaking of reflections, details in the 1080p YouTube trailer of "MIB 3" were so sharp we could clearly make out many of the reflections in the characters' chro me weaponry. We enjoyed the bleached white sterility of the MIB office. We notic ed small instances of fuzziness in a couple of background scenes, but they were few and far between. During the opening scenes of "Portal 2," we were enthralled with the ruined ster ility of the Aperture Labs as GlaDos came back on line. There was a beautiful ju xtaposition of lush green jungle vines woven between the sterile white surfaces of the test rooms and the cold gray steel of the girters and studs holding the l ab together. When we finally got our hands on the portal gun and began wielding the titular blue and orange portals, they were nice and bright, offering a muchneeded contrast against the stark white backgrounds. Audio MSI GT60Click to EnlargePowered by Dynaudio Premium speakers, a subwoofer and th e THX Studio Pro control panel (pictured), we enjoyed a great sound experience. Although the GT60's audio defintitely benefits from the THX control panel, we co uldn't tweak as many things as we would have liked. We could only move a slider on settings such as Surround, Crystalizer and Smart Speaker. It would have been nice to adjust settings for Music, Movies and Gaming similar to what HP's Beats Audio control panel offers. Still, trumpets on Jay-Z's "Roc Boyz (And The Winner Is…)" were loud and triumphant, meshing easily with the rapper's braggadocios tenor. However, the ba ss was lost somewhere in between. The system redeemed itself as we played through "Portal 2," where we were reward ed with the delicate clinks of empty bullet casings hitting tiled floors from ad orable, but deadly turrets. Fighting enemies in "Batman: Arkham City," yielded s atisfying fwaps, ughs and whooshes. Dive bombing from tall buildings provided a satisfying rush of air and a hearty crunch as we used some unsuspecting bad guy to cushion our landing. Keyboard MSI GT60Click to EnlargeSimilar to Alienware notebooks, the MSI GT60 features an island-style keyboard with a full number pad with customizable colored backligh ting. We enjoyed configuring our keyboard to our color-coded liking using MSI's Keyboard LED Manager. While we would have loved the ability to blend colors simi lar to Alienware's Command Center utility, we created a pretty bad-ass looking k eyboard. The 10 keyboard statuses (including Standard, Idle, Gaming, Normal, Bre athing) added a welcome level depth and customization. The black flat keys were a little on the small side, especially the Backspace an d Right Shift keys. Still, we enjoyed ample feedback and achieved 55 words per m inute with a 1 percent error rate on the Ten Thumbs Typing Test. That's slightly higher than our desktop average. Touchpad msi gt60 trackpadClick to EnlargeThe glossy polygonal border surrounding the 3 x 1.8 inch brushed aluminum touchpad make it appear smaller than it actually is ( pictured). We had no problem sliding our fingers across the stimulating striated surface. When typing, it's important to keep your hands curled--one person in our office found that is his hand brushed against it while typing, the pointer moved, causi ng the cursor to jump. We were also slightly dismayed by the lack of multitouch functionality such as pinch-to-zoom; it's not crucial for gaming, but would be n ice to include. We're also usually not fans of the single mouse bar, but the GT6 0's chrome bar was responsive provided nice, firm feedback.

Heat After 15 minutes of running a Hulu video at fullscreen, the touchpad, space betw een the G & H keys, and underside of the notebook measured a relatively cool 78, 87 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, we were able to use the notebook in our laptop for more than an hour with no discomfort. Things became slightly warmer after playing "Batman: Arkham Asylum" for 15 minut es. We measured the touchpad at 84 degrees with the space between the G & H keys and the underside measuring 93 and 86 degrees, respectively. These measurements are still below our 95-degree threshold for an uncomfortable notebook. Ports msi gt60 portsClick to EnlargeA lone USB 2.0 port resides on the notebook's left side along with jacks for heaphones, a mic, audio in and audio out accompanied by a tray-loading DVD burner. Three USB 3.0 ports and a 7-in-1 card reader can b e found on the right. Ports for HDMI, eSATA, VGA and Gigabit Ethernet jack sit a long the notebook's rear(pictured). Webcam webcamClick to EnlargeImages from the MSI GT60's 720p webcam were fairly sharp u nder florescent lighting using CyberLink YouCam. We could see the stitching in o ur sweater along with the logo. There was a small amount of oversaturation, but our skin tone and gray sweater looked pretty accurate (pictured). Performance Talk about super-powered. The MSI GT60 features a third-generation (Ivy Bridge) 2.3-GHz Intel Core i7-3610QM processor with 12GB of RAM, dual 500GB 7,200-rpm ha rd drives and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M GPU with 3GB of VRAM. We had an absolut e blast cleaning up the mean streets of Gotham in "Batman: Arkham City." As we p layed, we had 10 open tabs in both Google Chrome and Internet Explorer while run ning a full virus scan. The Dark Knight went about his crime-fighting duties wit hout any noticeable latency. The GT60 delivered impressive scores on our synthetic tests. The rig notched 3,3 36 in PCMark 07, a bit above the 3,163 desktop replacement category average. The ASUS G75VW-DS71 and its third-generation 2.3-GHz Core i7-3610QM quad-core proce ssor scored a lower 3,041. Booting the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Premium only took the GT60 53 seconds, t hanks to the dual 500GB 7,200-rpm hard drives. That's enough to beat the 0:60 ca tegory average and the G75VW-DS71's time of 0:66. The GT60's dual drives duplicated 4.97GB of mixed media files in 1 minute and 8 seconds, a blazing fast transfer rate of 74.8 MBps, far above the 37.4 MBps cate gory average. The G75VW-DS71 (30 MBps) was left in the dust. During the OpenOffice Test, the GT60 matched 20,000 names to their corresponding addresses in 4 minutes and 26 seconds. That's slightly below the 4:24 desktop r eplacement average. Graphics and Gaming Playing games on the MSI GT60 is an absolute joy. We couldn't keep the smile off our faces during "Batman: Arkham City" as we cleared out a room of 10 or more t hugs. We made easy work of them with fluid roundhouse kicks, batarangs and backh ands, with our ebony cape billowing menacingly all the while. The views of the d ilapidated prison were grim, yet breathtaking complete with neon signs glowing w eakly against the unshakable gloom of the night sky. The GT60 delivered synthetic benchmarks that were almost as awesome as battling

the undead juggernaut Solomon Grundy. The notebook's Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M GPU with 3GB of VRAM delivered an epic 19,359 on the 3DMark06 benchmark. That's 6,4 08 points above the 12,951 desktop replacement average. The ASUS G75VW-DS71 and its GeForce GTX 660M GPUs with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM scored a respectable 16,028. When we ran the "World of Warcraft" benchmark, the GT60 notched a face-melting f rame rate of 190 fps on Good at 1920 x 1080p. That was more than enough to best the G75VW's score of 158 fps and the category average of 142 fps. When we cranke d the test up to maximum, the GT60's score dropped to 106 fps. We also ran a few benchmarks with the graphically With DX11 on, 4X MSAA, Graphics Very High and the s, the MSI GT60 scored an impressive 47 fps while same settings. When we switched to 1920 x 1080p, to 28 fps, slightly below playable. taxing "Batman: Arkham City." resolution at 1366 x 768 pixel the G75VW notched 31fps on the the GT60's frame rate dropped

Traversing the sprawling campus of Aperture Labs was challenging, but it was nev er an ugly experience on the GT60. Shooting the portal gun was nice and slick. O ur favorite part was hurtling towards the ground before placing a portal that wo uld catapult us to another part of the test. The illusion of speed was both exhi larating and dizzying. Software msi gt60 battery calibrationClick to EnlargeMSI doesn't bog the GT60 down with n eedless software, installing a skeleton crew of utilities and software. There's MSI SuperCharger that automatically detects and charges attached mobile devices. We also liked S-Bar, a panel of shortcuts for programs, Windows accessories, an d function keys. Additional MSI-branded programs include MSI VGA Overclock, Battery Calibration ( pictured) and BurnRecovery. Fellow gamers will appreciate the addition of Qualcomm Atheros Killer Network Ma nager. The software identifies important activities such as gaming, video and au dio network data, ensuring that the receive priority for high-speed connectivity . Other third-party software includes Windows Live, Microsoft Office Starter, Goog le Chrome, Adobe Reader X, Norton Online Backup and a 30-day free trial of Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2012. The MSI GT60 comes with a 2-year Limited Warranty. Configurations Our $1,559 review unit of the GT60 features a 2.3-GHz Intel Core i7-3610QM proce ssor with 12GB of RAM, dual 500GB 7,200-rpm hard drives and an Nvidia GeForce GT X 670M GPU with 3GB of VRAM. The $1,399 base model (GT683-841US) offers a 2.2-GHz Intel Core i7-2670QM CPU, 1 2GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200-rpm hard drive and Nvidia GeForce GTX 560M with 1.5GB of RAM. There's also the $1,499 GT683DX-840US, which comes equipped with a faste r Nvidia GeForce GTX 570M GPU with 1.5GB of RAM. Battery Life During the LAPTOP Battery Test (continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi), the GT60 las ted 4 hours and 37 minutes. That's 1 hour and 2 minutes longer than the 3:35 des ktop replacement category average. The ASUS G75VW-DS71 only lasted 3:11. Verdict MSI GT60Click to EnlargeMSI managed to pack a ton of power into a relatively por

