Review Clevo P370EM Barebones Notebook

The Clevo P370EM barebone, weighing 4.3 kg (9.48 pounds) with two graphics cards, seems to be a mixture of the beloved P170EM barebone (single GPU, ~3.9 kg, 8.6 pounds) and the massive X7200 barebone (dual GPU, ~6.0 kg, 13.22 pounds).

With a footprint of 419 x 293 mm (16.5 x 11.5 inches) the XMG P722 is somewhat bigger than its brother the XMG P702 (412 x 276 mm, 16.22 x 10.86 inches), but the height of the notebook is about 55 mm (2.16 inches). For comparison: the old XMG U700 was 419 x 286 x 73 mm (16.5 x 11.25 x 2.87 inches).

The consumer is greeted by a successful mix of dark gray plastic surfaces and black aluminum (keyboard area). The palm rests and the lid have a rubber finish, which not every user will enjoy. The reason: The rubber coating is quite sensitive to wet or greasy fingers. After just a few hours, our test unit was covered in various stains. But the feel of it was quite comfortable.

To a large extent there are no reflecting elements, with the touchpad being one of the few exceptions (a matte display frame is not always expected from Clevo). Although the design has become a bit more modern, the overall look of the 17-inch notebook is relatively plain. Another plus is the great workmanship: Even after a close inspection, one finds at most only minor discrepancies. The material quality is also very good, although you should not expect any new records. The Alienware M18x R2 is still qualitatively in a higher league.

In terms of stability, the notebook leaves an overall positive impression. Even under high pressure, the chassis feels pretty stiff and only gives in minimally. The rigidity of the display lid on the other hand is average. Thanks to the high weight, the base unit does not move when opening the lid.

Processor

The mobile high-end class has been dominated by Intel's Core i7 processors for quite some time. The current Ivy Bridge (22 nm) offers, as did its predecessor Sandy Bridge (32 nm), high performance and lots of features.

The potent quad-core models 3610QM, 3720QM and 3820QM have a TDP of 45 W and place themselves between the frugal 3612QM (35 W TPD) and the luxurious 3920XM (55 W TPD). Six or eight MB L3 Cache (depending on the model) is also respectable. Thanks to the hyperthreading technology, the quad-cores can process up to eight threads simultaneously. The Turbo Boost function allows for a dynamic overclocking.

Schenker has equipped our test unit with the 2.7-3.7 GHz Core i7-3820QM, which costs about 300 Euro (~$377) in the online configurator and provides more than enough power for the SLI combo (the same goes for the cheaper Core i7-3720QM). Purely from a price-performance point of view the Core i7-3610QM is currently most attractive.

Since the notebook lacks graphics switching, the integrated DirectX 11 chip HD Graphics 4000 cannot be used to save power.

Since we have already tested the Single GTX 680M in detail and the GTX 670M is just a higher clocked GTX 570M, we ordered the XMG P722 with a Dual GTX 680M. While AMD's dual GPU solution is called CrossFire, Nvidia uses the term SLI. Together the Radeon HD 7970M and the GeForce GTX 680M are the current notebook reference.

The DirectX 11.1 capable Kepler model is manufactured using the 28nm process (Fermi: 40 nm) and has 4096 MB of GDDR5 video memory, which is tied to a 256-bit wide bus. The clock frequencies are 720 MHz (core) and 1800 MHz (memory).

Otherwise the 100 W GPU supports various technologies. For the gamers most interesting are the PhysX (GPU based physics acceleration) and the 3D Vision (stereoscopic 3D playback on a 120 Hz monitor). Via the HDMI a high resolution picture and sound can be transmitted to an external device.

The SLI combo is spared from the micro stuttering (subjective, due to varying image distances) thanks to the enormous raw power. Only in extremely demanding games, which run at less than 40 fps, does the image rendering feel worse than that of a single GPU. Tip: in order to get the maximum out the SLI combination, one should update the driver every couple of weeks (on the Schenker, Clevo or Nvidia homepage). The system must be restarted if SLI is deactivated.

The 240 GB Corsair Neutron GTX was especially exciting for us. The US company challenges the whole SATA III competition with this brand new solid state drive. The integrated LAMD LM87800 controller does an outstanding job, which is obvious from a look at the AS SSD Benchmark.

Thanks to the sequential read rate of 514 MB/s and a sequential write rate of 456 MB/s the Neutron GTX overtakes not only the beloved Crucial RealSSD M4 (479 & 185 MB/s) and the Intel SSD 520 (496 & 288 MB/s), but also the successful Samsung SSD 830 (499 & 401 MB/s). Only the OCZ Vertex 4 (503 & 459 MB/s) is fit to hold a candle to the Corsair model in the write speeds.

Since even small data is transferred extremely quickly (a new record in 4K-64 write test) and the access times are remarkably low (0.08 - 0.1 ms), we are talking about completely successful performance. However, we cannot predict how the Neutron GTX does in terms of longevity. You should always take into account the failure rates when buying an SSD. Some models do relatively poor here (as far as you believe the customer reviews).

In the secondary hard drive slot (2 x 9.5 mm possible) we find a 750 GB HDD. The Seagate Momentus ST9750420AS works at 7,200 RPM, which guarantees a relatively good performance. The CrystalDiskMark showed the SATA II model working at almost 110 MB/s – an above average HDD performance.

