Origin EON17-S Review This gaming laptop packs premium performance for a premium price
Introduction and design
There are only a couple of names gamers need to know when in the market for a 17-inch gaming laptop. Falcon Northwest, Asus, MSI, and Maingear all come to mind, but Origin PC is garnering major attention with its EON line. The company is better known for building made-to-order gaming PCs with fully assembled water-cooling blocks. But those who know the origin story will remember this gaming boutique was started by ex-employees of the top-end gaming laptop maker, Alienware.
It's been a few years since Origin first got into the game and this time around, its EON17-S is loaded to the gills with a 17.3-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution screen, Onkyo-designed speakers, and a multi-colored LED keyboard—and that's all standard. For this particular review, Origin sent TechRadar a machine loaded up with an absurd 8GB of video RAM onboard an Nvidia GeForce GTX 880M graphics card and nearly the most powerful Intel Core i7 chip.
The EON17-S has some impressive specs behind it that should translate to near desktop-level performance. However, given this machine's considerable footprint, it's more of a command deck than a laptop. Plus, its even larger price tag is proof enough that this isn't a purchase that gamers should take lightly.
Design
Unlike the Alienware 17 or MSI GS70 Stealth, the EON17-S is a far more subtily-designed gaming laptop. When closed, the laptop only has a few bits of noticeable flair on its back lid, including a metal Origin logo and two flared lines. This makes the machine resemble a Lamborghini, thanks to the red rubberized lid. This hypercar look extends to the back of the machine, where there are two massive vents that look like they were pulled right off of an Aventador or Gallardo.
Otherwise the laptop does not feature any side-paneling lighting on the side or superfluous "body armor," like the Alienware 17. Instead, the EON17-S is a fairly pedestrian machine with an almost all-plastic body, unlike the brushed aluminum-bodied MSI GS70. Despite its plasticky frame, the Origin machine feels dense and there's only the slightest hint of flex in the middle of the keyboard.
Opening the clamshell reveals more of the EON17-S' accented stylings, including a completely backlit keyboard plus a trackpad emblazoned with Origin's logo. To make things more comfortable, the rubberized coat from the lid also covers the keyboard deck and wrist pads. Just above the function keys is a built-in equalizer that lights up in the presence of loud music and explosions. This includes sounds piping through the EON17-S' audio outputs or speaker bar, which nearly spans the entire width of the laptop.
Spectacular sound
Getting deeper into the EON17-S' unique speaker system, it's way bigger and louder than most built-in laptop sound systems. Not only is the sound bar designed by Onkyo – an audio hardware company lauded for its home theater receivers and sound systems – there's also a subwoofer located underneath the laptop's giant footprint.
The massive tweeters on the EON17-S help the machine output some full-bodied tunes, and the subwoofer really kicked out the bass when things in the Battlefield Hardline beta got explosive. It's also great for users looking to turn this 17.3-inch laptop into a makeshift media center.
Ultimately, using a headset is best for gaming, but customers emptying their bank account for the EON17-S can rely on the laptop's built-in speakers. Just don't expect your team to like you when your keyboard chatter comes through the laptop's internal microphone.
Specifications
Weighing in at 8.2 pounds (or 11-pounds plus the power brick), the EON17-S is more an all-in-one gaming PC that you can fold in half. Thanks to its massive 16.2 x 10.9 x 1.8-inch size, you'll likely need a new bag for this beast. You may even need to clear your desk before setting this gaming platform down.
Unsurprisingly, the Alienware 17 measures in as the biggest machine – even if just by a tad – due to its unnecessarily bulky design. Overall, the Alienware measures 16.3 x 11.8 x 1.8 1.9 inches (W x D x H) and weighs in at a heavy-set 9.15 pounds.
On the other hands, users looking to pick up the lightest 17.3-inch gaming laptop they can stuff into a bag should nab the MSI GS70 Stealth. It weighs a spritely 5.7 pounds, and it's also the slimmest in the pack, measuring 0.85 inches thin. The EON17-S still somehow manages to be a tiny percent smaller in other respects, compared to the GS70's 16.5-inch wide and 11.3-inch deep frame.
Here is the EON17-S configuration given to TechRadar:
Spec sheet
CPU: 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-4810MQ (quad-core, 6MB cache, up to 3.80GHz with Turbo Boost)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 880M (8GB GDDR5 RAM); Intel HD Graphics 4600
RAM: 8GB DDR3L (2 x 4GB at 1600MHz)
Screen: 17.3-inch, 1920 x 1080, LED backlit matte display
Storage: 2x 120GB mSATA SSD; 750GB HDD (7,200 rpm)
Optical drive: 8X Slim CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW)
Ports: 3 x USB 3.0 ports (1 powered USB port, AC/DC), USB 2.0 port, eSATA (USB 3.0 combo), HDMI (with HDCP), headphone jack, microphone jack, S/PDIF output jack, line-in jack, RJ-45 LAN, mini IEEE 1394b port, mini DisplayPort
Connectivity: Intel PRO Wireless AC 7260; Bluetooth
Camera: 2 MP webcam
Weight: 8.5 pounds
Size: 16.2 x 10.9 x 1.8 inches (W x D x H)
The above is a tuned-up version of the base EON17-S configuration, with the best (most expensive) GPU you could stuff into a laptop. Origin also included a number of accessories – like a Razer gaming mouse and mousepad, t-shirt and poster – inside its trademark lumber shipping crate for a baffling total of $2,601 (about £1,531, AU$2,764). (If you were to buy one online, you could choose between a free Razer keyboard, Razer mouse and mousepad, or a Razer headset.)