table and affordable platform. For $1,599, gamers walk away with a notebook that 's equipped with Intel's quad-core Ivy Bridge processor, a seriously powerful Nv idia GPU and a design that can keep its cool during a heavy gaming session. Game rs should also consider the Alienware M14x. Although it has a smaller 14-inch sc reen, the $1,499 M14x offers an Intel Ivy Bridge CPU, 12GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200 -rpm hard drive and a 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 650M with Optimus. Overall, the MSI GT60 is an excellent choice for hardcore gamers or consumers searching for a not ebook that can handle the most demanding tasks. Razer New Blade RZ09 17.3-inch Laptop PC Razer's New Blade system corrects many of the performance issues that plagued th e original model of thin gaming laptop. In particular, the graphics and processo r and now much closer to a full gaming system than the past model. The drawback still is the extreme price tag that is nearly a thousand dollars more than many similarly performance equipped systems. Sure, they may not be as light, thin or feature its unique trackpad and customizable keys, but price still is a mjor fac tor for many buyers. Pros Very Thin And Lightweight Improved Performance Over Original Version Customizable Trackpad Display And UI Keys Cons Very Expensive No Optical Drive Description Intel Core i7-3632QM Quad Core Mobile Processor 8GB PC3-12800 DDR3 Memory 500GB 7200rpm SAA Hard Drive With 64GB Solid State Drive Cache 17.3-inch WUXGA (1920x1080) Display With 2.0 Megapixel Webcam NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M Graphics With 2GB Memory Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless, Bluetooth Three USB 3.0, HDMI 16.8" x 10.9" x .9" @ 6.6 lbs. Windows 8 Review - Razer New Blade RZ09 Feb 5 2013 - Razer's revision of the Blade 17-inch gaming system looks pretty mu ch no different than the first revision as all of the changes are internal rathe r than external. It still keeps that incredibly thin profile which only compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 17 which has since been discontinued. Construction is still superb with a very premium feel which is to be expect of such as system ev en with its new lower $2500 price tag. The New Blade features an updated Ivy Bridge processor which brings it more in l ine with the gaming systems that it was competing with compared to the Sandy Bri dge model before it. The Core i7-3632QM quad core processor offers almost the sa me level of performance as the i7-3630QM found in most of the competing gaming l aptops but this one sacrifices a little bit of clock speed for lower power and t hermal requirements of the thin profile. Most users won't necessarily notice a d ifference but it can mean a few frames in some of the more CPU dependent games o n the market. The processor is matched up with 8GB of DDR3 memory for a smooth o

verall experience within the Windows operating system. While the original blade relied on a solid state drive which offered some superb performance, it had limited space. Because of this, Razer has redesigned the sy stem to match up a 500GB 7200rpm hard drive for primary storage of all applicati ons, data and media files along with a 64GB solid state drive that is used for c aching frequently used data through the NVELO Dataplex caching software. This al lows the system to boot relatively quickly but slightly behind the dedicated SSD version of the original. Since most gaming laptops still rely on just a hard dr ive, it is still noticeably faster than the competition. Also updated is the per ipheral ports from the single USB 3.0 to a full three of the high speed ports th at can be used for high speed storage if you need more space. The thin profile h as the slight downside of no optical drive which may be discouraging for some bu t not necessarily a problem with the proliferation of digital PC game distributi on systems. The 17.3-inch display remains the same as the original with the native 1920x1080 resolution and the anti-glare coating which is great for reducing glare and ref lections in challenging lighting conditions. It certainly is one of the better s creens on the market. The big change is in the graphics. The original Razer has the issue of using a previous generation GeForce processor that rarely could rea ch the full native resolution in PC games. Now the system has been updated to us e the GeForce GTX 660M graphics engine which gives a big boost to its gaming cap abilities. For most games it should be able to reach the panel's full 1920x1080 resolution although more often at the 30fps minimum threshold many gamers have. There are some demanding games though that will have to have detail levels turne d down or else reduced to a lower resolution. For those looking to use the syste m for more than gaming, it also does a good job of accelerating non-3D applicati ons as well. The keyboard and trackpad design still remains very unique on the New Blade as i t was in the original. It has the standard keyboard but in the place of the nume ric keypad is the customizable touch sensitive display (trackpad) and buttons. T he location actually makes the trackpad a bit more functional for gaming as it m oves the surface away from below the keyboard to the side but most gamers will s till opt for a dedicated mouse and instead use the trackpad for its specialized Switchblade UI interface. The software has been improved to allow for a bit more functionality it terms of programming any key on the system. The one downside i s that it is reliant on the software so if it closes or crashes all macro functi ons are lost until relaunched. The battery pack for the New Razer remains an internalized 60WHr capacity batter y pack. Now this is smaller than some of the other gaming dedicated laptops on t he market but it is too be expected from the thin and lightweight profile of the system. The new internal components seemed to have improved the running time sl ightly though as the system now can go for three and a quarter hours of digital video playback before going into standby mode compared to the previous three. Of course gaming on the battery will result in much low overall running times such that you will still need a power cord nearby quite quickly. For comparison, Ali enware's M17x R4 which offers similar features but with a larger body and batter y pack can run for over five hours in the same digital playback test. Price still remains the biggest obstacle for the Razer Blade to overcome. While the system is now $300 cheaper than the original Blade when it was released, it is still hundreds more than the competition. Alienware's M17x R4 features the ro ugh same level of performance but in a larger system and a lower resolution scre en for $1500. It can be purchased with 1920x1080 display and SSD drive and still be cheaper than the Razer. The MSI GT70 also is around $1500 but offers a Blu-r ay drive and faster graphics but also in a much larger and heavy platform. Final ly, the Samsung Series 7 Gamer is roughly $1500 for an AMD based graphics system

that is comparable but with more storage and Blu-ray drive. Razer Blade review: gaming and only gaming Loyd Case @loydcase Nov 19, 2012 3:30 AM print Razer is best known for its line of gaming peripherals, particularly mice and ke yboards. Taken in that context, Razer's elegant-looking laptop, with its quirky keyboard layout and 17-inch display, can be thought of as the ultimate gaming pe ripheral. As a general purpose or desktop replacement laptop for everyday comput ing chores, though, it's less useful, of occasionally downright frustrating. First, though, let's talk about the good. Thin and elegant The Blade is built into a chassis just 0.88 inches thick, weighing in at 6 pound s, 10 ounces, and an almost even 7.5 pounds with the amazingly small power brick . Since the Blade ships with a 17-inch, 1080p LED backlit screen, that sub-7 pou nd weight is actually impressively light. The whole package, when closed, looks like the evil twin of Apple's now-defunct 17-inch Macbook Pro. When you pop open the lid, you start to realize you're not in Kansas anymore. Fi rst, the trackpad is not below the keyboard, but to the right, where most big la ptops locate a numeric keypad. Second, it's not just a trackpad, but a small, 80 0 x 480 pixel color LCD display in its own right. It's a full multi-touch trackp ad supporting gesture recognition. Placing the trackpad on the side means you ne ver accidentally send your cursor shooting across the screen when you type. Howe ver, if you're used to standard laptop touchpad placement, you're going to spend some frustrating hours adapting to the new location. Above the pad are ten programmable keys, each of which is also a tiny color, 115 x 115 pixel, LCD display. At boot time, the keys populate with a default set of macros, which include Facebook, Twitter and Gmail keys. When you press the Twit ter key, for example, your Twitter feed appears on the display built into the tr ackpad, not on your main PC screen. One seemingly useful program turns the track pad into a numeric keypad. Razer calls this combination of visual touchpad and p rogrammable keys the "Switchblade User Interface." Switchblade includes programs for Battlefield 3, Star Wars: the Old Republic, Co unter-Strike and Team Fortress 2. If you play something else, you'll need to pro gram your own macros through a cumbersome process of recording macros and assign ing them to keys, but you only have to do that once. Razer includes a large arra y of icons suitable for a number of different games, which you can load into the visual hotkeys. The 120W power brick is roughly ten ounces, and pretty compact, which makes carr ying the whole package around easier than most 17-inch laptops. The keyboard are a is sparse, with no buttons beyond the dramatic looking live keys on the right, plus the standard keyboard. The Blade doesn't include an optical drive, which i s unusual for a desktop replacement laptop. Given the system's tight focus on PC gaming, however, it's not an unusual lack these days. Most PC games are availab le via digital distribution from Steam, Amazon, EA's Origin and other digital de livery services. Doubts set in First impressions are well and good, but when delving a little deeper into usabi lity, the Razer Blade starts to look a little tarnished.