As can be seen in the comparison table under the review, the SLI performance depends very much on the game itself. Extreme case A: The frame rate is doubled in comparison to single card. This occurred in about half of the 22 games we tested. Extreme case B: The performance is worse than with a single GPU. If a title does not use the second GPU, the corresponding SLI profile is probably missing from the driver. Overall the dual GPU advantage varies extremely.

If you consider our ultra settings (1920 x1080 pixels, maximum details, multiple anti-aliasing) the second GTX 680M brings about 50% more power. AMDs fiercest rival, the Radeon HD 7970M CF, is at a comparable level, but falls 6% behind in total sum.

The measurements were taken with the current ForceWare 302.77. Even though the driver support is a strength of Nvidia, in some games we noticed peculiarities and/or problems. Here is a short list:

·        Sleeping Dogs, Darksiders II, The Secret World & Dirt Showdown: performance lost or minimal gain ⇒ obviously (still) no SLI profile

·        F1 2011: DirectX 9 mode is slower than DirectX 11

·        FIFA 12: refresh rate limited to 120 fps

·        Modern Warfare 3: short stuttering despite higher performance

·        Batman Arkham City: enormous frame rate fluctuations

·        StarCraft II: the beginning of the benchmark sequence (video at in-game graphics) was unnaturally slow 

Noise Emissions

The high noise emissions cost the XMG P722 a couple of points. Even in idle state, the three fans are audible. At a distance of 15 cm (5.9 inches), our measuring device showed between 35 and 38 dB(A). The rival Alienware M18x R2 remained quieter at undemanding tasks (~33-34 dB(A) at idle).

Under load the 17-inch notebook is clearly audible. With almost 44 dB(A), the fans were a bit quieter during 3DMark 06 than in the Alienware notebook (~42 dB(A)). For some users the noise levels would already be slightly disturbing. Those who usually play with headphones and/or play sound intensive genres (FPS, racing, etc.) should be able to handle the noise. Under unnatural full load the XMG P722 is quite uncomfortable: Our stress test registered more than 50 dB(A).

The temperatures are also not optimal. After an hour under full load with the tools FurMark and Prime, the Core i7-3820QM reached about 100 °C. The CPU Turbo was active even under these extreme conditions.

The graphics cards on the other hand left us with mixed feelings. Despite the core throttling (360 instead of 720 MHz), one of the GTX 680M reached almost 95 °C. The other GPU stayed much cooler at 74 °C. Under normal 3D programs such as the Unigine Heaven Benchmark the clock frequencies remained at the maximum. Over 90 °C is not to be expected in real (gaming) every day use. Regardless, the one kilogram heavier Alienware M18x R2 wins this category as well (stress test: up to 87 °C). 

The temperatures of the case surfaces are moderate. Almost 30 °C in idle state is properly low for a strong high-end notebook. Under load the chassis reaches 36 °C, whereby the left palm rest is a bit on the higher side.

The P370EM is the first Clevo barebone in years that has a good sound. The manufacturer has installed two loudspeakers by Onkyo, which are driven by an X-Fi certified sound chip.

The THX software gives the notebook more fullness, clarity, and dynamics. Even though the EAX effects subjectively worsen the sound quality, we were happy with the Sound Blaster console (right picture). The bass is fairly strong thanks to the integrated subwoofers. The higher maximum volume also deserves praise: The 2.1 system can fill even larger rooms.

The barebone cannot achieve the title “Sound Reference” though. For a very good sound, the loudspeakers need to be a bit more precise. As a high-quality sound alternative we would recommend the MSI GT70.

Despite the powerful 8-cell battery (89 Wh, 5900 mAh), the high-end notebook isn't a pretty picture off the socket. So the Reader's Test ran, even at the lowest brightness, only three hours. 2.5 hours of WLAN browsing (medium brightness) and two hours of DVD playback (maximum brightness) are also not amazing.

A bit of a surprise was the Classic Test of the Battery Eater: 108 minutes are rare for a desktop replacement. Why is the score above average? Quite simple: The graphics cards are massively downclocked when using the battery. The reviewed configuration of the Alienware M18x R2 generally did not manage more than two hours.

Compared to the old X7200 barebone, the chassis manufacturer Clevo makes a big step forward. Thanks to the lack of a desktop CPU, the P370EM boasts a more compact cooling solution, which allows for a slimmer and lighter chassis. The XMG P722 PRO is still not particularly portable though. Depending on the equipment, the 17-inch notebook weighs about four kilograms. The high-end notebook is primarily suited for stationary use.

A great advantage of the Clevo device is the simple maintenance. Nearly every component can be unscrewed and replaced (possible loss of warranty). Most users however, can find the right hardware in the extensive configurator. It is also great that the good non-glare display is accompanied by a useful sound system. In addition there is the good connectivity (including 4 x USB 3.0), a high-quality backlit keyboard, and a clean Windows installation. The outstanding performance has already been discussed in detail.

On the negative side are the sensitive and somewhat tacky touchpad as well as the average battery life and incredibly massive power supply. The emissions were also not good. Under load the components became quite hot. In terms of noise, one should not expect anything: Like most 17-inch gaming notebooks, it is not very quiet.

If you have taken a look at the Alienware M18x R2: The 18-inch notebook is better at the input devices, the connectivity, the emissions, and the workmanship. Disadvantages include the larger and heavier chassis, the highly reflective display, and the expensive upgrades.

But whether it is Schenker or Alienware: A similarly powerful and well-equipped gaming PC can be built for half or even a third of the price. But this should hardly stop the notebook enthusiasts.