Origin also includes a free one year warranty with lifetime labor. If a worst-case scenario, like a total crash (or a single dead pixel crops up), occurs within the first 45 days, you can ship back the unit for repair or replacement at no cost.
The Alienware 17 comes with similar repair assurances, and can sport the same high-end video card, but would come with an even stiffer $2,899 (around £1,703, AU$3,081) price tag. However, for the extra cheddar, you also get a 2.9GHz Intel Core i7-4910MQ processor (a bump up over the EON17-S's best chip), double the memory, and a Blu-Ray drive.
The MSI GS70 comes at a much friendlier $1,599 (about £939, AU$1,699) on Amazon, but really because the machine support the same insane specification. For this price, the MSI comes with a far less substantial Nvidia GeForce GTX860M and a tiny 128GB solid-state drive. However, the MSI tout the 7,200 rpm, 750GB mechanical drive to match the EON17-S's data storage option and 12GB of RAM clipped into its motherboard.
Performance
On paper, the EON17-S promises a lot of power, and in reality, the Origin machine does not disappoint. Anything beyond 4GB of video RAM is excessive to insane, but there's no denying it helped this gaming laptop breeze through the benchmark tests and chew through any game I threw at it.
Benchmarks
3DMark: Ice Storm: 113,919; Cloud Gate: 19,109; Fire Strike: 5,444
Cinebench Graphics: 109.68 FPS, CPU : 684 cb
PCMark 8 Home: 3,283 points
PCMark 8 battery life: 2 hours, 46 minutes
Bioshock Infinite: (1080p, Ultra): 64.59 fps; (1080p, Low): 189.66 fps
Metro: Last Light: (1080p, Ultra): 18 fps; (1080p, Low): 42.33 fps
From the results, it's clear the EON17-S completely demolished the 3DMark test, including its most computationally and graphically challenging Fire Strike trial with 5,444 points. On the other hand, the rivaling AMD GPU inside the Alienware 17 passed with lower marks overall, and a Fire Strike score of 4,727 points.
The MSI GS70 Stealth, equipped with an asthmatic GTX 765M, scored dismally with a Firestrike result of 2,211. But it's important to note that the most recent GS70 Stealth that we've tested was last year's model.
In respects with testing the CPU using Cinebench, the Origin came away with a less substantial lead of 684 cb compared to the Alienware, which put up 627 cb. The MSI comes in dead last once again: its Core i7-4700HQ the GS70 scored 599 cb.
When actually playing games, the Origin machine didn't break a sweat, keeping the frame rate above 60 fps in BioShock Infinite even with all the visual flourishes flicked on. Like most of the machines I've tested, Metro: Last Light made the EON17-S keel over, as it struggled to keep up an average frame rate of 18 fps.
Still, these are the best marks I've seen a 17.3 inch rig put out, the Alienware 17 could only handle Last Light with all pistons firing at 14.33 fps. The GS70 was only able to render BioShock in full detail with 42 fps and was not tested using Last Light in our review.
Peak performance
While the GTX 860M put up some top marks in our benchmark tests, the laptop truly shines when actually playing games. Whether it was Grid Autosport, Titanfall, or the recent Battlefield Hardline beta, the EON17-S had no problem keeping the games above a healthy 60 fps.
I was thoroughly impressed with the machine's ability to play Tomb Raider without any hitching, despite turning on all the effects (including the the AMD-tuned TressFX). Its a feat that even my home built gaming PC could not handle. Of course, this is partially because I run an Nvidia GTX 670, and developer Crystal Dynamics has optimized the hell out of the game since it launched in March 2013. Regardless, it's still a prime example of how far mobile PC graphics have come.
The only time I saw the silky smooth gaming experience stutter was running through a rain-heavy level in Crysis 3. But with so much happening in the scene, between reflections and the PhysX, I can hardly fault this as a limitation of mobile parts. Most realistic desktop builds would have trouble rendering the game with every setting maxed.
Emergency power
Don't unplug this machine, and this is advice I would give to most with a larger gaming laptop. The EON17-S's endurance settings kick into overdrive when the laptop is unplugged, with an automatic switch to integrated graphics. While playing a session of Tomb Raider at a steady 60 fps, I tugged the power cable and the frame rate immediately, precipitously dropped to a maximum 25 fps.