The keyboard is a good example. Razer advertises the keyboard as being "anti-gho sting", which means the keyboard will recognize multiple simultaneous keypresses , a feature definitely useful for gaming. As a keyboard -- something you use for typing documents -- it's not so hot. First, the layout is odd. The DEL key is just above the backspace key, and they' re both the same size. So it's easy to find yourself pressing the wrong key if y ou're not looking at the keyboard. The left and right arrow keys are full size, but the up / down keys look like a single key split in two. My stubby fingers wo uld often press the wrong key, or both at the same time. Turning the touchpad into a numeric keypad sounds like a great idea, but then yo u can't use the touchpad as a pointing device. In fact, most of the programs for the Switchblade interface disable the touchpad as a pointing device -- which me ans you almost certainly need a mouse. Since this is a gaming laptop, you'll lik ely be carrying a mouse around anyway, since a touchpad is an abysmal pointing d evice for most PC games. Still, there are times, such as when you're traveling, where having both a numeric keypad and integrated pointing device would be usefu l. The keys on the keyboard lack any sculpting, so your fingers slide onto the wron g keys too easily if you're a touch typist. The keys depress only a short distan ce, which takes some getting used to, but the keys offer a discrete (but quiet) tactile click when you press them. One major annoyance is the reliance on an always-on connection to the Internet t o be able to use the Razer Synapse programming tool for the Switchblade interfac e. Whatever genius at Razer dreamed up this idea needs to have his head examined . Are we really going to pirate an essential tool used only for Razer devices? D oes Razer really want to track everything its users are doing, without giving an opt-out? It's a purely dumb idea. Display and sound You'd expect a gaming laptop to offer a good display. The LCD panel on the Blade is a bit of a mixed bag. You get little visible tearing at high frame rates, an d color saturation looks about right. However, some high definition video conten t exhibited visible banding and noise, particularly in sky scenes and other scen es with monocolor gradients. Standard definition video looked overly soft and a little washed out. Game content fared better, but you could still see color band ing in the occasional scene. Overall, it's an okay display for gaming, but it's not so good if you plan on using the system for video and photo editing. Sound quality is about as good as it gets for a laptop. There's no deep bass, an d volume levels never get particularly high. The included Dolby Home Theater v4 does a nice job of making music sound both full, yet neutral for the most part ( except for the lack of bass.) Movie audio was slightly less robust, but enabling dialogue enhancement improved the experience. Game audio was fine, if a little thin, mostly due to the lack of deep bass effects. While you'll want a headset f or the most robust audio experience, the overall sound quality with the built-in speakers is pretty darned good. Connectivity All the ports on the Blade are built into the left side of the unit, save for th e Kensington lock slot. The Blade includes three USB 3.0 ports, a combo audio ja ck, a gigabit Ethernet connector and an HDMI video output port. The system lacks a slot for flash memory cards, but does include Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 A/G/N WiFi connectivity. Performance

Razer's Blade offers a rich set of components which enable solid game performanc e. The CPU is an Intel Core i7 3632QM quad core mobile processor, with a base cl ock speed of 2.2GHz, but can push one core up to 3.2GHz using Intel's Turbo Boos t technology. Base memory is 8GB, and storage chores are handled by a 500GB, 720 0RPM Hitachi hard drive. Hard drive performance is accelerated by the presence o f a 64GB SSD, which is used as a massive cache for the hard drive. Game graphics chores are handled by an Nvidia GTX 660M mobile GPU, with 2GB of f rame buffer. Note that this is the mobile GTX 660M, so only has 384 shader cores (the desktop 660 includes 960 cores), so overall graphics performance is more l ike the desktop GTX 650. The system supports Nvidia's Optimus technology, which improves battery life by allowing the laptop to use Intel's HD 4000 integrated g raphics when running Windows desktop and non 3D-intensive applications. Overall game performance is still pretty good. The system was able to hit just o ver 30 frames per second (FPS) in our Crysis test at the native 1920 x 1080 with settings at high. Changing the settings to Ultra pushed frame rate down to 21 F PS, which is unacceptably slow. DiRT3 ran at a very good 53 FPS at 1080p with Ul tra settings. The 3DMark 2011 performance score comes in at 2652, which is prett y good for a mobile system, though can't hold a candle to most desktop gaming ri gs. By way of comparison, the Samsung Series 7 Gamer, which uses a GTX 675M mobi le GPU, can push 42 FPS on Crysis 2 at 1080p high settings. Turning to more general purpose performance, the Blade managed an impressive 161 on our PCWorldBench 7 test, besting the 146 posted by the Alienware M17x R4. St artup time is speedy, too, at 17.5 seconds, faster than systems with dedicated S SDs. The Content Creation score falls a bit short of the completion, slower than the Samsung and Alienware units, and nowhere close to the Origin EON17-S. Battery life is measured at 4:51, about a half hour shy of the Alienware, but better than the other systems in worth noting that the Blade is lighter and thinner than the lightest competitor is the Samsung Series 7 Gamer, nine pounds. The divisive bottom line of the 5:21 battery life our test. However, it's all those other laptops; which weights in a hefty

If I could give the Razer Blade a score based solely on using it as a mobile gam ing platform, I'd probably give it a 4 (out of our maximum 5.) The unique Switch blade UI is pretty cool, and performance is generally adequate or better for mos t games, though you'll still want to dial back detail levels a bit for best fram e rates. However, we review all laptops, not just gaming systems. As a general purpose la ptop, the Razer Blade doesn't quite measure up. The keyboard is a mess for norma l typing, and the overall LCD quality falls short for video or photo editing. Re quiring a mouse when you fire up the Switchblade UI is a bit of an annoyance, as is the need to be connected to the Internet to make maximum use of the Synapse programming tool. So if you're a LAN party aficionado looking for something lighter than the usual massive gaming laptops, Razer's Blade is a sleek system that will turn heads. B ut if you're looking to acquire a thin, light 17-inch laptop as a tool for photo graphy or other general use, you'll want something else. ALIENWARE MX14 Design Alienware 14Click to EnlargeAlienware has completely redesigned its product line , giving them a sleeker look while still retaining the over-the-top customizatio

n the company is known for. The new aesthetic, which Alienware calls its Epic de sign, gives the Alienware 14 the look of an alien spaceship, with the entire cha ssis coming to a point at its front edge. Alienware has also done away with the large, lighted sections below the notebook's wrist rest in favor of subtler, thi n LED strips. The old design's soft-touch lid has been replaced by anodized aluminum, which gi ves the chassis a reflective quality, further accentuating the spaceship motif. At the front of the lid is the trademark Alienware alien-head logo, while the bo ttom portion plays host to two diagonal LEDs. MORE: 20 Sexiest Laptops of All Time Pop open the lid, and you're struck by the luxurious soft-touch finish that cove rs everything from the keyboard deck and keys to the display bezel and wrist res t. Just below the display is a large, backlit Alienware logo. A thin speaker cov er sits above the keyboard, to the left of which is the Alienware 14's large, ba cklit power button. The underside of the system is made of magnesium alloy, thou gh the rear portion of the panel is carved up into a series of mesh-covered grat es to allow for better airflow. The Alienware 14 measures a bulky 13.2 x 10.2 x 1.57-1.62 inches and weighs a he fty 6.6 pounds, making it one of the heaviest 14-inch notebooks on the market. S till, for a serious gaming system, that's fairly light. Lighting Alienware 14Click to EnlargeDespite the redesign, Alienware has carried over its penchant for LEDs. With all of the lights flipped on, our Alienware 14 looked m ore like a teenager's tricked-out Honda than a notebook. But that's not a bad th ing. In fact, we preferred the extra zing the lights helped breathe into the mac hine. On the notebook's lid are two strips of LEDs that angle inwards from the corners . Another strip of LEDs wraps around the lower portion of the chassis from the e dges, terminating at the front of the notebook. Naturally, you also get backligh ting behind the keyboard and the touchpad, as well as the large power button in the top left corner of the keyboard deck. You can change all of the aforementioned LEDs by using the Alienware Command Cen ter software. From here you can choose from a long list of pre-loaded lighting t hemes, let the system continually cycle the lighting, or even create your own cu stom profiles. Creating a profile is fairly easy; users can assign 20 colors to each of the not ebook's 10 zones. Even cooler is the Morph effect, which cycles between two desi gnated colors, or the Pulse effect, which makes the lights flash on and off at a set tempo. You can make your profile as basic or complex as you want. Alienware has also partnered with several developers who have agreed to create c ustom profiles for specific games. Currently, there are 60 available titles with custom profiles, including "Metro: Last Night," "Orcs Must Die! 2," and "Hotlin e Miami." Display Alienware 14Click to EnlargeSporting a 14-inch, 1920 x 1080, anti-glare LED disp lay, the Alienware 14 produced clear, crisp visuals. Colors were vibrant, and bl acks were endlessly deep. A 1080p trailer for "Man of Steel" looked gorgeous, wi th Superman's trademark crimson cape standing in stark contrast to the austere w alls of the Fortress of Solitude.

