Notebookcheck Logo

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ Series

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ-28Processor: AMD A-Series A10-5750M, Intel Core i7 3630QM, Intel Core i7 4700MQ
Graphics Adapter: AMD Radeon HD 8970M, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M
Display: 15.60 inch, 17.30 inch
Weight: 3.1kg, 3.2kg, 3.36kg, 4kg
Price: 0, 1100, 1400 euro
Average Score: 72.07% - average
Average of 15 scores (from 24 reviews)
price: 92%, performance: 88%, features: 85%, display: 82%, mobility: 73%, workmanship: 89%, ergonomy: 81%, emissions: 72%

 

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17

Specifications

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17Notebook: Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17
Processor: Intel Core i7 3630QM
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M 4096 MB
Display: 17.30 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 4kg
Sold in: Anglo-America
Links: Ibuypower homepage
 Valkyrie CZ 17 (Model)

Pricecompare

Average Score: 74% - average

Average of 10 scores (from 20 reviews)

 

Reviews

87% Review iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 Notebook | Notebookcheck
DTR Powerhouse. Introduced late last year, the Valkyrie series is the premier lineup from iBuyPower aimed at hardcore gamers on-the-go and high-performance hunters. Essentially an MSI gamer in disguise, does this $1900 17.3-inch DTR hold up well against the competition?
60% iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 review
Source: IT Reviews English Archive.org version
The iBuypower Valkyrie CZ-17 is a great multimedia laptop with some gaming prowess. The big problem is that for $100 less, the EC-winning MSI GX60 has much better gaming performance. And, if I’m not mistaken, that’s why you would buy a humungous gaming rig over a thin and light ultrabook with excellent multimedia performance.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/28/2013
Rating: Total score: 60%
60% iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 review
Source: IT Reviews English Archive.org version
The iBuypower Valkyrie CZ-17 is a great multimedia laptop with some gaming prowess. The big problem is that for $100 less, the EC-winning MSI GX60 has much better gaming performance. And, if I’m not mistaken, that’s why you would buy a humungous gaming rig over a thin and light ultrabook with excellent multimedia performance.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/28/2013
Rating: Total score: 60%
70% iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17
Source: PC Mag English Archive.org version
The iBuypower Valkyrie CZ-17 is a great multimedia laptop with some gaming prowess. The big problem is that for $100 less, the EC-winning MSI GX60 has much better gaming performance. And, if I'm not mistaken, that's why you would buy a humungous gaming rig over a thin and light ultrabook with excellent multimedia performance. Thus the GX60 holds on to its Editors' Choice award, but consider the Valkyrie if you're going to spend a lot of time in between gaming sessions editing photos, videos, and the like.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/26/2013
Rating: Total score: 70%
70% iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17
Source: PC Mag English Archive.org version
The iBuypower Valkyrie CZ-17 is a great multimedia laptop with some gaming prowess. The big problem is that for $100 less, the EC-winning MSI GX60 has much better gaming performance. And, if I'm not mistaken, that's why you would buy a humungous gaming rig over a thin and light ultrabook with excellent multimedia performance. Thus the GX60 holds on to its Editors' Choice award, but consider the Valkyrie if you're going to spend a lot of time in between gaming sessions editing photos, videos, and the like.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/26/2013
Rating: Total score: 70%
iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 gaming laptop
Source: Gadgetmix English Archive.org version
The iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 costs $1900 as configured, and the manufacturer has included a 12-month guarantee free of charge. A machine that outperforms Dell’s Alienware M18x flagship gaming notebook, with its CrossFired duo of ATI HD7970M cards has no problem launchin apps in the Windows 8 OS aat lightning speed, and to cap a fantastic showing, iBuyPower have included recovery DVDs for a factory reinstall if ever things get sticky.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/12/2013
iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 gaming laptop
Source: Gadgetmix English Archive.org version
The iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 costs $1900 as configured, and the manufacturer has included a 12-month guarantee free of charge. A machine that outperforms Dell’s Alienware M18x flagship gaming notebook, with its CrossFired duo of ATI HD7970M cards has no problem launchin apps in the Windows 8 OS aat lightning speed, and to cap a fantastic showing, iBuyPower have included recovery DVDs for a factory reinstall if ever things get sticky.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/12/2013
iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 Gaming Notebook Review
Source: Hot Hardware English Archive.org version
The only external caveats are the machine's chassis flexion and the ridiculously sensitive trackpad, neither one of which is a deal breaker. This is a great system for someone who wants a capable gaming laptop that won't leave you on a Ramen Noodle budget through January, should you decide to spring for an early holiday gift. iBuyPower's upgrade options are flexible enough that customers who want to swap for an SSD or upgrade to a GTX 680M rather than older 580M/675M re-badged GPUs can do so.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/11/2012
iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 Gaming Notebook Review
Source: Hot Hardware English Archive.org version
The only external caveats are the machine's chassis flexion and the ridiculously sensitive trackpad, neither one of which is a deal breaker. This is a great system for someone who wants a capable gaming laptop that won't leave you on a Ramen Noodle budget through January, should you decide to spring for an early holiday gift. iBuyPower's upgrade options are flexible enough that customers who want to swap for an SSD or upgrade to a GTX 680M rather than older 580M/675M re-badged GPUs can do so.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/11/2012
90% iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 Gaming Laptop Review
Source: Think Computers English Archive.org version
When it comes down to it the iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 is a great gaming laptop that can play the latest games, has enough processing power do complete even the most CPU-intensive tasks and looks good doing it. For those looking to move away from a desktop this could be a viable desktop replacement. Overall ThinkComputers gives the iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 gaming laptop a 9 out of 10 score.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/24/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%
90% iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 Gaming Laptop Review
Source: Think Computers English Archive.org version
When it comes down to it the iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 is a great gaming laptop that can play the latest games, has enough processing power do complete even the most CPU-intensive tasks and looks good doing it. For those looking to move away from a desktop this could be a viable desktop replacement. Overall ThinkComputers gives the iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 gaming laptop a 9 out of 10 score.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/24/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%
90% iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 Gaming Laptop Review
Source: Tweaktown English Archive.org version
So, where does that leave us? The Valkyrie CZ-17 is great for the money, but it has a certain customer that it will appeal to. This is a desktop replacement notebook, as demonstrated by its performance and size. There are better machines out there if you demand the best of the best, but for your average LAN party attendee, this machine will be more than enough. If you aren't planning on doing a lot of gaming, I recommend looking at other machines, such as one of the many Ultrabooks available.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/14/2012
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 93% performance: 90% features: 90% workmanship: 90%
90% iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 Gaming Laptop Review
Source: Tweaktown English Archive.org version
So, where does that leave us? The Valkyrie CZ-17 is great for the money, but it has a certain customer that it will appeal to. This is a desktop replacement notebook, as demonstrated by its performance and size. There are better machines out there if you demand the best of the best, but for your average LAN party attendee, this machine will be more than enough. If you aren't planning on doing a lot of gaming, I recommend looking at other machines, such as one of the many Ultrabooks available.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/14/2012
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 93% performance: 90% features: 90% workmanship: 90%
iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 Review
Source: Overclock3d English Archive.org version
My goodness do you get a lot of laptop for your money with the iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17. It's not even a lot of money either. We understand that UK price conversion rates are sadly not as simple as applying the current exchange rate to a dollar amount, but it's definitely something worth investigating. For our American readers, who need not worry about such things, this represents great value for money. We like the lighting, we love the looks, we especially love the price and the performance. If you take the money you save between this and any equally-spec'd machine and spend it on the SSD upgrade, you'll be the envy of anyone who didn't do their research. For delivering so much in such a cost-effective package we have to award it our OC3D Gold Award.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/29/2012
Rating: price: 90% performance: 80% display: 80%
iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 Review
Source: Overclock3d English Archive.org version
My goodness do you get a lot of laptop for your money with the iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17. It's not even a lot of money either. We understand that UK price conversion rates are sadly not as simple as applying the current exchange rate to a dollar amount, but it's definitely something worth investigating. For our American readers, who need not worry about such things, this represents great value for money. We like the lighting, we love the looks, we especially love the price and the performance. If you take the money you save between this and any equally-spec'd machine and spend it on the SSD upgrade, you'll be the envy of anyone who didn't do their research. For delivering so much in such a cost-effective package we have to award it our OC3D Gold Award.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/29/2012
Rating: price: 90% performance: 80% display: 80%
Valkyrie CZ-17 gaming laptop Review
Source: Slashgear English Archive.org version
Really, the only big drawbacks are the battery life and the size of the unit. As stated above though, those are to be expected in a gaming laptop, and concerning the size specifically, it isn’t as if the Valkyrie isn’t portable. It’s slightly more bulky than other laptops that are on the market, but that 7 pound weight isn’t terribly huge. All in all, if you’re looking for a laptop that hold its own when it comes to gaming, you won’t be disappointed by picking up a Valkyrie CZ-17.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/24/2012
Valkyrie CZ-17 gaming laptop Review
Source: Slashgear English Archive.org version
Really, the only big drawbacks are the battery life and the size of the unit. As stated above though, those are to be expected in a gaming laptop, and concerning the size specifically, it isn’t as if the Valkyrie isn’t portable. It’s slightly more bulky than other laptops that are on the market, but that 7 pound weight isn’t terribly huge. All in all, if you’re looking for a laptop that hold its own when it comes to gaming, you won’t be disappointed by picking up a Valkyrie CZ-17.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/24/2012
iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 Notebook Review: MSI and iBuyPower Tangle With Alienware
Source: AnandTech English Archive.org version
iBuyPower is a company that you need to be paying attention to. They're slowly but steadily growing from being a boutique player into a mainstream player, and the Valkyrie CZ-17 is proof enough of that. It's true that at its core, the CZ-17 is a slightly modified MSI chassis, but keep in mind that way back when the Mobile Athlon 64 was launched, eMachines/Gateway was doing roughly the same thing by taking notebooks built by Arima and rebranding them.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/21/2012
iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 Notebook Review: MSI and iBuyPower Tangle With Alienware
Source: AnandTech English Archive.org version
iBuyPower is a company that you need to be paying attention to. They're slowly but steadily growing from being a boutique player into a mainstream player, and the Valkyrie CZ-17 is proof enough of that. It's true that at its core, the CZ-17 is a slightly modified MSI chassis, but keep in mind that way back when the Mobile Athlon 64 was launched, eMachines/Gateway was doing roughly the same thing by taking notebooks built by Arima and rebranding them.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/21/2012
60% AAiBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 17.3-inch Laptop PC
Source: Comp Reviews English Archive.org version
The iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 is a strong performer when it comes to being a gaming machine thanks to the new Intel Ivy Bridge processor and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M graphics processor. With prices starting around $1369, it certainly is also very affordable for this level of performance. The downside is that the display is not nearly as good as some of the competing 17-inch gaming laptops.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 07/16/2012
Rating: Total score: 60%
60% AAiBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 17.3-inch Laptop PC
Source: Comp Reviews English Archive.org version
The iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 is a strong performer when it comes to being a gaming machine thanks to the new Intel Ivy Bridge processor and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M graphics processor. With prices starting around $1369, it certainly is also very affordable for this level of performance. The downside is that the display is not nearly as good as some of the competing 17-inch gaming laptops.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 07/16/2012
Rating: Total score: 60%