It's even more unlikely that users will want to game with this machine on the battery alone, which affords an operational life that tops out around 3 hours and 30 minutes at best. Mind you, this figure was recorded in the preset "Balanced" Windows power mode with the screen set to 25% screen brightness and volume while running Chrome, Spotify, watching a quick video on Netflix, and very little gaming.
On the PCMark 8 battery test, the EON17-S lasted just 2 hours and 46 minutes, just 30 minutes ahead of the Alienware 17's score. But this is a machine I hardly took out, due to the book-sized power brick that adds even more weight to this already-massive machine.
Light touches
Lights on a gaming laptop can be tacky, but Origin exercises restraint. Like the GS70, the EON17-S features a fully-lit, multi-colored keyboard that that can be customized to the your liking. Beyond aesthetics, the keyboard is a more than serviceable input device.
Though the keyboard is much closer to a soft membrane system, compared to the faux-mechanical keys on the Alienware 17 or the heavily-engineered SteelSeries keyboard on the GS70, the EON17-S shows just the right amount of travel and all the spacing a gamer needs.
The trackpad also sports a backlit Origin logo that users can also tune to a rainbow of colors. It's a nice touch that seems more superfluous than the customizable keyboard. Still, it's nothing to write home about: only good enough to navigate your way through the desktop and little else, especially for gaming purposes.
Average screen
If anything could use improvement on the EON17-S, it's the screen. The panel Origin sourced for its display is a TN panel, and it's fast enough to keep up with twitch shooters, but that's about it.
Colors don't pop and the screen tends to be overly bright. I often found myself lowering the brightness to a quarter, just to keep the blacks from being completely washed out.
Bundled software
Origin knows it's customers are buying the EON17-S as a gaming laptop, and as such the PC boutique has included only a modicum of preloaded software. The list is short, and many of the items below are just utility tools connected to the laptop's hardware bits.
CyberLink PowerDVD 14 Ultra: A requisite video playback application for any media on the EON17-S's storage banks or inserted through the optical drive.
Sound Blaster X-Fi: Tweak your audio settings including master volume or change up the bass. Additionally, you can turn on a mode to hear enemy footsteps from afar, or modify your microphone input to sound like Christian Bale's Batman.
BioExcess: Here, you can register your fingerprint with the biometric scanner to lock up your Origin machine or launch a paired application.
Keyboard Color Picker: Customize the keyboard with up to four separate zones of color including the light up trackpad. Alternatively, you can click on preset modes, like the epileptic dance mode, or simply make the lights pulse.
Verdict
The EON17-S is by far one of the most customizable 17.3-inch laptop you can buy. Much more customizable than Alienware and MSI notebooks, or Asus's monstrous ROG G750JX, Origin allows buyers to hand pick almost all their components, down to the RAM manufacturer. There are only a few gaming boutiques, Falcon Northwest and Xotic PC, that offer the same service.
While the power inside each EON17-S will vary depending on how the user builds it, this is a solid platform with gorgeous yet restrained stylings, a good keyboard, and booming speakers. Users looking to drop over $2,500 for a gaming laptop should definitely consider Origin. Frankly, it's a better deal than the Alienware 17 or the MSI GS70 Stealth.
We liked
I might be partial to the EON17-S because of its Lamborghini intimations, but this is a machine that sets itself apart without being flamboyant about it. Save for the flared lines on the lid and illuminated trackpad, all the extra flourishes – from the massive vents around back to the built-in equalizer light – serve a purpose. Unlike the Alienware 17, the EON17-S can turn heads without being obnoxious, all the while being more affordable.
When equipped with a near top-end Haswell chip and the super punchy GTX 880M, the EON17-S delivered on-demand power that almost never faltered. Sure, the machine costs a staggering $2,601 (about £1,531, AU$2,764), but with that you can be confident in bumping a game's settings to max, knowing it won't buckle.
We disliked
The only disappointment here was the screen. It has a fast enough refresh rate and almost no perceptible lag for gaming, but the screen just lacks color depth. The real shame is the lack of popping colors can poorly present the graphical fidelity that the EON17-S' high-end parts can produce.
Final verdict
Hands down, the Origin EON17-S is a superior value in face of the competition, despite it's seemingly enormous price. If you lack the time or patience to pore over power supplies, cases, monitors and more, this is a solid starting point and a more mobile solution.
It will always be more cost-effective to build your own gaming PC, but the service and support that Origin provides is impossible to replicate going that route. Plus, the extra niceties included in that price, namely the bundled mouse, could leave you set with this gaming laptop for a while.
Throwing over $2,500 at a decked-out gaming laptop should not be done lightly. With that cash, you could build a banging Steam Machine down the line, plus a sharp HDTV screen. But ultimately, if you seek fuss-free PC gaming that you can easily cart around the house, the Origin EON17-S is one to beat.
Original article http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/origin-eon17-s-1241657/review#articleContent