Games, such as "BioShock Infinite" looked stunning on the Alienware's display. P article and lighting effects shown brightly as we ran through the cobblestone st reets of the game's floating city of Columbia, while details such as the small s plashes of water from a nearby fountain looked crisp and inviting. It wasn't all good news for the Alienware 14's display, though. The screen's bri ghtness averaged just 161 lux on our light meter, well below the mainstream note book category average of 245 lux. By comparison, the MSI GT60's 15.6-inch displa y registered 247 lux. Such a dim display made watching particularly dark videos, such as a trailer for "Pacific Rim," less pleasurable. We also experienced some what shallow viewing angles. When seated to the far left or right of the screen, videos and images washed out. Audio Alienware 14Click to EnlargeThe Alienware 14's Klipsch speakers offered rich, fu ll-sounding audio, whether we were playing a game or rocking out to our favorite tunes. While playing "Tomb Raider," the howling of gale force winds atop a moun tain and the crackling of a nearby campfire made us feel as though we were stand ing shoulder-to-shoulder with Laura. While listening to Big Boi's "War," the lyrics seemed to pour out of the Alienwa re 14's speakers. The bass produced a satisfying thump, while the synth-heavy in terlude was crisp without being overly tinny. Alienware includes two audio programs with its systems. The first, Alienware Aud io, allows you to change the notebook's basic sound settings. The real fun, thou gh, comes in the included Dolby Home Theater software. From here, you can switch between multiple audio profiles, including Movie, Music and Game, or create up to six custom profiles. We tended to stick with the Music profile, as it offered the richest-sounding audio. Alienware's audio took a serious hit with the Dolby software turned off, so we strongly suggest you leave it on. Keyboard Alienware 14Click to EnlargeAlienware's notebooks have some of the coolest keybo ards on the market, and the 14's is no different. Instead of the chiclet-style k eys found on many of today's laptops, Alienware continues to keep the keyboard's keys close together, making it easier for gamers to slide their fingers from ke y to key during intense action. We also appreciated the soft-touch material the company used on both the keys an d the wrist rest. However, the front edges of the system pushed into our wrists during prolonged periods of typing. Alienware 14Click to EnlargeDespite that, we managed to type at a rate of 80 wor ds per minute with a 1-percent error rate on the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, the sam e rate as our desktop keyboard average. As part of Alienware's new design scheme, the keys are no longer outlined in bri ght LEDs. Instead, they have use more traditional backlighting, but can still be customized to any color you want via the Alienware Command Center. Touchpad Alienware 14Click to EnlargeAs part of the redesign, the Alienware 14's touchpad is now completely backlit, and users can change the color using the Alienware C ommand Center interface. In darkened rooms, the touchpad really stands out. The Alienware 14's 4 x 2.25-inch touchpad provided accurate movements and excell ent feedback. The pad's relatively large size means that users won't have to con stantly reposition their hands when gaming on the go. The left mouse button didn 't always detect fast clicks, but if you're a serious gamer chances are you'll w

ind up using a dedicated mouse. Heat To say that the Alienware 14 gets a little hot under the collar during extended gaming sessions is a massive understatement. After we played roughly 20 minutes of "Tomb Raider," the 14's keyboard had reached an uncomfortable 101 degrees Fah renheit between the G and H keys. The middle of the underside of the system topp ed out at a disturbing 120 degrees, while the rear vent got as high as 154 degre es on the thermometer. The sole cool spot was the touchpad, which registered at just 88 degrees. In general, we consider temperatures of 95 degrees and lower to be comfortable. When not gaming, ming a 15-minute 1 degrees, while as when we were however, the Alienware 14 managed to keep its cool. After strea video, the notebook's keyboard registered a relatively frosty 9 the underside hit 95. The touchpad remained the same 88 degrees playing "Tomb Raider."

To keep the Alienware 14 from self-immolating, the company had to cut out half o f the bottom panel and replace it with a series of mesh vents. That's on top of the large vent on the notebook's rear. All of these vents, combined with the hig h-end components inside the Alienware 14, result in a system that's not exactly quiet. When the system's fan kicks in, it sounds like a small turbine. In fact, many of our colleagues were surprised to hear how loud the fan became while we w ere playing "Tomb Raider." Ports and webcam Alienware 14Click to EnlargeFrom controllers and flight sticks to headsets and w ired mice, gamers use a lot of peripherals. And to attach all of those gaming go odies, a notebook needs to have a healthy number of ports. The right side of the Alienware 14 houses an Ethernet jack, USB 3.0 port, Blu-ray drive and SD Card s lot. Over on the left side, you'll find a lock slot, two USB 3.0 ports, a miniDi splay port, HDMI in/out jack, microphone port, headphone port and dual microphon e/headphone port for use with gaming headsets. The power jack is in the back. Alienware 14Click to EnlargeThe Alienware 14's 2-megapixel webcam produced excel lent visuals. Images exhibited a high level of detail, including stray strands o f hair sticking up from our head and wrinkles around our eyes. We were also impr essed with how well the webcam worked under low-light conditions. Graphics and gaming Alienware 14Click to EnlargeThe Alienware 14 is first and foremost a gaming lapt op, and it more than delivers on that front. Thanks to its Nvidia GeForce GTX 76 5M and its 2GB of video RAM, we were able to play "Tomb Raider" with the graphic s set to Ultra at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and see average frame rates of 33 fps. When we stepped it up to the Ultimate setting, though, frame rates fell to 22 fp s. Still, even high-end desktop machines have trouble playing this game on Ultim ate, so this is no big knock against the Alienware 14. On the 3DMark11 benchmark, the Alienware 14 registered 4,136, which is just abov e the category average of 3,925. The MSI GT60, with its Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M, ran roughshod over the Alienware, pulling down a score of 7,926. On the "BioShock Infinite" benchmark, the Alienware 14 scored a sky-high 111 fra mes per second with the graphics set to Low and the resolution set to 1366 x 768 . When we bumped up the resolution to 1920 x 1080, frame rates dropped to a stil l-impressive 71 fps. Push the graphics to the highest setting and set the resolu tion to 1366 x 768, however, and frame rates fall to 40 fps. With the resolution at 1920 x 1080, frame rates drop to 24 fps, making the game essentially unplaya

ble. At these same settings, the MSI GT60 maxed out at 49 fps. On the less resource-intensive "World of Warcraft," the Alienware 14 performed l ike a champ. With the graphics set to max and the resolution at 1920 x 1080, the notebook pulled in 84 fps, which is less than the category average of 97 fps, b ut still very respectable. The MSI GT60 put up 116 fps at these same settings. Performance Alienware 14Click to EnlargeAlienware strapped our test unit with a fourth-gener ation 2.4-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-4700MQ processor, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB mSA TA SSD and a 750 GB, 7,200 rpm HDD. According to Intel, its fourth-generation ch ips provide users with improved processing and graphics power, while reducing en ergy consumption by as much as 20 percent. During our testing, the Alienware 14 proved itself to be an impressive performer. Games opened and closed in a flash, and system slowdown was nonexistent. On the PCMark7 benchmark, which tests a system's overall performance, the Alienw are 14 registered a score of 5,325, well above the mainstream notebook category average of 4,193. The MSI GT60 2OD-026US, with its Intel Core i7-4800MQ processo r, 16GB of RAM and dual mSATA SSDs, however, scored 6,191. Thanks to its mSATA SSD, which holds the notebook's operating system files, the Alienware 14 booted Windows 7 Home Premium in a speedy 30 seconds, which is 4 se conds faster than the category average. Still, the MSI GT60 booted Windows 8 in a lighting-fast 11 seconds. It's worth noting, however, that Windows 8 was desig ned to boot faster than Windows 7. The Alienware 14 copied 4.97GB of mixed media files in an incredible 25 seconds, a rate of 203.6 MBps, or nearly twice the mainstream average of 107 MBps. It took the Alienware 14 just 4 minutes to complete the LAPTOP OpenOffice Spread sheet test, which involves matching 20,000 names to their addresses. That's well ahead of the category average of 4 minutes 52 seconds. Battery life Alienware 14Click to EnlargeWhile gaming notebooks aren't noted for their batter y life, it's nice to know that the Alienware 14 can go for at least half the day without a recharge. On the LAPTOP Battery Test (Web surfing via Wi-Fi), the not ebook lasted 5 hours and 17 minutes. That's about 15 minutes less than last year 's model, but still an hour longer than the average. MORE: 10 Laptops with the Longest Battery Life Software and warranty Alienware 14Click to EnlargeThe Alienware 14 comes loaded with Windows 7 Home Pr emium rather than Windows 8. Alienware also made the wise decision to keep bloat ware to a minimum, including only the company's proprietary customization softwa re. The Alienware Command Center program allows you to set system performance pr ofiles and change the LEDs' colors, while AlienAutopsy serves as a means to quic kly locate and download new drivers, perform system checkups and back up your da ta. AlienRespawn allows you to create a system-recovery disc. Alienware offers a one-year warranty through Dell. Configurations Alienware 14Click to EnlargeOur top-end configuration of the Alienware 14 costs $2,049 and includes a 14-inch, 1080p anti-glare IPS display rated at 300 nits, 2 .4-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-4700MQ processor, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB mSATA SSD and a 750 GB, 7,200 rpm HDD. You also get Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M and 2GB of GDD R5 RAM.