 

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17-NE735i

Specifications

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17-NE735iNotebook: Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17-NE735i
Processor: Intel Core i7 3630QM
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M
Display: 17.30 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 3.2kg
Price: 1400 euro
Sold in: Anglo-America
Links: Ibuypower homepage

Pricecompare

Average Score: 40% - bad

Average of 1 scores (from 1 reviews)

 

Reviews

40% iBUYPOWER Gamer Valkyrie CZ17 NE735i 17.3-inch Laptop PC
Source: Comp Reviews English Archive.org version
The Gamer Valkyrie CZ17-NE735i is a very capable 3D gaming laptop. It is also much lighter than much of the competition although it is still quite bulky. The trade off is that the weight savings comes from a smaller battery with limited running time especially for mobile gaming away from a power cord. The problem though is that the system is more expensive than the direct order version from iBUYPOWER which also includes a Blu-ray class drive.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 01/30/2013
Rating: Total score: 40%

 

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ-15

Specifications

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ-15Notebook: Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ-15
Processor: Intel Core i7 4700MQ
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M 3072 MB
Display: 15.60 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 3.36kg
Links: Ibuypower homepage

Pricecompare

 

Reviews

84% Review iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-15 Notebook | Notebookcheck
Flying Valkyrie. The 17-inch original has expanded to the 15-inch category with this latest Valkyrie model just in time for the launch of both Haswell and the refreshed Kepler series. The internals are still a powerhouse to be reckoned with, but have any features been removed in the transition? We take a deeper look in this MSI-based DTR.