For the starting config of $1,199, gamers will get a 1366 x 768 ay with a rated brightness of 200 nits, an Intel Core i7-4700MQ a GeForce GT750M graphics with 1GB of DDR5 memory, 8GB of DDR3L 200-RPM hard drive and a slot-loading 8X SuperMulti DVD+/- R/RW e'd recommend the 300-nit display.

anti-glare displ processor, Nvidi RAM, a 750GB, 7, optical drive. W

Other options include dual 256GB SSDs in RAID 0 plus a 256GB SSD, Intel Core i74900MQ and Intel Core i7-4800MQ CPUs. Verdict Alienware 14Click to EnlargeWith its powerful Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of R AM, combination mSATA SSD and HDD setup, and Nvidia GTX 765M GPU, the Alienware 14 is a powerful gaming notebook packed into a transportable package. This lapto p's gaming performance is nothing short of impressive, and its design is otherwo rldly. However, the system runs hot while gaming, and its screen could be bright er. Overall, though, Alienware has made a very worthy successor to its 14-inch g aming notebook. ASTA BATE RAU DE TOT MSI GT60 SI STIU CA NU FACE PARTE DIN VARIANTELE TALE DAR A STA MI SE PARE CEL MAI PERFORMANT LA CE CARACTERISTICI ARE. Maingear Nomad 15 Extreme system performance. Equipped with an IVB CPU, Nvidia GTX 680M GPU and 2x Crucial m4 SATA III SSDs in RAID 0, the Nomad 15 is guaranteed not to disappoin t. Find out what other surprises this Maingear DTR has to offer under the hood i n our full review. Is this $2599 notebook more than just an MSI shell? Ads by Google Hard Disk de la 142 Lei - evomag.ro/Hard-Disk-Desktop Hard Disk-uri pt PC de pana la 1 Tb Samsung, S3agate, Western Digital. iServiceGSM.Ro - iServiceGSM.Ro/Service-Apple Service Autorizat Apple- Bucure?ti Ai Constatarea & Manopera Gratuita In the desktop replacement market, whitebooks and barebones are popular choices for the easy customization and wide component compatibility that their hardware sets tend to offer. Popular examples are the Clevo barebones used by numerous re sellers and system builders such as XMG, Eurocom, iBUYPOWER and Sager. While man y Clevo products have been reviewed here, they also all have a tendency to look similar and very basic. Especially considering the high prices, users may be exp ecting some appreciative aesthetics to accentuate the hardware power without the gaudy and sometimes excessive spectacle of the Alienware brands. The U.S.-based system builder and reseller Maingear attempts to hit a note in be tween while providing just as much power as other DTRs. Though the manufacturer continues to specialize in desktops and government solutions, their custom gamin g notebooks are a relatively newer venture and are only now beginning to serious ly push their mobile products. In this review, we take a closer look at the Nomad 15, Maingear s latest 15.6-inch incarnation built upon an MSI-based shell. More specifically, the chassis is ne ar-identical to that of our reviewed MSI GT60/GX60 which we highly recommend rea ding due to the similarities. The notebook as reviewed includes almost all the b ells and whistles: a Core i7-3840QM, GeForce GTX 680M with a massive 4 GB VRAM, 16 GB DDR3-1600 RAM and a pair of 128 GB Crucial m4 mSATA drives in stripe forma tion. The system will run users about $2599 as customized, though the system can be had for only $1549 with mainstream options. The following review takes a clo ser look at the aesthetics and hardware performance to see if it holds up agains

t the current crop of high-end gaming notebooks and competing DTRs. Case The Lamborghini lid also comes in other colorsThe Lamborghini lid also comes in other colors Lid opened at maximum angleLid opened at maximum angle As a system builder, Maingear utilizes an MSI barebones for the Nomad 15. Unlike a number of resellers, however, the manufacturer does a bit more than just slap on a logo after assembling the hardware. The lid has been specially painted by automotive experts to resemble the sheen of a luxury car and all system integrat ion is done in-house. The curvatures and polishing work are especially sleek and contrast well to the usually flat and sometimes lifeless covers of other DTRs. Elsewhere on the notebook, the textured honeycomb surface dominates the palm res ts and the hardened underside is tough enough to resist significant warping whil e providing easy access to the internals. The unique surfaces and thick build do well to hide the fact that the chassis is still plastic at its core, though the overall quality is superb all-around with looks that sway more towards an agree able glossiness than something overly bright and extravagant. Surface depressions are minimal both down the lid and on the center of the keybo ard where notebooks are usually weakest. These areas still depress when a fair a mount of pressure is applied, but never by a worrying degree. The same is also t rue when twisting the lid and base side-to-side as both demonstrate good resista nce. The small dual hinges are stiff enough to hold the lid firmly and without v ibrations during heavy typing or button-mashing. The chassis is definitely wellbuilt and genuinely reflects the high price of entry. At a listed 7.7 pounds (3.5 kg), the Nomad 15 is identical to the MSI GT60 in we ight with nearly the same dimensions. However, This also means that the Maingear DTR is noticeably larger and heavier than many of our tested 15.6-inch Clevo un its including the W150ER, W350ET, and P150EM by up to 1 kg, the latter of which houses the competing Radeon HD 7970M. To most stationary DTR users, the addition al mass is of little concern and can be considered a testament to the high stabi lity of the unit. to top Connectivity Port selection is in line with other 15.6-inch gaming notebooks and is once agai n identical to that of the GT60. While the extensive audio support (7.1 and 5.1 surround, 2.1, S/PDIF) is welcomed, the positioning of the ports is less favorab le as right-handed mouse users will be sharing valuable space with potentially b othersome cables. Still, the Nomad 15 provides all the essentials for gamers and heavy users alike. Front: No connectivityFront: No connectivity Left: 3x USB 3.0, 7-in-1 card readerLeft: 3x USB 3.0, 7-in-1 card reader Rear: Kensington Lock, AC plug, Gigabit Ethernet, VGA-out, eSATA, HDMI 1.4-outRe ar: Kensington Lock, AC plug, Gigabit Ethernet, VGA-out, eSATA, HDMI 1.4-out Right: Line-out, Microphone, Stereo line in, Surround Sound 7.1, USB 2.0, DVD-RW driveRight: Line-out, Microphone, Stereo line in, Surround Sound 7.1, USB 2.0, DVD-RW drive Communication Whereas GPS and WWAN radios can be crucial for ultraportables, they are less of an importance for most gaming notebooks. This has allowed DTR manufacturers to t hrow in higher-end WLAN adapters as standard and focus on features for improving local connectivity. Maingear includes the dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz) 2x2 I ntel Advanced-N 6230 Half Mini card with Bluetooth 4.0 across all models. Those with wireless networks that can support 3x3 tri-streaming can benefit from the A theros Killer 1103 adapter upgrade for up to 50 percent wider throughput, otherw ise the base Intel adapter should suffice for most users.

Warranty Maingear offers the basic 1-year comprehensive warranty with every purchase and can be expanded up to 3 years for $259. Shipping will also be prepaid should the user run into unexpected problems during the first 30 days of use. A 30-day zer o dead pixel guarantee is available as well, but will run users another $85 at c heckout. Unique to the manufacturer is their Angelic Service Labor support, whic h includes remote desktop services and telephone support for the lifetime of the product. to top Input Devices Keyboard The large backlit Chiclet keyboard (35 cm x 10.5 cm) is the same as it appeared on our GT60 unit and thus functions and feels similarly as well. Keys are spacio us with excellent travel and responsiveness that should suit the hardcore gamer almost as well as can a full-size desktop keyboard. There is nothing fancy or ne edlessly colorful about the layout to cater to gamers, but the removal of the Wi ndows key from the left hand side is a boon to WASD-based games and other keyboa rd-heavy titles. Some of the same problems form the GT60 have carried over to the keyboard of the Nomad 15. The touch-based controls (Turbo, backlight, and fan control) adjacent to the power button don't respond reliably when touched and some users may be i rked about the half-sized 0 key on the numpad. Not-picking aside, the core functio nality of the keyboard remains top-notch. Touchpad The flat and slightly roughened touchpad is small in size (8.0 cm x 5.0 cm) but very firm and well-made compared to other DTRs. We fortunately experienced no cu rsor issues as we did on the GT60 as the Synaptics v7.5 software was able to han dle both single- and multi-touch inputs reliably. Note, however, that the low su rface area naturally makes zooming more difficult than it should be. The left and right click keys are brushed with a metallic sheen and elevated sli ghtly for improved ergonomics. Both keys are very shallow in depth and quiet whe n pushed, but the solid feedback and inflexibility make up for the lack of trave l. The additional LED indicators immediately below is a nice feature if not a bi t redundant as some are already indicated adjacent to the power button. The touc hpad as a whole gets the job done without problems, but most users will of cours e use dedicated mice whenever possible. Chiclet keyboardChiclet keyboard Small, but firm touchpadSmall, but firm touchpad Near full-size NumpadNear full-size Numpad to top Display When a system is running on something as powerful as a GTX 680M, then the displa y must be equally as impressive in order to take advantage of all the eye candy the Nvidia card can offer. The Nomad 15 comes pre-loaded with a 1080p matte disp lay and, according to the panel ID (LP156WF1-TLF3), is the same display model as the one found in our MSI GT60 review unit. Subjectively, images appear sharp wi th rich color and free of obvious grains commonly found on cheaper, lower resolu tion displays. 233 cd/m 257 cd/m 251 cd/m 224 cd/m 264

cd/m cd/m cd/m cd/m cd/m

247 207 242 209

Information Gossen Mavo-Monitor Maximum: 264 cd/m Average: 237.1 cd/m Brightness Distribution: 78 % Center on Battery: 254 cd/m Black: .44 cd/m Contrast: 600:1 ICC File (X-Rite i1Display 2) Distribution of brightness Despite the similar display panel, we have recorded slightly different luminance values with the Gossen Mavo-Monitor. The average maximum brightness of about 23 0 nits is a tad lower than what we recorded on the MSI GT60 while the contrast r atio is improved due to the lower black levels. Nonetheless, the differences are quite minor and do not detract from the quality of the display. The reproducible color space is, as expected, essentially the same as the MSI GT 60 and makes up almost 90 percent of sRGB or about 30 percent more coverage than budget TN displays. This is more than satisfactory for gaming purposes and may even be enough for amateur digital graphic artists where accurate colors are vit al. Though very good, the spectrum does not satisfy AdobeRGB standards and pales when compared to high-end workstations where color accuracy can be paramount (s uch as the ThinkPad W530). To the target audience, this is certainly a non-issue . Nomad 15 vs. MSI GT60Nomad 15 vs. MSI GT60 Nomad 15 vs. sRGBNomad 15 vs. sRGB Nomad 15 vs. Alienware M17x R4Nomad 15 vs. Alienware M17x R4 Nomad 15 vs. Clevo W140ERNomad 15 vs. Clevo W140ER Generally usable under sunlightGenerally usable under sunlight Outdoor usability is acceptable when at maximum brightness as the matte surface aids greatly in reducing almost all reflections. The notebook becomes more diffi cult to use under direct sunlight as the backlight is simply not powerful enough to overcome the ambient conditions, so spots with shade or otherwise cloudy day s are preferable. Users can take advantage of the full brightness potential as m aximum brightness does not automatically scale down if on lower power profiles. If need be, the Nomad 15 can generally be used outdoors without major visibility frustrations. Viewing angles Maingear Nomad 15Viewing angles Maingear Nomad 15 Viewing angles are stable for a TN panel and is not unlike the MSI GT60. Color i nversions and brightness reduction still occur if viewing at angles below the no rmal while horizontal changes are minimal. Again, this should not be a problem f or most. to top Performance Intel Turbo BoostIntel Turbo Boost The manufacturer offers only two CPU options with its Nomad 15 and both are more than enough to fulfill the needs of any current or near-future titles to come. Users can choose between the high-end 2.7 GHz Core i7-3740QM or 2.8 GHz Core i73840QM with the only major difference between them being a 100 MHz difference in

both clock rates and Turbo Boost potential. Otherwise, the two 22 nm quad-core Ivy Bridge processors are each rated for a 45 W TDP with completely identical ca che sizes. For more information and benchmarks on the I7-3840QM, see our dedicat ed page here. The now ubiquitous Intel HD 4000 GPU is paired with the Ivy Bridge core and oper ates here at a base 650 MHz speed with a 350 MHz idle. The integrated GPU is not the focus of this review and further details and benchmarks can be seen on our dedicated review page here. For RAM, the reviewed model is equipped with 2x 8 GB Corsair Vengeance modules f or a total of 16 GB. The two modules are accessed via the easily removable hatch underneath the notebook while two additional modules can be added only after di sconnecting and removing the keyboard. DPC Latency Checker returned no high latency peaks even with all wireless radios active. DPC Latencies Systeminfo CPUZ CPU Systeminfo CPUZ Cache Systeminfo CPUZ Mainboard Systeminfo CPUZ RAM Systeminfo CPUZ RAM SPD Systeminfo GPUZ Systeminfo HDTune System information Maingear Nomad 15 Processor In the synthetic CPU-oriented benchmarks, the i7-3840QM in the Nomad 15 produced similar numbers when compared to another notebook sporting the same CPU, the M7 3-2N barebones. Results from the single-threaded application Super Pi stood out in particular as the CPU rivals that of the i7-3940XM in raw speed, which is cur rently the fastest Ivy Bridge quad-core CPU currently available. The very simila r single-core Turbo Boost clock rate between the two CPUs (3.7 GHz vs 3.8 GHz) e xplains the similar numbers. Compared to other CPUs of its class such as the i7-3820QM and i7-3740QM, the 384 0QM shows marginal improvement in both CineBench and wPrime and completes the X2 64 HD Benchmark encoding process in indistinguishable time frames. As such, user s who opt for the lower-end i7-3740QM in the Nomad 15 will certainly not be missin g any tangible performance benefits from users with the more expensive CPU optio n. Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit Maingear Nomad 15 3840QM, GeForce GTX 680M, 2x Crucial RealSSD M4-CT128M4SSD3 (RAID 0) 25111 Points~77% Alienware M18x R2 3920XM, Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire, Micron RealSSD C400 (MTFDDAK512MAM-1K1AB) 25406 Points~78% Deviltech HellMachine 3630QM, GeForce GTX 670MX SLI, Samsung SSD 840 Series 120 GB (MZ-7TD120) 22003 Points~67% Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit Maingear Nomad 15 3840QM, GeForce GTX 680M, 2x Crucial RealSSD M4-CT128M4SSD3 (RAID 0) 6405 Points~83% Alienware M18x R2 3920XM, Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire, Micron RealSSD C400 (MTFDDAK512MAM-1K1AB) 7049 Points~91%

Deviltech HellMachine 3630QM, GeForce GTX 670MX SLI, Samsung SSD 840 Series 120 GB (MZ-7TD120) 5821 Points~75% Cinebench CB10 Rendering Single 32Bit 5137 points CB10 Rendering Single 64Bit 6405 points CB10 Rendering Multi 32Bit 20138 points CB10 Rendering Multi 64Bit 25111 points CB10 OpenGL 32Bit 10045 points CB10 OpenGL 64Bit 9283 points CB R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit 7 points CB R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit 50.89 fps Help ... in comparison System Performance PCMark 7PCMark 7 With PCMark 7 and PCMark Vantage, the notebook produced extremely high final sco res of 5321 and 21663, respectively, no doubt aided by its dual SATA III solid-s tate drives in RAID 0. This puts the Nomad 15 in the same ballpark as some of th e heaviest hitters on Notebookcheck, including the XMG P722 Pro with its GTX 680 M SLI and the Alienware M18x R2 with its Radeon HD 7970M in CrossFire configurat ion. The system performance and responsiveness of the Maingear is one of the bes t in the high-end gaming sector. 7 Windows 7 Experience Index Processor Calculations per second 7.7 Memory (RAM) Memory operations per second 7.8 Graphics Desktop performance for Windows Aero 7 Gaming graphics 3D business and gaming graphics 7 Primary hard disk Disk data transfer rate 7.9 PC Mark PCMark Vantage 21663 points PCMark 7 5321 points Help ... in comparison Storage Devices ATTOATTO Maingear offers a very wide selection of storage options since the system is abl e to house a 2.5-inch SATA drive and up to two other mSATA drives with support f or RAID 0 or 1. Gamers and performance hunters will typically prefer RAID 0 and our system in review is equipped with dual 6 Gb/s 128 GB Crucial M4 mSATA drives in such a configuration. The relatively low capacity of the SSDs is mitigated b y the addition of a 7200 RPM 750 GB 2.5-inch Western Digital Scorpio drive on a SATA II interface. In terms of sequential read performance, the dual Crucial drives is roughly over three times faster than a single SATA II SSD and about twice as fast as a singl e SATA III SSD. 4K read/write speeds, however, continue to be the usual weak spo

t for non-mechanical drives and the RAID setup does little to help as even the s ingle ADATA MX11 SSD in the Zenbook UX31A returned similar 4K results in Crystal DiskMark. The sequential write speeds of the striped Crucial drives are also wel l below the Lite-On RAID 0 array as found in our recently reviewed Acer Aspire S 7 by almost half and is even slower than the single Lite-On drive in the Samsung Series 9 900X3C. Subjectively, however, most users will hardly notice any slowd owns or delays while running applications and games. HD Tune CrystalDiskMark 3.0 AS SSD hddimg 2x Crucial RealSSD M4-CT128M4SSD3 (RAID 0) Transfer Rate Minimum: 792.4 MB/s Transfer Rate Maximum: 1041.6 MB/s Transfer Rate Average: 1006.2 MB/s Access Time: 0.1 ms Burst Rate: 2810 MB/s CPU Usage: -1 % Gaming Performance Virtu MVP supports most titles with the exception of the latest releasesVirtu MV P supports most titles with the exception of the latest releases Few games, such as Skyrim, can see bumps in overall performanceFew games, such a s Skyrim, can see bumps in overall performance For most games, however, the software has little to no impactFor most games, how ever, the software has little to no impact While the unit can be pre-configured with the base GTX 670MX, our model includes a GTX 680M with a ridiculously high 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM. With so much RAM under the hood, most memory-heavy graphics options (such as textures and supersampling ) can be bumped to the maximum without too large of a performance hit. The Nvidi a GPU runs at only 135 MHz and 162 MHz on its core and memory, respective, when idling. Additional information and benchmarks on this premier mobile Kepler core can be seen on our dedicated GPU page here. Nvidia fans can rejoice that the 68 0M does not suffer from any graphics switching problems as does the Radeon HD 79 70M in our comparison review. The raw performance in synthetic benchmarks is remarkable. With a final 3DMark 1 1 score of 7218, the Nomad 15 outscores all our previously tested notebooks with the same GTX 680M GPU by over 1000 points. This includes our tested Eurocom Rac er 2.0 and its HD 7970M GPU as well. The notebook also maintains this lead in pr evious 3DMark versions including 06, 05 and 03. In comparison, the Clevo P570WM and its 680M SLI setup managed 10292 in 3DMark 11, or about 43 percent higher th an the Maingear in review. Nomad 15 users will certainly benefit from the Nvidia GPU to its fullest. The boost in scores can be attributed to the Virtu MVP software, which has only recently begun appearing on notebooks with Maingear as one of the early adopters of the technology. The proprietary software utilizes the iGPU (the HD 4000 in t his case) in conjunction with the dGPU to remove screen tearing up to 120 FPS. C alled Virtual Vsync, this allows users to play at very high frame rates above th e native refresh rate of the monitor with no screen tearing should the dGPU be p owerful enough to render 60+ FPS. The natural side effect of the high frames is improved responsiveness from user inputs for more precise gameplay. In Deux Ex, we experienced average frame rates of 93 FPS and 187 FPS when benchm arking without Virtu MVP and with Virtu MVP, respectively. Skyrim enjoyed a simi lar bump in performance from about 52 FPS to 87 FPS. For the majority of titles, however, the software does little in boosting perceptible frame rate performanc e as the benchmark numbers below show no considerable differences when compared to our other GTX 680M-equipped notebooks. Virtu MVP is still in its infancy and