 

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ-28

Specifications

Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ-28Notebook: Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ-28
Processor: AMD A-Series A10-5750M
Graphics Adapter: AMD Radeon HD 8970M
Display: 17.30 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 3.1kg
Price: 1100 euro
Sold in: Anglo-America
Links: Ibuypower homepage

Pricecompare

Average Score: 65% - average

Average of 2 scores (from 2 reviews)

 

Reviews

60% iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-28
Source: IT Reviews English Archive.org version
The Valkyrie CZ-28 offers potent gaming performance for a lower price, leveraging more affordable AMD hardware for elite level gaming. The iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-28 is a great entry-level gaming laptop, but outside of gaming it doesn't offer the all-around capability that many are looking for.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 11/07/2013
Rating: Total score: 60%
70% iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-28
Source: PC Mag English Archive.org version
The iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-28 offers gaming power for less thanks to AMD's affordable hardware, but it doesn't come without compromise, offering less capability for productive tasks and multimedia creation. If gaming is your primary focus, then definitely put the Valkyrie CZ-28 on your list of systems to consider; but if you want faster overall performance and power outside of the gaming arena, consider something like the Editors' Choice CyberPower FangBook X7-200 which offers more power with Intel hardware and an SSD cache for faster performance.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 11/05/2013
Rating: Total score: 70%

 

Comment

Ibuypower: iBUYPOWER Computer is a enterprise located in Southern California. The product lines include gaming desktops, gaming notebooks, workstations, media center PCs, peripherals, and multimedia products. The global market share according laptops is low.


Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M: High-End graphics card of the GeForce GTX 600M series, based on the 28nm Kepler architecture (GK104) that is manufactured in 28nm.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M:

An upcoming high-end graphics card for large notebooks expected to launch with Ivy Bridge processors in the first half of 2012

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M: Upcoming high-end graphics card for laptops and part of the 700M series.

AMD Radeon HD 8970M: High-end GPU from AMD based on the 28nm Solar Series (GCN architecture). Compared to the 7970M, the 8970M just offers 50 MHz more core clock rate (boost).

» 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 CPU 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 (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single 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 Boost support up to 3.4 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4000 GPU and a dual channel DDR3 memory controller.

4700MQ: Haswell-based quad-core processor clocked at 2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 3.4 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4600 GPU and a dual channel DDR3 memory controller.

AMD A-Series:

A10-5750M: Quad-core processor with only two FPUs and an integrated Radeon HD 8650G graphics card. Top model of the A10 series.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.


» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.


3.1 kg:

A laptop with this weight is comparatively heavy and less designed for mobility than for use at the desk. Therefore, the devices tend to shine less with battery life than with a large screen and higher performance.

4 kg:

Only a few laptops are in this weight class because the mobility is rather limited due to the high weight. 


72.07%: This rating is poor. More than three quarters of the models are rated better. That is rather not a purchase recommendation. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

Please share our article, every link counts!

Devices with the same GPU and/or Screen Size

AVADirect Clevo P375SM
Radeon HD 8970M, Core i7 4700HQ, 4.3 kg
MSI GX70H-A108972811B
Radeon HD 8970M, A-Series A10-5750M, 3.74 kg

Devices with Same Screen Size and/or Weight

Ibuypower Battalion M1771-2
GeForce GTX 765M, Core i7 4700HQ, 17.30", 2.7 kg

Devices from the same Manufacturer

Ibuypower Battalion 101 W230SD
GeForce GTX 960M, Core i7 4710MQ, 13.30", 2.1 kg
Ibuypower Battalion 101 W230SS
GeForce GTX 860M, Core i7 4700MQ, 13.30", 2.1 kg
Current Prices
Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ-28
Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17-NE735i
Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17-NE735i
Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17-NE735i
Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17
Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17
Ibuypower Valkyrie CZ 17
Stefan Hinum, 2013-02- 5 (Update: 2013-02- 5)