its games support list is still growing, but its prospects and early assessment s have been promising so far. We fortunately ran into no performance hits or cra shes by leaving the software active and in parallel with Nvidia Optimus, but use rs can always disable the software if so desired. 3D Mark 3DMark 03 72750 points 3DMark 05 32763 points 3DMark 06 1280x1024 25378 points 3DMark Vantage 19575 points 3DMark 11 7218 points Help ... in comparison low med. high ultra Metro 2033 (2010) 24 fps StarCraft 2 (2010) 119 fps Deus Ex Human Revolution (2011) 187 fps Battlefield 3 (2011) 39 fps The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) 87 fps Alan Wake (2012) 45 fps Diablo III (2012) 240 fps Darksiders II (2012) 69 fps Sleeping Dogs (2012) 24 fps Guild Wars 2 (2012) 31 fps F1 2012 (2012) 65 fps Borderlands 2 (2012) 74 fps Dishonored (2012) 111 fps to top Emissions System Noise ~55 mm diameter system fan~55 mm diameter system fan While a number of gaming notebooks may utilize multiple cooling fans for the pow er-hungry CPU and GPU, Maingear has opted for a large single fan with dual-heats ink solution which they claim produces less noise than multiple smaller fans. Wh ile this is debatable, one thing is certain: the fan here never stops spinning a nd is always audible no matter the current power setting. When idling and under the Power Saver setting with integrated graphics active, w e recorded fan noise of almost 40 dB(A). Such a level is common for more typical notebooks when under full stress, but here it is for a notebook sitting idle. O ther notebooks, such as the 17.3-inch Alienware M17x R4 and certain Clevo units, have idle noise levels that are much lower and closer to the more acceptable 30 dB(A) range. Only the recently reviewed 17.3-inch Clevo P570WM with its dual GT X 680M GPUs comes close to matching the idle noise of the Nomad 15 at a measured average of 38 dB(A). Standard browsing and simple multitasking are fortunately not enough to bump up fan speeds, so users who are simply checking mail or brows ing Youtube will likely not hear anything louder than the system s already loud id ling noise. Launch any 3D game or CPU-intensive application and the fan will instantly jump to about 45 dB(A) and then level off at a very high 51 dB(A) if under full stres s. If the GPU reaches 80 degrees C or if the user enables maximum fan speed, the system becomes even louder at a measured 55.8 dB(A) until the major components have cooled. The 50 dB(A) range is impossible to ignore while gaming unless if t he user is wearing earphones or headphones. However, the high noise when under load is typical of high-end gaming notebooks and should be of no surprise to gam ers. Noise Level

Idle DVD Load

39.4 / 39.8 / 39.9 dB(A) 42.2 / 44.4 dB(A) 45.8 / 51 dB(A)

30 dB silent 40 dB audible 50 dB loud min: , med: , max: BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance) Temperature The high fan speeds and noise may have paid off with regards to surface temperat ure as the system does an excellent job at keeping most areas very cool. Idling temperatures average about 25 degrees C on all nine quadrants of both the unders ide and keyboard area under cold 21 degrees C ambient conditions. Under maximum load, surfaces on both sides remained cool to warm except for the obvious hotspot on the quadrant closest to the only two vents on the system. The se results are similar to the reviewed GT60 because the important areas, such as the palm rests, touchpad, and keyboard, do not heat up by a significant amount for maximum user comfort during intense gameplay. Most high-end gaming notebooks , notably the Alienware and Clevo-based brands, tend to have steadier temperatur e gradients under load instead of the steep drop as measured here on the Nomad 1 5. The system dissipates the concentrated heat very efficiently and will certain ly heat up anything in the immediate vicinity of the corner vents. Our temperature measurements were done after one full hour of full stress with b oth Prime95 and FurMark. Most users will experience much lower temperatures unde r more typical usage. Max. Load Idle 36.2 C 35.8 C 25.6 C 32.4 C 34.4 C 26.6 C 23.8 C 25.8 C 24.4 C 23.2 C 26.6 C 52 C 23.4 C 25.4 C 26.8 C 23.4 C 23.4 C 22.8 C Maximum: 36.2 C Average: 29.4 C Maximum: 52 C Average: 27.4 C Power Supply (max.) 56.2 C | Room Temperature 21 C | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer Stress Test We utilized Prime95 and FurMark to both stress the notebook and to observe syste m stability with HWiNFO, CPU-Z, and GPU-Z. CPU stress was accomplished first with Prime95 where all four cores stabilized a t 3.2 GHz, or well below the 3.6 GHz Turbo Boost promised by the i7-3840QM CPU. The cores were only able to maintain the 3.6 GHz speed for only under a couple o f minutes before dropping to a constant 3.2 GHz after CPU temperature reached 94 degrees C. With FurMark for GPU stress, the GTX 680M had no problems maintaining a core clo ck of 757 MHz (or 770 MHz with Turbo) and memory clock of 900 MHz, respectively, according to GPU-Z. The 680M does not feature GPU Boost as does its desktop var iants, but it never downclocked during the test and was able to run at maximum l oad throughout.

When under full stress for over an hour, the CPU cores throttled to 1200 MHz and would only periodically return to its base 2800 MHz speed lasting for just a fe w seconds. Temperatures never climbed above 94 degrees C. The GPU fared much bet ter and was able to maintain its clock rates at a stable 85 degrees C. GPU load occasionally dropped according to GPU-Z, hinting at the possibility that the not ebook simply cannot provide enough power to run both the demanding GPU and CPU a t maximum speeds for extended periods. Fortunately, most users will likely not experience the throttling issues during real-world applications or gameplay. The 3DMark 06 scores immediately following the end of the test returned numbers very similar to the first 3DMark 06 run pri or to stress testing, confirming little or at least insubstantial impact to over all performance during heavy use. Repeating the 3DMark 06 benchmark on battery p ower did affect the final score rather dramatically (14674 points vs. 25646 poin ts). Prime95 stressPrime95 stress FurMark stressFurMark stress Full stressFull stress Speakers The stylish speakers are as stylish as they are loudThe stylish speakers are as stylish as they are loud The red-chromed speakers and lone subwoofer underneath from Dynaudio are very lo ud at maximum volume and provide excellent audio for music and movies or otherwi se. Bass and other low key instruments that can be inperceptible on budget noteb ooks are at least audible here, but there is slight distortion if the volume is set too loudly. Dedicated external speaker systems continue to provide a better experience if available, though we had no complaints growing accustomed to the b uilt-in setup either. It would have also been convenient to include dedicated vo lume controls as are common amongst multimedia notebooks. Like many other extrem e gaming notebooks, the Nomad 15 does provide multiple 3.5 mm audio ports and op tions for the user. to top Battery Life The Nomad 15 uses a 7800 mAh removable battery, a relatively dense module even b y 15.6-inch gaming standards. Our reviewed Clevo W150ER only included a 5600 mAh battery and the even larger DevilTech HellMachine and Clevo P570WM both use bat teries in the 5000 mAh range as well. Maximum battery life was tested with the Reader s Test under Battery Eater at mini mum brightness and in Power Saver mode while minimum battery life was tested wit h the Classic Test at maximum brightness and in Performance mode. When combined with Optimus, the Nomad 15 was able to last for almost 5 hours 30 minutes in our test, which is very respectable considering its hardware class. Our more realistic WLAN test puts the machine on Balanced and the screen at 150 cd/m2 whilst running our standard browsing script to simulate typical browsing c onditions. At over 4 hours of runtime, the Nomad 15 offers longer battery life t han the majority of high-end DTRs. The similarly sized Clevo W350ET with its les s powerful GTX 660M and 7800 mAh battery edges out the Nomad 15 by only a mere f ew minutes. Reader's TestReader's Test Classic TestClassic Test WLAN TestWLAN Test Battery runtime Idle (without WLAN, min brightness) 5h 26min Surfing with WLAN 4h 12min

DVD 3h 51min Load (maximum brightness) 0h 55min Warning: No power consumption data found to top Verdict Maingear Nomad 15Maingear Nomad 15 Though relatively new to the DTR segment, Maingear has impressed us with its per sonal take on an MSI gaming chassis. Visually, the well-built case is less boxy and more stylish than its Clevo competitors and the custom-painted lid distinctl y separates the Nomad 15 from Alienware models and the typically dull barebone u nits. System performance is outstanding and beyond what we expected as PCMark benchmar ks place it in the same league as certain SLI and CrossFire systems due in part to the mSATA SSD RAID 0 configuration and the Virtu MVP software. Battery life i s also very good considering the thirsty power hogs under the hood and the surfa ce temperatures are even more astonishing for a system with only a single fan. T he Nomad 15 strikes a near-perfect balance between aesthetics and overall perfor mance. A few rough spots do hold back the notebook from being the ultimate all-rounder gaming machine. The largest factor is the unavoidable high fan noise, which is l ouder than most DTRs even when idle. This alone can be irksome during light task s such as browsing or streaming video and music. Secondly, weight and girth are also heftier than similarly sized Clevo units. Fortunately, these two drawbacks are usually of least concern for gamers looking for a high-end notebook and, rea listically, should be expected to some degree. We did experience throttling duri ng the stress test, but our standard stress conditions do not portray everyday u se and we observed no perceptible impact on everyday performance or gaming. The Nomad 15 is the powerhouse that one might come to expect from a DTR, but wit h enough options that even the entry-level $1549 can be worthwhile due to easy e xpandability and especially the potential of a future SSD RAID 0 upgrade.

CPU 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-3840QM RAM 16GB DDR3/1600 Chipset Intel HM77 GPU Nvidia GeForce GTX 680M 4GB GDDR5 Display 15.6-inch, 1920x1080 LED display (glossy) Storage 256GB SSD; 750GB HDD Optical Drive 8x DVD burner Connectivity Ethernet, VGA, HDMI, eSATA, all-in-one USB 2.0 flash card reader , 3x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, audio in, audio out, headphone, mic, 2MP webcam, Bluet ooth, 802.11n Lap/Carry 7 lbs, 7.3 oz / 9 lbs, 10.6 oz

ASUS N56VZ-4338D Review Notebook Asus N56VZ-4338D-powerful multimedia laptop Posted on 09.01.2013 by PCStore.bg - 8 Comments ?

clip image002 thumb1 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? If you are looking for a laptop that can handle everyday tasks no matter how hea vy they are, love to play games and keep perfect multimedia, the Asus N56 e a gr eat choice. With great pleasure we present our review of the new version of one of the model s who surprised us with a wonderful sound, very good parameters and last but not least is a laptop that crossed the barrier of 3 gigabytes own video memory (vid eo card has its own 4GB RAM). Today we will introduce in detail the new version of the model, which is based o n the latest generation Ivy Brigde architecture using HM76 chipset. One of the b iggest improvements is that we can say goodbye to the USB 2.0 ports in the model . Here are some interesting facts: photo1 thumb3 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? The processor is a quad Intel Core i7-3630QM, which can reach speeds of up to 3. 40GHz clock speed per core. When employing four cores and they may reach a maxim um of 3,1 GHz. If you need to compare the difference of Sandy Bridge technology to that used in the model, it is mainly in key process that has been reduced from 32 nanometers to 22 nanometers, which helps to have a great performance on the same parameter s. Thus the performance of this processor almost coincides with the higher class such as I7-2920HM. Since it is difficult to hold back to present everything in a breath and maybe p ay too much attention to the technical details, I would like to keep decency and introduce you to the basic model before us, namely Asus N56-S4338D wlEmoticon s mile ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? Design and Compared to the previous series N56 grabs us with completely new design. Certain ly we can say that the designers of the model are progressing very quickly and w ith very nice taste in design, and definitely better materials used in the model . Housing, with the exception of the lower lid is all aluminum and the top cover i s a dark brownish black accent in the middle of it you can see well positioned l ogo, which is equipped with a nice ice light. photo1 thumb4 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? The bottom of the pattern is black, the material which is used for it is plastic . The top cover is aluminum with light gray iridescent black dots on both ends. Although the surface is not as sensitive to contaminants can still be seen print s of your fingers of course a very small extent, mainly on the surface of the li d. Aluminum surfaces around the keyboard give a sense of stability and strength und er pressure. Hinges for opening the display are well spaced and sufficiently tight, allowing a nice opening and closing almost no clearance at locking in a certain position, and without doubt a 'that will last a long time "... rest assured in this regar d - hinges on this Asus definitely healthy wlEmoticon smile ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? . Keyboard and Touchpad The keyboard is a model type or so-called chicle (Island style) flat and separat ed from each other buttons that make writing and sensation of intense work with the keyboard really enjoyable and strenuous. This type of keyboard is very comfo

rtable and allows fast writing and you'll get used to it very easily. Extremely easy to clean and does not allow the retention of large amounts of dust around t he buttons also prevents dust from getting under the buttons themselves. As with most 15.6-inch models, and here we have available Num Pad - numeric keyp ad for quick dialing of numbers. photo thumb1 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? photo8 thumb1 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? An extra special, unique to high-end models - the keyboard has a backlight ice w ith 3 brightness modes, which allow you to select the level of brightness. If you need to work or have decided to play late in a dark room, you can do it w ithout worrying about whether you can see the keys. Led lighting will allow it t o be pleasant and strenuous. On the left side above the keyboard you can find speed-dial buttons. You can set it to open a program or function you use most - with just one click. Touch pad is positioned slightly to the left against the center of the lid. It h as a fairly large area 70 mm x 110 mm, which has both its pros and cons. First let's start with the pros wlEmoticon smile ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ? ???? ??????????? ?????? The cursor moves very accurate with almost minimal pressure on it. Buttons are i ntegrated into it, and are separated by a small gray ruler. Everything's under a big, but very comfortable to move your finger plate. TouchPad is multatich, which means it supports gestures such as zoom, scroll, ro tate, scroll and more. Having less I think is little space remaining for the left hand, which have infl uence on gaming and typing. It often happens that the ability to unconsciously t ouch touchpad in such a situation and to move the cursor at work, but of course, this is a solution - you can easily disable the touchpad using hotkeys Fn + F9. Personally, I have some strange feeling when sliding the hand along the touchpad as it is slightly sunken at the top and gets a little hanging when sliding your hand across the surface of each other to the bottom where it is aligned with th e cover, but of course after a little work and a sense addictive quickly forgott en. photo9 thumb1 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? Display and sound There is definitely something to consider, as we can not pass lightly a good dis play. The model has a 15.6 "inch (39.62 cm) display with matte finish, allowing you to spend a lot more time to it without your eyes getting tired and also to avoid t he sometimes annoying glare from direct sunlight svetlina.Toy supports Full reso lution HD 1920x1080 pixels and a very good viewing angle of 150 degrees. With it, you can really enjoy movies or movies with high resolution. Brightness in this display is very good. It also highlighted the parameters that he possesses. photo6 thumb ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? Let's look at some of the details on it: He missed a brightness of 300 cd / m. This brightness is maintained even when ope rating on battery power. Reached black layer is 0.59 cd / m, which is definitely good progress. As a compa rison between the previous version of Asus N55 tests pokazahastoynost of 0.88 cd

/ m. This improves the contrast of 514:1, which is a remarkable value that makes movies and gaming more enjoyable. Reach a viewing angle of 150 degrees, which contributes to a better image regard less of your position on the viewing and colors remained almost unchanged. 6d5b1f7f66 thumb1 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? Sound It has a wonderful sound, courtesy of the legendary brand Bang & Olufsen. Speakers are located at the front above the keyboard supported by wonderful subw oofer Sonic Master. In the overall combined have a wonderful sound complemented with good bass that can withstand maximum load without distortion, a pure sound that puts the model in the top positions in the rankings for the best sound and multimedia. Model that definitely deserves to be heard wlEmoticon smile ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? . photo4 thumb1 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? Ports and communication On the left N56 has a subwoofer jack, VGA output for connection to a monitor, LA N port, HDMI output and two USB 3.0 ports. photo2 thumb1 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? On the right side are the headphone jack, microphone output, two USB 3.0 ports b ehind them is that the optical drive is a DVD / RW reader and writer (version co mes with BlueRay) after the entrance to the charger and lock system . photo3 thumb1 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? Front you can see the multimedia card reader and five indicators that are left t o right: - An indicator for the activity of the power supply - Battery indicator - Indicator for hard disk - The wireless network (Wi-Fi) - Indicator function Caps Lock (small capital letters) Technical characteristics and performance The model that we present today has the following parameters: CPU-Intel Core i7-3630QM 2.40GHz/3.40GHz RAM - 8GB DDR3 1600MHz HDD-750GB, 7200 rpm. / Min., SATA Display -15.6 inches / 39.62 cm matt with economical LED technology for a mo re realistic looking colors Video Card - NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 4GB GDDR3 dedicated memory TEMPERATURE AND SOUND SYSTEM Definitely surprised when have charged the laptop and the fan noise was within t he normal range - somewhere in the periphery of your hearing, barely noticeable. In silence the work of the components is barely audible, the disc is almost sile nt, which I determined that whether fully loaded laptop, noise levels are more t han satisfactory. Temperature levels at the maximum load of the processor and the test range of 30 minutes are not crossed the boundary of 72 degrees to the core, which is more t han satisfactory and absolutely safely.

cpu2 thumb1 ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? In quiet mode while surfing the Internet together with any other video temperatu re levels are around 30 degrees. At maximum load aluminum housing and good cooling had spoken. Temperature level was more than good body remained cold with slightly warmer zone over vent openin gs. Battery clip image040 thumb ???? ?? ?????? Asus N56VZ 4338D ????? ??????????? ?????? At an absolute minimum load and brightness minimized with wireless off battery l ife is nearly six hours of course this is not a daily regime to which we can rel y. When using applications such as Web browsing some other video, writing text and brightness set to medium level (150 cd / m) battery life is 3 hours and 10 minute s if you decide to watch a movie using the optical drive battery will last about peaceful 3:00, which was only enough to watch a movie with equivalent duration. Full load of games and other applications in the mode (high performance) battery will last approximately 2 hours. Our opinion Asus N56 is a model that will definitely garner interest with enviable parameter s, design and quality workmanship. N56 is a series you can rely on whatever field you work. The series is available in several varieties and is very well balanced against the quality, performance and price. If you are looking for a laptop with good parameters to be robust and reliable, love games, and did not settle for mediocre media, this is an excellent choice. Moreover, high-quality display that we liked a lot, a Full HD resolution and a m atte finish, allowing you to spend more time in front of him, not to tire your e yes.